The Queen and the Rose

Chapter 20

Running turned out to be more difficult than originally anticipated.  Rose was having trouble getting to her feet, worn down by the Bad Wolf.  She could barely manage scrabbling for the Doctor's hand before she was dragged along outside the crumbled servants entrance from which they came.  

Her trainers caught in the sand and she was cautiously aware of getting dizzy and trying not to tumble down.  The Doctor pulled her along, shouting at her to please, keep up, Rose, you have to be quick.  

Isi was behind them, quick and sure-footed in the sand.  The Doctor kept turning to look at her, making sure she was behind them.  She was, but so was Horus Ba.   Stumbling on decrepit feet, he chased them.  He was slower than them by far, but was quickly gaining on them and growling behind them. 

The Doctor pulled her sharply, making her almost fall into the sand.  

"What are we going to do?" Isi shouted, "Doctor, you've got to do something!"

Rose kept turning around, looking behind them to see the imminent danger.  "I can burn him," She said simply, though a bit breathless.

The Doctor sent her a sharp look.  "No, Rose."

"I can!" Rose shouted back at him, "I could do it, I could burn Surbia too, get rid of both of them!"

The Doctor slowed to a stop, having gained a massive lead on the corpse approaching them.  Rose and Isi fell into line next to him.  Rose felt her heart racing, feeling the potential seep through her.  She could do it.  She could kill them here.  Resolved, she let go of the Doctor's hand and took a step forward.  

"No!" The Doctor sounded frantic now.  "No, Rose, it'll kill you, you'll burn with them!"

"But I could save the world," Rose said, her voice suddenly sounding far away.

Isi watched on in horror.  She knew that these people were strange, but this was a whole new level.   They were magicians as well, but she knew they were not evil.  So she let the odd blonde woman called Rose fight whatever was inside her.  

"Let me!" Rose shrieked as tears began to stream down her cheeks.  "Let me save them!"

"Rose," the Doctor went to her side, gripping her arm and trying to get her to look him in the eyes.  "Rose, please, we can see if this is something you can control later,  in the infirmary, where I can help you.  Rose!"

Rose's fists clenched at her sides.  "Then do something!" She shouted.  "Do something, Doctor, or I will!"

The Doctor fumbled with his sonic screwdriver, trying to pull it out of his jacket with shaking hands.  He was afraid for her, afraid she was going to far, not mad with power, but mad with her ability to save people.  He managed to get the sonic out, but froze there.  Doesn't maim.  Doesn't kill.

Horus Ba was closing in on them, and they both started to back up, Isi at a safer difference than the both of them, afraid.  Rose shook with the power threatening to burst out of her, wanting to push right through to hit Horus Ba in the face.

Doesn't kill.

Doesn't maim.

Oh.

The Doctor fumbled with the settings, listening to the sound of the buzz as he stumbled backwards over his own trainers.  He knew he had to get this quickly, they didn't have much time, and Horus Ba himself might've had powers that they didn't know about.  

"Doctor, I swear to God, if you don't get it within ten seconds this one's mine," Rose said, and with each word her voice sounded farther and farther away.  The Doctor, having had quite enough of the Bad Wolf taking her over, put his hand across her shoulders and sent her stumbling backwards.  He winced as he did it, afraid he was hurting her, but knew he had to remove her from the situation.

Isi caught Rose as she tripped over her own feet, allowing the Doctor to get his footing.  "Doesn't kill," he said to Horus Ba, who clearly didn't hear, "Doesn't maim.  But I'll tell you what it does do," he held the sonic out and pressed the button. 

"Disintegrate!"

The already falling-apart corpse turned to dust before him, the slightly darker color mingling with the light sand.  His ornaments and clothes were the only things left of him.  He let out a long sigh of relief and turned back to Rose.  "Are you alright?" he asked her, touching her shoulder gently.

She raised a hand to touch her forehead, as though she herself couldn't believe what she had been about to do.  "I don't know how-"

At the sound of her voice returning to normal, he cut her off with a crushing hug, holding her so close to him he wasn't even aware that either of them could breathe.  Her hands came up to splay across his back, not taking any affectionate touch from him lightly.  She let her eyes flutter closed.  "It's okay," she whispered, "I'm okay."

"I know," the Doctor said before pulling away.  He kissed her forehead and turned to Isi.  "Shall we take on this Queen, then?" 

"We must form a plan," Isi said, her brow furrowed.  "I fear we were ill prepared the first time we came to approach them." 

"You've got that right," Rose replied.  "But... But maybe I can-"

"No, Rose," the Doctor said firmly, "We're not doing anything with the Bad Wolf."

"Then run those tests you were nattering on about!" She shouted, "I can help.  Make sure it's safe, and I can help."

Isi stepped forward tentatively.  "I think...  I think Rose is right," she said softly, "It would be wise to have a power such as hers on our side.  The Queen will not be kind, especially once she discovers what we have done to her Pharaoh."

"We...   There has to be another way," The Doctor began pacing in the sand, trying to keep focused on his thoughts and not Rose.  

Rose crossed her arms and settled her weight onto one hip.  "We're pretty much guaranteed to get out of this alive if you let me do this," she said firmly. "You know that.  You're afraid I'm right, that's why you don't want to run the test.  You think I won't be able to control it."

"Rose, you're human."

"And you're Time Lord.   Now that we've got that out of the way."  She turned on her heel as best she could and started back in the direction of the TARDIS.  Isi looked between them, as though not quite sure who she should be going with.  She knew whoever she went with, it would be picking a side.  She opened her mouth, then closed it, trying to focus.

Ah, well, majority would rule, and Isi knew exactly what needed to be done with a woman like Surbia in charge.  She turned to the Doctor, who was caught between her and Rose, and lifted her shoulders in a shrug before taking off after Rose. 

The Doctor sighed and tipped his head back, as if asking the sky "Why me?"  Really, it was rather unfair.  It seemed that the women would always win.  The TARDIS hummed happily in the back of his head at that thought and he allowed himself a chuckle before heading off after the others.