Chapter 13: That's Just Unfair
An ancient sound filled the alley next to the Powell Estate. Anyone around might have been confused by the whirring, grinding sound as it gradually got louder and louder. A wind kicked up, twisting and swirling, with a faint mist accompanying it. Slowly, a blue box faded into view and the strange sounds faded along with the wind. The top of the box flashed a few times as it settled in place. The empty alley was the only witness to such an event.
The old Police Box's doors opened and Rose Tyler stepped out. She looked at the sky then to the ugly cement tower that was her home a lifetime ago. Letting her whiskey brown eyes sweep over the landscape, she closed her eyes against the tears that stung there. She and the Doctor had barely spoken to each other since parting ways from Charles. When they returned to the TARDIS, Rose was enveloped in the warmth and love that was her beloved time ship. Quietly, she had excused herself to find the room she had been using the last two nights on the ship. The room was large, with constellations dancing on the dark walls that mimicked the vastness of space. The TARDIS had gifted her temporary room with a massive soft bed. On the made bed, was the box that Rose had gotten from the Curator back on Platform One.
Sitting on the bedding that she was convinced she would never sit on again after they landed in London, Rose picked up the box. The TARDIS seem to be quivering with excitement. Rose looked up at the domed ceiling of her room and chuckled.
"You cheater," Rose smiled sadly. "You looked, didn't you?"
The TARDIS responded with a 'no comment' and the twinkling sound of her laughter in Rose's mind. Shaking her head, Rose slipped the soft pink ribbon off the box. With a tenderness she instinctively knew to have, she pulled the lid of the box off. Inside, there was a frosted pink and gold rose. It was delicate and possibly the most beautiful thing Rose had ever seen. Lifting it from the box, she could tell by feel that rose was a living flower. But something about it told her it was time locked, forever, to stay at this point. A tender smile curled her lips as she thought of the mysterious man who gave her this. Setting it aside, she took out a small bundle that was wrapped in the softest rose gold colored silk she ever felt. Unrolling the silk, Rose gasped as what was bundled up fell into her hand.
Swallowing the lump in her throat, her hand moved to the pocket of her hoodie now. Her mind returned to the present as she felt her fingers wrap around it. Gripping her gift from the Curator tightly, she turned to watch as the Doctor appeared. He didn't speak as he leaned against the side of the TARDIS. Rose stared at him as if she could farther imprint his image into her mind, forever.
The Doctor carefully closed the door to the TARDIS, trying to ignore her. She was enraged with him right now. First she had been scolding then she had given him the cold shoulder. Now the space and time ship was furiously yelling at him. He tried to turn her out, but she forced her way through his barriers. She was so angry, he almost found it amusing, that she wasn't able to form proper words. Instead, she was blasting alarms in his head and vague images of threats to his library if he didn't fix this. But still, he forced her back. The only feeling in his mind he wanted right now was the golden light he knew was Rose's. Her mind had closed off to him as soon as they had returned to the ship. He couldn't even feel her buzzing in the back of his mind, he realized now that it was gone had been her.
Turning to look at her, he nearly ran to her. His precious girl's eyes were rimmed red from the tears he put in her eyes with his temper. She looked pale, withdrawn. His Rose was never supposed to look like that, he thought. The Doctor cleared his throat and leaned back against the TARDIS, waiting on her to speak to him. Oh please, he begged mentally. Talk to me, let me know you won't let me leave.
"How long was I gone?" Rose asked softly. She honestly didn't know what else to say to him.
Looking up at the sky, he gathered his thoughts. "About twelve days."
He was mildly desperate to show her he didn't mean what he said back in Cardiff. She still wouldn't talk to him about it. Hell, she had barely smiled at him since they parted ways with Charles. His words still rang in his head, words his temper shouted at her. Words he never meant to ever say to her. And now, back in her home time, he was honestly terrified she would leave him.
He didn't know if he could go on without her anymore. Three trips. They spent a total of four days in TARDIS time together and already he knew he couldn't lose her.
