For some tumblr prompts!
Never one to stand by the wall and avoid festivities, Tish found herself with Lois by the elaborate snack table. She didn't recognize most of the food, which was far from surprising: it was all alien. Or, more accurately, they were the aliens, and the food was the best this planet had to offer.
The royal ball would have nothing less. Dressed in the fanciest dresses in the Doctor's collection, Tish and Lois alternated between eating sweet fruit and looking around at the gleaming palace they were in. The Doctor had a standing invitation to the ball—someone's birthday or anniversary or some other gleaming festival—and as a treat—an apology, maybe—he had taken Torchwood along with him.
Torchwood, which he had almost been too late to save. The Doctor was like that. Always coming through in the end with a wild idea and impossible solution, standing in a wide-legged stance in front of a threat and sending it away.
The Doctor had saved them—had saved Tish, too, a year ago from a year that never happened, and Tish didn't know how to feel about him after the suffering she'd been through—and now here they were. Tish had only traveled in the Tardis once before and hadn't been able to fully appreciate it. With the Doctor's unique piloting, she didn't appreciate it this time, either.
But the party made up for it. Lois being at the party made up for it.
The Doctor had arrived almost too late to save Torchwood, too late to prevent Lois from getting pulled into this mad world. Tish didn't know how to feel about that, either.
"Is that a chocolate fountain?" Lois asked, wonder in her eyes at finally seeing the good side to alien life, and Tish decided that it was a good thing she'd joined. Selfish, maybe. But true. "Come on."
Tish dipped her fruit into it and savored the taste. The Doctor would probably have some information about the spread of chocolate through the galaxy from Earth, or more likely about the spread of chocolate from the galaxy to Earth. Tish was used to finding out stuff like that.
On the other side of the ballroom, Martha was introducing someone to Gwen and Rhys. It figured that she'd been here before.
Tish swayed along to the music, still looking around. There was very little about this palace that screamed alien. Maybe that was why the Doctor had brough them here.
Her shoulder brushed against Lois's.
"It's nice." Lois gestured around with the strawberry-like fruit in her hand. "Kind of like a fairytale."
The purple sky coming in through the windows gave the room a warm glow.
Any second now, the Doctor would burst into the room, sonic screwdriver aloft, hair disheveled, being chased by a homicidal maniac or a politician hell-bent on subjugating them all. He'd grab them all, shoes squeaking against the polished floor, and they'd run—Martha said he liked running.
The palace would fall and chaos would reign, and at the end of the night the Doctor would lead them back to the Tardis, a quip falling off his lips as the planet started rebuilding itself.
"Hey." Lois's hand brushed Tish's shoulder. "Where'd you go?"
Tish shook her head. "Nowhere, I'm fine."
Lois trailed her hand down to Tish's elbow. "Yeah?"
Tish leaned into the touch. "Yeah."
A moment, and she started swaying again. The music, almost earthly but not quite, twirled around her, around everyone: the dancefloor was full of skirts and capes, the reflective floor just another piece of the dazzling night.
Lois's hand moved even lower, her fingers meeting Tish's and holding on. She tugged at Tish's hand and was suddenly standing in front of her.
She tilted her head at the dancefloor, smiling and exposing her teeth, eyes shining under the hundred chandeliers above them. "Come on."
Tish grinned back and followed Lois, putting a hand on her waist and twirling, joining the guests in their celebration and letting everything else fall away.