Chapter Text
The wind whipped through the narrow, dirty, dimly lit alley, blowing up papers and refuse as well as scaring away an old homeless man curled up on some cardboard near a dumpster. The air crackled with something akin to electricity before a flash of blue light flooded the area and two bodies seemed to hurl from it and drop into a puddle on the asphalt. Darkness once again dominated the alley as the man and a woman rolled over, groaning and gripping their heads.
“Rose?” Mickey Smith asked, sitting up and looking around the dingy area.
“Mickey, what happened?” Rose asked, rubbing her head and wrinkling her nose at the rank stench of decay permeating the alley.
“You’re the alien expert. You tell me, babe,” he said, standing up and stretching before reaching for her hand and helping her up.
She glared at him as he touched his earpiece and tried to contact the Torchwood communications control center. She looked around while he tapped on his earpiece, cursed and tried again. It was clear to Rose that they were in an alley in a developed city. The buildings on either side were brick and concrete and stood about four stories on either side. It was also night which was concerning since it had been mid-afternoon where they were when things obviously had gone wrong.
As she wandered down the alley, her boots splashed in mud and things she didn’t want to think about. She could hear music playing and a couple shouting at each other. She smirked a bit, thinking that this felt a bit familiar. It reminded her of life on the Powell Estate. As she emerged at the end of the alley, her heart almost stopped. Mickey ran up next to her.
“This thing is on the fritz and I can’t get control. Try your mobile,” he said, not paying attention to what she was looking at.
Rose grabbed him and turned him toward the street before her and more importantly, the sky. “What?” he asked.
“No zeppelins,” she breathed and then she focused on traffic zipping by them including a red convertible loaded with people shouting and howling, “Welcome to Vegas Baby!” Rose and Mickey turned to look at each other.
“This is so not good,” Rose said as she pulled out her mobile and tried to call control, Pete and her Mum. Nothing worked.
“No luck?” Mickey asked, looking more and more nervous.
“No. Micks, I don’t think we’re in Pete’s World anymore,” she said and looked around, feeling a tiny spark of hope ignite within her as she thought about where they could be.
“Rose, no! You don’t know if we’re back in our world. Somethin’ happened with those Gritolk aliens and that M-Zed temporal-dimensional scanner thing they were tinkerin’ with and I mean it could have blown us anywhere or any time,” he said and began pacing and scrubbing at his head before he stopped and clicked into Torchwood mode. He watched Rose and knew what she was thinking. He hadn’t spent the last two years working with her in Torchwood to miss that reckless look in her eyes.
She turned to him, the stubborn Tyler look in her eyes. “We’ve got to find out where and when we are and how we got here. What are our resources?” she asked and reached into her pockets finding a wallet with credit card, some cash and identifications that probably wouldn’t help them. She had her mobile, some bits of Torchwood tech and as luck would have it, psychic paper that she carried with on missions in case of an emergency. She also had her most valuable item which hadn’t left her possession since she arrived in Pete’s World, her TARDIS key. She wore it on a necklace around her neck at all times to remind her of all the things that were possible and to never give up hope. She unconsciously touched it through her shirt and closed her eyes saying a fervent prayer that they were where she thought and hoped they were.
Mickey had his wallet with similar contents, his ear piece, a tablet and other Torchwood tech. He didn’t miss the way she touched the key. Jackie and he had often discussed how Rose never gave up hope of seeing the Doctor again and how they worried she wasn’t moving on. Rose had assured all of them that she was moving forward with her life. She excelled at Torchwood, leading teams and diplomatic missions as well as being a big sister to her brother Tony and helping Pete and Jackie with various charities and Vitex events. Still, the people who knew her best were certain that deep down in her heart she still resided in a magical blue box with the mad alien who piloted it.
“Rose, we have to deal with what we know, not what we think,” Mickey reminded her as he scanned the area, not happy with what he saw.
She looked at him annoyed. “I know, Mickey. We’re in Las Vegas, in a dingy part of town and judgin’ by the cars close to our time. We need to find a place to stay so we can figure things out.”
The sound of someone coughing and staggering about in the trash drove home the need for them to leave this area. The two of them pulled their black leather coats around them and headed down the street toward a more lit area of town. Mickey did his best to look menacing at anyone who said anything to Rose and there were more than a few wolf calls or lewd offers made. Rose tried not to smile. Mickey was brilliant and she trusted him with her life but he never could quite pull off a menacing look. She was far more lethal than he was and she’d proved so on several occasions. She’d even taught a few things to some of the more egotistical Torchwood agents. No one questioned or challenged her anymore. Rose Tyler was tough, determined and she never gave up.
Rose used the psychic paper to get them a modest hotel room on the outskirts of the Vegas strip. Truth be told, modest was being generous. Both she and Mickey were leery but they needed a roof over their head and no questions asked. Rose plopped down on one of the double beds and flipped on the telly to try and assess when they were while Mickey worked at hacking into the cellular network with his tablet and mobile. They’d landed in Las Vegas in September in the year 2008, one year after Canary Wharf so at least they didn’t need to be worried about that. The news reports made it sound like things hadn’t changed too much since she had been trapped in Pete’s World. She flopped back on the bed as Conan O’Brien came on.
