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butterflyStory Title: Two Coins, Silver (1/10)
Series Title: part of the Realignment universe
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
butterfly
Summary: It's not exactly the honeymoon of anyone's dreams.
Pairing: Doctor/Rose
Rating: PG-13.
Warning: AU after Doctor Who 3x13 - "Last of the Time Lords". Some plot elements and lines from "The Voyage of the Damned", written by Russell T Davies.
Two Coins, Silver
“If you could just tell me the street they live on, I could take us there,” Rose said, leaning over the Doctor's shoulder – he was staring down at the TARDIS console with a great look of betrayal. “We could get out and walk or go by tube or... anything, really.”
“It's... they... it's their house,” the Doctor said. “We should be there. Right now.”
“Maybe Martha's parents are better off than my mum used to be, but I still doubt that they live in the middle of Hyde Park,” Rose pointed out. They'd just spent a good five minutes standing outside while the Doctor turned in circles and tried to figure out exactly what had gone wrong, before they'd headed back into the ship in hopes of finding an answer there. “Just... tell me the street and we can just go there like anyone else would.”
“For a whole year, the TARDIS only went where I wanted it to,” the Doctor said, pressing a button twice, frowning hard. “And now it's acting up again – the only connection is... but that's nonsense.”
“Doctor, what are you going on about?”
“I'm not sure,” the Doctor said, glaring down at the screen. “Maybe we should walk.”
“And where exactly would we be walking?” Rose asked.
The Doctor coughed into his hand, looking away from her. “I'm... not entirely certain.”
“You were just there!”
“That's part of why this is so odd – we should still be there. All I did was move us forward in time. We should still be at the Jones's home. We're not. And the TARDIS is refusing to name our last location.”
“You don't know where Martha lives?”
“Of course I do!” the Doctor said. “I just don't happen to recall precisely where it is at the moment.”
“Maybe I should go back outside and see if it's really Christmas Day,” Rose said.
The Doctor puffed up and looked about ready to say something in his defense... and then he wilted as she stared at him. He raised a shoulder up in an uncertain shrug. “That may not be such a bad idea,” he allowed. Rose stroked his shoulder – his muscles felt coiled and tense under her touch and she could understand why this would worry him so much. He hadn't told the TARDIS to move them in space, only in time. They should still be in front of Martha's house, if that's where they'd been before.
Rose stepped out of the TARDIS, deciding to tuck her key back inside her shirt, and shut the door firmly behind herself. She glanced around, looking for someone to ask about the date, but there didn't seem to be anyone about. She sighed and headed along the grassy lawn toward a path.
She couldn't find anyone – she'd come all the way out to Knightsbridge and there still wasn't a soul to be found. Even on Christmas Day, there should be some movement in the street. There was nothing.
This was bigger than the TARDIS getting things a bit wrong.
Rose started down Sloane Street, fighting the shivers that wanted to race down her spine. She also resisted the urge to call out to the empty streets, not sure that she wanted to know what would answer.
It was when she reached Pont that she noticed a flicker of motion out of the corner of her eye. She turned to follow it and she could see the faintest hint of a beige flutter disappearing around a corner. She headed for it, jogging as quickly and quietly as she could manage.
When she turned the corner, she saw a woman leaning back against a tree, which couldn't be any good for her outfit. She wore nice clothes, this one, and her jacket was a very pale cream color up close, not beige at all. Rose wasn't sure how good it would look covered over in bits of bark and moss.
“What's happened here?” Rose asked. “Where's everyone gone?”
“It's nothing to worry about,” the woman said – she had fine, blonde hair that was half-hidden by a pale hat and her reassuring smile could use some work. “Most people decided to leave town for the holiday.”
“Not you?” Rose asked.
“I'm here for you,” she said, with a slight laugh.
“What do you mean?”
“I'm to give you a warning, Rose Tyler.”
“How do you know my name?” Rose asked.
“I'm from your future,” she said. “Please don't ask me to say more than that – the timelines are currently quite fragile.”
Rose opened her mouth to ask why and then realized that that was exactly the sort of question that the woman wouldn't be able to answer. “How am I to believe you?” Rose asked instead. “Can you offer anything to prove that you're telling the truth?”
