Winnie Is Not Okay

1.26

Inside the Tardis Margaret had resolved to sitting on the floor. The jumpseat had been offered to her but she decided it would help her case if she meekly sat down on the floor. So Rose and Winnie were sharing the seat instead. While Rose's eyes followed the Doctor and Jack trying to get the Tardis up and running again, Winnie had a death stare on Margaret.

"This ship is impossible. It's superb. How do you get the outside around the inside?", she wondered.

"Like I'd give you the secret, yeah", the Doctor brushed her off.

"I almost feel better about being defeated. I never stood a chance. This is the technology of the gods."

"Don't worship me - I'd make a very bad god. You wouldn't get a day off, for starters", the Doctor looked over to Winnie, hoping to have lifted her mood with the joke and, in fact, the corner of her mouth had twitched a little, "Jack, how we doing, big fella?"

"This extrapolator's top of the range. Where did you get it?", he looked up at Margaret from where he had been studying her escape pod.

"Oh, I don't know. Some airlock sale?", she shrugged, not looking at him.

"Must've been a great big heist. It's stacked with power."

"But we can use it for fuel?", the Doctor enquired.

"It's not compatible, but it should knock off about twelve hours. We'll be ready to go by morning", Jack got to work.

"Then we're stuck here overnight", the Doctor looked at Winnie regretfully, knowing she couldn't relax until they'd gotten rid of Margaret.

"I'm in no hurry", the alien in question smirked.

"I am", Winnie countered, earning Margaret's glare back, but already holding a similar one.

Rose gulped at the staring battle and tried to make a joke, "We've got a prisoner. The police box is really a police box."

"You're not just police, though", Margaret shifted her gaze to the other Tyler sister, "Since you're taking me to my death, that makes you my executioners. Each and everyone of you."

"Well, you deserve it", Mickey countered with no hesitation.

"You're very quick to say so", eyes on him now, "You're very quick to soak your hands in my blood, which makes you better than me, how, exactly? Long night ahead. Let's see who can look me in the eye."

She kept her eyes on Mickey, who held it for a second before he looked away. Jack didn't even look at her to begin with. The Doctor immediately distracted himself. Rose looked at her hands after a moment. But when her eyes reached Winnie's her gaze was already on her and there was a storm behind it. Winnie didn't look down and Margaret narrowed her eyes, to which Winnie's brow twitched provocatively.

"Six billion people for a lift home, Slitheen. And your eyes are those of a dead woman", Winnie muttered, "Don't worry, I won't wear your skin."

Margaret clenched her jaw and looked away. Not in shame, not in regret, but in anger. Rose pulled her lips between her teeth uncomfortably. Mickey nudged her and then left the Tardis. Rose looked at Winnie once more, then she got up and followed him.

The Doctor looked at the monitor for a longer moment, then he looked at Winnie who did not take her eyes off of Margaret. He tried to analyse the situation. Was it fear in her eyes, anger? Was it just exhaustion? But before he could go over and try to get her out of it Margaret spoke up again, having watched him.

"I gather it's not always like this, having to wait. I bet you're always the first to leave, Doctor. Never mind the consequences, off you go-"

Winnie interrupted her, "Your masterplan was to destroy an entire planet and ride the concussions out, in the middle of an explosion that would shock the entire solar system."