Written for the Easter Egg fic challenge. For misscam who wanted Doctor/Rose pairing (Nine or Ten). A fight between them where neither is completely wrong or right. Rose's idea of fairytale romances being challenged and redefined
Thanks to my lovely beta wintercreature, who was so very patient and helpful with wording and grammar hugs Beware: Kinda fluffy, kinda plotless.
Aquatica is a very strange world.
Part of the strangeness is due to the fact that the name given to this tiny planet actually fits.
This confuses people who have travelled the Uncharted Territories with a map, had a great time in the Galaxy of Terror and shown their colleagues cheap souvenirs from the Planet of No Return.
Aquatica, as some of you might have guessed, is blue.
And silent.
It should be mentioned that this era's tourists do not differ from the usual kind, they are pretty much just a good time bunch, always looking for action.
So an ocean of stillness, with not even the smallest ripple stirring on a surface endlessly mirroring the sky, Aquatica obviously has nothing such a tourist would want.
Of course, the rather nasty electromagnetic field which wreaks havoc on navigational controls is the other reason hardly anyone ever comes to visit.
Most of the unlucky travellers who try nevertheless, usually drown shortly after crashlanding their blinded ships in the endless sea, robbed of the chance to tell their colleagues that there wasn't even a single souvenir shop.
It would take a Time Lord to find the few spots gill-less humanoids would enjoy.
--- --- ---
A nudge at the back of his consciousness made sure the Doctor didn't forget it was his fault and his fault alone - that his frankly magnificent time ship did exactly what he had told her.
Even though this had included high-diving, or - as others might call it - crashlanding. Again.
Women. Time ships. Whatever.
It would take hours for the TARDIS to get her main processor back online, and pump out the water currently wreaking havoc with her power relays. Meanwhile the only muddy excuse for an island he'd been able to find in those seconds before touchdown was better than being electrocuted inside a time ship that barely kept afloat.
The Doctor took two steps, frowning at the ocean that dared to seep into his already soaked trainers. He turned angrily, took another two steps and found himself halfway into the water on the other side of the islet.
He'd been on air mattresses bigger than this.
He raised his head, silently waving a mental fist at the pinkish moon swimming smugly in the sky above. Thermus, their erstwhile destination, winked back. Still, if you looked at it on a cosmic scale, he'd only overshot by a tiny bit.
Thermus, the Deep South of the future. Just like the Deep South on Earth really, only with more aliens and friendlier pirates.
There would have been people, souvenir shops and silly t-shirts. And lots of running from, and into, danger. Even if the most dangerous thing on Thermus was its infamous sunburn. A nice non-fatal adventure for a change.
But instead he found himself embraced by an entire ocean, and the questioning look of a drenched shop girl who was sitting cross legged on his soggy coat.
The Doctor tried hard to drown his claustrophobia. This was unfortunate as it was still wondering if it shouldn't rename itself agoraphobia under the current circumstances. However, instead of doing the reasonable thing of sitting down and thinking it over, it decided to combine the worst of the two, leaving him with the desperate urge to run.
Which was, of course, impossible. Sit still. Pay attention. Fan-bloody-tastic.
"It's green chocolate!"
The Doctor blinked, emerging from his agoraclaustrophobia to realise that Rose was staring at one of the small rectangular biscuits he always kept in his pockets. Obviously hunger had only now made her desperate enough to nibble on the clammy green dough of the slightly psychic food cubes he had handed her.
Chocolate. He should've known.
"No, it isn't."
Rose cautiously took another small bite, and he found himself utterly mesmerised by the way her lips closed around her own fingers.
"It is chocolate! Here," she jumped up, leaving muddy footprints all over what had once been the back of his coat.
In her enthusiasm, she almost stuffed the cube into his mouth, stopping her hand just inches from his lips. She was obviously remembering that he was probably in no way as surprised by it as she'd been. The cubes had been in his pockets after all.
