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rose_lives
Rose Gen Ficathon entry: Return To Sender (Address Unknown)
Title: Return To Sender (Address Unknown)
Author: livii
Characters: Rose, Mickey, Jake; the Tenth Doctor
Rating: PG
Word Count: ~2,300
Summary: "We'll see what happens," Rose said lightly. "We might not find anything. But it's worth looking, yeah?"
Notes: For amberite in the Rose Tyler Post-Doomsday Gen Ficathon, who wanted Rose as an action hero in her own right, something from the past that Rose knows and the Doctor doesn't and never did, and weirdness as a positive thing. Thanks to redscharlach for all the help working through the plot and for beta reading (remaining errors are my own, since I kept fiddling with it afterwards).
"Everyone here looks like Elvis."
"It's a bit…unsettling."
"And they're all young Elvises!"
Mickey and Jake turned around and stared at Rose.
"What?" she said, defensively. "I prefer Vegas-era Elvis, is there something wrong with that?"
"I told you she was barking," Jake said, grinning and shaking his head.
"Why is it," Rose said loudly, ignoring Jake, "that every universe we visit has exactly the same Elvis?"
"I dunno," Mickey replied, "but that one looks ready to eat our brains or something."
Rose sighed, and swung around, pulling out her gun. "And why do so many universes have zombies?" she said, as she casually pumped the Elvis full of lead.
"A little less conversation!" Jake said, fighting off another zombie Elvis.
"And a little more action," Rose replied, shimmying her way back to their transporter, taking out the last two zombies on the way.
* * *
The phone on her desk rang, shrill and insistent. Rose sighed. She supposed she should pick it up.
"We've found it," the voice on the other end said, without preamble.
She sat up straight, and quickly copied down the details she was given. Hanging up the phone, she hurried out of her office.
Mickey and Jake met her in the car park. They all grinned at each other, jumping into Rose's Torchwood-issued Jeep. She peeled out of the parking lot, leaving the boys fumbling to hold on as she laughed, loose and free.
They only had to drive for thirty minutes, racing along and outrunning the dark clouds that had been hanging over the office. When they pulled up by the site, the sun was poking through, scattering beams of light all around them. One of the beams fell right on a curious depression in the earth, where the light glittered and wavered in and out.
There was a small team already at the site, who had been tracking odd readings, random energy bursts and temporal fluctuations. They waved at the trio when they arrived, calling them over to the depression in the ground.
"There's definitely something useful here, Ms. Tyler," the team lead said. "We think you could try jumping worlds with the transporter."
Rose looked at Mickey and Jake. What was she doing with this, she wondered. Trying to find the Doctor? Trying to find her way back home? She didn't know. She just knew that the small depression in the earth, offering opportunities and possibilities, was drawing her in, slowly and surely, and it would haunt her dreams if she never tried.
"We've got to give it a shot," Rose said authoritatively, as everyone looked at her. "You never know what we'll find out there."
Mickey and Jake cheered as she strode forward to the transporter.
"That's my girl," Mickey said admiringly, slinging his arm around Jake's shoulder.
"Come on, no slacking!" Rose shouted back at them, and they hurriedly complied, giving her half-cocked salutes. She laughed, and the three of them entered the transporter, smiles in their eyes and a silent prayer on their lips.
* * *
"Their queen," Mickey said, disbelievingly.
"I know, I know," Rose said, sighing. "But the Ancephalods thought I was responsible for killing the monster threatening their city, and as a reward, they've crowned me."
"You did kill the monster," Jake said.
Rose waved her hand, and three green creatures appeared in a flash. "No, no," she said, flustered, as Mickey and Jake tried not to laugh. "I don't need you. I was just making a hand gesture!"
The creatures moved away quietly, bowing as they went.
"Clearly, you need to get me out of this," Rose said, pleading with her eyes, not daring to move any part of her body again.
"Your highness," Jake said, "we couldn't possibly deprive your noble subjects of their exalted ruler."
"They're big and ugly green creatures!" Rose said. "And we're way out from anything like our own universe. Come on, just help me down off this throne."
