Chapter Ten
After spending most of the night worrying about what was going to happen, the Doctor finally managed to drift off to sleep. He dreamed about Rose. He dreamed about holding her in his arms, kissing her lips, stroking her soft, blonde hair. A dreamy smile formed on his flesh and blood face while he listened to her dream self whispering her love and devotion to him. She stared at him with her bright, brown eyes while she stroked his cheek affectionately.
"Doctor," she said.
The Doctor sighed contentedly, staring at her face.
"Doctor," she repeated, a little more forcefully.
The Doctor continued to stare at her face.
"DOCTOR!"
The Doctor gasped. His eyes flew open, and he saw the Lady Rose standing over him. He groaned.
"Aw, crap, wrong Rose."
He sighed.
"Yes, what do you want?" he said, testily.
Lady Rose narrowed her eyes.
"I would watch that tongue if I were you, unless you want Josiah to pull it out of your head."
"Yeah, yeah, what do you want?" the Doctor repeated.
"Just wanted to see how you were this morning," Lady Rose said, sweetly.
She looked over at Martha.
"And, I wanted to meet your…friend."
She walked over to her.
"So, which one are you?" she asked.
"I'm the one who's gonna punch your lights out if you don't let the Doctor and me go," Martha replied.
Lady Rose snorted.
"How very droll. That must be what passes for a witty remark on the planet Earth."
She reached through the bars and seized Martha's chin.
"Common looking," she said, turning up her nose, "shame, really, you could be beautiful with a bit of work on that face of yours."
"I wouldn't talk if I were you."
Lady Rose smirked.
"Oh, I know I'm beautiful, and I think your friend would agree. After all, I look just like his beloved. Isn't that right, Doctor?"
Martha looked at him.
"Doctor, what is she talking about?"
Lady Rose walked over to the Doctor and ran her finger down his cheek.
"He didn't tell you? I resemble his greatest love," she purred.
Martha stared at her.
"Rose?" she finally said.
"That's right, my dear. I am the Lady Rose, ruler of Valpora and oddly enough, my double bears my name, although I'm sure I'm far more beautiful and sophisticated than she is."
She sneered at Martha.
"I can guess that fact by looking at the company the Doctor keeps."
Martha's mouth dropped open.
"I'll tell you one thing," she said to Lady Rose, "I don't know Rose, except for little bits and pieces, but I'm pretty sure that unlike you, she isn't an egotistical bitch who thinks the sun shines out her arse, because if she was, the Doctor would have thrown her out of the TARDIS a long time ago."
The Doctor sniggered while Martha gave Lady Rose a look that dared her to do something to her. She raised her eyebrow when Lady Rose balled up her fist.
"Go ahead, punch me. Show us how much of a "lady" you really are."
They locked eyes and stared at one another while the Doctor watched silently. Finally, after about a minute, Lady Rose shook her head and turned away.
"You aren't worth the trouble, little whelp," she muttered, walking back to the Doctor.
Martha flipped her off when her back was turned. The Doctor suppressed a smile at that and gave Lady Rose his best poker face while she looked him over.
"You're a very funny man, Doctor," she finally said.
"Well, thank you, I do try my best. I enter every stand up competition and open mike night I can find. Actually won many of them, including a stint at the Yuk-Yuk Emporium on Gigglez Eleven, the humor planet. And, let me tell you, that was a tough crowd. See, the whole planet is dedicated to laughter, and the citizens of Gigglez Eleven are very picky about what makes them laugh. But, little ol' me stole their hearts with my routine about Omega and the rubber duckie. It was a hit! I had them rolling in the aisles, which is quite dangerous since the citizens of Gigglez Eleven are big, gelatinous blobs and if they bump into one another, they fuse, split and procreate. I'll tell you something, the population doubled the night I did my set. Probably a ton of tiny blobs on that planet are named after me now, and--"
"I mean, funny, as in odd, as in you don't seem to act like a lord would," she said, annoyed.
"Look, this whole Time Lord title, it doesn't mean I'm an actual lord with a manor, and land, and serfs. That's my job title, alright? That's what my people called the ones who were loomed to travel through time and space and keep an eye on it. So, I'm sorry if I don't quite fit the mold of a stereotypical lord. I was never one to put on airs and act all proper, and posh, and stuck up. That, to me, is dull and boring. Besides, it's better not to act a certain way. Keeps people from figuring you out and keeps em on their toes. It's more fun to be serious one moment and be a nutter the next. Keeps em all guessing. I mean I'm sure I have you flummoxed by now, don't I? You're probably thinking, "What goofy thing is gonna fly out of his gob next?" Well, the answer to that question is…cumquat. See, didn't see that coming, did ya? That's what makes me the life and soul of every party I go to. I--"
"Will you…shut…up!"
