This Alien of London--Part Three

[amberfocus]

Title:  This Alien of London (pt. 3)
Author:  Amberfocus
Characters/Pairings:  Nine/Rose, Jackie Tyler, Mickey Smith
Genre:  Romance
Betas:  amyo67
Rating:  Adult, this part vaguely R towards the end
Summary:  Rose and Nine return to London after their first few adventures and get caught up in the Slitheen invasion.
A/N:  This fic was written for the Time in Flux ficathon over at doctor_rose_fic.  The goal was to take your assigned episode and rewrite it, or part of it, having the Doctor and Rose get together in it without totally skewing canon so much that the next episode couldn't happen.  I got Aliens of London.  Recognizable dialogue is from that episode.

Previous chapters:
1.  http://amberfocus.livejournal.com/283238.html  2.  http://amberfocus.livejournal.com/284081.html

Chapter Three

 

 

Rose looked all around the back alley behind the estate where the TARDIS had been parked. Confusion warred with truth and in the deepest part of her heart she was still unable to believe it. He’d kissed her, she’d kiss him, he’d given her a key! It couldn’t have just been a ruse to be free of her. He might have a ruthless streak but he wasn’t a cruel man. Yet how could she doubt the evidence of her own eyes? He’d said he wouldn’t go but he had. He’d taken his ship and he’d left her behind.

 

“I don’t understand,” she said. “The Doctor wouldn’t just leave. He wouldn’t just go. He promised me.”

 

Mickey was far too pleased at this turn of events as he said, “Oh, he’s dumped you, Rose. Soared up into space. How’s it feel? Huh?” His tone was so self-righteous Rose wanted to smack him. “You are left behind with the rest of us Earthlings. Get used to it.” He shook his finger at her.

 

Jackie appeared behind them, hands jammed into the pockets of her striped blue hoody. “He would have said!” Rose insisted.

 

“What are you two going on about?” Jackie asked. “What’s going on? What’s this Doctor done now?”

 

“Oh, ho, ho,” laughed Mickey. “He’s vamoosed!” Rose was beginning to wonder what she’d ever seen in Mickey. Gone was the boy who had made her feel safe and secure and loved. Gone was the boy she’d spent a childhood confiding in. In his place was a man who seemed determined to hurt her as much as he possibly could. This bitterness was not a side of him she liked. It firmly cemented in her mind that leaving him had been the right decision.

 

“He’s not!” Rose said firmly, holding out her hand, the key and chain proudly on display. “Because he gave me this!” She hoped it hurt Mickey as much as he was trying to hurt her right now.  Mickey had wanted her to move in with him shortly before she'd left.  He'd tried giving her a key, but she'd refused.  She hadn't understood why at the time, but now she knew she hadn't wanted to tie herself so firmly to a man her heart was not quite sure about.

 

Mickey huffed, "Guess I've been well and truly replaced," and she finally got really angry

“He’s not my boyfriend, Mickey. He’s better than that. He’s much more important and you…” She broke off and looked down at the key. He was. He was so much more than just a ‘boyfriend.’ He…she and he…it was more. Far more than the simple relationship she had with Mickey and she couldn’t even begin to explain it him. She twisted the knife. “You’re not. You just don’t get it. And you never will. But there’s a reason I left you for him. And I’d do it again!”

 

“Rose!”

 

“No, Mum, he needs to hear this. I’d have left you, anyway, Mickey. Maybe not so soon, but…there’s so much more out there for me than being stuck here on the estate with--.”

 

“Me?” he interrupted.

 

Rose knew it was cruel but she said it anyway. He’d taken no prisoners tonight. She wasn't about to, either. “Yeah.” She nodded firmly.

 

“Well, maybe that’s what he thought, too. Maybe that’s why he left you, so he didn’t have to be stuck in a marvelous universe with you, Rose!” he said furiously.

 

“Mickey, Rose, you’re saying things you don’t mean! Calm down. Let’s go back to the flat and you can work this out. The Doctor’s left you, sweetheart, and there’s no getting around that fact. Let’s try and salvage what you have left of your life. I know you two still love each other--.”

 

“No,” said Rose. “No. He’s coming back.” The key began to warm in her hand and suddenly it took on a golden glow, flashing brightly in the dim evening light. The sound of the TARDIS, that most beautiful, wonderful sound, filled the night and the ship began to materialize. And the heart that had started breaking under Mickey’s words was suddenly whole again.