He loved watching entire worlds of thoughts flow over her face, and the way they followed the drops of water from her hair.
And she was willing to share chocolate.
He couldn't have botched up their nice day off that badly if she was still willing to share her chocolate.
He remembered another blonde girl's deathly stare when he'd pinched her sandwich; such a long time ago.
His weary grin made Rose's hand waver and prepare for retreat.
His stomach protested, and he caught her wrist before it could divert the rest of the cube into her mouth instead. Gently he pulled her arm back up, carefully picking the biscuit out of her fingers with his teeth.
Unintentionally, his lips brushed her fingertips with the merest touch. He wasn't sure if he'd just imagined a shiver travel her body. When he didn't hear her teeth chatter he relaxed, ruling out hypothermia.
He chewed, shot her a patronizing look then shook his head with mock pity.
"Tastes like sandwich."
Her incredulous look had been worth it.
"You're lying."
"I never lie!" Tell half-truths, hide important facts, that of course was something entirely different.
"I think I know what chocolate tastes like, Doctor."
"You think? How stupid are your taste buds?"
This one cost him dearly as she resorted to violence to prove her point.
Rose whacked his arm. His suit squelched and he feigned pain. Good thing her soaking wet hoodie hadn't let her gather much momentum.
Instead of acknowledging his hurt look, she sat down again, picking up more of the biscuits which were slowly dissolving into green blobs.
She broke a cube in two, offering him a share.
It really wasn't his fault all he ever tasted was sandwiches. The thought had stuck somehow.
And just because her brain was fluttering from one taste to the next (there'd been green chips green pizza and more green chocolate) that didn't mean his superior synapses had to do the same.
When she was finally convinced he was winding her up he decided to show off how 'taste like whatever you want them to taste like' worked.
"Don't think about turnips."
Human brains. So easily wired. So easily tricked.
Her disgusted face made him laugh out loud, but her revenge was swift with his arm receiving its second whack of the day. Seemed like he found some danger on Aquatica after all. And he liked living dangerously.
--- --- ---
Aquatica is silent.
But for one day.
It isn't surprising that a water world first sprouted marine life of its own, then later harboured sailors from far-away coasts.
Unlike those fun-seeking tourists, sailors are hard-working travellers, navigating the unknown. Life is what is important to the true explorers, not posing for snapshots of it.
Some of these pioneers stayed on the new shores of Aquatica forever, not caring for souvenirs or sunburns, like their pirate cousins on Thermus did nowadays.
--- --- ---
Something stirred the imperceptible sea, which had just moments ago been the perfect mirror of starlight. Now ripples travelled towards the little island, creating tiny waves on the even tinier shore.
The Doctor frowned at the ocean when it once again dared to paw at his shoes.
He was soon distracted by Rose's eyes, sparkling with starlight as she peered into the distance; towards the unseen horizon of the Aquatican night.
From where the stars met their mirror twins on the silent surface, faint singing drifted towards them, dark shapes stirring the mirrored lights, insectoid wings glistening here and there.
The natives had come.
"Ephemeroptera sapiens" he whispered it into her ear before it had even crossed her mind to ask, drinking the scent of her damp hair.
Rose's blank face told him that this meant exactly nothing to her, while it meant too much for him already.
The natives' number grew until the night flickered with distant suns and wings and water.
Their songs of love and eternity floated through the night, dancing in perfect unity with the ghostly humanoids, bare feet astride the surface tension; on this world the the Saviour of the Christians wouldn't have been that exceptional.
Rose caught her breath. "They're like... fairies."
The fascination explained in three words. His scientific lecture about complex genetic adaptations evaporated before it had even started.
"What are they doing?" she asked dreamily, involuntarily giving his scientific lecture another chance.
"Mating swarm."
She didn't notice him tense, didn't even mind his rather cold explanation. Instead she focussed on the forms at the edge of the crowd.
Ethereal winged forms twisted and entwined, lost in embraces so passionate, it must have screamed endless love at the girl beside him.