Mickey moved forward to give her a hand, but Jake held him back. "Hang on. How do we know you won't just whack us with that sceptre when you have a chance?"
"Why would I do that?" Rose said sweetly. "Because you're being right arses to me even though I saved these adorable, intelligent creatures from a horrible demise? Nah."
Mickey and Jake laughed, and helped her scramble down from the impossibly high throne.
"Thank you," she said, graciously and regally, and then she smacked them both on the arm with her sceptre and ran off ahead towards the transporter.
"Oi!" Mickey yelled. "Some Director you are, Tyler! Even the Doctor didn't beat me up like that!"
Rose turned, a mischievous smile on her face. "His loss, then," she said cheekily, and raced back to the transporter laughing, while the boys chased her down.
* * *
Rose sat down at her new desk, admiring its size and the view from her window. She adjusted the name plaque on her desk - Rose Tyler, Director of Inconsistent Temporal Activity. She could get used to this, she thought.
There was a knock on the door, and Mickey and Jake came in, followed by her assistant, Edward.
"Ms. Tyler, I said they couldn't come in without an appointment or invitation, but -"
"It's okay," Rose said. "I want to be approachable, and besides, these two are a special case. And by special case I mean 'probably should be locked up in a mental institution', but still."
Mickey gave a laugh, while Jake executed a fancy bow. "Your Directorship," he said, "we await your instructions."
Rose smiled. "This could have been you, Jake, but you didn't want it."
"Nah, I'm a field agent through and through. Besides, I couldn't leave this one on his own, could I?" Jake replied, cuffing Mickey on the arm.
"Very true," Rose said, while Mickey rubbed his arm and complained. "Right, time to get down to business. Edward?"
The assistant scrambled to the front, paper and pen in hand. "Yes, Ms. Tyler?"
"First order of business is to find some Inconsistent Temporal Activity to be the Director of. Let's get a team of scientists set up to search for weak points, places where the energy's different, weird things happen. And then the three of us can investigate it."
Edward scrambled out of the room, and Rose caught Mickey and Jake's gaze. They all knew there was more to this than might meet the eye. From their expressions, Rose could tell that they found it as exhilarating as she did.
"We'll see what happens," Rose said lightly. "We might not find anything. But it's worth looking, yeah?"
* * *
"Everything seems exactly the same," Rose said, wonderingly.
They were wandering around Westminster Bridge. Buildings still had damage from what appeared to be a big battle, and the newspaper proclaimed it to be merely ten days after she had left her own universe. And most of all, there were no zeppelins cruising around in the sky.
"Will you stay?" Mickey said, abruptly, turning to Rose.
"What? Here?" Rose said, trying to avoid the question. "I don't know. How can we be sure this one's ours, anyway?"
"Seems like it," Mickey said.
"Well, no way to find out but to go get involved," Rose replied, striding off towards a clean-up effort. "We help out everywhere else we go, so why not here?"
Four hours later they were tired and dirty, having shifted rubble and debris from several buildings. It was a good sort of tired, though, one achieved through good hard work with a satisfying result.
The leader of the relief effort came over with bottles of water. "I don't know where you three came from," he said, "but we do appreciate you helping out. There's so much to clean up after that war with the metal machines and the ghosts."
"You're welcome," Rose said. "By the way, do you have a phone I could use? Mine's not working, and there's a friend I'd like to call." She could call Shareen, she thought, even if it would be quite a shock for her friend if it turned out this was their universe.
"Phone?" the man said, curiously. "I don't know quite what you mean. We do have a telegraph machine over in the command office that you're welcome to use, though."
"That's alright," Rose said, letting out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. "That's fine. Thanks anyway."
"How can it be so much the same and yet not be ours?" Mickey said, after the man had moved out of earshot. "I just don't understand."
Rose looked thoughtful. "It sort of goes to show," she started, hesitantly. "I mean, it sort of shows that there isn't really any one best universe anymore."
Jake and Mickey looked at her, not convinced. "Wouldn't you say our home universe was the best one?" Mickey said.