 

“I said so,” she told him whirling around to locate the ship. She ran to her mother. “Mum, Mum, go inside. Now, Mum, go inside.” Jackie pulled away from her daughter, determined to see what was going on, her eyes widening in horrified fascination as the TARDIS appeared over Rose’s shoulder. “Just in there, just go inside. Mum!” But it was far too late. “Oh, blimey.”

 

“How do you do that then?” Jackie asked Rose.

 

Rose bit her thumb and took a deep breath to try to explain something, anything that her mother would buy. She had nothing. Instead she rushed into the TARDIS.

 

The Doctor glanced at her as she came in. “All right, so I lied. I went and had a look. The whole crash landing’s a fake. I thought so. It’s just too perfect. I mean, hitting Big Ben, come on. So I thought, let’s go and have a look—.”

 

“My mum’s here,” she interrupted looking up at him with eyes that begged for forgiveness.

 

He whirled and saw Jackie and Mickey on the ramp behind him, then turned back to Rose. “Oh, that’s just what I need. Don’t you dare make this place domestic!” Rose had had enough with fingers being waved in her face today and she batted his down when he did it. He looked shocked.

 

“You ruined my life, Doctor!’ Mickey growled. “They thought she was dead. I was a murder suspect because of you.”

 

“See what I mean? Domestic!” It was the Doctor’s turn to sound outraged. Rose had just about had it with the men in her life and their self-righteous attitudes.

 

“I bet you don’t even remember my name.”

 

“Rickey,” the Doctor said deliberately misremembering.

 

“It’s Mickey,” Mickey said irritated.

 

“No, it’s Rickey,” said the Doctor deadpan.

 

“I think I know my own name,” protested Mickey.

 

“You think you know your own name? How stupid are you?” goaded the Doctor.

 

Jackie, who had been staring around the interior of the TARDIS, suddenly turned tail and made a dash for the door. “Mum, don’t. Don’t,” said Rose. She started to follow her mother then turned back. “Don’t go anywhere,” she said to the Doctor then turned to Mickey. “Don’t start a fight.” She wasn’t sure if that admonishment was meant for Mickey or the Doctor even if she was looking at her ex. She just knew it was one thing she didn’t have the time to deal with if she was going to do damage control with her mother.

 

“Mum, he’s not like that. He’s not—.” But she might as well have been talking to the wind at the rate of speed her mother took off for the flat. “I’ll be up in a minute. Hold on.” She darted back inside the TARDIS and up to the Doctor’s side.

 

“That was a real space ship,” she said.

 

“Yep.”

 

“So it’s all a pack of lies. What is it? Are they invading?”

 

“Funny way to invade, putting the world on red alert,” Mickey commented, looking over their shoulders. He was interested despite himself, though he was trying very hard to look nonchalant.

 

The Doctor turned to look at him. “Good point.” He looked back at the monitor again. “So, what are you up to?” he asked the image of the crashed ship displayed there.

 

 

 

It had been several minutes and disgusted that Rose hadn’t yet thrown Mickey off the ship, he’d crawled under the console to reconfigure the tracking system and see if he couldn't find out what was really going on. Rose had said she needed to talk to Mickey some more, explain how things were now. He hadn’t liked it, but the boy needed to know his place in Rose’s life wasn’t what it once was. Everything had changed when Rose left Earth. Everything had changed again this morning on the roof of the estate. But for all that, he didn’t hear any talking going on.

 

“What are you doing down there?” Mickey asked the Doctor.

 

“Rickey,” began the Doctor.

 

“Mickey,” corrected Mickey automatically.

 

“Rickey,” the Doctor repeated firmly. “If I was to tell you what I was doing to the controls of my frankly magnificent time ship, would you even begin to understand it?”

 

“I suppose not.”

 

“Well, shut it then.”

 

Mickey glared at him and headed over to Rose. “Some friend you got.”

 

“He’s winding you up,” Rose said shaking her head. It was true. He was. Something about the boy just made him a little bit crazy. Mickey looked down at his feet. “I am sorry,” Rose said.

 

“Okay.”

 

“I am, though.”

 

“Every day, I looked,” Mickey said finally meeting her eyes. All of his anger seemed to be gone now. In its place was a hurt and lonely man. The Doctor felt a slight twinge. He knew what it was to be lonely, to have no one, to be all alone in the universe until Rose had come in to light his darkness. “On every street corner, wherever I went, looking for a blue box for a whole year.”

 

“It’s only been a few days for me,” Rose said. “I don’t know. It’s hard to tell inside this thing, but I swear, it’s only been a few days since I left you. I wouldn’t have let you go through that, Mickey, not that.”

