AN: Once again, I apologize for the long wait. Nothing I wrote in this chapter seemed good enough. Even now, I have hesitations about posting this, but I thought everyone had waited long enough. Anyway, this chapter ended up containing some major Doctor/Rose hints, so I'm hoping people will enjoy that. Also, the first scene was my attempt at showing a bonding moment between Rose and Solaris. On that note, please read and enjoy, remembering that reviews are appreciated.
Out of thanks for their assistance in protecting Sebastiane during the ball, Ambassador Ection had provided the four friends with the mansion's finest guest rooms, each one with comfortable four poster beds and an amazing view of the mansion's flower gardens. Ambassador Ection had even sent his maids to bring them breakfast trays laden with various breads, cheeses, and fruit that morning. However, they had now returned to the TARDIS, and Jack and the Doctor had gone off to their own rooms to get ready for the Armistice Ball. Rose, who had remembered that Solaris was the only one in their group who didn't have her own room on the TARDIS, had invited the N'renyan into hers so they could get ready together.
In no time at all, Rose was going through some of the dresses the TARDIS had left out for her. Close by, Solaris was in the process of examining some accessories that had been arranged on the vanity table, which included an assortment of fans and necklaces.
"This is going to be fun, right Solaris?" Rose grinned at her friend. "An actual Paris-style ball. When we were kids, Shareen, Keisha and I used to fantasize about attending a ball in Paris."
"You fantasized about interacting with high class gimboids?" Solaris asked, turning one of the fans over in her hand.
"That's not fair," Rose turned to the N'renyan. "You don't even know the people who'll be there. You can't call them gimboids when you don't know anything about them."
"Well, I've met enough from their class to get a good idea of what they're like as a whole," Solaris replied flatly. "Remember that I'm an infamous thief on Baniru, Rose. You know how I reached that level? By figuring out how the people I stole from thought. When you think about it, being a good thief is almost like being an anthropologist. And I can tell you this from experience; that these rich folk usually have the same attitude about attending big events like this. That attitude is generally, 'this is the place to be because I am here, and if I am here, then this must be the place to be.' The rich and powerful are not a complex breed."
"I'm sure there are some exceptions," Rose reasoned.
"If you say so," Solaris shrugged. "Really, I'm mostly interested in sampling the food they bring out. Cream puffs, onion soup, stuffed eggplant, truffles in champagne, sponge cake; if the food's as good as those beds Ection gave us last night, I'm going to really enjoy tonight."
"Oh, yeah," Rose grinned. "I remember having to drag you out of that bed this morning."
"If you hadn't slept in an actual bed in fifteen years, Rose, you'd have to be dragged out of those beds, too," Solaris replied, the corners of her mouth twitching.
The TARDIS had been moved to Ambassador Ection's courtyard an hour before the Armistice Ball's guests were scheduled to arrive. It was now parked beneath a tall tree, across from the stone bench were the Doctor was waiting for his friends to join him. After a moment or two, Jack stepped out, revealing the black Victorian tailcoat he'd selected for the Armistice Ball. For a second, Jack paused upon seeing that the Doctor was not in his usual leather jacket. Instead, he was also dressed in a tailcoat similar to Jack's. To top things off, tucked under in his right arm was….
"Nice top hat, Doctor," Jack smirked, eyeing the hat in question.
"Did you find out what was keeping Rose and Solaris?" the Doctor asked, deciding not to acknowledge Jack's comment.
"Rose said they'd be right out, after they place a few more bobby pins in their hair. Apparently, it took her a while to talk Solaris out of going to the Armistice Ball barefoot, but they finally reached a compromise with pair of dressy sandals."
"So how long do these hoity-toity balls last, anyway?" Solaris asked as she suddenly appeared at their side, a discontented frown on her face. "I can't for the life of me understand how you're expected to move with all this frilly, lacey… poofyness in your way. I'd rather stick with my trousers and waistcoat; at least they're functional."
"Wow," Jack grinned like a Cheshire cat, looking the out-of-place thief up and down, taking in her white off-the-shoulder ball gown with mesh sleeves and golden embroidery framing the waist, hem, and neckline, as well as her neon blue hair that had been styled into ringlet curls. "Solaris, you clean up good."
"Yeah, thanks, Jack," Solaris replied, sounding disgruntled and mildly flattered at the same time. "I'd return the sentiment, but as you know, I really have no idea what you look like." For the second time, she started to fidget around with the ball gown she'd been given, visibly uncomfortable with the new wardrobe choice.
"I take it you're not enjoying this," the Doctor noted with a smile.
"Nope, can't say I am. Fancy parties and me don't mix too well. One of the reasons I made an effort to avoid them back home on Baniru. That, and the fact that there was too much risk of the Baniru elite recognizing me from the wanted posters."
