The Hidden Heart

Aliens of London

[Powell Estate]

The trio had decided to stop off at home, the Doctor had said he'd try for a few hours from when they had left. The TARDIS materialises, and they all step out.

"How long have we been gone?" Rose asks, looking around.

"About twelve hours." The Doctor replies. Katerina looks at him warily, that doesn't feel right to me, but she shrugs it off.

Rose shrugs. "Oh. Right, I won't be long. I just want to see my mum. You coming Kat?"

"Yea, might as well." She shrugs.

The Doctor stops them before they walk away. "What're you going to tell her?"

Rose shrugs in response. "I don't know. I've been to the year 5 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 disappear."

He to Katerina. "And what will you say?"

Katerina smirks at him. "Got called into work, they're used to me disappearing." She shrugs before catching up to Rose.

[The Tyler's flat]

"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 as the two walk in.

"It's you." Jackie says in shock, dropping her mug.

"Of course it's me." Rose says as the girls exchange confused glances.

"Oh, my God. It's you. Oh my God." Jackie hugs Rose.

Katerina looks into the living room to see missing posters with Rose's face on them. "Shit." She mumbles under her breath. Where does she think I've been?

"It's not twelve hours, it's twelve months. You've been gone a whole year. Sorry." The Doctor states, barging into the flat.

The girls both turn and glare at him. Jackie then goes ballistic and calls the cops.

"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." Jackie exclaims, throwing her hands in the air. "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." She continues looking at the police behind her.

"That's what we were doing." Rose states quietly from where the two are sitting on the couch.

"When your passport's still in the drawer? It's just one lie after another." Jackie glares before turning to Katerina. "And what about you Kat, I had the government at my door asking where you were, then out of the blue they tell me you're on a trip and won't be back for a while. How does that make sense? Then you tell me you've been with Rose the whole time. You two couldn't call?"

Katerina's eyes widen as she realises her work covered for her. Why would they do that? Did they know where I was, is that even possible? Her head was spinning as she thought of any explanation.

"I meant to phone. I really did. I just, I forgot." Rose says, trying to sink into the sofa. She sends Kat a confused glance and she shrugs, as she has no explanation.

"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?" Jackie says to each of them, taking their hands into hers.

That's when the Doctor finally pops his hand up ,cutting in. "Actually, it's my fault. I sort of er, employed Rose and Kat as my companions."

"When you say companion, is this a sexual relationship?" One of the police asks , making all of them turn red.