"But look at the one Jake's from," Rose argued. "You've got your Gran there, and a purpose and a good job. No one in that world ever thought you were a murderer. What's to say that world isn't your best, true universe now?"
Mickey nodded carefully.
"For me," Rose said, holding up her hand as Mickey and Jake started to protest, "For me, I'm not sure which one is my best universe yet. The one we started in has the Doctor. The one you two live in has, well, you two, and my mum and dad and sister and job. But then we see all these other ones - there are so many of them - spiralling around me. There are so many possibilities. How do you 'go back' after that? You can't. You just keep going forward, and enjoying it."
She stopped at that, blushing, not used to long speeches. But Mickey and Jake were just staring at her admiringly.
"Come on," Jake said, putting out his hand to help her up. "Let's go find another of these universes, just one more, have one more great adventure. And then we should go tell our Torchwood how it all works."
"Yeah, Professor Tyler is on the case," Mickey said, poking her in the ribs.
"Hey!" Rose said, frowning, but she couldn't keep it up, and the three of them headed back to the transporter, arms linked, smiling all the way.
* * *
"This is very important, Rose, so do exactly as I tell you. Hold down that button for five seconds and then push this button with your other hand for five more seconds. After that, pull down this lever and keep it down, do you understand?"
"Yes, Doctor, I can follow that," Rose said, rolling her eyes. "It's not that hard."
"Well, it's important!" the Doctor said. "The Arralians will get through the barrier and all the other living species on this planet will be destroyed, unless I help them. Unless we help them."
"Okay, okay," Rose said. "I understand the threat. Go save the aliens."
The Doctor bounded out of the TARDIS, leaving Rose by the console. As soon as he was out of sight, two small yellow creatures poked their noses into view. They had stubby bodies with three arms apiece, and were watching her nervously.
"Hello," Rose said, trying to act like they weren't scaring her a little bit, though they did look harmless.
"Greetings," one of the creatures said. "We have been overhearing your conversation. We would like to thank you for your help in protecting our planet. However, we must assure you that it is not necessary."
Rose quirked her head. "Didn't you hear the Doctor talking about the barrier and the Arralians and all that stuff?"
The creature nodded solemnly. "Oh yes, miss. But we are long accustomed to attempts by the Arralians to breach our borders. Sometimes they succeed, and sometimes they fail. Always, however, we have defended ourselves. We are grateful that you are helping us this time. But will you be here the next time they try again? Most likely not. We will have to stand alone then, and face our own destiny."
Rose nodded, slowly, and took her hands off the console. The creatures bowed to her, and she bowed back, unsure of the protocol, and they vanished into the fields outside as quietly as they had arrived.
When the Doctor got back to the TARDIS he was extremely irritated that she'd failed to do the few simple and easy tasks he'd set her. She watched him as he grumbled, setting the coordinates for somewhere new, and she smiled, apologized, and continued on.
* * *
"Now this is the life," Jake said, reclining in his chair on the beach, a large, frothy alcoholic drink in his hand. "Makes a change from war-torn London, I'll tell you that."
Rose frowned, a hand on her hip. "I'm not sure this is the 'great adventure' I wanted to have," she said. "We're on a beach. It's hot. We've got drinks. Elvis is on the radio. There's absolutely no danger whatsoever here, except maybe getting a sunburn."
Mickey and Jake laughed. "Rose," Mickey said. "Sit down and have a drink with us. It's not like the universe's going to explode while we have fun for a change."
"No," she said, laughing as well, "it's not, actually." She sat down between the boys, relaxing on one of the beach chairs, and swiped Mickey's cocktail.
"Oi!" he complained, but she just giggled and kept it out of his reach.
"I'll have to buy a souvenir for mum," she mused, "and something for the baby."
"I'll tell your mum that you're a filthy drinks-stealer," Mickey said, but he laughed as he did, getting up to make himself a new cocktail. "It's always one person who's got to fix things, isn't it?" he grumbled as he started.
"Nonsense," Rose said, and got up and made her own drink. "We're all in this together."
"Viva Las Vegas!" Jake said, and they all clinked glasses, laughing. This one's for you, Doctor, Rose thought, and she leaned back against the bar and closed her eyes, smiling.
