Don't Blink - 22/?
Title: Don't Blink - 22/?
Characters: Rose, Ten
Summary: AU. What if Rose had stayed through Doomsday and was the one to end up in 1969 with the Doctor? How would they get back to their proper time? Would they want to?
Rating: PG
Beta: nattieb
ch 1. ch 2. ch 3. ch 4. ch 5. ch 6. ch 7. ch 8. ch 9. ch 10. ch 11. ch 12
. ch 13. ch 14. ch 15. ch 16. ch 17. ch 18. ch 19. ch 20. ch 21.
The Doctor tried to slip quietly out of the flat, but despite his perception of being an incredibly quiet, sneaky sort of person, he was clearly no match for DI Billy Shipton.
“What’s going on?” Billy asked, sitting up on the sofa.
The Doctor paused by the door. “Nothing. Nothing’s going on. All is well. Right as rain.”
Billy snorted and stood up, feeling around on the floor for his shoes.
“Tell me another one. Where are you headed? Was that knocking?”
The Doctor stood still in surprise. “You heard it too?”
“I’m a trained professional,” Billy reminded him. “Should we check it out?”
“What are you two doing out here?” Rose snapped the light on, making both men flinch. She’d put a robe on over her pajamas and slipped on a pair of flats.
“Rose, I’ll handle this. You can go back to bed.” The Doctor was striving for a calm tone, one that said that he was in control and she didn’t have to worry.
He should have known better. “Well, let’s go then,” she said, tying the sash to her robe. “The knocking’s still going on.”
The Doctor sighed heavily and gestured for her to lead the way.
“Are you always dressed?” Billy asked as he followed Rose out the door. “Do you sleep in your clothes?”
“Do I...” The Doctor looked down at his jacket and trousers. “Never mind,” he snapped, hurrying to catch up with Rose.
“Rose! Wait for me!”
Rose was already at the foot of the stairs, directly across from the landlady’s flat. Farther down the hall and to the right was the hallway that led to the six ground floor flats. She pointed down the hall.
Someone was pounding on a door, demanding in a loud, intoxicated voice to be let in.
“You know this guy?” Billy asked.
“No.” The Doctor peered down the hall and shook his head.
“Let me handle this.” Billy sounded almost amused, and indeed he was glad to be doing something so normal and familiar. He walked down the hallway, stopping a few feet away. “You all right, mate?”
The man glanced over. “I’m locked out!”
Rose thought she recognized the voice. Moving closer, she made out dark skin in the dim light.
“I know you, don’t I?” she asked, keeping her voice quiet - it WAS past midnight. “Isaac, isn’t it?”
“Is it?” the Doctor murmured behind her. He’d never seen the man before. Trust Rose to have met most of the neighbors.
The man stopped pounding on the door and squinted at Rose. “I know you!” He sounded absolutely delighted. “The little bird that lives upstairs with the skinny bloke. What are you up to this fine evening?”
Billy and the Doctor both rolled their eyes. Rose smiled.
“I was asleep until you started pounding on the door. Do you need a hand?”
Isaac gestured to the door. “My key won’t open!” He sounded insulted that his door would play such a trick.
Billy suppressed a sigh of annoyance. The man was clearly drunk, and possibly stoned. “Hand over your key, mate. Let’s have a look.”
Isaac handed over his key, apparently content to let someone else do his dirty work. He looked back at Rose, looked away, and then zeroed back in on her as he noticed her attire.
“Hey, I like your nightie,” he said, and the Doctor fixed him with a narrow glare and stepped closer to Rose.
“Is this your flat?” Rose ignored the question about her nightie but was secretly pleased by the Doctor’s reaction.
“It is. Number twelve, that’s mine.” Isaac nodded and rocked back on his heels. The careless effect was ruined when he lost his balance. Billy reached out and steadied him.
“Number twelve, eh?” Billy held up the key. “This yours?”
“‘Course it is!”
“Then I’ve solved your problem. You live in number twelve. This door is number ten.”
