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Rose groaned lightly as she sat up, rubbing her forehead and she squinted in pain. Even in the dull light her head pounded, she must have had quite a rough night with Mickey if this was how she felt afterwards. Maybe her mum would fetch her some aspirin. She'd rant and rave about the state she obviously had been in, and how she should just let Rose suffer for her self-inflicted acts, but Rose knew she wouldn't be left to suffer for too long.
She opened her eyes to find herself not at home at all, but in some dark room she didn't recognise. Memories of the Doctor and the two people stealing the old lady came flooding back as an eerie groan sounded from behind her. She twisted on the table she was lying on to see a man, an obviously dead man, sitting up in a coffin and glowing a bright blue.
"Are you all right?" She asked. The man, still groaned, placed one hand on each side of the coffin, "You're kidding me, yeah? You're just kidding." He clumsily pulled himself out of the wooden box, his eyes fixated on her, "You are, you're kidding me, aren't ya?" He didn't reply, just stumbled towards her, arms reaching out like something in a horror movie and she scrambled off the table, "Okay, not kidding!" She dashed to the door, shaking the handle roughly as she tried to get out, but it was locked. Of course it was, whoever it was who'd put her in here with a zombie wasn't going to leave the door unlocked.
"Let me out! Open the door!" She screamed, rattling the handle to no effect. She turned to see the old woman from the theatre sit up in her own coffin and she gasped in fright, pressing herself against the door. What could she do? She was stuck, she just had to stay alive long enough for the Doctor to come find her. She scanned the room and spotted a vase full of flowers. Discarding the lilies she chucked the vase straight at the male corpse, but it just shattered off his chest, the pieces falling to the floor.
"Please, let me out!" She screamed again as she rattled the handle, "Open the door!" She banged and pleaded until one grabbed her from behind and she screamed. It chucked a hand over her mouth, pulling her to his chum as the door was bashed in and the Doctor strode over, grabbing her arm. She'd never felt so relieved in all her life.
"I think this is my dance." He told the pair, pulling her to the doorway and wrapping an arm around her waist. Another, much older, man joined them just behind her.
"It's a prank? It must be. We're under some mesmeric influence." He protested and the Doctor shook his head.
"No, we're not. The dead are walking." He turned to smile down at Rose, "Hi!" She couldn't help smiling back up at him, his enthusiasm infectious.
"Hi!" She replied in a pant before nodding behind her, "Who's your friend?"
"Charles Dickens." He told her excitedly. No knowing what to do, she turned back to look at the two corpses.
"Oh. Okay." She replied simply.
"My name's the Doctor. Who are you, then? What do you want?" The Doctor demanded, his smile gone as he regarded the two corpses coldly. He didn't take kindly to anything trying to hurt his friends, especially the blonde he still hadn't let go. She was in his care, his protection and as angry as he was at himself for letting her get taken in the first place, they'd actually tried to kill her.
"We're failing. Open the rift, we're dying. Trapped in this form - cannot sustain - help us." They both spoke simultaneously before raising their heads to the ceiling. With a loud scream the blue gas rushed out of them and towards the lamps on the wall, disappearing into nothingness as the corpses fell to the floor. After staring at the bodies for a moment, the Doctor turned to the man behind them, the one that had brought Rose there in the first place.
"Right, I think you need to tell me everything that's going on, don't you?" He said to the man, more of a command than a statement. He nodded meekly and motioned to his side.
"If you'll just follow me, gentlemen, miss." He let them go down the hallway first, running into a red-headed woman who had definitely not been there before. She was older than Rose, maybe by five years and she was looking at the Doctor expectantly as she pulled a white sheet around her.
"Do you mind fetching me some clothes, Spaceman?" She asked him before spotting Rose and grinning, "Oh, Rose! Nice to see you're okay. Then again, I knew he'd save you. He always does." Rose looked up at the Doctor, an eyebrow cocked in amusement as he blushed a light pink under their gazes.
~0~0~0~
Danni turned back around slowly, looking at herself in the full-length mirror in Gwyneth's bedroom. The young maid had taken her upstairs to let her borrow one of her dresses so she wouldn't have be so naked. She hadn't had many, put she'd pulled out this particular dress and told her absently that she knew Danni would like it. She hadn't been wrong, Danni loved it but she'd protested at the use of what was obviously one of the girl's best dresses. A dark blue velvet number not dissimilar to Rose's, although much more loved than hers, it pulled in at the waist and she adored it.
She'd been dressed for a few minutes now, she was just building up the courage to head back downstairs. The ride over to the funeral parlour had been excruciating for her. She now knew what River must of felt when the Doctor had looked at her blankly, having no idea who she was and knowing that she'd just met him for the last time. Danni shook her head slightly with a smile creeping onto her face. No, that wasn't right. It would have been seeing Danni in this universe, not the Doctor, that would have bothered her. One of the major changes she had inflicted on the 'Whoniverse'. That and Lisa, the reminder that she still had to be saved had Danni tugging on the dress again. Something good yet to happen.
