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amberfocusAuthor: Amberfocus
Characters/Pairings: Nine/Rose, Jackie Tyler, Mickey Smith
Genre: Romance
Betas:
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amyo67Rating: This part PG-13
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
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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.h
3. http://amberfocus.livejournal.com/284716.h
Additional Author's Notes: So the rules of the ficathon stated that the story could continue on after the episode ended but it couldn't go into the next episode, which when you are working with the first part of a two parter is...really, really difficult. But...I figured out how to make a loophole and I climbed through it and took this fic with me. At the end of the chapter you will find an epilogue that takes place after the next episode is over, neatly not going into the episode WWIII or into any other episode, but wrapping up this fic without leaving it hanging on a cliffhanger. I think that obeys both the spirit and the letter of the rule.
Chapter Five
The Doctor brought up the proper program on the viewer and watched it once, then turned to Rose to explain it as he made it replay. “I patched in the radar, looped it back twelve hours so it followed the path of that space ship. Here we go.” He put his arm around Rose, pulling her into his side and she smiled and slipped her arm about his waist underneath his leather jacket. He dropped a kiss on her hair and then pointed at the screen. It did nothing.
“Come on,” he said tapping hard on the top of it with his free hand. It flared back into life. “That’s the space ship on its way to Earth, see? Except, hold on. See, the space ship did a sling shot around the Earth before it landed.”
“What does that mean?” she asked.
“It means it came from Earth in the first place. It went up and came back down,” he said looking at her. She glanced at him with a tender smile and then looked back at the screen, puzzling through the mystery. “Whoever those aliens are, they haven’t just arrived, they’ve been here for a while. The question is….what are they doing?”
There was a rough pounding on the TARDIS doors and the Doctor frowned before flipping the viewer over to see who it was. “Rickey’s back,” he said.
“That’s not gonna work anymore, Doctor. I know you know his name.”
“Doctor!” Mickey called pounding hard on the door. “Rose! Let me in. Come on, it’s important!”
Rose turned questioning eyes on the Doctor. “Oh, go ahead and let him in then. I suppose I owe him that much to listen what he has to say.” Rose flipped the lever that worked the front doors and Mickey stumbled inside suddenly as the doors gave under his hands.
“What is it, Rickey?” the Doctor asked.
“Mickey,” he said darkly. “Rose, it’s your mum.”
Rose was instantly on alert. “Has something happened to her?”
“No, nothing like that. It’s just there was this number they were playing on the news that you were to call if you’d seen any alien activity and she…well, she called it. On the Doctor.”
The Doctor swore and then flipped the monitor onto the news channels. “How many channels do you get?” Mickey asked, distracted by the flashing images.
“All of the basic packages,” he said crossing his arms and glaring at the young man. Rose grinned up at him. She knew what the next question was going to be.
“You get the sports channel?”
“Yes, I get the football,” he said and Rose giggled. Mickey was as predictable as he’d ever been. “That’s not what I’m looking for.” He found the right channel and saw the number scrolling on the screen. “That it? That the number she called?”
“Yeah, I think so,” he said.
“Not too bad, then. Relatively harmless organization or at least it was back in the day. Might give them a hand if they ask politely. They fronted for…hold on, I know that lot,” he said pointing to a man on the screen. “UNIT. United Nations Intelligence Taskforce. Good people.”
“How do you know them?” Rose asked observing the people closely.
“Because he’s worked for them,” Mickey said pleased to have a piece of knowledge that Rose didn’t. The Doctor glanced over at him. “Oh, yeah. Don’t think I sat on my backside for twelve months, Doctor. I read up on you. You look deep enough on the internet or in the history books and there’s his name, followed by a list of the dead.”
“That’s nice,” the Doctor said in a too sweet voice. “Good boy, Rickey.”
“If you know them, why don’t you go help?” Rose asked.
“They wouldn’t recognize me. I’ve changed a lot since the old days. Besides, this world’s on a knife-edge. There’s aliens out there, and fake aliens, and I want to keep this alien out of the mix,” he said pointing to himself. He began moving around the console working at the different buttons and levers and switches. “We’re going under cover,” he said dinging the little bell as he twisted a couple more knobs. “And uh, better keep the TARDIS out of sight.”
He moved towards the door, Rose hot on his heels. “Okay, Rickey, you go and get your car. You can do some driving.”
“Where to?” he asked scrambling after the Doctor and Rose.
“The roads are clearing. Let’s have a look at that space ship.”
They stepped outside and the sound of a helicopter bearing down on their position roared through the night. A searchlight flooded them with brilliance and a loud voice came over a bullhorn saying sternly, “Do not move. Stay where you are with your hands above your head.” The alley filled with police cars converging on the area.
