The New Adventures of the Doctor and Rose

Episode 1

Special thanks to my beta, cytherea999

"Welcome to Today's Edition of Top Gossip, I'm your host, Sarah McKennit. Today's top story: Does Rose Tyler have a new beau? The Vitex heiress, who appeared in the spotlight five years ago after spending her adolescence in a Norwegian boarding school, was seen returning from her cross-country trip with a tall, dark-haired man. Who is he, and are there wedding bells in the future for the country's favourite daughter?"

"In other news: Torchwood – our ambassadors to the stars, or something else? Rumours have been circulating that the Institute, known for creating The Inter-space Alliance with three neighbouring solar systems and protecting our streets from unwanted visitors, have been conducting Top Secret trans-dimensional experiments…"

With a sigh, Rose clicked off the TV, letting the incessant droning of Sarah McKennit disappear into silence. "That didn't take 'em long. You only got here this morning."

The Doctor sunk deeper into the couch and rubbed a hand over his face. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…"

"S'not your fault. My whole family's in the public eye. Someone was bound to notice I came back from my trip with company."

"That's not what I was apologizing for," he answered softly.

"Oh." Rose looked away.

"I didn't leave you behind," the Doctor said.

She glanced at him, "How did you-"

"Written all over your face. But see? I'm still here." He wiggled his fingers at her, but she didn't seem overly impressed. He grew quiet for a moment. "I was always rubbish at saying goodbye." He reached over and entwined his fingers with hers. She didn't pull away. That was a good sign.

"What was he thinking?"

"I wanted what was best for you, Rose. I wanted you to be happy. I-" he stopped, "…HE didn't realize the position he put you in."

"But you do?" she asked.

"I see it. You're uncomfortable with me."

"I'm not uncomfortable…" Rose looked down at their entwined fingers, noting that his skin was warmer than before, but still cooler than hers. "Explain this metacrisis thing to me."

He took a deep breath, "Basically, I'm a Time Lord with a little bit of human thrown in - one heart and a limited lifespan." He shrugged, "Who knows what else. Everything up here," he tapped his temple, "Is the same." Something akin to panic suddenly swept over his face. "I need a doctor!"

Rose grasped his arm, heart pounding. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"What?" he looked back at her, "OH, nothing. I'm just saying I'll need a doctor. A proper one, now that I'm all mortal."

Rose relaxed. "We have doctors at Torchwood. They can keep quiet." She rested her head against the back of the couch.

The Doctor leaned forward, trying to take in her face, "Let me guess – you are not amused?"

A ghost of something slid over Rose's lips, but quickly faded.

"Was that a smile?"

"No"

The Doctor studied her, "I think that was a smile. The corners titled up and everything."

Rose shrugged.

"Do you know there are planets where smiling is considered an offence?" The Doctor asked. "Have to go around frowning all the time, pretending like you're a miserable wretch just so they don't throw you in jail. Blimey, but those are unpleasant jails. If you weren't frowning before, you'll certainly be frowning after."

"Still has his gob then," Jackie spoke up as she joined the two in the living room with a tray of tea and biscuits. "I saw Top Gossip tonight. At least no one took a picture of him. Still, best be careful. S'not safe to let him roam about on his own just yet. Not with the curfew."

"You have a curfew?" The Doctor asked.

"Just temporary," Rose explained. "When the darkness came, everyone started to panic, so Torchwood recommended a curfew. The Government agreed. Guess we can lift it now though."

"Well I should hope so!" The Doctor replied. "Sounds a bit too militaristic for my taste."

Upstairs, a young child's voice began to cry out for 'Mummy'.

"Oh that'll be Tony," Jackie spoke up, "He's missed me since I've been gone. Promised to read him a story tonight." She leaned over and gave Rose a kiss on the head. "Don't stay up too late. Gloria's made the guest room ready for him." Jackie glanced over at the Doctor, and the message was clear - He would not be spending his nights in Rose's room.

"Thanks, Mum," Rose answered, and Jackie quickly headed up to see her son.

Rose and the Doctor sat in companionable silence for a few minutes before he finally had to speak again. "I'm sorry I'm not him, Rose. I'm something new. I haven't gotten quite used to that myself."

Rose took a sip of her tea, then let out a soft breath. "S'alright, Doctor. I'm a bit different too."

