Author's Note: This is the penultimate chapter, just a tag scene to go after this. I do have another fic in the works. Well, another 3 fics actually. And that's not including the 2 ficlets for The Long Game... Sigh I'll never get anything else done...
I've also written bits of part four and reuploaded that.
This part is with thanks to Lucy for doing a very good job at beta reading.
Rose stepped back into the TARDIS control room, still towel drying her hair. A long, hot shower had left her feeling much more comfortable in her own skin, and less like there was something revolting crawling all over her. She had also gratefully changed back into her own baggier, far less revealing clothes – she never thought she'd be so grateful to see jeans, a vest top and a hoodie in her life. So far she had only remembered flashes of what had happened but even they were enough to make her cringe.
"So," she said, leaning back against the console next to where the Doctor was tinkering. "You gonna give me the full details now?"
The Doctor looked at her, frowning in a perplexed manner. How many more details did she require?
"It's just as I said," he explained in an offhand manner. "You were drugged by the pollen in that flower and ending up dancing in a pretty disreputable little bar. Well, if you call that dancing…"
"Why?" she asked, ignoring his effort to turn this all into a bit of a joke. "What was the point? To sell more drinks? They weren't paying to watch me, were they?"
She grimaced at that thought. It was so humiliating, so degrading.
"No. It was robbery," the Doctor said simply. "There was such an excess of the drug in your system that you were breathing large quantities of it out. Randy men get too close to you, inhale it and pass out, their stuff is nicked and they're dumped in the street. Hours later they wake up, remembering little of what happened and wondering what the hell they were drinking."
Rose shook her head absently, thinking the whole thing sounded ridiculous. "Seems a bit complex to me. Why doesn't he just mug people in the streets like any other robber?"
"I s'pose it's cleaner this way," the Doctor suggested with a shrug. "And he probably makes a healthy packet from the bar too."
"Guess so," Rose agreed, sighing, seeing his point but still not exactly happy with the situation. He seemed to think that what had happened was a bit of a blip in their adventures, that they could be just brushed aside. Nothing to worry about really – a bit embarrassing, certainly, but not serious.
But he wasn't the one who had spent twenty minutes in the shower, scrubbing his skin until it was raw, because he kept having creepy flashbacks of drooling, lecherous men.
"So," the Doctor said brightly, either not picking up on her dour mood or choosing to ignore it. "Where to now? There's a meteor shower due in the atmosphere of Ngliun 3 any day now. Absolutely spectacular views from this restaurant right on top of the mountains. I could get us great seats. I don't actually have a reservation, but since when has that stopped us, hmm?"
Rose frowned at him, wondering how he could be so forgetful. "What about the other girls?"
"What about them?" he asked with an indifferent shrug.
"Well, we can't just leave them there," she reasoned, mildly outraged at his lack of consideration. How would he like it if he were abandoned to be a drug controlled slave?
"Of course we can," he replied in a far too flippant manner, "Press a couple of switches, pull a couple of levers and we can go anywhere, remember? Although I really would recommend this meteor shower. Goes right through the atmosphere at such an angle that-"
"What if they were drugged like me?" she interrupted, incredulous at his total apathy. Although she should have half expected it really. Sometimes he could be so understanding and caring. Others he could be a totally arrogant prick who seemed content to leave any species he considered lower than himself to just get on with it. This was definitely one of the latter.
"Well, maybe if they're lucky they'll have a devilishly handsome alien come to their rescue too," he joked with a manic grin.
He was trying to be charming, but it certainly wasn't working.
"I'm not going anywhere with you until we do something about those girls," she stated firmly, dropping the towel to the floor and crossing her arms for effect.
"Hey! Don't do that!" He immediately exclaimed in annoyance, picking the towel up. "You'll leave a funny mark. Honestly, if I'd known you were the sort of person who left wet towels laying around I would have brought Mickey instead."
She was starring at him steadily, not in the least bit intending to get side tracked.
"Rose," he reasoned, sounding a little irritated but trying hard to smooth things out, "I did not come here to start a women's liberation movement."
"It's not right," she insisted resolutely.
"No," he said, jumping straight on her response, drawn into an argument he didn't really want to have, "In your human idea of morality it's not right. Unfortunately the entire universe does not subscribe to one tiny planet's version of what is right and wrong. Different people live in different ways, and if you're going to travel out here Rose, you are going to have to get used to it, alright? You can't go changing the universe because you don't like it."