Rose immediately raised her hands. Mickey, on the other hand, decided that now was a good time to scarper and he high-tailed it out of there just in the nick of time. Rose watched him go with a sigh. Maybe one day he’d stand up, but today was obviously not going to be that day. She turned to look at the Doctor.
Men dressed in camouflaged gear and carrying rifles moved in on their position. The light was blinding and Rose stepped closer to the Doctor, her leg meeting his. The touch was comforting. She didn’t dare lower her hands in the confusion and blaring noise. She thought for just a moment that she heard her mother shouting her name, but with all the lights she couldn’t see her anywhere.
“Raise your hands above your head. You are under arrest.” The Doctor finally put his hands up and Rose raised hers higher. With a manic grin on his face he lifted his head and looked up at the helicopter.
“Take me to your leader,” he said. Rose swallowed hard. How were they going to get out of this one?
Rose couldn’t believe it as they climbed into the back of the well appointed vehicle. They actually were being taken to the leader, whoever that might be. “This is a bit posh,” she said adjusting her coat around her. The Doctor gave her a happy smile and reached for her hand. “If I’d have known it was going to be like this, being arrested, I’d have done it years ago.”
“We’re not being arrested. We’re being escorted,” he said bringing her hand up to his mouth and kissing the back of it. He was grinning like an idiot as he brought their hands back down, his thumb busy working against the webbing between her thumb and forefinger. He pressed his thigh up against hers as if he was determined to maintain as much physical contact as possible with her.
“Where to?” she asked leaning her head against his shoulder. She yawned. She was knackered. It’d already been a long day when they’d made love and the athleticism of that had taken a lot out of her.
“Where do you think?” he asked. “Downing Street.”
She sat up suddenly, completely alert. He broke into laughter and she couldn’t help but echo it. “You’re kidding.”
“I’m not.”
“10 Downing Street?” she asked in amazement.
“That’s the one!” he said enthusiastically pulling her close again and kissing her forehead. They were giggling like children and their driver glanced back at them in the rearview mirror then shook his head.
“I’m going to 10 Downing Street? How come?”
“I hate to say it, but Mickey was right. Over the years I’ve visited this planet a lot of times and I’ve been, um…noticed.
“Now they need you?” she said pulling back enough to look him in the eyes.
“Like it said on the news, they’re gathering experts on alien knowledge, and who’s the biggest expert of the lot?” he asked smugly.
“Patrick Moore?” she asked teasingly.
“Apart from him,” the Doctor said pretending to be indignant.
“Oh, don’t you just love it?” she asked petting his leg with one hand.
“Oh, I’m telling you, Lloyd George, he used to drink me under the table. Who’s the prime minister now?” he asked.
“How should I know? I missed a year,” she reminded him, but her words had no sting. She couldn’t be mad at him after the wonderful hour they’d shared in his bed. She snuggled back into him and listened to him go on about all the previous prime ministers that he’d met and some of the adventures they’d had together until they finally pulled up in front of their destination.
“In case things go sideways,” the Doctor said and he pushed her back just a little and then dipped his head down and kissed her deeply, his tongue seeking out every last hidden corner of her mouth. Her heart raced in her chest and she felt arousal flood through her body.
“Sir? Ahem, sir?” said the voice of the driver who had opened the Doctor’s door and was waiting for them to exit the vehicle. “Sir! I must insist!” he said urgently. With great reluctance they broke apart and the Doctor climbed out of the car, turning about for Rose and offering her his hand. She took it as she got out and together they stood facing the flashing of lights and news cameras, the Doctor waving happily at the crowd, before they were quickly shepherded inside the building. Rose felt a bit like a film star walking the red carpet.
Once inside they were taken to a holding room where a lot of government personnel and military types were milling around. Rose watched as a small, red-haired woman in a pale pink suit coat and black skirt slipped into the room behind them. There was something vaguely remarkable about her, but Rose couldn’t quite put her finger on what.
“Ladies and gentlemen, can we convene?” asked a young man, maybe eight years older than her. Probably a top level assistant, she thought. “Quick as we can please, it’s this way on the right and can I remind you ID cards are to be worn at all times.” As the people began moving into the next room he approached the Doctor and Rose. “Here’s your ID card,” he said holding it out. “I’m sorry, your companion doesn’t have clearance.”
“I don’t go anywhere without her,” he said firmly. He held tight to Rose’s hand. She hoped that his bluster would work but she somehow doubted it would here amongst the top ranks of her government.
“You’re the code 9, not her. I’m sorry, Doctor. Sir Doctor, isn’t it?” He nodded. “She’ll have to stay outside.”
He shook his head no, his arm going firmly about her shoulders now. “She’s staying with me.”
“Look, even I don’t have clearance to go in there. I can’t let her in, and that’s a fact.” The Doctor looked down at the ground, a frown marring his features. He didn’t like this one bit.