“Why don't you get some rest?” Mickey suggested as he continued to work on his tablet.
“How can I? We still don’t know what happened or even what universe we’re in?” Rose said as she stared at the ceiling. “Or, what they think happened to us back in Pete’s World,” she said softly and her eyes welled up, worrying about her mum.
Mickey stopped what he was doing, set the tablet aside and sat down next to her. “They’ll figure it out. Even if their top agents aren’t there,” he said, shoving her shoulder a bit.
Rose smiled up at him. “Yeah, s’pose you’re right. Any luck getting a connection?”
He grinned cockily at her. “Luck ain’t got nothin’ to do with it. I got us hooked up to the internet and am working on hacking into a couple of databases. Might take me a bit to hack into Torchwood here though.”
Rose sat up alarmed. Their last run in with Torchwood in this world had been when her life went pear shaped. She didn’t trust them. “You sure that’s a good idea?”
“Rose, we have to. We need to check out them and UNIT to see if they spotted anything. We gotta know if they’re gonna come sniffin’ around and how safe we are here. Besides, might help us figure out what happened.”
Rose nodded and lay back down. “S’pose we’re here for a while. Psychic paper ‘ill only get us so far before people get suspicious. We need resources.”
“We can figure that out tomorrow. Just get some rest. We don’t know what’s gonna happen tomorrow and you may need it,” Mickey suggested.
Rose nodded but rest was the last thing she felt she could do. She closed her eyes and thought back on what had happened….
They had been on a diplomatic assignment to meet an advanced spacefaring race called the Gritolk who were conducting an interstellar survey of temporal and interdimensional anomalies. Earth had several occurrences, the most severe being the events at Canary Wharf where Rose’s home universe had ripped a hole into the void and causing an almost cataclysmic event in Pete’s World. She still smiled at calling that Earth Pete’s World. Her almost father, Pete Tyler, secretly loved it. Pete was head of Torchwood in that universe. He was a good man, a good husband to Jackie and father to her little brother Tony. She and Pete had bonded eventually, finding similar tastes in music and a fascination with adventure and the unknown. They were technology and adventure junkies, the two of them. He trusted her and she now trusted him. This was why she was assigned to the Gritolk with Mickey. Well, that and Pete had thought it was safe. Pete trusted her and knew she was his top agent but a fatherly part of him had wanted her safe.
Of course, that’s not how it had ended up. Rose didn’t believe the Gritolk had meant any harm. They truly were scientists. They were sort of turtle like creatures, with mottled gray, green and black skin with a hard shell on their back, except they stood erect like other bipedal species she’d encountered. Their faces were quite turtle like with wise eyes, no nose to speak of and wrinkled skin. They chose their words carefully and were not rushed to reach any conclusions. Rose had enjoyed speaking with them and found them delightful if not a bit precise and sciencey. Mickey had whispered a joke to her about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on the way down to meet them and as a result she had spent part of her time with them trying not to giggle and shooting Mickey warning looks every time he grinned.
The Gritolk had been explaining their equipment and need to conduct their scans at strategic locations and were giving she and Mickey a demonstration when it all went wrong. She and Mickey had leaned in to look at a screen when there was a flare of light. She remembered Mickey grabbing her and feeling like she was being squeezed, twisted and then free falling until they hit the ground in the alley.
She pinched the bridge of her nose as she laid in bed trying to determine what had happened, replaying the events over and over in her mind. When she opened her eyes, the lights were out and Mickey was laying on the other bed asleep. She rolled off her bed and went to the loo and splashed water on her face. A pack of matches sitting on the small vanity caught her eye. She picked it up and smiled at the label “Bad Wolf” written in red across black packaging. It was then that she knew this was no accident. She went back to bed with a new hope in mind and felt sleep finally claim her.
The next morning, she and Mickey found a pawn shop and she pawned a diamond and emerald ring Pete and her Mum had given her for her birthday. That, at least, gave them enough cash to eat, buy necessities and some clothes. Breakfast was at a little café. Rose wrinkled her nose at the tea and felt a little homesick. She missed her mum’s tea and by the look of things, good tea would be hard to find here. This was definitely the coffee crowd. On the brighter side, if as she believed they were, back in her original universe, it meant chips. Chips in the other universe just weren’t the same. She thought it might be the oil in Pete’s World. The downside was this was America and chips here might not be the same as home either.
After a quick bite and perusing the local job adverts, they made a plan. First, they needed clothes and assorted necessities. The weather in Las Vegas was hot and their present attire was more suited for a cooler climate. After a quick trip to the chemist or as the Americans called it, the drug store which made them both giggle, and a run to second hand clothing store, they returned to their dodgy hotel to change. Next up was to walk around the area to find a more permanent residence and to map out Las Vegas. It would have been fun if the circumstances had been different.