"He is using them," she said firmly, her voice tight with anger. "He's treating them like objects. You can't do that people."
"Why not?" the Doctor challenged. "Earth isn't exactly a staggering role model where individual rights are concerned."
"That's not the point!" she countered, her voice rising rapidly towards a shout.
She hadn't wanted this to be an argument but he was being such a pig. She knew she was right and wasn't prepared to back down just for the sake of keeping the peace. Not in a matter like this.
"No," he said firmly. "The point is that it's not our place to interfere."
"Oh, come off it!" she snorted with derision. "You interfere all the time."
"Yes," he agreed, suddenly becoming a little introspective. "And I shouldn't. Not really."
"Well, if that's the case then why'd you bother coming to get me?" she asked sarcastically, too annoyed with him to notice his change of mood. "Surely you should've just let things take their course."
"Oh, don't be ridiculous," he snapped with disdain, not willing to get caught into that trap. "Of course that's different. You're only here because of me."
"So you're saying I deserve my freedom and free will more than they do?"
"Yes," he said automatically.
She starred at him for a long moment.
"Rose," he said, softening his voice, wanting to resolve things. "You can't save everyone. It's nice that you want to try, but the universe isn't that kind of a place."
"So what?" she asked, no longer angry but an unnatural bitterness tainting her voice. "The best solution is to stop trying?"
"No. Of course not," he replied with exasperation. "But time is complicated. Despite what you might believe I do try and mess with it as little as possible. Besides, don't you think we've been in enough trouble for one planet? Going back would be pushing our luck. Hasani isn't going to be pleased when he finds out that you're gone."
"I'm willing to risk it," she said with admirable determination.
The Doctor sighed, surrendering. Yes, he could argue it with her. He could simply refuse to do it and take them off elsewhere before she had a chance to leave. But she would be little fun to travel with if she was angry with him. Besides, she did have a point.
And when she pouted at him like that he found it strangely difficult to deny her anything.
"Fine," he conceded, making it clear he was doing this under duress. "I did have an plan to get them out actually, I just don't think you'll be too keen on it."
"Why?" she asked, calmer but suddenly suspicious.
He smiled, raising a mischievous eyebrow.
"You didn't throw away that fetching little red number you were wearing, did you?"
"I can't believe that the only plan you could come up with involves this," Rose said despairingly through the locked bathroom door. "Some genius you are. You're just trying to embarrass me, aren't you?"
"Look," he stated plainly, "If you're spotted wandering around there in jeans some bright spark is going to figure out that all is not hunky dory. Think of it as a disguise."
"Yeah, well it doesn't exactly disguise much."
"Oh, stop complaining," he scolded, infuriated by her moaning over what he considered to be nothing. "You look great."
There was a short pause.
"Really? You think?"
"Yeah…For a human."
She laughed slightly at that. "Oh, you're so charming."
"Thanks."
"That was sarcasm, right?"
"I know."
Tentatively, Rose opened the door and stepped out, wrapped in a big, fluffy, white bathrobe and looking hugely uncomfortable with the whole situation.
"You do realise you can't wear that," he pointed out in a matter of fact manner. She wasn't going to like it but it was the truth.
"Why not?" she pouted.
It wasn't going to work this time.
"I've already told you. Besides, you're the one who wants to go and help those women, yes?"
"I know," she said desperately, "And I do."
"Then you're going to have to make a few sacrifices to do that," he said in an annoyingly reasonable manner, "If helping people was easy then everybody would be doing it."
"This isn't a sacrifice," Rose muttered, bitterly, "It's total humiliation."
He starred at her pointedly, arms folded across his chest.
"I know, alright?" she said defensively in response to his look, "It's just…. I can't go out in the streets dressed like this. Seriously. I can't. I mean, look at me…"
She opened the bathrobe to give him a flash of the skimpy costume underneath. Not that the Doctor needed a reminder. The vision of her wearing it was permanently imprinted on a part of his brain he was trying to keep quiet.
Look at her? Actually he was desperately trying not to, thanks.
"Alright Whingey," he said with a dramatic glance to the sky, "Come with me then."
He took her hand and pulled her swiftly out of the room, following the familiar route to the dressing room and its 'magic' wardrobe. The Doctor paused for a moment when he saw it. He smiled, turning to Rose.