The Doctor was contemplative as he walked down the pre-dawn streets, tugging his blue suit jacket tighter around him. He had slept four hours, which was more than he was used to, but still less than full humans needed.

He had been to this city many times in the other universe. Making the usual right turn instead of a left, however, had ended up getting him lost. Though he could still sense all of time and space, and the very Earth moving beneath his feet, his senses were still getting used to this new universe. In the next few days, he would grow more attuned to his surroundings.

With a deep breath, he leaned back against a brick wall and closed his eyes. He let out a frustrated breath. He shouldn't have to relearn everything. He shouldn't have to be HERE to begin with. He should be travelling in the TARDIS with Rose. But no, his other self decided he was too dangerous to exist and he needed Rose as a babysitter.

He accused himself of genocide of all things. GENOCIDE! What was he supposed to do, politely ask the Daleks not to destroy reality? Gallifrey burned to rid the universe of the Daleks and it hadn't worked.

The Doctor was amazed at how self-righteous he had become in his tenth incarnation and grew increasingly angry at himself - his other self. What had happened to 'no second chances'? Davros and the Daleks had had far more than a second chance, but still his other self had refused to outright destroy them.

This train of thought only caused the Doctor to grow angrier. Emotions he once had complete control of were now running rampant through his body. Such a loss of control he had never experienced. He sensed the oncoming storm rising within him and for a moment, just a moment, found himself quite willing to let it take over. Willing to let it completely engulf him.

He remembered this. It was the same thing he had felt after the Time War. The uncontrollable need to destroy.

But that was so very long ago. Before he had met Rose.

At the thought of Rose, his anger slowly faded.

Perhaps he would head back to the Tyler mansion and talk to her. Hug her, even. Oh, how he wanted to hug her. Hugging Rose was always nice.

He smiled quietly to himself. Snogging her on the beach was even nicer…

"No one's allowed outside before dawn, mate!" A gruff voice startled the Doctor out of his thoughts. "Don't you read the news? Could get y'self killed with all the space freaks muckin' about."

Oh yes… the curfew. The Doctor recalled his earlier conversation with Rose and Jackie.

He stepped away from the wall and took in the group before him. Three people dressed in similar black uniforms – each one embroidered with the silver Torchwood logo on their upper right arms – stepped closer to him.

"Sorry. New in town," he offered innocently.

"Trev… I think… I think he's one of them," a younger man spoke to the one with the harsh voice.

"What are you on about, Roger?" The man now identified as Trev asked.

The other man held out a scanner to Trev. "My readings are showing a body temperature lower than normal, and brain activity beyond anything humanly possible. But - and here's the odd thing – there are human readings too. Only a bit though."

Before the Doctor could register what was happening, he found himself pinned face first against the wall he had just been leaning against, Trev's muscular forearm pressed against the back of his neck. "So what the hell are you then?"

"Easy, Trev," Roger warned.

"Why? We aren't the bleedin' welcoming committee. Les, check and see if he's got an intergalactic passport!"

The lone female in the group approached the Doctor and immediately patted him down. "You sure he isn't human, Roger?" She asked as she gave the Doctor a predatory glance. The Doctor let out a surprised yelp when her hands grew a little too curious. She smirked, "Feels human to me."

"Don't start, Les," Trev snapped as he cuffed the Doctor's hands behind his back. "Does 'It' have any weapons?"

"Nothing…" she said as she slid her hands into the pockets of the Doctor's trousers, lingering a little too long for his comfort. "But…" she started to pull several things out of his pocket: A clockwork mouse, a badminton racquet, a box of facial tissue, a Satsuma…

"Oh! I was wondering where that went to. Probably foul by now…" the Doctor muttered.

"What is all this rubbish?" Les asked, "And how the hell does it fit in there?"

"Ahh, that's my secret," The Doctor replied. "By the way, you're making a mistake treating me like some illegal alien," he paused, "Well, I guess I am… but… still. A big mistake. Seriously, if I was making a mistake this big, I'd hide my head in shame-"

"Shut it!" Trev growled, offering the Doctor another hard shove against the unyielding surface of the wall. "We'll bring It to base. Let the Commander take a look at it when she comes in. Toss it to the lab boys first, then lock It in the basement 'till we get further orders."

