Reign of the World

Chapter 12

The Doctor woke to the sound of Daleks screaming about Rose Tyler and justice and revenge.  He shot to his feet and stood at the bars, listening to the shouting and trying to pick out Rose's voice, but it soon became clear that she wasn't speaking.  Of course they'd figured out who she was, or she'd told them.  Either was possible, really.

But not hearing her voice among the Daleks made him nervous.  Were they torturing her?  Had something happened?  ...Had they already killed her?

He heard rustling behind him but frankly refused to turn around because he had a feeling that he already knew who was there.  And that person wasn't the person he was used to being in prison cells with.  He knew everything about Rose, when it came to being imprisoned.  He knew how slowly she rolled over in her sleep, the sounds of her breathing. 

The breathing of the woman behind him was nothing short of wrong, and he was fighting to keep from snapping at her, no matter how irritated he was he knew it wasn't her fault.  But he'd rather have his clever companion in the cell with him.

Because she was clever.  And his companion.  Yes.  Those were the only reasons.  Not because there was something else there, and he knew she felt it, she had to.  Definitely not that.  That would be just too absurd, wouldn't it?

"What's happened, Doctor Smith?" Tiffany's voice purred from behind him.

He cringed, not even trying to hide it.  "Well, Tiffany, it would appear that we are imprisoned, and they've discovered who Rose is."

Her hand rested on his back, and a series of escape maneuvers tried to play their way through his head as she spoke.  "What do you mean, 'who Rose is'?"

He shrugged, knocking her hand from him.  "Rose committed almost a full genocide of the Daleks to save my life," he said evenly.  "We've got to get to her."  He pulled out the sonic screwdriver and started trying to release the lock.

"Leave it," Tiffany said smoothly.

The Doctor sent her a perturbed glance.  "Leave it?  Leave this locked, leave us trapped?  I don't think either of us want that," he turned back to his work, trying to ignore her, praying to every deity to keep her away from him.  He didn't think they were listening.

Tiffany leaned against the bars, diagonal from the Doctor.  He ignored her and kept going with his releasing.  Blimey, it was like resonating concrete all over again.  She stood there, watching him, for a few moments.

Rose would often watch the Doctor work when they were in prison, but she was helpful, and her gaze was warm, and dare he say it, he liked when she stared at him.  Now he just felt... Disgusting, like he was being propositioned, and now he knew how Rose felt whenever young men ogled her on every single planet they went on.

Oh, he came to a decision.  He was going to snog the stuffing out of Rose Tyler when they got out of there.  Time Lord rules be damned, he wanted the world to know she had claimed him, to show Tiffany and every other being out there that they belonged to each other.  They always had, in a way, but it needed a name.  It always had, and he had been too daft to see it.

"Do you know something, Doctor Smith?" Tiffany asked, feigning nonchalance. 

He offered her a quick glance before going back to his work, resonating what he now knew was a steel and metal mix.  "I know a lot of things, actually."

She giggled and shifted against the bars.  "No, there's something specific I think you should know."

"Okay, and what's that?" He asked, his voice portraying just how exasperated he was with the situation.

"I think you and I both know about the... Chemistry between us," Tiffany said slowly.  "There's something there.  Don't you feel it?"

"No," The Doctor said without hesitation.  "Because there's nothing there, it's all in your head."

"Doctor Smith, I think you're just so blinded by that... Schoolyard crush that Rose has on you that you can't see a real relationship in front of your eyes."

He ignored her as the lock popped and he made a sound of triumph.  But unfortunately, this woman was not to be deterred.  She pushed his shoulder, knocking him into the wall, and stalked up to him.  "I think it's time you stopped pretending," she said, her hands sliding up to his shoulders as he stood there in shock.  "It's okay, Rose isn't here to get jealous, you won't hurt her poor little feelings."

She started to lean in and the Doctor realized her intent, pushing her off of him.  "I think I said no.  I know I said no."

Tiffany pulled the door shut again, effectively blocking the Doctor's means of escape.  She shoved him firmly, and he stumbled backwards and sat down hard on the small cot that had been given to them.  When he saw her advancing on him, he pushed off the bed and flung the door open.  "We are not having this conversation," he pointed at her.  "Now or ever, because anything you feel for me is completely one-sided, I can assure you."

She nodded slowly, then pushed him into the hallway and grabbed his face, kissing him harshly.  He let out a squeak of indignation and pushed Tiffany off of him.  "What's wrong with you?  Have you ever heard 'no'?"

"Sure I have," her hands wandered to his shoulders, and he pushed her away again.  "And I know that you don't want to say no... But your assistant is clouding your vision.  She doesn't deserve you, she can't give you what I can. "

"You don't know anything about Rose," he said, grabbing her wrists and removing them from him.  "Stop pretending you do."

"We spoke on the boat," she shrugged.  "She's smitten with you, but it's not the sort of love I can give you, I can promise you that."

"You don't love me," the Doctor said firmly.  He shifted away from her and began walking down the hallway, his coat billowing out behind him at his speed.  In his anger, he rounded the corner too fast and almost ran into a group of patrolling Daleks.

"The prisoners have escaped!" One screeched.  "The ones affiliated with Rose Tyler!  Bring them with us! Bring them with us!"

Both Tiffany and the Doctor were locked into a sort of magnetic field, and were forced to walk along with the Daleks.

"Wait, what are you doing, where are you taking us?" Tiffany screeched.

"There will be an audience with our leader.  We will reach an even score with one Rose Tyler!" The Dalek replied.

"Don't you hurt her!" The Doctor shouted. 

"Do not worry," the Dalek replied.  "When she is hurt, you will see it."

The Doctor felt his hearts turn cold and plummet into his stomach at the words.  They planned to hurt Rose.  They wanted to kill her.