In the Morning
We met Rose on a train platform in Wimbledon at 3am in the morning. Jackie brought Sam sleeping in her arms, some sandwiches, a thermos of tea, and a big bag of Rose's stuff as per her daughter's request. Rose sat on the station, there was no sign of the Doctor.
There was a lot of crying and hugging, also some generous scolding, but Jackie understood. Pete understood. We all understood. This was it now, I think I realised right then I wouldn't see her again, not for a long time. I wondered too if I would ever see the Doctor again.
We had to ask what happened, what really happened. Jackie and Pete wanted to know so that they could prove she wasn't what the authorities say she is, but I knew, I knew because I know Rose, and I know the Doctor, and I know what it is they have really wanted for the past two years; I knew that even if we could prove it, that this was it: they weren't coming home now. How did I know, there was something in Rose's smile, something to suggest she was happier than she had ever been. It was about that moment I realised what they must have found.
"It was an accident, but I can't prove it. I had to go over there that night, I didn't tell the Doctor, she called up and she said she had something she wanted to show me. It was a watch. She told me I had to show it to the Doctor."
"A watch?"
"Yeah I didn't get it either. She said she had had it all her life, and it was broken but she just kept it, just hanging around, and she never really liked it or noticed it, and that she was going to throw it away, and then last Christmas when I went... well when I crossed over to help the Doctor, the other Doctor, but I was too late...she said she started hearing it."
"Hearing it what like ticking?" Jackie asked incredulously.
"More like singing she told me, and she said she thought it might be alien and she didn't want to give it in at Torchwood because she felt it was special and that the Doctor should see it first, and then she apologised."
"What for?" Pete asked.
"For what she did next, she said she was really sorry but that it was for my own good. And she attacked me."
"And that's when...."
"Yes but it was an accident."
I told her I didn't think it was. I told her I didn't understand how, but that I thought she wanted it to happen. Rose nodded, she said the Doctor and her thought so too. I said I was sorry I was her friend, Rose told me I shouldn't feel bad, that Cassie was perfectly fine and a good person. I was glad she thought so, then she said something I didn't understand right then.
"It's who she is now that we need to worry about."
We all asked her what the hell she was talking about, and it was when she answered that I understood why Rose looked so happy.
"We don't know, not yet, but we will - we've just what we need to get to the bottom of it now. And anyway, we can ask her, she'll come to us I'm sure."
"She's alive?" Pete pressed.
"Somewhere, on earth, I'm sure she is. And you can guarantee she's pissed off."
"Why?"
There was a strange sort of vworping noise as Rose grinned, the leaves on the platform started to circle strangely and I got a sort of tingling sensation all up the back of my neck, For a moment I could have sworn I saw an outline of one of those old phone boxes.
"Why?" Rose smiled, Sam giggled in her arms and then reached into the air calling 'Daddy' at the top of his lungs.
And with that, she, Sam, and whatever it was that came and went again, were gone.
Her last sentence trailed into the night sky, "...because the Doctor nicked her TARDIS."
There was a lot of crying and hugging, also some generous scolding, but Jackie understood. Pete understood. We all understood. This was it now, I think I realised right then I wouldn't see her again, not for a long time. I wondered too if I would ever see the Doctor again.
We had to ask what happened, what really happened. Jackie and Pete wanted to know so that they could prove she wasn't what the authorities say she is, but I knew, I knew because I know Rose, and I know the Doctor, and I know what it is they have really wanted for the past two years; I knew that even if we could prove it, that this was it: they weren't coming home now. How did I know, there was something in Rose's smile, something to suggest she was happier than she had ever been. It was about that moment I realised what they must have found.
"It was an accident, but I can't prove it. I had to go over there that night, I didn't tell the Doctor, she called up and she said she had something she wanted to show me. It was a watch. She told me I had to show it to the Doctor."
"A watch?"
"Yeah I didn't get it either. She said she had had it all her life, and it was broken but she just kept it, just hanging around, and she never really liked it or noticed it, and that she was going to throw it away, and then last Christmas when I went... well when I crossed over to help the Doctor, the other Doctor, but I was too late...she said she started hearing it."
"Hearing it what like ticking?" Jackie asked incredulously.
"More like singing she told me, and she said she thought it might be alien and she didn't want to give it in at Torchwood because she felt it was special and that the Doctor should see it first, and then she apologised."
"What for?" Pete asked.
"For what she did next, she said she was really sorry but that it was for my own good. And she attacked me."
"And that's when...."
"Yes but it was an accident."
I told her I didn't think it was. I told her I didn't understand how, but that I thought she wanted it to happen. Rose nodded, she said the Doctor and her thought so too. I said I was sorry I was her friend, Rose told me I shouldn't feel bad, that Cassie was perfectly fine and a good person. I was glad she thought so, then she said something I didn't understand right then.
"It's who she is now that we need to worry about."
We all asked her what the hell she was talking about, and it was when she answered that I understood why Rose looked so happy.
"We don't know, not yet, but we will - we've just what we need to get to the bottom of it now. And anyway, we can ask her, she'll come to us I'm sure."
"She's alive?" Pete pressed.
"Somewhere, on earth, I'm sure she is. And you can guarantee she's pissed off."
"Why?"
There was a strange sort of vworping noise as Rose grinned, the leaves on the platform started to circle strangely and I got a sort of tingling sensation all up the back of my neck, For a moment I could have sworn I saw an outline of one of those old phone boxes.
"Why?" Rose smiled, Sam giggled in her arms and then reached into the air calling 'Daddy' at the top of his lungs.
And with that, she, Sam, and whatever it was that came and went again, were gone.
Her last sentence trailed into the night sky, "...because the Doctor nicked her TARDIS."