Three pairs of eyes turned to the door and read the number in the dim light.
“Number ten,” Isaac whispered in awe. “You’re a genius. Thanks.”
Billy unlocked the door to number twelve, shoved Isaac in, and tossed the keys in after him.
“Lock the door,” he ordered. “And go to bed. Don’t drink so much.”
“Thanks. Good night, miss!”
Isaac’s voice was cut off as Billy closed the door. “Lock it!” Billy snapped, and soon the sound of a lock engaging was heard.
“1969,” the Doctor said cheerfully. “A time of free love, drinking, and crazy disco music. And perhaps some recreational drug use,” he added. “Maybe more than some, given Isaac’s condition.”
Billy stared at him. “That’s your assessment?”
“Given the symptoms, yes.”
“That’s all you have to say. We’re here in the wrong time, and you’re taking notes?”
“That’s what I do.” The Doctor sounded almost surprised that Billy would question his actions. “Travel through time, see what people are doing.”
“Not a good time for the through space and time speech,” Rose whispered.
Billy stared at them both, shook his head, and brushed past them, knocking Rose off balance and into the Doctor.
“I’m going to bed.”
“Probably not a bad idea,” the Doctor allowed. “Come on.”
They followed Billy back up to the flat, but the Doctor stopped Rose when she would have gone to speak with him. He led her to the bedroom instead.
“He’ll be all right. Let him be alone.”
“He’s still so upset.” She looked up at him, concern in her eyes.
He smiled at her. His Rose Tyler, always worried about someone else. “All he needs is some sleep and things will look better in the morning.”
Rose pulled the edges of her robe together. “You’re probably right. I guess I’ll go back to bed now, too.”
“Yes. Bed. That sounds good. For you, I mean,” he added hastily. “Not me. I’m not tired.” His voice trailed off.
An awkward silence ensued, where they both looked everywhere but at each other. After a long, long moment, they both ended up speaking at once.
“G’night.”
“I’ll keep watch tonight.”
Rose nodded and watched him walk out of the room. He hesitated at the door and turned around.
“Good night, Rose.”
The awkward feeling between them disappeared. She smiled. A simple good night from him was better than a passionate declaration from anyone else. “Good night.”
Billy woke up slowly, feeling confused and disoriented but not hung-over. It was an odd sensation. Feeling hung-over was familiar enough that he should recognize it, even though he hadn’t had too much to drink in a long time. He pushed himself up to a sitting position, wondering why he wasn’t in his bed. As he looked around he saw that he wasn’t even home.
What had he done last night?
“Good morning!” a man’s voice said cheerfully.
Billy turned to his right, so startled that he almost fell off the couch. Sitting across from him was a man in a brown suit. He looked familiar to Billy, but his mind wouldn’t allow him to make the connection.
“Who are you?”
The man sighed and looked disappointed. “Don’t you remember me?”
“Remember you? I don’t know you.”
The man leaned back in his chair. “A lingering side effect from time traveling without a capsule. Temporary memory loss. Nothing serious, luckily. You’ll be back to yourself in a few minutes.” He smiled at Billy.
Billy swung his feet onto the floor. “What the hell are you talking about? Where are we?”
“We’re in a flat in London in the year 1969.” His voice was serious, and Billy shook his head.
“Mate, I’m a cop. You don’t want to mess with me.”
The man leaned forward. “I’m the Doctor. We met yesterday. Think back, Billy. Remember the police station. Sally Sparrow was there. The blue police box. You saw a stone statue there by the box, and then you got sent back in time.”
Billy groped for his shoes and stood up. “I don’t want to arrest you. So why don’t you tell me where I am and how I got here before you’re in even more trouble.”
The man in the brown suit sat where he was, his expression unchanging. Billy was just drawing breath to issue a stinging order when a woman spoke from behind him.
“Good morning!”
Turning quickly on his heel, Billy took in a young blonde woman in green pajamas. She smiled at him, and in that instant all of yesterday came rushing back.
