Title: Flipped, Book 1

Rating: heavy T, for author's paranoia and uncertainty about rating rules

Author: tkel_paris

Summary: The Ninth Doctor saves two people at Henrick's. One is Rose Tyler. The other is a man who will change the Doctor's life forever. Written for tardis_mole's birthday.

Required Disclaimer: The summary should be enough to tell you I own nothing.

Dedications: My good friend tardis_mole, for helping me discover my talent at editing and for being an inspiration. You've challenged me to go beyond what I previously thought I would like, and so this is the farthest I've gone from my comfort zone so far. Who knows where I'll go next? ;D

And another important shout-out: sykira, whose LJ post about John Barrowman's comments about how Doctor Who could eventually go was the ultimate spark for this idea. Thank you, you treasure! :D

So I suppose that means the ultimate blame for this lies with the Barrowman. I can only imagine what he would think, although I suspect he would heartily approve. :P

Author's Note: Originally spawned from a different idea that split into three, this is a new version of one of those ideas revived as a birthday present. And it's spawned a significantly AU version for what I hope will be a Christmas present. If my NaNo story doesn't sap my writing energy for the rest of the month.

The original prompt from TM boiled down to this: "The Doctor and Donna in a situation that's never been done before." Ask and ye shall receive, my friend. :D Happy birthday! :DDD

Special, Critical Disclaimer: I refuse to be held responsible for any $2000/₤2000 lattes, spit-takes, fainting spells, workplace/school gaffes, falling against/from things, or any other distracted spazzing off that might happen if you're not careful while reading this story. Especially in certain chapters. Read at your own risk. (I put this in because I was warned by one of my betas, cassikat, that my emails should come with a spit-take warning. So I'm looking out for y'all. ;D)

FYI (mostly for American readers): At the time this story starts, March 2004, the age of consent in Britain was apparently sixteen. That's been since, I believe as in the start of 2005, changed to eighteen everywhere because of medical information on unintentional sexual injuries. And there are multiple opinions on what happened between Rose Tyler and Jimmy Stone, the person she left school because of. Here I decided to go with cassikat's idea, which you'll see in chapter 3. :)

Also, this is not a RPF. Gender swapping, yes. So don't be confused by how this was categorized. :)

Flipped, Book 1

Started September 10, 2012

Finished November 18, 2012

CHAPTER ONE: A DREAM OR A NIGHTMARE?

Rose Tyler groaned as her day at Henrick's dragged on even longer with the guard handing her the lottery money. All she'd wanted was to go home after earning enough to buy a few new things, and now she was being ordered to assist with something she had nothing to do with at all?

The rules about working at a shop grated her. She'd appreciated the lack of attention except at the register when she shopped, but now? She wasn't to talk to customers unless they approached her first, and she had to spend a lot of her time alone – putting away new things, straightening after others, and just keeping her eyes out for shoplifters.

She often had to remind herself of why she sought the job in the first place. So she could buy more often, and on discount – just so she didn't have to deal with how skint her mother was with money. Not that she paid attention to what her mother spent to keep a roof over their heads or food in their kitchen. That didn't matter to her, or concern her.

She grabbed the bag, and barely avoided giving the other shop girls glares for quietly snickering at her misfortune. She marched over the to lift, hoping she didn't look as frustrated as she felt - even if there were no men around she'd like to impress.

Sighing as she got in the lift, she wished once again that she'd been assigned to the men's departments. Then she could at least practice her flirting smile.

The lift seemed to drag on, and she frowned. Wilson had better be right down there. She wanted to go right back up and straight home! End this day! The only nice thing about it had been meeting silly Mickey for lunch.

Hmm, she thought. He was acting rather confident over the last few years. He'd even declined to give her the things she wanted for her birthday, one thing in particular. What was his problem? If a girl wanted to celebrate her reaching legal age by having sex, didn't her boyfriend owe her that?