Without another word, Trev roughly shoved the Doctor into a waiting Hummer.

When the Doctor was thrown into a glass cell after a barrage of tests in the lab, he was more impressed by the alien in the cell next to his, than he was chagrined about his circumstances.

"Weevils! You have a weevil in here! I love weevils. Well, maybe not love. Like. Well… tolerate," he commented as he crouched down to see his neighbour through the glass between them. "Hello!" It growled and hissed in response. The Doctor quickly stepped away. "Not the friendly sort, weevils."

"You know what that is?" Roger asked with interest.

"Of course. I know a lot of things," the Doctor straightened his back with pride, happy to note he was a few inches taller than Trev.

"You're slick, you," Trev accused, unimpressed. "Trying to weasel your way out!"

"But if he knows, he could be useful with the folks in First Contact, or on the Welcoming Committee." Roger pointed out.

"Are you implying It work with us? Are you daft?" Trev snapped. "No matter what that thing claims to know, it's still an alien. Plain and simple."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow, "A bit Xenophobic are we?"

"Shut up, you!" Trev hissed. "When the Commander gets here, she'll take care of that mouth! See that thing?" he indicated the Doctor's neighbour.

"The Weevil, yes. What about it?" the Doctor asked.

"She's the one who caught it. Brought it in. On her own! Was out for a walk one night before the curfew was instilled, saw it attack some poor bloke. Had her stunner and sod all else."

"You're fond of your Commander," The Doctor noticed a hint of jealousy creeping into his voice but couldn't stop it. "She wouldn't happen to be a rather pretty blonde?"

Les scoffed, "Of course. Blonde and bouncy. He's had it bad for her since the first time he saw her. Think he'd get over it by now."

"Why the hell are you talking to it?" Trev demanded of Les angrily.

The Doctor raised an eyebrow as he turned his attention to the man before him, "Can't imagine why your commander hasn't taken a fancy to you, Trev, being so pleasant and all. Maybe it's the girl-hair…"

Trev glared at the Doctor, a hand unconsciously brushing his dark, shoulder-length hair. "Bloody Martian fancies Itself a comedian, eh?"

"I'm not from Mars," the Doctor sighed.

"What?" Trev seemed confused.

"Martians are from Mars. I'm not from Mars. You took enough tests, poking and prodding at me. Thought you would have noticed that," he muttered as he rubbed at his sore arms.

"Be lucky we didn't use the anal probe!" Trev sneered.

"Well now! That would have been rude!" The Doctor replied.

Trev was about to respond, but a call on his communicator distracted him. He tapped a button on the device attached to his ear and turned away from the group.

After a few minutes, Trev turned back to the others. "Commander's back" He replied excitedly. "Told her to come down. She'll set the bugger straight! If not, then I will." He stepped closer to the glass. "Been learning how to interrogate aliens who don't like to talk. Could show you some of my techniques later."

A voice interrupted the conversation. "This better be good, Trev. I'm missing a friend and I've got to make my report about the Dimension Cannon. I don't have time to waste."

Rose… the Doctor couldn't help but smile as Trev's commander entered the room.

"It's good to see you home, Rose," Trev began as he stepped closer to her. "Was the mission successful?"

"Hello," the Doctor interrupted Trev's attempt at welcoming Rose back. He waved at her, then took in her uniform - black tank top, black form-fitting fatigues, black boots, and a small weapon at her side.

He was finding it incredibly attractive.

Oh… oh my…

Was this a sign of human hormones? Even after all the time they had spent together on the Tardis, he had never had such thoughts of Rose flitting around in his head.

"How many times have you told ME not to wander off?" She scolded, immediately startling the Doctor out of his thoughts.

He quickly came up with the answer, "One-hundred, seventy-nine. Well, one-hundred, eighty, actually – but you had already wandered off so you didn't hear me."

Trev spun on the Doctor, seething. "How do you know each other?"

The Doctor continued grinning at the blonde before him, which only incensed Trev more.

"I'll kill you, Martian!" He snapped, whipping out the gun at his side, "This shoots through glass, you know!"

"Ease up, Trev!" Rose snapped, eyes hard and cold as they focused on the trigger-happy man a few feet away.

"Rose…" Trev protested.

