YAY! First review! Thank you, Dreamcatcher56 :) As for what the Doctor intends to do, well... he does love and appreciate Rose. And he couldn't take Reinette out of history properly. Doesn't mean he's not a 'git' who gets caught up in a pair of pretty eyes and lose his head.

RaziOUAT I promise I intend to carry on. I don't have much further to go, because it's meant to be short. Plus Rose is already starting to make her point of how important she is to the doctor.

I went back and updated the second chapter. There were parts missing. Hopefully that will give a better explanation of why Reinette and the Doctor were both arrested. I apologize that it's so short this time. I am trying to work out the intricacies of what I want and where I want the story to go without muddling it up. Thank you for the feedback, by the way!


Mickey angled his head as he peered at the paper. He couldn't see any instructions, only a large statement, "BUTT OUT, MICKEY!" Miffed, he complained, "I don't see what you're seeing." Rose didn't hear him. She studied the step-by-step instructions again, then grabbed his hand to pull him along, the paper pocketed at once. "I don't know how far from the Doctor this can be before I can't read it anymore," she admitted. "He's always kept it on him. For all I know, it will change to something else once we get too far. We need to hurry to the TARDIS before I forget or before they disappear. If they do, that is." She paused worriedly, eyes darting over the instructions again, and released Mickey's hand. "We have to wait until the locks are off of their arms and waist, though. This is going to be tricky. He didn't say ... ah, I see. In three hours, they should be taken in front of a court."

She was darting off before Mickey could get a question in. He grumbled as he caught up to her, both of them dashing as rapidly as they could through the crowds. "I don't get it. Some o' these bugs, they got to be stepped on or accidentally smashed. Why ain't other people put in jail?" That was a good question, one that a passing Sontaran stopped to answer. "Human girl," he addressed Mickey. "Do you not know the rules of Rasigul? The glowphoid beetle is a precious commodity here. To intentionally destroy their commodity means destruction of precious property." The Sontaran was nearly spitting in his... her? ... attempt to explain in the usual Sontaran sharp tones.

Mickey gaped at the large potato head. "I ain't a girl," he shrieked in a wavering voice. Rose rolled her eyes as she explained in a whisper, "Most Sontarans can't figure out genders. Their race all looks the same, no matter the sex." If the situation weren't so dire, she would have been laughing at his discomfort. Instead, she addressed the Sontaran. "Thank you for telling us. What if you were to accidentally step on a beetle?"

"You will not step on a glowphoid beetle, human boy! They do not land on the ground. They are only out for one day, and no more. They only land on tall, soft items." Both of them couldn't help but notice that, while a few of the beetles had landed on them, they avoided the Sontaran's rough skin. "It is very difficult to crush one."

"Intentionally," Rose added in and was given a decided scowl by the Sontaran. She had forgotten how proud and militaristic the race was. She swallowed a laugh as she toned her smile down. "Sorry, I was telling myself that. I wasn't correcting you." The Sontaran continued to scowl at her as she pulled Mickey along.

"They always have to be right about everything," she explained with a bubble of laughter.

As soon as Rose was inside of the TARDIS, she was full of activity. She was pleased to find out the instructions were still there as she pushed a set of buttons, then pushed a few levers to start the TARDIS up. She monitored their location and time as it churned, the screeching resonating through the machine. "Let's hope we don't get lost, huh?" The look Mickey gave her had her laughing again. She felt that bubbling thrill of anticipation. Was this how the Doctor always felt? If so, she understood why he was always on the run to seek out the next adventure.


Reinette and the Doctor were placed in a force field cell almost immediately. Their arms were released and the band at their waists removed. "Don't touch the wall," he warned her before the idea could even enter her mind. The cell walls cracked ominously as he swept his fingers toward themwithout making contact. "One touch and you'll feel as if lightning was playing around inside of you." She wisely kept her hands tucked to herself, barely willing to move in the small square of space. They could see others imprisoned, like they were, but they seemed more relaxed, as if they hadn't a care in the world. "They seem far too happy to be here. Doctor, what did they do," she asked with a nod at them. His attention was fixed on a wall, and she realized he had forgotten her existence. She motioned to herself. "What did I do that was so terrible?"

