"Madame de Pompadour! Still want to see those stars?" He could see her on the other side, her thick skirts brushing at the marble as she angled to peer through to him as well. "More than anything," Reinette answered with a breathlessness that had him stirring in excitement. It was always a rush to take someone on a new adventure. And Reinette deserved one. He flashed her his wide smile, eyes sparking, and told her, "Give me two minutes. Pack a bag."
"Am I going somewhere," she called to him.
"Go to the window. Pick a star, any star."
It actually took ten minutes for the TARDIS to land inside her room. The quarters were tight enough, but he was able to settle on the other side of her bed with ease. She swung around with shock, then bubbled out a giggle as she rushed to him, landing a kiss on those delightfully curved lips of his. Neither of them took note of Rose, who stood behind the Doctor, jaw slack and eyes glassed over. Only Micky noticed how his former girlfriend clenched her hands before she stormed off to her room. He tried not to focus on the two kissing right outside of the door, but finally had no choice but to call out, "All right, you two. Just going to stand there and snog while the rest of us stand about? I thought we was getting out of here, not picking up another passenger."
The Doctor broke from Reinette's grasp with a quick pull for air, face flushed, and offered Mickey that smug look he was prone to give. "I got to snog her twice," he stated. Mickey gave him an odd look. The Doctor merely shrugged and draped his arm around Reinette's back as he drew her inside. "Come on, Reinette. Have you got that bag? Bah, never mind, it doesn't matter. The TARDIS will see to whatever you need. It's time to see those stars!"
At his console again, he began to tap buttons and push levers. The machine began its churning as it faded from France and back into space. "Now then, Rose." It was the first time he realized she had disappeared. He frowned at the room, baffled. "Where'd she get off to, then? She was standing right here, wasn't she?"
Mickey gave him an uneasy look. "Went off to her rooms, I think," he muttered, then decided, "I think I'll go and do the same. I reckon you'll be wanting to ..." He didn't finish the rest of what it was the Doctor wanted to do, but made his escape before any more questions were put forward to him. No way was he going to get tangled in this mess again. He resented the Doctor enough, and now he was bringing another woman on board? He didn't have to spell trouble out for the Doctor. That man seemed to step into it on his own.
The Doctor tapped a few more buttons, then grabbed for Reinette's hand. She instantly attached herself to his arm, her smile warm and eyes soft. "You promised the stars," she reminded him. That got a twitch of his mouth, but his expression remained serious. "So I did. Let's get you settled in and I'll find Rose for you."
How could he? It was enough that he had abandoned them, but now he was dragging along this little historic fluff to woo right in front of her? Rose squeezed at her temple as a throb responded behind her red eyes. She thought she had lost him, that he was stuck in time! That they were all stuck. Now he was dragging Madame de Pompadour off into space, and completely forgotten about her. Again! She gave the frame of her bed a small kick. "Smarmy git," she growled, miserable. How easily he forgot about her, time after time. She was starting to understand what it was Sarah Jane had been talking about. He forgot them far too easily, always ready for the next big adventure. Maybe he had outgrown Rose finally, and thought Reinette was the next big adventure. Would he leave her on some floating ship off in space, too? Would he completely lose sight of everyone else just to focus on his next conquest, leaving them abandoned next time as well?
She rubbed her hand across her heart. And here she had thought she meant something to him. She didn't want to admit that she'd been frightened, waiting in space for him to come back and save them. This was the first time the Doctor had ever really made her feel alone while she was with him.
"Rose?" The Doctor tapped at her door, then again when she failed to answer. She warred with opening the door, but finally did so after his third knock. His friendly expression melted off at her red eyes. He instantly became uncomfortable. "Ah, I got Reinette settled in. Think you'd mind helping her with clothing and the sort? I was thinking of taking her off to the third moon of Rasigul, let her see the beaches and the like. What do you say?"
"Yeah. Sure. Fine," she answered stiffly.
He drew back as if to leave, put off by her coolness, but he refused to let it alone. "You all right?"
She fixed him with an icy look, one that did make him retreat this time. Her silence put him off. She was so full of heat and flames, and now this coldness threw him. Ruffling his hair, he made to leave her to her sulking. "Right, I'll leave you to it, then."
"I thought you were gone," she finally said in a hiss. She ignored the heat behind her eyes, refusing to cry in front of him. "We were stuck on that stupid ship with no idea where you were, or what you were doing."