 

“But you left me. I mean, when you left, to go with him…you left me. Right? I’m not that thick, despite what your Doctor thinks. That was you leaving me?” he asked.

 

“Yeah,” Rose said softly. “I…I’m sorry, Mickey. I did it all wrong, but yeah. That was me leaving you.”

 

“For him.”

 

“No,” she said. “It wasn’t like that. It was for time and space and adventure. He’s just—.”

 

“Don’t say that. Don’t say he’s not, because I have two eyes, Rose and they both work perfectly well. You two are like that. I’m not a fool, even if he treats me like one,” he said kicking the grating the Doctor was laying beneath.

 

“It’s been twelve months. Aren’t you seeing anyone else?” she asked.

 

“No.”

 

“Okay.”

 

“Mainly because everyone thinks I murdered you,” he added petulantly.

 

“Right,” Rose said.

 

“So…now that you’ve come back… Are you gonna stay?” The emotion in Mickey’s voice scared him. The Doctor knew Rose would react to that kind of emotion and he hoped she wouldn’t say yes, wouldn’t even think about giving up this new life she was leading at his side. He held his breath, waiting for her answer.

 

“No, Mickey. I’m sorry, but I’m gonna leave again when the Doctor’s ready to go. This is my life now. It’s what I want. I want to be with him.”

 

“Then I guess all that’s left is to say good-bye.”

 

“Yeah.” The Doctor crawled out just in time to see Mickey leaning in to kiss Rose on the cheek. Rose jerked away from him when she saw the Doctor.

 

“Well, good-bye then,” said Mickey.

 

“Good-bye.” The man turned and walked dejectedly from the TARDIS.

 

“You weren’t very nice to him,” Rose said.

 

“Domestics,” warned the Doctor.

 

“Oh, you know what? I’m sick of that. You want to start a relationship with me, you get to deal with all of my baggage, okay? I left him for you. To come with you, to be with you. And he got accused of murder and he thought I was dead for a year. And so did my mum! And you don’t want to deal with the domestics? This is your bloody fault, Doctor!” she yelled.

 

“You’re right,” he said gently.

 

“I’m right?” she asked, her tirade derailed as quickly as it had started.

 

“I didn’t mean for any of it to happen. I thought it was twelve hours. It was supposed to be twelve hours!” he said angrily. “Do you think I wanted to worry your mum like that? She’s your mum, Rose. Of all people, she’s the one you love most, the one you miss most, the one who didn’t deserve any of this. And I made her lose you for a year. A year, Rose. I’ve only had you in my life for a few weeks and already I can’t imagine losing you for a year. It would...it would...be bad. And she had to, because of me.” He scrubbed his hand over his face and his eyes were hollow when he looked at her.

 

“And Mickey?”

 

The Doctor glanced away and hunched in on himself. “What about him?”

 

Rose sighed. “He had it worse than my mum.”

 

“He’ll get over it.”

 

“Doctor! He was accused of killing me. He loves me.”

 

“Doesn’t sound like it.”

 

“He’s hurting!” Rose snapped. “He’s saying things he doesn’t mean.”

 

“Why do you care so much about his emotions then? I thought you two were over. You said, you told him you left him when you chose to come with me. Is that the truth? Or are you just saying that now to cover your tracks?” he demanded.

 

“How can you say that? Don’t you know how I feel about you? After everything? And here I was being all afraid that you were going to leave me. But it’s the other way around, isn’t it? You’re afraid I’m gonna leave you. That I’ll want to go back to this life and Mickey and my mum and…I don’t. I want you. I want to be with you.  I want all of it, everything a man and woman can have, with you.”

 

He barely dared to hope at her words. “I’ve lost everything I ever wanted. Everything I touch…turns to dust.”

 

“Not everything,” she said closing the distance between them. “Not me. You’re not gonna lose me. I’m staying right here. With you. I want you, Doctor.”

 

He pulled her roughly into his arms and his mouth took sudden and full possession of her own. The hunger in his kiss was laced with longing, need, suppressed desire. All of it burst from him and his hands clamped tightly on her arms, bringing her even closer to him. Rose loosened his grip and then her arms went around his waist and he felt her hands moving up underneath his jumper to find smooth, bare skin. He shuddered underneath her touch, his skin suddenly extraordinarily sensitive.

 

His fingers found their way to her waistband and he stroked his hands up her sides under her top to her bra. There was only a second’s hesitation before he reached around her and flicked the little clasp open and then his big, calloused hands were moving to touch her breasts. Rose moaned into his mouth and he sighed, breaking their kiss.

