IT WAS 20,000 YEARS AGO TODAY
Chapter Twenty Five Jeremy smiled when he put the finishing touches on a tree he was painting. He had an easel set up in his living room and was currently painting a nature scene, a deer standing in the middle of a forest. He heard the knock on his door and put his brush in a small jar of water while he wiped his hands on a paint covered rag and took off a paint covered smock. "Coming," he called out as he threw the smock on a wooden chair in front of the easel. He opened the door and smiled when Rose embraced him. The smile fell off his face when he saw John Smith. "Oh no," he said as he let go of Rose, "bollocks! He found a way back." "I'm not him! This is him!" John Smith said as he pointed to the Doctor standing beside him. Jeremy smirked when he saw him. "Aw, what's wrong, have a little boo boo and change bodies again?" he sneered. "Maybe if I'd been there blowing things up, it wouldn't have happened." "Jeremy, stop!" Rose said angrily. "No, Rose, he has a right to be angry." "Too right I do," Jeremy said. "You kicked me out the door with Rose and now you're back for her? Well, tough! You're not breaking her heart again!" "I don't want her except as a friend," the Doctor said, holding up his hands. "I want to bury the hatchet and I don't mean that literally either." "Why?" Jeremy said suspiciously. "And…who's he if he isn't you?" "He was another clone that was created while I was unconscious. I'll explain everything but first, can we come inside so we can talk?' Jeremy sighed and nodded his head. He took Rose's hand and stepped back so they could enter. "Great," Jeremy muttered and shut the door as they walked into the room. "Jeremy, please, hear them out, yeah?" Rose said. "Don't jump to conclusions. They need our help." "Yes, we need your help, both of you," the Doctor said. "Really? Because the last time I tried to help you, I ended up here. Not sure I wanna help again since I might end up in a supernova next." "Look, I'm sorry. I apologize for what I did. It was unfair and I really do want to make amends here. So could you please let up on the hostility, at least until you hear me out?" Jeremy nodded. "Say what you have to say then, I'm listening," he said. "Well…I was hoping you'd come back to the Tyler place, I have more people and I want everyone to be in one place when we talk," the Doctor said. "Are you busy?" "Not really, just painting at the moment," Jeremy said, gesturing to the easel. "This is wonderful," the Doctor said as he and John Smith walked over to it. "How long have you been at it?" "That? For a few weeks. Painting in general, a couple of months. I took several classes on painting, sculpture, drawing and I took a writing class. I've been bored and trying to find a hobby I like. That's just the latest pursuit." "Like Jeremy in the film, he was painting, composing, writing a book when the Beatles found him," John Smith said to the Doctor. "Huh? What are you on about? Beatles?" Jeremy said while Rose laughed. "Just come with us, love," Rose said. "They'll explain everything back at the house." "Okay, let me use the loo and make sure everything is alright before I go." The Doctor nodded and they waited while Jeremy went to use the loo. Once he was done and his flat was locked up, Jeremy followed the others to Rose's car. She drove them back to the Tyler mansion and once they were inside, the Doctor introduced everyone. Rose laughed at Jeremy's delight when he saw the Beatles and they shook his hand. They made small talk in the living room while Jackie and her cook prepared a dinner of roast, potatoes and broccoli. Once that was ready, they retired to the formal dining room since the table there could seat thirty. They ate and drank wine while Tia and Tony drank milk and it was there that the Doctor began his tale starting with the details surrounding his death and regeneration. He moved on to meeting Amy and he, Amy and Rory took turns giving a brief summation of their adventures. Then everyone except for Tia told his or her story to Rose, Jeremy, Jackie and Pete who were listening in an enraptured silence while Tia ate her dinner beside Tony. After they finished eating, they stopped talking long enough to help clear the table and then they went into the living room with tea and slices of chocolate cake. Once they were settled in the living room, Paul continued telling them about meeting the Doctor and Amy and Rory and what happened to him. While everyone continued to take turns telling their story, Tia sat on the floor and played with Tony and Jane smiled when the two of them crawled around the floor and chased each other while they tried to hide behind the furniture. It took them about two and a half more hours for everyone to finish and bring Jackie and her family up to date on everything that had been happening. "So at the moment you're hopin' to wipe these Diablons out before they take over everything," Rose said when they finished. "Yes, we went back in time because as Paul pointed out, there were too many and they were too entrenched in his time. We defeated one, another one would step up to take his place, so we decided to go back to the beginning and defeat them before they can do anything," the Doctor said. "But the invasion was beginning when we did the dimensional jump and I'm sure we'll have our work cut out for us when we find our way back. We need an army of sorts and we came here to ask you to join us." "I'm in but I do have a question," Rose said. "And that is?" the Doctor said. "If we do this, are we comin' back here right after the battle?" "That's up to you. I'm not gonna force you to come back this time. I'm not gonna kick you out of the TARDIS, the choice is up to you whether or not you wish to come with me or come back here and I extend that choice to both you and Jeremy." Jeremy raised his eyebrows and glanced at his fiancée. "What do you think?" he said to her. "I'd like to but…Mum, dad, what do you think?" "It's up to you, love, you're an adult now," Jackie said. "Just make sure you make the right decision since I'm sure the Doctor won't have this spaceship forever and you said you can't make dimensional jumps in your TARDIS, is that right?" "No, I can't and she's right, I don't care if you want to come with me, just choose wisely," he said to them. "Also know that if you come with me, you'll be sharing space with, at the very least, Amy, Rory, Bill, Michelle, Paul, Jane and Tia." "Wow, travelin' with Paul McCartney, sign me up!" "Oi!" Jeremy said while everyone laughed and Paul pumped his fist in the air. "So what do you think?" Rose said to her fiancé. "I have no real life here; I'm a Nowhere Man just like they said. I can go or stay, it makes no difference. Whatever you decide is fine with me." Rose fell silent, thinking it over while everyone waited. Finally, after five minutes, she looked at Jackie and Pete. "Mum, dad, I have to. I have to go. I belong with the Doctor, if not as his girlfriend then as his companion. Torchwood is fine but I belong out there among the stars and I want Jeremy to come with me, he doesn't belong here either. We're both Nowhere Men here. I'm sorry but I need to do this, I hope you both understand." Jackie rose from her seat and went to hug her. Pete followed and everyone smiled when Rose hugged them tightly and kissed them both. After they did that, Jackie walked over to the Doctor. "I'm leaving her in your hands now and I want her looked after," Jackie said. "No leaving her and Jeremy on an alien planet when you grow tired of them, d'ya hear?" "I give you my word I will look after them and I won't do that to them," he said to her. "I do have one request though, Rose." "Yeah?" Rose said. He grinned. "You mentioned you had the Yellow Submarine film on DVD. Mind showing it to everyone here before we go so everyone will know what the hell we're talking about when we mentioned similarities between the film and real life?" he said.
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