"Yeah, and eventually people start saying that to me too. Gets very irritating. Especially when I really get going with a brilliant thought or a witty anecdote. I'm just going on, and on, and on, and then I hear, shut up! It's a real blow to my self esteem, you know. I mean, I may be the all-powerful Oncoming Storm, terror of the Daleks, but deep down inside, I have feelings too, and those feelings can be hurt just as much as the next guy. All I want is a little respect…and perhaps a banana split with a cherry on top…ooo, and whipped cream too. Love that. But, anyway, as I was saying, it just irritates me that people think they can stop me right in the middle of my conversation. Especially when I have something important to say, which is almost always. I mean, I rarely mince words. Everything I say has some importance to the situation at hand, and--"
"Can I ask you something?" Lady Rose said, cutting him off.
The Doctor gave her an annoyed look.
"Oh, I suppose so, your royal rudeness."
"This Rose of yours, how in the dark underworld could she stand to be in the same ship as you?"
"Um…tons of patience and several crates of earplugs?"
Lady Rose sighed and shook her head, as the Doctor snickered. He leaned up and winked at Martha who gave him a thumbs up.
"You know, I believe I will leave you alone. I have better things to do than listen to your mindless prattle all day," Lady Rose said.
The Doctor feigned shock.
"Mindless prattle? What are you talking about? I told you, everything I say has relevance to the situation at hand and--"
He was cut off when Lady Rose backhanded him across the face.
"How about if I do cut out that tongue of yours?" she snarled at him, "perhaps that will teach you to shut up when I tell you to!"
The Doctor glowered at her.
"I don't care who you resemble, hitting me is a very bad idea, and I guarantee I'll show you just how bad it is when I get out of these restraints!"
He stiffened when Lady Rose drew back her fist and prepared to hit him. Just then, the door opened and Josiah walked in. He froze when he saw Lady Rose with her fist in the air.
"My Lady, what's going on?" he said, confused.
"I am teaching this insolent cur a lesson about obeying me."
"And I'm ignoring her and getting the snot slapped out of me. All in all, it's been a very interesting morning so far," the Doctor replied, airily. "I've been abused by a megalomaniacal brat, and Martha got to watch the fun. How about you? Did you enjoy your rest? I notice my other companion isn't anywhere near you. Must mean you didn't catch her yet, and to that I say, Donna Noble, that's my girl!"
"It's true, I haven't caught Donna yet, but it's only a matter of time. Guards are posted at all exits and all around your TARDIS. There is no escape for her."
Josiah walked up beside Lady Rose and bowed.
"Aside from that, my Lady, I wish to report that I have been trying to locate Rose Tyler. Working from the Doctor's memories, I have located Torchwood, which is where she works, and I'm about to use the tractor beam to pull the building directly to this planet."
The Doctor's eyes bugged out of his head.
"Wait, you are taking the entire building?"
"Yes," Josiah said, looking at him. "I don't have time to find one human girl among that overcrowded mess on Earth. I will simply take her workplace, bring it here, and search the building that way.
"Oh God, it's the Judoon all over again," Martha muttered.
Josiah smiled at her.
"In a manner of speaking, my dear. I will bring them up here and like the Judoon, I will send in troops to find Rose Tyler. If she is not found or refuses to give herself up, everyone will die."
The Doctor turned as white as a sheet. He swallowed hard, suddenly regretting his decision to tell Rose not to go into work. Because of that, he had just doomed an entire building of innocent people. Josiah turned to Lady Rose.
"With your permission, I will begin preparations to bring the Torchwood building to this planet."
"Permission granted."
"Wait!"
Everyone looked at the Doctor. He let out a defeated sigh.
"There is no need to do that. Send me down to Earth, and I will retrieve Rose."
Josiah and Lady Rose gave him skeptical looks.
"How do we know you won't try to run off with her?" Lady Rose asked.
"Because I will work under a time limit, if I haven't located her, then you can bring me back."
Lady Rose bent over.
"How about this? You get a time limit and if you don't find her or you try to run off with her, we bring Torchwood to this planet when your time is up, go in and torture and kill everyone we find there?"
"Deal."
"Doctor," Martha said.
The Doctor looked at her.
"I don't have a choice. If I don't do it, they'll bring up the entire building and if they don't find Rose, they'll torture the people inside to find out where she is. Then, they'll use the tractor beam again. Am I right?"
"You are correct, Time Lord," Josiah said.
"So, if I go down there, I'm saving a lot of innocent people a lot of pain and suffering."
"If you want to view it that way, then yes," Josiah said, shrugging.
"And if I don't go down there, you'll keep pulling up buildings and torturing people until you finally do find her."
Josiah looked at Lady Rose.
"You see, my Lady, the Time Lord catches on fast."
"Yes, he does, the question is will he actually do what we want?"
"I give you my word. You can track me and if I try anything, you can pull me up and put me to death. Just let me be the one to go get Rose."
Josiah smirked.
"You see, my Lady, there are ways of controlling the lovesick fool without resorting to violence."
The Doctor rolled his eyes when they both chuckled at that.
"Very well, Doctor," Josiah said, "we will set you down beside this Torchwood building first. You will then have a half hour to find Rose Tyler and get back to the same spot, so we can bring you back here. If you are not back before the half hour is up, the entire building gets pulled up to Valpora, and you and everyone in it will forfeit their lives."