Chapter Text
Before the Doctor could give a laugh and cheeky retort, the balloon was suddenly rocked aside. Rosita gripped onto the sides as she nearly fell over. The Doctor looked up before rapidly saying “That cyber-explosion must have ripped a hole through the TARDIS’s temporal-spacial shields.”
“What does that mean?” Rosita shouted.
“Basically… we’re gonna crash!” The Doctor shouted back.
The balloon collapsed onto the London grass and Rosita was thrown out accompanied by Jed’s unconscious body. The Doctor quickly switched off the gas canister powering the balloon before looking at his deflating vessel and giving a laugh!
Rosita scowled at the Doctor. After all that adversity and torment and strife, all the Doctor could do was laugh. But slowly and surely, Rosita’s scowl twisted into a smirk and then that smirk turned itself into a bright smile and then before she realised, she was laughing as well!
“You’re mad, both of you!” The duo looked over at Jed who had woken up with a dazed and confused look on his face. Rosita tried to stop but instead she couldn’t help but laugh even harder.
Jed held his hand to his heart. It was beating at a thousand miles an hour, but at least it was still beating. He looked towards the deflated blue balloon attached to a brown and blue basket.
“So this is the legendary blue box?” Jed said with a skeptic look.
The Doctor looked towards it in pride. “Beautiful isn’t it. My passage through time and space. The Tethered Aerial Release Developed In Style.
“The what?” Rosita and Jed said together.
“It’s what this wonderful contraption is called. Tethered Aerial Release Developed In Style. I made up the name from its initials. T.A.R.D.I.S. or TARDIS” The Doctor said slowly.
“Where did you get those initials from?” Rosita asked gently.
The Doctor felt an ache in his heart before his mind pushed it back down. “I don’t know. Great swathes of my life have been taken from me. When I turn to the past, there is truly nothing. Perhaps when I drive out the metal scourge from this wonderful city, I will finally know the truth. Then I can finally leave all of it behind and ascend.”
Rosita looked at the man with worry. She wondered what he was leaving behind and what ‘ascension’ meant for the Doctor. For a man like him, self-preservation didn’t seem to be his highest priority.
“So is that what’s going to happen? Don’t you have anyone to stay for? No friends or family or loved ones?”
The Doctor went uncharacteristically silent before quietly asking “You could come with me if you want? As my companion?”
“Your what?” Rosita asked, trying to hide her outrage at the ridiculous proposition.
“My companion, my assistant, a good friend to help me defend London town. And afterwards, I would show you wonders beyond the stars.”
It was Rosita’s turn to be stunned into silence. “I… I don’t know what to say.”
“Say no!” Jed shouted ruining the moment. “Doctor, you frighten the daylights out of me. You’re dangerous, you’re mad, you’re… you’re… you’re…!”
The Doctor ignored Jed and leant closer to Rosita to whisper “He’s not invited.”
Rosita held back a giggle as Jed concluded “I’m not going anywhere with you.”
The Doctor gave a charming smile as he sadly explained “Well with the Tardis out of commission, I’m afraid I share that sentiment with you. I’d need a smart young man who knows his way around gas to help me fix her up.”
“You’re off your rocker Doctor, there’s no way-”
“And of course I would be very grateful and would reward my dear friend handsomely.”
“…Well anything to help the hero of London town!”
Rosita laughed at Jed’s change of heart as she looked towards the remains of Battersea Gasworks across the themes. From the fiery wreckage emerged a dozen figures!
“Doctor!” she shouted.
“Who me?” The Doctor responded. He was quickly turned towards the Gasworks where he also saw the figures. It was difficult to see with the smoke obscuring the view but they were certainly not human. In fact they seemed to act more like animals but what animal could survive that explosion?
The Doctor furrowed his brow. “It seems our efforts were not entirely successful.” He said quietly to himself. The Doctor quickly masked his true emotions out of instinct for his friendly companions.
“Okay, we better get to the centre and hopefully save London before Christmas. Jed I’ll call someone to take you and the Tardis back to your house, any problems give me a shout! And Rosita…”
The Doctor was about to run towards London before he turned to face Rosita. He finally looked straight at her, no longer looking up or down at her. “Do you want to come with me? Please?” he asked as he offered his hand for her to take.
Rosita looked at the Doctor’s outstretched hand, before looking behind him at London. She only had one question left. “Is it always this dangerous?”
The madman gave her the biggest smile he could as he declared “Oh yes!”
Rosita smiled back as she ran towards the rest of her life.