Author: livii
Characters: Rose, Mickey, Jake; the Tenth Doctor
Rating: PG
Word Count: ~2,300
Summary: "We'll see what happens," Rose said lightly. "We might not find anything. But it's worth looking, yeah?"
Notes: For amberite in the Rose Tyler Post-Doomsday Gen Ficathon, who wanted Rose as an action hero in her own right, something from the past that Rose knows and the Doctor doesn't and never did, and weirdness as a positive thing. Thanks to redscharlach for all the help working through the plot and for beta reading (remaining errors are my own, since I kept fiddling with it afterwards).
"Everyone here looks like Elvis."
"It's a bit…unsettling."
"And they're all young Elvises!"
Mickey and Jake turned around and stared at Rose.
"What?" she said, defensively. "I prefer Vegas-era Elvis, is there something wrong with that?"
"I told you she was barking," Jake said, grinning and shaking his head.
"Why is it," Rose said loudly, ignoring Jake, "that every universe we visit has exactly the same Elvis?"
"I dunno," Mickey replied, "but that one looks ready to eat our brains or something."
Rose sighed, and swung around, pulling out her gun. "And why do so many universes have zombies?" she said, as she casually pumped the Elvis full of lead.
"A little less conversation!" Jake said, fighting off another zombie Elvis.
"And a little more action," Rose replied, shimmying her way back to their transporter, taking out the last two zombies on the way.
* * *
The phone on her desk rang, shrill and insistent. Rose sighed. She supposed she should pick it up.
"We've found it," the voice on the other end said, without preamble.
She sat up straight, and quickly copied down the details she was given. Hanging up the phone, she hurried out of her office.
Mickey and Jake met her in the car park. They all grinned at each other, jumping into Rose's Torchwood-issued Jeep. She peeled out of the parking lot, leaving the boys fumbling to hold on as she laughed, loose and free.
They only had to drive for thirty minutes, racing along and outrunning the dark clouds that had been hanging over the office. When they pulled up by the site, the sun was poking through, scattering beams of light all around them. One of the beams fell right on a curious depression in the earth, where the light glittered and wavered in and out.
There was a small team already at the site, who had been tracking odd readings, random energy bursts and temporal fluctuations. They waved at the trio when they arrived, calling them over to the depression in the ground.
"There's definitely something useful here, Ms. Tyler," the team lead said. "We think you could try jumping worlds with the transporter."
Rose looked at Mickey and Jake. What was she doing with this, she wondered. Trying to find the Doctor? Trying to find her way back home? She didn't know. She just knew that the small depression in the earth, offering opportunities and possibilities, was drawing her in, slowly and surely, and it would haunt her dreams if she never tried.
"We've got to give it a shot," Rose said authoritatively, as everyone looked at her. "You never know what we'll find out there."
Mickey and Jake cheered as she strode forward to the transporter.
"That's my girl," Mickey said admiringly, slinging his arm around Jake's shoulder.
"Come on, no slacking!" Rose shouted back at them, and they hurriedly complied, giving her half-cocked salutes. She laughed, and the three of them entered the transporter, smiles in their eyes and a silent prayer on their lips.
* * *
"Their queen," Mickey said, disbelievingly.
"I know, I know," Rose said, sighing. "But the Ancephalods thought I was responsible for killing the monster threatening their city, and as a reward, they've crowned me."
"You did kill the monster," Jake said.
Rose waved her hand, and three green creatures appeared in a flash. "No, no," she said, flustered, as Mickey and Jake tried not to laugh. "I don't need you. I was just making a hand gesture!"
The creatures moved away quietly, bowing as they went.
"Clearly, you need to get me out of this," Rose said, pleading with her eyes, not daring to move any part of her body again.
"Your highness," Jake said, "we couldn't possibly deprive your noble subjects of their exalted ruler."
"They're big and ugly green creatures!" Rose said. "And we're way out from anything like our own universe. Come on, just help me down off this throne."
Mickey moved forward to give her a hand, but Jake held him back. "Hang on. How do we know you won't just whack us with that sceptre when you have a chance?"
