Author:
Characters: Ten/Rose, Mickey, Martha, Donna eventually
Rating: Adult
Warnings: Cursing and some explicit references
Genre: Adventure, Horror, Romance, Humor
Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or Fright Night
Summary: AU of Human Nature and Family of Blood. An accident in Pete's World sends Rose and Mickey back to their home universe. They land in Las Vegas 2008 with nothing but the clothes on their back. Soon, they realize the Doctor is near but something is terribly wrong. Why he is in some Las Vegas show parading around in black leather as some bloke called Peter Vincent?
A/N: A big hug and thank you to
kahki and SORRY ABOUT THE CUT FAILURE EARLIER! THANKS 10doc!
Previous Chapter Here
When Ginger-haired Donna Noble had won an all-expense paid trip for four to Las Vegas, she had been floored. Things like that never happened to her and even putting her name in the company drawing was a fluke. She was just a temp and wasn’t even excited to be working at the boring accounting firm. The day they had announced her name had been her last day there, in fact. It was almost fitting, she thought, considering how miserably they had treated her.
When she arrived at home ready to tell her mother the good news, she had been met with her mother’s typical snide and condemning comments. She knew right then and there that there was no way she was taking her Mum with her. She’d then marched straight up the hill to her grandfather, Wilf, who was stationed at his telescope scanning the night sky. He’d been delighted for her and told her to go have fun with her friends. So, Donna Noble invited three of her more tolerable friends for a free five day trip to Las Vegas.
Nerys, a tall, leggy, fake blonde, was on the cusp of Donna’s tolerability scale. But lately, Nerys had been a good friend to her so she was in. Next, was Donna’s slightly mousey cousin, Emmie, who had always taken her side in any conflict with her Mum. Hildy, who she’d known since she was a child, was brash and opinionated and a good counter to Nerys. Hildy had Donna’s back even when Donna didn’t want her to, but Hildy could be fun and had no trouble getting a party started. From the minute the group exited the plane, all four women were ready to party and let loose.
That night Nerys wasted no time flirting with every half decent looking man who passed by them. Hildy and Emmie were not far behind, especially after a couple of drinks. Donna, however, was preoccupied. Although she was not above enjoying flirting with a decent looking bloke, having a party or enjoying a good time, her priorities had recently changed. Learning your fiancé was only marrying you in order to feed you to his alien spider mistress sort of altered one’s perspective on life. Not to mention when your life was saved from such a gruesome fate by a charming if slightly skinny self-destructive alien. And that was what was causing her thoughts to wander from what should have been a good time. She kept thinking about his offer to see the stars and how tiny she was suddenly finding this world. There was just so much more out there.
Thinking Donna wasn’t enjoying the bar they were at, the girls dragged her further down the strip. It was as they were passing the MGM Grand that Donna paused, staring at a poster for a show. Nerys stepped up next to her. “Now that’s more like it!” she exclaimed and ran her hand over the image of the leather clad Peter Vincent. “This is more my kind of entertainment,” she said with a smirk. Emmie giggled.
“Oh yeah! I heard people at the bar talkin’ ‘bout this bloke! It’s some kind of vampire magic act. He’s a bit fit in’ he,” Hildy said with a waggle of her eyebrows and an elbow to Donna’s side.
“Oh I dunno, he’s a bit skinny but there is something a bit nice about the leather,” Donna said and smiled. “He’s got that bad boy look and those eyes are so…” Donna said, getting into the spirit of things before stopping and really looking at the bloke on the poster. The girls kept going on and on about unlacing his trousers and opening packages but Donna was seeing something else. The man behind the show biz make up and costume was familiar, very familiar in an alien saving the Earth kind of way. It was him and she’d found him.
She grinned. It hadn’t taken Donna long to wonder what had happened to him and to wonder what would have happened if she had gone with him. She’d started casually looking for signs of him and then less casually looking for signs of aliens hoping he’d show up but now… here he was. Then her brow furrowed. What was the barmy spaceman doing in a Vegas show? He had been in a bad way the last time she’d seen him but this… This was just pathetic. That was it. She had to save him and shake some sense into the skinny alien nutter. And with that thought, Donna announced they were buying tickets to this show. No one objected, but then, none of the others realized why she wanted to see it. Donna Noble was on a mission.
*********
A few days after bearing witness to the Doctor’s performance and apparent plunge into debauchery, Rose and Mickey were hired at the MGM Grand. The couple they had saved from the vampire attack had connections. With a little help from them, Mickey’s mad hacker skills, and Rose’s flirt and charm, she was hired as a waitress to work the theatre at the Peter Vincent show. Mickey was hired in security to monitor camera footage. Neither job exactly thrilled them but they viewed the situation as temporary and undercover work to solve the mystery surrounding the Doctor.
The first time Mickey saw Rose in her tight black corseted cocktail waitress dress with the black stockings and shiny knee high stiletto boots, he grinned and whistled. Rose rolled her black kohl-lined eyes. “Micks,” she said with a chastising voice.
“What? It’s not like everyone won’t be lookin’ you know. You should get some good tips in that get up. Maybe even catch the eye of the man ‘imself!”
Rose smiled slightly at the thought of the Doctor seeing her dressed like this. He would definitely have something to say. More than likely he’d give her a long babble on the history of the Goth movement or a comment about impractical footwear. Now, she thought the Doctor’s Peter Vincent persona would have entirely different commentary. Of that, she was sure and it made her a little unhappy.
She was still in turmoil about his obnoxious, lascivious behavior. It was so completely opposite from the Doctor she knew and she couldn’t help but wonder if he was being influenced by something alien. Had he been he exposed to some psychotic drug? Maybe he had suffered some sort of mental breakdown and this was some weird Time Lord version of schizophrenia or psychosis? The only thing she was sure of was that he was not doing this on purpose. Another larger question in her mind was where was his TARDIS? If he was ill, she would need the TARDIS to help him.