“It’s all right, you go,” Rose said. She knew the world was better off with him in that room on his own, than with a stubborn Doctor refusing to go inside because she wasn’t allowed in.
“Excuse me,” said the woman Rose had noticed earlier. The assistant sighed. “Are you the Doctor?”
“Sure,” he replied.
“Not now, we’re busy,” the young man said. “Can’t you go somewhere else?”
“I just need a word. In private,” the woman said.
Rose turned to the Doctor. “You go.”
“I don’t want to leave you.”
“Really, it’s okay. I’ll be okay. You’re the expert. They need to hear what you have to say,” Rose said.
“You’re sure?”
She smiled and stood on her tiptoes, her lips brushing his quickly. “I’ll be fine. You go.” He pulled her back and kissed her harder while the other two continued their argument. When he released her she had to grab hold of the wall a bit for support and he grinned at his effect on her.
“I suppose I should.” With a sigh he slipped away from her and into the other room.
Rose turned to the two people arguing in front of her. “You haven’t got clearance, now leave it. Go somewhere else,” the man said. He turned back to Rose. “I’m going to have to leave you with security,” he said taking her by the elbow and escorting her over to the military types.
“It’s all right,” said the woman who’d been pestering him. “I’ll look after her. Let me be of some use.” She smiled brightly and gestured to Rose. “Walk with me.” She pulled Rose out into the hallway. “Just keep walking,” she said. “That’s right.” As Rose turned to look behind them the woman added urgently, “Don’t look ‘round.” She held up her ID card. “Harriet Jones. MP, Flydale North.”
She finally found a private place where they could talk and she turned to face Rose. “This friend of yours…he’s an expert, is that right?” she asked. “He,” her voice went high and slightly screechy, “he knows about aliens?”
“Why do you want to know?” Rose asked, her trouble instincts kicking into high gear.
The woman’s shoulders began to shake and she looked as if she was about to break down. And then she did. Rose immediately reached out to try to comfort her. Once Harriet had finally got her grief and fear out she was able to talk and she took Rose to a closet and showed her something that horrified her.
“They turned the body into a suit. A disguise for the thing inside,” she said almost getting hysterical again.
“It’s all right,” Rose said moving to comfort Harriet again. “I believe you. It’s…it’s alien.” She began to look around the room. “They must have some serious technology behind this. If we could find it…” She tried to get into a drawer and felt around the underside of the table. “We could use it.” She flung open the closet door only to find a body hanging inside.
She couldn’t help it. She let out a little scream and leapt backwards as the body fell towards her and onto the floor. “Is that the prime minister?” she asked running around the body to peer into his face.
The assistant who’d kept them both out of the conference room came walking in then, berating Harriet. “Harriet, this has gone beyond a joke. You cannot just wander—.” He stopped short as he saw the body down at their feet. “That’s the prime minister.”
“Oh,” came a little girl voice from the doorway. A short, middle-aged, overweight, blonde woman in a dark dress suit came walking into the room. “Has someone been naughty?” She closed the door behind her and Harriet reached for Rose’s hand.
“That’s impossible! He left this afternoon. He left Downing Street. He was driven away!” insisted the assistant. The horrible woman stood leaning against the door, rubbing her stomach and eyeing them like they were her next meal.
She pushed off from the door and approached him. “And who told you that?” she asked, her voice now much lower in her throat. “Hmm?” She grinned, her shoulders hunching towards her head and back down again. “Me,” she said gleefully. And then she reached for her forehead, shoving her bangs up out of the way.
Rose watched in horrified fascination as a zipper was revealed. It was one of the things that wore the skin suits! Her stomach dropped and she thought she was going to be sick. No, she had to keep it together for the Doctor. He was in another room close by and he didn’t know what was going on. It was her responsibility to make sure he knew, no matter what the cost was to herself.
As the creature began to emerge from the suit, Rose forced down her terror, telling herself she had to stay calm. It was green and far larger than what should have been able to fit inside even a large human body. Electricity crackled all around them and the lights went dim. She began edging towards the door, Harriet close beside her as she made her tiny little steps. Suddenly the creature lunged at the man.
There was no saving him and Rose didn’t even try. Her only chance was to run and to take Harriet Jones with her. If she was lucky, they’d both get away while the alien was occupied with her kill. “Run!” shouted Rose. And they did. They ran for their lives, her only thought, that if she died today, at least she’d do it after having had the most amazing weeks of her life with the Doctor. It was worth everything.
The Doctor had immediately taken control of the meeting from those who were trying to run it, talking his way through, trying to make sense of everything and figure it all out, find the missing pieces and reach the proper answers. “The really interesting bit happened three days ago, see?” he said standing up and beginning to pace the room. All eyes turned on him. “Filed away under other business. The North Sea, a satellite detected a signal, a little blip of radiation at 100 fathoms, like there’s something down there and they were just about to investigate. Next thing you know this happens. Space ship, pigs, massive diversion. From what?”