“You took the Time Vortex into yourself to save the alien known as the Doctor,” she said promptly, as if she'd expected to need to say it. Well, if she were really from the future, she would know, wouldn't she?
“All right, then,” Rose said, willing to at least hear the woman out, as anyone who would know that bit of information had to have spoken to either herself, the Doctor, Jack, or Martha. Unless the Doctor's tongue had been much freer than she'd ever have guessed. “What's this warning?”
“There's a ship overhead,” the woman said. “It's very dangerous. You and the Doctor should investigate it, that's only right, but you must promise to be careful, Rose. More lives than just your own depend on it.”
“Is it an invasion?” Rose asked.
“I don't know,” the woman said, spreading her gloved hands out in front of her. “I only know what you told me to say. You must be careful. And you need to watch out for him – protect him.”
“I can do that,” Rose said. No one needed to make her promise to look after the Doctor.
“Thank you,” she said, sounding profoundly grateful. “You should head back now. I don't know how much time you have left.”
Rose nodded, fixing the woman's face in her memory so that she'd recognize her again in the future. “I'll be seeing you again.”
“There's no doubt about that,” she said.
Rose started to turn away and then she paused. “Can you tell me your name?”
“I think it's too soon for that,” the woman said. “Maybe next time.”
“Next time,” Rose said. She hurried as she left this time, almost running through the deserted streets. Hyde Park seemed so cold and barren once she reached the grass and it started to rain as she passed the first trees.
Spotting the TARDIS just where she'd last seen it, in the middle of a grassy bit of nowhere, was a bigger relief than she'd ever admit out loud. She unlocked the door and slipped inside, feeling the warmth of home creep back into her bones.
The Doctor, too, was just where she'd left him, staring at the console, pressing buttons and muttering to himself. His hair was slightly more unkempt than when she'd left, though, and one of his shirt buttons had been undone, likely without him consciously thinking about it.
“Doctor, I just ran into the most peculiar woman,” Rose said, stepping up next to him and resting her hand over his. “She said that she was from my future and-”
“Don't!” the Doctor said, twisting away from her, his brows drawn down. “We can't know our future, Rose.”
“She wanted to give me a warning,” Rose said. “Wouldn't say anything else.”
“Well,” the Doctor said. “She shouldn't even have done that.”
“Do you want to hear the warning?” Rose asked.
“Oh, if you must,” the Doctor said. “But if you see her again, don't let her tell you more.”
“I don't need to tell you,” Rose said, feeling a bit put-out. “Not if you're going to make such a fuss about it.”
“If you already know, there's no point in not telling me,” the Doctor said, reaching out and tracing his fingers over her wedding bracelet. “Isn't one of your quaint human marriage customs about sharing information?”
“Another of our quaint customs is making husbands who behave like gits sleep by themselves,” Rose said darkly, suddenly very aware of the fact that while she and the Doctor had slept together, they hadn't yet 'slept' together.
“That wasn't an insult,” the Doctor said quickly. “I think it's sweet. I truly do.”
“Are you planning on sharing everything with me?” Rose asked.
“Anything you'd like to know,” he said. His hand was still resting over her wrist, just as cool as the strands of the bracelet still were. “All that I have is yours now, Rose. The TARDIS, my wealth of knowledge, anything that I've acquired in my years of travel – it belongs to you just as much as it does to me.”
“Oh,” Rose said. She wasn't really sure what else she could say to that. The Doctor was offering her everything, the way he always had, since the moment they'd met. And, just like always, all she had to offer in return was herself.
“You said she gave you a warning,” the Doctor said.
“There's a ship in orbit,” Rose said. “And it might be dangerous.”
The Doctor took in a sharp breath and then sprang into motion, twisting one of the dials on the console in front of him and banging on the monitor. The screen flickered twice and then started saying something new – Rose was intensely disappointed that none of the symbols on the screen were the few that she'd been taught by the Doctor before Canary Wharf. She needed to learn more of his language, in a more organized fashion than she'd managed before.
“There is a ship,” he confirmed. “But I can't see anything wrong with it from down here. We'll have to take a look. If the TARDIS will let us, of course.” The last bit was in a fierce and angry growl. He started mucking about with the controls again, occasionally calling out for Rose to hit a button that was too far away for him to easily reach.