Talking to Mickey about the whole strange situation was almost an act in frustration itself. He was far too busy enjoying himself at the Doctor’s expense and had taken to calling him the Time Trollop or Lord Shags-a-lot. Not that Mickey was doing nothing, of course. He continued to monitor events and use UNIT resources to track any anomalies and look for anything alien in the area. So far, he had a few clues that something was off from reports of weird lights in the sky and missing people. UNIT was unimpressed by any of this, chalking it up to Las Vegas crazies or drunks. Mickey wasn’t entirely sure the reports should be ignored, especially after the vampire incident. His attempts to hack Torchwood had been thwarted and he’d stopped his attempts when they tried to trace his hacking programs back to him.
Mickey and Rose were both concerned about the vampire issue. Reports were surfacing of vagrants attacking tourists and there was the news that the city was creating a task force to address the issue. Rose and Mickey sat at their favorite diner listening to the local gossip on the subject. Nila, their favorite waitress, stopped by to freshen their coffees and pass on more rumors on the topic.
“Have you two heard the latest?” she asked as she winked at Mickey who smiled flirtatiously back at her.
“What’s that, Nila?” Rose asked, swirling cream in her coffee.
“There was another attack. This one was near the Hard Rock. Some crazy attacked an elderly couple that got turned around. Looks like they’re gonna live but it was awful.”
“Did they catch ‘im, the guy who did it, I mean?” Mickey asked, looking pointedly at Rose who was nervously ripping at her paper napkin.
“No, he ran when some of the maintenance workers from the Hard Rock came running when they heard the screaming. Said the guy practically flew away. They think he was on something.”
Rose knew that this was no drug addict or vagrant and had a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach that this was somehow related to the Doctor. “That’s awful and it’s like the third attack this week isn’t it?”
Nila nodded. “Yeah, it is. We’re not leaving anyone here alone to lock up at night. And you two, you need to be careful going home at night too. I mean, not that Mickey here couldn’t handle any messed up vagrant,” she said, smiling at Mickey. “But Rose, you need to carry something. You have any pepper spray?”
Rose smiled as she watched Nila flirt with Mickey. She was happy to see Mickey fit in and make friends. “Oh, don’t worry ‘bout me, Nila. If I can handle some of the handsy blokes at the MGM, I can handle some strung out wanker on a bender,” Rose assured her. Nila did not look convinced.
On the way to the MGM, Mickey handed Rose what looked like pepper spray. She held it in front of her and looked at him with a cocked eyebrow. “What’s this?”
He looked a little embarrassed. “Holy water,” he finally said.
Rose burst into giggles. “What? Seriously?”
Mickey looked perturbed. “It works in the films, don’t it? Anyway, it’s just in case. ‘Sides, it’s not like you can strap a wooden stake anywhere in that get up you’re wearin,” he said and shot a look at her skin tight dress. Rose rolled her eyes and gave his shoulder a shove.
“Thanks, Micks. I mean, for lookin’ out for me and stayin’ and all,” she said and looped her arm through his.
He shrugged. “You’d do it for me and ‘sides, if Jackie ever found out that I walked away and left you here to deal with Mr. Hot Pants by yourself, there’d be no place safe in any universe for me!” They both giggled and made their way to work. The truth of the matter was things were serious and they both knew they needed each other. If these attacks were escalating, they may not have much time to solve the mystery surrounding the Doctor. Before they parted, Rose whispered to Mickey that she was going to have a look around after the show. He didn’t like it, but acknowledged that she had the access he didn’t. He told Rose to check in with him periodically and report on her progress. She felt for her TARDIS key tucked in her bra as she made her way into the theatre and whispered in her mind to the TARDIS that she was coming.
Soon, Rose was busily waiting tables as the opening act started. It was another full house, with an audience made up of mostly women. It wasn’t like Rose could blame them. The Doctor had always been a bit of a flirt and what woman wouldn’t be attracted to him, any him, this form or his prior regeneration. She put a friendly smile on her face and waited her tables. One table in particular seemed overly excited for the show. The group was from near home so she used her accent to her advantage in the hopes for a nice tip.
It did rile her a bit at how bawdy the conversation was, especially the blonde in her sparkly silver dress. Rose bit her tongue and kept the smile plastered on her face.
“Oi, blondie!” the ginger woman called out to Rose.
Again, Rose smiled until it hurt. “Yes, what can I get for you?”
“Tell me about this Peter Vincent. How long has he been here?” the ginger asked but not in the silky, entenderish way most women asked. She seemed more legitimately curious.
It was amusing to Rose that she was now being worked just like she and Mickey had questioned their waitress when they’d first come to the show. The question was why was this woman so interested in Peter Vincent’s history? She was obviously not interested in his manly attributes like her friends were.
“Oh, he’s new to Las Vegas. He’s only been here a little over a month,” Rose recited from the information she knew about him.
“And before that? Where was he?” the ginger asked, tapping her fingers on the table. Rose immediately felt her skin prickle. This woman could be from Torchwood or any other number of alien interested groups. Henry Van Statten came to mind.
“Oh, he traveled around doing smaller shows,” Rose answered evasively.
The woman almost snorted and Rose thought she heard her say, “I’ll bet he was.” She then looked at Rose again. “Don’t suppose he’s all mopey about a blonde is he?”
Rose’s jaw dropped a little before she composed herself. “Well…I don’t, um, know ‘bout that but, I’ve heard he has a fondness for blondes.”
At that point, the blonde in the group who Rose had learned was called Nerys, chirped in. “See, you cows might as well as pack it in. That hot hunk of arse is all mine tonight!” she bragged loudly and everyone in the group laughed except the ginger woman who rolled her eyes. There was something about this woman that was different. Rose couldn’t put her finger on it but she didn’t quite fit in with the other women in her group.
Rose tucked it away for further thought later and smiled again. “Well, I’m Rose. If you need anything, just let me know.”
“Sorry, did you just say you’re name is Rose?” the ginger woman asked, staring at Rose for a few seconds before shaking herself out of it. “Never mind, look, just get us another round now before the main show starts,” she ordered.
As Rose left, she heard the one of the brown-haired women say loudly. “That’s the spirit, Donna!”
Rose went to get their drinks and pondered her customers. She had a suspicion that table was going to be a piece of work. She wasn’t far off as the boisterous group was having a typically Vegas good time as Rose liked to call it. The show wrapped up, and then her loud and raucous group paid their bill and made their way toward backstage, not unlike she and Mickey had done.