"Put the gun away, Lt. Jordan! S'alright. He's The Doctor." Rose motioned her hand towards the firearm her young employee was pointing at the Doctor.

This gave Trev pause. "YOUR Doctor?"

"The same, yes."

"But… he's not human!"

"That a problem?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. She then turned her attention to the Doctor. "We need to talk."

Trev let out triumphant laugh, as if he expected her to torture The Doctor the moment she was alone with him.

Rose glanced at the three beside her. Trev immediately stopped laughing, and the other two quickly got the hint.

Once the three were gone, the tough-girl façade disappeared. She was once more the Rose Tyler the Doctor knew and lo-

"Are you daft?" she snapped, interrupting his affectionate thought. "Should have told us you were going for a walk. Could have warned you about the patrols!" Rose went to the control panel on the side of the cell and keyed in a code, causing the door to slide open.

She ran inside and grabbed the Doctor by the lapels of his coat. For a moment, he thought she was going to kiss him again.

No such luck.

"And you called ME jeopardy friendly! Haven't I lost you enough times already?"

"Rose…"

"You're only human now!" Her voice grew softer, "Anything could have happened to you!"

"I'm sorry," he answered gently as he slid his arms around her.

"Don't do that again," she muttered into his shoulder, returning the embrace.

"Promise."

"Rose!" A shout from Rose's earpiece startled both of them, causing the two to jump apart.

Rose lifted a hand to her ear and pressed the button to respond. "Here, Control. What is it?"

"The CCTV is out in the visitor's cell. Is everything okay down there?"

"Yeah, we're fine. I'm letting him out," she answered.

Exhaling in frustration, she stepped away from the Doctor and reached for his hand. He took it gladly and she led him out of the cell, turning the CCTV back on quickly.

"Bastard still looks like he's in one piece," Trev's disembodied voice spoke into her headset.

She glanced back at the Doctor and saw him grow angry at Trev's attitude. "And so he'll remain," Rose replied sternly, smoothing her thumb over the Doctor's knuckles to calm him. "Saved the Universes and all. Should give him some credit for that."

"You neglected to mention your big hero was a bloody alien!" Trev hissed, the contempt evident in his voice.

"Commander, are you returning to Control?" Roger asked over the comm, interrupting Trev's ranting. "Sensors are picking up rift activity. Need to head out and clean up the mess."

Rose took a deep breath. It never ended. "Be there in a bit," she clicked off the microphone and turned to the Doctor.

"Pete and I were hoping to keep the alien part a secret. Guess that's out now."

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a card. "Visitor's pass. I was gonna give it to you this morning but you were gone. This lets you to roam about when I'm not around. Nobody should give you a hard time. Might be curious though. Want to ask questions."

"I don't have a problem talking… or talking without saying anything," he winked.

Rose nodded, then took a deep breath as she nervously posed a question. "We were wonderin' if you wanted to work with us. Here, I mean."

He raised an eyebrow. "Work for Torchwood?"

"S'not the same as it was back there. Pete's made sure of that," she explained quickly.

The Doctor thought about it for a few seconds, which really seemed much longer in his mind as he went through a few thousand different possibilities in the blink of an eye. "Martha once told me it's better to work from the inside…"

Rose nudged him with her elbow. "Will help you towards gettin' a mortgage..." She grinned up at him, her pink tongue peeking between her teeth in a very Rose-like gesture.

He groaned in response, "Might want to get an identity first. I suppose I could use the psychic paper for that though."

"Psychic paper?" Rose asked.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the leather case, flipping it open. "I have one of these in every suit. Never know when I might need it." He then furrowed his brow, "I'm probably going to need a bank account, oh—and a car? Can I have a car? I miss having a car… wait… might need a license if I want a car. And probably a passport if we visit outside the country… and-"

"Dad's working on it – without the psychic paper," Rose interrupted. "What do you think of Doctor John Smith?"

"Doctor John Smith?" He happily took the visitor's pass. "Rose Tyler, you are brilliant! Did I ever tell you that?"

She smiled shyly, "Once or twice."

"I'm sure I'll say it several more times." He gave her a quick kiss on the head and bolted out of the basement, eager to explore his new place of work.

Rose couldn't help but wonder what Torchwood had just gotten itself into.