Title: Two's Company
Author: xxasktheangels/avoria
Short Summary: There comes a time when you have to accept the way you feel. For the Doctor, this might be sooner rather than later. On a unique planet, there's an adventure that he will always remember, but never quite forgive. NineRose.
Long Summary: The TARDIS knows best, as they say. When she lands the two time travellers on a planet few have been to before, the Doctor can but wonder if it is all together safe. When the locals start showing a particular interest in his Rose, he learns very quickly how far he would go to save her and how much he is willing to fight to get her back.
Characters: Ninth Doctor, Rose Tyler. A few Originals, but bleargh, what story hasn't?
Disclaimer: I own my muse. And my laptop. That's about it. I don't think I even own Christopher's voice in my head while I write the Ninth Doctor, because I'm sure it's trademarked somewhere. He is his own person, I believe. Damn him.
Story rating: The whole thing, so far, is a T. That might change. In fact, knowing me and my current mood on Rose and Nine, it may well do.
Warnings: This is unbetad. That doesn't mean I just write it and post it up, it just means that I'm the one who trawls through it about three times after I've written it, going through with a fine-toothed comb. The worst you'll find is a minor spelling error, where my spell-checker hasn't brought it up. Hurrah for self-editing!
Genre: Romance, Action/Adventure, Mystery, Supernatural, Angst, Sci-Fi.
Spoilers: None, so far as I know, but that may well change. I will warn prior to the chapter if that happens.
Author's Note: Well, I'm still writing Partners In Time, but felt like some Nine/Rose stuff in the meantime. This is by no means a big project, more what I'd call a short story. I was trawling through FF, various communities on livejournal, teaspoon... and I couldn't find anything that matched exactly what I wanted to read. So I wrote it. Sort of.
Dedications: This story is dedicated to two people. First, to LunaLovegood5, who used to be mad on TenRose, but then /cough/ got converted. So I've written some Nine stuff with what she might like in mind, too. Then there's Lillibetm3, who writes the most beautiful NineRose relationship I have ever read. We both love the Nine, I believe. So, there you have it, sentiments over with now.
Chapter One – Bad Man in the Sky
"Right – any ideas?"
The Doctor was smirking at her over the central column of the TARDIS controls. She returned a happy smile, then gazed up to the ceiling in thought.
"How about... somewhere pretty?"
He made a face like a four year old who had been forced to eat brussel sprouts.
"No?" Rose giggled.
"Pretty?" he scoffed, slender fingers drumming heavily on the controls. "You can do better than pretty."
She nodded, furthered her thought on his instruction. The Doctor didn't press, simply stood there and waiting for his orders. Time was when he would have to just make up where they headed, find somewhere he thought would please her. He was almost always right. Now, of course, he wanted to give her the choice, wanted to satisfy her hunger. The universe was his piano, and he the pianist. Rose was the one who gave him his music now, and if she was lucky, he might even sing for her, too.
"Come on," he pushed eventually after she had been silent for too long. She shot him a look.
"I'm thinking," she half snapped.
The Doctor grinned. "Bet that hurts."
He ducked out of the way of the bolt she threw at him, making a mental note to longer leave around bits and pieces that she could hurl at him whenever she felt like it. Come to think of it, she had once berated him on leaving his mess all over the place after he'd had a go at fixing the TARDIS. He lost either way, it would seem.
"All right. How about somewhere inspiring?"
"Inspiring..." he murmured, folding him arms thoughtfully. "Inspiring for what? To write? Dance? Sing? Laugh? You have to be more specific, Rose, otherwise we'll end up at some sort of crummy arts festival."
It was her turn to pull a face. "Fine then, clever clogs, what have you got?"
He had been waiting for her to ask ever since he wondered if she'd wanted to choose the next place. His face lit up and he darted around to her, eyes wide with excitement.