******************
Donna still couldn’t believe what she’d seen on stage. That bloody stupid alien git had gone off the deep end. She was kicking herself for not going with him, instead letting him blunder off on his own. Obviously, he needed supervision and a good friend. Well, she was here now and she would straighten his arse up. Of course, even after seeing the whole tight-leather-trouser-shag-me look, she hadn’t been prepared her for his raunchy, manwhore attitude backstage.
Donna grabbed Nerys who was stumbling her way toward the crowd of fan girls. “What do you think you’re doin?” she demanded. Nerys yanked her arm out of Donna’s grasp
“Piss off! I’m gettin’ me some studly man tonight! Don’t wait up!” Nerys drunkenly announced and whipped around to fight her way through the crowd toward the cocky Peter Vincent who was eyeing yet another buxom blonde.
Emmie was drunkenly swaying and laughing with Hildy giddily watching Nerys march over to Peter Vincent. Donna glared at them. “You’re all pissed aren’t you? And that stupid cow has gone off to throw herself at some Vegas slutboy!” Donna snipped at the two drunken women in her group. “Fine, you lot go drink yourselves under the table. I’ve got other plans,” she announced and left with a determined look in her eye and with Hildy calling after her. With all the activity going on and a drunken Nerys declaring her desire to tear off Peter’s trousers with her teeth and security running to drag her away, Donna slipped further backstage into a storage area without anyone noticing.
*********************
At the end of her shift, Rose decided it was time to investigate. There had been some type of trouble backstage with some drunken fan and security was still busy talking to the manager, filing reports, plus there was rampant gossip and people sharing pictures of the whole incident taken on their various mobiles. Rose easily slipped away while everyone was occupied. She touched the TARDIS key tucked in her bra, feeling the warmth increase as she walked around the darkened backstage area. She meandered around some of the storage areas, making her way through stage props of chains, gothic looking thrones and set pieces like fake stones and scary looking trees but found nothing.
She heard someone coming and ducked back behind a fake marble altar with tall candelabras on top of it. The person walked in and back through the storage area. Rose heard a feminine voice snort and whisper, “Isn’t this just wizard! It’s a bloomin’ pervy fantasyland!” The woman walked further along shoving things aside and Rose took a chance and ducked out through the door. One of the waitresses had told her that there was a cavernous subfloor with a maze of tunnels stretching out beneath the casino so Rose made a run for a door that led down into the basement. Once inside with the door closed behind her, the darkness closed in around her except for a few dim flickering lights at the bottom of a metal staircase. She climbed down, her heels making a clanking noise that seemed to echo around her. No one called out to her and the only other sound was the hum of electronics. She truly felt alone and slowly made her way through the labyrinth of tunnels. She pulled out a pen light she had tucked into her brassiere and shined it along the concrete passageway and was able to make out some doors with labels on them identifying them as various electrical control rooms for different parts of the casino. She continued to slowly make her way through, peeking into various rooms and flinching once when a rat scurried by her.
Her only comfort was the warmth of the TARDIS key which almost seem to be vibrating the further inside she ventured. A noise echoed down the corridor and she could hear the footsteps of someone approaching. She ducked into a room designated as Junction 2C and hid behind a giant electric generator.
**************
Donna Noble was frustrated as she shoved aside fake stones and theatrical props, snorting at the over the top cheesiness of all of it. She’d hidden in a supply closet until she couldn’t hear anyone moving about and then started her exploration of the backstage area. So far, she’d found no sign of the skinny alien’s blue box. Her instincts screamed at her that she needed to find it, if only to confirm that the magical manwhore was truly the alien she’d been searching for. Just as she was examining some leather contraption out of some S&M fantasy, a noise sounded behind her and she caught a glimpse of someone running out the door. She dropped to the floor and crawled behind some garish purple Victorian chaise lounge with skulls embellished on the legs which caused her to roll her eyes. It occurred to her that if whoever had left was supposed to be here, he or she would have called out and demanded to know why Donna was there. That hadn’t happened. Donna stood up and her eyes narrowed at the door. That meant someone else was snooping around and Donna was going to find out who and why.
She quickly hurried over to the door just in time to see a door a little ways away click shut. “Oh no you don’t!” she muttered. Before she could follow, a noise sounded and she had to duck back into the storage room. She heard footsteps as someone plunked down some prop and then left. As soon as the coast was clear, Donna ran for the door to what she soon found out was the basement. She sighed and was glad she wore low heeled boots since it looked like she would be climbing and no doubt running as well.
The corridor was dark except for dodgy fluorescents so Donna pulled out her mobile for additional light. She heard some footsteps up ahead and decided it must be her mystery person who had fled earlier. She quickly made her way toward the noise and heard a creak as a door opened. She saw a shadow dart into the doorway and paused. A voice in the back of her head that sounded surprisingly like her mother reminded her that this might be a bit daft and dangerous. Who was she but some temp who won a trip to Las Vegas? She wasn’t the police or some investigator and wasn’t even armed with anything other than a handbag and her mobile. Then, Donna thought about the Doctor again and everything they’d done in stopping Lance and his spider tart and she felt her confidence grow. Her space boy needed her. She had no idea who was hiding out down here but maybe this person knew something about the Doctor. With that thought in mind, Donna marched into the dark room.
The door snapped shut behind her and she immediately was immersed in darkness with only a single yellow emergency light dimly illuminating the room. The scent of metal, oil and mustiness surrounded her and the only noise she could hear was the hum of machinery. She took a cautious step forward, clutching her mobile and purse, prepared to smack anyone who came near her. As her eyes adjusted, she could see thick conduit running around the walls and the room was filled with what she assumed was electrical equipment. She took one more step before someone yanked her forward. Donna struggled and fought her assailant. She would not go down without a fight. She soon found herself on the floor with her attacker on top of her shining a light into her eyes.
“Oi! Get the hell off of me! I’ve got friends just outside the door and if you don’t watch yourself you’re gonna to find yourself…” she started to berate her assailant before she realized it was the blonde waitress from the bar. “You!” she shouted.
