The Last Royal (editing)

*Aliens of London*

!EDITED!

A/N: sorry this took so long... :/ was 6378 words, is now 8357! :D

It really was amazing, traveling with the Doctor in the TARDIS, but Rose and I both wanted to see mum. So, the Doctor was taking us home for a visit. The three of us step outside the TARDIS and I look around at the Powell Estate; it was so odd being home after everything we've done so far.

"How long have we been gone?" Rose's question snaps me from my own thoughts and I turn to see the Doctor leaning against the TARDIS, his arms folded and ankles crossed.

"About twelve hours," he smiles, making Rose and I laugh at the absurdity of it.

"Oh!" Rose beams, looping her arm through mine. "Right, we won't be gone long," she assures him.

"We're just gonna pop in, see mum and then we'll be ready to leave again," I smile.

"What're you going to tell her?" the Doctor asks curiously.

"I don't know!" Rose laughs. "We've been to the year five billion and only been gone, what? Twelve hours?" she smiles, making the Doctor snort.

"Saw Charles Dickens on Christmas surrounded by ghosts?" I raise an eyebrow, biting my lip to keep from laughing.

"No, I'll just tell her I've spent the night at Shareen's," Rose shrugs, scratching the side of her nose.

"I'll just tell her I went round to Mouse's and fell asleep, I'm always doing that," I shrug, ignoring the tiny pang of anger that hits me and the Doctor's raised eyebrow. "See ya later!" I beam, dragging Rose off.

Rose, however, stops and turns us back to the Doctor, "don't you disappear," she points to him sternly with her free hand and the Doctor puts on a mock-offended expression, making us giggle before we run off.

***

"We're back!" Rose calls as we step into the flat, setting her keys on the little table by the door. "I was with Shareen, she was all upset again!" she rolls her eyes.

"I crashed at Mouse's!" I call, hanging my bag up and looking around for mum. "Are you in?"

Mum walks out of the kitchen, carrying a mug of tea or coffee or something, wearing her dressing gown. I smile widely, "so, what's been going on, then? How've you been?" I ask, my smile fading a little when I see her pale as she stares between Rose and me. "What? What's that face for?"

"It's not the first time we've stayed out all night," Rose frowns, sharing a look with me.

"It's you," mum whispers, dropping her mug on the floor and making me jump when it shatters.

"Of course it's us!" I frown.

"Oh, my God!" mum cries. "It's you! Oh, my God! My girls!" she runs forward, throwing her arms around Rose and me.

"Mum, what's-" I stop when I see fliers covering the table all with 'Have you seen Lizzie and Rose Tyler?' on them and a photo of Rose and me, smiling with our arms around each other.

The three of us jump when the door slams open and I look to see the Doctor running in, "it's not twelve hours," he pants, guilt washing over me. "It's um... twelve months; you've been gone a whole year," he smiles sheepishly, breathing out a laugh. "Sorry..." he rubs the back of his neck.

***

Mum had completely lost it after the Doctor had come in. She was shouting, demanding an answer as to where we've been for the past year and who the hell the Doctor was. What were we supposed to say? 'Oh, don't worry, mum, this is just the alien with two hearts and a time machine that we've been traveling with! We've actually only been gone for a couple days even though for you it's been an entire year! Absolutely nothing odd or barmy going on!' Yeah, that'd go over brilliantly. So, not getting an answer other than traveling from either of us, mum phoned the police.