"Rose." He made a gesture of impatience. "I had everything under control."
Wiping at the stray tear that leaked down her cheek, she shook her head. "She was right about you," she said, arms tightly folded. He paused, confused by what that meant. Who was right? About what? He stared at her, then tucked his hands into the pockets of his coat, sulking his way back to the front of the TARDIS. Women ...
Once he'd gone, Rose took a moment to calm herself. She was going to have to be nice to this woman, and she didn't want to. In fact, she didn't want anything to do with her. Why couldn't the TARDIS just chuck her off at the next galaxy and ... Rose stopped herself. That was mean. She didn't like the woman, but she had to admit that Reinette had no idea Rose was in love with the Doctor. Just like Reinette couldn't help the Doctor's feelings, or lack thereof. That was the hard pluck of the whole symphony, wasn't it? Rose was going to have to admit that the Doctor had enjoyed their flirtations, but the feelings were apparently all one-sided in the end.
"You're not going to sulk over him, either," she told herself, preferring to let anger win out over misery. "Let him be a prat and make an idiot of himself over her."
It took her some time to find Reinette's room, and there was a small, nasty side of her that was relieved to see Reinette's bed was a single, though still opulent. The blankets were turned back, revealing a soft shade of pink. In fact, everything about the room was lovely if small, except for the marble fireplace, which Reinette seemed to be standing far from. Maybe the TARDIS was on Rose's side after all. When Reinette spotted her, obvious relief broke out. "Oh, did the Doctor find you, then? He said I should look at the garments, but they are all so ... odd!" She gave a breathy laugh, one that Rose was starting to hate. "He suggested I try to dress as you do." The look she gave Rose, however, suggested she would rather die first. "I'm not sure what style that would be considered. Would you help me?"
With a roll of her eyes, Rose yanked the closet open to begin digging dresses out. "You don't have to dress like me," she stressed. "But you can't go around in all those hoop skirts, either. You'll have to learn to dress more accommodatingly to the place. You need to wear thinner clothes."
"The Doctor doesn't seem to mind how I'm dressed. Besides, this is all the rage in Paris."
"Yeah, well, we're not in Paris and it's not the 1740s," Rose responded cattily. She crossed her arms, fighting the urge to glare. "Look, he has a big plan of going somewhere exotic for you. It's going to be warmer than you can handle in what you're wearing. You'll need something light. Trust me on this." She tried to lighten her mood, even offered a smile as she whipped around to dig through the clothes. "Here, try this. I bet he has plans on showing you the sights, taking you somewhere lovely to eat at." The Edwardian dress she pulled out was thinner, made of satin and lace, and seemed more demure than the elegant concoction Reinette was currently wearing. "It's not perfect, but it'll be lovely on you."
"That looks like a night dress."
Rose drew the dress back, then explained pointedly, "It's the rage of England in the early 1900s." Reinette flushed and gave the dress a doubtful frown in answer. "You have been with the Doctor for quite some time, so I trust your judgment. Is there another layer to wear with this one?"
"Hmm, no. There's a shawl to use in the evening when it cools, but that's all." She could tell Reinette was warring with her decision to trust Rose's pick. The other woman finally accepted the dress with a weak, "You would know best," and went to change. Rose tried to keep her smile pasted, but it was already wilting. Now she was helping to dress the Doctor's date and setting them up for a night of romance?
She always knew he was the flighty sort. He would dash into mayhem at a moment's call, and often got so involved in that moment that he forgot everything else. She had always enjoyed that about him, though. He had never really forgotten her, though, not like this. Or maybe it was that she'd never paid attention, because there was never another woman. Well, that wasn't completely true, either. There had been Sarah Jane, but that had been different. Wasn't it? Sarah Jane had been trying to tell her that he couldn't be held back, couldn't be tamed. Rose thought she had understood what Sarah Jane had meant then. Clearly, she hadn't.
"There now, what do you think?" Reinette swept out some time later, obviously more delighted with the dress than she'd thought she would be. She swept her fingers over the lace trimming at her decolletage. The soft hues of blue brought out Reinette's eyes. The ivory lace laid softly against her skin and gave it a quiet glow. Without all those thick skirts, it was easy to see how trim and lithe of figure Reinette was. Rose could feel her heart trying to break as she answered, "You look beautiful."