Not like this.
Rose merely arched a brow in question at him over that. Days. Well that was different, she thought. "You sure about that?"
"Oi," the Doctor protested, crossing his arms over his chest. The leather of his jacket creaked. "I would have set us back after twelve hours, but you had to go and tell your mum you were off traveling for work."
Rose chuckled softly, the sound made the Doctor relax a little more. A smile found its way to his face, even as his eyes were still a storm of emotions.
She gave him a little smile. His words still repeated themselves in her mind, no matter how hard the TARDIS tried to tell her he didn't mean a single one of those. The ship pointed out his panic and fear for her safety in the basement when the Gelth had gone after her. His overwhelming need to protect her. Rose didn't know what to think anymore. He wasn't exactly the Doctor she knew before. For all she knows, he could be exactly like the Pin Stripe that created John. He could just as easily abandon her, despite how much he loved her. It was funny how much that still hurt almost forty years later.
"I'm just," Rose began, walking slowly backwards, "gonna go see my mum."
"What are you gonna tell her?" he asked. He tightened his arms, looking down to regain control of himself. It hurt so much, he closed his eyes.
"Oh, I don't know," Rose mused, watching him intently now. "That I went to the year five billion, crashed a party for the rich and helped stop a homicidal flap of skin from murdering half a dozen people, who happen to be aliens?"
The Doctor turned wide eyes to the human girl now.
"Then I could tell her that I went to an alien market in the not so distant future and got her this lovely necklace for her from an alien woman?" Rose continued, wandering closer to the Doctor.
His jaw dropped now. Her smile seem to grow as she came closer to him
"After that I could tell her that I went to Cardiff in 1896, met Charles Dickens, was almost killed by zombies before escaping from a building before it could explode, sealing a rift in time and space at the sacrifice of a young servant girl named Gwyneth?" She was about five steps from him, hands still in her pockets and grinning at him, the tip of her tongue peeking out between her teeth.
"And all that happened in, what, twelve days?"
The Doctor gave a sound that was between a snort and a laugh. Lowering his head, he shook it a few times before looking back at Rose, grinning at her. His eyes were dancing with joy now. "Cheeky minx, you are."
Rose tossed her head back and let out a laugh at his words. Relief washed over her, he wasn't still angry at her. "Nah, I don't know what I'll tell her. I'll think of something."
She started to turn away from him, but stopped. Turning back, the doubt and fear returned to her eyes as she asked her next question, "Will you still be here later?"
Opening his mouth to respond with some snarky reply that undoubtedly would just make the situation worse, he stopped himself. The mental slap upside the head from the TARDIS wasn't even a factor, really! Instead, he stepped away from the TARDIS, ignoring her growls in his mind, and approached Rose. He noted the wide look and fear in her eyes as he came close to her. With a soft, beautiful smile, he reached into his jean pocket and pulled something out.
"Tell you what, Rose Tyler," he rumbled softly. "It's about time you had your own."
Taking her elbow, he pulled her hand from her hoodie. Carefully, he lay something warm in her palm before closing her fingers around it. Ice blue eyes searched whiskey brown for a moment, willing her to see, since she couldn't hear, his thoughts. Stepping back, he offered her his daft grin and nodded at the tower behind her.
Rose looked down as he stepped away and felt tears spring to her eyes again. This time happy ones. Laying there, as innocent as can be, was a TARDIS key on a long, thick chain. She knew this key, he could never forget this one specifically. This was the Doctor's key. He had given her his TARDIS key. Looking up at him, her whole face lit up with her smile as she threw her arms around his neck. The Doctor was surprised to see the smile, but delighted at the same time. Her hug threw him off balance for a second. A mad man in a blue box, he might be, but he was not stupid! His arms wrapped around Rose and held her tightly to his chest, breathing in her scent deeply.
"Thank you," Rose whispered into his ear. He only tightened his arms around her for a moment before letting her go.
