Chapter 2 - Nothing He Can Do?
"Be honest, and we take 10 percent of what you have. Lie, and we'll take it all."
"We have nothing you could possibly want!" The Doctor was quick to answer, though wasn't so pleased at the response.
"Take it all then."
"Okay, okay! Hold on." Jack was eager to avoid being shot at, the last thing he needed was the outlaws knowing he couldn't die. It also wouldn't be the best thing if the Doctor got shot, the whole regeneration process would more than freak them out. And if Rose got shot, well he didn't want that whole fiasco with the Doctor again.
"Well, I have… 50p, this is no use to you, and a key." Rose told them, attempting to avoid any conflict, but she decided it was best to keep her high tech mobile to herself.
"What about you two?" One of the outlaws gestured at Jack and the Doctor.
"Well I have… my tool." The Doctor took a second to think how he could stop them taking his sonic screwdriver. "And, oh! Didn't know that was in there!" He pulled out a sachet of sugar, throwing it at the nearest Outlaw's feet. Rose gave him a funny look. "What?! You can have that by the way… oh and my…" How could he describe glasses?! "Latest invention!" Alright, he must admit that was a little over the top, especially when even Jack looked at him to say 'Don't try and pretend you invented glasses!'
"I hate to disappoint you, but I don't have much either, just my weapons and… a camera!" He smirked, the Doctor and Rose decided he was intent on getting that photo developed. "And looks like I have a key too… the key to my house of course!" It was his turn to be looked at, the Doctor and Rose both knew he lived in the hub.
"Ohhh!" they said in unison, now they got it, of course where else would he have a key to.
"Stupid Ianto." Jack mumbled under his breath, but the Doctor and Rose still heard him.
"Jack!" Rose scolded him, it was almost like they were back in the TARDIS.
"On come on! You know I didn't mean that!"
The Doctor nudged Rose. "Focus please!"
"Yeah sorry… well as you can see we don't have much!" Rose refocused on the outlaws.
"We're travellers, nothing but our transport and a few clothes!"
"I'm the Doctor by the way, this is Rose and Jack."
"Captain Jack Harkness!"
"Like he said, Jack." Rose told them.
"The Doctor? Like some kind of Physician?" The nearest outlaw asked.
"Yeah something like that, amongst other things.
"And that, I suppose, is your transport?" The man step forward as he spoke, gesturing at the large blue box, which he had to admit, looked pretty strange to him.
"Yes it is." The Doctor was blunt, he knew it wouldn't be a good idea to reveal too much.
"Wait a minute, you're Robin Hood aren't you? The Robin Hood?!"
"I see my reputation precedes me."
"Yeah, there are loads of stories about you where I come from!"
"Oh really?!" He sounded quite smug to think he was almost famous.
"Yes, I've heard so much about you and Marian, I'd love to meet her!" Rose now seemed incredibly excited at the thought of meeting a childhood legend. "Oh I'm sorry, what did I say?" She couldn't help but notice that Robin was down heartened. But he didn't respond to her question. "What's wrong? Where's Marian then?"
"She's… gone, she's dead alright!"
"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"
"You may say that! You all say that, every time you hear. You're not really sorry! You don't know what it's like!" It was clear to the three travellers that the mention of her really got to him. The other Outlaws did what seemed to be the sensible thing, and quickly disappeared, leaving Robin alone with the three strangers, but they knew he could look after himself.
"No need to get at her!" The Doctor rushed in to defend Rose. "I hear what you're saying, but I do know what it's like!"
"No you don't understand. You don't know how it feels, when every day is worse than the last. The mornings are such a struggle because I see no reason to get up, especially when my dreams are filled with her. In the height of summer, when it's hot and sunny, I still feel cold and it's dark, like a part of me is missing. I just want to give up, but I know I have to keep going, I have to keep fighting, because I promised her I would. But do you know the worst thing? The very worst thing is knowing there is nothing I can do." The tears were now evident in Robin's eyes, but he blinked them away, refusing to let them fall. Rose on the other hand now decided it had not been a good idea to mention Marian, and wished she had known before hand.
"I know exactly how you feel. I lost Rose once… It's like the end of the world, like time itself has stopped. There is nothing without her, but you know you should stop thinking about her, possibly even forget about her. But you think about her every moment of the day, and every time you do. Every time you picture her face, see her smile. Remember her touch, how it felt to run your fingers through her hair, to kiss her lips. Your heart is lifted… just for a moment, then it plummets, you want to break down and cry… you feel like you'll die without her." Now the Doctor's eyes began to water, and a single tear slid down his face. Rose pulled him into a hug, kissing the tear off his cheek. He smiled in return, however Robin still didn't seem to be convinced.