It took much longer than normal for the ship to start making the traditional noises, but it did work in time. The Doctor wiped off his forehead when they were finally moving and Rose pressed against his side, leaning her head against his upper arm.
“We should be up there soon, hopefully in a conveniently empty room,” the Doctor said. For once, the Doctor hit the mark – when they opened the door, they appeared to be in a bit of a serving nook. There were empty, clean glasses on a sideboard and everything.
“She said it was dangerous,” Rose reminded the Doctor, unable to keep herself from smiling. Danger and spaceships and something new... she was definitely back with the Doctor.
“It always is,” he said, returning her smile. He held out his arm for her and, together, they slipped out into what appeared to be something of a main hall.
It was a beautiful room – dark wood walls, high ceilings, everything covered over in Christmas decorations. There were ferns by the windows and they even looked real. The windows didn't, though – they seemed to be covered in a golden film. This was apparently a space ship, but it looked like any old posh room.
And the people looked posh, too, all dressed up. Rose could see a blonde woman with a drinks tray and men in black tie and lots of women in slightly old-fashioned evening gowns. It was just like all the parties she'd never gotten to go to before meeting the Doctor.
They passed by what Rose had taken for statues, and she startled a bit when one of them moved slightly, straightening up and appearing to look the Doctor right in the eyes. Rose tightened her grip on the Doctor's arm and they shared a curious glance. They passed by a round red couch with... little pillows with Union Flags on them in the center. There were small wooden tables and chairs, chandeliers up on the ceiling, and garlands strung up along the walls.
Rose's attention was drawn for a moment by a flash of red – a recognizably alien man was chatting with one of the ladies. He was small, with bright red skin and bumps or spikes all over his head and face. No hair anywhere that she could see.
She noticed a life saver on the wall that bore the name 'Titanic' and that was... a peculiar decorating choice. She and the Doctor continued along and finally found a window that actually was a window... it was looking out onto space. Specifically, it was looking down on the very recognizable shape of the Earth.
There was an interesting design in the center of the window – which was done up a bit like a ship port, but fancier and with expensive-looking glass – a moon coming out of what might be a ship, with two star-shapes in the middle and some underneath.
“Attention all passengers,” said a voice over a loudspeaker. “The Titanic is now in orbit above Sol 3, also known as Earth. Population: human. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Christmas.”
“Did he just say 'Titanic'?” Rose asked the Doctor in a whisper. The Doctor nodded, staring out the window towards Earth. Rose bit her lip. Not just an odd decorating choice, then. “I've seen that movie, Doctor. It sinks. Why would anyone name their spaceship after a ship that sank?”
“I don't know,” the Doctor said. “Not yet anyway. I do, however, get the feeling that the two of us are very underdressed for this particular trip. How would you feel about nipping back into the TARDIS for a change of clothing?”
“I don't see any other women in trousers,” Rose agreed, as they headed back. “They do look human, though, Doctor. Well, most of them.”
“Humans don't have a monopoly on beige-brown bipedal,” the Doctor said. “From the look of things, I'd guess that it's a species that looks human on the outside but has the internal organs in slightly different places.”
“Like Time Lords.”
“Well, nowhere near as advanced,” the Doctor said, in that tone of voice that always made Rose want to roll her eyes, as he opened the door to the TARDIS and waved Rose in ahead of himself. They started off in the direction of the wardrobe. “I doubt they have more than seven senses, at most.”
“I do just fine with five,” Rose said, rubbing her bracelet.
“Considering that you're the functional equivalent of deaf, dumb and blind, you do unbelievably well,” the Doctor said, as if he were agreeing with her.
He kept on chattering as they made their way to the wardrobe room and Rose made sure that she tucked away any potentially useful information – the Doctor had never been given socks as a present and always wondered what that would be like, apparently – but most of her concentration was focused on that first comment of his.
Functionally deaf, dumb and blind. It was true enough, when she thought about it – the Doctor could sense and know things that she didn't have a clue existed – but it was odd to realize that he thought of her as being like that. That he still thought that about her, after everything they'd been through. She wasn't sure why she would have thought his opinion had changed, but she had assumed that he would...
