TenxRose One-Shots

An Echnodi Excursion

If she was honest with herself, she knew it would come to this at some point.  For once, the Doctor, who often times called himself clever and brilliant and many other wonderful words, was tied to a boulder.  A boulder that the people of this civilization were going to push off of the cliff and into the ocean below.  Even if he wasn't killed on the fall, he would be drowned.  And what then, would he regenerate into a fish to save himself?

She sighed heavily and adjusted the tunic she was wearing.  The people of Echnodi had seemed so kind.  They'd fed them and given them clothes and a place to stay the night.  Then the Doctor had offhandedly mentioned what was apparently a touchy subject and everyone wanted them both dead.  Moreso the Doctor, Rose at least, they could use.

Rose walked out to where the ceremony was taking place, her hands shaking at her sides.  She didn't know if she could save him this time.  There had never been doubt before, there had always been a way, but here and now, she was terrified.  He came into view, his jacket gone, oxford ripped, and tie loosened.  They'd beaten him, she could tell from the marks on his visible skin, especially his face. 

She felt a surge of courage as she saw what they'd done to him.  It was, in a word, unacceptable.  Her blood boiled and the people cheered, waving torches and dancing as primal drums beat a backbeat that thrummed through her chest.  

Finally, Rose held up a hand and said in her strongest voice (Which turned out to be surprisingly strong) "Stop!" 

The tribe silenced, staring wide-eyed at the beautiful stranger who had no right to question them.  The Doctor lifted his head and looked at Rose, a pleading look in his eyes.  She knew that look.  He was telling her to go back to the TARDIS, telling her he had a plan.  She shook her head.  Not this time.  He wasn't doing this alone. 

"How dare you!" A man dripping in ornate jewels scolded her, approaching her.  Rose lifted her chin in defiance. 

"Let go of my friend.  He's done nothing wrong," Rose said firmly.

The man, who she recognized as some sort of prince, burst into laughter.  "Oh, our pretty here wants her pet back.  Now, don't you belong to him, sweetheart?  He can claim you, but not the other way around."

"I don't belong to him," Rose said firmly, "He belongs to me."

Chatter started up in the crowd, even the drums stopping as the people playing them listened to what the stranger had to say.  However, she'd already stated her piece and was looking at the prince, whose eyebrows had climbed into his hairline.

"You are very unusual," he remarked.  "A man belonging to a woman.  Why, that simply isn't done!"

"I'll remind you that although I respect your culture, ours is very different.  I expect you remember that we're from a different place.  We are not locals."

She looked over at the Doctor and bit back a grin when she saw his mouth was hanging open in shock.  She'd never been terribly good a public speaking, especially not to aliens, though these people were perfectly humanoid.  Rose leveled her gaze back to the prince and looked at him expectantly. 

"You are from far away," the prince said simply.  "If you truly believe that he belongs to you."

"He does," Rose said firmly, "Now, let me have him."

"Well," the prince said, "You'll have to claim it."

"And just how would I do that?" Rose asked, trying to hide her nervousness through an airy tone.  The prince's lip twitched up in a smile. 

"You really are from far away."

Barely before any of them could blink, they were holed up in a hut together with the demand to claim one another.  And it was now very clear what 'claiming' would entail.  Rose flexed her hands and tried to open the door, but it was stubbornly locked.  She pressed her forehead against the door for a moment, gathering her courage.  She turned around and looked at the Doctor, who was sitting at the end of a small but rather sturdy bed.  He glanced up at her, a shocked expression on his face.