Rose stepped out of the TARDIS when the Apocalypse landed and beamed when she saw they were back by the Powell Estate. "How long have I been gone?"

"About twelve hours," she replied.

"Oh," Rose said, laughing. "Right, I won't be long. I just want to see my mum."

"What're you going to tell her?" the Apocalypse asked curiously.

"I don't know," Rose replied, grinning. "I've been to the year 5 billion and only been gone, what, twelve hours?" The Apocalypse snorted her opinion of that, and Rose giggled. "No, I'll just tell her I spent the night at Shareen's. See you later!" She turned to go before turning back, pointing a finger at her. "Oh. And don't you disappear!"

The Apocalypse mock saluted, and Rose grinned and ran for the flat. "I'm back!" she shouted as she entered the flat. "I was with Shareen. She was all upset again. Are you in?" She entered the living room to see Jackie standing there, staring at her, eyes wide. "So, what's been going on? How've you been?" It was then that she noticed her expression. "What?" she asked in confusion. "What's that face for? It's not the first time I've stayed out all night!"

Jackie dropped her mug, and it crashed on the floor, but she barely noticed. "It's you," she whispered.

"Of course it's me," Rose replied in confusion.

"Oh, my God, it's you," Jackie breathed, hugging her tightly. "Oh, my God!"

Confused, Rose hugged her back, only to see the missing person signs on the table behind Jackie, all with her on it. There was a bang outside, and the Apocalypse ran in, her hair loose for once instead of up in a ponytail, and it was in wild curls when it was free. "I'm so sorry," she gasped out. "It's not twelve hours. It's twelve months. You've been gone a whole year." She shook her head. "Rose, I'm sorry!"

***

"The hours I've sat here, days and weeks and months, all on my own!" Jackie ranted later as Rose sat curled up in an armchair, the Apocalypse leaning on the chair behind her, examining her nails as a policeman sat across from them, Jackie still ranting. "I thought you were dead, and where were you?" She made air quotes. "Traveling. What the hell does that mean, traveling? That's no sort of answer!" She nodded at the policeman. "You ask her! She won't tell me. That's all she says, traveling!"

"That's what I was doing!" Rose insisted.

"When your passport's still in the drawer?" Jackie countered. "It's just one lie after another!"

"I meant to phone! I really did! I just . . . " Rose faltered, wincing. "Forgot."

"What? For a year?" Jackie shrieked. "You forgot for a year? And I am left sitting here! I just don't believe you! Why won't you tell me where you've been?"

"Actually," the Apocalypse said with a wince, raising her hand. "It's my fault. I sort of, ah . . . employed Rose as my companion."

"When you say companion," the policeman asked, "is this a sexual relationship?"

Both women straightened. "No!" Rose sputtered.

"Never!" the Apocalypse shouted. "Never since - " She cut herself off.

"Never since what, ma'am?" the policeman asked, and Rose looked up at the Apocalypse, seeing her face drained of color.

"Then what is it?" Jackie snapped at the Apocalypse, either not noticing or not caring. "Because you, you waltz in here all charm and smiles, and the next thing I know, she vanishes off the face of the Earth! How old are you, then? Thirty? Thirty five? What, did you find her on the Internet? Did you go online and pretend you were someone else?"

"No!" the Apocalypse insisted, shaking her head. "That's not that at all! It's just, my friend, he's a doctor, I know - "

"Oh, you know what to do, then?" Jackie mocked. "Prove it. Stitch this, lady!" She brought her hand back and swung at the Apocalypse.

She never connected. The Apocalypse's face twisted into a mask Rose had only seen once, and she grabbed Jackie's wrist and twisted her around so she was forced into the seat. "Caly!" Rose gasped, standing up.

