The Doctor was in the TARDIS, as it happened, trying to get the sonic screwdriver to work as more than...well, a screwdriver. He slapped it in the palm of his hand and scowled. "Bloody ocean," he muttered, lying flat on his back and looking up at the console.
The Doctor's smile turned a little quirky, then winced at the thought of it. "Home with me, or home London?" he asked, slightly wary. "I'm fine. Was in Jersey with Rob."
It didn't strike him at all that she'd have met Rose Tyler.
"She's... nice." And from Ace, that was saying a lot. "She offered to be my friend." That, however, seemed a little more... confused.
"Didn't really talk about you, but- I was planning to come see you already, then-" Her voice lowered. "I was worried about you." She, for one, already knew he wasn't going to pick Rose Tyler over pretty much anybody.
The Doctor looked quite terribly surprised, actually. He blinked a few times. "That's good," he said, and meant it, though he was more confused than Ace. "Um...I'm all right," he admitted. "Talked things out with Rob."
Which was why he hadn't sat up. Sitting up too fast hurt.
"He was stupid and thought she'd replace him, yeah?" She sighed. "You don't work that way." She did know how he worked, but was going to be nice and not get into that particular jumble.
She poured him some tea, and some into the lid of of her thermos for herself. "Went back home with you. With... not... you."
"Not stupid," the Doctor said. He raised an eyebrow (it HURT to raise an eyebrow, dear god) and didn't bother carrying on with that statement. "How was your trip?" he asked, gently, then eased into sitting with a wince.
She didn't notice the wince, staring into her own tea. "I punched you. And I left." She looked over at him. "I didn't even realise how incredibly horrid it was to walk out and see him instead of you. Missed her, through." She skimmed her fingers over the grating. "Was just like home."
She didn't mean to sound wistful, but she did. "Slipped on the floors. Was ridiculously cold - you always kept the air up too high. Came out, and you were messing with things on the Console - old you, and- and-" She looked back over at him. "Would have given pretty much anything to have it be you instead."
"Must have been a dreamscape for punching," the Doctor said mildly, not sure what else to say. Except that he blushed when she said she'd rather see this him. Not like he blamed her, that him was a bit of a ponce.
"Was just me, in mine. I thought- Thought I'd gone back. That- that was it, that-" She exhaled in a rush. "I made you take me to Cardiff. I left. I'll do it, if I can. If I remember. So that-" It might save you one bit of guilt.
"Cardiff, 1989. Asked the Jack who was there if I could join Torchwood. Seemed the thing to do."
"That he knew who I was because of the file. That I was the one before Rose." She wasn't quite able to keep the bitterness at that out of her voice. "And because I was- Was one of yours, he'd take care of me. I ended up doing Ianto's job- cleaning and things, all of that."
She looked at her fingers. "I- I didn't really know what else to do. Where else to go." Because her home was with Jack- her Jack, or the TARDIS, or.. With the Doctor- but not the one she'd left behind.
"That you, Ace?"
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Because it was him. It was his tenth regeneration, and that made all the difference.
"Budge out and have some tea with me, would you?" She sat heavily next to him on the grating, shrugging off her rucksack.
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He slid out and blinked, looking at her upsidedown. "You come all this way to give me some tea?" he asked, giving her just a bit of that smile he had.
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"Went home." She didn't really need to say more then that, even though she probably would later. Right now, though- "You alright, Doctor?"
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It didn't strike him at all that she'd have met Rose Tyler.
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"Doctor, you know how people turn up-?" She looked a bit like a trapped mouse in a corner, but she was hardly going to not tell him.
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"Didn't really talk about you, but- I was planning to come see you already, then-" Her voice lowered. "I was worried about you." She, for one, already knew he wasn't going to pick Rose Tyler over pretty much anybody.
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Which was why he hadn't sat up. Sitting up too fast hurt.
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She poured him some tea, and some into the lid of of her thermos for herself. "Went back home with you. With... not... you."
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She didn't mean to sound wistful, but she did. "Slipped on the floors. Was ridiculously cold - you always kept the air up too high. Came out, and you were messing with things on the Console - old you, and- and-" She looked back over at him. "Would have given pretty much anything to have it be you instead."
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"I punched House in Rob's dream."
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"Cardiff, 1989. Asked the Jack who was there if I could join Torchwood. Seemed the thing to do."
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She looked at her fingers. "I- I didn't really know what else to do. Where else to go." Because her home was with Jack- her Jack, or the TARDIS, or.. With the Doctor- but not the one she'd left behind.
Her home was here. On the Island.
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