**********
Rose had heard her pursuer enter the room and tensed ready to spring on him. She was a Torchwood agent and well versed in not only several Earth forms of self-defense but also Venusian Aikido thanks to the Doctor. As soon as she caught sight of a body moving next to where she was hiding, she jumped the person and wrestled them to the floor. She was quite stunned to find her ginger haired customer from the bar.
“What are you doin’ down here? This area is restricted!” Rose exclaimed as she held the ginger down.
“Ya think!” Donna snarked back. “And you, what are you doin’ down here, blondie? Doesn’t exactly look like you should be here either!”
Rose stared at the ginger woman and made a decision. Her instincts said she could trust this spunky woman who was clever enough to find her way down here. She stood up and held out her hand to help her up.
“Rose Tyler,” she said.
Donna stood and brushed herself off. “Donna Noble. Now tell me why you’re down here.”
Rose paused and assessed Donna. “All right. A friend of mine is in trouble and I’m trying to find out what’s goin’ on. And you, what are doin’ down here?” Rose demanded with arms crossed and in her best Torchwood agent interrogation mode.
“Why should I tell you anything?” Donna retorted, not willing to be cowed by some skinny, blonde waitress.
Rose quirked a smile. She liked this Donna Noble. She had spunk and wasn’t going to be pushed around. “Well Donna Noble, ‘cos I actually work here and you’re a guest and I could certainly escort you back upstairs and then you wouldn’t find whatever it is you’re lookin’ for, now would you?”
Donna straightened and stared Rose in the eyes. “Fine! I have a friend who’s in trouble!
He sort of gets into trouble when he’s on his own. So, I have to find him and save his skinny alien arse before something happens.”
Rose raised an eyebrow at skinny alien arse. She only knew one of those and it so happened he was here. A smile bloomed on her face. “So this friend of yours, he wouldn’t be a mad time travelin’ alien would he?” she asked.
Donna’s jaw dropped a bit before she composed herself. “Oh my God, you know ‘im! Wait! You work here so you’ve seen ‘im up there!” Donna said and pointed upward toward the theatre.
Rose grinned. “Yep! I’ve seen ‘im all right.” Her smile slipped a bit. “Only, that’s not the Doctor I knew. My Doctor, well he wouldn’t ‘ave been caught dead lookin’ like that and he wasn’t exactly…” Rose said, not finishing her sentence and not sure how to describe Peter Vincent without it sounding bad.
“A Vegas Manwhore,” Donna finished with a cheeky smile.
Rose burst out laughing. “Yeah! I mean he’s all Mr. Brown Pinstripes and I’m a dignified Time Lord. Course, he was never too dignified but he liked people to think he was.”
“Oh, I dunno, when I met him he was sort of sad; in mourning, really. Still a complete nutter but he was in a bad place,” Donna explained. “He asked me to go with him and I said no. I wish I hadn’t. I know he needed someone. I just…oh, I dunno. I just was confused and tired. I regret it, not going with him I mean,” Donna confessed, a look of regret in her eyes.
Rose stared at her seriously. “You said he was sad and in mourning. Did he tell you why?” she asked softly.
Donna’s smile softened and she took a step forward. “You said your name’s Rose. You’re his Rose aren’t you? The one he lost?”
Rose nodded and felt tears well up. “He…he mentioned me?”
“I think I ran into him right after he lost you. He never told me what happened. I could tell how devastated he was. If you don’t mind me askin’, what happened?”
Rose felt tears falling down her face. She wiped them off and looked at Donna. “It’s a bit complicated. I sort of got sucked into another universe, trapped you might say. There was supposed to be no way back. He said it was impossible. Guess it wasn’t since here I am. I saw the poster for his show and knew it was him. I’ve been tryin’ to figure out what happened ever since. I know the TARDIS is nearby. It’s why I was down here trying to find her, to see if I can figure out what happened to make him…”
“A sleazy Vegas slutboy?” Donna inserted.
Rose burst out into laughter and was soon joined by Donna. Finally, she composed herself. “So Donna Noble, wanna help me find the TARDIS and save the Doctor from his leather wearin’ wanker fake self?”
“You got a plan, blondie?” Donna asked.
“I’ve got better.” Rose pulled out her TARDIS key which was now glowing. “I’ve got this. It only does this when the TARDIS is near. I think it must be back here somewhere. You with me then?”
“Are you kidding? What are we waitin’ for?” Donna said and grabbed Rose’s arm and dragged her further into the bowels of the electric junction room.
It didn’t take them long before they found the TARDIS tucked away amidst the equipment. Rose ran up and hugged the ship. Donna rolled her eyes at this. “You’re as barmy as he is,” she commented.
Rose stepped back, inserted her key and opened the door. She stepped inside slowly to find the interior dim and the ship’s hum was muted. Rose walked up to the darkened console and placed her hand on it and murmured a hello to the ship. Donna stepped into the TARDIS and closed the door behind her.
‘What’s wrong with it? Why’s it look this way?” Donna asked, looking around at the dimly lit console room.
“I don’t know,” Rose murmured as she walked around the console until she reached the monitor. She hit a few switches and the Doctor’s face popped on. Rose grinned. This was her Doctor. Donna stepped up next to her. They listened to the Doctor talk to someone named Martha who Rose remembered was Peter Vincent’s manager. Things began clicking into place.
The Doctor on the monitor explained that some aliens known as The Family were chasing them. Apparently, they were vampires, very old, dangerous, and at the end of their life cycle. They were looking to make a meal of the Doctor and not just his blood but his time essence as it would practically give them immortality. The Doctor had come here to hide from them. Rose rolled her eyes at his plan to hide out until their life cycles ended which would take a matter of two Earth months.
Donna was not so subtle in her criticism of this plan. “He made himself human to hide from space vampires? That’s a daft plan! And who the hell turns himself into some Vegas show act to hide?”
Before Rose could respond, Martha Jones walked into the TARDIS and she was not pleased.
When she arrived at home ready to tell her mother the good news, she had been met with her mother’s typical snide and condemning comments. She knew right then and there that there was no way she was taking her Mum with her. She’d then marched straight up the hill to her grandfather, Wilf, who was stationed at his telescope scanning the night sky. He’d been delighted for her and told her to go have fun with her friends. So, Donna Noble invited three of her more tolerable friends for a free five day trip to Las Vegas.