They landed on Rasigul in the early evening hours, just as the suns were beginning their descent and the colors on the beach were starting to pop. The Doctor had decided they should all first explore the beach with its aquamarine sand and unique shells before the ventured into the actual city. Reinette was, of course, attached to his arm while Mickey and Rose listed behind. The wind was warm as it blew over them, and lapped at the iridescent, foaming water that lay ahead, sending a floral smell into the air. Reinette spun about with excitement as she took in the scenery, reaching for the Doctor again to press a kiss to his jaw. Rose watched with a dull expression, then forced herself to look away.
"You all right," Mickey asked once the others were too far ahead to hear. In answer, Rose just nodded. He frowned, set his arm around her shoulder, and suggested, "How 'bout we break off from the group and we go look for our own kind of fun? Who knows, maybe there's something normal about this place. Maybe get in trouble and all that" It got a laugh out of her, though it was weak.
"How are we going to pay for any kind of fun around here," she asked. "Besides, you know the Doctor. He doesn't want us to wander off."
"Oh, that's easy," Mickey told her. "Doctor gave me these." He brandished some odd strips of metal as he explained, "He said it's their type of currency. He called them qualmaar or some'ing like that." She took one of the strips to study. Like everything else, it had an iridescent sheen to it. When she flipped it over, there was a holographic image that resonated off the material and into the air. The image seemed to bow to them no matter which way she turned the strip. "Hard to say what it's made of, too," she commented. "There's nothing like this on Earth, is there?"
Mickey pulled the strip out of her hand. "I say we look for some food, try everything, and see what them alien drinks is like."
Again, Rose laughed and allowed him to pull her away from the others. Rose meant to call back and let the Doctor know they were going their own way, but he was so wrapped up in explaining the reason the sky remained a purplish hue.
The Moon of Rasigul was laid out almost like a carnival, with all teems of life moving around. Rose pointed out the different kinds to Mickey, explaining those she knew, His only upset had been when a Kastrian brushed by him. He had paled exceedingly when the Kastrian had favored him with a threatening look. "D-did you see that," he gasped at her, grabbing hold of her shoulders.
"She was flirting with you," Rose told him cheekily. Mickey looked relieved at first, then horrified. Rose found herself laughing more freely than she had in the past two days, and teased him about it the whole way to a small restaurant within the carnival grounds. He tried some green meat roasted on a stick and she opted for the safe meyamut pie. "Tastes like chicken," Mickey pronounced after that first testing bite. She didn't have the heart to tell him he was eating the genitals of the animal.
By then, the moon turned away from the suns, and the bright lights soon had the place glowing with that beautiful iridescent sheen. The stars filled the purpling sky with thick diamond clusters. Rose gasped, reaching upward as if she could pluck one from the sky. "They're so close. Closer than I've ever seen before. And we've been really close to them."
"Yeah. Kind of makes me homesick in a way." Mickey stared at her with a frown, then asked, "We never looked at the stars, did we?"
She gave him an odd look as she answered, "I guess not. Why do you ask?"
"I dunno. I was just thinking maybe if I did, we would be ... you know. S'kind of romantic and all out here." He wouldn't quite look at her as he was saying this, but at her shoulder instead. She knew what he was getting at, all the same. "Maybe if I had done romantic things, like brought you flowers or paid you more attention, you wouldn't be moping after him. You'd be with me on Earth again. Maybe we'd be happy." He definitely wouldn't look at her now. His shoes had become far too interesting.
"Maybe," she answered, afraid to say more and hurt him all over again. Instead, she rose to her toes to press a kiss to his cheek. "But I'm happy you're here with me right now, too. Doctor or no."
She could tell by the defeat in his eyes that he got the point. She couldn't care about him the same way. Taking his hand, she pulled him toward the edge of the street where the lights were softer. "So, you've tried a new kind of meat." She grinned when he went pale again, her tongue caught between her teeth. "And you flirted with a Kastrian, plus had Rasigulian punch."
"Don't remind me," he complained, hand to his stomach. The punch hadn't set well with him. It felt like fire tickling him from the inside. "What next?"
"Next, we try their idea of a ride," she decided, giving a pull to the sleeve of his shirt. "They use air vacuums to move you through tunnels at a fast speed, looks like, but it's safe. The pressure is constant so you don't go slamming into the sides." She pointed to where one of the more adventurous was hoisted up to the tunnel, then sucked through at a near violent speed. She was off like a shot. Mickey went pale again and Rose couldn't stop laughing.
