Eep! G.C.S.E's .:runs and hides:. They scare me, Still, I always have my own world to dive into to forget out the pangs of reality... How EMO am I? .:g:. Anway, back to the point. Pure fluff, as always, I own almost nothing (Trin is mine, and most of the planet. And the alarm clock) as in, Rose and the Doctor are not mine etc. No infringement (I REALLY can't spell) intended and all that, yadda yadda yadda... Here's the chapter. Read and Review! Please?
A gust of dusty air blew into the TARDIS, stinging their eyes, whipping Rose's hair across her face in limp strands. Then the sound flooded in, the roar of a turbulent crowd, snatches of conversation, screams, wails, and the great bellowing of the street vendors. As the pair grew accustomed to the blaring light, they looked, bleary eyed, at the scene before them. The colours, the smells, the sounds all charged at them, jostling for attention.
Rose let go of the Doctor's arm, shifting closer to the entrance of the TARDIS. This was unbelievable. A jumble of square, short buildings squatted, side-by-side, greedily stealing each other's space as, Rose could only presume, customers haggled loudly with shopkeepers and each other. They zigzagged through pathways between the blocks, calling out to friendly passers-by and gesturing toward favourite shops. The shops themselves held amazing, strange, other worldly items, each stacked precariously on top of masses of old stock. The structures were angular, had squat shanty roofs, and had glistening lights pitted in each alcove. Little windows set into the alcoves showed screens, brightly coloured and humming. Small boards were stood next to items, with curious numbers and letters set onto more flat monitors. Rose stepped further onto the street, and didn't notice the dirt and dust on her bare feet. The Doctor held back, allowing Rose to glimpse another world. He always did this, but held onto her hand while he did so, letting her know she wasn't completely alone in these odd, alien places. Not this time, though. This time she had stepped out of the TARDIS on her own. Delved into the unknown headfirst.
The Doctor grinned, and strode to her side, gently bumping his shoulder against hers deliberately. She looked up at him distractedly; reflecting his smile, wonder filling her eyes. He never grew bored of Rose's reactions to the new and wonderful. Never. They took his breath away, and left him to gaze at her face in similar awe.
She broke their eye contact to drink in more of their surroundings. She noticed the people now, some human, some crossbred, and others completely random and fantastically strange. A couple walked past, their legs bent backwards like a horse's, hooves hitting the ground, yet the upper body was human, except for the sweep of the brow. Their eyes were thin and long, stretching towards the ears, and the brow was heavy, like they were constantly frowning. However, they both chattered happily as they passed, showing no signs of anger.
'Yea', I says to 'im, yoo can't jist pay wit yoo're ticket. It don't work atta way, but 'e jist…' The voice faded as they walked on, leaving Rose staring after them.
'Quadder's finest! Come buy some genuine Quadder stones, only 5 seltens apiece. Most handy around the home, I assure you. Now, who'll buy some genuine Quadder stones?'
A spindly man, wedged between his shop and the bulk of another leered at Rose, and winked with his one good eye. His other was milky and pale. He seemed human, except when he turned around to argue with a different alien, his long curled tail fell to the floor, its green scales glinting in the afternoon sun. Rose glanced up at the sky, still blue, but filled with two suns, instead of Earth's one. She looked to the Doctor who was watching her intently, and he pointed to the larger of the two suns.
'That one, if I'm very much mistaken, is Caaprious, brother star of Protiuos…' He shifted closer to her and pointed to the other. He smirked at Rose. He knew she didn't want to learn about astronomy when she had a whole other city to investigate. The sheer size and sounds of the market weighed heavy upon Rose, and she took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. The smell of dust, some kind of roasting meat, and sweat made her grimace, and she sniffed, trying to stop herself from sneezing. The clamouring clank of cooking pots, the yammer of the hagglers, and the overall roar of the place did nothing to steady her, but she grew used to it.
