Rose was not very good at staying in one place. Pete's world had given her new things to discover through its inherent different-ness and her work with Torchwood; so even though she wasn't traveling, she'd still had lots to keep her mind off things. Here, however, she was trapped in one city that had fewer clues as to how to leave than did Pete's world.
So it was she was a little disgruntled as she headed towards the plaza to pick up some food, and probably snack away on chips as a side-trip. She didn't have much time to focus on her mood, however, when she passed a damp new arrival in town and did a violent double-take.
Jack hadn't been paying attention either, his mind only registering that an attractive blonde had just walked past. however, hearing his name snapped him out of it.
"...Rose?"
What was she doing here, she was supposed to be stuck in that parallel universe.
She knew she was staring, but knowing that didn't mean she was about to stop it. Rose's mind was still trying to connect the fact that she was looking at Jack, of all people. The Doctor had been one thing-- she'd at least known he was alive somewhere.
"That's impossible, you're supposed to be-- on Satellite Five, you--"
And that had been so long ago that Rose had always accepted it as fact that Jack was, and always would be, dead. Realising then that her mouth was open and that Jack was speaking, she shut it quickly and swallowed.
"This place is called Vatheon, but I still don't understand..."
"I brought you back," Rose repeated, voice and face both clearly in disbelief, but she stopped herself at Jack's second statement.
"I was," she admitted, "and I have no idea how I'm here, either. At first, I thought it was-- well, I'd been working on this-- sort of-- this dimension cannon, trying to find a way home. I thought it might've finally worked, but after being here for a bit, I don't think it has anything to do with that. How did you know I was in a parallel world, anyway?"
"Yeah, time-space vortex energy, but I guess you don't remember that. The Doctor told me you had. I was afraid you'd died at Canary Worf, but he told me you'd gotten away instead."
That seemed so long ago now. However, what Rose had said about the dimension cannon intrigued him.
"How did you get the technology for a dimension cannon?"
This was just weird. Still, she shook her head and did her best to straighten out the jumble of thoughts in her head. "We still have the technology that Jake and Pete used at Canary Wharf to go off, though we were trying to stabilise them further so they weren't so damaging to the walls between the universes. And it wasn't too hard getting hold of pieces, working for Torchwood over there I came across all sort of stuff."
"There was a parallel version of it in Pete's world, yeah." She nodded. "I didn't know what else to do. I wanted to stay close to the stars, and... they needed someone who knew as much as I did."
Rose gave a laugh that could almost be called nervous. "He called me Rose Tyler, 'Defender of the Earth'."
She stopped and tilted her head, taking a step closer to Jack. "It's just-- I never expected to see you alive, yeah? But if it's really you, I'm so glad to see you, Jack."
She squeezed him hard, grinning wide when he pulled her in for the hug. "Well," Rose said, "someone needs to warn the people in this city that you're here now, yeah? Can't have everyone falling for you."
"Aw, but they just won't know how to handle you, things might go into uproar," Rose said as she pulled back, tongue poking between her teeth as she smiled cheekily.
"I honestly can't tell you much about this place, I haven't been here long," she continued. "I think it's pretty clear we're in some sort of underwater city, but what's not clear is how we got here, how there's enough air to sustain us all and why there's a bubble in the first place, and how to get out. People try, there's nothing to do about it. Even the TARDIS isn't working. People from all different kinds of worlds, just stuck waiting to see what happens."
"So then, people are pulled here. I was beginning to wonder if I had just put in the wrong coordinates on this thing." He lifts his wrist, showing the vortex manipulator.
"Although, if the TARDIS isn't working then there's clearly something wrong."
He pauses for a moment, realizing exactly what she had said.
As if on cue, the Doctor rounds the corner into the plaza. He's currently not paying very much attention to his surroundings, as he is distractedly attempting to fix his sonic screwdriver while walking. Not surprisingly, this leads him to walk directly into Jack. The Doctor mumbles sorry, and then looks up. He'd recognize that coat anywhere.
"You should probably take that coat off, Jack. Its probably doubled in weight with all the water its taken on."
The Doctor pauses, realizing what he is saying, and exclaims, "Jack!"
So it was she was a little disgruntled as she headed towards the plaza to pick up some food, and probably snack away on chips as a side-trip. She didn't have much time to focus on her mood, however, when she passed a damp new arrival in town and did a violent double-take.
"...Jack?"
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"...Rose?"
What was she doing here, she was supposed to be stuck in that parallel universe.
"What are you doing here?...and where is here?"
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She knew she was staring, but knowing that didn't mean she was about to stop it. Rose's mind was still trying to connect the fact that she was looking at Jack, of all people. The Doctor had been one thing-- she'd at least known he was alive somewhere.
"That's impossible, you're supposed to be-- on Satellite Five, you--"
And that had been so long ago that Rose had always accepted it as fact that Jack was, and always would be, dead. Realising then that her mouth was open and that Jack was speaking, she shut it quickly and swallowed.
"This place is called Vatheon, but I still don't understand..."
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"Satellite Five? Rose, don't you remember we-"
He cut himself off as something occured to him.
"Time-lines...ok, it doesn't matter. Yes, I did die on Satellite Five, but I was brought back. You brought me back."
He wasn't going to tell her it was permanent, not if he didn't have to.
"Anyway, I'm alive and now I'm here, maybe on my own accord, but how are you here, you're supposed to be trapped on a parallel planet."
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"I was," she admitted, "and I have no idea how I'm here, either. At first, I thought it was-- well, I'd been working on this-- sort of-- this dimension cannon, trying to find a way home. I thought it might've finally worked, but after being here for a bit, I don't think it has anything to do with that. How did you know I was in a parallel world, anyway?"
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That seemed so long ago now. However, what Rose had said about the dimension cannon intrigued him.
"How did you get the technology for a dimension cannon?"
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Although it was a while ago in his mind, he could still remeber how disapproving the Time Lord had been when Jack had shown him his 'project'.
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Rose gave a laugh that could almost be called nervous. "He called me Rose Tyler, 'Defender of the Earth'."
She stopped and tilted her head, taking a step closer to Jack. "It's just-- I never expected to see you alive, yeah? But if it's really you, I'm so glad to see you, Jack."
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He closed the gap between them and pulled her into a hug. He really had missed her.
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"Warn them? Where's the fun in that? I think it should be a surprise."
"Oh...and what can you tell me about this place anyway?"
He probably should have asked that sooner.
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"I honestly can't tell you much about this place, I haven't been here long," she continued. "I think it's pretty clear we're in some sort of underwater city, but what's not clear is how we got here, how there's enough air to sustain us all and why there's a bubble in the first place, and how to get out. People try, there's nothing to do about it. Even the TARDIS isn't working. People from all different kinds of worlds, just stuck waiting to see what happens."
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"So then, people are pulled here. I was beginning to wonder if I had just put in the wrong coordinates on this thing." He lifts his wrist, showing the vortex manipulator.
"Although, if the TARDIS isn't working then there's clearly something wrong."
He pauses for a moment, realizing exactly what she had said.
"Wait....the TARDIS? The Doctor's here too?"
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"You should probably take that coat off, Jack. Its probably doubled in weight with all the water its taken on."
The Doctor pauses, realizing what he is saying, and exclaims, "Jack!"
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"Hello, Doctor; I guess that answers my question."
He takes off the jacket which was definitely heavier than was comfortable.
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