"You've got a good imagination," he said, sounding pleased. "That's an impressive piece of furniture. Never usually looks that interesting. Last person who was in here, it was barely more than a metal box."
He didn't give her a chance to question that as he crossed over to the wardrobe and flung it open.
It was empty and he seemed a little surprised by the fact. He stuck his head right inside, further than the dimensions of the thing should really allow, and looked round as if making doubly sure there was nothing there.
"Oh, come on," he complained, shutting it and giving it a good, swift kick. He grimaced slightly, turning to Rose.
"Did you have to imagine something quite so solid though?" he complained.
"Sorry," she said with an uncertain shrug, not really sure what she was apologising for.
"Let's try again."
The Doctor turned his attention back to the wardrobe. This time when he opened it there was just one item inside.
"That's better," he praised, patting the piece of furniture on one of its solid wooden sides. He took out the solitary item and handed it to Rose.
She unfolded it, to find it was a large but airy, cream coloured cloak. Suitable for the time period with the added bonus of covering up everything she didn't want on show as she walked through the streets.
"Thanks," she said to the Doctor, smiling, swapping the cloak with the bathrobe.
"Better?"
"Much better."
"Good. Now," he said, gesturing towards the door, "Shall we go to the rescue?"
"Lead the way," she said, following him towards the front door. "And then I think that meteor shower sounds like a good idea. I need something to take my mind of these horrible flashbacks I keep having about fawning over dirty old men."
She shuddered, not noticing that the Doctor suddenly looked very uncomfortable.
Finding himself back at the tavern for the third time in twenty-four hours, the Doctor decided that it actually looked worse every time he saw it. More dilapidated, more sinister and sleazier. He definitely had to make sure the next place they visited had no seedy bars. He was getting sick of the sight.
Heading round the back of the building, taking the same route he had taken when he had rescued her earlier, he checked that the area was clear before turning back to Rose.
"There you go," he said, handing her a large test tube of the blue antidote. "I would say keep it out of sight, but I don't think that bikini has much pocket space."
"Oh, ha ha," she said drolly, snatching it from him and slipping it into the top of the tiny sarong.
"And keep your phone on you," he said, handing the object over. "Just in case."
She nodded, taking it and slipping it next to the test tube.
"Go on then," he said, nodding towards the wall.
Rose looked around, confused, "What?"
"Over you hop," he encouraged, brightly.
Rose snorted a laugh, "You are joking right?"
The expression on his face convinced her that he was in fact entirely serious.
"I can't climb over that!" she exclaimed.
He rolled his eyes, "It's just one thing after another with you isn't it."
Bending forward, he clasped his hands together, making a small foothold for her to stand on.
"Come on, then," he encouraged. "We haven't got all day."
For the second time since she'd met him, Rose was glad she'd done gymnastics instead of ballet as a kid. Reluctantly leaving the cloak in a bundle on the floor, she stepped onto his hand with one foot and was just about able to keep her balance as he boosted her up so she could grab the top of the wall. Pausing there, the Doctor gave her another shove to help her pull herself up.
"You only wanted to do this so you could look up my skirt," she joked, having problems getting a good grip with her small hands.
"What skirt?"
Pausing at the top of the wall, trying to get her balance so she could safely get down the other side, Rose was unexpectedly struck by another flashback of her previous night's adventures.
His chest was warm and solid under her fingertips. So much better than the others here. As she got closer, close enough to breathe him in, she caught the scent of leather and skin. His unmistakeable cologne. Stirring something inside. Her blood flaming in her veins. Her fingers trailed the back of his neck, making the little hairs there stand on end. His lips were surprisingly soft for someone who had been alive so long. His hands held her hips so firmly she should be bruised from the contact.
Rose gasped in alarm and fell off the wall into the courtyard.
"Rose?" the Doctor's frantic voice came as he hauled himself up to look for her, "Are you alright?"
She looked up at him, shocked.
"You kissed me."
He immediately dropped from sight again, retreating behind the safety of the wall.
"I was drugged," he explained, a little too quickly. "And you started it."
"You didn't have to join in," she pointed out.
"Did I not just say I was drugged?" he said defensively. "And you were the one who drugged me by the way."
"I thought Time Lords were better built than us humans," Rose said, her voice worryingly calm.
"We're still physical beings, okay?" the Doctor said. "Actually, I think that's why you had to kiss me but not the others. I was more immune to the drug so you had to get it into my system more forcefully."
