Back in Time

The End of the World (Pt. 2)

The Doctor was not, he decided, having a good day. The platform shook again, and he could have sworn it was getting hotter in the room. It could have just been him--Rassilion, he just had to choose a leather jacket on top of a jumper--as well, but at this point, he doubted it. The engines kicked up, and he sighed. One thing he couldn't change, it seemed. But no one has to die.

"Doctor!"

He turned around and blinked in surprise, staring as Rose came walking toward him. "Rose! What are you doing? I thought you were talking to a twig."
She frowned, cheeks turning a light pink in embarrassment. "I got bored. How do you know that, anyway?"

"I'm a Time Lord, I know everything."
She shook her head. "Whatever. What happened with the ship just now? Is it supposed to shake like that?"

He sighed, walking toward the observation gallery. Naturally, Rose followed. She always followed. "No, it's not. Of course, no one will admit to that. Who wants to admit to being on board a defective platform, near a dying planet, in the middle of space?" The Doctor shook his head. "No, they'll say something else. Something like gravity pockets to keep the guests calm."

"But they're not."

"No." He looked up when they entered the gallery, eyes locking in Jabe. Oh, she knew more than she let on. The Doctor sighed. She wouldn't die tonight. The woman in question looked over and spotted the two, walking toward them.

"That wasn't a gravity pocket," she began, and the Doctor shook his head.

"I know gravity pockets, and they don't feel like that. What do you think, Jabe? Listen to the engines."

Jabe frowned. "It sounds like metal. What's that supposed to mean?"

"We need to get to the engine room." The Doctor looked between her and Rose. "Take me to your room. There should be a maintenance duct behind your suit." Oh, he was being so, so careless with this, with the information he knew, but right now it didn't matter. Jabe couldn't come with him to the engine room, not unless he wanted her to burn.

Jabe looked unsurprised, to the Doctor's own surprise. "There is. I can take you and your wife."

"Not my wife." He felt himself blush lightly, feeling Rose's stare between he and Jabe. Great.

"Partner."

"Nope."
"Prostitute?"

"Okay then!" The Doctor quickly took Rose's hand, gripping it tight. "Rose, you can help me. You did before."

The blonde looked between them. "Sure you two don't want to...I dunno, pollinate or something?"

"Nope! No pollinating. Nothing of the sort," he said quickly. "Jabe, if you will?"

Jabe looked between them in amusement. "Then follow me."

-DW-

"You are a human, are you not?"

The trio had been walking together in silence, listening to the platform countdown to the end of Earth's long life. Rose had been fidgety, feeling the stares from Jabe and honestly feeling uncomfortable due to them. It wasn't often a tree stared at a person like that. At least, not from where she was from. When she was from. Whatever.

"How can you tell?"

"Despite how flat Lady Cassandra is, there are similar features between you two. The face. The skin." The tree lady ran a finger along Rose's skin. "So similar, yet so different."

Rose shrugged and rubbed her arm. "Honestly, I'd rather look the way I am than become a bitchy trampoline."

Jabe chuckled and looked up at the Doctor. "The Doctor brought you here from another time."