 

“The console room’s not the place for this,” he said taking a few steps away from her and then holding out his hand. “Come on,” he said. She took his hand and he led her into the corridor and down to his bedroom.

 

He paused at the door. “Is this what you want?” he asked her. She nodded mutely and he led her over the threshold and laid her down upon his bed.

Ch. 4:  http://amberfocus.livejournal.com/285683.html
 

Comments

[honorh.livejournal.com]

Oh, gotta love the knock-down drag-outs, eh? Mickey's hurt and angry, Rose is hurt and angry, the Doctor's jealous and irritable, and Jackie's . . . Jackie. What fun! I rather liked this bit of original dialogue, though:

“Mainly because everyone thinks I murdered you,” he added petulantly.

*Snerk!* Not prepared to let that go, are you, Mick? Can't say I blame him.

On to the smut! Smut-ward, ho!

Er, that last bit didn't sound right.

[catyuy.livejournal.com]

wait, never mind my useless comment.

I second everything ^she^ says.

[catyuy.livejournal.com]

Poor Mickey.

Very good job.

[amberfocus.livejournal.com]

He's had a rough time of it. Thank you.

[silencing.livejournal.com]

That rating went up...why am I not surprised?

I approve of this development very much. Never mind the off timing. Ya know, alien invasion of London, let's go have a shag! HAHAHA love it.

[amberfocus.livejournal.com]

*laughs* Well, I'm rating each chapter in this fic, because they are kind of all over the place. But this won't be nearly as explicit as most of my stuff.

Never say the Doctor and Rose don't have their priorities straight. *grins*

[hazelwho.livejournal.com]

Another great chapter! I love all the dialog you kept but put a new spin on. And I love everything you added, especially this:

I’ve only had you in my life for a few weeks and already I can’t imagine losing you for a year. It would...it would...be bad. And she had to, because of me.

I've been wanting him to apologize properly for that for years. Can't wait for the next chapter!

[amberfocus.livejournal.com]

I know. He really should have at least acknowledged his mistake and if he couldn't apologize to Jackie, he should have assured her that he'd do everything in his power to make sure it never happened again.

Thank you. Dialogue is always fun to play with.

[othermewriter.livejournal.com]

woo woo! That's the way it should have played out! *Huggles*

[amberfocus.livejournal.com]

I agree!

[lorelaisquared.livejournal.com]

Oh! Best chapter yet. I really see what you mean about Mickey being a bit of an A** in this episode. He was really harsh to Rose. Part of it was understandable, given the circumstances, but he really could have handled it better. He didn't need to be mean.

And yet, I love that you turned that around and gave the Doctor some empathy for him: All of his anger seemed to be gone now. In its place was a hurt and lonely man. The Doctor felt a slight twinge. He knew what it was to be lonely, to have no one, to be all alone in the universe until Rose had come in to light his darkness. Awww. GREAT writing here.

I like how you had Rose realize that she wouldn't have stayed with Mickey much longer anyway. Very interesting take on it and I think it works well, especially under the circumstances. (Though she was rather mean to him too).

I love how honestly they fought. It was so passionate and held such a deep undercurrent between them. I loved this part best: “I didn’t mean for any of it to happen. I thought it was twelve hours. It was supposed to be twelve hours!” he said angrily. “Do you think I wanted to worry your mum like that? She’s your mum, Rose. Of all people, she’s the one you love most, the one you miss most, the one who didn’t deserve any of this. And I made her lose you for a year. A year, Rose. I’ve only had you in my life for a few weeks and already I can’t imagine losing you for a year. It would...it would...be bad. And she had to, because of me.” He scrubbed his hand over his face and his eyes were hollow when he looked at her. Awww Nine. How I love thee.

“I’ve lost everything I ever wanted. Everything I touch…turns to dust.” *choke* Heart breaking, tears ebbing, *hugs our dear, insecure and broken Doctor*

LOVE the ending. Chapter 4 needs to go up like, NOW. :)

[amberfocus.livejournal.com]

Everyone should have handled things better, but then the great drama wouldn't have been there, so I guess it's a trade off.

I think the Doctor would have been both jealous and sorry for Mickey. So long as he knew Mickey wasn't getting his hands on Rose again.

I think in a lot of ways Rose did leave Mickey when she kissed him good-bye and said Thanks and he said for what and she said exactly. I mean, that's harsh and that's a pretty big kiss off in my mind.