Jumping from a wedding night when all he'd done was love her to their first meeting wasn't exactly how she'd planned the start of her married life. But, the Doctor had to have met her at some point, might as well get it out of the way. Time to make a good impression, make sure the Doctor who did marry her still wanted to. She brushed down the skirt, turning away from the mirror before glancing back at herself nervously. Her hair was fine, wasn't it? She ran her fingers through it a couple more times to be safe before heading out and listening for Rose's shouts, angry rather than scared this time. She'd taken the appearance of a rather under dressed Danni rather well, teasing the Doctor straight away as Gwyneth led her to the bedroom.
She paused at the door before taking a deep, calming breath and entering. Gwyneth had just handed the Doctor a cup of tea. He looked up curiously, staring in surprise at the woman in the doorway, who blushed and brushed a piece of hair behind her ear. The dress suited her much more than the white sheet had done, the colour making her hair stand out even more. Rose smirked as she looked over at the Doctor, seeing him staring at this new woman, Danni apparently.
"This dress is lovely." The ginger gushed as she headed over to Gwyneth, pouring herself a drink into one of the china cups, "Thank you so much for lending me it, sweetie."
"I knew you'd like it." Gwyneth replied, pulling the Doctor's attention back to her, "I'm sorry I didn't have any more suitable, ma'am."
"Don't ma'am me," Danni scolded lightly, "I'm just like you and this is beautiful."
"If we could get back to the matter at hand." The Doctor stated loudly, not harshly but pointedly. Gwyneth bowed her head, chastised all the same but Danni rolled her eyes.
"Oh, be nice Spaceman." She retorted, "Nothing is going to happen for a little bit anyway."
"You don't know that." He pointed out and she nodded.
"Yes I do." She replied, "But please, continue." She motioned for the owner of the funeral palour to continue.
"One old fella who used to be a sexton almost walked into his own memorial service!" The man continued from their conversation before, turning to Dickens, "Just like the old lady going to your performance, sir! Just as she planned."
"Morbid fancy." Dickens declared, standing up in outrage at what they suggesting and at his own weakness for believing it.
"Oh, Charles, you were there." The Doctor called over, annoyed at the man's constant denail of what he had just seen.
"I saw nothing but an illusion." Charles insisted, staring at the other man intently and expecting the other man to stand down.
"If you're going to deny it, don't waste my time. Just shut up." The Doctor snapped, startling him slightly and turning back to Sneed, "What about the gas?"
"That's new, sir, never seen anything like that." Sneed replied with a shake of his head.
"Means it's getting stronger, the rift's getting wider and something's sneaking through." The Doctor confirmed his suspicions with a glance at Rose, who looked at him, confused.
"What's the rift?" She asked.
"A weak point in time and space." Danni piped up, reminding Rose that she was in the room. She was smiling warmly at the blonde as she stood next to her, "It connects one place with another across the universe, causing leaks like this one and things slip through. Sometimes it's creatures, sometimes it's voices." Like the whisper of 'Silence'. She brushed the memories away, she didn't need to dwell on that now, "That's the cause of ghost stories, most of the time. People don't understand what is going on, so blame the supernatural." She glanced up at the Doctor, looking for approval. He was staring at her in shock and surprise at her knowledge, "You're not the only one who knows a thing or two, Spaceman." She teased.
"That's how I got the house so cheap." Sneed muttered and Danni nodded sympathetically as Dickens left the room, "Stories going back generations. Echoes in the dark. Queer songs in the air and this feeling like a... shadow. Passing over your soul. Mind you, truth be told, it's been good for business. Just what people expect from a gloomy old trade like mine." The Doctor chuckled and pushed himself off the mantelpiece where he'd been leaning.
"Let's see where old Charlie has gotten to." He declared with a grin. Danni shook her head, grabbing Rose's hand much to her surprise.
"Actually, I think we should help Gwyneth with the cups." She replied, looking at Rose pointedly.
"Oh no, ma'am." Gwyneth protested, "You mustn't..."
"You leant me your dress, Gwyneth." Danni insisted, "At least let us carry your dirty pots into the kitchen. Come on Rose." She picked up the tray, placing people's empty cups back on it. Rose looked over at the Doctor questioningly, and the Doctor nodded. Rose could help him work out just who the magically appearing woman was.
~0~0~0~
Gwyneth lead them to the kitchen, lighting a gas lamp as Danni placed the tray next to a pile of plates ready for her to clean from supper. Rose headed over with her, picking up a cloth, ready to help with the washing up.
"So, who are you, exactly?" Rose asked bluntly and Danni laughed happily.