Billy staggered backwards, colliding with the Doctor. The Doctor grabbed him by the arms.
“Easy now! Temporary memory loss at an end, I see.” He lowered Billy onto a chair and stood back, hands in his pockets.
“Are you all right?” Rose hovered anxiously over Billy, and the heart and key charms she wore hit him on the head. “Sorry.” She stepped back and tucked her necklace back under her pajama top, eyes still on Billy. “Do you want some water?”
“He’s fine.” The Doctor had his eyes on Billy as well, evaluating his condition. “His memories have come back.”
“What memories?” Rose asked in confusion.
Billy sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. “For a moment, just a moment, I’d forgotten that I was trapped in 1969 with a girl from 2007 and an alien.”
“You still don’t believe us, do you?” Rose was watching him with her head tilted to one side.
“Not really, no.” Even as he spoke the words Billy knew it was a lie. Something was wrong, something was off, and he knew it.
“Well, I know one way to solve that.” Rose walked over to the television set and switched it on. “Black and white,” she explained, gesturing to the wavy screen and the rabbit ear antenna. “Color TV’s been invented, but this set is an old one, and not all channels air in color.”
“Give it to the end of the year,” the Doctor said. “Billy?”
Billy didn’t hear them. The morning news was on, and he was engrossed in the images on the screen. Rose glanced at him and then at the Doctor.
“I’m going to get dressed. Don’t shock him with unnecessary information too soon.”
“Why would I do that?” the Doctor protested.
“When don’t you?” she asked as she walked away.
It wasn’t very long after that before Billy stood up on shaky legs and turned the television off.
The Doctor was still watching him closely. “Are you ready to talk?”
Billy looked around the small kitchen. It was clean and tidy and not unpleasant to sit in, even with the small table and rickety chairs. The Doctor was at the coffee maker, making clicking sounds as he tried to get the machine to work.
“This model was obsolete before it even came to market,” the Doctor complained. “What I wouldn’t give for the Ruatte Coffee Maker. It roasts the beans, grinds them and brews the coffee, all in under three minutes.” He took a cylindrical object out of his pocket. “It won’t be invented for another 87 years, but it’s something to look forward to.” He aimed his tool at the coffee maker. There was an odd buzzing sound and a faint blue light. The coffee maker gave a lurch and started to filter water.
“There we are,” the Doctor said in satisfaction. “We won’t wait for Rose,” he added as he poured two cups. “She takes forever in the shower.” He handed one to Billy and sat down across from his guest at the small table. “Now. To address what you were saying.” He fixed Billy with a stern look from over his cup. “How can I be a fraud and a non-alien when you’ve landed here? Clearly you weren’t sent back in time by accident. The Weeping Angels are alien beings.”
“Just like you.” Billy took a long sip of the coffee. The taste made him long for Starbucks.
“Well, I’m no Weeping Angel. I’m a Time Lord.”
Billy set his cup down. “A Time Lord.”
“I’m the last of my kind, from a planet far away from here. The TARDIS - my blue box - was my ship. It’s how we traveled back and forth through time.”
“‘We’?”
“Me and Rose.”
Billy glanced down the hallway. “Is she an alien, too?”
“Oh, no. She’s a human. Met her in London last year. We’ve been traveling together ever since.” The Doctor sipped his coffee, made a face, and pushed his mug away.
“Just like that? Where’s her family?”
The Doctor flinched. It was quick and slight, but Billy caught it.
“Did you kidnap her?” he demanded.
The Doctor laughed. “Are you kidding? Who could hang on to Rose if she didn’t want to be held? She’s here of her own free will. Even when I tried to send her home she just came back. Couldn’t get rid of her of I tried.”
“And her family?” Billy pressed.
“Something happened,” the Doctor said shortly. “A while ago for us, but not yet in your own timeline, apparently. A disaster, if you will, in London. Many people were lost.”
“Her family?” Billy guessed.