She wasn't even sure what she wanted him to think. He'd said that he believed that she was his equal, but that didn't mean that they were the same. They'd never been the same. He would always be smarter than she was, would always know more than she did. It didn't make him better, but it made them different. Still, it was bothering her, for reasons that she couldn't quite pin down.
They separated when they got to the room – he headed off to his section, while Rose headed toward the dresses. It looked like more clothing had appeared since the last time that she'd been here – from Martha's stay on the TARDIS, no doubt. Rose ran her hand along the rack, stopping when she reached a dress that felt right. It was an even darker red than her shirt she was wearing; nearly black, really. It lifted up over the right knee with soft ruffles. The neckline was a bit low, but not indecently so – she should still fit in well enough with those people on the ship, though she'd probably be taken as more than a little daring.
It fit her perfectly, of course. Nothing she'd tried on from this room had ever failed to fit well. It hugged her curves without making her look like she was for sale – something she'd had to deal with on more than one planet – and the color worked well against her skin. It had sleeves that ended at the elbow – she'd noticed the women in the hallway wearing gloves, so she snagged a pair that were the same color as the dress and slipped them on. There was a pair of comfortable ankle boots that matched the dress, naturally, and they were just her size. Appropriate for a party or for running for her life, Rose thought, amused. The TARDIS seemed to share her mystery woman's feelings about this version of the Titanic.
She was doing up her hair in the mirror when she heard the Doctor headed back her way – she turned to face him and her breath caught in her throat. He was just wearing black tie. It shouldn't be anything to get her so worked up. His dinner jacket looked so gorgeous on him, though, the simple white and black making his sharp features stand out even more. Elegant, Rose decided. That was how he looked right now – he would fit right in with all of those men in that room, at least as far as looks went.
His gaze swept over her, a tiny smile tugging at his lips. The heat in his eyes was making her blush and if she didn't have that woman's words in her head about the danger that ship was posing, she might very well have asked the Doctor if he wanted to try something messy and human with her.
“You look magnificent,” he said, his voice slightly huskier than usual. He reached forward and brushed his fingers just below her throat, where she was wearing a silver necklace with a snowflake design. Her TARDIS key was safely tucked in a pocket that she'd discovered on an inside panel of the dress. “Like the Greek goddess Aphrodite, coming to bless mortal man with her abundant beauty.”
Rose knew that her flush was deepening – she could feel the warmth of it spreading across her skin. The Doctor left off playing with her necklace and that made it a bit easier to breathe.
“I... I reckon we should find out what's going on,” Rose said. The Doctor narrowed his eyes a bit and then nodded. This time, Rose was the first one out the door of the TARDIS. “We should probably split up. We'll be able to talk to more people that way and find out what's wrong with this ship a bit sooner.”
“If you like,” the Doctor said. She couldn't tell whether or not he was disappointed. They headed back into the main room, where a Christmas song was playing and Rose gave the Doctor an encouraging smile before turning away from him and heading toward a clump of two couples, hoping to get a bit of good gossip out of them.
She didn't look back.
Part Two
Series Title: part of the Realignment universe
Author:
butterflySummary: It's not exactly the honeymoon of anyone's dreams.
Pairing: Doctor/Rose
Rating: PG-13.
Warning: AU after Doctor Who 3x13 - "Last of the Time Lords". Some plot elements and lines from "The Voyage of the Damned", written by Russell T Davies.
“If you could just tell me the street they live on, I could take us there,” Rose said, leaning over the Doctor's shoulder – he was staring down at the TARDIS console with a great look of betrayal. “We could get out and walk or go by tube or... anything, really.”
“It's... they... it's their house,” the Doctor said. “We should be there. Right now.”
“Maybe Martha's parents are better off than my mum used to be, but I still doubt that they live in the middle of Hyde Park,” Rose pointed out. They'd just spent a good five minutes standing outside while the Doctor turned in circles and tried to figure out exactly what had gone wrong, before they'd headed back into the ship in hopes of finding an answer there. “Just... tell me the street and we can just go there like anyone else would.”