"Well, I wouldn't worry about that here," Rose's voice spoke up from behind them. "I don't think you'd be on the most wanted list on this planet." As Rose spoke, her friends tuned to face her, allowing Jack and the Doctor to see her pink and white layered ball gown, complete with satin white gloves that went up to her elbows. Her blonde hair had also been styled up into an elegant bun.
Doing his best to act casual, the Doctor flashed Rose a brief smile before turning to Ambassador Ection's palace. That Christmas Eve night with Charles Dickens, the Gelth, and Rose in her red and black strapless dress seemed so long ago, he had nearly forgotten how much this 19 year old girl could look like a woman.
"Well, now that everyone's ready," he announced, secretly impressed with his own ability to keep the tremor out of his voice after seeing Rose in her ball gown, "I suppose we should go and join up with Sebastiane before the Armistice Ball begins. The sooner we're with her, the better we can keep her protected." Keeping his eyes straight ahead, the Doctor started leading the way back into Ambassador Ection's mansion, but as he walked back inside, he felt Rose take his hand. Instinctively, his fingers tightened around hers, and he cast a smile in her direction.
It didn't take long for the Armistice Ball to be in full swing. The multitudes of guests were gathered among the Grand Ballroom, which was lit by gigantic gold and crystal chandeliers, engaging in social dances on the glossy marble floor or enjoying the hors d'oeuvres that were being served from platters of the purest silver. At the moment, Sebastiane was currently among the young girls who were dancing with the male guests, under the close watch of the Doctor and Rose, who were both standing along the edge of the dance floor. Meanwhile, Jack and Solaris were doing their part by monitoring the ballroom for any uninvited guests who might be there to abduct Sebastiane.
After a while, one of the hostesses passed by, carrying a platter of hors d'oeuvres with a distinctive pale yellow color. With a smile, the Doctor selected one of them and sampled it.
"Fried banana," he announced, flashing Rose a giant grin.
"Bet you wish you always had someone serving you banana," Rose teased with an identical grin.
"Now Rose, where would we be if we always had people waiting on us?" the Doctor pretended to lecture. "After a while, the novelty would wear off, wouldn't it?"
"No chance of that happening with me, anyway," Rose shrugged. "I'm just a human from a council estate. You won't see me being waited on like this again."
"Well, then we'd better make this one time count," the Doctor grinned wider. "Stay here and watch Sebastiane; I think I saw a hostess with drinks nearby." Rose returned his smile and watched him head off before returning her attention to Sebastiane. A minute hadn't passed before she felt a hand on her shoulder. However, it wasn't the Doctor with their drinks like she was expecting, but a young Galaniyan boy.
"Might I have the pleasure, mademoiselle?" the young boy asked, holding out a hand to Rose. It only took a moment for Rose's surprise at the invitation to subside.
"Um…," Rose spoke slowly, searching the crowded dance floor for Sebastiane before finally spotting her close by. "Okay."
Moments after Rose had accepted the invitation to dance, the Doctor reappeared, carting two filled wine glasses. It only took him a few seconds to notice Rose beginning a waltz with the Galaniyan boy. Trying to appear nonchalant, he continued to keep an eye on Sebastiane. However, he kept the corner of his eye focused on Rose, never letting her out of his sight as she and the Galaniyan boy continued their dance.
"Something tells me you're the one who's not enjoying the ball now." The Doctor turned to Solaris, who had suddenly appeared next to him.
"It's alright," the Doctor commented, returning his attention to the dance floor to keep watch over Sebastiane.
"Could have fooled me," Solaris replied, a hint of a smile on her face. "Because right now, you seem to be brooding about something. The thing is, Doctor, I wasn't completely honest on N'ren. When I said I could only see the basic outlines of people, what I meant was I can see their life force. The thing about life forces is that they're directly affected by emotion, and right now, your life force is pulsating with a lot of negative emotions." The Doctor merely shrugged in response and continued to focus his attention on Sebastiane's location.
"On the other hand," Solaris continued, her smile now full-blown, "Rose seems to be enjoying herself quite a bit on that dance floor."
"Do you have a point to this?" the Doctor huffed, clearly not liking the fact that Solaris was blatantly pointing this out.
"Not at all, Banana Brain," Solaris grinned up at him cheekily. "If I wanted to say something direct, I'd be telling you to quit sulking in the corner and see if the next slot on her dance card is free. Who knows? Maybe she's actually hoping you'd ask.
"Now, you'll excuse me; I better continue helping Jack scan the room. Have fun, Doctor." The Doctor didn't reply, but he spared a glance at Solaris' retreating back before turning back to the dance floor. This time, however, he only kept the corner of his eye focused on Sebastiane, and carefully watched Rose's dance with the Galaniyan boy.
Solaris didn't know what she was talking about. Then again, how could she? The N'renyan thief had only met them a short time ago. She barely knew them. And just like everyone else they encountered during their travels through time and space, she seemed to think he and Rose were….
