Jaqueline rayner – winner takes all (doctor who book)

Name: Winner Takes All
Writer: Jaqueline Rayner
Fanhome: Doctor Who
Characters: 9th Doctor, Rose

‘I thought I’d better call home,’ said Rose, wandering into the TARDIS’s
Huge, vaulted control room and waving her phone at the Doctor.
The Doctor had his arms crossed and was leaning with his back
Against a wall, staring across at the large, circular structure that sat
In the centre of the room, on which a myriad of lights flickered and
Sparkled. His face shone green in the glow from a tall, thin column in
The centre of the structure which indicated that they were in flight.
Rose didn’t know where they were going, but perhaps the Doctor
Could tell from observing these things exactly where in the universe
The time-and-space machine was taking them. He nodded at her. She
Felt slightly cheated, having geared herself up for – well, not an argument,
Just that flicker of displeasure that occasionally crossed his face
When she mentioned family.
She pushed a bit further. ‘It’s just that my mum’ll worry. You know
That my mum’ll worry. And I did promise. Sort of.’
He nodded again. ‘And you think she’ll worry less if you tell her
You’ve been out facing aliens but at the moment you’re just spinning
Through the space-time vortex.’
Rose frowned. ‘She’ll worry less if she thinks I’m not dead!’
The Doctor – her best friend, the Doctor, who outwardly seemed to
Be a striking, forty-ish human with a soft northern accent, but was, she
Knew, actually a 900-year-old alien from some galaxy far, far away –
Could be a bit dismissive of her mum’s worries sometimes. She wasn’t
Sure if it was something to do with not being human, or just something
1
To do with being the Doctor. She

didn’t even know if he’d ever had a
Mum of his own. If you didn’t understand mums in general, there was
No way you’d get Jackie Tyler.
‘I’ll just give her a quick call. Well, I say quick, she’ll keep me on
For hours, wanting to know everything – she can talk for England, my
Mum can. Hope you weren’t planning to stop off at any planets this
Morning.’
He grinned. ‘My planet-hopping can wait till this afternoon.’
She smiled back, and pressed the speed-dial button that called her
Mum. She just had to accept that, through the Doctor’s genius, her
Ordinary mobile could now transcend space and time; if she thought
About it too much her mind began to feel like it was overheating.
The phone rang six times before it was picked up, which surprised
Rose. Her mum loved nothing better than a good old natter, and the
Phone was usually snatched up when it had barely got out its first
Brring. ‘Hiya, Mum.’ she said.
The voice at the other end was exuberant. ‘Rose! What are you
Doing? Where are you?’ Then a slight pause. ‘Are you still with him?’
Rose smiled. ‘I’m just hanging around in the time machine. And
Yeah, I’m still with him.’
The Doctor looked up at this and did a sarky wave that she knew
Was directed at Jackie. Rose waved back happily. ‘Mum says hi,’ she
Said, with her hand over the phone.
‘And are you planning on coming home any time soon?’ Jackie was
Saying. ‘Everyone misses you. Mickey misses you. I miss you. You
Know, one of these days you’ll decide to come home and it’ll be too
Late, I won’t be here any more.’
Rose sighed. ‘Don’t be silly, Mum. I’ll pop back for a visit soon.
Make sure the family silver gets a good polish ready.’
‘Family silver!’ Rose could hear Jackie’s voice go up a notch. ‘It