Rose breathed in deeply, rested her head onto his shoulder, snuggling closer against his side.
"This is the most beautiful spot you ever taken me to."
Something vicious inside his guts howled, scratched at the walls so carefully constructed for his human companion, demanding to get out, demanding to be heard.
"There's just death here." The words were uttered before he could restrain himself.
The look Rose gave him suggested she was looking for blue eyes, not brown. He knew there'd be no easy way out of this now.
"Look at them."
Open your eyes, the wolf inside screamed, yearning to take Rose's shoulders and shake her hard until she saw the universe for what it really was.
Dark and harsh and unforgiving.
She'd seen death. She'd been Death. She should know.
And yet she still saw faeries instead of a race forfeiting their future for the sake of the next generation.
Rose's face lost its dreamy smile when the penny finally dropped. She finally noticed the odd bits about the dance, understanding dripping through the cracks in her pink tinted world.
These feet had no land. The mouths were toothless because there was no food. And in the end maybe the dance was all there was. Strength enough for one day.
Love and surface tension wouldn't keep them alive forever.
This planet would be a graveyard in the morning.
"Ephemeroptera. 'Short lived wing'. There are millions of larvae in this ocean and when they hatch they do this.>" He gestured at the slowing dance, where more and more pairs evaporated into the night, disappearing as quietly as they'd come.
"Mayflies. They lay their eggs and that's it. No happily ever after. No 'ever'. Not even after."
"Oh."
She turned away, face shadowed by the sudden stillness. But Thermus, which mocked him with its reflected light, made sure he saw tears glisten on her cheeks.
This wasn't just about the natives.
He knew her too well not to feel grief drift through her, walking hand in hand with memories of the one who was missing, the one who should have been with them, who probably just now would try to chat up one of the natives.
The mayflies were so reminiscent of their time together it made his hearts ache.
"Everything dies."
He lay back, gazing at the stars above. One day she would, too. Leave him one way or another. They always did. Living their little mayfly lives while he slouched on towards eternity.
Lost in his thoughts, he never noticed her shift until her silhouette suddenly blocked out the light.
He blinked, tore his attention from the wonderful torrent her wet hair rained onto his cheek, concentrating on the determination firing her eyes in the dark.
The kiss she pressed against his lips was unexpected and over far too soon.
And yet, beyond the taste of salt water, a flood of warmth coursed through his veins, long after their lips had parted again.
This new body definitely felt good against hers.
"But there's now, right?"
His smile was genuine this time.
Both of them trying hard not to drown in a sea of sorrow. 'Now' had never tasted so sweet.
--- --- ---
Dawn was approaching, whispering of new life and eternity, and diluting the death suffered in the night.
He gazed at the fading stars, feeling the girl's warmth spread over his arm, where she'd snuggled against him, weaving her fingers through his. Her breathing had deepened until she had drifted off into sleep, her body fitting perfectly against his.
Obviously he was a very comfortable pillow in this incarnation. And again his new body felt good against hers.
The present had never tasted so sweet.
--- --- ---
He couldn't remember when he'd dreamed like this before.
Dreamt of Life and Death and Gold and Singing filling every cell of his being, future, past, eternity bleeding into one with memories he never knew he had.
Memories that weren't his own cascaded down his consciousness.
He remembered a Game Station.
Remembered Daleks exterminating a friend.
Remembered Rose with the power of infinity, bending time and the universe to her will, breathing life into a dead body, he remembered Jack.
Jack, surfacing from the depths of d--
He wakened, inhaling as if Aquatica might drown him otherwise, staring into Rose's eyes, awake and as breathless as him.
The words "I remember," were uttered in perfect unity. So was their dash into the Aquatican sea, towards the still floating telephone box, the water splashing around them with all the joy of a simple truth.
The strange grinding noise faded together with the unrest its departure caused on the deep blue sea soon afterwards.
The waters of Aquatica calmed, and the planet was silent again.
But for one day.