The Queen and the Rose

Chapter 22

The Doctor was bustling about in the med bay, looking around for more information that Rose really didn't think he needed.  She was knocking her heels against the table behind her, trying to get his attention.  He could clearly hear her doing this, as he shifted uncomfortably every once in awhile until finally he turned around and whipped his glasses off.  

"Excuse me, Rose, could you stop?" He asked patiently.

"I think we'd better get out of here.  Hand Isi the magic bag and let's get on the road," Rose replied, her voice far less patient.

The Doctor sniffed and stared at her, as though daring her to say anything else.  Of course, Rose was never one to turn down a fight, and she cocked an eyebrow at him.  Tipping her head, she grinned winningly at him.  "Go on, then.  Let's get out of here."

His gaze had dropped to her mouth, his own lips slightly parted as he stared at her.  Neither noticed Isi looking between both of them, grinning like a loon at their actions towards each other.  Eventually, his gaze snapped away form hers and he cleared his throat rather violently.  

He tossed the bag to Isi and walked past both of them.  She caught it and turned to Rose, a look of awe on her face.  "What it must be to hold that sort of power over a man," She said admiringly.

Rose lifted a shoulder and grinned before hopping off of the table.  "Newly discovered power, but one I'm definitely enjoying."

"Game plan!" The Doctor said as they reached the console room, clapping his hands together.  "That's what we need, a game plan."

"A game plan?" Isi furrowed her brows, pondering over the foreign order of the words, clearly oblivious to their meaning.  Rose had to stop herself from rolling her eyes, because of course, the Doctor was completely losing it. 

"A plan to get to the Queen," Rose replied. 

"She will be in the palace, we will have to sneak in that way," Isi said simply, "We will only be able to remove her from the inside.  She will go nowhere else."

Rose felt her eyes pop.  "So let me get this straight.  We have to creep back into the palace we just escaped from to attack a Queen with no real knowledge as to how much of this magic of hers she's going to use on us?"

It took a moment, but finally, Isi nodded.  "That's the only option we have," she said simply.  "She is too unpredictable in other areas to do anything else."

Feeling helpless, Rose flailed her hands in front of her.  "Can't we, I don't know, just take a gun and blast her down?"

The Doctor sent a softened gaze her way.  "We've got to give her a chance," he said, "Even after everything.  At the very least, we can banish her from Egypt."

Rose fought the urge to scream.  Sometimes, the Doctor's pacifism could be one of the most irritating things she'd ever been faced with.  It was all "No, Rose, we can't kill the bloodsucking alien, it's got to have a fair trail" and "I know that the Olactonian bit you, Rose, but really, the bleeding stopped, so don't you want to hear him out?"  It was all rather exhausting, when it came down to it, but she found herself gazing with him at fondness now.  He truly meant the best for everyone, as often as he could.

Isi didn't seem to agree with the Doctor's non-violence ideas.  She crossed her arms and stared him down.  "I have been a slave of that woman, in my mind, for years, Doctor, and I won't let her live a life when I didn't get mine."

"I know what she did to you, Khat, and Aui, and I'm sorry," the Doctor said earnestly, "But every step we take, from this moment on, has to be so carefully calculated, you wouldn't believe it.  We can't just go in there and... And blow the place.  It has to be done carefully.  She'll want to talk at us, not to us, and we're going to have to listen, at least, for a little bit."

The way Isi looked at him would've been enough to scare any other man, but the Doctor simply tipped his chin up and raised his eyebrows, practically taunting her to challenge him.  Of course, being a woman of the past, she would only push so far.  

"Fine," she spat, "We will play the game your way, Doctor, but if things go wrong, I will take matters into my own hands."

The Doctor gestured towards the door of the TARDIS.  "Please, lead on," he told her, not sarcastic in the least.  He had a feeling that if she sensed she was in control, she would feel safer and therefore be braver when she needed to be.  Holding her head high, Isi passed him and exited the TARDIS.  

Rose approached him and slid her hand into his. "Don't muck this up," she said, "We can't.  No room for error this time."

The Doctor turned to kiss her temple.  "Why do you think I have a plan this time?  You're on the line, almost more than ever.  We face this together, confidently, and... Well, in advance, mostly.  Then we can get out of here."

She smiled up at him, the beaming look on her face capturing his hearts all over again.  She squeezed his hand.  "It was fun up until all that capturing business, I hope you know that," she said earnestly, "I don't hate the danger as much as you think I do."

"I never said-" he started to say, then his jaw clicked shut.  She raised an eyebrow at him.

This woman knew him, through and through, there was no question about it.  And she'd promised to stay.  Through everything, even the danger.  She'd run with him through it all, and maybe that was what drew him to her.  She was so dangerous.  She was like him.  

The realization hit him full force as he led her out of the TARDIS.  They were very similar, him and Rose.  She was the only human that possessed the powers that she did, and he was the last Time Lord.  The more primal side of him wondered what would happen if they had children.  Technically, they'd be a whole new species.

Of course, he couldn't assume that Rose would want children.  With him, that was.  He couldn't assume that Rose wanted children with him.  Though she may have implied as much.  Often he'd have to admit to himself that he could be rather oblivious as to the intentions of women.  But he wanted to be in tune with Rose, he wanted to know exactly what she thought and wanted and needed so he could be at her side to give it to her.

It was possible that Rose made him a bit of a sap.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked softly as they walked along together, her grip on his hand tightening slightly.  

He returned his attention to the magnificent woman next to him as Isi led them onward towards the front of the palace.  A different approach as it were.  The Doctor smiled and tugged her hand gently.  "You," he said honestly.

She blushed and looked away.  "Charmer," she mumbled, and he had to resist the urge to sod their whole plan just so he could kiss Rose instead.  It wouldn't be the first time he'd had that thought in any situation, after all.  However, it was the first time he would've been able to act on it.  He was surprised at how much harder it was to keep himself from doing just that, now that he was technically allowed.

They reached the palace, and Isi looked nervously at the front entrance.  She'd clearly planned to go in a different way than their first, failed attempt.  It was a good plan, the Doctor had to admit, to keep up the unpredictability of the situation.  

"Alright," he said, giving Rose's hand another squeeze in reassurance and doing his best to look as confident as possible.  "Let's give this 'Queen' a run for her money, shall we?" 

Rose noticed Isi's look of confusion and patted her shoulder in sympathy before they entered the palace, and the fate that awaited them inside.