"Somewhere beautiful," he told her, his smile never fading while he spilled out the place he had been imagining. "Somewhere that no one's heard of, that no one's ever been to before. A new experience, for both of us. Somewhere with lights and laughter and adventure that sits on the tip of your tongue. Oh yes, somewhere that enthrals the senses and takes them to extremes. Somewhere on the edge of a burning star that's just about to fade. Somewhere that almost has magic, in the sky, in the atmosphere. Somewhere that'll whisk you off your feet and hold you upside down, spinning you 'round 'til you can't tell what's up, down, side to side, or anywhere, anything, ever again." He paused a moment, his eyes glittering. "How's that sound to you?"
Rose considered it, biting down on her bottom lip. It was almost as though she were afraid to accept. The Doctor teetered on her bated breath, looking at her intently. He had never told her before of how he sometimes picked places to go, putting in specifications into the systems and letting his ship do the work.
Her mind had drawn a total and utter blank when he'd asked, save for five words. And she couldn't exactly go saying those, could she?
Somewhere to fall in love.
She didn't know why she thought them, not really, or why they were the first thing she thought of.
So, instead, she nodded and smiled.
"Sounds great, Doctor."
He, however, looked crestfallen. "You don't like it!" he whined, frown fluttering over his brow.
"What? Course I do."
"Rose, 'great' isn't a term women use when they like something. By saying 'great', you may as well say, 'You've failed; go hang yourself immediately'."
She arched an eyebrow, ignoring the temptation to fold her arms. "Oh, and you're such an expert on women?"
"Sort of, yeah," he shrugged modestly, turning slightly and wandering back around the controls.
"Come off it," Rose teased disbelievingly. "You've probably never had a date in your life."
"Have too," he shot back, casting her a cursory glance.
Rose snorted. "Ladies and gentlemen," she said to no one in particular, sweeping her hands to her side. "The Doctor does dancing."
He met her eye then, despite something inside his stomach warning him not to. "You have no idea," he murmured softly, but not so softly that she could not hear.
Her eyes widened, but he ignored it and looked down the controls again. He began tapping in the coordinates he'd set, hoping his TARDIS would deliver, as she usually did.
"So..." Rose coughed uncertainly. He didn't look up. "Expert, then, yeah?"
The Doctor had to hide a grin, then. She didn't want to let it go? All right then, cards dealt. He absently stroked a hand across the surface while he thought.
"Yup," he grinned cockily, looking up again. "Make women fall at my feet, I do. Or I could. It's my job to know these things, y'know. Just what makes you tick. And then some. Course, everyone's different, and there's always something new to learn along the way, some sort of tweak to be made to my calculations, some sort of surprise. But generally, yeah – expert in every field."
She cast him a sceptical look. "Right, and I'm supposed to believe you because...?"
He drummed his fingers loudly on the console and raised his eyebrows. "Why d'you think I spend so much time on the TARDIS? She's a woman too, y'know."
Rose gaped. She opened her mouth to say something, then blushed and closed it again, looking to the floor. The Doctor smirked, but hid it when she looked back to him again. Her blush was still there, as raw as a graze as she opened her mouth again.
Then she noticed his fingers had stilled and he was very nearly shaking with laughter. Her embarrassment turned to admonishment and she jabbed a finger in his direction.
"You're so... full of it!" she cried, almost angry, but not quite. He had played her because she had made it so easy for him, after all.
The Doctor shrugged. "Had you going, though, didn't I?"
"Least I know you was only kidding," she answered off handedly, gaze flicking to the floor. "Knew you didn't look the type to know a thing about it."
He made to answer, then changed his mind. There was only so far he wanted to take this game, and enough was enough. Time to set about their new destination, he supposed. He had a good few ideas, pictures in mind of the place he wanted.
Or the person, he thought before he could stop himself, but thoughts like that were instantly quelled and he cleared his throat, stiffening his demeanour. Without even looking up, he stated quite simply, "Pack a bag."
Rose blinked at him, her humour having seeped away through the holes in the grille floor.
"...What?" she asked quietly.
The Doctor's head snapped up almost immediately and he smiled to her fondly. "Oh, Rose, you daft thing. I mean pack a bag for where we're going. We might be there a while, and the TARDIS'll be inaccessible. She's a bit low on energy, will need to recharge herself." They watched each other for a moment and he softened his voice, looking at her pointedly. "You worry far too much about that sort of thing, Rose. And you needn't."