"Not going anywhere, me," he told her softly, stepping back and releasing her from his arms. "Now, budge. Go see your mum. I'll be here when you're ready to go."
Blushing brightly at her impulsive move, Rose winked at him then turned, running for the stairs. "Don't wander off!" she called over her shoulder, making the Doctor roll his eyes at her cheek.
"Minx," he murmured affectionately as he watched her vanish into the stairwell.
Rose raced up the stairs as fast as she could handle. Her mind was racing as she ran, the grin on her face was bright, energetic. The Doctor wasn't going to leave her after all! She was sorry she ever doubted him. She tried to not think about how the last time she was in this stairwell, the Doctor had dragged her away from her flat and the hurtful words of her mother. Twelve days, she thought with a laugh. Still, here was hoping that she had kept in close enough contact with her mum this time that she hadn't reported her daughter missing. Panting heavily, she paused outside the flat, preparing herself for what she might find. Tucking the TARDIS key into her pants pocket, Rose let herself into the flat she once shared with her Mother. A place, she knew, would never truly be home to her again. It had stopped being home, if she was honest with herself, about fifty years for her before. In another lifetime.
"I'm home," Rose called out as she stepped into the hallway. "Are you in? Sorry I didn't call, we weren't expecting to stop in London for a few more days."
As Rose entered the main room of the flat, she had to stop the groan from coming out of her mouth. There, covering the dining room table, were the flyers. Same as before. The sound of a mug hitting the floor brought Rose's attention to her shell shocked mother.
"I'm back," Rose offered with a weak smile.
"Oh, my God," Jackie breathed out, shaken. "It's you. Oh my God."
Jackie broke into heartbroken sobs, great fat tears rolled over her cheeks as she gathered her daughter into her arms for a tight hug. She could only repeat over and over "You're here. My God, it's you."
Rose was at a loss as to what to do. She didn't think she had done anything to make her mum think she was being held against her will or anything like that. Instead, she just hugged her mother back. The door of the flat swung open and the heavy footfalls of the Doctor told her he realized the situation as well.
"It's not twelve days," he laughed nervously. "It's twelve months. Er, you've been gone a whole year. Sorry."
She had called! Her mum had post cards from various places around England, and still, still Jackie had put up the missing flyers and got the police involved. If she hadn't been so annoyed at the whole situation, she would have stopped to wonder who had sent the post cards in her name. Rose wasn't sure if she should have been happy to see how much her mother loves her or annoyed because there had been no bloody call for it! The one consolation Rose got was the fact that her mum hadn't accused Mickey of killing her this time.
"The hours I've sat here!" Jackie was ranting. The police officer that had arrived a few moments ago, stood there looking a little lost. "Days! Weeks! Months! All on my own! And where were you? Traveling! What the hell does that even mean? Traveling? That's no sort of answer!"
As she sat in the living room of the flat, she had to deal with the fact the older blonde woman was screeching at her and the Doctor. He stood behind Rose, protectively, as the police officer came to question the pair of them. Rose couldn't see his face, but she was sure he was wincing at the sheer domestics of the whole situation. Without much forethought, she reached her mind out to the Doctor's, the mental equivalent of holding her hand out to him. She nearly purred when he responded. While she hadn't directly come out and tell him she could do this yet, he pretty much already knew. He had likely known since before Cardiff, if she had her guess.
'Does she ever run out of air?' the Doctor's thoughts touched her mind.
'Not that I know,' Rose responded, biting her bottom lip to keep from giggling as her mum raged at the two of them for being so quiet.
'You seriously wanted to come back to this?' the Doctor's thoughts were color with incredulousness and a heavy dose of confusion.
'Actually I was hoping to avoid this,' Rose admitted mentally, glancing up at him. 'I'll explain later when I can, okay?'
'Okay,' the Doctor huffed.
The pair were torn from their mental conversation when Jackie Tyler very loudly demanded their attention.
"See?" Jackie roared, turning on them. The poor officer only arched a brow at Jackie. "They aren't even paying attention now! You ask her! Go on! Ask her where she's been! She won't tell me anything!"