He shook the rolled up file in his hands and asked, “If aliens fake an alien crash with an alien pilot, what do they get?” He paused as the answer to his own question dawned on him. “Us. They get us. It’s not a diversion. It’s a trap.” But how big a trap? And would Rose be free from its grasp? He closed his eyes for just a second but then opened them again. He couldn’t think about that right now, couldn’t think about her and what he was feeling. He forced his emotions tightly back down.
“This is all about us, alien experts, the only people with the knowledge how to fight, gathered together in one room.” A blast of foul-smelling gas filled the room and the Doctor turned indignantly to the two people who were supposed to be running the meeting. “Excuse me. Do you mind not farting while I’m saving the world?”
“Would you rather silent but deadly?” the seated man asked. The man standing behind him in a military uniform took off his cap and the Doctor saw the zipper there, saw as he unfastened it and as something began to emerge. A disguise, a gas exchange to keep it in check, oh, this was fascinating. But also very, very dangerous. The lights in the room dimmed and blue lightning seemed to flash from the creature before him as the other man continued to laugh.
As the thing got its arms free there was no doubt that it was a predator. He had to get out of there. He had to get out of there right then and find Rose and make sure she was safe. There was no telling how many of those things there were and if anything happened to her, it would destroy him. Rose, who had brought so much light into his life at a time when he hadn’t even wanted to continue living. Rose, who gave him a reason to keep going on. Rose, who’d given herself to him today with all of her little human heart.
“We are the Slitheen,” the creature said once it had fully broken free of the skin suit. He’d never heard of Slitheen, though he’d seen aliens vaguely similar to this one before. He just couldn’t remember where.
The man that still looked like a human, but that the Doctor knew was not, stood up and held up a small device, clicking it open. “Thank you all for wearing your ID cards. They’ll help to identify the bodies.” He pushed his thumb down, activating it. Electricity flared through every human in the room and the Doctor felt it surge through him. He damped down hard, kicking his respiratory bypass system into high gear. He could go several minutes without breathing. He could easily fake death. If the damn stuff didn’t kill him first. He didn’t fancy explaining regeneration to Rose after the fact.
He collapsed to the floor in excruciating pain, determined that if it was the last thing he did he’d find a way to get back to the woman he…no. Yes. Loved.
Epilogue
When it was all over and the TARDIS drifted on the edge of the plasma storm, streaks of light filled the glass domed observation chamber. The Doctor and Rose lay on the grass beneath it, watching as swirls of blue and green and red and orange and yellow passed them by. The occasional streak of purple would flare, blotting out all of the others, only to be chased away again by the predominant shades. “It’s beautiful,” Rose said snuggling even closer to his body.
“It is,” he said softly and she turned her head to find him quietly watching her as she watched the storm. She raised her chin for a kiss and he was happy to oblige her. It was slow and languid and had the ease of familiarity. An ease that they’d established over the last several hours of languorous love-making.
When she broke the kiss and rested her head on his chest again, she sighed and he could feel her smiling against his skin. “Thank you,” she said.
“For what?”
“For everything, all of it. Coming back for me and asking me to come with you again. This life. Saving the rest of the world and not losing me.”
“I didn’t want to make that decision, Rose.”
“I know. That’s why I made it for you.”
“Humans…they can be so selfish and then so selfless,” he said shaking his head.
“And for not giving up on me when I do things that are human,” she added.
“I like humans,” he said. “Especially this human.” He hugged her closer to him. “Nothing wrong with being a human, Rose.”
“And for making peace with my mum. Or trying to. You didn’t have to come to that dinner. I know it was a bit of a disaster,” she said apologetically.
“Yeah, it was. Catch me doing that again. Least she can cook though. I didn’t get poisoned or anything,” he said.
Rose gave him a light slap to the chest. “She’s a right good cook and you know it.”
“Said she was, didn’t I?”
“Yeah.” She kissed his stomach then settled back down into the crook of his arm to watch the plasma storm some more.
“Thank you, Rose,” he said after several minutes had passed. “You’ve been what I needed so many times…brought me back from the edge. Kept me from letting the darkness overwhelm me. I…I just…I need you to know that, to know how important you are to me.”
When she didn’t reply he shifted and looked down at her face. Her eyes were closed and complete peace had stolen across her features. Her pulse was steady and her breathing was deep. His beautiful girl was sound asleep. He smiled. After the day they’d had, it shouldn’t have surprised him. Well, there was time…time for him to tell her in a better way just how much he cared. Time to let her know that she’d become his world in just the few short weeks he’d known her. Time.
He smiled and closed his eyes. Rose had worn him out. He could do with a bit of a snooze himself. Contentment stole over his body and for the first time since the Time War he let go of all his worries and cares and let himself be completely happy.
