Partners In Time – by Angel Hunteress
A/N: Well, this is actually inspired from a dream I had about a week or so ago. After I kept thinking of that dream, I started toying with ideas, and this one just sort of jumped at me. I hope you like it. Yes, I know there are a lot of differences between DW and this story, like the people. But there's a reason behind it all. I can't tell you for sure much anything without giving away the ending, so just read it and ask questions. If I am able to—like if it's not going to spoil the ending—I'll try to explain it or whatnot. Okay?
Here goes. Hope you like it!
Chapter 1: Serendipity
Rose Tyler woke up with a jolt. Her eyelids snapped open, her breathing heavy. She didn't remember much of the dream as it faded away. She just remembered running from something. The typical clichéd dream.
The phone rang for the third time, the first ring waking her from the dream. She reached over, tentatively pulling the cordless phone from the charger, the feelings of fear and paranoia still lingering from her dream.
"Hello?" she answered, her voice calm, though low and husky from the morning.
"Hey, Rose," greeted a familiar girl's voice, bright and cheery. Damn morning people. Rose cursed Shireen. "Did I wake you? It's a bit late, even for you."
Rose cleared her throat, trying to get as much grogginess out of her voice as she could. "I-uh, no. I've been up," she lied. She looked at the digital alarm clock on her night stand which rested next to the phone charger. 11:30. It was late, even for her. "What is it this time, Shireen?"
She could practically hear the twenty-year-old's devious grin as she talked. "Well," Shireen started. "I just wanted to come over. You know, maybe tidy up a bit, take you out shopping."
"Shireen," Rose groaned. "I'm fine. Honestly."
"Rose," Shireen started, slightly patronizing. "Come on! You just ended a three year relationship. Normal people would be going after the tubs of ice cream and getting fat!"
Rose smiled, looking over at the picture of her, Shireen, and Mickey, her ex-boyfriend, the photo resting on the nightstand. She had just broken it off with him three weeks ago. He was getting too distant, and there was no communication.
"What do you mean, I broke up with him." Rose sighed. "All right, you can come over."
"All right, Rose. I'll be over at your flat soon." They said their goodbyes and hung up.
Rose sat up, pulling the pink comforters off her, running a hand through her long blond hair.
She really was fine; it was Mickey she was worried about. She hadn't heard from him in a long time. She knew she'd have to wait for him to come around; they'd been best friends since birth, practically.
A knock on the front door.
Rose got out of bed, stepping into her pink and purple fuzzy slippers before exiting her bedroom, through the living room and to the front door. Furrowing her eyebrows in confusion, she opened it to see a beautiful dark-skinned girl with short black hair.
"Hello, Rose," Shireen hugged her. She pulled back, looking at her blond friend. "Oh, look at you, still in your jim-jams. I really did wake you up, didn't I?"
Rose slightly frowned. "Shireen, you were on your way already? Why didn't you tell me? What if I told you I was busy?"
"Oh, Rose, it's summer! I knew you wouldn't be busy. You're too lazy." Shireen grinned at Rose, her brown eyes sparkling.
"Rose!" boomed a male voice from upstairs. "Did you get that?"
A male figure headed down the stairs. Tall, lean, with tan-coloured hair and brown eyes. He was in his late forties, his hairline receding and his sideburns just starting to turn grey.
"Yeah, Dad," Rose replied to the man. "It's just Shireen."
"Hi, Mr. Tyler," Shireen greeted. "I was just teasing Rose about waking up at this hour." At this, Shireen received a death glare from Rose, but the brunette just smiled it off.
"Oh, that's probably cause she stayed up so late watching those scary movies," Jake Tyler teased. "Don't know why she likes them so much. Those things give me nightmares to no end." He paused, looking at Shireen. "So, Shireen, what've you been up to, then?"
"Well," Shireen replied. "Mostly we've been getting ready for me moving into uni, but besides that, not much else."
"Well," Jake replied. "It's pretty much the same for us, having to pack and buy new things. But a good education that's affordable is hard to come by these days."
He paused, looking around the room. "Well," he turned back to Rose. "I best be going. I'll see you later, Rose. Be back in a few hours."
He kissed Rose on the forehead, turning and grabbing his keys and coat , going out the door.
"Where's he going?" asked Shireen.
"Work," Rose replied.
"But I thought you said he was on vacation!" Shireen asked, surprised.
"He is. But I know he's got a second job."
"Really?" Shireen asked. "Doing what?"
"Dunno," Rose replied. "He's been coming home from school, and then an hour later he leaves. I know he's doing this to put me through college. Ever since he lost his job at the university, money's been tight."
"Oh, Rose," Shireen said compassionately. "I'm so sorry."