She felt somewhat out of place in this bustling city, especially in her sleepwear, and she tugged nervously at her tank top, squinting through the haze. All kinds of life, bizarre, beautiful and most of all colourful, swam in front of her eyes. She caught sight of what looked-like a fish person, somewhere between mermaid and shark, as she swept past, and the distinct salty fragrance of the sea washed over them both.
'Fancy some chips?' Rose grinned wickedly up at the Doctor, who in turn snickered and tapped her nose.
'Enough cheek from you, Miss Tyler. But speaking of food…' He dug deep in a pocket of his long coat, his brow creased in concentration. Finding nothing, he began to tap himself down, rummaging through the material. Rose turned to watch him, and within moments he pulled out a tiny, flat, container. The squared corners fit into his palm, and he took Rose's hand in his, leading it face up until it covered the rectangular hole at the base of the container. The Doctor pushed the two sides together, and the square clicked. A small light green chip of what looked like plastic fell into Rose's hand, and she gasped. She examined the chip, and squinted at the wording on the edge of the tiny object.
'… 200 seltans? How much is that in real, erm… English money?' Rose corrected herself, as she was sure she'd receive a lecture about the big headedness of her kind.
'Ohh…'bout…' He paused. He wasn't sure how to put this. '…Three thousand quid.' He winked at her, and grinned. She hit him affectionately, and he wrinkled his nose.
'Fine, about 20 quid.' He rubbed his arm as he began walking towards a stall, the square 'wallet' still in his hand.
'C'mon Rose.'
Rose shrugged and followed, the minuscule money safely between her palm and her fingers. The Doctor strode up to a lime green booth, its canvas awning flapping in the breeze, and began examining what Rose could only identify as a menu. The same brightly coloured screens were spaced along the metal front of the stand, and images of foreign food flashed backwards and forwards across it. The Doctor's eyes were darting left and right, obviously reading the text. Rose shuffled next to him, and gently prodded his shoulder. He obliged and moved up, so she could view the menu too.
'Doctor?' She whispered, eying the customers at other alcoves like theirs.
'Hmm?' He didn't look up.
'Wha's a… tangenian delp fruit? An' why's it 'smothered in cha-su sauce'?' Rose pronounced each alien word very badly, but the Doctor eventually understood what she was talking about. He hitched an eyebrow at the price, and chuckled.
'You'll find out, but not here. They're taking us for a ride.' He gestured to the booth, and reached out a hand to Rose. He wiggled his fingers, and Rose slipped her hand into his.
'Ridiculously over priced! ' He continued, noting her puzzled expression. 'Come with me. I know where to get proper food.'
As always, when visiting a strange alien world, Rose felt completely lost and sometimes alone. The Doctor helped her understand new things that would never have occurred to her, and more and more, she was beginning to appreciate how intricate and detailed his knowledge of alien cultures was. She wondered as they strolled past hundreds of shops, how long he had been travelling. He must have seen so much, done so much… Known so many people…loved so many people.
She unconsciously squeezed his hand tighter, and the Doctor looked down at his companion, shocked to see her eyes unusually moist. They glinted in the light, and he stroked her thumb with his. Sometimes she would be so far away from him. He knew she wasn't thinking about where they were, she was thinking about something else. He could always tell when she was having troubling thoughts, and more than once he had stood in the doorway of her room. He would hear her cry out in her sleep, and knew what she was dreaming of. He had the same dreams.
She blinked. She hadn't realised they had walked so far. The fancy-looking booths had turned into squat stands again, but filled with oddly shaped fruits and vegetables. Great stacks of silver crates were crammed together, built up on top of one another. The Doctor had stopped looking where they were going long ago. He was letting Rose guide them now, hoping it would bring her back to the present. She blinked again. They had stopped.
To her left she saw a light blue building, small and short, with a flashing screen full of alien lettering. Slowly, she edged closer, and eventually the words began to form understanding at the back of her mind. Strange shaped figures curled into numbers, flickering until the screen read 'Organic Delp Fruit: From Rocta and Tangenia.' She gasped. Tangenian Delp Fruit! She glanced at the crates and paused in surprise. Waxy, long pods, slightly purple around the stalk and seam, were glistening back at her. They were mossy green, and looked quite heavy, about the size of her lower arm. They gave off a unique flavour, somewhere between dense plant sap and the light summery smell of peas. She cautiously reached out a hand and prodded one. The Doctor chuckled and pointed to a harassed looking woman behind the crates, who eyed Rose suspiciously.