“For a whole year, the TARDIS only went where I wanted it to,” the Doctor said, pressing a button twice, frowning hard. “And now it's acting up again – the only connection is... but that's nonsense.”
“Doctor, what are you going on about?”
“I'm not sure,” the Doctor said, glaring down at the screen. “Maybe we should walk.”
“And where exactly would we be walking?” Rose asked.
The Doctor coughed into his hand, looking away from her. “I'm... not entirely certain.”
“You were just there!”
“That's part of why this is so odd – we should still be there. All I did was move us forward in time. We should still be at the Jones's home. We're not. And the TARDIS is refusing to name our last location.”
“You don't know where Martha lives?”
“Of course I do!” the Doctor said. “I just don't happen to recall precisely where it is at the moment.”
“Maybe I should go back outside and see if it's really Christmas Day,” Rose said.
The Doctor puffed up and looked about ready to say something in his defense... and then he wilted as she stared at him. He raised a shoulder up in an uncertain shrug. “That may not be such a bad idea,” he allowed. Rose stroked his shoulder – his muscles felt coiled and tense under her touch and she could understand why this would worry him so much. He hadn't told the TARDIS to move them in space, only in time. They should still be in front of Martha's house, if that's where they'd been before.
Rose stepped out of the TARDIS, deciding to tuck her key back inside her shirt, and shut the door firmly behind herself. She glanced around, looking for someone to ask about the date, but there didn't seem to be anyone about. She sighed and headed along the grassy lawn toward a path.
She couldn't find anyone – she'd come all the way out to Knightsbridge and there still wasn't a soul to be found. Even on Christmas Day, there should be some movement in the street. There was nothing.
This was bigger than the TARDIS getting things a bit wrong.
Rose started down Sloane Street, fighting the shivers that wanted to race down her spine. She also resisted the urge to call out to the empty streets, not sure that she wanted to know what would answer.
It was when she reached Pont that she noticed a flicker of motion out of the corner of her eye. She turned to follow it and she could see the faintest hint of a beige flutter disappearing around a corner. She headed for it, jogging as quickly and quietly as she could manage.
When she turned the corner, she saw a woman leaning back against a tree, which couldn't be any good for her outfit. She wore nice clothes, this one, and her jacket was a very pale cream color up close, not beige at all. Rose wasn't sure how good it would look covered over in bits of bark and moss.
“What's happened here?” Rose asked. “Where's everyone gone?”
“It's nothing to worry about,” the woman said – she had fine, blonde hair that was half-hidden by a pale hat and her reassuring smile could use some work. “Most people decided to leave town for the holiday.”
“Not you?” Rose asked.
“I'm here for you,” she said, with a slight laugh.
“What do you mean?”
“I'm to give you a warning, Rose Tyler.”
“How do you know my name?” Rose asked.
“I'm from your future,” she said. “Please don't ask me to say more than that – the timelines are currently quite fragile.”
Rose opened her mouth to ask why and then realized that that was exactly the sort of question that the woman wouldn't be able to answer. “How am I to believe you?” Rose asked instead. “Can you offer anything to prove that you're telling the truth?”
“You took the Time Vortex into yourself to save the alien known as the Doctor,” she said promptly, as if she'd expected to need to say it. Well, if she were really from the future, she would know, wouldn't she?
“All right, then,” Rose said, willing to at least hear the woman out, as anyone who would know that bit of information had to have spoken to either herself, the Doctor, Jack, or Martha. Unless the Doctor's tongue had been much freer than she'd ever have guessed. “What's this warning?”
“There's a ship overhead,” the woman said. “It's very dangerous. You and the Doctor should investigate it, that's only right, but you must promise to be careful, Rose. More lives than just your own depend on it.”
“Is it an invasion?” Rose asked.
“I don't know,” the woman said, spreading her gloved hands out in front of her. “I only know what you told me to say. You must be careful. And you need to watch out for him – protect him.”
“I can do that,” Rose said. No one needed to make her promise to look after the Doctor.
“Thank you,” she said, sounding profoundly grateful. “You should head back now. I don't know how much time you have left.”
Rose nodded, fixing the woman's face in her memory so that she'd recognize her again in the future. “I'll be seeing you again.”