I love writing fights for the Doctor and Rose. They don't hold anything back and so much truth comes out that often really needs to be said. Chapter four is finally up now.

[annaoni.livejournal.com]

Brilliant! The characterizations are just bloody fantastic.

And now I'm just dying to read chapter four ;D

[amberfocus.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I'm glad they work for you. I just posted chapter four.

[feerocious.livejournal.com]

That was brilliant looking forward to chapter 4 ;D

[amberfocus.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I just posted it.

[jennyshepard.livejournal.com]

Gnah... why did you have to stop NOW??? ^^

So... this was an interesting take on the argument between Mickey and Rose. I think in some way he had every right to be angry and jealous. At least she dumped him to travel with a man she barely knew and who promised her danger. It's quite hard to understand why she followed him when she had a home and a man (no, boy... sorry...) who loves/loved her. And in some way, Mickey is right wondering about it. I think Mickey was the best example for a normal reaction. He had seen the aliens and the Doctor and what they are capable of. He wasn't denying all this, but didn't like it either. Besides, in my opinion, he was also the first one to realize that Rose had fallen in love with the Doctor. And that it had been pointless to fight for her.

Oh, and the thing with the key! I always thought they should have made more of the whole "the Doctor giving Rose the key to his actual home"-story.

And now - new chapter, PLEASE!!! *offers cookies & tea*

[amberfocus.livejournal.com]

Good a place as any. *grins*

I think in a lot of ways he was right to be angry and jealous, but I also think he took it too far in the actual episode. Mickey grows up a lot later on and he becomes a really admirable character and I wish they'd given him a bit more of that in the beginning.

I did, too, on the key thing. There was so much subtext there that they could have played more with but didn't. We had to go by their expressions there and not their words. I think it meant far more to both of them than either was capable of letting on at the time.

[rowofstars.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad you made the Doctor realize what Jackie went through. That entire ordeal was brushed over too quickly in the series. I still want to hug Mickey, but I can't wait for the next chapter!

[amberfocus.livejournal.com]

You know, I think he had to have felt bad in the series, probably why he took Rose home so much for visits, but they didn't want to get into the Doctor being apologetic, didn't want to show him as weak or acknowledging he can make mistakes. I think a man who can admit to his mistakes shows a much stronger character, but...well, I'm not writing the show, am I?

[nonlinearmusing.livejournal.com]

Wow! You got the domestics down pat! All that would have been enough to drive me mental momentarily. Heh. Seriously, I think you're doing an excellent job of incorporating canon events into your story and making it shipper canon. If only RTD would have taken a page from fanfic. *sighs*

I love the Doctor demanding to know where he stands with Rose after she left Mickey. No domestics indeed. That was quite domestic of him, me thinks. :)

Well done! I look forward to the next chapter!

[qtrhorserider.livejournal.com]

Where is your icon from?! It's, um, er, yummy...

[ms-sardonicus.livejournal.com]

Emotionally packed chapter where the aliens take a back seat while the audience explores the consequences of being a companion. And while the aliens were really silly in this episode, I think that's why most old school fans hated this episode. No one wanted to see domestics! While the two-parter wasn't as strong as the rest of s1, I always liked the insertion of Rose's life and the exploration of her choices. Call me shippy, but this old school fan was hooked and gobsmacked by the chemistry between CE and BP.

All that aside, you did a wonderful job in exploring their relationship one step further. It makes "I could save the world but lose you" so much more poignant. Great work!

[amberfocus.livejournal.com]

I loved that part myself. I am an old school fan, been watching since I was four in 1974, but I loved seeing the effect it all had on Rose's family and friends and how that affected her and in turn affected her realtionship with the Doctor. Personally, I thought the aliens were the worst thing about this episode. Childish and filled with bathroom humor, just the sort of thing I don't want my kids going on about. *sighs* I thought their chemistry was just amazing from the start. That turn of the earth speech with the hand-holding, there was not turning back for me

Thanks so much. I wish I was writing this into WWIII. It's hard only doing half of a two part story. It would really make that bit mean so much more when it happened.

[yenly-gozal.livejournal.com]

Ooo... Smut-time!

Looks like everyone is a bit emotional in this one. Can't wait for the next chapter =)

[amberfocus.livejournal.com]

Thank you. Yes, emotions are running quite high.

[foalen.livejournal.com]

It's very sad for Jackie and Mickey but I had to laugh at the end. At least this version of nine knows better than to play THOSE sorts of games on the console. XD ((Pets a certian pink tardis and wonders if she will ever be blue again.))