“No. Her mother was spared but she was taken someplace else, far far away. She’s safe now, but Rose isn’t able to see her. Wasn’t able to,” the Doctor amended, “back when we had the TARDIS.”
Rose appeared in the doorway, dressed in a red t-shirt and the most incredible pair if trousers Billy had ever seen. Dark blue, they were covered in large red and yellow flowers. He couldn’t believe his eyes.
“Hello,” Rose said simply. “How are you?”
“Your trousers.” Billy waved a hand toward them, and Rose grinned.
“Aren’t they cool? They’re not bell-bottoms, they’re just flared.” She stuck out a foot to show him. The fabric fell away in a slight flare, revealing a plain white trainer. “Some of the fashions here are fun.”
They looked rather terrible to Billy, and he glanced at the Doctor for support. The Doctor was busy staring at Rose with a fond, slightly goofy smile on his face. Clearly he had no trouble with Rose’s outfit.
If the truth were told, the Doctor rarely noticed Rose’s clothing. She always looked beautiful to him, no matter what she was wearing, and so he was accustomed to thinking her lovely in anything she chose to put on. Today he thought only that the flowers were as cheery as Rose herself was.
“How did you like the news?” Rose sat down beside the Doctor and took a sip of his coffee.
“It was...amazing.” Billy chose his words carefully. “This time and place...it’s so different from where I came from.”
“It’s very, very different,” the Doctor agreed. “You have to live in it now, and it won’t always be easy. It’s very hard for women and minorities in England. It will be difficult for you to get your credentials and enter the police field again, but it shouldn’t be impossible.”
Billy shook his head. “That’s the farthest thing from my mind right now. I know it will be hard for me. I’m not afraid of that. Well, not too much afraid,” he amended.
“Things do get better,” Rose put in. “You know they’ll get better.”
Billy stared down at the table. Rose glanced at the Doctor. The Doctor appeared unconcerned. Eventually Billy looked up again.
“You said something last night about my part in getting you back home. What do I have to do?”
The Doctor beamed at him. “Billy Shipton, I’ve been waiting for you to say that.”
Twenty-three
Characters: Rose, Ten
Summary: AU. What if Rose had stayed through Doomsday and was the one to end up in 1969 with the Doctor? How would they get back to their proper time? Would they want to?
Rating: PG
Beta: nattieb
ch 1. ch 2. ch 3. ch 4. ch 5. ch 6. ch 7. ch 8. ch 9. ch 10. ch 11. ch 12
. ch 13. ch 14. ch 15. ch 16. ch 17. ch 18. ch 19. ch 20. ch 21.
The Doctor tried to slip quietly out of the flat, but despite his perception of being an incredibly quiet, sneaky sort of person, he was clearly no match for DI Billy Shipton.
“What’s going on?” Billy asked, sitting up on the sofa.
The Doctor paused by the door. “Nothing. Nothing’s going on. All is well. Right as rain.”
Billy snorted and stood up, feeling around on the floor for his shoes.
“Tell me another one. Where are you headed? Was that knocking?”
The Doctor stood still in surprise. “You heard it too?”
“I’m a trained professional,” Billy reminded him. “Should we check it out?”
“What are you two doing out here?” Rose snapped the light on, making both men flinch. She’d put a robe on over her pajamas and slipped on a pair of flats.
“Rose, I’ll handle this. You can go back to bed.” The Doctor was striving for a calm tone, one that said that he was in control and she didn’t have to worry.
He should have known better. “Well, let’s go then,” she said, tying the sash to her robe. “The knocking’s still going on.”
The Doctor sighed heavily and gestured for her to lead the way.
“Are you always dressed?” Billy asked as he followed Rose out the door. “Do you sleep in your clothes?”
“Do I...” The Doctor looked down at his jacket and trousers. “Never mind,” he snapped, hurrying to catch up with Rose.
“Rose! Wait for me!”
Rose was already at the foot of the stairs, directly across from the landlady’s flat. Farther down the hall and to the right was the hallway that led to the six ground floor flats. She pointed down the hall.