'Oh, erm…' She glanced at the Doctor quickly, who nodded, still smirking, and added, 'One tangenian delp fruit, please.' She grinned at the woman.
'That'll be…' She looked at Rose carefully, then said,'10 seltans.' The Doctor clamped a hand over Rose's as she went to give the money to the shopkeeper, his brow creased.
'Hang on.' He murmured, and turned to the lady. She was smiling sickeningly at him, through her red hair. It was pulled back with a green headscarf, and she appeared to be human, except for her distinctly coloured eyes. They were purple, and seemed to looking the Doctor over with an impressed eye. Rose felt her skin crawl, and she didn't realise as she tightened her hand around his. She supposed the woman was in her late twenties, but she couldn't be sure. Rose didn't like the way she was looking at the Doctor, and that was enough for her to be guarded against her.
'Did you say ten? For a delp? Nah, you must be kidding. We're not tourists, so you can sell it to us for the real price or not at all.' He ducked his head to Rose and winked when the shopkeeper turned pale pink.
She coughed a little, her smile wavering, but it was soon replaced by a pout. 'Well, you do drive a hard bargain, but…since my master ain't around, I'll sell it for…six seltans.' She giggled cheekily, and made the mistake of looking at Rose. She was staring darkly back at her.
'What do you say to five?' He grinned at the woman, and Rose's stomach constricted.
I'm not jealous… I'm not; I'm not; I'm-
'Fine… A handsome guy like you, how can I say no?' She handed over the delp, and got them some change. Meanwhile, Rose almost wretched. It felt like someone had punched her in the belly. She couldn't breathe. Was he flirting with her?
Little slut…
'The name's Trin by the way.' She called over her shoulder, and she turned around to hand over the multicoloured chips to the Doctor. 'And here you go, Mr…?'
'Just the Doctor. Oh, and this is Rose.' He indicated to Rose as if he had forgotten about her, and took the delp from Trin. She didn't even glance her way; she was still staring intensely at the Doctor.
'You'll be one of those Inspectors then?' She inquired; blinking her eyes in what she obviously thought was a flirtatious manner.
The Doctor paused, just for a moment, the said; 'Yeah, that's right. Just taking a break, you know, work, work, work.' He leaned forwards, effectively blocking Rose from the conversation.
'Well, must be so stressful. What with the rebellion and all. Got your work cut out for you.' She leaned against a crate, fingering a lock of hair that had fallen out of the head scarf.
'Oh, yeah, the Rebellion. Terrible, don't you think?'
'Terrible?' She seemed to be about to say something, then stopped.
'Are you sure you're an Inspector? Where's your badge? Where's your markings?'
The Doctor stared at her, the words dying in his throat. Then he seemed to jump to life, and scrambled in his pocket. He produced a scrape of paper in a plastic wallet, and thrust it at her, his thumb ever so slightly over his 'first name'.
She blinked and peered closer, but her wiped it away again.
'I see. In that case, sorry to have asked, it's just you look at bit… strange. Where are your markings?'
'My what?'
'On your skin. They have… markings. A burning sphere. Where is it? It's usually on the throat…' She gazed at his collar, and gestured to her own neck.
'Oh, my markings. They're, erm, on my back. Something of a mix up back at the…'
'Institute?'
'Institute, yes.' He nodded, and the doubt that had been clouding the woman's face evaporated.
'Well, nice to meet you Doctor… I'm sorry, I didn't catch your first name…'
'Just call me the Doctor.' He grinned, and winked at her. She blushed again.1
'Doctor. I hope we meet again soon.'
Rose just stood thee, feeling stupid as the two said their goodbyes. He walked back to the square and sat down on one of the carved benches, smiling to himself. He didn't even check she was following. She felt her anger well up within her, but quelled it. She shouldn't be getting jealous…She was just the Doctor's friend. Nothing else.
