Character/Pairing: Ten/Rose
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: The BBC owns all, I am merely borrowing.
Spoilers: Through The Satan Pit.
Author's Notes:Desperate to save Rose from a body snatching spirit, the Doctor resorted to establishing a forbidden bond between them. Now, he's just as desperate to keep them apart. When they visit a starlight festival for a little fun, he might very well get his wish. The much requested sequel to The Moonlit Cotillion.

"Now...facts, facts, facts," the Doctor muttered, pacing the short length of the stone walkway. "There's got to be something you can tell me! Why's the water pink, for instance, or where latakar's manufactured, 'cuz I have a growing suspicion that that's important." He paused, focusing the brunt of his impatience at the cowering girl. "Well? Speak up."

She burst into tears.

Immediately, the Doctor's anger abated to a muted roar. "Oh, don't cry. I didn't mean..." he sighed, ruffling his hair. "What's your name?"

"Ann," she managed, between sobs.

"Right. Lovely to meet you, Ann. I'm the Doctor." He offered to shake her hand.

The sudden movement startled Ann and she stumbled backwards, warily watching him for any further motion.

"So..." the Doctor drawled, awkwardly withdrawing his hand and stuffing it in a coat pocket. "I'm sure you're a very nice person, well...relatively nice I suppose. You did help kidnap my friend. How about a hint, mmm? I'm very good at guessing. Absolutely brilliant at charades. Although not at pub quizzes, oddly enough." He paused, contemplating this briefly, before refocusing on the dilemma at hand. "Still. If you give me a clue or two, I'll be on my way and no harm done, eh?"

"But I don't know anythin'," Ann insisted. "The man who owns the spring handles everythin'. An' even he isn't told anythin'. Just brings the girls where they say an' gets paid."

"An' where's that?"

She hesitated again and he carefully took a step closer.

"Please," he entreated. "I need to find Rose."

Using the information Ann provided, the Doctor was soon hurrying along the dusty streets, dodging vehicles belching steam and the occasional creature laden with goods. He ignored the street vendors that chased after him, his attention entirely focused on the signs adhered to the buildings. After several tense minutes, he spotted the one for which he'd been searching and dashed across the street.

Compared to the dilapidated buildings he'd witnessed so far, this interior was surprisingly sleek and spotless. Every available surface was painted light pink, from the vaulted ceiling to the columns that lined the walls. A perky blonde was seated behind the front desk and she cheerfully greeted him before he was even halfway across the elaborately tiled floor. "Welcome to Bliss Industries! Where your happiness is our greatest priority. How might I be of assistance?"

"Well, think it might be a tad late for that," he declared as he approached. "I'm the Doctor and--"

"Oh!" she gasped, jumping up from her seat. "We've been expecting you."

"You have?"

"Oh, absolutely!" She scrambled to find something on her desk. "Just give me a moment and I'll locate someone to give you the grand tour."

"Tour?"

"You must be interested in our facility."

"Of course. Yes! Very interested," he agreed, nodding.

She smiled and turned away to use the intercom. Almost instantly, the doors to the right of the desk slid open and a tall brunette dressed in a pink lab coat strode over to them.

"Doctor! How lovely to meet you," she exclaimed, holding out her hand. "I'm Dorothy Hart. Chief of substantive analysis at Bliss Industries."

"Analyzer of what exactly?" he asked, ignoring her outstretched hand.

"Oh, we'll get to that. All in good time." She withdrew her hand, motioning for him to follow her into the facility. "Rumors abound, Doctor. A ship that's bigger on the inside? You must have technological know how we could use."

"For...?"

"We need to find a way to produce latakar without the assistance of the Ambera."

"The Ambera? Ambera, Ambera, Ambera," he repeated, taking in the bustling hallway filled with employees in matching pink lab coats. "Why does that name sound familiar?"

"They produce the latakar. And with demand increasing exponentially every single day, we need more and more of it."

"And more and more Ambera to make it?"

"Yes." She nodded, making several sharp turns. "Which would be perfectly fine, if breeding them wasn't so...complicated."

"Right. I'll just take a look at this...process, shall I?"

"Of course. Right this way."

She led him through several more corridors, demonstrating the substantial size of the business.

"Quite the operation you've got here." The Doctor peered at monitors and equipment as they passed. "All this equipment working full tilt."

"We aim to please." She glanced over her shoulder to give him a sparkling smile.

"I bet you do. But I'm not an easy man to satisfy." He frowned. "Hold on. Ambera? Do you mean Ambrrrddiaarht?" He finished the name with a subtle click of his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "Native to the fifth moon of Briolt, yeah? Oh, you could reach that easy. Short jaunt in a rocket. Been there once before myself...oh, ages and ages ago. They lay eggs in a plant that absolutely thrives in the local climate. You lot don't have the technology to create an equivalent environment. But the Ambrrrddiaarht are hearty. Adaptable. They could use a..."