“There's no doubt about that,” she said.
Rose started to turn away and then she paused. “Can you tell me your name?”
“I think it's too soon for that,” the woman said. “Maybe next time.”
“Next time,” Rose said. She hurried as she left this time, almost running through the deserted streets. Hyde Park seemed so cold and barren once she reached the grass and it started to rain as she passed the first trees.
Spotting the TARDIS just where she'd last seen it, in the middle of a grassy bit of nowhere, was a bigger relief than she'd ever admit out loud. She unlocked the door and slipped inside, feeling the warmth of home creep back into her bones.
The Doctor, too, was just where she'd left him, staring at the console, pressing buttons and muttering to himself. His hair was slightly more unkempt than when she'd left, though, and one of his shirt buttons had been undone, likely without him consciously thinking about it.
“Doctor, I just ran into the most peculiar woman,” Rose said, stepping up next to him and resting her hand over his. “She said that she was from my future and-”
“Don't!” the Doctor said, twisting away from her, his brows drawn down. “We can't know our future, Rose.”
“She wanted to give me a warning,” Rose said. “Wouldn't say anything else.”
“Well,” the Doctor said. “She shouldn't even have done that.”
“Do you want to hear the warning?” Rose asked.
“Oh, if you must,” the Doctor said. “But if you see her again, don't let her tell you more.”
“I don't need to tell you,” Rose said, feeling a bit put-out. “Not if you're going to make such a fuss about it.”
“If you already know, there's no point in not telling me,” the Doctor said, reaching out and tracing his fingers over her wedding bracelet. “Isn't one of your quaint human marriage customs about sharing information?”
“Another of our quaint customs is making husbands who behave like gits sleep by themselves,” Rose said darkly, suddenly very aware of the fact that while she and the Doctor had slept together, they hadn't yet 'slept' together.
“That wasn't an insult,” the Doctor said quickly. “I think it's sweet. I truly do.”
“Are you planning on sharing everything with me?” Rose asked.
“Anything you'd like to know,” he said. His hand was still resting over her wrist, just as cool as the strands of the bracelet still were. “All that I have is yours now, Rose. The TARDIS, my wealth of knowledge, anything that I've acquired in my years of travel – it belongs to you just as much as it does to me.”
“Oh,” Rose said. She wasn't really sure what else she could say to that. The Doctor was offering her everything, the way he always had, since the moment they'd met. And, just like always, all she had to offer in return was herself.
“You said she gave you a warning,” the Doctor said.
“There's a ship in orbit,” Rose said. “And it might be dangerous.”
The Doctor took in a sharp breath and then sprang into motion, twisting one of the dials on the console in front of him and banging on the monitor. The screen flickered twice and then started saying something new – Rose was intensely disappointed that none of the symbols on the screen were the few that she'd been taught by the Doctor before Canary Wharf. She needed to learn more of his language, in a more organized fashion than she'd managed before.
“There is a ship,” he confirmed. “But I can't see anything wrong with it from down here. We'll have to take a look. If the TARDIS will let us, of course.” The last bit was in a fierce and angry growl. He started mucking about with the controls again, occasionally calling out for Rose to hit a button that was too far away for him to easily reach.
It took much longer than normal for the ship to start making the traditional noises, but it did work in time. The Doctor wiped off his forehead when they were finally moving and Rose pressed against his side, leaning her head against his upper arm.
“We should be up there soon, hopefully in a conveniently empty room,” the Doctor said. For once, the Doctor hit the mark – when they opened the door, they appeared to be in a bit of a serving nook. There were empty, clean glasses on a sideboard and everything.
“She said it was dangerous,” Rose reminded the Doctor, unable to keep herself from smiling. Danger and spaceships and something new... she was definitely back with the Doctor.
“It always is,” he said, returning her smile. He held out his arm for her and, together, they slipped out into what appeared to be something of a main hall.
It was a beautiful room – dark wood walls, high ceilings, everything covered over in Christmas decorations. There were ferns by the windows and they even looked real. The windows didn't, though – they seemed to be covered in a golden film. This was apparently a space ship, but it looked like any old posh room.