While Rose and Mickey went tube riding through the air pressured maze, Reinette and the Doctor stood on the edge of the beach. He had talked relentlessly about Rasigul, answering her questions about the types of alien that resided there. He fell on stories of past visits, and of similar planets, delighted by how fascinated she was with the whole topic. She looked beautiful, her hair set in a chignon with curls loose around her face, the gown fluttering in the soft, warm breeze. "What do you think of your first trip to the stars, Madame de Pompadour?"
"It's amazing here. I can see why you like coming to this place. It's an escape." She turned her soft gaze back to him as she asked, "Is that why you brought me here? You thought I needed an escape?"
He gave a mere shrug in response, but couldn't help adding, "You had the eyes of Paris and clockwork on you almost all your life. I thought maybe you'd like to go someplace where you wouldn't feel all those eyes on you."
Her answer was a winsome grin as she tapped his arm lightly with her palm. "You forget that I will still have eyes on me."
"Yeah, but now they'll be thinking of your beauty, not what part of your body is useful for their ship." She glanced away with a troubled frown. "Ah, sorry. I didn't think-"
"No, you're right. It is a relief," she told him. "But let's not talk of France or clockworks. I would rather you show me more of this interesting moon and tell me more stories of your adventures. You have led such an interesting life, child of the stars."
"I've only told you a few. There are countless. There was one time Rose and I ..." he suddenly remembered they were supposed to be four, not to, and looked around the beach. "Always wondering off, what is it with them? Where's Rose and Mickey?"
"Oh, I saw them heading toward the bright lights over that way," she told him, pointing to the carnival grounds. He angled his head with irritation. "When did they go," he asked, and was shocked when she said, "A couple of hours ago, I think."
He flushed at the realization that he hadn't even took notice of Rose or Mickey since bringing Madame de Pompadour onto the TARDIS. "I suppose we should join them," he suggested. Reinette took hold of his arm, her gaze fixed on his face in an adoring way that he would have enjoyed if that little niggling moment of shame hadn't fixed in the back of his mind. Things had gotten messy on that ship, and he probably had some explaining to do. He hated explanations, though. If humans could just wrap their stupid little minds around the bigger picture, he wouldn't have to go around explaining his actions. Of course, he'd never had to explain himself to Rose all that much. She'd always just gone along with things, he admitted to himself. He had gotten used to her just going along with whatever he did.
He heaved a great, exaggerated sigh. "Let's go find the missing humans."
"I think I want to head back to the TARDIS, Mickey. It's getting late."
They had been out and about nearly three hours with no sign of the Doctor or Reinette. She hated to admit it hurt that he hadn't bothered to look for them. So, she had thrown herself into everything - from trying out Byzantine - a type of tag played by hurling exploding balloons at your opponent to knock them to the ground - to winning a singing flower bush from being able to say Raxacoricofallapatorius correctly. She'd had fun! It just wasn't the same without the Doctor. Much as she hated to admit it, that little ball of unhappiness had spread out as the evening had moved on. Now that they were down to their last few qualmaar, she wanted to return to her room, take a long bath, and try to clear her mind out again.
With both of their arms laden down with their prizes, they headed back to the police box to stow their new items away. Mickey came around to her room shortly after, leaning against the door. "Neither one of them are back yet. You want to go find some food? I'm getting hungry again."
"You stay hungry," she retorted affectionately. "Yeah, that's a good idea. Maybe we can pop on one of those movies he got from the outskirt planets. They're supposed to be really good."
"They don't have subtitles, do they," he asked in worry.
"Mickey, we're on the TARDIS. There's no need for subtitles," she reminded him with a lopsided smile.
"Oh. Oh yeah, I forgot it does that thing." He returned her smile as he told her, "Don't be long. I'll meet you in thirty minutes."
The beauty of the TARDIS was that you never knew what you were going to find. Sometimes she wondered if it beamed into her head to figure out what she wanted, or if it had accommodated others before her in the same style. Either way, she was able to sink into a nice bubble bath for twenty blissful minutes before dressing in comfortable clothes to meet with Mickey in the entertainment room, as the Doctor so proudly called it. She pushed all thoughts of the Doctor out of her head as she settled in for some action movies.