MY BEST MATE, THE DOCTOR

Chapter Three

Jackie was watching the TV when she heard a knock on her door. She got up, walked over, opened it and nearly had a heart attack when she saw her daughter. Rose was dressed in a black leather dress with matching leather boots. A studded leather collar was around her neck and her right wrist. Her hair was dyed jet black and she was wearing white makeup with black eyeliner and lipstick. She had a piercing in her nose, her eyebrow and three piercings in both ears including a silver skull that was dangling from her right ear. Jackie could only stare at her daughter in silent horror, unable to find words to express what she was seeing.

"Hi, Mum," Rose said.

"What the hell are you wearing?" Jackie said.

"I've gone Goth," Rose said. "The Doctor has as well."

"The Doctor…"

Jackie trailed off when the Doctor stepped into view. He was wearing a black t-shirt, black leather jacket and trousers and black leather boots. He had on a studded leather belt and a studded collar around his neck. Jackie's mouth nearly hit the floor.

"Bela Lugosi is dead," the Doctor said to her in an ominous voice. "The bats have left the bell tower."

"What?" Jackie said.

"It's a song by the Bauhaus," the Doctor said. "Of course you wouldn't know that since you're not Goth."

"Too right I'm not. What have you done to my daughter?"

"I did this to us," Rose said. "I've decided that life is boring and dark and I changed my appearance to reflect that."

"And I decided to follow her lead," the Doctor said. "After all, what is my life but death and darkness. Death, death, death all day long."

"I don't give a damn about you," Jackie said to him. "But you better change back to your normal self, young lady."

"I'm an adult, I can dress the way I please," Rose said.

"Not while I'm living," Jackie growled at her.

"Then we'll go to the year five billion again. Doctor, will you take me away to when my mum is a pile of dust so I can be free to express myself?" Rose said to him.

"Oh, I believe that's doable," the Doctor said.

Jackie grabbed the Doctor's leather jacket.

"I believe you've done enough damage to my daughter. She's staying here from now on," Jackie growled at him.

"Oh come on, mum, it's fake," Rose said, exasperated. "We're pretending to be Goths for a giggle."

Jackie paused and looked at her.

"Your hair is black and you have piercings."

"I have a machine in the TARDIS that can temporary change a person's appearance for disguise purposes. The hair can be changed back and the earrings are clip-ons. Calm down, Jackie," the Doctor said.

"So this is what you do? Put on crazy outfits and see if people notice?" Jackie said to him.

The Doctor shrugged.

"We're bored," he said.

"So am I but I don't put on leather and pretend to be a vampire," Jackie said.

But looking at her daughter, she could see why she enjoyed being with him. Not many people were willing to dress up and be goofy in public for a laugh. She realized that after knowing the man for nearly two years, he still had the ability to do things that took her completely by surprise.

"So what are you planning to do now that you've gone Goth?" Jackie asked them.

"Not sure, we thought perhaps go through space and time and be Goth," the Doctor said.

"Come with us," Rose said.

"What? And be Goth?" Jackie said.

"Yeah, come and be Goth with us," Rose said. "We can play a game called Goths through history."

"Goths through history! Brilliant! How 'bout it, Jackie. The machine can turn you back to normal after the game is finished."

"I don't know how to be Goth. I always avoided those people like the plague," Jackie said.

"Just act like you like the darkness," Rose said. "You're all about the cemeteries and death and darkness. At least that's how I see it."

"And even if that's not what the Goths are, we can do a parody of how people perceive the Goths," the Doctor said. "Besides, the places I have in mind, no one will know the difference."

Jackie raised her eyebrow while Rose pleaded for her to come with them.

"How about if I just come with you and observe before I decide to go Goth," Jackie said to them.

"Well, that depends," the Doctor said.

"On what?" Jackie said.

"On whether or not you actually step foot out of the TARDIS and stay with us."

"Are you going to get us killed?" Jackie said.

"Um…wasn't planning on it," the Doctor said.

Jackie looked at her daughter who was still begging her to come.

"Alright but…if I land up in jail alongside the pair of ya, I'll kill ya," she said.

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