Birthday Fic: Undiplomatic
Story: Undiplomatic
Author: wmr wendymr
Characters: Tenth Doctor, Rose
Rated: PG13
Disclaimer: ... come on, do I need to say it?
Summary: "So it doesn't bother you that we're in jail again?"
Black humour here, so be prepared. Written for my dear friend christn7 as a birthday present - and, as it's already Saturday in Australia, I'm posting now. With very many thanks to dark_aegis and kae_nine for BRing at short notice and reassuring me that at least they like it :)
Undiplomatic
“S’pose you absolutely had to tell the prince that purple’s not his colour.”
“It’s not! He looked ridiculous. Didn’t you see that... that... that thing he was wearing, with the puffy sleeves and frilly edging? Little-girly. He just needed pigtails and a lisp for the full effect. Would’ve made a pretty ugly little girl, really, with that wart on his chin -”
“An’ you had to tell him that too? Couldn’t’ve just... I dunno... tried bein’ diplomatic for once?”
“Diplomatic? Diplomatic? With a big girls’ blouse like that?”
“So it doesn’t bother you that we’re in jail again?”
“Nah! I’ll get us out of here, no probs. You’ll see.”
She folds her arms with a sigh. “Heard that one before. Last time I was almost frozen to death by the time you finally figured a way out. An’ the time before I got us out - by apologisin’ for your rudeness.”
“Are you saying you don’t trust me, Rose Tyler? Because I could very easily get offended at that. Here I am, opening up my TARDIS to take you all over time and space, showing you the wonders of the universe as your personal tour-guide, and when we just happen to get into a tiny bit of trouble, completely by accident, the kind of mistake anyone could make, you turn it into a big deal and don’t trust me to get us out of it?”
“Well, now that you mention it...”
***
“All right, I give up.”
“What?”
“I don’t get it.”
“What don’t you get?”
“We’re locked in a cell, right?”
“Think we’ve established that, yeah.”
“They’ve left our hands untied. We’ve even got light. The only thing between us an’ freedom’s a door. Am I right, or have I missed something?”
“Nope. Seems a pretty good summary to me.”
“So why are we still here? I mean, shouldn’t you be, I dunno, resonating concrete by now? If not actually... um... y’know, unlocking the door?” He did say he’d get them out. No probs, he said. Easy.
The Doctor looks directly at her for the first time since they were thrown in here, and suddenly there’s no humour at all in his gaze. A chill runs through her.
“They took my screwdriver away.”
***
“Rose, what are you doing?”
“What’s it look like I’m doing?”
“Well, it looks like you’re trying to use a twenty-first century metal hairclip to pick the lock.”
“Score an A-star for the genius!”
“A lock that doesn’t have tumblers.”
“Oh.”
“Well... It was a good thought. In principle. Definitely an A for effort and determination.”
“But it’s not going to get us out of here, is it?”
“Nope.”
***
“I lied. I’m sorry.”
He’s just spent the last half-hour, she thinks, examining the cell in minute detail, for the fourth time since they were thrown in here. Now, he’s come to lean against the wall next to her and he’s staring at the floor.
“ ‘Bout what?”
“I said I could get us out of here. Said it’d be no problem. Easy. But I can’t, Rose. There’s no way out. I’m sorry.”
After a moment, she reaches over and curls her hand around his. “ ‘S not your fault, Doctor.”
“Yes, it is.”
He grips her hand tightly, and they both stare at the floor.
***
“Doctor?”
“Yep?”
“You know how if you die you regenerate, right?”
“Right...?”
“So, what happens if you’re beheaded, then? Do you still regenerate?”
There’s a pause. A long pause. He rubs the back of his neck in apparent contemplation - or maybe it’s a protective gesture. “Um. I don’t know. It’s never actually happened. Dunno if it ever happened to any other Time Lord either.”
“Oh.” She stares at her hands. “Well, what d’you think would happen? Could you come back?”
“Be a bit difficult if my head’s separated from my body, I think. Um. Well... perhaps not. Or maybe I would, but my body would regenerate already decapitated. That could be interesting. Might be, anyway.”