Mercifully, the lift opened before she could vent silently any longer. She stepped out, and looked around. "Wilson?" No answer. What?! She headed for his office. "Wilson, are you there? I've got the lottery money." She stood outside and rattled the door. "Wilson? Listen, they're closing up the shop. I need to get home." Still no answer. "Oh, come on-"

She cut herself off as she saw someone approach. But it wasn't Wilson. No, Wilson was much older than this bloke. As he stepped into the better light near Wilson's office, Rose's eyes drank him in. He was tall, skinny, wearing a smartly tailored brown pinstripe suit, and he carried a tan over-the-shoulder messenger bag. His features were on first glance a mishmash, but Rose quickly realised that they actually worked to make him rather handsome. His brown hair was a fluffy mess that she wanted to run her fingers through. This day was looking up!

She lifted her free hand to brush back her hair, but he cut off her from speaking, his tone annoyed. "It's locked? He's not there?"

The accent was rather delicious. Not one of the ultra posh ones she admired on the telly, but it would more than do for a girl from Powell Estates. She wanted him. If she could get Hot Messy Hair to focus on her a moment, she was sure she could have him. "Wilson? No, and I'm supposed to give him the lottery money." She held up the bag, then flashed a flirtatious smile. "What are you doing here?"

He frowned, throwing her off as he glared at her with his deep, dark eyes. "I was helping locate spots to put new portable defibrillator units that could always be charged and ready. Wilson was showing me locations throughout the building and I was assessing them. He went off for the loo, and just as I finished checking the last spot in question I heard-"

A clattering was heard down the way. Along with a banging sound.

He frowned in that direction. "I heard a noise like that," he added, not looking back at her. "Wilson hasn't answered me. I even checked the loo. Can't tell if he was there." He walked toward in the direction of the sound.

Rose blinked. Never before had she been unable to catch a man's attention like this! She hurried to catch up. "So what do you do?"

He groaned. "Do you think you could actually focus here, miss? I need to find Wilson and talk to him before this shop closes tight and locks us in! Something might've happened to him!"

As he spoke, they reached a door. There was something or someone inside making that noise. "What's he doing in there? Why isn't he answering?" Rose asked.

He shook his head, looking irritated, and opened the door carefully. "Wilson?" He flicked a switch and the lights turned on, moving closer to them while he stepped inside. "I'm done here, and one of the shop girls has the lottery money for you!"

Rose followed him into the room, frustrated. "I'm nineteen! I'm a woman!"

He snorted, looking around a long moment. "Nineteen is still a child in this age. If you are that old," he added as he turned to stare pointedly at her.

She gasped. He couldn't have guessed, could he?

Before she could protest, the door slammed shut behind them. She ran to it, him catching up as she reached it. They tugged together, making no progress. "Come on! This isn't funny!" Rose shouted.

He backed off, and Rose turned to see him rubbing his neck and gritting his teeth. "There wasn't anyone there to close it. No shadows. Nothing." Turning back, he walked a few paces away. "Something's wrong."

Rose laughed. "Come on! That's silly, isn't-"

Another clattering noise. They both stiffened.

She walked by him, irritated that someone was getting in the way of her flirting. "Who is it? Is that someone mucking about?!"

He scoffed and passed her to face her down. "We have a missing person! Can you show a bit of concern for-" He cut himself off, as if something behind her caught his attention, making his face slacken.

Seeing him pale, Rose turned. Her mouth went wide when she saw a jacket-wearing mannequin lean out of its alcove and step out toward them.

She backed away, forcing her interest to back off too. "Heh... you got us, very funny."

She didn't notice him looking around, or how his mouth fell as more noises sounded.

The mannequin, now followed by others, kept coming. "Right, I've got the joke! Who's idea was this? Was it Derek's?"

"I don't think this is a prank." Hot Messy Hair grabbed Rose's hand, dragging her with him toward some corner. She stumbled over some boxes, but he quickly helped her to her feet and further along.

Rose smiled gratefully at him, but he didn't seem to notice. He was focused on checking where they were going and what the mannequins were doing. She looked back, and went sheet white as she saw they were closing on them. She quickly moved closer to him. She thought she felt him shiver as they moved through the tight space, trying to avoid tripping and being caught.

But one mannequin got close and raised its arm – as if to strike her. Rose closed her eyes, hoping the handsome man would be able to save her.

Suddenly Hot Messy Hair sucked in a loud breath and jerked, which caught Rose's attention. They both saw a man with short hair in a leather jacket. "Run!" he told them, dragging them both out. They heard water and steam burst behind them.