And the people looked posh, too, all dressed up. Rose could see a blonde woman with a drinks tray and men in black tie and lots of women in slightly old-fashioned evening gowns. It was just like all the parties she'd never gotten to go to before meeting the Doctor.
They passed by what Rose had taken for statues, and she startled a bit when one of them moved slightly, straightening up and appearing to look the Doctor right in the eyes. Rose tightened her grip on the Doctor's arm and they shared a curious glance. They passed by a round red couch with... little pillows with Union Flags on them in the center. There were small wooden tables and chairs, chandeliers up on the ceiling, and garlands strung up along the walls.
Rose's attention was drawn for a moment by a flash of red – a recognizably alien man was chatting with one of the ladies. He was small, with bright red skin and bumps or spikes all over his head and face. No hair anywhere that she could see.
She noticed a life saver on the wall that bore the name 'Titanic' and that was... a peculiar decorating choice. She and the Doctor continued along and finally found a window that actually was a window... it was looking out onto space. Specifically, it was looking down on the very recognizable shape of the Earth.
There was an interesting design in the center of the window – which was done up a bit like a ship port, but fancier and with expensive-looking glass – a moon coming out of what might be a ship, with two star-shapes in the middle and some underneath.
“Attention all passengers,” said a voice over a loudspeaker. “The Titanic is now in orbit above Sol 3, also known as Earth. Population: human. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Christmas.”
“Did he just say 'Titanic'?” Rose asked the Doctor in a whisper. The Doctor nodded, staring out the window towards Earth. Rose bit her lip. Not just an odd decorating choice, then. “I've seen that movie, Doctor. It sinks. Why would anyone name their spaceship after a ship that sank?”
“I don't know,” the Doctor said. “Not yet anyway. I do, however, get the feeling that the two of us are very underdressed for this particular trip. How would you feel about nipping back into the TARDIS for a change of clothing?”
“I don't see any other women in trousers,” Rose agreed, as they headed back. “They do look human, though, Doctor. Well, most of them.”
“Humans don't have a monopoly on beige-brown bipedal,” the Doctor said. “From the look of things, I'd guess that it's a species that looks human on the outside but has the internal organs in slightly different places.”
“Like Time Lords.”
“Well, nowhere near as advanced,” the Doctor said, in that tone of voice that always made Rose want to roll her eyes, as he opened the door to the TARDIS and waved Rose in ahead of himself. They started off in the direction of the wardrobe. “I doubt they have more than seven senses, at most.”
“I do just fine with five,” Rose said, rubbing her bracelet.
“Considering that you're the functional equivalent of deaf, dumb and blind, you do unbelievably well,” the Doctor said, as if he were agreeing with her.
He kept on chattering as they made their way to the wardrobe room and Rose made sure that she tucked away any potentially useful information – the Doctor had never been given socks as a present and always wondered what that would be like, apparently – but most of her concentration was focused on that first comment of his.
Functionally deaf, dumb and blind. It was true enough, when she thought about it – the Doctor could sense and know things that she didn't have a clue existed – but it was odd to realize that he thought of her as being like that. That he still thought that about her, after everything they'd been through. She wasn't sure why she would have thought his opinion had changed, but she had assumed that he would...
She wasn't even sure what she wanted him to think. He'd said that he believed that she was his equal, but that didn't mean that they were the same. They'd never been the same. He would always be smarter than she was, would always know more than she did. It didn't make him better, but it made them different. Still, it was bothering her, for reasons that she couldn't quite pin down.
They separated when they got to the room – he headed off to his section, while Rose headed toward the dresses. It looked like more clothing had appeared since the last time that she'd been here – from Martha's stay on the TARDIS, no doubt. Rose ran her hand along the rack, stopping when she reached a dress that felt right. It was an even darker red than her shirt she was wearing; nearly black, really. It lifted up over the right knee with soft ruffles. The neckline was a bit low, but not indecently so – she should still fit in well enough with those people on the ship, though she'd probably be taken as more than a little daring.
