SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW
Chapter Thirty Four After checking the newspaper, they decided to go see ‘Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’. Rose finished getting ready and after asking directions to the movie theater at the front desk, they were out the door and on their way. They reached the theater after twenty minutes of walking and after paying admission and getting two large Cokes and a tub of popcorn found a couple seats halfway up the back of the theater. They settled down into the seats and began to munch on the popcorn while they waited for the movie to start. “So, when we check out tomorrow,” Alan said to her. “Are we gonna leave right away or do something else and leave later on?” “Not sure, it depends on how hot it’ll be. I’ll check the weather channel just before we check out and we’ll decide then.” “I’ve been thinking, if we’re heading down the east coast, perhaps we should look at the map when we get back to the hotel room and plan what we wanna do when we reach the major cities. I mean we’re going down through Washington D.C. and if we’re gonna see the Smithsonian, that’ll take at least a couple of days to get through, plus there’s all the monuments and the White House if we wanna tour that.” Alan grinned. “We could go on that tour and meet old Bushie!” he said. “Bush isn’t the president in this reality.” “Really? Who is?” “Arnold Schwarzenegger.” “He is? I thought only people born in the US could become president.” “Yeah, well, he didn’t stay governor of California for very long. He ended up running for the senate and won and once he got that, he proposed this amendment to the constitution that cancelled out that rule and it went through. As soon as it did, he ran for president in 2000 and won.” “So, he’s basically taken Bush’s place all these years.” “Yup.” “So, did they have the whole Florida debacle on election night with the loose chads and everything?” Rose snorted. “No, because from what I heard, it wasn’t even a close election like it was in the other universe. I mean, come on, Al Gore versus Arnold Schwarzenegger? Who would you vote for? He won by a landslide.” “So, the Iraq war never happened?” She rolled her eyes. “Yes, it happened. He’s a republican just like Bush was and we’re talking about the guy who played the Terminator, you know. Only difference is he’s a lot more popular than Bush ever was, so he doesn’t get all this flak like he did. But, I…” She trailed off when she suddenly looked straight ahead. Alan, who had kept his eyes on her while she was talking, got a confused look on his face. She saw the disgust on her face and turned his head to see where she was looking. His mouth dropped open when he saw a lady in low rider jeans a few rows down making her way down the aisle. The jeans were so low most of her butt crack was exposed giving everyone in the seats above her a bird’s eye view. Alan noticed that the people she was passing by in her row were jerking their heads backwards since her butt crack was at eye level. “That’s disgusting,” Rose muttered. “Yes, I pity the poor people who are sitting right there,” he muttered back. They breathed a sigh of relief when she finally sat down. All around them they could hear snickering and loud whispers and they knew it was directed at her. “Dear,” Alan said, leaning in. “I love you more than anything and I think your body is perfect, but please, please, please do not ever wear jeans that are so low I can see every inch of your ass crack, okay?” “Yup.” “Thank you,” he said, breathing a sigh of relief. “I don’t understand humans who think that looks good, than and the ones that wear their jeans down around their knees. How people can walk when they’re down that low is something I’ll never figure out as long as I live.” “She had a nice tattoo though. I like the whole rose and leaves thing on her lower back. It accents the ass crack perfectly,” she said. Alan and Rose both snickered. “That’s another thing that fascinates me. Humans who are willing to get their skin permanently inked with some little picture or words or something.” “I don’t know, that’s not so bad. I’ve always wanted to get a tattoo.” Alan stared at her with wide eyes. “Come again? Did I just hear the words I want a tattoo come out of your mouth just now?” “Well, yeah, I mean it’s not like I’ve been thinking about it just recently. I’ve always wanted one ever since I was a teenager, but mum wouldn’t let me get one. But…ever since we came to New York…” “Whoa. You want a tattoo now?” Rose giggled. She gave him a defiant look. “It’s my body and I can do what I want with it,” she said in a haughty voice. “Rose, dear, not that I don’t agree with the whole it’s your body thing, but have you considered that you’ll still have the thing when you turn eighty?” “Yes, that’s why I’m not getting anything fancy. Just something simple like that woman had.” “You want a rose directly above