It was a weekday, but in Las Vegas, that didn’t seem to make a difference. The city was filled with tourists of all nationalities and from all walks of life. She and Mickey made their way down the main strip where the large hotels and entertainment venues were located. The streets were congested with cabs, hotel transports, cars and SUVs speeding by them. There were masses of people on the wide sidewalks making their way up and down the street, couples, families and some who just looked like lost souls. The sun beat down on them and Rose was happy she had tied her hair up in a ponytail and for the tourist map she used to fan herself. Mickey had picked up a baseball cap but he looked a bit melted as well. They stopped periodically for a cool drink or to admire something in a shop. If the heat wasn’t evidence enough, the palm trees and tropical type plants definitely reiterated they were not in London.
As they walked, they saw adverts for the various shows at the different casinos. The huge posters were plastered everywhere and names were in flashing lights. One poster in particular seemed to be the most heavily promoted. It was for some super hyped magic show with a gothic or vampire theme. The poster was dominated by a man dressed in black surrounded by dramatic symbols and a ball of blue light glowing in his hand as if he conjured up some magical orb. Mickey had joked about Las Vegas shows and how it would the perfect place for an alien to hide. Rose had giggled as they passed a poster for Cirque du Soleil agreeing this would be a great place to disappear. It was as they stopped in front a tourist information center and she was standing in front of one of the posters advertising “the Amazing Peter Vincent” that she paused. She took a step closer. Something about him was familiar. She felt very drawn to it.
Mickey bounced over with a handful of pamphlets and maps. “I think I got us a lead on some work. Won’t be anything fancy but should pay the bills until we figure out what to do.” Rose was still staring at the poster and Mickey rolled his eyes. He snapped his fingers in front of her face and Rose turned to him annoyed. Mickey looked at the poster showing the dark mysterious magician in his tight black outfit and piercing dark eyes. “He ain’t all that. It’s just fake. You know, manipulating the light, smoke and mirrors and all that. He’d probably wet himself if he saw half of what we have. Come on,” he said and dragged Rose away. She looked back once and shook herself out of it.
It was as they approached the MGM Grand and saw a larger poster of the magician dominating the entrance that Rose felt something tug at her. She walked up to the poster as if magnetically drawn with Mickey trailing her, sighing and shaking his head. Rose stared into the eyes of man on the poster, they were deep and brown and ancient. She could barely believe what she was thinking.
“Rose,” Mickey said, clearly wanting to be on his way.
“It’s him,” she said with disbelief.
Mickey squinted at the poster. “Him? Him who?”
“The Doctor. It’s the Doctor.”
Immediately, Mickey felt a groan trying to inch its way out. He remembered all too clearly after Rose had first arrived in Pete’s World how she thought she saw the Doctor around every corner and with every skinny bloke in a brown suit. “Rose, we agreed that we don’t know what universe we’re in and even if we’re in some parallel world with some weird magician wanker that looks like…”
“No!” she said firmly and cut him off. She turned and looked at Mickey. “It’s him. I know it is. I can see it in the eyes. They’re the same and before you go off on me, I know we’re in our universe as well. I saw it as clear as day.”
“Saw what?” Mickey demanded, aggravated that she would keep something from him, especially now with the trouble they were in.
“Bad Wolf,” Rose answered and turned back to the poster, her eyes scouring every inch of it.
Mickey stilled. Rose had come clean with him about Bad Wolf and the significance one night when he and Jake took her out drinking. Both he and Jake had taken it seriously. Rose had been so matter of fact about it. Truth be told, it scared the hell out of Mickey. He could see it in her that night. The Doctor may have changed his face that Christmas but Rose had changed too and she kept changing. He didn’t know what she was changing into but he knew that she never got sick anymore and she absorbed information and concepts faster than anyone else he knew. He had assumed it had been the time travel but after that night, he was suspicious that it was more than that and he never told another soul and neither had Rose, not even Jackie. If Rose saw something about Bad Wolf and was this sure, he had to chance believing her.
He walked up and stared at the crazy magician and suddenly he could see it. The hair was different, he had a beard and was dressed like a leather wearing eighties rock star but the face was the same. He smirked and looked at Rose. “Man, if that’s him he’s really lost it. He looks like Alice Cooper on a bad hair day,” Mickey snarked.
Rose turned and smacked him on the arm. “It’s ‘im, Mickey and he’s in trouble. I know it. We have to help him.”
Mickey sighed. It was always going to be about the Doctor for Rose. He looked at her gazing worriedly at the poster and knew there was no other choice. It looked like he and Rose would be spending an evening here at the MGM taking in a show of one Peter Vincent and if he was the Doctor, Mickey was sure trouble would follow.
Doctor Who and its accoutrements are the property of the BBC, and I obviously don't have any right to them. Any and all crossover characters belong to their respective creators. Alas no one makes any money from any of this. I write for fun and out of my adoration for Doctor Who!