"Miss Tyler," the Officer broke in Jackie's rant smoothly. He looked like he wanted to leave. The sooner the better. "Could you please go over it one more time with me where you have been for the last year?"
Sighing in annoyance, Rose sat up on the chair, addressing the officer. "I was traveling with my new job around England, tending to specialized events."
"And your employer's name?" the officer jotted down what Rose said, clearly not caring.
"I'm afraid that information is not for public knowledge," Rose replied evasively.
"With your passport in still in the drawer?" Jackie broke in, snarling. "It's just one lie after another from you!"
"Mum! I told you," Rose stood up now, not willing to cower from her mother, "I was working. Do you really want to know? Then fine! I got a job working with UNIT! They are a high ranked military organization that handles a specific threat and intelligence gathering!"
The Doctor looked at his Earth girl, one of his brows arching up in surprise. She knew a lot about UNIT. Jackie looked shocked that her daughter was fighting back. A hard look entered her eyes, but Rose stepped forward, not willing to back down now.
"And before you even start," Rose raged, "I am telling you right now I was traveling! He is the Doctor! He is both a doctor in many ways, and that is his title in UNIT as their Scientific Officer! He has not touched me! He is not using me either! He saves people!"
The officer looked between Jackie and Rose, then addressed the Doctor, "That true, sir?"
The Doctor nodded, tearing his attention off the stare off between mother and daughter to address the officer. "It is. Actually, this is all my fault. Sort of. I was impressed with Rose's skill set so I employed her as my companion with UNIT."
Jackie went pale at the wording the Doctor used and Rose nearly groaned in annoyance. He just had to use that wording, didn't he?
"When you say 'companion'," the officer began, his eyes narrowing on the older looking Doctor with his leather jacket, "is this a sexual relationship?"
"No!" both the Doctor and Rose at the same time.
The look on on Jackie's face clearly stated 'you two protested a bit too much'.
The Doctor dug out a card from his pocket. "Here, call if you need to. Rose Tyler was hired as my assistant for a few jobs due to her knowledge in a few areas I lacked."
"A few areas?" Jackie pounced on his wording. "Oh that's rich! You brainwash my daughter while you were at it? Is that it? UNIT? Government groups? Don't make me laugh! How stupid do you think I am?" She rounded on Rose now. "Really Rose, you actually believe that drivel? You're a chav from the Estates, missy! And don't you forget that! You think he wants you around for your brains? What brains? You got no A levels, barely passed school, and no job. You're a nothing, Rose Marion Tyler! You're not even a shop girl now! It's time you started to realize that!"
The officer looked at the three and took the card, excusing himself out of the flat to make the call.
The Doctor was shaking, he was beyond livid. The things this stupid woman was saying to his Rose, it wasn't… he couldn't… grinding his teeth together, he glared at Jackie Tyler over Rose's shoulder. Somehow, as Jackie was laying into Rose, his precious girl had shifted to stand between him and her mother. Protecting him, he realized. He could see Rose trembling, the hurt rolling off her in waves as she struggled to stand tall against the abuse.
"And you!" Jackie hissed at the Doctor. "How'd you lure her out? Hm? Meet her on the internet? Tell her you were a doctor? How old are you? 40? 45? Did you tell her you could answer all her hopes and dreams? Get her a job? All she had to do is lie on her back and spread her le-"
A sharp crack stopped Jackie dead.
"Rose?" Jackie cradled her red cheek, her eyes wide in shock. Her little girl, her and Pete's little flower, just slapped her. She never struck her no matter how bad their fights had gotten. Shock numbed Jackie as she stared at her Rose.
The door to the flat opened and the officer appeared, followed by Mickey Smith. The two men took one look at the scene and both came to two very different ideas. The officer calmly handed the card back to the shaking Doctor. He had been an officer for many years, especially around the Powell Estates. He had seen more than his share of muggings, domestic violence, even rapes and murders. The look in the tall man's eyes made his shiver. The last time he saw a look like that in a bloke's eyes, it was after someone had attacked his girl. The bloke struggled to keep calm, to see to his girl. But death was promised to the person who hurt her. This man, this 'Doctor' had a look that promised destruction of so much more if Rose Tyler ever came to harm.