"Ah, Rose. Getting right to the point, as always." She replied, "I can't tell you yet, but I'm on your side, I promise." Gwyneth turned around and saw them huddled around the sink.
"Please, Miss, ma'am! You shouldn't be helping! It's not right!" She protested, alarmed.
"Don't be daft." Rose dismissed, "Sneed works you to death, let us girls help each other." She picked up another cloth, handing it to Danni so she could dry the pots. Seeing how uncomfortable Gwyneth was, Danni then past the cloth to her, taking Rose's as well.
"Do as the Roman's do." She told Rose, "Rule..." She trailed off, trying to remember the number. She'd asked Eleven what exactly his rules were after he'd quoted yet another one at Amy – Rule 75, Never pick up a Rothling's right shoe. Sound advice, it turned out, but he'd told her a few more, "Rule 15." She settled on. Maybe she should have her own rules. Maybe, unlike the Doctor, she should write them down as well.
"Rule 15?" Rose asked her but stepped to the side so that Gwyneth could get to the sink.
"Have you not encountered any of the Doctor's rules yet?" She asked, "Oh, that'll be fun for you."
"You know the Doctor?" Rose asked, surprised, because the Doctor had given off the impression that he had no idea who she was.
"For five years." Danni confirmed, "He just doesn't know me yet." There was a lot more to that statement, and the sadness that seemed to fill the woman at it. But Rose let it drop, because she knew what that look meant. She'd seen similar ones on her mother when she'd talk about her Dad. Instead, she turned to Gwyneth.
"How much do you get paid?" She asked and the young maid smiled shyly.
"Eight pound a year, miss." She told her and Rose's mouth fell open, appalled at the little amount. Two hours on minimum wage earned her more than that!
"How much?" Rose exclaimed and Gwyneth blushed happily.
"I know. I would've been happy with six." Rose just stared at her, dumbfounded. Danni patted her shoulder sympathetically.
"Sometimes you forget that it's not like where you're from, don't you?" Danni whispered as Gwyneth tended to her task, "Just think about what you learnt about the Victorians at school." Rose looked at the woman, about to open her mouth when she realised that she was right. So, she thought back to her meagre history lessons. She had rather enjoyed learning about them.
"So, did you go to school or what?" She blurted out and Gwyneth, to her credit, looked rather offended.
"Of course I did. What do you think I am? An urchin? I went every Sunday. Nice and proper." She told her and Rose's eyes almost popped out of her head. She was torn between being jealous of how little she had to go, and feeling sorry for her for having to go on a weekend.
"What - once a week?" She settled on and Gwyneth nodded.
"We did sums and everything." She explained before looking slightly sheepish, "To be honest, I hated every second." She confided in the two and Rose grinned, because that was more like the children she had grown up with.
"Me too." She replied.
"Me three." Danni interjected and the three laughed together, bonding over their different but not-quite-so-different childhoods.
"Don't tell anyone, but one week, I didn't go and ran on the heath all on my own!" Gwyneth whispered with a cheeky grin, as if it was some great big crime.
"I did plenty of that." Rose replied.
"I was too much of a goody-goody." Danni added, "Even at university I couldn't skip class. I just felt so guilty about thinking about it, I knew I'd never enjoy it."
"University?" Gwyneth exclaimed, confused but Rose barely batted an eyelid.
"I used to go down the shops with my mate Shareen. And we used to go and look at boys!" Rose continued, stopping Gwyneth's giggles as she looked away.
"Well, I don't know much about that, miss." She turned back to the washing up, because it wasn't proper to be talking about such scandalous things.
"Come on, times haven't changed that much! I bet you've done the same." Rose prodded gently, but Gwyneth shook her head.
"I don't think so, miss." She replied firmly.
"Well, I have." Danni replied and Gwyneth turned to look at her, shocked.
"But, you've just got married, ma'am!" She exclaimed and Danni shrugged as Rose was slightly confused. Then she remembered the Doctor had mentioned something about it being the ginger's wedding night and she glanced down at the small diamond glistening in the gaslight.
"Gwyneth!" She turned away, wondering where her husband was if it was her wedding night, "You can tell us! Bet you've got your eye on someone." Gwyneth shuffled on the spot, her cheeks tinting pink.
"I suppose. There is one lad..." Rose nudged Danni, looking proud of herself for getting the maid to open up, "The butcher's boy. He comes by every Tuesday. Such a lovely smile on him!"
"Oh, I like a nice smile. Good smile, nice bum." Rose told her and Gwyneth's mouth fell open in shock.
"Oh, I like nice hair." Danni replied, thinking about Eleven again. Not that he was the only man she'd ever fancied, but, well, they had just got married. And he had gorgeous hair...
"Something to run your fingers through." Rose agreed with a smile.
"Well, I have never heard the like!" Gwyneth breathed, looking between the two before they all started laughing again.
