A/N: seriously guys! Wow! over 100 followers and over 20 reviews for the first chapter? thanks so much. i hate to only give you back this short, filler chapter, but i wanted to wrap up the time spent on Gallfirey. I hope i did it justice through the description! Also, some quick things. the man who is now president, yeah, thats the bald guy seen in The Day of The Doctor and the Doctor speaks to him when saving the world and what not. Just incase anyone was wondering. Also, i am thinking of possibly introducing The Master in the forseeable future of this story. What do you think? Please review, and the full, next chapter should be up within a week, possibly over this weekend!
The trio stepped out of the TARDIS into a vast hall. The carvings across the walls were impossibly infinite, and colours like red and gold where decorated everywhere. Light beamed down from thenlight transparent, clear glass ceiling. In the centre, a huge table sat made of dark wood. It had large Gallifreyan carvings strewn across it, and regal chairs sat around it.
In those regal chairs, sat some rather menacing looking timelords, in gracious robes with stern looks on their faces, staring at… the three that had just materialized in their room.
The man at the head of the table stood up slowly, eyes locking with The Doctor. "Doctor." He said, solemnly. "I was wondering when you would finally decide to show up."
"Right. Yes. Four hundred years has it been?" The Doctor said, grimacing slightly, and flinging his hand about. Rose chuckled quietly behind him, slightly amused at his awkwardness. She had only known the three regenerations before this one, and was interested at how radically his personality had changed. He was like an excitable child. It was a welcomed change from the hard man torn by war and what not, and then the tall, suave man in the pinstriped suit.
"A bit late, but what the hell! I'm here now, let's get started!"
"I'm sorry?" Clara said, folding her arms and stepping forwards "Get started with what?"
The Doctor rolled his eyes, and ruffled the top of Clara's hair, much to her annoyance. "Treaty's, peace agreements, government politics! All that stuff!" he cried, releasing her and walking forwards, putting his hands on his hips. "Where do you want me to start?"
"Thank you doctor, but your assistance is… unneeded." The other time lord said, lowering himself back into his chair. The Doctor's face dropped into an unmistakable pout. "What?" he asked.
"It's been four hundred years, doctor. We've gotten on just fine without you. Establishing new laws, peace treaties with other planets and whatnot. It's all taken care of." He shrugged.
"Well-wha-do I get a say in any of this? What about Rassilion? I was sure he'd have some sort of evil plan I'd have to foil" he stuttered, throwing his arms down to his side. The other time lord smirked, chuckling a little.
"Rassilion. Yes, he did have some… different ideas. We got rid of him some hundred years ago."
"Oh," The Doctor swallowed. He was thankful for that, for one. He grimaced slightly, remembering the regeneration that put him into this form. Rassilion…The Master… wait. The Master. "What about the master?" he quickly asked.
"There has been no sign of him. We assume he has fled, because of his crimes against humanity."
"Crimes against humanity?" Rose said, raising her eyebrows. She did have some knowledge of Gallifrey, being part consciousness of a Gallifreyan weapon after all. "Since when did Gallifrey give a damn about humanity?"
"And you are?"
Rose smirked. "The big bad wolf," she said with a grin, and noted the way he flinched slightly. "That's right. Now you're scared."
"We knew you would come. There have been many legends about the Bad Wolf and satellite five."
"Good," Rose smirked "Now come on, why does Gallifrey care?"
"Like I said, things have changed since The Doctor was last here. We spent a long time rebuilding Gallifrey to its original beauty. And then Rassilion gave us a taste of his… plans. And we rejected them. He was executed. The Master fled. And we changed our laws. As Time Lords we are sworn only to observe, never to interfere. The Doctor of course, never quite agreed with us, but we are enforcing it now." He glanced up, and locked eyes with The Doctor briefly. His stony glare was sharp, and he was quick to add "Except for you, of course, doctor. We have some thanks to give you for saving us."
"Right, good." The Doctor said, smirking a little. Rose elbowed him in the side, and he rolled his eyes. "Back to matters of import. Who's president?"
"I am."
"Oh. Right. Well, I can't say I'm not upset not to be put in the running's."
"You, president?" Clara laughed "I can hardly see you committing to something like that."
