belle, doctor who

fifty

Belle and Cece took a sniff of the fresh air. The sea definitely smelled like the sea. Belle was trying to stay calm after the Doctor had tried to kiss her so passionately before leaving the TARDIS.

After they had met the pirates, they started to talk. "Our sensors picked you up. Ship in distress."

"Sensors?" Avery says.

"Yes. Okay, problem word. 17th century. My ship automatically, er, noticed-ish that your ship was having some bother."

"That big blue crate?"

"That is more magic, Captain Avery. They're spirits. How else would they have found their way below decks?"

"Well, er, I want to say multidimensional engineering, but since you had a problem with sensors, I won't go there. Look, I'm the Doctor. This is Amy, Rory, Belle, and Cece. We're sailors, same as you. Ooo ar. Except for the gun thing. And the beardiness."

Belle cringed.

"You're stowaways. Only explanation. Eight days, we've been stranded here, becalmed. You must have stowed away before we sailed."

"Now what do we do with 'em?" Boatswain says.

Avery says, "Oh, I think they deserve our hospitality."

"Oh no," Cece remembers what happens in this episode with Rory and how he gets a black spot on his hand and vanishes. Cece looked down at her hands and Belle watched her, concerned.

"You okay, Cece?" Belle pulled her over. Cece gulped, looking like she was about to cry.

"I shouldn't have come over to this universe," Cece said, rubbing her hands together. "It was a bad —"

"Don't say that," the Doctor came over to her, "it's fine, we're going to be okay. Your show goes on for a while—"

"No," Cece interrupts him, "you don't know what happens. It's your future."

"Future?" Repeats Avery as they all go up to the upper deck.

"Nothing to worry about," Belle tells him. "We're going to be okay, Cece."

"That's what you think."

•••

"I suppose that laughing like that is in the job description. Can you do the laugh? Check. Grab yourself a parrot. Welcome aboard," the Doctor says as he and Belle are on the plank together. Behind them were Amy, Rory, and Cece watching Belle hug the Doctor in fear.

"Stocks are low. Only one barrel of water remains. We don't need three more empty bellies to fill. Take the doxy below to the galley. Set her to work. She won't need much feeding," says Avery.

"Rory? Cece? A little help?"

Rory is being held by Dancer, an African born sailor.

"Yeah. Hey, listen, right? She's not a doxy."

"I didn't mean just tell him off. Thanks anyway."

"If you're lucky you'll drown before the sharks can take a bite," says Avery.

"If this is just because I'm a captain too, you know, you shouldn't feel threatened. Your ship is much bigger than mine. And I don't have the cool boots. Or a hat, even," the Doctor says as Belle struggles to stand still. The Doctor grabs her arms and turns her around to walk back.

"Time to go."

"A bit more laughter, guys?"

Amy has gone to the hold and found a crate of cutlasses. Cece helps.