"That's not the same, you clearly found her again, but I don't see how I can get Marian back. Do you?! Who are you anyway? Really, who are you?"
"Travellers, like we said."
"You work for the Sheriff and Gisbourne don't you?" He was obviously suspicious of these strangers who had apparently appeared from nowhere.
"No! Of course not! Why would we be working for them? They are nothing but evil. Do we really look like we work for them?" Jack's question was supposed to be rhetorical, but Robin still had an answer for it.
"Well I'm not sure you like you work for anyone, your sense of dress is a bit abnormal."
"Oh, woops, forgot to change, if you give us a minute we can go and get changed."
"In there?!"
"Yeah… It's bigger on the inside, we'll be fine, wait here." The Doctor unlocked the TARDIS with the other two in close pursuit, and shut the doors behind them.
"We best get out of here then." Jack proposed, but the others were having none of it.
"No! There must be some reason why we ended up here, and not your genius before you start that."
"She's right, get changed."
Jack swore, before relenting and going to find an outfit from the vast wardrobe of the TARDIS. He had never been a soft one for romance and the such like, but he was hardly in a situation to defy the Doctor it was help them or spend the whole time alone in the TARDIS.
They all picked an outfit, ones they hoped would be suitable for the time period and got change into them. When Rose emerged from a room, Jack couldn't help but laugh, she was wearing a crimson dress.
"Rose! You're wearing a dress! How adorable!" He mocked her.
"Right that's it I'm changing!" She yelled back at him slamming the door behind her.
"Oh Rose! Come on I thought you looked nice! Shouldn't you care about what I think not what he thinks?!"
"Tough! It's too late now I'm changing."
The Doctor sighed. "Fine, whatever, just hurry up."
"Done." She re-emerged from the wardrobe, wearing a green top with light coloured trousers tucked into a pair of brown boots. "Happy now?"
"Oh I was happy before!" Jack retorted.
"I told you to stop it earlier! Do you ever listen to me?"
"What? Sorry did you say something?" Rose joked before grinning at him.
As they left the TARDIS the Doctor re-locked the door, Robin had been waiting outside, half wondering if they would actually come back out again.
"That good enough for you?" Jack asked patronisingly.
"It'll do yes. What are you doing here anyway?"
"Well I think we might be able to help you." The Doctor told him.
"How can you help me?" If he was honest, Robin didn't think anyone could help him now.
"I'm not sure you will believe me."
"If you had told me say two years ago, that I would get engaged, see the love of my life killed by my rival who claimed to love her, and marry Marian as she lay there dying. I would never have believed you, but look at me now, I am here, she is not. Tell me something I won't believe."
"You're right… well you see, our blue box…" he began to explain, but Rose quickly interrupted him.
"Doctor!" She dragged him aside, as if he didn't remember what happened last time.
"What?!"
"Surely you can't have forgotten what happened last time we saved someone from death? Okay it was my fault, but still this is not a good idea! You'll alter time again."
"Relax it'll be fine!"
"Fine? Fine?! How can it by fine?! Trust me we do not want to do this."
"Just think about it. How many Robin Hood stories have you heard where Marian dies? How many version of the legend do not include her?"
"Well… none, but that doesn't mean we should do this."
"But what if we are meant to do this, what if we are the reason she never dies in the stories."
"But what if it goes wrong?" Rose knew you weren't supposed to mess with history. "Look me in the eyes and say, if it all goes wrong, you can tell him she has to die, could you tell him she was destined to die? Tell him it's her or England, her or the world? Because honestly, what do you think he would pick, what would you pick?"
"Don't worry, I won't have to!"
"If you're sure."
"I'm sure it'll be fine." He walked back to where Robin and Jack were stood, in awkward silence, usually Jack would be a right one to start a conversation, but clearly not this time.
"Well we are travellers like we said, except we travel through space and time, in my ship." The Doctor started to explain to Robin, wanting to reveal as little as necessary.
"So you can take me back? Help me save her?"
"Yes we can, but there are a few rules you need to know first. You can't let your previous self see you, and you should to change time as little as possible."
"That's fantastic!" It was like a huge burden had been lifted from his shoulders, and his face lit up like they had never seen.
"We thought you'd be happy." Rose smiled at him.
"Yeah, we just need a few details so we can get to the right place."
A/N: Yeah I know that was a bit angsty but I felt like it and thought it was quite beautiful at the same time, so there you go :D