"S'pose I should be grateful it was just a kiss then."
"Rose-"
"Don't worry," she cut in, interrupting his inevitable apology.
"You're not angry with me?" he asked, his voice sounding small and unconvinced.
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Because I would understand if you were."
"I will be if you don't shut up about it," she snapped, a little sharply. "Look, if it makes you happy, when we get back to the TARDIS I'll throw plates at you, but I think we're a little busy right now. I need to get going. It'll be dark soon."
"Alright. Be careful."
Rose left him waiting impatiently behind the wall as she headed to the door. She was trying desperately to keep her mind focussed on the matter at hand and not getting caught, but unsurprisingly she found it difficult. She should be angry with him really, or at least a little miffed. He'd kissed her whilst she was drugged up to the gills and not in her right mind. Okay, so he had been affected too, but shouldn't he have tried a little harder to stop her?
There was no anger in her however. In fact, it felt more like disappointment. The only thing he had done was deny responsibility and blame it all on her. Had kissing her really been that bad?
The little tingle she got in her stomach when she thought about it was quite nice. It made her feel a little sad that he might have seen the experience differently.
She firmly pushed all those thoughts aside. She had to learn to prioritise better. Concentrating on getting out of here without getting caught was more important than thinking that her travelling companion was actually quite handsome if she thought about it. At least, it should be.
She didn't want another boyfriend, and right now she was happy with the Doctor as her best friend and companion. But it was a little hurtful to think that he totally dismissed her as anything else. That it could never be more than that.
"Stop being stupid," she resolutely commanded herself as she slowly turned the handle of the door. She wasn't some stupid kid anymore.
She pushed the door gently and opened without a sound. Some helpful soul clearly kept the hinges well oiled. Inside the place was quite dark and it took a moment for her eyes to adjust.
The corridor looked vaguely familiar, but it was like trying to pinpoint something in a half remembered dream. The more she reached for it, the more solid she tried to make it, the more formless her memories became. Fortunately the Doctor had already told her where she needed to go. Down the corridor, turn right, fourth and fifth doors along on the left. There were two women in each of the rooms.
As she hurried quietly along, barefoot, Rose wondered for a moment what would happen if she were wrong. What if the women were quite happily working for Hasani and she was the only one who had been drugged?
She hoped they were friendly either way. And the Doctor was only a loud scream away if they weren't.
Sneaking into a first, mildly familiar room she saw two women, both laid out on small beds, both apparently unconscious. Shaking the nearest one slightly and getting no response confirmed that suspicion. Picking up a nearby cup, she carefully took the test tube from her waistband and poured a few of drops of the blue liquid in. She then topped it up with water, swirling it around a little to mix it up. Whilst he had been waiting for her to shower and change, the Doctor had been playing with the composition of the antidote drug. Apparently he had increased its effectiveness by at least a thousand.
That had confused Rose a little. He had tried to dissuade her from coming back and helping these other women. He had argued against her doing it. And yet before she had even asked him about it he had already made a better version of the antidote. It was those kind of contradictions in his actions that she found hardest to get used to, especially since he wasn't the most forthcoming person about explaining himself.
Sitting the first woman up slightly, propping her there with pillows, Rose carefully made her drink the mixture. The effect was almost instantaneous. The woman's eyes fluttered open and she looked around, confused but to her credit not overly panicked or afraid. Her gaze rested on Rose. There was a hint of recognition in her eyes and she was looking to the younger woman for answers.
"I don't understand," she said, her voicing managing to hold some authority despite her bewilderment. "Where am I?"
"Look," Rose said, helping her stand up. "I'll explain everything, okay? But there's others, and we've got to get them out too."
She gestured over to the second, still unconscious woman, pushing another cup of the hastily created mixture into her new accomplice's hand.
"Make her drink this then get out. Down the corridor to the right and through the bar. I'll meet you outside, yeah?"
She waited for the other woman to nod in response before heading off to the second room, and the final two captives. The mixture worked on them as quickly as it had the others.
She was just helping the last woman to her feet when her phone went off. Rose visibly jumped, startled by the loud noise in the virtually silent room and fumbled to answer it.
"What?" she hissed irritably.
"You alright?" the Doctor's voice asked.
"Well, I was until some idiot gave me a heart attack by phoning me while I was sneaking around trying to be quiet!"