"Why would I do that?" Rose said sweetly. "Because you're being right arses to me even though I saved these adorable, intelligent creatures from a horrible demise? Nah."
Mickey and Jake laughed, and helped her scramble down from the impossibly high throne.
"Thank you," she said, graciously and regally, and then she smacked them both on the arm with her sceptre and ran off ahead towards the transporter.
"Oi!" Mickey yelled. "Some Director you are, Tyler! Even the Doctor didn't beat me up like that!"
Rose turned, a mischievous smile on her face. "His loss, then," she said cheekily, and raced back to the transporter laughing, while the boys chased her down.
* * *
Rose sat down at her new desk, admiring its size and the view from her window. She adjusted the name plaque on her desk - Rose Tyler, Director of Inconsistent Temporal Activity. She could get used to this, she thought.
There was a knock on the door, and Mickey and Jake came in, followed by her assistant, Edward.
"Ms. Tyler, I said they couldn't come in without an appointment or invitation, but -"
"It's okay," Rose said. "I want to be approachable, and besides, these two are a special case. And by special case I mean 'probably should be locked up in a mental institution', but still."
Mickey gave a laugh, while Jake executed a fancy bow. "Your Directorship," he said, "we await your instructions."
Rose smiled. "This could have been you, Jake, but you didn't want it."
"Nah, I'm a field agent through and through. Besides, I couldn't leave this one on his own, could I?" Jake replied, cuffing Mickey on the arm.
"Very true," Rose said, while Mickey rubbed his arm and complained. "Right, time to get down to business. Edward?"
The assistant scrambled to the front, paper and pen in hand. "Yes, Ms. Tyler?"
"First order of business is to find some Inconsistent Temporal Activity to be the Director of. Let's get a team of scientists set up to search for weak points, places where the energy's different, weird things happen. And then the three of us can investigate it."
Edward scrambled out of the room, and Rose caught Mickey and Jake's gaze. They all knew there was more to this than might meet the eye. From their expressions, Rose could tell that they found it as exhilarating as she did.
"We'll see what happens," Rose said lightly. "We might not find anything. But it's worth looking, yeah?"
* * *
"Everything seems exactly the same," Rose said, wonderingly.
They were wandering around Westminster Bridge. Buildings still had damage from what appeared to be a big battle, and the newspaper proclaimed it to be merely ten days after she had left her own universe. And most of all, there were no zeppelins cruising around in the sky.
"Will you stay?" Mickey said, abruptly, turning to Rose.
"What? Here?" Rose said, trying to avoid the question. "I don't know. How can we be sure this one's ours, anyway?"
"Seems like it," Mickey said.
"Well, no way to find out but to go get involved," Rose replied, striding off towards a clean-up effort. "We help out everywhere else we go, so why not here?"
Four hours later they were tired and dirty, having shifted rubble and debris from several buildings. It was a good sort of tired, though, one achieved through good hard work with a satisfying result.
The leader of the relief effort came over with bottles of water. "I don't know where you three came from," he said, "but we do appreciate you helping out. There's so much to clean up after that war with the metal machines and the ghosts."
"You're welcome," Rose said. "By the way, do you have a phone I could use? Mine's not working, and there's a friend I'd like to call." She could call Shareen, she thought, even if it would be quite a shock for her friend if it turned out this was their universe.
"Phone?" the man said, curiously. "I don't know quite what you mean. We do have a telegraph machine over in the command office that you're welcome to use, though."
"That's alright," Rose said, letting out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. "That's fine. Thanks anyway."
"How can it be so much the same and yet not be ours?" Mickey said, after the man had moved out of earshot. "I just don't understand."
Rose looked thoughtful. "It sort of goes to show," she started, hesitantly. "I mean, it sort of shows that there isn't really any one best universe anymore."
Jake and Mickey looked at her, not convinced. "Wouldn't you say our home universe was the best one?" Mickey said.
"But look at the one Jake's from," Rose argued. "You've got your Gran there, and a purpose and a good job. No one in that world ever thought you were a murderer. What's to say that world isn't your best, true universe now?"