That drew him back. He gave her a sympathetic look as he explained, "That was my fault. I forget you're new to life outside of France. Those beetles are redeemed here. They make up everything. Intentionally killing one is a sentence of either death, a life of punishment, or manual labor for fifteen years. Since you only crushed one, it would be fifteen years of labor." Her eyes shone with tears as she balled her hands inside the volumes of her skirt. "Don't worry, that's likely not going to happen."

"Likely?!"

He shrugged, ignoring her hysterical reaction. "Well... they could always tack on other reasons to extend your term. Part of the reason Rasigul is so florid with life is there's a little bit of every alien life form here. They thrive on tourism. The fun kick there is how they entrap people into working for them. You'd be surprised how many accidental crushings become something dire in their court. You'd have thought you murdered a whole slew of ..." he stopped to make a face. "Slew... a whole slew was slewn. Not really a word. Not yet. Anyway. It's not all bad, really. They get housing, feeding, they're paid a minimal amount. Some people actually come to Rasigul to work here willingly. Others are fine with their imprisonment." He nodded at the other prisoners as he walked in a lazy circle within the barriers of the force field, studying the pale sheen of the walls with interest, face squinted up. "No way Rose is going to be able to land the TARDIS in this, is there? Too much of a charge, bet it's blocked. That's fine, we'll wait for the trial."

"Doctor, you didn't answer my question," she stated, her voice going low, filled with hurt. "What did I do that was so terrible? That you have looked at me with such cold civility and bitten at me with your words as of late?" He squirmed in discomfort at the questions. "Doctor, please. What could I have done to-"

"Nothing," he answered contritely. "Reinette, you have been a dear. I wanted to give you something new, something you never experienced before. I wanted you to see what was beyond Earth, beyond the stars even. I just ... forgot."

"Forgot what, exactly, Doctor?"

"That sometimes, it's not what you're reaching for, but who you're taking along that makes the traveling worth it." He wouldn't look at her now, his mind fixed firmly elsewhere as he said the words. Reinette understood all the same. She came up behind him to rest a hand on his shoulder. "You love her, don't you," she asked a second time. This time, he answered with a single nod.


Three hours passed and no one came for them. They watched the others being filed out to their personal demise, but Reinette and he remained behind. Something was clearly wrong. The Doctor began to pace in agitation at this point. "We should have already been taken to the trial chambers and met with the council by now. Surely they haven't forgotten us." The answer to his question came an hour later, when Rose was escorted into the holding area. At first, he thought she had been arrested. She barely glanced at him as she was led from their cell down the long line of chambers as he called out for her. Surely she wasn't angry at him for his actions? Had she see it as choosing Reinette over her again? Surely she understood that he had to be arrested - he'd have done the same for that babboon, Mickey. In his frustration, he came right to the edge of the force field without touching it, straining to watch her. She was led eventually over to where they were being held, however, though she said nothing until the chamber door was shut, the guards having left her alone with them.

"Doctor, it's time to say goodbye," she finally told him, her hands linked together. He almost did touch the field then, and only pulled away when he felt the electric heat crackling close to his palm. "Rose... are you trying to find your own way home? This far away from Earth?" He swallowed roughly, aware that it was possible. There were other ships that could make the transport through space, though not through time. She could jump from one connecting galaxy to another. It would take time, however. "Are you that angry with me that you'd actually try jumping-" He saw the gleam in her eye and felt the fool for it. "You think you're so clever," he told her as a grin slowly spread out. Of course she meant it was time for them to leave.