Someone was pounding on a door, demanding in a loud, intoxicated voice to be let in.
“You know this guy?” Billy asked.
“No.” The Doctor peered down the hall and shook his head.
“Let me handle this.” Billy sounded almost amused, and indeed he was glad to be doing something so normal and familiar. He walked down the hallway, stopping a few feet away. “You all right, mate?”
The man glanced over. “I’m locked out!”
Rose thought she recognized the voice. Moving closer, she made out dark skin in the dim light.
“I know you, don’t I?” she asked, keeping her voice quiet - it WAS past midnight. “Isaac, isn’t it?”
“Is it?” the Doctor murmured behind her. He’d never seen the man before. Trust Rose to have met most of the neighbors.
The man stopped pounding on the door and squinted at Rose. “I know you!” He sounded absolutely delighted. “The little bird that lives upstairs with the skinny bloke. What are you up to this fine evening?”
Billy and the Doctor both rolled their eyes. Rose smiled.
“I was asleep until you started pounding on the door. Do you need a hand?”
Isaac gestured to the door. “My key won’t open!” He sounded insulted that his door would play such a trick.
Billy suppressed a sigh of annoyance. The man was clearly drunk, and possibly stoned. “Hand over your key, mate. Let’s have a look.”
Isaac handed over his key, apparently content to let someone else do his dirty work. He looked back at Rose, looked away, and then zeroed back in on her as he noticed her attire.
“Hey, I like your nightie,” he said, and the Doctor fixed him with a narrow glare and stepped closer to Rose.
“Is this your flat?” Rose ignored the question about her nightie but was secretly pleased by the Doctor’s reaction.
“It is. Number twelve, that’s mine.” Isaac nodded and rocked back on his heels. The careless effect was ruined when he lost his balance. Billy reached out and steadied him.
“Number twelve, eh?” Billy held up the key. “This yours?”
“‘Course it is!”
“Then I’ve solved your problem. You live in number twelve. This door is number ten.”
Three pairs of eyes turned to the door and read the number in the dim light.
“Number ten,” Isaac whispered in awe. “You’re a genius. Thanks.”
Billy unlocked the door to number twelve, shoved Isaac in, and tossed the keys in after him.
“Lock the door,” he ordered. “And go to bed. Don’t drink so much.”
“Thanks. Good night, miss!”
Isaac’s voice was cut off as Billy closed the door. “Lock it!” Billy snapped, and soon the sound of a lock engaging was heard.
“1969,” the Doctor said cheerfully. “A time of free love, drinking, and crazy disco music. And perhaps some recreational drug use,” he added. “Maybe more than some, given Isaac’s condition.”
Billy stared at him. “That’s your assessment?”
“Given the symptoms, yes.”
“That’s all you have to say. We’re here in the wrong time, and you’re taking notes?”
“That’s what I do.” The Doctor sounded almost surprised that Billy would question his actions. “Travel through time, see what people are doing.”
“Not a good time for the through space and time speech,” Rose whispered.
Billy stared at them both, shook his head, and brushed past them, knocking Rose off balance and into the Doctor.
“I’m going to bed.”
“Probably not a bad idea,” the Doctor allowed. “Come on.”
They followed Billy back up to the flat, but the Doctor stopped Rose when she would have gone to speak with him. He led her to the bedroom instead.
“He’ll be all right. Let him be alone.”
“He’s still so upset.” She looked up at him, concern in her eyes.
He smiled at her. His Rose Tyler, always worried about someone else. “All he needs is some sleep and things will look better in the morning.”
Rose pulled the edges of her robe together. “You’re probably right. I guess I’ll go back to bed now, too.”
“Yes. Bed. That sounds good. For you, I mean,” he added hastily. “Not me. I’m not tired.” His voice trailed off.
An awkward silence ensued, where they both looked everywhere but at each other. After a long, long moment, they both ended up speaking at once.
“G’night.”
“I’ll keep watch tonight.”
Rose nodded and watched him walk out of the room. He hesitated at the door and turned around.