your ass crack?” “No,” she laughed. “But something pretty like that on my arm or my ankle or something.” She grinned. “And, if I’m gonna do it, you should as well.” “Excuse me? You want me to get a tattoo ? Just how long have you been thinking about this?” “The past couple of days.” “You want me to go get a picture of something permanently placed on my body?” “What? You keep saying you wanna be different from the Doctor.” His mouth dropped open as she giggled. “I can be different from him without getting colored ink pressed into my pores. Okay, wait, first off what would you be getting since I’m the one who has to look at the thing for the rest of my life?” “I don’t know. I was thinking a rose in honor of my name or a unicorn or something like that. Or…” Alan raised his eyebrow when she didn’t elaborate. “Or, what?” he said. “Or I was thinking you could write out Amo’tiri in Gallifreyan and I could get that put on my arm.” “You want a bunch of concentric circles on your arm for the rest of your life?” “Yeah, I mean, I love your pet name for me and I love the way Gallifreyans write things and I think it would be neat to put on my arm.” “What are you gonna say if people ask what it is?” She shrugged. “Just a design. See and that way you’d be the only one who knew what it was.” She snickered when Alan gave her a long, hard stare. “You’re serious about this,” he said. Rose nodded. “And you want me to go along with it?” Rose grinned and nodded. “What would I get?” Rose shrugged. She giggled. “Have them put a little black dot on your arm and then write Vashta Nerada above it with an arrow pointing down.” “Hell, no,” he said as Rose put her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing too loudly. “Okay, get “I’m not the Doctor, damn it!” in big bold letters across your chest. “Yes, I’ll run right out and do that,” he said, rolling his eyes. She grinned. “Get, pretty boy across your forehead.” She sniggered when Alan glanced skyward. “No!” he said as she laughed. “Okay, okay, something for you…um…” “Oh, this oughta be good,” Alan muttered. “I can’t wait to hear what you come up with next.” “Okay,” she said after a moment’s thought. “I’m guessing the Doctor’s TARDIS is right out.” “You guessed correctly.” “Okay, um… how about an alien of some kind on your arm?” Alan raised his eyebrow. “Oh you mean like putting one of those stereotypical big, ugly, white alien heads on my arm and under it have the phrase, this is me, tee hee or something like that?” “No, not that alien. That’s ugly.” “Good because that’s actually not what the alien looks like anyway. It’s an Andromedan and when they visit here, they can’t breathe the atmosphere very well and the supposed white skin is their space suit and helmet and the big black eyes are the lenses.” “Oh really? What do they really look like?” “Like humans except they have bigger noses.” “Oh, so the Doctor was Andromedan when I first met him.” “Mwah ha ha,” the Doctor said while she giggled. “Yeah, that’s hi-larious, alright.” “Okay, okay, not E.T. because that doesn’t suit you either.” “Thank you because I would have voted that down immediately. I don’t wanna spend the rest of my life with that ostrich necked weirdo on my body.” “What about the ‘Alien’ alien?” Alan made a face. “The Predator?” “No.” She snickered. “Alf.” “Hell, no.” Rose leaned against him and munched on popcorn while she thought. “I can’t believe I’m actually entertaining this idea,” Alan said as he picked up his Coke. “I can’t believe I would actually be willing to go along with the idea of getting a tattoo. It must be love because anyone else who suggested this idea would be laughed at immediately.” Just then the lights dimmed. “I’ll keep thinking about it and get back to ya,” she whispered as the previews started. “I’ll be on pins and needles then just waiting for your next brainstorm,” he said as she snickered. They were about forty five minutes into the movie when Alan leaned over to Rose. “Rose?” “Yeah?” she whispered back. “You just notice that Indiana Jones survived a nuclear blast by hiding in a refrigerator?” “Yeah?” “Um, is Indiana Jones Superman in disguise or something?” She giggled. “It’s a film, dear.” “Yes, but even in films I, at the very least, expect someone to just go through a nuclear blast with at least one scratch on his body. I did tell you that the Doctor had to expel radiation from his body after frying that Slab, so even he wasn’t unaffected by it. And what is a lead lined refrigerator doing out there anyway? Was it there so the scientists could have milk and sandwiches while the explosion was happening?” “It’s a film, dear. Try not to think too much, it’s easier that way.” Alan shook his head as Rose chuckled and leaned her head against his arm. “Okay, that was an odd film,” Alan said as he and Rose walked out. “Where did they come up with the explanation for the crystal skulls? Crystal skulls look like human skulls and