As We Go -- Chapter 1: Vacation
Disclaimer: Do you think if I owned Dr. Who I'd be writing a fanfic? No... so quit rubbing it in.
Summary: A dangerous mission pushes the Doctor to convince Rose to take a vacation. How could he ever have guessed how his mission and her vacation would change them and the relationship they had. How will Rose react to the true purpose behind their seperation and will the Doctor have to find a new companion?
A/N: Mainly story for the tenth Doctor but could be read for the 9th. Both may be OC. Please forgive it and keep in mind I've only really seen 4 episodes so be nice:-p Any constructive criticize is welcome however. oh and Wow, three words that consist of no more than two letters each for the title. Took me ten minutes to come up with, let's see exactly how much better the story will be shall we? lol Really this story is going to be much like the series: fun and action packed with a little bizarre-ity on the side. Make no mistakes however this is a doctor/rose fic. Don't read if you don't like.
Rose yawned and stretched her arm up over her head as she entered the kitchen. Her hair was tousseled and her clothes hung wrong on her form so Jackie knew instantly it'd been another hard night at the Tyler flat. Rose plopped down in a chair next to her mother. Looking pitifully at her she moaned dramatically before allowing her head to crash into the kitchen table. Jackie took a sip of her usual morning coffee without looking at her daughter. She'd enjoyed having Rose around more often, after all it beat the occassional visit every six months.
"Sleep good?" she asked it for no other reason than to antagonize her daughter. Rose's head popped up instantly and a fierce glare covered her face.
"No!" she sniped. "Haven't slept well since I started this bloomin vacation," she grumbled. "Do you realize that for the last four nights now I haven't gotten a decent night's sleep?" she added shrilly. Jackie went to the counter to fix Rose a cup of tea. "I mean really, it's just what I needed..."
"Well what do you think it is? Are you missing the Doctor that much?" she asked. Rose was stunned her mother would assume that.
"It's not that," Rose shot off immediately. The last thing she wanted was for her mum to believe she and the Doctor were having some sort of lurid affair while she was out traveling the universe. Not that she would really mind too terribly much if they were, but she was the only one who supposed to know that. In fact the only real thing going on between the two of them was an odd ability to expect the other's presence in the face of danger. If she leapt, he would be there to catch her. If he ran, he knew she'd be right behind him alive and breathing. It was quite odd actually, seeing as she'd only been traveling with "this" doctor for a couple of weeks now. He was mostly the same on the inside, keeping just about everything that had drawn her to him in the first place, but now he was... different and she couldn't put her finger on it.
"Then what?" Jackie pressed with mild irritation, shoving her from her thoughts. Her mother was now seated and watching her. Rose lifted her mug of warm tea from the table and sipped.
"I dunno... maybe it's the sound of the Tardis. It is quite loud at night and maybe I've gotten to liking it?" she thought. Jackie shrugged. She couldn't think that the roar of a vortex engine would be comforting but her little girl had taken on some bizarre interests lately.
"Good morning Tylers!" chorused Mickey as he tromped into the room. Rose groaned quietly at his happy attitude so early in the morning. Then again, he probably had a full night's sleep.
"Good mornin, Mickey," Jackie sang right back at him. Rose smiled and accepted a kiss on the forehead, too lazy to do anything else. Mickey's face held a mild hurt at her lack of reaction that she tried to ignore. She couldn't be expected to be on call all day could she?
"So what's on tap today?" he asked. He pulled up a chair next to Rose and leaned onto the table. At Jackie's lack of answer Rose spoke up hesitantly. Neither of them had really gotten past the good mornings and since Rose had spent the majority of her vacation on the couch in front of the TV she didn't really know of anything.
"Oh, nothing of any importance. You know, the usual," she forced a smile to follow her weak response but he didn't seem to notice. In fact, he almost ignored her other than the slight nod of his head. Jackie however had been paying full attention since her daughter's boyfriend entered the room. It used to be the day that Rose would leap to her feet at the entrance of the charming Mickey. She had even once missed a day of high school simply because an attempt to perm her hair had gone awry and she didn't want him to see her in such fashion. Now it seemed that Mickey's presence was more of a habit for Rose than a treat. They rarely did things solely together anymore and Jackie hadn't caught them snogging in nearly two years, though granted Rose had been missing or traveling for most of that time. Still, she would've thought her daughter happy at the chance of this vacation the Doctor made her take and spent most of it with Mickey. Sure he was around and coming over so much in the last two days that he almost never left, but they weren't exactly spending it together. In fact, Rose seemed to be growing more and more grumpy with him as the week pressed on.
"You wanna go down to the library with me? I've got to return some books and pick up texts for class on Monday," he offered. Rose smiled, a little less pushed and nodded slightly. It'd be a great excuse to read up on some time travel novels, she thought wickedly.
"Sure, sounds... great," she sipped her tea and smiled at her mum who grinned back.