“Good night, Rose.”
The awkward feeling between them disappeared. She smiled. A simple good night from him was better than a passionate declaration from anyone else. “Good night.”
Billy woke up slowly, feeling confused and disoriented but not hung-over. It was an odd sensation. Feeling hung-over was familiar enough that he should recognize it, even though he hadn’t had too much to drink in a long time. He pushed himself up to a sitting position, wondering why he wasn’t in his bed. As he looked around he saw that he wasn’t even home.
What had he done last night?
“Good morning!” a man’s voice said cheerfully.
Billy turned to his right, so startled that he almost fell off the couch. Sitting across from him was a man in a brown suit. He looked familiar to Billy, but his mind wouldn’t allow him to make the connection.
“Who are you?”
The man sighed and looked disappointed. “Don’t you remember me?”
“Remember you? I don’t know you.”
The man leaned back in his chair. “A lingering side effect from time traveling without a capsule. Temporary memory loss. Nothing serious, luckily. You’ll be back to yourself in a few minutes.” He smiled at Billy.
Billy swung his feet onto the floor. “What the hell are you talking about? Where are we?”
“We’re in a flat in London in the year 1969.” His voice was serious, and Billy shook his head.
“Mate, I’m a cop. You don’t want to mess with me.”
The man leaned forward. “I’m the Doctor. We met yesterday. Think back, Billy. Remember the police station. Sally Sparrow was there. The blue police box. You saw a stone statue there by the box, and then you got sent back in time.”
Billy groped for his shoes and stood up. “I don’t want to arrest you. So why don’t you tell me where I am and how I got here before you’re in even more trouble.”
The man in the brown suit sat where he was, his expression unchanging. Billy was just drawing breath to issue a stinging order when a woman spoke from behind him.
“Good morning!”
Turning quickly on his heel, Billy took in a young blonde woman in green pajamas. She smiled at him, and in that instant all of yesterday came rushing back.
Billy staggered backwards, colliding with the Doctor. The Doctor grabbed him by the arms.
“Easy now! Temporary memory loss at an end, I see.” He lowered Billy onto a chair and stood back, hands in his pockets.
“Are you all right?” Rose hovered anxiously over Billy, and the heart and key charms she wore hit him on the head. “Sorry.” She stepped back and tucked her necklace back under her pajama top, eyes still on Billy. “Do you want some water?”
“He’s fine.” The Doctor had his eyes on Billy as well, evaluating his condition. “His memories have come back.”
“What memories?” Rose asked in confusion.
Billy sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. “For a moment, just a moment, I’d forgotten that I was trapped in 1969 with a girl from 2007 and an alien.”
“You still don’t believe us, do you?” Rose was watching him with her head tilted to one side.
“Not really, no.” Even as he spoke the words Billy knew it was a lie. Something was wrong, something was off, and he knew it.
“Well, I know one way to solve that.” Rose walked over to the television set and switched it on. “Black and white,” she explained, gesturing to the wavy screen and the rabbit ear antenna. “Color TV’s been invented, but this set is an old one, and not all channels air in color.”
“Give it to the end of the year,” the Doctor said. “Billy?”
Billy didn’t hear them. The morning news was on, and he was engrossed in the images on the screen. Rose glanced at him and then at the Doctor.
“I’m going to get dressed. Don’t shock him with unnecessary information too soon.”
“Why would I do that?” the Doctor protested.
“When don’t you?” she asked as she walked away.
It wasn’t very long after that before Billy stood up on shaky legs and turned the television off.
The Doctor was still watching him closely. “Are you ready to talk?”
Billy looked around the small kitchen. It was clean and tidy and not unpleasant to sit in, even with the small table and rickety chairs. The Doctor was at the coffee maker, making clicking sounds as he tried to get the machine to work.