[amberfocus.livejournal.com]

Thanks. Yes, he's got a bit more common sense than alt!Nine, doesn't he? I'm not sure if alt!TARDIS will ever be blue again. Not for a few stories at least.

[jessalrynn.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm on the edge of my seat. *grins*

It's gonna take the TARDIS awhile to look that stuff up, anyway, darnit!

I do like the Doctor acknowledging Jackie and Mickey's pain, while still remaining all needy and possessive as he is, both with Rose and just generally, because he's also needy of her affirmation, not just of her... um... person. *snickers*

And, of course, you do good smut. So. Mostly human or completely alien? Or are you flipping coins? *grins* I really like this way.

[amberfocus.livejournal.com]

*laughs* Yes, it is. An hour at the least.

I wish he would have acknowledged it better in the series. Although I do think that's the reason why he took Rose home for visits, because he felt guilty for messing things up at the start. It was his way of being apologetic.

Mostly human. That chapter gave me fits.

[kholly.livejournal.com]

Great bits that you added. It's all what they should have been saying to each other even if the tv version couldn't have led to the smut, or even snogging. It could have had a tiny bit of remorse over what Jackie and Micky went through.

[amberfocus.livejournal.com]

Yes, they should have said a lot more, even keeping it to the PG level that it's normally at. I think they were afraid to show the Doctor as weak by having him apologize. Ironic considering how often Ten says he's sorry about stuff.

[maniacalshen.livejournal.com]

rofl, do they have time for that kind of... leisure? XD Great job ramping up the already high-flying emotions of this episode!

[amberfocus.livejournal.com]

*laughs* Yes, they have just enough time. Thank you.

[ascendant-angel.livejournal.com]

I'd love to leave a better comment, but I don't have one and I figured a simple 'I'm loving it' was better than no comment at all so I'm loving it and hope to see more soon.

[amberfocus.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I appreciate all comments, even the "I can't think of what to say," variety. *smiles* Next chapter is now up.

[qtrhorserider.livejournal.com]

There's my Nine. All grumpy,and harsh words one minute and sexy and gentle the next.

Next chapter soon?

*sends chocolate chip cookies your way* Not above bribery, me.

[amberfocus.livejournal.com]

*laughs* Yep, that's Nine all right. Next chapter is up now. *smiles*

[jellybean728.livejournal.com]

This? This is fixing so many of the things that I never liked about this episode.

The Doctor would have acknowledged his mistake, especially once Jackie knew he was an alien. I understood him hiding it from her in the beginning, while he was trying to keep a low profile on the whole alien business, but once Jackie knew ... it was just never mentioned again and that just seems very un-Doctorish to me.

And Mickey & Rose's whole relationship was very...hot & cold, but even then it was only hot & cold when they remembered it was supposed to be.

This would have been much, much better as canon!!!!

[amberfocus.livejournal.com]

Thank you. For me, too.

I think they were trying to keep the Doctor from looking weak having him apologize. Which is stupid because it made him come off looking more like a bit of a jerk than anything else.

I never got Mickey and Rose's relationship. To me she left him when she left with the Doctor. That whole "thanks," "what for," "exactly," exchange seemed like a kiss off to me. The back and forth between their on again off again relationship seemed awkward and strained to me through series one.

[doctor10-crazt.livejournal.com]

Now *this* is the type of thing worth coming home to after feeling sick half the day.

More soon please?

[amberfocus.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I just posted chapter four.

[michellemtsu.livejournal.com]

Now this is how things should have gone. One of my pet peeves the stinging along of Mickey. A proper breakup would have been better for all concerned. The domestics were awesome!

[amberfocus.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I never got why Mickey didn't think she'd left him after the way she said good-bye to him and ran off with the Doctor. It seemed like a pretty definitive break up to me. I don't think the writers knew what they wanted to do with him.

[susanb03.livejournal.com]

What a place to leave it... keeps us coming back for more!

[amberfocus.livejournal.com]

Thanks. Chapter four is up now.

[bad-wolf-42.livejournal.com]

Gone was the boy she’d spent a childhood confiding in. In his place was a man who seemed determined to hurt her as much as he possibly could.

I'd never really thought about it like that, but it is really true.

And I absolutely love that you had Rose actually break up with Mickey, which is more than she ever did in the show.

Bring on the smut!

[amberfocus.livejournal.com]

It certainly felt like it to me. Especially on rewach, knowing everything we know now of the whole series. I do think it was necessary that Rose break up with Mickey. I don't like the idea of her stringing him along.