That stung, and Rose wiped her eyes with the back of a hand as she went to sit next to him.
The paved square was free of booths, but had blankets laid out on the ground around the edges, and crafts men and women sat, gesturing to their wares at passers by. Some were even approaching customers and pressing their belongings on them, demanding money. Rose dodged such a man and sat down next to the Doctor with a gusty sigh.
'Makin' friends with the locals then?' The question was supposed to come out casual, but the edge of it sang with bitterness. It caused the Doctor to look up from his work. He had been trying to break into the pod with his sonic screwdriver, but no setting seemed to work. The dull buzz of the machine and its flickering blue light distracted her for a second, but she caught the Doctor's frowning face and had the decency to blush.
'Wat I meant is…well done. Nice hagglin'.' She smiled, but it was false. She hoped the Doctor didn't notice. Apparently he didn't, as he mirrored her own smile with a huge grin of his own.
'Oh yeah, master haggler me. Now, if I could just get this open…' A faint whirr later, a dark crack appeared on the surface of the fruit, and the Doctor attacked it with child-like glee. Rose smirked for real this time as orange juice dribbled down the side of the waxy fruit and stained the Doctor's coat. He didn't seem to mind as he snapped the pod in half, giving the bigger piece to Rose. She examined the inside, apprehension creeping in.
A brilliant orange glow erupted from the juicy flesh of the fruit, and Rose gasped in delight. A delicious smell, fresh and sweet, emitted from it, and she hesitantly stuck her finger in the golden goo. She cautiously licked the syrup like substance, then her eyes lit up, and she sucked the whole lot off her finger. It was heavenly. Her eyes fluttered closed and she grinned.
'Now, that is gorgeous.' She breathed, eyes still closed.
The Doctor had been watching all this time, enjoying her reaction. Her saw her childish happiness, and the familiar twinge of affection built in his chest.
She's a little bit perfect…He thought to himself, as he watched those eyes close. He grimaced when he thought of that shopkeeper, Trin, but he had learned from experience you keep your caterers on your good side if you wanted quality. And apparently Trin had delivered. The only reason he had flirted back was so Rose would get the best delp in the market. It was worth it just to see this, her enjoyment.
Rose on the other hand, really was in heaven. Sugary, syrupy goo filled her mouth. It tasted like summer should, like hot suns and distant shores. Like light would taste, if you could take carve a piece of the sun and dip it in honey. Oh, it was wonderful. She hummed quietly, toes curling, and swallowed. It felt like cream and sunshine pouring down her throat, and she licked her lips.
She opened her eyes and met the Doctor's brown ones, amusement crinkling the corners. She blushed again, and busied herself with scooping another fingerful, her cheeks suddenly hot. Why was he watching her?
'Like it?' He chuckled and ate some himself. Now it was his turn to grin. Rose peered through her golden curtain to see the Doctor slurp the stuff off his hand and smothered a giggle at his response. She raised a hand to brush a few strands of brown hair from his face, but stopped herself. She snatched her hand back.
What am I thinking…?
She gazed at his face, and smiled softly. He swallowed, and his mouth hung open for a moment, tasting the air without realising. He too sighed, and opened his eyes. He beamed at her, but couldn't hide the faint pink shade to his cheeks.
He's blushing!
'Oh, that was really…' He met her eyes. 'Fantastic!' A flicker of her old Doctor made her heart beat faster. She dropped her eyes and plunged one more finger into the fruit, the sticky juice running off her hand. She tried to trace it with her tongue, not noticing he was still watching her. She stopped and looked up at him, her tongue stuck out licking her arm, her hand in the air. She knew she looked ridiculous.
She burst into laughter at the exact same time he did, and they chortled for some time, both lost to the helpless giggles within them. They erupted into fits of hysteria once more, when Rose flicked some juice at him, but missed and hit an innocent passer by. The stranger stared at them with shocked resentment, and they gave up trying to hide their laughter. They were lost for a good five minutes after that.