"Okay, well I'll be back to get you later," he grinned, said his goodbyes, gave each woman a kiss and waved as he left the room. Jackie stirred in more creamer for her coffee considering what to do with her latest boyfriend that day. A dull thunk interrupted her thoughts though as Rose's forehead had landed on the table between her arms again. She bit back a smile.
"Sooo tired!" moaned Rose, the mug still gripped in her hand. Jackie stared into her coffee and stood.
"Your hair's in your tea," she commented lightly as she went to wash out her cup. Rose perked her head up enough to see a thick strand of hair in her tea and huffed. Now she'd need a shower.
It was growing on lunch time and Rose found herself in front of the news one more time. Harriet Jones was chittering away in her take charge tone about the deficit and recovery but most of the time all Rose could recall of her was the terror on her face when she chittered about slitheens. Jackie walked by, her arms around her neck as she clasped a necklace.
"Isn't that the new prime minister?" she asked, vaguely recognizing her from a while back.
"Yeah... Harriet Jones," Rose half giggled. Jackie smiled and walked around the couch to sit with her.
"What? What's so funny?" she almost chuckled herself.
"I was just remembering how we became friends with her and how we became enemies. You know I don't believe I'll ever forget the look on her face when the Doctor whispered in that man's ear," she grinned broadly. Jackie's was a little softer and more admiring. The light that seemed to follow Rose around was back in full force at the mention of the Doctor. At least she seemed to be happy while she was away from home, that the most she could ask for (well other than her protection). Suddenly Jackie wondered why it seemed to not be there when he wasn't around. She'd never noticed it until recently.
"Why Rose Tyler you are vicious!" she chuckled. Rose half rolled her eyes.
"I'm sorry but it was funny! And he was so mad at her... I don't think we'll ever talk to her as friends again," she said thoughtfully, considering events that could happen in the future and how the Doctor would interact with her after doing something as foul as shooting a defeated enemy. The intensity that had been on his face was powerful enough she'd felt it to her bones. She prayed that horrid look was never aimed at her, it could very well break her into pieces.
"Speaking of which, when's the Good Doctor coming back forya anyway? He is coming back?" she asked, not fighting the hint of hope in her voice. Rose shot her a sideways glance and grinned again.
"Yes mum, he's coming back. He can't exactly travel the universe without his companion," she snickered. "No the deal was that I take a week's vacation and then we go off on another mission and he is not allowed to move through time at all. I don't want him going off and leaving me and then me never know 'cause he came back in time, ya know?" The last thing she wanted was for him to forget her or forget that she cared even when no one else in the entire existence of life did. When he was the nineth doctor she'd seen some of the damage a life like his can have on a man like him and she couldn't bear the thought of being powerless to mend it. She simply cared far too much for him.
"Oi Rose, turn off the tele!" Mickey cried out exasperated as he came in the front door.
"RICKEY!" she giggled, earning a furious look on his face as she threw her hands in the air. Jackie chuckled a bit herself at the almost celebration of pronouncing his name wrong. They both knew exactly how much it bothered him, mostly because it was Rose's precious Doctor that created it.
"That's not funny you know," he bit, jerking the remote from her hand and flipping the channel. Rose's smile turned irate almost instantly.
"Ae! I was watchin that! and I was just playing, no need to go snatching things," she replied bitterly. She took the remote back and switched to the news.
"Well you know it annoys me! Ever since that Doctor came along and started calling me that... on purpose!" he rumbled as he found a seat in the recliner on her right. "And to use it against me like that... you know you've been sniping at me all week," he accused. His voice was almost harsh enough to hurt her. Why would he say such a thing?
"No I haven't," she denied. The silence that answered her suggested otherwise. She glanced from mother to boyfriend and then back. "Have I really?" she worried.
"Yes... you have been getting rather grumpy," Jackie explained. "I actually thought about this mornin."
"Well you can't really blame me! I haven't really even had a night's sleep in a week..." Mickey didn't look very convinced and her mother's face held sympathy. "Besides I mean it is quite boring here compared to the stars and time. I think I'm going mad just sitting here all day!" she squeaked. They just didn't understand at all what it was like to sit on a couch when time and space lay waiting for her to explore along side the doctor. And she'd been trying to figure out why she even needed this vaction to begin with.
"Well... why don't you and Mickey go do something? yeah?" Jackie thought aloud. Mickey looked up so she could see the whites line the bottom of his eyes. He was very close to losing his patience with Rose, it was clear in his features. He'd been waiting for six months to see her after worrying over her and missing her desperately and she showed no similar signs.
"Yeah? Like what?" questioned Rose, striping the nail polish off her index finger. It was colored 'frisky clover', a color that made the Doctor's eyebrow raise when he read it aloud earlier that week.
"Like, um... I dunno, uh... THE CARNIVAL!" she shrieked with almost enough excitement to take her off the couch. Rose smiled at her fondly to avoid laughing.
"The carnival?" Mickey asked slowly.
"Yeah! It's going to be in town soon. They're setting it up tonight actually... Jesse was telling me about it," she explained. Rose furrowed her brows together as she continued to scrape at her nail.