The Apocalypse leaned close. "You assume that I don't care for family, Mrs. Tyler?" she whispered so the policeman couldn't hear. "Tell me this. How long ago was it your husband died? Ten years? Almost twenty? I once had one, too." Rose's eyes widened. She'd been married? Why had she never said? "He and my brother were taken in the same war, not even a month ago for me," the Apocalypse whispered, tears in her eyes, but still, she talked in an even tone, like she was keeping a tight hold on her temper. "My own husband, my own brother, best friends for life, and they died together in the same war, and there was nothing I could do to stop it from happening. Less than a month. Tell me this, Jackie Tyler: how different are we without the men we love in our lives? I may not have a daughter, but I would never force yours away from her family." She let go of Jackie abruptly and headed out the door, slamming it on her way up. Jackie just leaned against the sofa, her eyes wide, tears in her own eyes, as Rose stared after the Apocalypse in shock.

What had just happened?

***

Rose slowly approached the Apocalypse later, when they were on the rooftop. The Time Lady's long hair was blowing in the breeze, still a mess of tangled curls. "You were married?" she whispered.

The Apocalypse swallowed. "The Doctor," she replied hoarsely as Rose sat next to her. "The Master fully approved of it. They were like brothers. They became brothers after we were married." She sniffed, wiping furiously at her eyes. "And I killed both of them."

Rose put her hand on her friend's before sighing. "I can't tell her. I can't even begin. She's never going to forgive me. And I missed a year. Was it good?"

The Apocalypse shrugged. "Middling," she offered.

"You're so useless," Rose teased.

"Well, if it's this much trouble, are you going to stay here now?" the Apocalypse asked.

"No," Rose replied. "I'm staying with you." The Apocalypse smiled at her. "I can't do that to her again, though."

"Well, she's not coming with us," the Apocalypse laughed.

"No chance," Rose agreed.

"I don't do families"

"She tried to slap you!" Rose giggled.

The Apocalypse shook her head. "Nine hundred years of time and space, and I've never been slapped by someone's mother."

Rose blinked. "When you say nine hundred years . . . "

"That's my age."

"You're nine hundred years old."

"And what do you think?"

Rose shook her head. "My mum was right. That is one hell of an age gap." The Apocalypse laughed at that, throwing her head back, and Rose grinned, glad her mood was better. "Every conversation with you just goes mental! There's no one else I can talk to. I've seen all that stuff up there, the size of it, and I can't say a word. Aliens and spaceships and things, and I'm the only person on planet Earth who knows they exist."

There was a horn above them, and the Apocalypse quickly pulled Rose to the ground as a spaceship with black smoke billowing from it passed overhead. They watched it crash through Big Ben, then land in the Thames. Rose's jaw dropped as she stared down at it. "Oh, that's just not fair!" she complained.

The Apocalypse just cheered happily and took off for the stairs down the building. Rose shook her head and ran after her. "Wait up!" she shouted.

***

The Apocalypse looked around when they made it to the streets. "It's blocked off," she commented.

"We're miles from the center," Rose replied. "The city must be gridlocked. The whole of London must be closing down."

"I know," the Apocalypse agreed before laughing. "I can't believe I'm here to see this! This is fantastic!"

"Did you know this was going to happen?" Rose asked.

"Nope."

"Do you recognize the ship?"

"Not really, nope."

Rose narrowed her eyes. "Do you know why it crashed?"

"Big fat nope."

"Oh, I'm so glad I've got you."

"But this is why I travel, Rose! To see history happening right in front of me!"

"Well, let's go and see it!" Rose told her. "Never mind the traffic, we've got the TARDIS."

"Better not," the Apocalypse warned. "They've already got one spaceship in the middle of London. I don't want to shove another one on top."

"Yeah, but yours looks like a big blue box," Rose pointed out. "No one's going to notice."

"You'd be surprised," the Apocalypse scoffed. "In an emergency like this, there'll be all kinds of people watching. Trust me, the TARDIS stays where it is."

"So no portal popping, either?"

"Portal popping?" Rose mimed snapping her fingers, and the Apocalypse shook her head. "No."

Rose sighed. "So history's happening, and we're stuck here."

"Yes, we are," the Apocalypse agreed.

"We could always do what everybody else does," Rose suggested. "We could watch it on TV."

***

Rose watched in amusement as the Apocalypse squeezed in with the rest of the people in Jackie's flat before something apparently caught her attention, because she headed for the door. "And where do you think you're going?" Rose shouted, running after her.