But Rose's mind kept going back to that split second right before he had started laughing… There was something… Something different in his eyes. Right when she had caught him looking. Something she could almost identify. Something she never expected to see in his eyes, not when he was looking at her. Awe... and something deeper.
The Doctor was also thinking, about that second Rose's eyes had flickered shut, that image was burned to his eyes, and he couldn't shake it from his mind. And… he didn't want to. She looked so vulnerable, so pure. It awoke feelings in him he shouldn't have, feelings he had thought had died in him a long time ago. Apparently, they hadn't...
They eventually finished laughing, ate the rest of their fruit, both waiting for the other to look away before watching them, and discarded the empty pods into what Rose could only think was a bin of some kind. It flipped from the ground and swallowed the pods whole, then disappeared again.
'Hands out, Rose.' The Doctor came to stand directly in front of her, taking her left hand in his, he flicked a switch on his sonic screwdriver, and the blue bulb warbled gently. Cyan light filled her palm, and she raised her eyebrows in surprise. The faintly sticky juice melted away as the screwdriver hovered above the stains on her skin.
He fingers were soft against the back of hers, and she could almost feel his pounding pulse in his wrist. He cleaned her other hand and slid the screwdriver back into his coat.
'Come on Rose, we're not finished yet. More to see, and more to do!' He wrinkled his nose when Rose asked what next.
'Let's see, shall we?'
Rose though it was about then that things started to go wrong. Very wrong. And it started with a single word…
Bargain.
Reviewers!
BelleEve: My first reviewer! .:dedicates:. 'Yeah, well yeh didn't have to scream. That was jus' cruel!' Jack luff! Yeah, I did see that with John Barrowman and How Do You Solve A Problem Life Maria! And Aifea(?) had him by the throat! Oh, and Connioe wasted NO time, did she? Just stuck right in there... (is teh way jealous) He's going to be the leading male role in the Sound Of Music? Wooop! Veeeeerry good casting...
Okay, I'll try and stop doing the whole capital letters thing when people talk. I haven't checked this chapter (is lazy) but I'll check the others, I promise.
Doc:- Thank you! .:hugs:. I'm glad you liked their relationship - By the way, I might do a little epilogue at the end of this fic where the Doctor and Rose go out in their sleep wear to another planet - chaos ensues etc. What do you think?
Thursday Next :- Nah, it's too easy if it was finished! I mean, I like little fics like that, but I have a big plot tucked somewhere away in my brain. The only problem is finding it...lol
Opal Fruits:- Yeah, Rose's accent can be off putting, but I'm going to keep it in, cause it just lets you know it's Rose talking. She has a way of talking and of putting things that I think is key to the relationship she has with the Doctor, and I need it in for another chapter.
MYBIGBLUEBOX:- Glad to hear your compi is all better, and back with you, lol. I hate these exams! They're killing me, I swear they are. Listen, I barely have time to put up some of my work, and I know I said I'd beta for you, but I really don't have any time left. Plus, I've never watched CSI, so I don't think I'd be very good at it. I'm really sorry for not getting back to you, my computer kinda flipped out. I hope your not too mad at me:.hugs:.
biggreenflyingbox:- Well, at the moment, it's a choice between doing my english coursework and writing fanfiction. While I'm ill, so bare in mind, fanfiction is usually better when I'm ill, not so for my coursework, lol. So fanfiction it is!
rabid-x-llamas:- Well, if you like this, you'll like the other episode long fics I'll be writing when I've finished writing this. Oh, and there'll be a couple of one-shots comng up soon (maybe even this weekend, it depends) so check out my profile for more info!
one of the riddles:- Thank you! Glad you like it!
leox5000:- .:hugs:. Don't worry about it, I have a distraction for you! points upwards Oh, and you could watch series 2 (and one, cause Chris Eccleston is just brilliant) and try to find out where this fic comes from (hint: Look out for Bazulium!) Okay, I;ve given it away now.. Oh well...
READ AND REVIEW!
