Time Book I

Aliens of London

CHAPTER 16| ANOTHER FUN ADVENTURE

   The TARDIS materializes outside the Powell Estate where Rose's mum and Mickey Smith live.

   "How long have I been gone?" Rose asks.

   "About twelve hours," the Doctor says standing outside of the TARDIS resting against the doors. (Y/N) is standing next to him smiling lightly.

   "Oh. Right, I won't be long. I just want to see my mum."

   "What're you going to tell her?"

   "I don't know. I've been to the year five billion and only been gone, what, twelve hours? No, I'll just tell her I spent the night at Shareen's. See you later. Oh, don't you two go disappearing," Rose says. She runs up the stairs to the flat, (Y/N) spots an old poster half stuck to a concrete pillar.

   "I'm back! I was with Shareen. She was all upset again. Are you in? So, what's been going on? How've you been? What? What's that face for? It's not the first time I've stayed out all night," Rose says to her mum as she enters the flat. Jackie drops her mug of tea. It smashes on the floor. (Y/N) finishes reading the poster and runs to the flat, the Doctor close behind her. 

   "It's you!" Jackie says.

   "Of course it's me."

   "Oh, my God. It's you. Oh my God." Jackie hugs Rose, who spots several different types of missing person posters on the table. (Y/N) runs in the Doctor in tow. 

   "It's not twelve hours, it's twelve months. You've been gone a whole year. Sorry he got it wrong, again," (Y/N) says looking at Rose with a sad smile.

   "The hours I've sat here, days and weeks and months, all on my own. I thought you were dead, and where were you? Travelling. What the hell does that mean, travelling? That's no sort of answer. You ask her. She won't tell me. That's all she says. Travelling."

   "That's what I was doing," Rose says.

   "When your passport's still in the drawer? It's just one lie after another."

   "I meant to phone. I really did. I just forgot."

   "What, for a year? You forgot for a year? And I am left sitting here. I just don't believe you. Why won't you tell me where you've been?"

   "Actually, it's our fault. We sort of er, employed Rose as our companion," (Y/N) says.

   "When you say companion, is this a sexual relationship?" the policeman asks.

   "No!" the trio say together.

   "Then what is it? Because you, you waltz in here all charm and smiles, and the next thing I know, she vanishes off the face of the Earth! How old are you then? Forty? Forty five? What, did you find her on the Internet? Did you go online and pretend you're a doctor?" Jackie says pointing at the Doctor.

   "I am a Doctor!" the Doctor says.

   "Prove it. Stitch this, mate!" Jackie smacks the Doctor hard. She goes to smack (Y/N) but (Y/N) grabs Jackie's arm stopping her.

   "I wouldn't do that if I were you," the Doctor says.

   "Did you think about me at all?" Jackie asks Rose later in the Kitchen. Rose is crying.

   "I did. All the time, but-" Rose responds wiping away a few tears.

   "One phone call. Just to know that you were alive."

   "I'm sorry. I really am."

   "Do you know, what terrifies me is that you still can't say. What happened to you, Rose? What can be so bad that you can't tell me, sweetheart? Where were you?"

   Rose, the Doctor, and (Y/N) are all on the roof. "I can't tell her. I can't even begin. She's never going to forgive me. And I missed a year. Was it good?"

   "Middling," the Doctor says.

   "You're so useless," (Y/N) says smiling at him.

   "Well, if it's this much trouble, are you going to stay here now?"

   "I don't know. I can't do that to her again, through," Rose says.

   "Well, she's not coming with us."

   "No chance."

   "He doesn't do families," (Y/N) says.

   "She slapped you!" Rose says looking towards the Doctor.

   "Nine hundred years of time and space, and I've never been slapped by someone's mother," the Doctor says towards (Y/N).

   "Your face!" she replies.

    "It hurt," he puts his hand on his face.

   "You're so gay. When you say nine hundred years?" Rose speaks up.

   "That's my age," the Doctor replies. "She's eight hundred and ninety-nine," the Doctor points to (Y/N).

   "You're both nine hundred years old?"

   "Yeah," (Y/N) replies.

   "My mum was right. That is one hell of an age gap. Every conversation with you just goes mental. There's no one else I can talk to. I've seen all that stuff up there, the size of it, and I can't say a word. Aliens and spaceships and things, and I'm the only person on planet Earth who knows they exist." There is a deep horn and a space ship, trailing black smoke passes overhead and heads for the city. It misses Tower Bridge, weaves around St Paul's, then with a nasty back-fire and a sputter, dives for the Thames, taking out the Clock Tower. Big Ben chimes once and the spaceship crashes into the river. The Doctor, (Y/N) and Rose watch a plume of black smoke rise into the air on the horizon. "Oh, that's just not fair."

   The trio runs to the center of the city but is stopped by a jam, the army has closed the roads, much to the annoyance of car drivers.

   "It's blocked off," (Y/N) says.

   "We're miles from the center. The city must be grid locked. The whole of London must be closing down," Rose responds.

   "I know. I can't believe we're here to see this. This is fantastic!" 

   "Did you know this was going to happen?"

   "Nope."

   "Do you recognize the ship?"

   "Nope."

   "Do you know why it crashed?"

   "Nope."

   "Oh, I'm so glad I've got you."

   "I bet you are. This is what we travel for, Rose. To see history happening right in front of us."

   "Well, let's go and see it. Never mind the traffic, we've got the TARDIS."

   "Better not. They've already got one spaceship in the middle of London. I don't want to shove another one on top."

   "Yeah, but yours looks like a big blue box. No one's going to notice."

   "You'd be surprised. Emergency like this, there'll be all kinds of people watching. Trust me. The TARDIS stays where it is."

   "So history's happening and we're stuck here?"

   "Yes, we are."

   "We could always do what everybody else does. We could watch it on TV."