"You're story checks out," the Officer breathed, very ready to leave. "Sorry about this, Doctor Smith. Safe travels. Miss Tyler. Mrs. Tyler." He bid them farewell and beat a hasty retreat before Jackie Tyler could turn her famous tongue against him. It didn't bother to explain that his call had been forwarded on to a Brigadier General. Whoever this man was, he had some might high friends in some mighty high places.
Mickey watched the officer leave, looked at the Doctor with a shudder. Oh he knew that look better than most. Unlike the officer, who thought it best to get out of there before it got worse, useless man really, Mickey knew better. He decided instead to defuse the situation. He knew that look also in Rose's eyes. The Rose he had known for years before they had been separated for good when he decided to stay in the prime universe. That was the Rose Tyler that she had started to become back in Pete's world. The field commander that worked beside him and Jake. That was the Wolf peeking out in those whiskey brown eyes. And if the Wolf was coming out, then no one except maybe the Doctor was safe. Clearing his throat loudly, he reached out and gently drew Jackie away from her daughter.
"Hey, Jacks," he started, "let's get you a cuppa. Doctor, why don't you and Rose go get some air? Okay? Let everyone calm down. The girls can talk later, yeah?"
The Doctor turned frozen blue eyes toward the dark skinned man. He remembered him. He was the boy with Rose, helped him against the Nestene Consciousness. Even in his rage hazed mind, the Doctor recognized what Mickey was doing. Nodding a little, Mickey offered him a little smile, his eyes darting towards the door then to Rose then back to the Doctor. Mouthing the word, 'roof', Mickey lead the still shell shocked Jackie into the tiny kitchen, still talking to her about making her a nice cup of tea. Reaching out, the Doctor took Rose's hand and guided her from the flat.
…
Rose let go of the Doctor's hand as soon as they reached the roof of the Powell Estate. Letting out a deep sigh, she walked over to a short wall and hopped up on it. Folding her long legs under her, she looked over at the Doctor. He was watching her carefully, as if he was expecting her to disappear on him at any moment. Rose offered him an apologetic smile and motioned for him to come over. He answered that little smile with one of his own. Walking over to where she was sitting, she expected him to stop at the spot next to her like he had before. No, he walked to standing directly in front of her.
Placing his hands on either side of Rose's hips, the Doctor leaned in, resting his forehead against hers. He let out a little sigh feeling her warm skin pressed to his. He had been longing to do this to her since they last fought at Sneed's. He couldn't stop the smile from his face when he felt her unfold those gorgeous legs of hers and place them to either side of his hips. She leaned into him, her smaller hands cover his as she let out a tiny sigh of relief as well. He could still feel her fear of being left by him, but the pulse of pleasure in his mind as she shyly reached for him, just a touch of her mind against his. Stamping down on his urge to cover her lips with his own and show her physically how he felt for her in such a short time, and just let his mind touch hers back.
"Are you okay?" He asked softly, gazing into her eyes.
"I will be," Rose whispered softly, unwilling to look away from him. "I can't tell her. Not really. I mean I can't even begin to explain it all to you."
"Let her cool down, Rose," the Doctor urged.
"A year?" she was smiling now as she looked into his pale blue depths. Well, she was trying. "I missed a year. Was it at least a bad year?"
"Eh, middling," the Doctor shrugged. He'd never admit how much he loved her smile.
Rose let her head fall back, separating their foreheads, as she let out a laugh, "You're so useless, you know?"
Fear started to cloud his gaze as he watched her. If she told him she wanted to stay, how could he let her go? "Well, if it's this much trouble for you," he started, refusing to step away from her. In fact, he dearly wanted to step closer. "Are you going to stay?"