"Nowhere," the Apocalypse replied airily, and Rose stared at her, and the Apocalypse sighed. "All right. I'm going to go check it out. Might as well."

"Does this have anything to do with you?"

"Nothing to do with me," the Apocalypse promised. "It's not an invasion. That was a genuine crash landing. Angle of descent, color of smoke, everything. It's perfect."

"So?"

"So, maybe this is it!" the Apocalypse replied, eyes shining. "First contact! The day mankind officially comes into contact with an alien race. I'm not interfering because you've got to handle this on your own. That's when the human race finally grows up. Just this morning . . . " She winced. "Rassilon, I'm sounding like my husband." She shook her head. "Spend some time with your mum if you're positive you want to come with me."

"Promise you'll come back?" Rose asked.

The Apocalypse smiled. "Tell you what." She pulled something out of her pocket and dropped a Yale key into Rose's hand. "TARDIS key. It's about time you had one." Rose smiled at her and nodded, and the Apocalypse headed off. "See you later!"

***

"Here's to the Martians!" Jackie toasted, raising her glass.

"The Martians!" everyone replied.

Rose rolled her eyes, still smiling at the key she now wore around her neck when Mickey burst into the flat. "I was going to come and see you," she began to say.

"Someone owes Mickey an apology," one woman commented.

"I'm sorry," Rose quickly said.

"Not you."

Jackie got the glare. "Well, it's not my fault! Be fair. What was I supposed to think?"

Mickey pulled Rose into the kitchen and began ranting at her. "You disappear, who do they turn to? Your boyfriend!" he spat. "Five times I was brought in for questioning. Five times! No evidence. 'Course, there couldn't be, could there? And then, I get her, your mother, whispering around the estate, pointing the finger. Stuff through my letterbox, and all 'cos of you!"

"I didn't think I'd be gone so long!" Rose protested, telling the truth.

"And I waited for you!" Mickey added. "Twelve months, waiting for you and the Apocalypse to come back."

"Apocalypse?" Jackie asked in confusion. "Who's the Apocalypse?"

"Caly," Rose replied, swallowing. "That's her nickname, I gave her. Wasn't exactly going to say 'Apocalypse,' was I?"

"But, hold on, you knew about her?" Jackie asked "Why didn't you tell me?"

Mickey shut all the doors around them. "Yeah, yeah, why not, Rose?" he asked Rose. "Huh? How could I tell her where you went?"

"Tell me now!" Jackie ordered.

"I might as well, 'cos you're stuck here," Mickey threw in Rose's face. "The Apocalypse's gone. Just now. That box thing just faded away."

Rose narrowed her eyes. "What?"

"She's left you," Mickey said in an I-told-you-so voice. "Some best friend she turned out to be!"

Rose headed out the door and back outside of the Powell Estate. "I know," she replied. "She's the best friend ever."

"Oh, but she's dumped you, Rose!" Mickey crowed. "Sailed off into space! How does it feel, huh? Now you are left behind with the rest of us Earthlings! Get used to it!"

Rose shook her head. "She said she wouldn't."

"What're you two chimps going on about?" Jackie demanded. "What's going on? What's this Apocalypse done now?"

"Ho, ho, ho!" Mickey replied with a grin. "She's vamoosed!"

"She's not, because she gave me this," Rose replied, dangling her key in front of his face. "She's not my best friend, Mickey. She's better than that. She's much more important than - " She cut off when the key began to glow and the wind whipped a little, and the TARDIS materialized behind them. Rose laughed and pointed at a dumbstruck Mickey. "I said so!" she cheered. "Mum! Mum, go inside! Mum, don't stand there, just go inside! Just, Mom, go!" When her mum just stared at the TARDIS, Rose sighed. "Oh, blimey," she muttered when it fully materialized.

"Huh?" Mickey asked warily.

"How'd you do that, then?" Jackie asked.

***

Rose entered the TARDIS to see the Apocalypse with her outer jacket off, leaving her in just her camisole tank top and khakis. "All right, so I went and had a look," she began rattling off. "But the whole crash landing's a fake. I thought so. Just too perfect. I mean, hitting Big Ben." She rolled her eyes. "Come on, that's like deciding to crash into the Pentagon or something. So I thought, let's go and have a look - "

"My mum's here," she interrupted.