She gave a small nod and a shy smile, before turning and disappearing into the corridor.
Suddenly paling at the memory of the size of the bags she came back with from her mum's, the Doctor called out desperately behind her, "Pack a small bag!"
If she heard, she ignored him.
xx
They stood in the open doorway of the TARDIS, gazing out onto the world she had brought them to. It was all the Doctor had said it would be, though he had no doubt otherwise. Grass shimmered in the blue breeze, each blade changing different shades of purple as it moved. In the distance, but close enough to hear, was the definite sound of waves rolling up a shore. Sky-blue dragonflies flitted around in the sky, darting and hovering, darting and hovering.
Rose was spellbound, the cool wind tickling her face and leaving droplets of moisture on her cheeks. This was obviously a place of nature, as tall trees were dotted around the place, their thick trunks knotted with wisdom, their fiery leaves and branches intertwined with each other. She gaped upwards, watching in awe as they grew. She could actually see them growing, tangling up with their neighbours and spreading, a strange mist floating off into a green sky.
"This... is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen," she breathed in amazement, not sure what to drink in first.
The Doctor turned his head, looking to his Rose. She was framed between two particularly strong tree trunks, light from a rising sun spreading a golden aura around her, almost casting her into shadow.
He smiled to himself, then answered. "You don't say."
He locked up the TARDIS door behind them, then dangled the key in front of her. "These won't be useful to us until she's fully recharged. Just so you know."
She gave him a playful smile. "So what if we run unto trouble and have to dash back here?"
"Nah, wouldn't happen. This place is full of peace. There's no one here who'd want to chase us."
She hmphed as they began to walk over the grass, which sank slightly beneath her footsteps. "Yeah, and look what happened the last time you said that."
"Well, that was different. I half-knew they might get hostile."
Rose turned, gaping at him. "So you knew they might come after me like that?"
"That isn't what I said," the Doctor countered quickly, keeping his eyes on his feet. "How was I s'posed to know they'd go mad for the stuff in your hair?"
"It's the last time I ever used that eucalyptus shampoo," Rose grumbled.
"I know."
He was secretly rather sad about that, and it wasn't entirely truthful to say he hadn't known they would want to devour the scent in her hair. He had known what scent it was. Another part of him had known the little tykes loved it. He just hadn't connected the dots.
Of course, telling Rose that he could guess her shampoo just from smelling it when he hugged her wasn't an option, so he kept quiet.
The two of them walked on in silence for a moment, Rose enjoying the colours that bathed them, the Doctor lost in thought. They hit the edge of the grass onto a dusty path, rounded houses dotted around that wavered like mirages in the desert. They looked liked huts more than houses, consisting of only one floor and a couple of windows. They were also not much taller than the Doctor.
Rose looked around them uncertainly, squinting into the bright light. He looked at her amusedly.
"Lost something?"
She turned back to him, shielding the sun from her eyes. "No, I was just... So, you haven't been here before?"
"Nope."
"And – there's nothing, sorta, wrong?"
He shook his head. "No."
"So..."
She glanced down to the floor again, shrugging the rucksack further onto her shoulder.
"Spit it out, Rose," the Doctor advised, folding his arms. She would have, except, she wasn't entirely sure what to say. He managed to worm out of her, eventually, that she was wondering what they were going to do. Truthfully, he had no idea. He had never come to this place before, didn't know its name, its cultures, its inhabitants. He trusted there was peace here, because he had asked for it. It didn't mean there wasn't the tiniest chance that they would end up running for their lives, though.
They didn't have long to speculate, either. One of the doors on the houses crept open and a small pixie-like alien, dressed in white robes, hopped out excitedly.
"Oh! There are guests!" He bounded out with a smile on his face, rows of tiny, sharp teeth in a supposing welcoming gesture. His voice, high and hurried, was difficult to make out, and he darted around the couple so fast that all Rose saw was a blur. "A man. And a woman. They come from far away. Must bring gifts. Do they come for the ball? Onro says they do. Onro says they come for the night and that we must show them the way. Come, come."