“Yeah.” She drums her fingers on her knee. “S’pose you’ll get to find out soon enough.”
“Suppose I will. You might, as well. They did say I get to go first, didn’t I?”
“Yeah. Lucky you, eh?”
***
“ ‘M cold.”
She hears him shuffle closer. The light blinked out abruptly half an hour ago. Now they’ve got no way of knowing how long remains until morning; she can’t see her watch. “C’mere.”
His arm wraps around her, pulling her into his body. There’s not a lot of body heat coming from him, of course, but it still helps.
“I’m sorry.”
“Said that already.”
“Saying it again.”
“Yeah.”
“Shouldn’t have promised I’d get us out when I knew I couldn’t.”
“We’ll get out. Always do, us. Unbeatable combination, you an’ me, yeah?”
“Yeah.”
His chin comes to rest on top of her head. “All the same...”
“Yeah?”
“If we don’t escape this time...”
“Don’t say that. We’re gonna escape, Doctor. Course we are.”
“Course we are,” he agrees. “All the same... I’m sorry.”
***
“What time d’you think it is?”
“Depends.”
“On what?”
“On where you’re talking about. And what convention. Earth standard? London time? Behazadian time?”
“Don’t care. Just wanna know how long we’ve got until morning.”
“Until dawn... ooh, four hours, three minutes and twenty-two - no, twenty seconds.”
“That’s... um, precise.”
“Yep.”
“Thanks. Good to know.”
“Yeah.”
“So... you know any good games to pass the time?”
“Well... I s’pose we could try I-Spy.”
“Yeah, right. I spy with my little eye... something beginning with D.”
“You liar! You can’t see me! You can’t see in the dark.”
“Exactly.”
“Oh. Right. Sorry. Not I-Spy, then.”
“Best not.”
***
“You’ll tell my mum, won’t you?”
There’s a pause, and she knows he’s considering whether to lie. Finally, he says, “If I can,” and she knows he’s reminding her that he might not survive this either.
“Thanks.”
“Welcome.”
“You don’t need to tell her the truth.”
“No? Rose Tyler, are you suggesting I lie to your mum?”
“Nah. Jus’... you don’t need to tell her about the purple ruffles, all right?”
“Doesn’t sound like much of a cause to die for, I suppose.”
“Could think of better.”
He bumps her shoulder. “You saved the universe, Rose Tyler.” His voice falls to a whisper. “You saved me.”
“Wouldn’t’ve missed it for the world.” And she means it every bit as much now as when she first said it.
“Still. Shouldn’t end like this. I’m sorry, R-”
No. Not again.
Because she’s scared, because time’s running out and they’ve got less than three hours to live, because she’ll regret it for all of the one hundred and seventy minutes left of her life and because she can’t bear to hear him apologise again, she finds his face with her hands, pulls it down to hers and kisses him.
***
“Rose?”
“Yeah?”
“Is there some reason why you’ve just had your tongue down my throat?”
“Probably the same reason you just had yours down mine.”
“I asked you first.”
She wants to evade, but they’ve only got a little over two hours left. She doesn’t want his last memories of her - assuming he does regenerate - to be of her lying. “Always wanted to. Figured this was my last chance.”
“Aah, course it’s not. We’ll get out of this. Always do, you and me. We’ll be fine. Plenty more chances to snog me. Always supposing -”
“No more pretendin’, Doctor. Please. We’ve only got -” Her voice gives way; she takes a deep breath before continuing. “ - a couple of hours. I don’t wanna spend them lyin’ to each other.”
He folds her into his arms. “How do you want to spend them?”
She finds his lips again in the dark. “With you.”
***
“Floor’s cold.”
“Yeah.” He moves away, and there’s rustling. “Here. Try this. Won’t be warm, but it’s better than nothing.”
He’s laid his coat and jacket on the floor. And, yes, it’s better. Not just because it’s eased the chill, but because they’ve got his scent. She’s cocooned by him, his coat below her, his body leaning over her.
“If you’re cold, we should probably stop,” he says, but his hand’s still roaming over her body.
