The Queen and the Rose

Chapter 24

The Doctor watched Rose, seeing the power burn through her.  She was standing over Surbia, her hand somehow pinning her down.  

"I could kill you," Rose said lowly, "You could die now, and no one could stop me.  Not even the Doctor."

"You won't!" Surbia gasped, now clutching at her own neck, smearing her blood across it.  "You'd do anything the Doctor asked of you."

Rose turned her wrist slowly and Surbia gasped, trying to get to her feet and failing.  The Doctor was torn between going to Rose and checking on Isi, caught in limbo in the middle of the two.  He finally settled on checking Isi's pulse, sure that Rose probably could handle things for now.  

No pulse.

He felt himself shaking with anger as he got back to his feet.  There was no reason to kill Isi, and the Queen must've known that as well.  Vision blurring with emotion so intense he felt it all the way through his body, he moved to where Rose stood.  Her shoulders were pulled tight, muscles tense, shaking with effort.

The Doctor was a man of second chances, but this was too far.  An innocent woman, who had been manipulated since she was young, had died.  She'd had a bright future, of course she had, but Queen Surbia had taken it from her.  He slid his hands onto Rose's shoulders, letting a burst of affection flood from his body into hers to encourage her as he rubbed her shoulders lightly.

She did not stop what she was doing, but she responded to his touch, and to his surprise, he felt her mind flood into his, showing him all the love she felt for him.  It almost startled him away from her, fears and insecurities of the past building up, but instead, it drew him closer to her.  

They were equals; a team.  If they didn't stay together, they were nothing.  And oh, how he wanted them to be together for as long as they possibly could.  So he let his instincts take over him as he lowered his lips to her ear, focused entirely on her, on the rage that matched his.  She was furious about Isi, could feel her death, the Doctor could sense it in her.  

"Finish this," he whispered, his voice colder than he'd ever known it to be.  Rose reached up to touch one of his hands with her free one.  

"No!" Surbia shouted, struggling to get to her feet again.  She was determined, the Doctor had to give her that much, but enough was enough.  A woman like her had had enough chances.  

"Shut up," Rose snapped, "I've had enough of you, and what you've done to Isi, and me and the Doctor.  That.  Is.  Enough."

She twisted her wrist with bruising force and Surbia fell completely to the ground, no longer breathing.  Rose felt her eyes roll back in her head and fell back.  The Doctor caught her, sweeping her up in his arms.  It was really about time for them to leave.  

At that moment, Khat ran into the room, breathing heavily, as though she'd had a feeling something was going on.  Her eyes drifted down to the Queen's body and she gasped softly, though she didn't seem upset.  "Oh," she said softly.  "I..."

"Not a word," the Doctor replied quietly.  "The kingdom is yours now, Khat.  You can protect it.  Do it for Isi, and yourself, and all the people that wicked woman has manipulated."

Khat stood tall and laid her right fist over her heart.  "I will protect the kingdom with my life, Doctor."

"I know you will," he told her confidently.  "I'll keep an eye on you, Khat.  But we were never here, do you understand?"

Khat furrowed her brows, looking afraid.  "How will anyone in the kingdom accept me without the word from you?"

The Doctor picked up the pouch Rose had been holding.  "I have my ways.  Lead well, Khat."

The woman bowed her head again, and the Doctor started to leave the palace.  He glanced down at Isi, feeling tears building up in the back of his mind.  He cleared his throat.  "I'm sorry," he whispered, "I'm really, truly sorry."

Hoisting Rose into a more comfortable position, her head falling on his shoulder, he left the palace and Egypt's new Queen behind him.

The job of carrying Rose back to the TARDIS wasn't too much, considering he would never feel that taking care of his precious girl would be a chore.  He carried her straight to the med bay, though, as she hadn't woken up yet.  

As he was hooking her vitals up to monitor them, he couldn't help but let his mind wander to the fact that he had let her kill a human being.  And as much as he wanted to regret it, he couldn't.  There was no redeeming Surbia and he knew it.  Someone that evil would never recover.  He sighed heavily and ran his hand through his hair.  There were other things to take care of for now.  He leaned forward and kissed Rose on the forehead, his hand stroking her hair as he stood up.  He had something to do, to make Khat a great Queen.

***

Rose awoke a short time later with a wicked headache and filtered memories of the past few hours.  She'd killed Surbia.  She closed her eyes, trying to conjure up some remorse and found that she couldn't.  Isi was dead and it was all that horrible woman's fault.  They'd all deserved better, and now, maybe they would.

"Doctor," she called out, her throat raspy and dry.  He wasn't in the med bay with her, which made her a little anxious.  Had he gone back out and found a war waiting for him?  "Doctor?"

She shifted on the table, feeling uncomfortable and afraid.  There was nothing to do but call to him, and so she continued to do so until she heard him rushing down the hall to where she was.  He burst through the door, looking panicked. 

"Are you alright?" He asked, rushing to her side to lay his wrist on her forehead.  "Does it hurt?" 

"No," she replied, reaching up to grab his wrist so she could pull it down to lace their fingers together.  "Just didn't know where you went."

He grinned manically at her.  "I've done something very good," he replied.  "The powder can be used to manipulate, but I've sort of put Khat in charge of Egypt."

Rose giggled and rolled her eyes.  "Of course you have."

He pulled her hand his lips and looked down fondly at her.  "Aren't you proud of me?" He asked against her skin.

"Yeah."

"You feeling alright?  You passed out."

"I killed Surbia," she replied.  "The secret Queen of Egypt and I bloody offed her with my bare hands."

The Doctor hadn't removed his mouth from her hand, and he nodded slowly.  "I encouraged you.  There was no way to save her, Rose, you know that as well as I."

Rose coughed suddenly, trying to sit up but not quite managing it.  The Doctor lurched forwards to help her sit up and cough.  He rubbed his hand on her back, trying to calm her. 

"Oh my God," she whispered, holding her hand out for the Doctor to see. 

Mixed with her own blood in her hand were golden flecks and swirls.  The Doctor grabbed her hand.  

"Do not lick it," she warned him. 

"I'm not going to," he said, "I'm going to test it."

He knew one thing this could mean, and it was a genetic impossibility.