The Doctor chose to ignore her. "Did you use the antidote?"
"Yeah, they're gonna be fine."
"Good. Look, I had an idea. That antidote should be effective diluted down to ten parts per million. If you pour the rest in the water supply out back then it should prevent Hasani doing this again. And even better, he won't be able to figure out why."
Rose grinned, she liked the sound of that, "Alright, I'll do that and meet you out front, yeah? I'm sending the women that way so you get round there and meet them."
She hung up.
"Get out the front," Rose ordered the two women who were starring at her in confusion, "Someone'll be there to meet you, okay?"
With that she left them behind, heading hurriedly back to the courtyard. The longer she was here, the more likely it would be that she'd be caught. Entering the courtyard again she looked around, spotting the shallow well to her left. Hurrying over there she knelt on the floor, taking the stopper off of the test tube and poured the contents in, right to the last drop. She put her hand in the water, swirling it around to get rid of the tell tale trace of blue.
Now she just had to meet up with the Doctor. He'd promised her a meteor shower. And ice cream.
Yes, ice cream would be nice right now.
Suddenly, there was a sharp tug at the back of Rose's head and she squealed in pain as she was yanked by her hair. Her neck was snapped back by the force and she found herself looking up into the angry face of a man she realised she knew.
It was the one who had sold the Doctor the flower in the marketplace.
It was the one who had dragged her though the streets, even though a small part of her brain was arguing that that wasn't something she wanted to do.
It was the one who had made her change into this ridiculous excuse for clothes.
Hasani.
"What are you doing?" he said, clearly confused. "You should be in your room. Why are you awake?"
He spotted the discarded test tube on the floor and his eyes widened.
"What is that?" he asked, a mixture of shock and fury in his voice
Rose felt it was to her benefit not to answer.
He unceremoniously dragged her to her feet by her hair, and she gasped in pain, having no choice but to do what he wanted. Her hands flew up to where he was holding her and she grabbed at him, digging her nails in, trying to make him let go.
"What is it!" he asked again, ignoring the pain she was inflicting on his hand.
"Get off me!" she shouted, trying to kick him, but she found it difficult to get a co-ordinated strike in.
"Tell me what it is you wench," he hollered in her ear. "Or so help me I will allow you to live just long enough to regret ever crossing me!"
"Oi!"
Rose didn't know if she'd ever been so glad to hear anyone's voice in her life. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the Doctor swing a punch straight at Hasani's face. The man immediately dropped her hair, clutching at his nose and falling to the floor. The Doctor's arms grabbed her round the waist to help her steady herself.
"You've got to admire my timing," he said as he looked at her with a grin.
"Yeah," Rose nodded, one hand rubbing her sore head, her gaze fixed on Hasani, who was struggling to his feet. She escaped from the Doctor's supportive grip just enough to step forward and kick the prone man in the stomach as hard as she could. The Doctor quickly scrambled to grab hold her, pulling her away to a safe distance. Safer for Hasani at least.
"Down girl," he muttered. "I think it's time Mr Hasani here learned to pick on someone his own size."
He turned to gesture to the four woman standing just feet away.
"Rose, I'd like to introduce you to Mayati, Masika, Nailah and Akila." He turned to address Hasani, who had seemingly decided that he was safer staying down on the floor. "Did you know that? Did you know the names of the women you kidnapped? Or did you know nothing beyond the fact that they had pretty faces?"
Hasani seemed to be frozen to the spot, genuine fear on his face at the Doctor's dangerously cheerful demeanour.
"I'll take your silence as a 'no', shall I?" the Doctor continued, his voice making him sound strangely pleased with himself. "Another thing that you probably didn't know about them then is that they were all trainees in the Royal Palace Guard. All hand to hand combat specialists."
The four women had very angry looks on their faces.
"And, just so you know, I explained to them all about what's been going on and I think they might want a word with you."
Hasani's face fell.
"Bye then! Come on, Rose," the Doctor said cheerfully, linking arms with his companion and leading her away.
As they reached the door, Rose glanced back to see Hasani's pleading form being obscured by the towering presence of four outraged women. For a moment, one of the women turned back and smiled at Rose with a grateful nod.
"Thank you."
Rose returned the smile.
"You're welcome."
"Now that is poetic justice," the Doctor said with a curt nod as the woman turned back to her kidnapper.
Rose grinned in return. "There is something strangely satisfying about it, yeah."
