The Other Tyler - rewrite

Private Escort

Rose sat curled up on the armchair, picking at her nails while her mother and just about everyone else they knew crowded the flat. On one hand she was annoyed Mei had taken off and was managing to avoid the lectures and scolding, and on the other she hoped her sister was with the Doctor so that the two of them would finally work out their feelings for each other. 

But part of her also worried her sister had taken the argument with their mother to heart, and slipped away to pay her respects. It had been a year after all, and she knew how her sister felt about missing a birthday.

When the flat fell silent, she frowned and looked round only to see a horrified Mickey in the doorway. She straightened up, guilt bubbling in her stomach.

"I was gonna come and see you," she told him weakly but he just stared at her.

Marianna chose to speak then, "Someone owes Mickey an apology." And Rose apologised, but the woman shook her head and looked to Jackie, "Not you."

Jackie shrugged, "It's not my fault. Be fair. What was I supposed to think?"

Rose watched her mother give Mickey a look and head into the kitchen. Taking the hint, she followed and Mickey came in behind her.

Almost immediately, he started on her, "You and your sister disappear, who do they turn to? Your boyfriend. Five times, I was taken in for questioning. Five times. No evidence, of course there couldn't be, could there? And then I get her, your mother." He pointed at Jackie who rolled her eyes, "Whispering around the estate, pointing the finger, stuff through my letterbox, and all 'cos of you and Mei."

Stumbling on her words, Rose said, "We didn't think we'd be gone so long."

"And I waiting for you, Rose! Twelve months. Waiting for you and the Doctor and Mei to come back."

"Hold on," Jackie leaned forward, "You knew about the Doctor? Why didn't you tell me?"

Noticing someone trying to listen, Mickey shut the kitchen window and the door before turning back to Rose with a smug look, "Yeah, yeah. Why not, Rose? Huh? How could I tell her where you and Mei went?"

"Tell me now!" Jackie demanded.

"I might as well, 'cos you're stuck here. You and Mei. The Doctor's gone. Just now, that box thing just faded away."

Horrified, Rose demanded, "What do you mean?"

"He's left you. Some boyfriend HE turned out to be."

Rose turned on her heel and sprinted from the kitchen, grabbing her coat on the way. She didn't bother to look back as her mother and boyfriend (Ex-boyfriend?) shouted after her, and she didn't pause to say excuse me as she threw people out of her way. Her focus was on getting out of the flat and down into the close, her sole intention being to find the Tardis just where she left it. And if not, the Doctor had hell coming for him. She didn't care if he left HER behind, as long as he didn't do it to her sister. 

'He wouldn't leave Mei, i heard him, he promised her,' she tried to reassure herself. There was no way he could turn around and leave Mei feeling the way he did. Especially now that his curiosity had been peeked. Rose knew the Doctor had picked up on the way the three Tyler women danced around certain subjects. And if there was one thing the Doctor loved, it was working out a riddle.  

She came to the spot where the Tardis was parked, her heart plummeting when she realised it WAS in fact, gone. She should have felt some sort of betrayal or hurt at him leaving her, but all she could think was what him leaving would do to Mei.  

Catching sight of Mickey, she almost scowled at the smug grin on his face. Her thoughts were racing too fast though for her to actually comment, she barely even paid attention to her mother joining them.