Rose, her hand now in this strange Leather Man's, ran alongside him. Hot Messy Hair was on his other side. They ran through the corridors, through plastic barriers, past mannequins trying to break out of their cages and to another lift. She looked behind her and saw the mannequins running after them. Suddenly she was pushed inside the lift. Hot Messy Hair followed, and Leather Man entered, closing the doors.

Only one of the mannequins got its arm in, and the others all tried to push their way inside. Leather Man grabbed the arm, fought with it a long moment, and yanked it off. The doors shut, and the lift began to move.

Hot Messy Hair beat Rose to speaking. "You tore its arm off!"

She blinked. She had been going to say 'his' arm.

"Yep," Leather Man said. "Plastic." He turned and tossed the arm to Hot Messy Hair, who caught it and stared, moving it around in his hands to look it over. Like he was trying to solve some mystery.

Rose shook her head, taking in Leather Man. He was a little shorter than Hot Messy Hair, with trousers very like his jacket, and a dark red jumper. His features were stronger, and his nose and ears bigger, but that didn't matter to her. He, too, looked very interesting – in a very different way. Although what she'd just escaped from begged for an explanation. "Very clever, nice trick! Who were they then, students? Is this a student thing or what?"

Hot Messy Hair's eyes widened as he stared at her. She didn't understand why it looked like disbelief. But Leather Man turned around slightly, asking, "Why would they be students?"

Rose shrugged. "I don't know."

Leather Man shrugged. "Well, you said it! Why students?"

"'Cause..." Rose had to think a moment. "...to get that many people dressed up and being silly... they gotta be students."

"Oh please!" Hot Messy Hair scowled at her. "You honestly think that's a lot of students? Those can't even be student dwarfs! Only they could fit into something that size and look so much like mannequins! But I'm betting those weren't students of any kind! What kind of a daft bint are you?!"

Rose's jaw dropped.

Leather Man smiled at Hot Messy Hair. "You're right. They're not students."

Hot Messy Hair frowned at him. "Well, what are they? And where's Wilson?"

"Who's Wilson?"

Rose interjected, "The chief electrician."

The doors opened as Leather Man announced, "Wilson's dead." And exited.

Rose was shocked, but not too much to fail to notice Hot Messy Hair look angry. "Dead?!" He followed him out, and Rose trailed behind. "Did you do it?!"

"No. Mind your eyes," Leather Man added as he pushed them both out of the way, did something to the lift controls with a pen-like thing and caused a small explosion. Rose opened her mouth to protest, but she didn't have the chance.

"What are those things?!" Hot Messy Hair demanded again as Leather Man walked off, and followed closely. Rose had to catch up as he continued, when Leather Man didn't reply, "Oi, mate! You owe me an answer!"

Rose opened her mouth to protest, What about me?! Only she didn't get the chance to speak.

"They're made of plastic. Living plastic creatures." Leather Man ignored the disbelieving looks as he led them along. "They're being controlled by a relay device in the roof. Which would be be problem if I didn't have this." He showed off something Rose didn't recognise, waving it a little.

"Wait, is that an explosive device?" Hot Messy Hair suddenly paled again.

Leather Man frowned at him, losing the smile. "They must be stopped, and this is the only way since I don't know where the source command is coming from." He waved the device at them both. "So," he continued, leading them up some stairs to another door before either could protest, "I'm going to go up there and blow them up, and I might well die in the process. But don't worry about me, no. Go home, go on! Go and have your lovely beans on toast." He shoved Hot Mess Hair outside as he spoke, and forcefully guided Rose – still utterly stunned – after. "Don't tell anyone about this, because if you do, you'll get them killed." He shut the door on them.

Rose looked at Hot Messy Hair, who was spluttering and shaking with indignation. Even though her shock, she thought the reaction looked rather cute on him.

Suddenly the door opened again, and Leather Man stuck his head out, making Hot Messy Hair go silent. "I'm the Doctor, by the way. What's your names?"

"Rose," she answered almost right away.

The Doctor nodded with a smile. "And you?" he asked Hot Messy Hair.

Rose watched as Hot Messy Hair pursed his lips, eyes darting back and forth between her and the Doctor. He seemed uneasy, hesitating before he answered, "David."

Finally! She had a first name for him!

The Doctor grinned. "Nice to meet you, Rose and David. Run for your lives!"