they were designed by aliens to hold information about other civilizations when the time came that the human race was advanced enough to access it. They weren’t actual alien skulls. No alien would live long with a crystal skeleton. I think Steven Spielberg and George Lucas are getting a bit daft in their old age.” He sighed as they headed back to the hotel room. “And speaking of aliens, I suppose you’ve thought up more odd things I can put on my body.” “I have, actually and I think I’ve thought of one that fits you perfectly.” “Oh yeah, who? Yoda?” “No, although that did cross my mind. Nope, Stitch.” He frowned. “Stitch? The little blue Disney alien?” “Yeah, you know, 'Lilo and Stitch'.” “Yeah, I know the movie. Why him?” “Has the Doctor seen the movie?” “A long time ago.” “Do you know the plot then?” “Vaguely.” “Well, Stitch was created to be this evil alien who would destroy civilizations and he was captured along with the man who created him and while they were taking him to prison, he escaped and fled to Earth where he met this lonely little girl named Lilo who adopted him and taught him how to act like a human and how to be good and at the end of the film, he became a good little alien because of her. Sound familiar?” Alan’s eyes widened. “How do you think of these things? Your thought processes just astound me sometimes,” she said. “And…also, Stitch is kinda wacky and fun loving like you, plus he’s cute, I think.” Alan considered that. “I guess having a Stitch tattoo wouldn’t be too bad,” he conceded. “Especially considering what you just said about him.” “So, you will get a tattoo with me?” He sighed. “If I get it, it will not be some huge thing that takes up half my body. I’ll get it on my arm above my shirt sleeve and you will be the only one who sees it. Lord knows why I’m agreeing to this though. The human side must be interfering with my thinking or something.” Rose let out a little squeal and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you,” she said. “You’re welcome, I guess,” he said. He shook his head. “God, Rose, what is this power you have over me and the Doctor that we just instantly become putty in your hands and do whatever you want, no matter how bizarre it may be?” They got back to the hotel room, climbed in the shower together and made love before finally turning in for the night. The next morning, they woke up early and Rose checked The Weather Channel for the forecast. She made a face and looked at Alan who was in the bathroom shaving. “It’s gonna get up to eighty eight degrees Fahrenheit,” she said. “You wanna wait till late afternoon or do you wanna go ahead and take a ferry or zeppelin across the water into New Jersey?” “I’d rather we do that. Take a zeppelin in and go ahead and look around and then leave by late afternoon. Unless you wanna spend the night in the city?” “Nah, I wanna get going, we have a lot of ground to cover, you know.” Alan glanced at her. “What about the whole tattoo scheme?” She smiled. “I thought we could do that this morning before we left.” He raised his eyebrow. “You really are going to go through with this, aren’t you?” “Yup.” “What are your parents gonna think?” “I don’t care what they think. I’m twenty three now and I can do what I want.” “And is the next step getting our bodies pierced and then getting our hair dyed and then getting a large bolt through my penis? Is this where this tattooing thing is leading to?” “Nah, I just want a tattoo. No piercing in odd places or stuff like that.” “Well, thank God for that because I really was gonna put my foot down the moment you suggested I get an earring in my tongue.” He finished up and slapped shaving lotion on his face. He paused a moment, hitched up his shirt sleeve and stared at his bare arm in the mirror. “I can’t believe in a few hours I’m gonna have a Disney character on here,” he said as Rose giggled. “God, I must be insane. The Doctor would find a Sycorax and have his arm cut off before he did anything like this.” “Well, you’re doing this because you love me,” Rose said, walking over to him. “The Doctor loves you as well, but there are limits to what he would do for you, trust me.” “Yeah, but you’re more adventurous than him,” she purred, rubbing his arms. “I’m something, but I don’t think adventurous is the correct word to describe it,” he muttering. “More like gullible and easily led around by a woman.” She gave him a peck on the earlobe. “Come on; just think of it as a new experience. I’ll buy you dinner afterwards.” “You’ve been buying me dinner anyway, so where’s the reward?” She laughed and hugged him around the middle. “I’m your reward.” Alan turned his head and smiled at her. “Yes, you are and that’s why I’m willing to go along with this crazy scheme of yours.” He kissed her on the lips and let out a sigh. “Okay, let’s get it over with,” he said as he gathered up his toiletries.
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