The little fellow stepped between a bemused Doctor and Rose, reaching up to take their hands and drag them towards the house. The Doctor seemed reluctant, and with it, Rose grew slightly worried. The pixie-alien turned sharply to look at them, pointed ears flapping with his speed. His beady, black eyes considered them for a moment, before he smiled again.
"You are guests," he chirped, his voice quick. "You must come. Time for the banquet; master and his fellows are all happy. Guests are welcomed, you have to come. Onro says the bad man in the sky will be angry, he will think, and then..." His eyes widened fearfully, a glimmer of gold suddenly flecking them. "Then we will be punished. Please, you must come. With me, now." He tugged at their hands.
The two exchanged a look and, with it, a silent conversation.
The Doctor gave in eventually, then looked down to the critter. "What's your name?" he asked gruffly, then felt Rose elbow him in the side. He shot her an incredulous look. Oh, God, she liked the little thing, didn't she? She thought he was – he inwardly shuddered at the word – cute. So be it. He turned back again, forcing a smile into his voice. "Please."
The creature grinned wickedly, mischief evident in his ways. "Onro says angry man does not like it here. He will change his mind when the pretty woman proves him wrong."
He blinked, incredulous, and turned to Rose. "Did you hear what he just said?" he exclaimed.
Rose smirked, then eyed the leathery, patterned alien. "Yeah. I think he's sweet."
"You would," the Doctor scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Listen," he address the... whatever it was. "I'm the Doctor. This is Rose. Rose Tyler. We don't, er, intend to stay for very long, so thanks for the invite, but – "
The alien's eyes bulged and he dropped their hands, shrieking at the top of his voice as he began to bounce up and down. "It is he! It is the one with a title, the one who does not dwell! He leaves destruction, the angry man, he will die and we will live. The dark man in the sky shall be overthrown. Master must be told. Master will love of the angry man and the woman he brings." He paused a moment, considering Rose. "Such a pretty woman," he purred sickly.
Rose felt herself shiver, and it wasn't with cold.
"That," the Doctor said decisively, stepping between Rose and their new friend, "is quite enough of that." He looked down with a thin mouth. "I think we'll be on our way, ta, somewhere else."
"Else?" the alien cried, shocked and angry. "Else! The angry man thinks there as an else? There is here or nowhere! There is here or out there, with the wilderness and battlefields. We are safe here. Magic holds us safe, keeps us away from Them. But there is no else. There is here and there is death. Oh, but, ho-ho... angry man wants death. The angry man lives on death, on killing. He pretends he doesn't, but he does. He likes the laughter in his eyes, he likes the screams of those in pain. He killed all his own, just so he could hear them cry, and now he will kill the pretty woman, because he wants to hear her scream..."
Enough was enough.
Rose darted around and stood in front of the Doctor, looking up into his eyes desperately. He was shaking with anger, his shoulders tense, his hands balled into such tight fists his knuckles were turning white. His face had lost its focus and she could see, standing there, that he had completely lost himself. She had intervened to break the contact, because he seemed to be somewhere near an edge.
Taking matters into her own hands, she whirled around and knelt down, levelling herself with the creature.
"Look," she said tersely, using things the Doctor had told her in the past to avoid an unpleasant situation. "Go back to your house, yeah? We'll... we'll come in in a minute. Talk about this ball, or whatever. Okay?"
He nodded mutely, calmed a little again. "Onro likes the pretty lady," he said quietly, blinking and looking very much like he as all innocence. "Onro says the pretty lady will be honoured. She is welcome in the village. The angry man can stay outside."
"The Doctor stays with me," Rose shot back, in the sort of tone she had only heard him use. The alien looked a bit taken aback.
"But he is – "
"I mean it," she interrupted fiercely. "You want this ball thing, that's fine. But I don't go anywhere without him, so you're just gonna have to lump it, all right?"