"Oi!" Hot – no, David! – shouted before the Doctor could close the door again. "I have to get to my car!"

Pausing to think a moment, the Doctor nodded. "You have four minutes." And he shut the door.

David's face looked like he was biting back a very colourful oath. "You heard him! Run!"

"Wait!" Rose grabbed his arm. "Can't you give me a ride home?"

He groaned. "Fine! Now come on, shop girl!"

Rose had to give it everything she had to keep from being left in the dust by his running. "Slow down!" He must do it to keep in shape, a shape she wanted to know more about.

"I'm not getting caught in whatever that is! And I am going slow!"

She bit back a complaint. It wouldn't help her. Only catching up would.

He led her to the garage he'd parked in, and quickly up the stairs. Rose was agog at the Mercedes he raced toward. It looked pretty much new to her eyes. Not that she had any time to appreciate it. He used his remote to unlock and rushed inside. He quickly dumped his bag and the arm in the back-seat. Rose got in as he buckled in and started the car. He pulled out as soon as she closed the door. "Seat belt!" he hissed, changing into drive and going as fast as he dared.

They were out of the garage with only seconds to spare. He quickly drove into the street, which required him to go past Henrick's. As he drove by, they heard an explosion. They whipped their heads back and saw the roof of Henrick's going up. Followed by another explosion.

David sped them away, just like every driver on the road did. Rose couldn't stop staring backwards, even after the blaze was out of sight.

She failed to notice a blue box sitting incongruously on the side walk. Or that David's eyes flickered to it briefly.

/=/=/=/

He was silent for the drive over except for when he asked for directions. And she was taking her time in giving them, as she wanted to spend more time with him. But he seemed to be having none of that. "Name of where you live?" he demanded again.

She blinked. She'd tried being sweet with him, but he would just ask another direction. This time was a command, which did sound lovely in that voice. Even if he was being snappish. "Powell Estate," she slowly admitted.

He exhaled, which sounded a bit like she did each time her work ended. "Rose, with this car, I'm going to stand out like a neon sign in an open field. You'll need to get out as soon as I pull up. Got it?"

Oh, this would look extremely posh to her community – how many were dropped off in a Mercedes, after all? But she wanted to have such a thing at her disposal. "Could we meet again and talk about what happened? He didn't say we couldn't talk with each other."

"I'm going to assume that he meant talking at all about it," David interjected, sounding very impatient. "There!" He spotted a sign and made the turn.

Rose exhaled heavily. Damn, she was hoping for more time with him. She needed to be able to snap him from this annoyed state, a chance to show him how well they might suit. She just felt like they would.

He pulled up and parked outside the entrance, not turning off the engine. "Right. I'll wait to see that you get inside the gate. You'll be fine. Bet you've done it before."

"Um... thanks." Taking a breath, Rose leaned in to kiss his cheek.

He held up a hand sharply. "Oi! No! I've been hit on many times when I didn't want the attention. By women of course, but also men, which forced me to stop going to the gym. But never by a teenager! How old are you really?!"

She pouted. "Won't you come in?"

He cringed. "You are a teenager. I've got to be more than a decade older than you. Not quite two, but close enough to it 'cos I'm guessing you might be sixteen. Your mum would slap me and she'd have every right."

Rose grimaced, paling. Her mum might, she realised. And damn him for guessing right, even if she wouldn't admit to it! Not until she had to. "I'll say you helped me get out of there."

"You figure out on your own what you want to say to her, you probably already do it! Just leave me out of it!"

Pouting, she got out in a huff. If he was going to be in that much of a snit? Fine! She slammed the door and strutted away, hoping that swinging her hips would catch his attention and make him change his mind.

Except as soon as she opened the gate, he took off. She whipped her head around and saw him turn the car around, trying to not look like he was rushing away.

Rose watched the most interesting man she'd ever met drive off. Why did she have to meet both him and the most mysterious man she ever saw in the same night – and they both shoved her off?! Pouting again, she closed the gate behind her and slowly walked to her mother's flat, wondering where she went wrong in her flirting.

She had to get the better of this. There had to be a guide somewhere. Maybe she could sneak a look in the morning off Mickey's computer, get his help in getting library access. Then not let him see what she was borrowing. That'd be embarrassing!