The Apocalypse blinked before turning and sighing. "Oh, that's just what I need," she grumbled. "Don't you dare make this place go domestic."

"You ruined my life, Apocalypse," Mickey sneered, stomping up to her and pointing between her eyes. "They thought she was dead! I was a murder suspect because of you!"

The Apocalypse raised an eyebrow and looked pointedly at Rose. "You see?" she asked, swatting Mickey's hand away. "Domestic!"

"I bet you don't even remember my name," Mickey challenged.

"It's Ricky, right?" the Apocalypse said, moving around the console.

Mickey glared at her. "It's Mickey."

"Really?" The Apocalypse looked up, giving Rose a quick wink, making her know that the Apocalypse really did know his name. She was just teasing him. "I'm pretty sure it was Ricky."

"I think I know my own name!" Mickey shouted.

"Hold on, you think you know your own name?" the Apocalypse repeated, looking at Rose and jabbing her thumb at Mickey. "How stupid is he?"

Rose laughed, despite herself, and she saw Jackie leave the TARDIS. "Mum, don't!" she shouted, running out after her. "Mum, it's not like that, she's not - " She looked back into the TARDIS before waving Jackie on. "I'll be up in a minute! Hold on!" She went back inside and folded her arms, looking at the Apocalypse. "That was a real spaceship."

"Yep," she confirmed.

"So, it's all a pack of lies? What is it, then? Are they invading?"

"Funny way to invade, putting the world on red alert," Mickey noted.

The Apocalypse nodded, looking impressed. "Good point! And that begs the question . . . " She grinned. "What're they up to?"

***

Mickey crouched down, watching the Apocalypse work under the console. "So, what're you doing down there?"

The Apocalypse looked at him. "Ricky," she began.

"Mickey," he corrected.

"Ricky," she said, ignoring him, raising an eyebrow. "If I was to tell you what I was doing to the controls of my frankly magnificent time ship, would you even begin to understand?"

Mickey shook his head. "I suppose not."

"Well?" The Apocalypse raised an eyebrow and put her sonic in her mouth. "Shut it, then."

Mickey snorted, standing up and folding his arms, looking at Rose. "Some friend you've got."

"She's winding you up," Rose sighed. "I am sorry."

"OK."

"I am, though!"

"Every day, I looked," Mickey interrupted. "On every street corner, wherever I went, looking for a blue box for a whole year."

"It's only been a few days for me," Rose told him. "I don't know. It's . . . it's hard to tell inside this thing, but I swear, it's just been a few days since I left you."

"Not enough time to miss me, then?"

"I did miss you!" Rose said quickly.

"I missed you."

Rose shuffled on her feet. "So, er . . . in twelve months, have you been seeing anyone else?"

"No."

She blinked. "OK."

"Mainly because everyone things I murdered you."

"Right."

"In my case, sometimes, that can be a good thing, depending on the person," the Apocalypse spoke up, popping up and dusting her hands off.

"Private conversation here!" Mickey spat at her.

"I could hear," the Apocalypse replied, waving her hand as she went to the console. "I've patched into their radar, looped it back twelve hours so we can follow the flight of that spaceship." She flipped the monitor around so they could see. "Here we go . . . hold on." She banged the top of it. "Come on!" She followed the trajectory path and pointed. "See? That's the spaceship on its way to Earth, except . . . " She frowned. "Hold on. The spaceship did a slingshot around the Earth before it landed."

"What does that mean?" Rose asked.

"It came from Earth in the first place," the Apocalypse replied. "It went up and came back down. Whoever these aliens are, they haven't just arrived. They've been here for a while. The question is, what have they been doing?"

***

Rose shook her head as Mickey went channel hopping. "How many channels do you get?"

"All the basic packages," the Apocalypse muttered as she kept working.

"You get sports channels?"

"If that's all you care about, then yes, I get the football," she spat in annoyance before brightening. "Hold on, stop there. I know that lot."

"It is looking likely that the Government's bringing in alien specialists - those people who have devoted their lives to studying outer space."