"Jesse? Who's that?"
"Its your mum's new boyfriend. Been around for almost a month, this one," Mickey put in. Rose's mouth made a circle formation as she nodded.
"Now wait a minute... what are you doing knowing who my beau is?" Jackie threatened. "Are you spyin on me?" Rose giggled softly.
"Better watch out Mickey. Her slaps are getting legendary around the universe." To this her mum glared daggers enough to get Rose off the couch and halfway to the door. Mickey followed, shoving his hands in his pockets as she grabbed her purse.
"Oh right, right... make fun of your mother..." The two quickly moved to leave, Rose closing the door as her mother spoke. "Well you'd better watch that tongue of yours young lady or else the Doctor'll have to have a mute companion!" she stated after them. Rose smirked happily at her mum a split second before closing the door. She could hear her annoyed huff through the wood and silently laughed as they headed down the stairs.
---------Meanwhile---------
The tardis floated quietly amongst the stars with a mild burnt stain on the right wall. Nothing serious looking, but still evident signs of confrontation. On the inside a battered Doctor stood leaning over the frayed control panel. The reds and blues of the buttons flashed over the discomfort of his face. He straightened his back for all of a second before snapping back into a half crouch of pain. Clutching the left side of his chest he continued working without a word. This pain was nothing compared to what he would've felt had he not sent Rose home for a vacation. He simply didn't believe it possible to let her walk into such a blatant death trap and live with himself afterward, especially if anything had happened to her. She was too special for that, which really was the reason he went. It'd been hard to convince her to go home without explaining things though.
A small smile found it's way to his face at the memory.
"Are you trying to get rid of me?"
"No, I just think... we've been doing a lot of running for our lives lately and you are only human."
"So what does that make you Mr. Timelord? Bet you're just trying to get me out so you can have a vacation! Gonna sew some wild oats eh?"
"What are you talking about? I just want you to be... well." He explained, chosing his words delicately so as not to completely lie. She eyed him suspiciously and he knew she could see something was going on in those passionate eyes.
"Well... I guess that's alright. But you have to promise me--"
"Anything." he answered, almost interrupted. She grinned at his eagerness.
"You have to promise me that you won't go off on any missions alone, that you'll come back and get me? Alright? And no time traveling neither. I don't want you coming back a year older than when you left you hear me?" His grin broadened at the faithful way she trusted his judgement against her own desire to be with him. He really had no idea what he would've done if he hadn't of found her. The more he thought on it the more resolved he became to head back to Earth early just to see her sooner. He loved her and wasn't afraid to admit it. He'd loved her deeply since the moment he'd told her to run and as time moved on he only grew more hooked on her. She was the addiction he never wanted to break. He wasn't sure why but something just made her different from all the other women he'd ever loved. Something made her better, sweeter and it was something he clearly was willing to fight to the death over more than once. Of course he didn't tell her this... He was too afraid of the outcome. What if she decided to stop traveling with him? What if she didn't return his feelings? What if he had to be alone again indefinitely? No one could replace her. He would rather be her friend and keep her near than openly love her and watch her leave. Shifting his weight he considered the possiblities of the day. Maybe he could even spend time resting with her. He pulled several levers to steer him on.
---------on Earth----------
"Mickey!" whined Rose from the bottom of the stoop at the library. "Come-- on!" He gave her his fierce 'wait a minute' look as he finished his conversation with the librarian Caitlin. She'd gone to high school with the two of them and worked with Mickey for a short while after Rose left with the Doctor. She was nice enough, but Rose had wanted to stop by Starbucks on the way home to say hello to her own friend, Kelly. Shoving her hands into the pockets of her jacket she realized most of her human friends probably believed she was dead. Afterall she'd been missing for a year and never really came all the way back. "'ey Mickey, I'm going to go on. I'll see you tomorrow!" she waved. He waved back, all smiles and turned from Caitlin.
"The carnival remember!" he cheered. She smiled to herself as she headed down the road. She'd read a couple pretty good books on time travel in the four hours they spent there. Mickey hadn't told her he planned to do a little studying too. Still, she had a good laugh at the completely incorrect information that filled those novels and getting out of the house for a while felt good. It'd been a fairly relaxing day. Her mum had phoned Mickey's cell and told her to be ready for pasta for dinner, she'd talked to a few old friends, planned to talk to another and was going to get her favorite coffee as a treat. Lifting her face to the sky she figured it was good by earth standards, but what would make her happy was probably flying around up there somewhere.
The Doctor tossed another lever, almost moaning at the pain it sent up his arm. Any minute now he'd be reappearing at his regular alley near Rose's house and could sit still for a little while. The damaged tardis' bumping and jolting, though minimal, was jarring his wounds terribly. Taking a calming breath he blinked away the fuzzy rims around his vision and waited for the room to land. He could already see the smile Rose would give him for coming back early in his mind.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
ne? What do think? Should I keep going or just slip away in quiet destitution as punishment for my butchering of the show?