Rose was life and light, the one who saved him from the dark abyss he had become trapped in after Gallifrey was lost. She had been the one who restored his will to live when he had been simply surviving, and helped him see the universe with a renewed vigor. As for him, he was darkness and rage, bringing death and destruction everywhere he went. There were times when he was surprised Rose hadn't been destroyed by him by now. He knew that the kindest thing he could do for her was to send her back home to Jackie, but he could never bring himself to do so. His selfish need for her presence was too strong, even for him. However, while his life had become increasingly dependant on Rose always being at his side, he knew that she could never possibly be more than his companion, friend, and his hand to hold. Someone like Rose would never think of him as anything more than that, no matter how many times people mistakenly believed them to be a couple.
Finally, the song the nearby orchestra was playing ended, and Rose left the dance floor, after a respectful curtsey of thanks to the Galaniyan boy.
"Well, I take it you enjoyed your dance," the Doctor observed casually, handing Rose her drink as she rejoined him on the sidelines. "Did you forget you were supposed to be watching Sebastiane?"
"Of course not," Rose replied. "But Sebastiane was off on the dance floor, too. I thought I could keep a better watch on her if I was out there, too. Besides, the Galaniyans who are trying to stop the peace treaty from being signed might have been watching. Since we're the ones who are supposed to be protecting her, it's probably a good idea for us to blend in with the other guests. Don't you think it would have seemed odd if someone who was standing alone turned down a dance invitation?"
"You could have just said you were here with someone," the Doctor pointed out, staring aimlessly at the dancing guests.
"No one would have believed that," Rose fired back. "Because if I was 'here with someone,' we'd have been on the dance floor at least once by now." Try as he might, the Doctor could not come up with a reasonable reply for that one. To his further disgruntlement, the image of Solaris' cheeky grin kept entering his mind, along with the words she'd said to him.
Who knows? Maybe she's actually hoping you'd ask.
"Rose?" the Doctor finally forced himself to speak.
"What, Doctor?" Rose looked straight back at him, her brown eyes meeting his blue ones. The Doctor never got to finish his thought. At that moment, one of the towering windows behind them completely shattered, and the ballroom was thrown into a state of panicked chaos. Instinctively, the Doctor pulled Rose away from the window, just in time to see a large group of the Anti-Peace rebels start to swarm into the ballroom.
As the guests scattered, with everyone trying to get away from the shattered window as quickly as possible, Sebastiane was being jostled around, becoming increasingly disoriented by the panicking Galaniyans around her. Starting to worry, she tried looking around for her father, only to find she couldn't recognize any of the faces around her. That and the fact that she could feel herself being forced out of the ballroom by the bustling crowd left her close to a panic attack So when she felt a hand grab her wrist, she couldn't stop her sudden scream.
"Sebastiane, it's okay," Jack cried, revealing himself as the owner of the hand. "You're fine. You're safe. Now, come on." Sebastiane, relieved and thankful upon seeing one of her appointed protectors, gave a quick nod of understanding before allowing Jack to lead her through the crowded jumble of guests to a sheltered spot between two marble pillars where Rose and the Doctor were waiting.
"What's going on?" Sebastiane asked, nearly frightened to the point of tears.
"It'll be okay," Rose insisted, pulling the young girl into a comforting hug.
"Let's go," the Doctor advised. "We gave our word we'd keep Sebastiane safe from the Anti-Peace rebels, so we need to get her out of here." As he spoke, the Doctor pressed a secret switch on the wall behind them, revealing the hidden passageway Ambassador Ection had informed them about before the ball had begun. This passageway led straight to the mansion's courtyard. The plan that they had decided on earlier was to have Sebastiane taken to the TARDIS for safety if the Anti-Peace rebels acted during the ball.
"Wait!" Rose froze as Jack urged Sebastiane into the hidden passageway, looking over in the direction of the ball guests. A few feet away, Solaris had just managed to force her way through the crowd to join them. However, just as she'd finally managed to make it over to the passageway's entrance, a few of the Anti-Peace rebels spotted them and started to race forward as well, drawing blades and daggers.
Within an instant, Jack's training as a Time Agent seemed to kick in, for he quickly stepped between his friends and the Anti-Peace rebels, pulling his blaster out from the inside of his tailcoat.
"Rose," the Doctor instructed urgently, carefully pushing her back into the passageway. "'Urry and get Sebastiane to the TARDIS. She'll be safe there."
"But…" Rose hesitated, looking between him and Jack with tangible anxiousness for their safety.
"We'll be fine," the Doctor assured her. "Now go on." Reluctantly, Rose turned and shepherded Sebastiane back through the passageway. Before they could close the passageway door from the inside, they heard the Doctor speak again. "Solaris, you go with them."
"Wha…me?" Solaris sputtered, gaping up at him.
"Yes, you. Someone needs to make sure Rose stays safe as well. Now get going!"
"Um…right." Without further hesitation, Solaris ducked back into the passageway with Rose and Sebastiane. The last thing the girls saw before closing the passageway door was the Doctor and Jack holding the Anti-Peace rebels off, preventing anyone from following them.