Back in Time

Aliens of London (Pt. 1)

The Doctor refused to return Rose home a year late this time.

It wasn't only because he wanted to be more responsible this time around, not really. What he wanted more than that was to avoid an infamous slap from one Jackie Tyler. He did miss the woman--she had grown on him over the years--but a slap on the cheek? He could always live without that.

Unfortunately for him, luck didn't seem to favor him. It never did. No, Rose wasn't missing for an entire year, but she was missing for twelve weeks. The Doctor was fairly certain the TARDIS wanted to mess with him at this point, and he winced as the police were (once again) called to the Tyler flat and Jackie (once again) slapped his cheek hard enough to turn his face bright red.

"Ow!" The Doctor reached up to hold his cheek, backing away from the older woman. She looked like she had another slap in her.

"Three bloody months!" Jackie shouted. "What are you, a pedophile? You haven't hired my daughter for sex, have you?"

"No!" the Doctor shouted, secretly thankful as Rose stepped between them.

"It wouldn't be your business even if he had, mum," she said, the calming voice in the storm that was Jackie Tyler. "He didn't. We were just travelin'. Nothing more."

Jackie didn't look convinced. She reached out and touched Rose's cheek. "You at least thought of me, yeah?"

"Every day, mum. I'm sorry I didn't call."

The Doctor let them catch up and slipped out to the roof of Powell Estate, looking out over London. Nine months until London was graced with the presence of the Slitheen. At least they could relax a bit until they came down to Earth. Then again, everything was changing these days. He was changing his past--something that all Time Lords were told not to do the day they entered the academy. The time streams would change, and some things that were meant to be would not happen, changing history as they knew it...

For him, the Doctor mused, his end with Rose was one thing he didn't mind changing. He'd deal with the consequences when that day came.

The door behind him opened, and he looked away from the city to see Rose walking onto the roof. She smiled a bit and shut the door behind her, rubbing the back of her neck. "Sorry about that. She gets worried."

"I know," he said absently, looking away. "

"How would you know? You met her once."

Crap. "Well, she's your mum. Most mums worry sick when their child goes missing, yeah?"

Rose walked beside him and smiled a bit. "Yeah, suppose so. Not all mums, though."

He shrugged and glanced her way. "Well, yours seems to fit the bill."

Rose nodded and looked where the Doctor had been, shifting so she sat with her legs dangling over the edge. "Yeah. I can't tell her where we've been, can I?"

The Doctor shrugged again. "Well, you could. I can't guarantee she'd believe you, though."

"Well she wouldn't. Who would? I can't even begin to...she's never going to forgive me for that. I missed three months. Was there anything important?"

"Middling."

"You're useless." Rose shook her head, looking back at him. The Doctor rolled his eyes and raised an eyebrow.

"Does that mean you'll stop traveling?"

"No! Just...I can't do that to her again, Doctor." Rose sighed. "We need to come back on time. I don't want to give her a heart attack."