She straightened without waiting for an answer, her hands on her hips and her lips pursed. He looked as though he might argue, but then sighed and darted back to the house, slamming it shut behind him. Rose let out a breath loudly through her mouth, then jumped to feel a hand on her shoulder. She turned to find the Doctor looking at her with a face as though blank as a slate.
"You didn't have to do that," he spoke quietly, dropping his hand.
Rose gave him a weak smile. "Think I sorta did. No one pushes my Doctor that far."
"It's not your job to protect me," he answered, giving her a look that was somewhere between regretful and thankful.
She wasn't sure what to say to that, a hundred different answers fluttering in her mind. Did that mean she'd overstepped some line, then? That she'd broken one of his unwritten rules?
When he gave her a gentle smile, she assumed not. Especially when he added, with the sincerest gratitude, "So thank you."
They smiled at each other for a moment or two, before Rose laughed through her nose and shook her head. "Don't think he's so cute anymore."
"First impressions can sometimes be a little off," the Doctor grinned, looking over her shoulder to the house. "This place is strange, Rose. I'm getting weird feelings off it.
She snorted.
"Couldn't have had those feelings before we locked up the TARDIS?"
"We can go back, if you want. I mean, it'll be a bit useless, 'cause she won't go anywhere. And there'll be no food. Or electricity. Or, oh, come to think of it, probably no oxygen, either. But I'd rather stay with her than with Chatterbox over there." He jutted his chin out towards the house.
"Yeah, 'cept," Rose smiled, turning to look at the house too, "there's mystery here, Doctor. He's weird and he's scared. I don't think there's something quite right about this place."
"It's alien," the Doctor reminder her carefully. "What's irregular to you and I may be normal here. And vice versa. You really want to risk that?"
She turned slowly again, meeting his eye. She took in a breath, watching him, and worded, very slowly, "You're alien."
He gave a tight nod. "Yup."
"I forget, sometimes," she laughed. "Because we're almost the same. You're so like me."
"Maybe you're like me," he answered wisely, smiling. "Maybe I've changed you, and you're no longer Rose Tyler, but... someone else."
She gave him a playful look. "The Nurse, then?"
The Doctor's smiled quivered on his face as he bit back his laughter. "The Doctor and the Nurse," he tested, humour in his voice. Their eyes met and they both chuckled. "I don't think that would go down so well. Sounds corny. 'Sides, you should keep your name. It's got this sound about it that makes you want to say it, over and over again."
She blinked at him, suddenly not finding things so funny any more. "It does?"
He hesitated a moment, watching her with wary eyes. Part of him was screaming expletives and insults at himself, telling him to turn and run very, very fast back to the TARDIS and delve into knowledge. Another part of him, not so much.
"Rose Tyler," he said slowly, his tongue and lips caressing every letter and syllable of her name. "Ro-se Ty-ler. Rose, Rose, Rose..."
She shivered, rubbing her hands on her arms and glancing away. Why was it that no one could say her name like he could?
The Doctor grinned, oblivious – or at the very least pretending to be oblivious – to the fact of just how caught in the air Rose felt.
"See?" he chirped brightly. "Fantastic name. Now then." He strode past her towards the house, like nothing had even happened. "S'pose, if you think there's something so wrong with this place, we should find out some more about it. Ladies first?"
"Coward," she teased, stepping over to him.
He raised his eyebrows. "Every time."
He leant against the wall of the mushroom-like house while Rose knocked tentatively on the wooden door. It swung open and the alien appeared, looking rather flustered.
"Thixx has made space for the guests. Onro says it is stupid that Thixx is the one who sees them fast. Master should appoint them, not Thixx. But the pretty lady is welcome, if she keeps the angry man at bay."
The Doctor poked his head around the corner. "No fear, I don't plan on leaving her alone in this place for one second."
Thixx eyed him suspiciously. "The angry man will have trouble here if he thinks too much." And for once, there was warning rather than maliciousness in his voice.
"Right then, Thixx..." Rose said somewhat uncertainly, clearing her throat. She stood to full height, feigning pride. "Lead the way."
The Doctor's pride, as he followed her into the house, was not feigned at all. His own little Rose was coming into herself. Maybe this place wouldn't be so bad after all.