"Ask him out! Give him a cup of tea or something, that's a start." Rose suggested and Gwyneth stared at her like she had two heads.
"I swear, it is the strangest thing, miss." She breathed, a smile on her face and with a shake of her head, "You've got all the clothes and the breeding but you talk like some sort of wild thing!"
"Maybe I am." Rose agreed, "Maybe that's a good thing. You need a bit more in your life than Mr Sneed." At that, Gwyneth looked ashamed for having a good time.
"Ah, now that's not fair. He's not so bad, old Sneed." She defended quietly, "He was very kind to me to take me in. Because I lost my mum and dad to the flu when I was twelve." Rose looked down, embarrassed and slightly guilty for trying to badmouth the man.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Gwyneth shook her head.
"Thank you, miss. But I'll be with them again, one day. Sitting with them in paradise. I should be so blessed." Rose smiled warmly, "They're waiting for me. Maybe your dad's up there waiting for you too, miss."
"Maybe." Rose agreed, unable to take solace in religion like Gwyneth until she realised just what she had said, "Um, who told you he was dead?" Gwyneth turned back to the washing up, knowing she had said too much.
"I don't know, must've been the Doctor." She dismissed but Rose didn't believe her.
"My father died years back." She pointed out as Gwyneth began drying the pots she'd already washed.
"You've been thinking about him lately, more than ever." She continued and Rose nodded.
"I s'pose so..." She acknowledged and the maid turned to look at Danni, who didn't look disturbed at all by what she was saying. She knew the girl had some sort of psychic ability, and unlike Rose wasn't convinced that such abilities didn't exist.
"But your parents are still out there, ma'am." Gwyneth told her, "Still waiting to find you again after losing you so long ago." Danni smiled sadly, shaking her head.
"I won't see them again. Not like you, Gwyneth." She replied with a sigh but Gwyneth shook her head adamantly.
"Your parents are closer than you think." She replied and Danni's chest tightened at the ominous warning. Was she... was she going home soon?
"How do you know all this?" Rose asked, seeing the ginger girl pale. She never thought she'd see someone look so scared at the thought of seeing their parents again. It was something else she filed away to tell the Doctor later, maybe he could use the information better than she could.
"Mr. Sneed says I think too much." Gwyneth apologised with a tap on her forehead, "I'm all alone down here. I bet you've got dozens of servants, haven't you?" She asked the pair. Rose shook her head.
"No, no servants where I'm from." She told the woman, looking at Danni who also shook her head.
"Me neither." She agreed. Another piece of information to file away.
"And you've come such a long way." Gwyneth breathed, starting past the pair as she fell into her visions of their past.
"What makes you think so?" Rose asked.
"Gwyneth, what can you see?" Danni gently encouraged.
"You're from London. I've seen London in drawings, but never like that." Gwyneth frowned, scared by the images in her head "All those people rushing about. Half naked, for shame. And the noise... and the metal boxes racing past... and the birds in the sky... they're metal as well. Metal birds with people in them. People flying. And you," Her gaze snapped back to Danni, "you've flown so far, further than anyone! Across a rift of your own, just like the Doctor said." She turned back to Rose.
"The things you've both seen... the darkness... the big bad wolf-" She gasped as the vision let her go and she physically fell away from them. Danni darted forward, hating to see the girl so upset so she pulled her in for a hug.
"It's okay, sweetie." Danni shushed gently, "You're safe."
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, miss, ma'am!" She almost sobbed but Rose shook her head.
"S'alright..." She whispered, although she was also deeply disturbed by what had happened.
"I can't help it," Gwyneth continued to ramble, terrified of the consequences of letting it take over her again, "ever since I was a little girl. My mum said I had the sight. She told me to hide it!"
"But it's getting stronger. More powerful, is that right?" They all looked around to see the Doctor stood in the doorway, hands in his pockets. Gwyneth nodded weakly.
"All the time, sir. Every night. Voices in my head." She agreed shamefully.
"You grew up on top of the rift." Danni explained to her gently, "You're part of it, now. It's enhancing your natural gifts." She glanced up at the Doctor, "The Doctor wants to have a séance and he wants you to lead it. You don't have to, it will be dangerous, but it's completely up to you."
"How did you know?" The Doctor asked her, stepping in as well and Danni smiled at him, "Do you have the sight as well?" She shook her head.
"No, I just know the future." She told him, "I jump around your time line, but now is not the time for that." She turned back to Gwyneth, "What do you want to do, sweetie?"
Jumped around his time line? That was the best she could come up with? As if he was going to believe that. This woman was obviously trying to weasel her way into his life, maybe even his TARDIS. Maybe she knew about the Time War as well and wanted to get revenge. A glance at Rose showed that she was slightly suspicious as well. He'd work it out, he always did. He was the Doctor, he was fantastic.