Rose shook her head, the hands covering his tightened. "No," she answered quickly. "No, but I can't do that to her again."
"She's not coming with us," the Doctor told her sternly, the tone was ruined by the laughter and relief that danced in his eyes.
Rose's breath caught in her throat as she looked up into those beautiful eyes she already loved more than anything in the whole of time and space. She bit her bottom lip and chewed it gently while she smiled shyly at him. The way he said it this time, it was so different. It was like he was acknowledging there was an 'us' between them. Pearls of giggles slipped from Rose that was quickly joined by the deep, rich laughter of the Doctor's baritone voice. Shaking her head, she grinned her signature smile up at him.
"No chance," she agreed with him.
The Doctor, for his part, felt like his hearts stopped beating seeing her chew on that full bottom lip. The urge to kiss her returned violently. Rose must have felt it, he thought embarrassed, because her cheeks pinked beautifully with a blush.
"I don't do," the Doctor spoke, a little gruffly, "mothers."
"She nearly slapped you," Rose pointed out, relaxing.
"Nine hundred years of space and time. Never been slapped by someone's mother," the Doctor tsked. "Don't plan on starting now."
Rose let out a soft giggle at the look of disgust on his face. The warmth in her mind told her he was relaxing as much as she was. He had yet to break the causal connection between them and she frankly wasn't up for doing herself any time soon. If the timeline's held true, it would be needed in the next few hours.
"When you say nine hundred," Rose ventured shyly, lifting her gaze up to his face.
"That's my age," he admitted with a little blush coloring the tips of his ears. "Give or take a few years."
"Liar," Rose grinned at him.
"Oi!"
Reaching up, Rose pulled him by his ears back down to rest his forehead against hers for a moment. Then in a move she was taught by John, she nuzzled his head to the side to rest her temple against the Doctor's. A shudder moved down the Doctor's spine at her move, leaning back against her, his eyes closing in bliss. Rose let out a soft sigh before pulling back.
"Doctor," she began, nervously. "I need to… I mean, I should explain…"
Cupping her cheek, he lifting her face so he could gaze into her eyes and smiled down at her. "Rose, you can talk to me about anything," the Doctor offered softly.
Her lips trembled a little as she nodded at him. Covering his hand on her cheek with her own, she begged the Universe to let him not be angry with her. Her fear was so great, he could feel it. He would do anything to ease her fear, he didn't even care what it was now that she wanted to tell him. He would be a liar if he said he didn't want to know the secret that put the darkness in her eyes, and the hurt in her heart. He wanted to know more about his precious golden girl, but if it hurt her like this to talk about it, maybe he didn't need to know in the end.
"Okay," Rose drew a shuddering breath, steeling herself. "I told you I would explain, yeah? So-"
Rose was cut off by a strange sound that nearly froze her blood. She knew that sound. Turning to look behind them, she spotted the ship coming in at an alarming rate over London. The Doctor snatched her around the waist and pulled her from her spot on the wall, ducking down. He covered her with his own body as they watched together as the ship just barely missed the estate tower they were on. Rose gripped the Doctor's biceps tightly as they stood together. He refused to release his hold on her waist as they watched history in the making.
Closing her eyes, Rose groaned as she could follow the ship's path in her mind's eyes. It would veer over the city, arching dramatically over the buildings. Making sure it caught millions of people's attention before it made a frantic turn, smashing one of the wings into Big Ben. The massive clock with collapse on one side, the bells falling and creating a chaotic sound of music before the ship crashed into the Thames.
Slowly opening her eyes, she turned to see the plume of black smoke rising up and let out a low groan.
"That's just not fair," she grumbled.
The Doctor merely grinned and laughed out gleefully. Grabbing Rose's hand in his own, he pulled her behind him down the stairwell. Faintly he was aware of the feelings of dread coming off Rose and the TARDIS' soft whisper of caution. As they dashed down the stairwell together, the sound of someone running down the stairs behind them caused the Doctor to look up. Surprise reflected on his face to see Mickey Smith racing to catch up to them.
