Ohhh, I like this one :D

I like this whole fic, actually. So glad I started writing it; I really enjoy it.

RULE SEVEN

7) When a Fenling tells you to bow down, do it!

This rule sparks two memories. The first was from when he was on his own, a few days after he had regenerated into his ninth body.

The familiar wheezing of the TARDIS engines filled the Doctor's ears as he stood at the controls. As he watched, the central column ground to a halt as he landed.

"Thank you, old girl," he murmured, patting the console as he turned towards the door. His long brown coat swished around his ankles as he walked, and he promptly decided that it didn't suit him at all and threw it over one of the supports as he passed it. He'd get that leather one he'd spotted when he got back.

He exited the TARDIS in his blue polo shirt, deciding that didn't suit him either, and came to a halt on a floor of wood. Aha. This must be the planet of the Fenlings, Fen. They were the only species in the universe other than humans that used decking.

"You will bow down to us," came a high, nasal voice. It was a very irritating voice, but the Doctor had heard that as soon as you bowed down to them they shut up and left you alone. But if you didn't bow down, they locked you up…

The Doctor gave an elaborate bow, and by the time he straightened up the Fenlings had lost interest and turned away. They were used to getting visitors by this year, 2400, because humans liked to come and admire their incredible gardens. The Doctor wandered off towards one such garden, a small one with lots of flowers all around. It was rare on Fen in that it had a lawn, and the Doctor lay down on it to relax. Within 30 seconds, he was…not quite asleep, but it was as though some part of him had been switched off, though he was still aware of everything around him.

It wasn't until 2 hours later, when he had woken slowly and returned to the TARDIS, that he realised what the flowers in the garden had been: Sleeping Vortex. Humans were immune to it, but its blue or red flowers secreted a scent which sent Time Lords into a coma-like state - in other words, exactly what had happened to the Doctor.


The second memory was of just a few days before he had regenerated. Rose had asked to go to the Chelsea Flower Show (for the life of him he could not work out why) and he had decided to go one better.

The Doctor watched the Time Rotor slow and stop. Well, he was pretending to watch the Time Rotor, but it would be closer to the truth to say that he was watching Rose watch the Time Rotor. He didn't even realise this himself. Rose turned to him with a grin as they landed, and he smiled back.

"Are we at Chelsea Flower Show then?" Rose asked, before realising: "You're gonna make me go and see, aren't you?" He dipped his head in a single nod, and she ran out, him following close on her heels. She stopped at the door and turned to him. "You did it!"

"Actually, I decided to take us somewhere better. This is the planet Fen. The Fenlings have converted almost all of the planet into gardens, and rely on trade to keep going. But their gardens are very popular, so that's okay." The Doctor led Rose to the same garden he'd been to last time, remembering how much he'd liked it.

He didn't remember the Sleeping Vortex.

Again, barely 30 seconds after he had entered the garden and the two had lay down close to each other, he was asleep.

The Doctor felt somebody lightly touch his arm.

"This is the most peaceful I've ever seen you," he heard Rose say softly, as though she didn't want to wake him. "It's nice." Her hand moved up and stroked his cheek. Had he still been in control of his body, he would have stopped breathing. As it was, he couldn't react.

An hour later, the Doctor slowly awoke. He opened his eyes and saw Rose sitting cross-legged on the other side on the small lawn, reading a book. She looked up as he sat up.

"Do you realise you've been asleep for an hour and a half?" Rose asked.

"You should have woken me up, not just left me there," the Doctor replied.

"You looked too peaceful. Where'd that come from anyhow?"

"It's this stuff," the Doctor explained, plucking a Sleeping Vortex from the flower bed and showing her. "It has a soporific effect on Time Lords. Humans aren't affected." As he spoke, a Fenling walked up to them.

"You will bow down to us," said that familiar high, nasal voice.

"We will not bow down to you," Rose said indignantly, before the Doctor had a chance to stop her. "We're not some pathetic little idiots, are we, Doctor?"

The Doctor stared at her for a second. "No," he said. He couldn't bow down now. Rose would think he was a "pathetic little idiot".

It was several hours before the Fenlings released them.