Nerys, a tall, leggy, fake blonde, was on the cusp of Donna’s tolerability scale. But lately, Nerys had been a good friend to her so she was in. Next, was Donna’s slightly mousey cousin, Emmie, who had always taken her side in any conflict with her Mum. Hildy, who she’d known since she was a child, was brash and opinionated and a good counter to Nerys. Hildy had Donna’s back even when Donna didn’t want her to, but Hildy could be fun and had no trouble getting a party started. From the minute the group exited the plane, all four women were ready to party and let loose.
That night Nerys wasted no time flirting with every half decent looking man who passed by them. Hildy and Emmie were not far behind, especially after a couple of drinks. Donna, however, was preoccupied. Although she was not above enjoying flirting with a decent looking bloke, having a party or enjoying a good time, her priorities had recently changed. Learning your fiancé was only marrying you in order to feed you to his alien spider mistress sort of altered one’s perspective on life. Not to mention when your life was saved from such a gruesome fate by a charming if slightly skinny self-destructive alien. And that was what was causing her thoughts to wander from what should have been a good time. She kept thinking about his offer to see the stars and how tiny she was suddenly finding this world. There was just so much more out there.
Thinking Donna wasn’t enjoying the bar they were at, the girls dragged her further down the strip. It was as they were passing the MGM Grand that Donna paused, staring at a poster for a show. Nerys stepped up next to her. “Now that’s more like it!” she exclaimed and ran her hand over the image of the leather clad Peter Vincent. “This is more my kind of entertainment,” she said with a smirk. Emmie giggled.
“Oh yeah! I heard people at the bar talkin’ ‘bout this bloke! It’s some kind of vampire magic act. He’s a bit fit in’ he,” Hildy said with a waggle of her eyebrows and an elbow to Donna’s side.
“Oh I dunno, he’s a bit skinny but there is something a bit nice about the leather,” Donna said and smiled. “He’s got that bad boy look and those eyes are so…” Donna said, getting into the spirit of things before stopping and really looking at the bloke on the poster. The girls kept going on and on about unlacing his trousers and opening packages but Donna was seeing something else. The man behind the show biz make up and costume was familiar, very familiar in an alien saving the Earth kind of way. It was him and she’d found him.
She grinned. It hadn’t taken Donna long to wonder what had happened to him and to wonder what would have happened if she had gone with him. She’d started casually looking for signs of him and then less casually looking for signs of aliens hoping he’d show up but now… here he was. Then her brow furrowed. What was the barmy spaceman doing in a Vegas show? He had been in a bad way the last time she’d seen him but this… This was just pathetic. That was it. She had to save him and shake some sense into the skinny alien nutter. And with that thought, Donna announced they were buying tickets to this show. No one objected, but then, none of the others realized why she wanted to see it. Donna Noble was on a mission.
*********
A few days after bearing witness to the Doctor’s performance and apparent plunge into debauchery, Rose and Mickey were hired at the MGM Grand. The couple they had saved from the vampire attack had connections. With a little help from them, Mickey’s mad hacker skills, and Rose’s flirt and charm, she was hired as a waitress to work the theatre at the Peter Vincent show. Mickey was hired in security to monitor camera footage. Neither job exactly thrilled them but they viewed the situation as temporary and undercover work to solve the mystery surrounding the Doctor.
The first time Mickey saw Rose in her tight black corseted cocktail waitress dress with the black stockings and shiny knee high stiletto boots, he grinned and whistled. Rose rolled her black kohl-lined eyes. “Micks,” she said with a chastising voice.
“What? It’s not like everyone won’t be lookin’ you know. You should get some good tips in that get up. Maybe even catch the eye of the man ‘imself!”
Rose smiled slightly at the thought of the Doctor seeing her dressed like this. He would definitely have something to say. More than likely he’d give her a long babble on the history of the Goth movement or a comment about impractical footwear. Now, she thought the Doctor’s Peter Vincent persona would have entirely different commentary. Of that, she was sure and it made her a little unhappy.
She was still in turmoil about his obnoxious, lascivious behavior. It was so completely opposite from the Doctor she knew and she couldn’t help but wonder if he was being influenced by something alien. Had he been he exposed to some psychotic drug? Maybe he had suffered some sort of mental breakdown and this was some weird Time Lord version of schizophrenia or psychosis? The only thing she was sure of was that he was not doing this on purpose. Another larger question in her mind was where was his TARDIS? If he was ill, she would need the TARDIS to help him.
Talking to Mickey about the whole strange situation was almost an act in frustration itself. He was far too busy enjoying himself at the Doctor’s expense and had taken to calling him the Time Trollop or Lord Shags-a-lot. Not that Mickey was doing nothing, of course. He continued to monitor events and use UNIT resources to track any anomalies and look for anything alien in the area. So far, he had a few clues that something was off from reports of weird lights in the sky and missing people. UNIT was unimpressed by any of this, chalking it up to Las Vegas crazies or drunks. Mickey wasn’t entirely sure the reports should be ignored, especially after the vampire incident. His attempts to hack Torchwood had been thwarted and he’d stopped his attempts when they tried to trace his hacking programs back to him.
Mickey and Rose were both concerned about the vampire issue. Reports were surfacing of vagrants attacking tourists and there was the news that the city was creating a task force to address the issue. Rose and Mickey sat at their favorite diner listening to the local gossip on the subject. Nila, their favorite waitress, stopped by to freshen their coffees and pass on more rumors on the topic.
“Have you two heard the latest?” she asked as she winked at Mickey who smiled flirtatiously back at her.
“What’s that, Nila?” Rose asked, swirling cream in her coffee.
“There was another attack. This one was near the Hard Rock. Some crazy attacked an elderly couple that got turned around. Looks like they’re gonna live but it was awful.”
“Did they catch ‘im, the guy who did it, I mean?” Mickey asked, looking pointedly at Rose who was nervously ripping at her paper napkin.
“No, he ran when some of the maintenance workers from the Hard Rock came running when they heard the screaming. Said the guy practically flew away. They think he was on something.”
