Chapter Two

The Doctor and his companions stared at the elephant in confusion. It was large and had solid gold caps on the end of its tusks, and a white blanket with gold trim on its back. The Doctor stared at it for a moment, then stood on his tiptoes to see if anyone was on its back. Then, he walked around the elephant looking all around for Tobilo.

"Um, I don't understand, where is your daughter?" he asked Masarak.

"You are looking at her, Doctor!"

The Doctor stared at the elephant and looked back at him.

"I beg your pardon; I don't see anyone or anything here except this elephant."

"Yes, Doctor, that is my daughter, Tobilo!"

The Doctor stared at him in stunned silence. He slowly walked towards him, ignoring Tegan who by now had resumed her hysterical laughter.

"I'm sorry, you mean you want me to marry an elephant?" he said to him.

"Yes, Doctor, I want you to marry my daughter."

The Doctor searched his face looking for any sign he was kidding. His eyes widened when he saw he was completely serious.

"You…your highness, I am honored that you think I'm worthy enough to marry your…uh…daughter, but really, I must protest. I have no interest in marrying her. I am a traveler in time and space, I have no time for a wife, and I have no room for her on my TARDIS. My doors aren't big enough. I'm sure if you look harder, you can find someone more worthy of her than me!"

"DARZAN!" Masarak yelled.

Darzan hurried into the room.

"Sire?"

"Prepare my daughter for marriage!"

The Doctor sighed angrily and walked back to Nyssa and Tegan.

"Okay, I believe it's time for us to go," he said to them.

"Do you think he'll let us go?" Nyssa asked.

"I don't know, and I don't care. I just want to get out of here before I have to go on a honeymoon with a great, bloody elephant. Just run."

"Doctor..." Nyssa said.

"GO!"

The three of them sprinted past the elephant and ran out the door as fast as they could go.

"WAIT! COME BACK HERE! YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE MARRYING MY DAUGHTER!" they heard Masarak scream. "GUARDS, STOP HIM!"

The Doctor saw some guards rushing up the corridor towards them. With a determined look on his face, he lowered his head and head butted the first guard sending him sprawling back into the others. The Doctor and his companions ran on, ignoring everyone and everything in their desperate attempt to escape the palace. They heard yelling up ahead of them and quickly ducked into a nearby room and closed the door. The Doctor listened to the guards yelling, as they ran past, then he opened the door, stuck his head out, looked left and right and nodded at Nyssa and Tegan. The three of them ran out and ran down the hallway.

Finally, after avoiding more guards, they were able to get to the front door and escape from the palace. The Doctor ran on, not looking back, as Tegan and Nyssa struggled to keep up with him. As they headed towards the woods, the Doctor heard the shouts of some guards and put on a fresh burst of speed, as he sprinted into the woods. Tegan and Nyssa's lungs were burning, and their legs were aching, but they knew the Doctor wasn't about to stop for them, and so they gritted their teeth and ran with him, praying they wouldn't collapse from exhaustion before they reached the TARDIS.

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Finally, they reached the safety of the TARDIS. The Doctor burst inside followed by Nyssa and Tegan. He quickly closed the doors and lunged at the console. While Nyssa and Tegan collapsed against the wall. The Doctor put in some random coordinates and once the TARDIS was in flight, he slumped against the console, completely exhausted.

"Nyssa, Tegan," he gasped.

Nyssa and Tegan looked at him.

"You…you and I will never speak of this again to anyone, do you hear me?" he said. "We're just going to forget this whole thing ever occurred."

The two women nodded, too out of breath to speak.

The Doctor leaned back up and walked towards the back door.

"I'll be in my room, taking a long, long rest and thanking Rassilon I didn't end up with an elephant for a wife," he said.

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"And that's the story," the tenth Doctor said.

He paused and glared at Rose when he noticed her trying desperately to hold her laughter in.

"Don't you dare, you promised me!" he said, jabbing his finger in her face.

"I can't help it, Doctor. Just the thought of you having an elephant for a wife and traveling through time and space with her is hilarious to me."

The Doctor sighed when Rose burst out laughing.

"Yup, I knew it was a huge mistake to tell you," the Doctor muttered.

"If you did end up marrying her, would you have used a crane to carry your wife over the threshold?"

The Doctor sighed.

"Not to mention burping your children would have been a chore."

"Rose."

"But, bathing them would be easy since they have the hose right there."

"Rose."

"I bet teething would be a nightmare. And the tooth fairy, putting their tusks underneath their pillows---"

"And on that note, I'm going to go to the library and read my book in peace," the Doctor said, picking up his book and walking off.

He sighed angrily when he heard Rose laughing hysterically behind him.

"Why, oh why, can't I ever keep my promises and keep my big gob shut!" the Doctor muttered to himself as he hurried away from the console room and the sound of Rose's laughter.

THE END.