They rounded another corner and the Doctor stopped short, hearts thudding unnaturally with a sudden influx of adrenaline.

"Host?" Dorothy supplied. "My, you are clever. And far more informed than we expected you to be."

He was at the glass in seconds, pressing his hands against the cold surface, oblivious to everything but what he saw in the room beyond. It was sparsely furnished with medical equipment and a tall metal table, upon which lay a familiar trouble attracting blonde. Bond mate, reminded an area of his mind he was very accustomed to ignoring. Only a pane of glass and several meters between them, but he could sense little of her status without the necklace or the aid of touch.

"So you see our dilemma, Doctor. Such a waste of life." There was a scuffling sound nearby and Dorothy clapped her hands in excitement. "Here's the handler now! Your timing is really rather impeccable. You'll be able to watch the entire process from start to finish."

Ignoring the excited tour guide, the Doctor dashed to the end of the row of tall windows. Throwing open a door, he tumbled through it, chucks slipping on the tiled floor as he rushed to the table in the center of the room. At the same moment, a hefty man in pink scrubs appeared through another door, leading inside a black beetle of similar height.

Sparing them only a brief glance, the Doctor shouted, "Don't you dare come any closer!"

Her eyes were closed, her skin alarmingly pale, but her pulse was steady and strong beneath his fingertips. He allowed himself a sigh of relief, before cupping her face with his hands, fingers slipping into the damp strands of her hair. She was dressed in a pink shift that barely served as adequate covering, her limp body secured to the table with thick leather straps that showed signs of heavy usage. He blanched at how many women must have suffered this fate.

"Rose..." he coaxed, desperately needing the reassurance of her wakefulness. "Come on. Please, Rose." To his relief, her eyes soon fluttered open, but before he could do more than smile, something hit his side, knocking him to the floor.

The gigantic insect loomed over the table, but the handler had no intention of interfering with standard procedure and remained on the other side of the room.

"Stop!" the Doctor commanded, scrambling to his feet with the sonic screwdriver in hand. "Don't do this. I know you. You're an Ambrrrddiaarht, one of the most gentle beings in the entire universe. You trust everyone implicitly and that's admirable, very very admirable in fact. But these people are taking advantage of you and their greed is resulting in death. And that needs to stop. Now."

The beetle paused, mandibles clacking together as it replied, "We are satisfied with the arrangement."

"What?"

"We long wished to see what lay among the stars. This is opportunity, is it not?" It leaned closer to the table, appraising the bound victim. "She may be yours, but you have not claimed her. She is still viable."

"She most definitely is not," the Doctor retorted, advancing on the insect.

"What are you doing?" demanded Dorothy, entering the room with a horrified gasp. "Doctor, you are interfering with the process and I must ask you to desist at once!"

"How many have you killed, Dorothy Hart? All in pursuit of a quick burst of happiness?"

"Doctor, we are very careful in picking our hosts. And they are so fortunate! They'll never be missed and they're giving something so wonderful to the populace," she gushed.

"Fortunate? Won't be missed?" the Doctor sputtered. "Every single life you take is missed. Every single one. Especially Rose."

Surprised, Dorothy glanced between him and the blonde on the table. "Well, I'm sorry, Doctor. We had no idea she was...attached to you. But you must calm down. You must remember you are a guest in our facility. You have no authority here."

"Oh, I think you'll find I have authority regardless of where I am." Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the insect leaning over Rose, appendages ready to strike. "Don't."

The insect ignored the threat. "We must. It is our calling. To spread our brood among the stars."

The Doctor firmly pressed the button on the screwdriver and the insect immediately recoiled, emitting a high pitched whine before it crumpled to the floor.

"I'm sorry," the Doctor murmured. "I'm so sorry. You never should have been brought here."

Dorothy gaped at the quivering insect. "What have you done?"

"High frequency noise. Out of your range, but...well, deadly to an Ambrrrddiaarht. They're accustomed to a very tranquil environment."

"You...you killed one of our precious Ambera!" she shrieked. "You had no reason to resort to destroying our property!"

"I did what I had to." Tucking the sonic screwdriver inside his suit jacket, he rushed over to the table. "Rose. Look at me." He gently touched her chin, his other hand fumbling for the straps. "You're all right now. You're safe. Rose?"

"She may have trouble focusing," Dorothy remarked coldly. "We gave her a heavy dose of latakar."

"What?"

"The host is always more compliant with..."

"More compliant? More compliant?!" His hands shook as they loosened the last strap. "How big a dose?"

"Well, it really depends on th--"

"How big?!" he growled.

"She put up quite a struggle," Dorothy explained. "We're very careful, Doctor. She'll pull through."

"She'd better. Or else what happened to the Ambrrrddiaarht will be nothing compared to what happens to you and your facility."

Dorothy sighed. "Well, I'm afraid I can't allow that."