It fit her perfectly, of course. Nothing she'd tried on from this room had ever failed to fit well. It hugged her curves without making her look like she was for sale – something she'd had to deal with on more than one planet – and the color worked well against her skin. It had sleeves that ended at the elbow – she'd noticed the women in the hallway wearing gloves, so she snagged a pair that were the same color as the dress and slipped them on. There was a pair of comfortable ankle boots that matched the dress, naturally, and they were just her size. Appropriate for a party or for running for her life, Rose thought, amused. The TARDIS seemed to share her mystery woman's feelings about this version of the Titanic.
She was doing up her hair in the mirror when she heard the Doctor headed back her way – she turned to face him and her breath caught in her throat. He was just wearing black tie. It shouldn't be anything to get her so worked up. His dinner jacket looked so gorgeous on him, though, the simple white and black making his sharp features stand out even more. Elegant, Rose decided. That was how he looked right now – he would fit right in with all of those men in that room, at least as far as looks went.
His gaze swept over her, a tiny smile tugging at his lips. The heat in his eyes was making her blush and if she didn't have that woman's words in her head about the danger that ship was posing, she might very well have asked the Doctor if he wanted to try something messy and human with her.
“You look magnificent,” he said, his voice slightly huskier than usual. He reached forward and brushed his fingers just below her throat, where she was wearing a silver necklace with a snowflake design. Her TARDIS key was safely tucked in a pocket that she'd discovered on an inside panel of the dress. “Like the Greek goddess Aphrodite, coming to bless mortal man with her abundant beauty.”
Rose knew that her flush was deepening – she could feel the warmth of it spreading across her skin. The Doctor left off playing with her necklace and that made it a bit easier to breathe.
“I... I reckon we should find out what's going on,” Rose said. The Doctor narrowed his eyes a bit and then nodded. This time, Rose was the first one out the door of the TARDIS. “We should probably split up. We'll be able to talk to more people that way and find out what's wrong with this ship a bit sooner.”
“If you like,” the Doctor said. She couldn't tell whether or not he was disappointed. They headed back into the main room, where a Christmas song was playing and Rose gave the Doctor an encouraging smile before turning away from him and heading toward a clump of two couples, hoping to get a bit of good gossip out of them.
She didn't look back.
Part Two
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(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-23 03:36 pm (UTC)Ditto on the mystery woman.
And poor Rose - the Doctor was just stating a fact with his comment and I know he doesn't think any less of her because of it, but I can understand why it would be one of those things that's not necessarily easy to think about!
Looking forward to more!
(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-23 10:44 pm (UTC)Ditto on the mystery woman.
Mystery woman is mysterious
And poor Rose - the Doctor was just stating a fact with his comment and I know he doesn't think any less of her because of it, but I can understand why it would be one of those things that's not necessarily easy to think about!
He isn't always aware of how simple facts can be taken, definitely.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-24 09:43 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-25 12:31 am (UTC)I hope you enjoy the story!
(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-25 01:36 am (UTC)It didn't occur to me that you might be continuing Realignment, and it definately didn't occur to me that it would be as Voyage of the Damned. So the whole "empty streets" bit went from creepy, to amusing, creepy again. Well done.
“Considering that you're the functional equivalent of deaf, dumb and blind, you do unbelievably well,” the Doctor said, as if he were agreeing with her.
*sighs* Oh, Doctor. I'm glad that Rose is able to reason out and understand what he meant, but that still has to sting a little.
I'm really looking forward to seeing where this is going (and as I've read the next two chapters, I have to say I'm also really glad you've been posting them so fast. Those cliffhangers are evil.)
(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-26 02:15 am (UTC)It didn't occur to me that you might be continuing Realignment, and it definately didn't occur to me that it would be as Voyage of the Damned. So the whole "empty streets" bit went from creepy, to amusing, creepy again. Well done.
I'm glad that that worked for you. I'm really kinda running with the notion that this is a parallel way that Rose came back to the Doctor, so the things that happened that have nothing to do with Rose returning would still end up happening.
*sighs* Oh, Doctor. I'm glad that Rose is able to reason out and understand what he meant, but that still has to sting a little.
Not the most sensitive man in the world, even when it comes to the woman he loves.
I'm really looking forward to seeing where this is going (and as I've read the next two chapters, I have to say I'm also really glad you've been posting them so fast. Those cliffhangers are evil.)
I'm glad that you feel invested in the story. I hope you enjoy the rest of it.