Rose knew that this was no drug addict or vagrant and had a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach that this was somehow related to the Doctor. “That’s awful and it’s like the third attack this week isn’t it?”
Nila nodded. “Yeah, it is. We’re not leaving anyone here alone to lock up at night. And you two, you need to be careful going home at night too. I mean, not that Mickey here couldn’t handle any messed up vagrant,” she said, smiling at Mickey. “But Rose, you need to carry something. You have any pepper spray?”
Rose smiled as she watched Nila flirt with Mickey. She was happy to see Mickey fit in and make friends. “Oh, don’t worry ‘bout me, Nila. If I can handle some of the handsy blokes at the MGM, I can handle some strung out wanker on a bender,” Rose assured her. Nila did not look convinced.
On the way to the MGM, Mickey handed Rose what looked like pepper spray. She held it in front of her and looked at him with a cocked eyebrow. “What’s this?”
He looked a little embarrassed. “Holy water,” he finally said.
Rose burst into giggles. “What? Seriously?”
Mickey looked perturbed. “It works in the films, don’t it? Anyway, it’s just in case. ‘Sides, it’s not like you can strap a wooden stake anywhere in that get up you’re wearin,” he said and shot a look at her skin tight dress. Rose rolled her eyes and gave his shoulder a shove.
“Thanks, Micks. I mean, for lookin’ out for me and stayin’ and all,” she said and looped her arm through his.
He shrugged. “You’d do it for me and ‘sides, if Jackie ever found out that I walked away and left you here to deal with Mr. Hot Pants by yourself, there’d be no place safe in any universe for me!” They both giggled and made their way to work. The truth of the matter was things were serious and they both knew they needed each other. If these attacks were escalating, they may not have much time to solve the mystery surrounding the Doctor. Before they parted, Rose whispered to Mickey that she was going to have a look around after the show. He didn’t like it, but acknowledged that she had the access he didn’t. He told Rose to check in with him periodically and report on her progress. She felt for her TARDIS key tucked in her bra as she made her way into the theatre and whispered in her mind to the TARDIS that she was coming.
Soon, Rose was busily waiting tables as the opening act started. It was another full house, with an audience made up of mostly women. It wasn’t like Rose could blame them. The Doctor had always been a bit of a flirt and what woman wouldn’t be attracted to him, any him, this form or his prior regeneration. She put a friendly smile on her face and waited her tables. One table in particular seemed overly excited for the show. The group was from near home so she used her accent to her advantage in the hopes for a nice tip.
It did rile her a bit at how bawdy the conversation was, especially the blonde in her sparkly silver dress. Rose bit her tongue and kept the smile plastered on her face.
“Oi, blondie!” the ginger woman called out to Rose.
Again, Rose smiled until it hurt. “Yes, what can I get for you?”
“Tell me about this Peter Vincent. How long has he been here?” the ginger asked but not in the silky, entenderish way most women asked. She seemed more legitimately curious.
It was amusing to Rose that she was now being worked just like she and Mickey had questioned their waitress when they’d first come to the show. The question was why was this woman so interested in Peter Vincent’s history? She was obviously not interested in his manly attributes like her friends were.
“Oh, he’s new to Las Vegas. He’s only been here a little over a month,” Rose recited from the information she knew about him.
“And before that? Where was he?” the ginger asked, tapping her fingers on the table. Rose immediately felt her skin prickle. This woman could be from Torchwood or any other number of alien interested groups. Henry Van Statten came to mind.
“Oh, he traveled around doing smaller shows,” Rose answered evasively.
The woman almost snorted and Rose thought she heard her say, “I’ll bet he was.” She then looked at Rose again. “Don’t suppose he’s all mopey about a blonde is he?”
Rose’s jaw dropped a little before she composed herself. “Well…I don’t, um, know ‘bout that but, I’ve heard he has a fondness for blondes.”
At that point, the blonde in the group who Rose had learned was called Nerys, chirped in. “See, you cows might as well as pack it in. That hot hunk of arse is all mine tonight!” she bragged loudly and everyone in the group laughed except the ginger woman who rolled her eyes. There was something about this woman that was different. Rose couldn’t put her finger on it but she didn’t quite fit in with the other women in her group.
Rose tucked it away for further thought later and smiled again. “Well, I’m Rose. If you need anything, just let me know.”
“Sorry, did you just say you’re name is Rose?” the ginger woman asked, staring at Rose for a few seconds before shaking herself out of it. “Never mind, look, just get us another round now before the main show starts,” she ordered.
As Rose left, she heard the one of the brown-haired women say loudly. “That’s the spirit, Donna!”
Rose went to get their drinks and pondered her customers. She had a suspicion that table was going to be a piece of work. She wasn’t far off as the boisterous group was having a typically Vegas good time as Rose liked to call it. The show wrapped up, and then her loud and raucous group paid their bill and made their way toward backstage, not unlike she and Mickey had done.
******************
Donna still couldn’t believe what she’d seen on stage. That bloody stupid alien git had gone off the deep end. She was kicking herself for not going with him, instead letting him blunder off on his own. Obviously, he needed supervision and a good friend. Well, she was here now and she would straighten his arse up. Of course, even after seeing the whole tight-leather-trouser-shag-me look, she hadn’t been prepared her for his raunchy, manwhore attitude backstage.
Donna grabbed Nerys who was stumbling her way toward the crowd of fan girls. “What do you think you’re doin?” she demanded. Nerys yanked her arm out of Donna’s grasp
“Piss off! I’m gettin’ me some studly man tonight! Don’t wait up!” Nerys drunkenly announced and whipped around to fight her way through the crowd toward the cocky Peter Vincent who was eyeing yet another buxom blonde.
Emmie was drunkenly swaying and laughing with Hildy giddily watching Nerys march over to Peter Vincent. Donna glared at them. “You’re all pissed aren’t you? And that stupid cow has gone off to throw herself at some Vegas slutboy!” Donna snipped at the two drunken women in her group. “Fine, you lot go drink yourselves under the table. I’ve got other plans,” she announced and left with a determined look in her eye and with Hildy calling after her. With all the activity going on and a drunken Nerys declaring her desire to tear off Peter’s trousers with her teeth and security running to drag her away, Donna slipped further backstage into a storage area without anyone noticing.