"UNIT!" the Apocalypse cheered. "Unified Nations Intelligence Taskforce! Good people, that lot."

"How do you know them?" Rose asked.

"'Cos she's worked for them," Mickey replied, and the Apocalypse raised an eyebrow, and he glared at her. "Oh, yeah, don't think I sat on my backside for twelve months, Apocalypse. I read up on you! You look deep enough on the Internet or in the history books, and there's her name, followed by a list of the dead."

"Oh, that's nice," the Apocalypse said sarcastically. "You know, you could've just asked. But still . . . " She patted his head. "Good boy, Ricky."

Rose grinned at her, despite Mickey's angry face. "If you know them, why don't you go and help?" she asked.

"They wouldn't recognize me," the Apocalypse replied with a shrug. "I've changed a lot since the old days. Besides, the world's on a knife-edge. There's aliens out there and fake aliens. We want to keep this alien out of the mix. I'm going undercover. And, er . . . I'd better keep the TARDIS out of sight. Ricky!" she announced loudly, turning to Mickey, who was startled. "You've got a car. You can do some driving."

"Where to?" Mickey asked.

"The roads are clearing," the Apocalypse replied, heading out of the TARDIS. "Let's go and have a look at that spaceship!"

They stepped outside, and straight into a helicopter spotlight. "Or maybe not," the Apocalypse conceded, looking around at all the police.

"Do not move!" one policeman shouted through a bullhorn. "Step away from the box and raise your hands above your heads!"

Rose carefully did, watching Mickey run away and Jackie be taken away. "Raise your hands above your head!" the policeman insisted, and the Apocalypse sighed and raised hers. "You are under arrest!"

"Well, take me to your leader, then!" the Apocalypse shouted back sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

***

"This is a bit posh," Rose commented as they slid into the head police car. "If I knew it was going to be like this, being arrested, I would have done it years ago."

"We're not being arrested," the Apocalypse corrected. "We're being escorted."

"Where to?"

"Where'd you think?" The Apocalypse grinned. "Downing Street!"

"You're kidding!"

"I'm not!"

"10 Downing Street?!"

"That's the one!"

Rose's eyes widened and laughed. "Oh, my God! I'm going to 10 Downing Street? How come?"

"I hate to say it," the Apocalypse sighed, "but Mickey was right. Over the years, I've visited this planet a lot of times, and I've been, er . . . noticed."

"Now they need you?"

"Like it said on the news. They're gathering experts in alien knowledge. And who's the biggest expert of the lot?"

"Patrick Moore?" Rose joked.

The Apocalypse playfully swatted her. "Apart from him!"

Rose laughed. "Oh, don't you just love it?"

"I'm telling you, Lloyd George, could've drank me under the table." The Apocalypse looked around. "Who's the Prime Minister, now?"

"How should I know?" She grinned cheekily. "I missed a year."

***

"Ladies and gentlemen, can we convene?" the junior secretary was saying as the Apocalypse and Rose were escorted in. "Quick as we can, please. It's this way on the right, and can I remind you, ID cards are to be worn at all times." He handed one to the Apocalypse, who eyed it in interest. "Here's your ID card. I'm sorry, but your companion doesn't have clearance."

The Apocalypse's head shot up, and she narrowed her eyes. "What? I don't go anywhere without her."

"You're the code nine, not her. I'm sorry, Apocalypse - " Her eyes narrowed further. "It is the Apocalypse, isn't it? She'll have to stay outside."

"She's staying with me!"

"Look, even I don't have clearance to go in there. I can't let her in, and that's a fact."

"It's all right, Caly," Rose whispered to her. "You go."

"Excuse me!" an older woman said as she approached. "Are you the Apocalypse?"

"Sure," she replied, eyeing her over as well.

"Not now," the junior secretary groaned, looking at her. "We're busy! Can't you go home?"

"I just need a word in private!"

"I suppose so." The Apocalypse pointed at Rose. "Don't get in any trouble."