Mickey nodded carefully.
"For me," Rose said, holding up her hand as Mickey and Jake started to protest, "For me, I'm not sure which one is my best universe yet. The one we started in has the Doctor. The one you two live in has, well, you two, and my mum and dad and sister and job. But then we see all these other ones - there are so many of them - spiralling around me. There are so many possibilities. How do you 'go back' after that? You can't. You just keep going forward, and enjoying it."
She stopped at that, blushing, not used to long speeches. But Mickey and Jake were just staring at her admiringly.
"Come on," Jake said, putting out his hand to help her up. "Let's go find another of these universes, just one more, have one more great adventure. And then we should go tell our Torchwood how it all works."
"Yeah, Professor Tyler is on the case," Mickey said, poking her in the ribs.
"Hey!" Rose said, frowning, but she couldn't keep it up, and the three of them headed back to the transporter, arms linked, smiling all the way.
* * *
"This is very important, Rose, so do exactly as I tell you. Hold down that button for five seconds and then push this button with your other hand for five more seconds. After that, pull down this lever and keep it down, do you understand?"
"Yes, Doctor, I can follow that," Rose said, rolling her eyes. "It's not that hard."
"Well, it's important!" the Doctor said. "The Arralians will get through the barrier and all the other living species on this planet will be destroyed, unless I help them. Unless we help them."
"Okay, okay," Rose said. "I understand the threat. Go save the aliens."
The Doctor bounded out of the TARDIS, leaving Rose by the console. As soon as he was out of sight, two small yellow creatures poked their noses into view. They had stubby bodies with three arms apiece, and were watching her nervously.
"Hello," Rose said, trying to act like they weren't scaring her a little bit, though they did look harmless.
"Greetings," one of the creatures said. "We have been overhearing your conversation. We would like to thank you for your help in protecting our planet. However, we must assure you that it is not necessary."
Rose quirked her head. "Didn't you hear the Doctor talking about the barrier and the Arralians and all that stuff?"
The creature nodded solemnly. "Oh yes, miss. But we are long accustomed to attempts by the Arralians to breach our borders. Sometimes they succeed, and sometimes they fail. Always, however, we have defended ourselves. We are grateful that you are helping us this time. But will you be here the next time they try again? Most likely not. We will have to stand alone then, and face our own destiny."
Rose nodded, slowly, and took her hands off the console. The creatures bowed to her, and she bowed back, unsure of the protocol, and they vanished into the fields outside as quietly as they had arrived.
When the Doctor got back to the TARDIS he was extremely irritated that she'd failed to do the few simple and easy tasks he'd set her. She watched him as he grumbled, setting the coordinates for somewhere new, and she smiled, apologized, and continued on.
* * *
"Now this is the life," Jake said, reclining in his chair on the beach, a large, frothy alcoholic drink in his hand. "Makes a change from war-torn London, I'll tell you that."
Rose frowned, a hand on her hip. "I'm not sure this is the 'great adventure' I wanted to have," she said. "We're on a beach. It's hot. We've got drinks. Elvis is on the radio. There's absolutely no danger whatsoever here, except maybe getting a sunburn."
Mickey and Jake laughed. "Rose," Mickey said. "Sit down and have a drink with us. It's not like the universe's going to explode while we have fun for a change."
"No," she said, laughing as well, "it's not, actually." She sat down between the boys, relaxing on one of the beach chairs, and swiped Mickey's cocktail.
"Oi!" he complained, but she just giggled and kept it out of his reach.
"I'll have to buy a souvenir for mum," she mused, "and something for the baby."
"I'll tell your mum that you're a filthy drinks-stealer," Mickey said, but he laughed as he did, getting up to make himself a new cocktail. "It's always one person who's got to fix things, isn't it?" he grumbled as he started.
"Nonsense," Rose said, and got up and made her own drink. "We're all in this together."
"Viva Las Vegas!" Jake said, and they all clinked glasses, laughing. This one's for you, Doctor, Rose thought, and she leaned back against the bar and closed her eyes, smiling.