"It's all right," Rose reassured the girl. "I've been applying for shops around here. Not many people want to hire a girl for three months, but I might have some luck." Then, she shifted the mood, grinning. "So, best be getting ready, then. Can't go shopping in my jim-jams now can I?"
"I dunno, you might start another trend with that look, like in tenth grade." Shireen smiled at her.
Rose walked into her room, quickly dressing.
"So, Rose," Shireen started from outside the bedroom. "So it's three months before you go to uni."
Rose's heart sank. She had a feeling where this was going. "So?"
"So," Shireen replied curtly, as if the answer was so obvious. "It's your last chance to have a bit of fun, you know."
"What, like a fling?" Rose muttered sarcastically.
"No, no," Shireen replied quickly, and Rose sighed in relief. Then, with a hint of reproach in her voice, the brunette continued. "Well, it's your choice, really."
Rose stepped out of the bedroom, clad only in a slimming pair of jeans and a red bra, a red long-sleeved shirt hanging off of her arms in mid-dress, her mouth agape in horror.
"Shireen!"
"Well, I'm just saying." Shireen put her hands up as if a sign of defence as Rose pulled the shirt on.
"Shireen, I don't want you to set me up on a blind date," Rose stated. It wasn't because she had just gotten out of a relationship; instead it was because she didn't want a "fling." She didn't like the whole short-term dating bit. She'd done too much of that in high school.
"Come on, Rose," coaxed Shireen, wagging her meticulously curved eyebrows. "When have I ever steered you wrong?"
Rose thought about that. True, the only times Shireen had set Rose up on a blind date was with two of her long-term relationships. The first one, Marcus, had broken it off with her because he had been "too bored" since they had gone out for three months. The second one was Mickey—well, it hadn't been a blind date, more like a push from Shireen.
"I'll think about it," Rose replied. "For now, let's just go shopping."
Shireen would drop it, knowing that pushing Rose would just push her farther away from the idea. She grinned. "Yeah. I saw this lovely skirt at a shop a few blocks down. It's to die for."
Rose smiled, grabbing her purse and her keys before heading out the door with Shireen. Shireen was the first to go, Rose following her, stopping at the door.
The pictures were gone. She was filled with rage, sorrow and anger at her dad. She would normally pass the pictures hanging on the wall by the door every day, every time she went out somewhere. Pictures of a happier time, almost fifteen years ago, when Rose was a toddler. A time where it was her mum, her dad, and her. A happy family. Now, the wall was barren, the last remaining reminder of her mum gone. She would be sure to talk to her dad when they saw each other next.
She composed herself for a moment, before heading out the door and joining Shireen outside. They rose the bus to the various shops, trying on clothes here and there. Rose had picked out a lovely t-shirt with light blue, pink and lavender tie-dye designs, and a cute pair of black pants, and a nice sundress for if and when she would go out somewhere.
"What do you think of this?" Shireen asked, holding up a slimming red dress. It was simple, and very gorgeous, sensual.
"Yeah," Rose nodded. "I think it would look great on you."
"Not for me, silly! For you!" Shireen handed her the dress. "You know, for if and when you ever get a date."
"Shireen!" Rose tried to sound as mad as she could, but there was a hint of contemplation behind it. Rose took the dress, holding it against her. In the mirror, it indeed looked very nice with her.
"Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to, you know, try it on," Rose smiled, taking the dress into a fitting room.
She tried it on, zipping it up and looked around for a mirror. None.
"So, how's it fitting?" Shireen called.
Rose stepped out, silently cursing the person who designed a fitting room with no mirrors. Stepping out, she saw that there were many mirrors, and she looked stunning in the dress.
Shireen gasped. "Oh, Rose. It's definitely you."
She was right. It fit her snugly, hugging all of her curves, but still being conservative enough for a nice date.
She looked at the price tag, and immediately dropped it. "Well, I can't."
"Oh, Rose come on!" Shireen argued, looking at it herself. "It's only ₤25. It's marked down and everything. It's perfect."
"Yeah, but Dad—"
"He'll understand. It's your last chance at a little happiness before you go to university," Shireen looked down at her, as if scolding. her.
Rose looked wistfully at the dress again, looking at the price tag. The original price was almost three times as much, and 80 percent deal. It screamed Rose's name, but she just wasn't sure.
"All right," Rose sighed. "I'll buy it. For something that won't be a date, you hear?"
Shireen smiled deviously as a response as the girls continued shopping.
After an hour, they decided to they had decided to take a break at a small little café around the block from Rose's flat.
"So," Shireen started. "I have this friend, Dan, who I haven't talked to in a long time, but he's really nice and—"
"Shireen, no." Rose almost shouted, though with a smile at her friend. "I don't want any pity dates, thank you. I just got through with the whole Mickey thing, and I don't want to hear any more until next year."
