The Ordinary One Part Four

Notes: No one seems to have noticed, thank goodness, but the correct spelling for my alien friends is GAALS. I incorrectly spelt it Gals a few times, purely because to start with, it was spelt that way. Before I realised what it meant, and how unscary it was.

Tai: OH MY GOODNESS! It was deleted? NOOO! I LOVED that fic! You'll have to write the last one anyway and send it to me because otherwise I WILL pollinate you! Thank you so much for your exceedingly kind review! I'm so happy to have your support. And you actually made me realise that Stella had taken on a character all by herself! Usually my OCs can seem drastically plain and like everyone else's, but I've suddenly realised that she's completely taken on her own life! She is all those things: crazy, impulsive, no sense of danger, can't take a hint…and as far as the Doctor and Rose are concerned, she's a shipper through and through! Subtlety has no meaning to such as I, I will continue to ship to the extreme! Thank you for letting me see my own character's hidden depths! (big smiles) I'm so glad you think she fits in and works with the story…let's hope this gets turned into an episode, right? Then I could play Stella!

Crawdie: You're getting a tad carried away.

And that matters…why?

Tai, you made my day when I was ill! You have successfully avoided pollination!

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Ever since she knew what Rollerworld was, Stella knew she wanted to skate. Rushing along on a set of in-line wheels was, for her, one of the most exhilarating feelings in the world, second only to thrashing someone at swimming or pinball. When she wasn't in school or doing school related activities (ie, homework), she spent most of her time at the pool or whizzing round the neighbourhood on her skates. Stella was proud to admit to being the most irritating neighbour in history (according to Mrs Bates), having countless times run over cats, smashed into and broken fences, and even once caused a mild traffic accident.

But skating was a little different with three angry looking aliens on her tail. Porky, Skinny and Growly, as she'd affectionately nicknamed them, showed no signs of getting tired or giving up.

"This calls for something a little more drastic," she muttered to herself, having no one else available to talk to. Growly growled, his slender tail whipping the air as he ran after her. Stella saw her chance as a sharp corner loomed up ahead in the maze of boxes. Somehow managing to keep her balance, Stella purposefully slammed into the corner, dislodging about ten of the boxes.

"Yes!" she yelled triumphantly as the boxes successfully blocked the Gaal's path. Looking back for a second, Stella saw Porky and Skinny ripping their way through the boxes, whilst Growly had somehow managed to get caught up in clothes the same lurid green that Rose had held up earlier. He slammed to the ground, landed heavily on his head, and lay still.

"One down," breathed Stella, her legs beginning to ache. She realised she couldn't keep up this pace much longer. It was getting harder to breathe, a stitch in her side making her feel as though her ribs were on fire. Nevertheless, she continued to skate, yelling out occasionally to keep Porky and Skinny chasing her, and not after the Doctor and Rose.

"I hope you guys appreciate what I'm doing," growled Stella, as she realised with a sinking feeling that she didn't know her way back to the TARDIS.

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"I can't believe she did that," said Rose. Her and the Doctor were travelling downwards: in a lift to be more precise, having discovered the control room was on the very bottom of the basement floors. The Doctor had mentioned something about them travelling below the ground outside. Roe tried not to shiver. Heights she could do, but depths…made her feel slightly claustrophobic. "I mean, she barely knows us, can't possibly care that much about us, yet she still puts her life in danger for us." The Doctor sighed.

"I know what you're trying to do by the way," he said. "You're trying to make Stella look good so I'll forget all about her breaking into my ship."

"Well, can you blame her?" Rose shot back. "She gets brushed past by a Portian, knocked over by us, then turns around to see a police box—"

"OK, OK, you've made your point Rose," said the Doctor. "I forgive her already."

"Well good."

"It's not my fault she has no concept of danger," he added as the lift door opened. Rose muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "Hypocrite."

"So you're going to stop acting like a tyrannical fascist?" said Rose as they cautiously made their way out of the lift to find…you guessed it. More boxes.

"I'm not a fascist Rose, now shut up and follow me," replied the Doctor.

"Very funny," she said in a bored tone. "How come there are more boxes down here if this is the control room?"

"Guess they ran out of storage space upstairs," he said, shrugging.

"You're probably right. There're so many boxes up there—"

"Sssshh!" said the Doctor suddenly, placing a hand over her mouth. Rose resisted the urge to bite it hard; she could barely breathe. Still, it was an interesting position, and she didn't hate it. The Doctor pointed silently. They had walked out of the forest of boxes by now and had come to a small but gleaming room that Rose assumed was made out of blode. Surrounded by only two guards, Mahzart Klideog the Third was inspecting a shining piece of—Yes! thought Rose—gold jewellery. It looked suspiciously like something an Ancient Egyptian pharaoh would wear around their neck.

"The gold is of excellent quality," snarled Klideog. "You have done well Ponto." For the first time, Rose saw a small, weak looking Gaal crouched by Klideog's bare, and horrifically in need of a pedicure, feet.

"My thanks, Mahzart," hissed Ponto, rubbing his hands in glee.

"You may now leave my esteemed presence," growled Klideog, fixing Ponto with a cold glare. Rose raised an eyebrow. He had a serious ego problem.

"But Mahzart, what about my payment?" snivelled Ponto pathetically.

"As payment," drawled Klideog slowly. "You will be allowed to leave this warehousealive. Go. Immediately!" The Doctor pulled Rose out of sight as Ponto scurried past them into the lift. The Mahzart admired the gold necklace then placed it carefully to one side.

"What's the plan?" hissed Rose.

"We see, we take, we conquer," replied the Doctor cryptically.

"So what? We just run in there, grab the necklace, then run out again? That sounds stupid," she said doubtfully.

"We haven't got time for smart plans Rose," he pointed out. "Stella's only human, she's going to get tired. And once she does…she's sitting prey for the Gaals. I don't want to be held responsible for a fourteen year old's death." His eyes were stormy grey and troubled looking. Rose took his hand, stroking it gently with her thumb.

"Stella's a smart girl," she whispered. "Crazy, but smart." The Doctor looked at their entwined fingers, then hugged her.

"Let's do it," he said.

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She was alone.

Blood from her broken nose dripped onto her mum's pale blue fleece, staining it crimson. Her skates had been taken. She was tied up, in pain, and helpless.

Porky and Skinny had left her, having worked out that there was no where for her to go. They'd probably be with the Mahzart now.

She'd tripped. An untied shoelace, maybe a slight unevenness in the floor. Whatever the cause, she'd tripped, fallen on her face and been dragged away and bound by the Gaals.

Her head began to swim, the pain and bloodloss making her feel faint.

"Doctor!" she screamed.

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Durn durn DURN! Dramatic or what? What will become of our poor Stella now? Will the Doctor and Rose get the gold?

Crawdie: Will you cease and desist from asking stupid questions?

Does anyone even care? Find out next time in The Ordinary One!

REVIEW! REVIEW! I can see you looking at that button. Review I tell you, or be pollinated! And...whilst you're at it, add me to your Author Alert. And Favourite Stories. And Favourite Author. Tick all those pretty boxes, and make Eevee very happy!