*********************
At the end of her shift, Rose decided it was time to investigate. There had been some type of trouble backstage with some drunken fan and security was still busy talking to the manager, filing reports, plus there was rampant gossip and people sharing pictures of the whole incident taken on their various mobiles. Rose easily slipped away while everyone was occupied. She touched the TARDIS key tucked in her bra, feeling the warmth increase as she walked around the darkened backstage area. She meandered around some of the storage areas, making her way through stage props of chains, gothic looking thrones and set pieces like fake stones and scary looking trees but found nothing.
She heard someone coming and ducked back behind a fake marble altar with tall candelabras on top of it. The person walked in and back through the storage area. Rose heard a feminine voice snort and whisper, “Isn’t this just wizard! It’s a bloomin’ pervy fantasyland!” The woman walked further along shoving things aside and Rose took a chance and ducked out through the door. One of the waitresses had told her that there was a cavernous subfloor with a maze of tunnels stretching out beneath the casino so Rose made a run for a door that led down into the basement. Once inside with the door closed behind her, the darkness closed in around her except for a few dim flickering lights at the bottom of a metal staircase. She climbed down, her heels making a clanking noise that seemed to echo around her. No one called out to her and the only other sound was the hum of electronics. She truly felt alone and slowly made her way through the labyrinth of tunnels. She pulled out a pen light she had tucked into her brassiere and shined it along the concrete passageway and was able to make out some doors with labels on them identifying them as various electrical control rooms for different parts of the casino. She continued to slowly make her way through, peeking into various rooms and flinching once when a rat scurried by her.
Her only comfort was the warmth of the TARDIS key which almost seem to be vibrating the further inside she ventured. A noise echoed down the corridor and she could hear the footsteps of someone approaching. She ducked into a room designated as Junction 2C and hid behind a giant electric generator.
**************
Donna Noble was frustrated as she shoved aside fake stones and theatrical props, snorting at the over the top cheesiness of all of it. She’d hidden in a supply closet until she couldn’t hear anyone moving about and then started her exploration of the backstage area. So far, she’d found no sign of the skinny alien’s blue box. Her instincts screamed at her that she needed to find it, if only to confirm that the magical manwhore was truly the alien she’d been searching for. Just as she was examining some leather contraption out of some S&M fantasy, a noise sounded behind her and she caught a glimpse of someone running out the door. She dropped to the floor and crawled behind some garish purple Victorian chaise lounge with skulls embellished on the legs which caused her to roll her eyes. It occurred to her that if whoever had left was supposed to be here, he or she would have called out and demanded to know why Donna was there. That hadn’t happened. Donna stood up and her eyes narrowed at the door. That meant someone else was snooping around and Donna was going to find out who and why.
She quickly hurried over to the door just in time to see a door a little ways away click shut. “Oh no you don’t!” she muttered. Before she could follow, a noise sounded and she had to duck back into the storage room. She heard footsteps as someone plunked down some prop and then left. As soon as the coast was clear, Donna ran for the door to what she soon found out was the basement. She sighed and was glad she wore low heeled boots since it looked like she would be climbing and no doubt running as well.
The corridor was dark except for dodgy fluorescents so Donna pulled out her mobile for additional light. She heard some footsteps up ahead and decided it must be her mystery person who had fled earlier. She quickly made her way toward the noise and heard a creak as a door opened. She saw a shadow dart into the doorway and paused. A voice in the back of her head that sounded surprisingly like her mother reminded her that this might be a bit daft and dangerous. Who was she but some temp who won a trip to Las Vegas? She wasn’t the police or some investigator and wasn’t even armed with anything other than a handbag and her mobile. Then, Donna thought about the Doctor again and everything they’d done in stopping Lance and his spider tart and she felt her confidence grow. Her space boy needed her. She had no idea who was hiding out down here but maybe this person knew something about the Doctor. With that thought in mind, Donna marched into the dark room.
The door snapped shut behind her and she immediately was immersed in darkness with only a single yellow emergency light dimly illuminating the room. The scent of metal, oil and mustiness surrounded her and the only noise she could hear was the hum of machinery. She took a cautious step forward, clutching her mobile and purse, prepared to smack anyone who came near her. As her eyes adjusted, she could see thick conduit running around the walls and the room was filled with what she assumed was electrical equipment. She took one more step before someone yanked her forward. Donna struggled and fought her assailant. She would not go down without a fight. She soon found herself on the floor with her attacker on top of her shining a light into her eyes.
“Oi! Get the hell off of me! I’ve got friends just outside the door and if you don’t watch yourself you’re gonna to find yourself…” she started to berate her assailant before she realized it was the blonde waitress from the bar. “You!” she shouted.
**********
Rose had heard her pursuer enter the room and tensed ready to spring on him. She was a Torchwood agent and well versed in not only several Earth forms of self-defense but also Venusian Aikido thanks to the Doctor. As soon as she caught sight of a body moving next to where she was hiding, she jumped the person and wrestled them to the floor. She was quite stunned to find her ginger haired customer from the bar.
“What are you doin’ down here? This area is restricted!” Rose exclaimed as she held the ginger down.
“Ya think!” Donna snarked back. “And you, what are you doin’ down here, blondie? Doesn’t exactly look like you should be here either!”
Rose stared at the ginger woman and made a decision. Her instincts said she could trust this spunky woman who was clever enough to find her way down here. She stood up and held out her hand to help her up.
“Rose Tyler,” she said.
Donna stood and brushed herself off. “Donna Noble. Now tell me why you’re down here.”
Rose paused and assessed Donna. “All right. A friend of mine is in trouble and I’m trying to find out what’s goin’ on. And you, what are doin’ down here?” Rose demanded with arms crossed and in her best Torchwood agent interrogation mode.
“Why should I tell you anything?” Donna retorted, not willing to be cowed by some skinny, blonde waitress.
Rose quirked a smile. She liked this Donna Noble. She had spunk and wasn’t going to be pushed around. “Well Donna Noble, ‘cos I actually work here and you’re a guest and I could certainly escort you back upstairs and then you wouldn’t find whatever it is you’re lookin’ for, now would you?”