"Did you see it?" Mickey asked the pair.
The Doctor narrowed his eyes at the human male who was currently pacing Rose.
"Yeah," Rose panted as the Doctor tugged on her hand, urging her to go fast and come closer to him. "It landed in the Thames."
Mickey Smith then surprised the Doctor again. The dark skinned youth only nodded at Rose. As soon as the trio hit the courtyard, Mickey split from them. He raced for the second tower that he called home. He looked like a man on a mission.
'What was that about?' the Doctor mentally whispered to Rose.
'He's gonna look into something,' Rose answered faintly. 'It'll be okay. Trust me?'
The tremble in her mental whisper nearly made him stop short and look at her. She was still thinking about Cardiff, he mentally hissed at himself. Oh, he would need to do something to make her trust him again.
'I do,' he whispered back, his eyes on the road before them.
The pair finally came to a stop as they came upon the crowds that had the same idea as them. All around them, chaos ruled. Cars were stopped in the middle of the street. People were standing on the tops of cars, or in the backs of trucks. Up on rooftops, the Doctor's eyes caught the sight of people with cameras. Everyone was trying to get closer, to see what was happening. Tugging Rose to his side, he slipped an arm around her waist, anchoring her to his side. People were pushing and crowding together. The last thing he wanted was to lose her in this mess. Cars were honking and people were yelling at others to move. It reminded him a bit of the night he was last in this city.
Craning his neck, the Doctor looked around for some way to slip past the blockade that had been set up. "It's all blocked off," he frowned a little, looking like a child pouting.
Looking around as well, Rose took in the situation and found she was not in favor of the setting. Her mind was racing a mild a minute, worried about who all was there watching. She caught sight of members of UNIT already on the scene. Their red berets set them apart from normal British military.
"We're still miles from the center," she observed. "Everything must be closing down."
"I know," the Doctor cried out, excitedly. "I can't believe I'm here to see this! This is just-"
"Fantastic," Rose muttered. Her eyes were still scanning the area. "Doctor, are those members of UNIT over there?"
Following the path of Rose's gaze, the Doctor narrowed his eyes. "Yeah. No ideas, Rose Tyler," he warned her, pulling them away from a group that was approaching on foot, heading towards the blockade.
"Why not? Can't they help?" Rose's thoughts went to the upcoming hours and the lives that were potentially going to be lost. "Can't you help?"
The Doctor shook his head, steering them to the sideway. Pulling them into a doorway, he looked at the smoke, pouting. "No. They won't recognize me anyway. S'been a while since I last worked with them."
The Doctor was tempted to go back and get the TARDIS for a closer look but thought that might not be the best of ideas. The whole of the city was on red alert right now. The likelihood of someone noticing his beloved ship was very high. It was amazing how observant humans could get when they were scared out of their minds, he thought with a snort.
The sound of bells distracted the Doctor a moment. Looking down at Rose, she frowned and fished out her cell phone. Blinking a few times, she didn't fully recognize the number calling her. Placing one hand against her ear, she answered the phone.
"Rose," the voice on the other end greeted her. It was friendly and warm, a thick North Eastern accent that she knew well.
"Clive?" Rose asked, her eyes darting to the Doctor.
Something in her expression made his reach out, drawing her back to him. Turning the pair of them, he shielded her from the street with his back.
"Lovely to hear your voice again, Rose," Clive laughed in that same ease way she remembered. "Wish I could say this was a social call. It's not."
"What's going on?" Rose asked quickly. The tone Clive was using was one she heard once before, when he had told her he thought the Doctor was dangerous and everyone was in danger if he was there.
"No real time to explain," Clive told her. "If you're here, that means the Doctor is too, right?"
"He's next to me," she confirmed. The Doctor leaned in to listen to the call now. He could hear a good part, but the mayhem behind him did drown out a good portion of the call.