The Doctor pouted again "oi! I'll have you know I was president once. Not for long… but it was a good once!" he said, folding his arms. "Nice to know, Mr President, that you've got it all figured out. Without me."
"Well doctor, we knew you would come eventually, but that we could not go looking for you. No Gallifreyan would risk a paradox that big." The President said, leaning forwards on his arms.
"Fair enough. So there's absolutely nothing you want from me? Nothing?"
The president shook his head. "Doctor, you have always been somewhat of an outcast on Gallifrey, our most infamous child. You have a problem with authority. You don't like to follow the rules. You are welcome to reside on Gallifrey for as long as you like, but you and I both know that you could never stay in the same place for long."
"You got him there," Clara agreed "So is that it doctor. Are we done? Picnic on a hill you promised."
"Right. Yes… of course. Except, wait… just one favour you can do for me."
"Anything doctor. We owe you our lives."
"Yeah, well. You can do that another time. I just need you to keep something safe for me." He stole a glance towards Rose, and smiled at her softly. She smiled back, and he felt his insides light up.
The view from the hill was the most beautiful thing Clara had ever seen. In front of them was the giant, fully refurbished citadel which held arcadia. They had come straight here after fixing the weapon that held Rose's life inside one of the vaults in the high council. The Doctor had insisted on it being deadlock sealed, opened only by a code he knew. Clara didn't know the code, but she was sure it was something that The Doctor was hoping never to use. And Clara was hoping he would never use it.
Birds of all kind of species not even The Doctor could name soared through the burnt orange sky, skimming across the fluffy white clouds. The grass was the deepest red, and every strand was as soft as velvet between her fingers. As promised, around them grew the tallest trees she had ever seen, each bloomed with pure silver leaves. On the way over to the picnic spot, the doctor had noticed her staring, and picked one for her to keep. It was in her hand now, bigger than any leaf she had ever seen, and so, so soft.
"It's…" she said, unable to find a word to even describe the beauty of Gallifrey.
"Breath-taking." Both The Doctor and Rose said at the same time. Clara turned her head to look at the two. They were both leaning far on their backs, close together but not quite touching, grinning at each other like idiots. Clara rolled her eyes. The quicker those two realised whatever it was they had… the better.
"Remember New Earth?" Rose suddenly said, pushing her hair back against her ear as the wind blew lightly.
"Ha!" The Doctor laughed "How could I forget?"
"All those… cat nuns…"
"And Cassandra."
"Ha, yeah." Rose mused, looking around, smiling "I still remember everything she did, running around in my body."
At this, Clara noticed The Doctor pale slightly, and then blush beet red. "E-everything?" he stuttered.
"Mhm." Rose said, nodding "It was a funny old afternoon, I can't believe you didn't realise it wasn't me sooner!"
"Hey! I was caught up… in… in the mystery of it all!" The Doctor protested, the two of them sitting up. Rose giggled. "Oh come on doctor, I had my top done up wrong and I was saying all sorts of crazy things."
This was The Doctor's turn to laugh "I can't Adam and eve it" he mimicked, in a haughty tone. Clara's face softened, and she smiled, watching the two talk. It was weird. She didn't feel… jealous, or left out in any way. And she liked Rose, she really did. There was just something about her. And it was also the way that she made The Doctor. Clara knew what The Doctor could be like more than anyone, constantly bottling up his feelings. She never missed that sad look in his eyes. But here, with Rose…. There was no sad look, just… light in his eyes. His eyes lit up like a Christmas tree, and his face crinkled into a gentle smile as he watched her speak animatedly.
Although she liked Rose. Clara was still sceptical.
She wasn't all too sure who 'Rose' really was, but from the conversation she had with the doctor earlier in the sand shack, she knew that this wasn't the real Rose. This was the consciousness of the weapon they had locked inside Arcadia. It had taken Rose's form, and due to prolonged exposure, had become some kind of clone of her… or something like that. She just didn't want it to all turn out too good to be true.
"So, what kind of picnic is this anyway?" Rose suddenly said, pulling Clara out of her train of thought. "Where's the food?"
"I knew there was something I'd forgotten…"
Short, filler. Next up, first adventure with The Doctor Rose Clara team!