Rose rolled her eyes fondly as the Apocalypse left. "You haven't got clearance, now leave it!" the junior secretary told the woman before turning to Rose. "I'm going to have to leave you with security - "

"It's all right," the woman interrupted, taking her arm. "I'll look after her. Let me be of some use." They began to walk off, before she whispered to her. "Walk with me. Just keep walking. That's right. Don't look round." Rose sent her a concerned look as she flashed her badge to security guards. "Harriet Jones, MP Flydale North." She looked at Rose when they made it upstairs. "This friend of yours, she's an expert, is that right? She knows about aliens?"

"Why do you want to know?" Rose asked sharply, and the woman began to cry.

***

The Apocalypse scanned over the papers she was given before narrowing her eyes as she began to connect the pieces. "Now, ladies and gentlemen, if I could have your attention, please," General Asquith began, and the Apocalypse slowly put her ID card down, away from her. "As you can see from the summaries in front of you, the ship had one porcine occupant - "

"Of course," the Apocalypse interrupted, standing up, everyone turning to her, "the really interesting bit happened three days ago, filed away under Any Other Business. The North Sea. A satellite detected a signal, a little blip of radiation, at one hundred fathoms, like there's something down there." She folded her arms, pacing. "You were just about to investigate, and the next thing you know, this happens. Spaceships, pigs, massive diversion. From what?" She turned. "If aliens fake an alien crash and an alien plot, what do they get? Us." She turned to the general and the standing Prime Minister, Green something or other. "It's not a diversion. It's a trap."

***

"They turned the body into a suit!" Harriet explained to Rose through tears inside the Cabinet Room. "A disguise for the thing inside!"

"It's all right," Rose soothed her. "I believe you. It's . . . it's alien. They must have some serious technology behind this. If we could find it, we could use it."

She began searching around, and then opened up the cupboard nearby, and she jumped back in shock when a body fell out. "Oh, my God!" she shouted, hand over her mouth. "Is that the - ?"

"Harriet, for God's sake!" the junior secretary shouted as he ran in. "This has gone beyond a joke! You cannot just wander - " He stopped dead, seeing the body by Rose, and his eyes widened. "Oh, my God. That's the Prime Minister!"

"Oh!" someone squeaked behind them, and the blonde woman in blue looked mock surprised. "Has someone been naughty?" she asked.

"That's impossible!" the junior secretary insisted. "He left this afternoon! The Prime Minister left Downing Street. He was driven away!"

"And who told you that, hmm?" the woman asked before brightening. "Me!"

***

"This is all about us," the Apocalypse continued. "Alien experts. The only people with knowledge how to fight them gathered together in one room." There was a fart behind them, and the Apocalypse rolled her eyes, turning and raising an eyebrow. "Excuse me, but do you mind not farting while I'm saving the world?"

"Would you rather silent but deadly?" Green countered.

Asquith removed his cap and unzipped his forehead, blue light shining out as a green alien wriggled out. "We are the Slitheen," he said.

***

Rose's eyes widened as the blonde unzipped her skin suit, flexing its fingers before grabbing the junior secretary and ramming him into the wall. "Caly!" she screamed, backing up with Harriet. "Caly!"

***

"Thank you all for wearing your ID cards," Green said happily. "They'll help to identify the bodies."

And all around the Apocalypse, the ID cards began to electrocute their owners when Green pressed a switch on a remote. The Apocalypse looked around in horror, seeing her own ID start to pulse, before narrowing her eyes when through her enhanced hearing, she could hear a familiar girl crying out her nickname in horror.

The Slitheen, whoever they are, had made an enemy of the wrong alien expert.

***

Ooo, Slitheen? Word of warning . . . RUN!

But the Apocalypse gets really . . . different when spots are rubbed the wrong way, especially about the Doctor, who we now know is her husband (although I think I mentioned it in the introduction as well). And she's playing with Mickey, just like the Doctor, and Mickey seems to like that a lot worse.

Makes you wonder . . . what's going to happen with Adam and Jack now that we have Caly and not the Doctor? Because, the way I'm sort of seeing it, Rose asked for Adam to come along because she either A: really wanted someone else onboard, or B: wanted to make the Doctor jealous or something like that. I'm going with B. So . . . good news. Pretty Boy might not be there in "The Long Game!"

But . . . we'll have to get through "World War Three" first before we get to "Dalek!"