"Good. Now listen closely. UNIT knows you two are on site," he was talking fast now. Rose could barely make out the sound of him clacking away on a keyboard. "They were told not to approach unless approached. You need to get out of there, Rose."
Rose said nothing as she looked up into the bright blue of the Doctor's gaze. His hand on her waist tightened a bit. He looked away from her, scanning the crowds now. Someone was watching them and he wasn't sure he liked the idea that UNIT recognized him despite the fact he hadn't seen them since his fourth life.
"Rose, Torchwood is enroute right now," Clive warned her. "They are trying to get UNIT to hand over the ship and anything they find inside. They also know that the Doctor is planet side. Get out, Rose. Quickly. To the right of where you are, there is an alley between the buildings. Use it. Follow it as far as you can. Go home, Rose. Protect the Doctor."
With that, Clive Finch hung up the phone. Rose slipped her phone into her pocket and gripped the Doctor's hand. "You hear all that?"
He only nodded, squeezing her hand and, with one last look around, dragged her from the protection of the doorway and into the alley. It was a narrow one, no cars would be able to pass through there. Hell two people walking side by side wouldn't really fit. The Doctor didn't care. All he cared about was getting Rose and himself the hell out of there. Whoever this 'Torchwood' was, they scared Rose. He felt her stiffen under his hand, and the tremble of fear in her mind. She tried to shield him from it, but failed. While they were not running, the Doctor lead them at a brisk pace away from the crowds and back to the Estates.
"Who's Torchwood?" he asked as they passed across another street, continuing to follow the alley. The sounds of the chaos and crowds were fading rapidly behind them.
"A secret organization founded by Queen Victoria," Rose answered immediately. "They have a motto: 'If it's alien, it's ours.' That includes you, Doctor. They keep a special eye out for you. And anyone that was a companion."
The comment brought him up short. Turning sharply, he glared down at Rose.
"They. Do. What?" his accent was suddenly soft as his tone, and twice as deadly.
"They keep an eye on your former companions," Rose repeated, reaching up to cup his cheek. "They don't approach because they know just how dangerous you are, Doctor. If someone were to hurt a companion of yours, even Torchwood knows they'd never recover."
His jaw muscles jumped with how hard he was clenching his teeth together. The thought that anyone could possibly threaten those people he loved like that. They were the last links to his past and the man he once was. A golden warmth spread through his mind, drawing his attention down to his current companion.
Wetting her lips, Rose made a decision she could only hope was mostly correct. "Doctor," she tried again. "They are too scared of the Wolf and the Storm that follows it to dare anything."
Heaving a heavy sigh, he let out a little growl as he lowered his head. Rose knew these signs well enough. Comfort and relief flooded her as she watched his struggle to pull his temper back under check. The last time she saw this, she thought fondly, was when Jack had been a little too forward with his flirting and had actually swept her into his arms. Her leather wearing Doctor had not taken to that lightly. In fact, if she remembered correctly, the Doctor had tried to take her from Jack. The ex-conman had only laughed, playing keep away. It only made the Doctor growl at Jack, who with an overdramatic shriek, took off running with Rose over his shoulder into the depths of the TARDIS. With the Doctor hot in pursuit.
"C'mon then," Rose smiled up at him as he relaxed and looked at her again confused. "History is happening, yeah?"
"Yeah," the Doctor frowned, looking back down the alley from the way they had come. "But we can't get closer, and can't go back there either."
"Well," Rose grinned a little more, "we could always do what everyone else does."
Arching a brow, he studied her face. She could feel his sudden apprehension, eyeing her wearily. He was learning to not trust that grin she was sporting.
"Could always go back to Mum's and watch it on the telly," she pointed out to him.
Rose's laughter filled the alley at the disgruntled look on his expressive face. He honestly had not even thought about that.
"Let's go, you," still laughing, Rose tugged on his hand. "Let's go watch history."
Rose hugged the Doctor's arm as she laid her head against his shoulder.
He gave her a daft grin and nodded. "Alright," his deep laughter joined her as they walked together down the alley back towards the Estates.