PREDATOR AND PREY
Chapter Thirteen Once they were back on the TARDIS, the Doctor took them into the vortex and leaving the stabilizer by the console, took the book back to his library. After that, he headed to his room, changed back into his usual outfit and got cleaned up. When he was back to his normal self, he went back to the console room. No one was in there so the Doctor assumed everyone else was getting cleaned up and resting so he took the stabilizer, went down under the console and started work on attaching the part to the underside of the console. Rose finished changing back into her street clothes. She had washed off the heavy makeup and applied a lighter covering. When she was finished, she stood in front of her full length mirror and looked at her necklace. She smiled when the light from above caught the leaf just right and made it sparkle. "River can have the diamond, I'll take this any day," she murmured as she ran her finger down the Perspex casing. She put the pendant underneath her pink shirt and headed back to the console room. When she came in the door, she didn't see anyone at first and came down the stairs. She looked around, wondering if the Doctor was in his room and then she heard a sizzle sound and her eyes went down to the floor. She grinned when she saw the Doctor sitting under it in a sling. He was using a soldering iron to attach the wires to the rest of the circuitry while the box rested in a smaller sling. The Doctor looked up at Rose and she laughed at his goggles. "What?" he said. "Love the goggles, Doctor. They make you look cute," Rose said. "Really? I thought they made me look dashing but everyone has their opinions," he said to her. Rose walked over to the stairs and came down to the lower level. She came around to the Doctor and looked at the central column. "Wow, you can see the bottom of the column now," she said, pointing to it. "I like this version of the console room better. It's more space age now." "Well, I think the TARDIS got bored with the organic layout," the Doctor said while he worked. "I needed a change and so did she." "So much has changed since I left," Rose said. "Well, change is inevitable. It's one of the many inevitabilities about the universe," the Doctor said. "Can't argue with that," Rose said. She fell silent for a moment watching the Doctor while he worked. "Are you sure this'll work?" she finally said, pointing to the box. "No. But it's our best bet. It'll give a boost to the TARDIS and ensure that we'll be able to stay in the other universe as long as we need to." "I wish you had that the last time," Rose said. The Doctor looked at her. "Rose, I couldn't stay," he said. "Yeah, but you didn't have to slink off like that while John and I were kissing. You didn't even give me a proper goodbye," Rose said angrily. "I had to do that." "Why?" The Doctor sighed. He pulled up his goggles to his forehead so he could look at her. "Because my hearts were breaking and I couldn't bear it any longer," he said. "I'm sorry. I know I left without saying goodbye but I didn't want to spoil the moment and…it was bizarre watching my clone kiss you like that, like I was out of my body and observing myself. Course, lots of things about that day were bizarre." "Mum was furious." The Doctor frowned. "Because I left while you were kissing?" "No, because you chucked us out the door in Norway without offering us a ride back. We had to find a cheap hotel while Dad asked Torchwood to let him borrow a zeppelin so he could bring us back." "I'm sorry, that's where the rift came out at," the Doctor said. "Yeah, well, I tried explaining that to mum but you know her…" "Yeah, I know her all too well. So…is a slap waiting for me when we see her again?" the Doctor said. "Most likely," Rose said. "Great. Looking forward to that then," the Doctor said, turning his attention back to the circuitry. "When did you meet River?" Rose asked while she watched him work. "Actually, I met her before the Earth was stolen at a place called the Library." He paused a moment and looked up through the floor, trying to see if River was near. "Gotta be careful though. Remember, that's her future, so I can't say too much about it." "Yeah, I still think that's bizarre," Rose said, shaking her head. "And Amy and Rory, where'd ya meet them?" "Amy, I met the night I regenerated. After the TARDIS was damaged, she careened out of control back to Earth and I crashed in her garden when she was seven years old. She was the first person I met in my new body. Rory, I met…well, it was a few hours for me but years for her. I miscalculated when I had to leave for a moment and came back twelve years later. I met Rory then. He didn't travel with me at first and then he tagged along for Amy's sake and then he started traveling full time." "Like Mickey." "Yes, except he's not as annoying. Well, he was a bit annoying in the beginning but I warmed up to him." "Like Mickey." Rose giggled when the Doctor stopped working and stared at her. "Okay, yes, he's like Mickey and I'm sure sometime in future I'll be treated to an earful of his little girly scream. Satisfied?" Rose nodded and laughed when the Doctor gave her a lopsided grin before he went back to work. "So, you and John are trying to make the relationship work?" the Doctor said while he worked. "Yes. Well, we're trying to sort out the fact that he's a clone of a man I'm in love with. He had a bit of an inferiority complex and sometimes he thinks he's just the substitute for the real thing. To be honest, that's what he was in the beginning but I "warmed up to him" and I keep trying to reassure him that I do love him." "Well, I'm glad you're trying to work it out and not just chuck him out the door because he wasn't the proper version of me." "I wouldn't do that. It's not his fault he was born." "No, the fault would go to me, the Sycorax who lobbed off the hand and Donna." "Mind you, he's not quite as angry and bloodlusty as you think, he was more confused than anything." The Doctor looked at her. "Confused about what?" "About his place in the universe. If you're the Doctor and he's a clone of you, where does he fit in?" "That's why I wanted him to go to the other universe so he didn't have to feel he was competing with me. That's why I wonder if he'll have misgivings about coming back here when all this is over." "He's not quite so bad anymore. He's coming to terms with himself and I think he'd be comfortable acting as a defender of Earth while you're away." "Well, I would welcome the help in that regard. Sarah does her share but her and her son and friends are only four people and Torchwood…I doubt Torchwood is active now that their leader swanned off for parts unknown." "D'ya want me to talk to Jack and try to convince him to come back to Torchwood?" Rose said. "You can try. Jack's as stubborn as a mule but he might listen to his little Yo Ho Ho. You have that magic way of getting through to people and helping them heal." "Which means I'm worth more than 500 credits?" "Heh. Rose Tyler, they would have to auction off 40 planets to get enough credits to buy you. Now…does that make up for what I said earlier?" "Um…it's a start," Rose teased. She came to him and the Doctor switched the soldiering iron to the other hand and put his free arm around her when she embraced him and held him. The old familiar feeling of love swam back to the surface and he smiled as he breathed in her familiar scent. While he stared at her, he had a sudden thought. "Rose. Will you do something for me after you talk to Jack?" he asked her. "What do you want me to do?" Rose murmured. "Let me scan your memories. I want to see what happened to you and what the Valeyard did." He felt Rose stiffen and his suspicions were confirmed. "You were tortured, weren't you?" he said as anger began to rise within him. "He did more than keep you prisoner." "Doctor, I don't…I don't want to relieve those memories." "I can put you to sleep temporarily so you won't be conscious. I just want to know what he did and what happened in general," the Doctor said, stroking her cheek. "I won't traumatize you, I promise. I just need to know what I'm up against. The Valeyard's not to be taken lightly. So will you let me do that if I promise not to make you relive the memories?" Rose nodded and the Doctor kissed her forehead tenderly. Rose gave his hand a squeeze and the Doctor asked her to go ahead and speak to Jack while he finished with the stabilizer. Rose kissed his cheek and the Doctor smiled lovingly at her before she turned and went back up the steps.
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