"Yeah, I do," she told him in return. They gazed at each other as something new moved between them. "What did you think I meant, you prat? That I'd actually leave you both here?" She pressed at a sensor, telling him, "Use your screwdriver."

"How did you even get them to bring you in here?" He dug in his pockets to find the device, but couldn't take his eyes off her.

"Easy. They think I'm your representative from Earth." She pulled the psychic paper out of her pocket, opening it for him to see. "Apparently, being this close to you, it synced up to you again. They think you're a delegate from Earth. Doesn't quite let you off. They were discussing reducing your time to seven years until I pointed out that it was against Earth's laws or something along those lines of Universal friction." She wiggled her brows at him. "Whatever it was I said, they bought it. I guess you're rubbing off on me. The TARDIS is in the council chamber right now."

"Rose, you know they'll try and stop us once we get in there. Reinette is still under arrest."

She gave him a cheeky grin, shrugging. "Yeah, I know. You think I forgot about her? I've got a plan."

He could have kissed her right then and there if the situation weren't still dire. He crouched with the screwdriver and used it to bring the field down. They both came out of the cell, Reinette reaching for his arm out of reaction. Rose noticed the movement, though she said nothing. Instead, leading them slowly through the corridors, and glanced upward from time to time, counting. At the seventh turn, she paused. "The chamber is down this left hall," she informed them. "They're in there, waiting for us. Doctor, you're cleared of all misgivings, but they want you off of the moon immediately."

"Which means I can't help her in front of the council. But you can," he realized slowly. "Oh, Rose, I ask way too much of you."

"Yeah. Guess you'll have to make it up to me sometime." The corner of her mouth curled as she slid her hands into her back pockets, looking far more relaxed than she felt. Something had shifted between them, but she couldn't say what. "I think I got a loophole. If I don't, you come get us out." She was laying trust back in his hands again, something he didn't think she'd offer to do ever again.

"Right. Soon as I go in there, I'll head straight for the TARDIS. Don't say a word until I've closed the door. I'll open the channels to see what's going on inside the chamber." He slid free of Reinette's grasp to take both of Rose's hands in his. "I wish I could help you endure this, I hope you know that. They will do vile things, it's their way of tricking the system. There's no such thing as a fair trial here."

"I already got that from the stories I read about their trials," she explained, squeezing his hands in response. "Don't worry, Doctor. You forget my mum is champion at talking someone down. I think I got her technique down by now."

"That's not the part I'm worried about," he said. As soon as the doors of the trial chambers were open, the heat nearly suffocated them. The intensity of the humidity was just as unbearable, wrapping them in wet blankets that coated their skins at once. "It's like a jungle in here," the Doctor complained. "There's a reason for that. They're going to place electros on you. They're like slugs, but they adhere to your skin and zap you with a small electric charge. Won't cause any damage, but it leaves a painful prickling sensation. The longer the electro goes, the more intense the sensation." Rose nodded and wiped at the moisture that had started to collect on her face and neck. She swept her hair up, immediately wishing for a rubber band. "They'll also likely lie, won't they? About the crime, that is. They aren't truthful, the Rasiguli."

"No, they're not. They get free work out of whomever they can, however they can. They're known for being con artists in their own right." He peered at Rose, delighted to know she had taken the time to read up on the Rasiguli law. "You always seem to surprise me, Rose Tyler."

"Yeah?" Her grin went soft, as it often did when he complimented her. How could he have forgotten that look? He sought her hands out again and answered that smile with his own, beaming at her as though she were the most brilliant possible creature he had ever known. His hands tightened around hers as he drew her closer, noticing the way her lashes fluttered along the soft upper curve of her cheeks, and the almost shy way she gazed back up to him. He knew that he had to kiss her in that moment. She smelled like sunshine and peaches and just ...fantastic. Something in the back of his mind echoed that thought as he thought about running his fingers through her damp hair. Fantastic. His amazing Rose.

"Pardon me, but what do you think you are doing?"