Run for your life - it's a fan fic
I swear, this will be the one and only piece of fan fiction (who or otherwise) that I’ll ever post. Oh, alright, it’s probably the only one. I’m basing this on the fact that it’s the only bit of fic I’ve ever been tempted to jot down and it's taken me this long since Doomsday to post it.

Title: Second Glances
Author: Devi42
Characters: Rose Tyler, Mickey Smith, Jake Simmonds, The Doctor (10)
Rating: G
Spoilers: Through Doomsday
Summary: He told her she could never see him, he didn’t say he could never see her
Disclaimer: I don’t own the characters, I don’t own Doctor Who, I do own over $700 in official BBC merchandise so please don’t kick my ass.



Second Glances

“I don’t need protecting,” thundered Rose Tyler as she stormed through the door of Mickey’s flat.

Jake took up position on the other side of the room, arms crossed defiantly. Mickey Smith, meanwhile, had taken up residence in an overstuffed chair trying – and failing – to conceal a grin.

“I was looking out for the squad leader. That, in case it has slipped your mind, happens to be you.”

“I’d give it up if I were you, mate,” chuckled Mickey as Rose threw herself onto her sofa. “Rose hates being coddled. Always has; always will.” He shot her a look, “Remember that time on the estate when that bloke tried to step in and defend you?”

Despite herself, Rose gave her friend a tired smile and nodded. It had been a long time ago, on a different world, but she remembered.

Some of the tension of the argument eased out of Jake as he took a seat and rolled his shoulders back and forth. “Someone else was foolish enough to protect you? Good to know I’m not the only one who’s mad.”

Mickey nodded. “It was when we were sixteen, yeah, on the estate.” Jake looked at him expectantly and Rose just shrugged so he continued. “Rose was dating this bloke, Jimmy. Jimmy had a habit of pissing everyone he met off. She and I are supposed to catch a film but I’m running late. I round the corner and see her on the next block, waiting for me.”

“Should have just left you,” interjected Rose.

“Yeah, yeah,” Mickey waved her off. “Anyway, this huge guy walks up to Rose. Has a bone to pick with Jimmy. Gets right up in her face and starts yelling at her. I start running but this other bloke overtakes me. He grabs the guy, gives him a good shove and says something neither of us can make out but which sends the him packing.”

“I was so stupid,” Rose interjects. “Stupid and young and angry. I wasn’t the least bit thankful. I whirled on him and told him that I could fight my own battles.”

“Lovely and gracious as always,” mocked Jake.

“He didn’t get angry, though, that was the strange bit. He just looked at me and said ‘Of course you can’ and walked away.”

“I would have taken the piss out of you,” admitted Mickey. “Course I’m not some posh git in a suit.”

“We wondered about that afterwards, remember?” she asked “We had seen him around the estate before and wondered who he was and why he stepped in.”

Mickey nodded. “You said he looked like a prat. Asked who would wear…”

“...a suit with trainers,” Rose finished, her eyes going wide.

“You can’t,” she murmured.

“What?” asked Jake.

Rose shook her head and stood. Waving Mickey off, she left the room and headed to the small washroom at the end of the hall.

Will I ever see you again?
You can’t.

Not “no”. Not “we can’t”. You can’t. The Doctor was never careless with words.

She sat on the edge of the bathtub. Oh God. All of this time and she had never realized. How many times had she seen him wandering the estate. Four? Five? A dozen? Oh Doctor, she thought, what have I done to you?

She stood and ran the cold water. She splashed her face and grabbed the towel hanging next to the sink. She hadn’t wanted to be another Sarah Jane – hadn’t wanted him to forget her. She had gotten her wish.

“Rose?” came Mickey’s voice from the other side of the door.

“'M fine,” she called with the practice ease of someone who has become well schooled at hiding her emotions.

She stared into the mirror but it wasn’t her face she saw. She was staring into deep brown pools, old and deep enough to drown in.