Chapter 3

The TARDIS shook violently again. "Don't worry this'll only last a few minutes," the Doctor reassured Rose. She raised her eyebrows at him. "And don't give me that look, what d'you expect it to be over in a few seconds?"

"N-no," Rose replied, teeth chattering from the vibrations. "The f-force-f-field will definitely protect us, r-right?"

"Absolutely." The Doctor told her.

They sat there together in an awkward silence and then he said, "The shaking should steady when we've past through."

Rose nodded. She started to feel sick and made to undo the seatbelt. The Doctor rested his hand firmly on hers and shook his head at her. "You're safer here."

Rose sat back and took deep breaths trying to distract herself from the shaking.

Suddenly the TARDIS shook harder but then straight away subsided to being smooth. She felt relieved that it had stopped and then the Doctor said, "Don't get comfy we'll collide in less than a minute."

Rose counted to sixty seconds in her head. At forty-nine the TARDIS crashed so violently she would have been thrown to the other side of the TARDIS had she not had her seatbelt on.

The shaking stopped.

The Doctor undid his seatbelt and stood up. He said gravely, "We're here. You stay here whilst I check what's going on outside."

Rose unbuckled her seatbelt and stood up. She made to argue but he put his hand up to stop her. "I'll be alright," he said. "Just stay here and you'll be ok. I'll be gone only a little while."

Rose nodded reluctantly. The Doctor swung open one of the TARDIS doors and stepped outside leaving Rose alone.

The Doctor looked around cautiously when he'd stepped out. There was no one around and it was quiet. Too quiet. What he saw around him was just like plain savannah. He looked up and his eyes widened at what he saw. Hundreds of Daleks were in the air, patrolling smoothly as if on solid ground. So the war was over. The Thals and Kaleds had already mutated. They were all looking down at him. They must have heard the TARDIS he guessed. He really had to do something about the noise of it.

The Doctor faintly heard the cry of "Exterminate! EXTERMINATE!" and just as the lasers started shooting down at him, he jumped and rolled. He realised he had rolled miraculously behind a tree. It wasn't thick though, but it bought him enough time to fumble in his pocket and get out the TARDIS key. Kneeling down he turned slowly to see what was happening.

The Daleks were slowly lowering themselves to the ground surrounding the TARDIS. He got out his sonic screwdriver. It would frighten Rose but he had no choice.

He pressed its tiny button and the TARDIS started de-materialising. The Daleks were confused. No enemy could escape them.

The TARDIS started materialising again behind him. Key at the ready, when the engines had stopped, he jumped to the doors and unlocked it as fast as he could. He slammed the doors shut behind him.

Rose was standing by the control panel and looked as if she was about to have a panic attack. She was breathing heavily and her eyes looked like they were about to fill with tears. She ran at him and hugged him so tight she didn't want to let go.

"I thought were going to send me back again -" she said.

"I wouldn't do that to you again," he told her. "Last time you wanted to be with me so much again you were forced to open the TARDIS and I can't allow you to do that all over again. You nearly died before. But I'm glad I was given another chance to be with you as my trusty side-kick."

"Uh-huh," Rose said.

"What?" he asked, looking genuinely confused. "What have I said?"

"Nothing," Rose said quickly. "You didn't say anything. Erm, can I help at all?"

"Well I'm gonna try the communications again and see if it goes through but that's it at the moment."

The TV flickered on of it's own accord. The newsreader was back. "…And if the Doctor is getting this message they warn him to stay inside his TARDIS until a Time Lord has arrived. A punishment will be made for speeding in the Time Tunnels, the most likely life imprisonment or death. More after the weather."

"What are we gonna do?" Rose asked. "The communications are down."

"Tell me something I don't know." The Doctor snapped.

"Doctor -"

"Rose, I think it's time you give me some space for the moment."

Rose held her arms up in surrender. "Ok, I'll go. Call me when you need me. Everything will work out. It always does." She wasn't sure these words of reassurance would make a difference but she decided to go downstairs to do what the Doctor said.

She walked into the huge clothes room and sat down on a stool. Before she could stop herself tears ran down her face.