"Rose," Shireen started. "I don't care. You know, this whole day it's been one thing or another. You have to live your life before life starts living you. You won't get anywhere in life just sitting around waiting for things to come to you. You have to go out there and go to the things yourself."
"It's just—" Rose started, but Shireen interrupted her.
"It's just—" She mocked Rose. "It's just nothing! Come on, what's one silly little date gonna do, hurt you? No! What are you worried that you'll end up falling in love?"
Her words seemed to ring out. Shireen got up. "Just think it over. I'll be in the loo."
Rose paused, thinking of what Shireen had said.
What, are you worried you'll fall in love?
"No," Rose stated, quietly, though that was what she was thinking.
She had thought she was in love with Mickey, but ended up getting hurt. It wasn't until they started to drift apart that she realized that she loved him, but only as a friend. She wanted to be able to be open with him like she was before they had ever gone out.
Rose looked around. Couples laughing and kissing. A mother, father and their newborn baby…it made her feel a little…lonely.
She thought back to one of her dreams, from a few nights ago. She didn't remember much of it, and she had thought about keeping a dream journal. The only thing she remembered was a man. A presence that made her feel loved, and welcomed. She had never felt that way before about someone, and it was time she stopped waiting for Mr. Right to come to her. Perhaps she needed another nudge in the right direction.
"So," Shireen sat down, looking at the menu. "Do you know what you want?"
Rose looked up, meeting her friend's eyes.
"I want a date."
Rose was nervous. She was worried that she had made a bad mistake. She thought about all the possibilities and disasters this night could bring her.
Shireen had made reservations at a lovely restaurant called Villa de Bruno, a white-tablecloth restaurant. Rose was dressed in a red dress with a v-neck, sipping champagne lightly. She hadn't ordered yet; she was waiting for her date to come.
He was supposed to arrive fifteen minutes ago. Maybe he got caught in traffic. Shireen didn't tell her much about him, just that he was a few years older than her. Which made Rose even more nervous.
She decided that she wanted this night to just end. Get this date over with. Nothing good could come out of tonight. Sure, maybe she could end up liking him, or God forbid, maybe she'd fall in love. Then what? She'd go to college, away from him, and they'd never see each other again. It'd truly be a summer fling.
Where was he? Rose started to get antsy. Maybe he saw her and didn't like something about her. Maybe he got stuck in traffic. Maybe he decided that this whole blind date thing was stupid.
A man sat down at the chair across the table from her. About ten years difference, maybe a little less. Big brown hair, dark brown eyes, high cheekbones. He wore a suit, with a brown coat over it. He was pretty cute, Rose had to admit.
"You're here for the blind date?" the man asked.
"Yeah," Rose replied. "I'm Rose Tyler." She extended a hand which the man took, shaking it.
"I'm—uh," he sucked air through his teeth, putting his hand behind his back, seeming nervous. "I'm actually not the date."
"Oh," Rose furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.
"You were expecting to meet up with Dan Webber, right?" the man asked.
"Shireen didn't tell me the name, but I think that's probably him." Rose replied, now more confused than ever.
"Shireen…" the man muttered under his breath. "Well, you see, what Shireen failed to mention is that, well…he's engaged."
"What?!"
"Yes," the man replied. "He's getting engaged to a lovely girl. Trisha something. Anyway. Shireen and Dan hadn't heard from each other in a while. He's a friend of her brother's. So, when she called Dan and asked if he wanted to go on a blind date, he said yes, thinking she was joking. Until she called him again this morning to remind him. When he realized she was serious, he sent me over to tell you. I'm sorry, Miss Tyler."
"It's all right," Rose reassured the man. "I've had something like this—well, not as different—happen before. At least he didn't just stand me up."
"Well, I better—" the man started, but reluctantly as he began to stand.
"Now, hold on," Rose said, and then man stopped, looking at her. "You took the time out to come down here to tell me all of this. And, of course, this meal is entirely paid for by Shireen. No harm in taking advantage of it, now is there, Mr.—"
"Smith. John Smith," the man grinned, a boyish grin that charmed her. "And I do see your point, Miss Tyler. No point in having it go to waste. Thank you so much."
"My pleasure, Mr. Smith. And please. Let's drop the formalities. It's Rose," Rose grinned up at him.
"All right, then, Rose," John grinned at her. "And please, call me John."
"All right then, John," Rose smiled back at him.
A/N: I hoped you liked that. Short, I know. And believe me, it'll get a LOT better. No, Rose's dad in this story is NOT Pete from DW, and yes, John Smith is portrayed by David Tennant. It'll get much better, I promise. More juicier (not like that!—well, maybe) but it'll be better. :D Anyway. Please review!