Donna straightened and stared Rose in the eyes. “Fine! I have a friend who’s in trouble!
He sort of gets into trouble when he’s on his own. So, I have to find him and save his skinny alien arse before something happens.”
Rose raised an eyebrow at skinny alien arse. She only knew one of those and it so happened he was here. A smile bloomed on her face. “So this friend of yours, he wouldn’t be a mad time travelin’ alien would he?” she asked.
Donna’s jaw dropped a bit before she composed herself. “Oh my God, you know ‘im! Wait! You work here so you’ve seen ‘im up there!” Donna said and pointed upward toward the theatre.
Rose grinned. “Yep! I’ve seen ‘im all right.” Her smile slipped a bit. “Only, that’s not the Doctor I knew. My Doctor, well he wouldn’t ‘ave been caught dead lookin’ like that and he wasn’t exactly…” Rose said, not finishing her sentence and not sure how to describe Peter Vincent without it sounding bad.
“A Vegas Manwhore,” Donna finished with a cheeky smile.
Rose burst out laughing. “Yeah! I mean he’s all Mr. Brown Pinstripes and I’m a dignified Time Lord. Course, he was never too dignified but he liked people to think he was.”
“Oh, I dunno, when I met him he was sort of sad; in mourning, really. Still a complete nutter but he was in a bad place,” Donna explained. “He asked me to go with him and I said no. I wish I hadn’t. I know he needed someone. I just…oh, I dunno. I just was confused and tired. I regret it, not going with him I mean,” Donna confessed, a look of regret in her eyes.
Rose stared at her seriously. “You said he was sad and in mourning. Did he tell you why?” she asked softly.
Donna’s smile softened and she took a step forward. “You said your name’s Rose. You’re his Rose aren’t you? The one he lost?”
Rose nodded and felt tears well up. “He…he mentioned me?”
“I think I ran into him right after he lost you. He never told me what happened. I could tell how devastated he was. If you don’t mind me askin’, what happened?”
Rose felt tears falling down her face. She wiped them off and looked at Donna. “It’s a bit complicated. I sort of got sucked into another universe, trapped you might say. There was supposed to be no way back. He said it was impossible. Guess it wasn’t since here I am. I saw the poster for his show and knew it was him. I’ve been tryin’ to figure out what happened ever since. I know the TARDIS is nearby. It’s why I was down here trying to find her, to see if I can figure out what happened to make him…”
“A sleazy Vegas slutboy?” Donna inserted.
Rose burst out into laughter and was soon joined by Donna. Finally, she composed herself. “So Donna Noble, wanna help me find the TARDIS and save the Doctor from his leather wearin’ wanker fake self?”
“You got a plan, blondie?” Donna asked.
“I’ve got better.” Rose pulled out her TARDIS key which was now glowing. “I’ve got this. It only does this when the TARDIS is near. I think it must be back here somewhere. You with me then?”
“Are you kidding? What are we waitin’ for?” Donna said and grabbed Rose’s arm and dragged her further into the bowels of the electric junction room.
It didn’t take them long before they found the TARDIS tucked away amidst the equipment. Rose ran up and hugged the ship. Donna rolled her eyes at this. “You’re as barmy as he is,” she commented.
Rose stepped back, inserted her key and opened the door. She stepped inside slowly to find the interior dim and the ship’s hum was muted. Rose walked up to the darkened console and placed her hand on it and murmured a hello to the ship. Donna stepped into the TARDIS and closed the door behind her.
‘What’s wrong with it? Why’s it look this way?” Donna asked, looking around at the dimly lit console room.
“I don’t know,” Rose murmured as she walked around the console until she reached the monitor. She hit a few switches and the Doctor’s face popped on. Rose grinned. This was her Doctor. Donna stepped up next to her. They listened to the Doctor talk to someone named Martha who Rose remembered was Peter Vincent’s manager. Things began clicking into place.
The Doctor on the monitor explained that some aliens known as The Family were chasing them. Apparently, they were vampires, very old, dangerous, and at the end of their life cycle. They were looking to make a meal of the Doctor and not just his blood but his time essence as it would practically give them immortality. The Doctor had come here to hide from them. Rose rolled her eyes at his plan to hide out until their life cycles ended which would take a matter of two Earth months.
Donna was not so subtle in her criticism of this plan. “He made himself human to hide from space vampires? That’s a daft plan! And who the hell turns himself into some Vegas show act to hide?”
Before Rose could respond, Martha Jones walked into the TARDIS and she was not pleased.
Page Summary
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Comments
I'm sure you put this behind a cut...but apparently it's not working. Just wanted to let you know. I can't wait to find the time to read it.
PS: Happy Late Birthday! (used special icon in your honor)
I LOVED the scenes with Donna and Rose. It is a crime that we didn't get to see them together more in the show (or Rose and Martha together for that matter). This was a nail biter chapter - I was really on the edge of my seat (relying on cliches here apparently) when they were both looking for the TARDIS but didn't know who the other person was. You wrote it perfectly.
I'm picturing Donna's friends as the same group at the beginning of Turn Left. Or are they just random people at her wedding reception? I don't remember any of the names except for Nerys.
I finally watched Fright Night this weekend so I have more of a visual in my head now. I liked it more than I thought I would but of course wished there had been more Peter Vincent. The scene where he takes everything off (even the sideburns!) is hilarious.
I hope your week is going better than last week.
Nerys is the only canon character from the Donna's group. The others I just made up since I could find any other named friends for her.
DT did such an awesome job in Fright Night. I'd see a movie just about Peter Vincent. I'm glad you enjoyed it :)
I'm also very glad to see Rose and Donna getting along and joining forces to help the Doctor. There's enough "Rose vs Donna" fic written (and I include some on my own work in that). It's a nice change to see them together.
Martha will be a lot more critical and quick to judge. She's been enduring a lot and thinks Rose abandoned the Doctor. She will not be nice. Donna will be a voice of reason and help gather the group together.
Donna gets all the best lines I think. Well, maybe Mickey gets some good lines too! Donna is not going to let him live this down :)
Anyways, I am eagerly waiting for the next chapter to see what happens!
HaHaHaHa!
Enjoying this loads and waiting patiently for updates.