“This model was obsolete before it even came to market,” the Doctor complained. “What I wouldn’t give for the Ruatte Coffee Maker. It roasts the beans, grinds them and brews the coffee, all in under three minutes.” He took a cylindrical object out of his pocket. “It won’t be invented for another 87 years, but it’s something to look forward to.” He aimed his tool at the coffee maker. There was an odd buzzing sound and a faint blue light. The coffee maker gave a lurch and started to filter water.
“There we are,” the Doctor said in satisfaction. “We won’t wait for Rose,” he added as he poured two cups. “She takes forever in the shower.” He handed one to Billy and sat down across from his guest at the small table. “Now. To address what you were saying.” He fixed Billy with a stern look from over his cup. “How can I be a fraud and a non-alien when you’ve landed here? Clearly you weren’t sent back in time by accident. The Weeping Angels are alien beings.”
“Just like you.” Billy took a long sip of the coffee. The taste made him long for Starbucks.
“Well, I’m no Weeping Angel. I’m a Time Lord.”
Billy set his cup down. “A Time Lord.”
“I’m the last of my kind, from a planet far away from here. The TARDIS - my blue box - was my ship. It’s how we traveled back and forth through time.”
“‘We’?”
“Me and Rose.”
Billy glanced down the hallway. “Is she an alien, too?”
“Oh, no. She’s a human. Met her in London last year. We’ve been traveling together ever since.” The Doctor sipped his coffee, made a face, and pushed his mug away.
“Just like that? Where’s her family?”
The Doctor flinched. It was quick and slight, but Billy caught it.
“Did you kidnap her?” he demanded.
The Doctor laughed. “Are you kidding? Who could hang on to Rose if she didn’t want to be held? She’s here of her own free will. Even when I tried to send her home she just came back. Couldn’t get rid of her of I tried.”
“And her family?” Billy pressed.
“Something happened,” the Doctor said shortly. “A while ago for us, but not yet in your own timeline, apparently. A disaster, if you will, in London. Many people were lost.”
“Her family?” Billy guessed.
“No. Her mother was spared but she was taken someplace else, far far away. She’s safe now, but Rose isn’t able to see her. Wasn’t able to,” the Doctor amended, “back when we had the TARDIS.”
Rose appeared in the doorway, dressed in a red t-shirt and the most incredible pair if trousers Billy had ever seen. Dark blue, they were covered in large red and yellow flowers. He couldn’t believe his eyes.
“Hello,” Rose said simply. “How are you?”
“Your trousers.” Billy waved a hand toward them, and Rose grinned.
“Aren’t they cool? They’re not bell-bottoms, they’re just flared.” She stuck out a foot to show him. The fabric fell away in a slight flare, revealing a plain white trainer. “Some of the fashions here are fun.”
They looked rather terrible to Billy, and he glanced at the Doctor for support. The Doctor was busy staring at Rose with a fond, slightly goofy smile on his face. Clearly he had no trouble with Rose’s outfit.
If the truth were told, the Doctor rarely noticed Rose’s clothing. She always looked beautiful to him, no matter what she was wearing, and so he was accustomed to thinking her lovely in anything she chose to put on. Today he thought only that the flowers were as cheery as Rose herself was.
“How did you like the news?” Rose sat down beside the Doctor and took a sip of his coffee.
“It was...amazing.” Billy chose his words carefully. “This time and place...it’s so different from where I came from.”
“It’s very, very different,” the Doctor agreed. “You have to live in it now, and it won’t always be easy. It’s very hard for women and minorities in England. It will be difficult for you to get your credentials and enter the police field again, but it shouldn’t be impossible.”
Billy shook his head. “That’s the farthest thing from my mind right now. I know it will be hard for me. I’m not afraid of that. Well, not too much afraid,” he amended.
“Things do get better,” Rose put in. “You know they’ll get better.”
Billy stared down at the table. Rose glanced at the Doctor. The Doctor appeared unconcerned. Eventually Billy looked up again.
“You said something last night about my part in getting you back home. What do I have to do?”
The Doctor beamed at him. “Billy Shipton, I’ve been waiting for you to say that.”
Twenty-three