“You’re joking.” She pulls him closer, forces her hand through his shirt-buttons, groaning in frustration as she finds a T-shirt underneath. “Not gonna stop now. Not gonna die without doin’ this with you. ‘Sides, ‘s a good way of keeping warm, right?”
“Well... arousal does increase the blood flow around the body, making your heart pump harder and generating body h -”
She reaches up and presses her lips against his to swallow his words. When they’re counting their remaining time in minutes, talking’s not a priority.
Though a little bit of talking’s okay.
“This all right?”
“Jus’ a bit to the left -”
“Like that?”
“Oh, yeah... Oh!”
“Oh, Rose Tyler, you...”
“That better be a compliment, Doctor.”
“Gorgeous? Sexy? Insatiable?”
“Keep going.”
He moves. She gasps. “This good enough for you?”
“Won’t complain if you do it some more.”
“How about this?”
“You’re gonna kill me if you keep that up -”
He kisses her hard, cutting off her choked sob, and makes her splinter in his arms. It’s only as her breathing returns to normal that she realises he didn’t come.
***
“What’re you doing now?”
Her words are muffled. “What’s it feel like?”
“I know what it feels like. Just... why?”
She raises her head from his lap. “Cause I want to. Cause I want you... to.”
“Rose.” His fingers comb through her hair. “You don’t need to do that.”
“Told you. I want to.” She leans down again.
This time, he sits back, his hand resting in her hair, and a shuddering sigh escapes him as her tongue swirls around him.
Later, he pulls her up hard against his chest, wraps his arms around her tightly enough to hurt, mutters something indistinct and kisses her deeply.
It’s only as she kisses back that she realises what he said. All my fault.
***
“What’s it like? Dyin’, I mean.”
“Hard to say. Different each time. Let’s see... I died of old age, then forcibly regenerated, then bitten by a poisonous spider. Then there was that fall from the radio-telescope. Not a lot of fun, that. Next one was poison. That was a bad one. Woke up in my sixth body and nearly strangled my companion.”
“Ow.” She snuggles closer to him. He’ll think she means his companion, whoever she was, but she knows him. He probably still feels guilty.
“Not one of my better lives, that one. Got better towards the end. Then... well, ran into an old enemy and died during the fallout. Then... ooh, shot in the heart and died on an operating table. And you ask why I don’t like hospitals?”
Yeah, makes sense, that. And she’s been counting. She knows what’s coming next.
“You saw my most recent death. That was interesting. Never went up in flames before. Or did it standing up.”
“You should’ve been the one watchin’ it. Had no idea you could die an’ come back in a different body.”
“I did try to explain! Not easy when every cell in your body’s dying and your brain’s about to explode. But, yeah. Dying. Not much I can say, really. It hurts, but then it’s over. The best ones are over fast. Can’t tell you what comes after, if anything does. Never stay dead that long.”
A shiver runs through her. In a little over half an hour, they’ll be losing their heads. The Behazadian commander took great pleasure in explaining the process to them last night before they were thrown in this cell. One by one, the Doctor first, they’ll be taken to a platform, made to kneel down with their head on a shelf, and a soldier armed with a sword will decapitate them. If they’re lucky, the commander said, it’ll work first time.
She really shouldn’t ask. But she’s got to know. “How long till dawn?”
It’s long enough before he replies that she wonders if he’s fallen asleep. “Seven minutes.”
“Doctor...” If she doesn’t say it now, she never will. “I lo -”
“I want you to run. I’m gonna create a distraction - I’m brilliant at distractions, I am. I want you to run. Get back to the TARDIS. They’ll kill me, but that’s okay. I’ll regenerate, and then I’ll come back to you.”
“No! ‘M not leaving you, Doctor.”
“You’ve got to.” His voice is harsh. “They’ll kill you. You’ll be dead and there’ll be nothing I can do to save you. Nothing. You’ve got to run. I regenerate, I’ll be fine.”
“What if they behead you? You said, you said you probably won’t come back.”
“And if I don’t come back then I don’t. But you’ll be alive.”
Finding his shoulders in the dark, she shakes him. “The universe needs you more than it needs me. I’ll create the distraction. You run.”
“No. Rose, I won’t -”
She interrupts him. “We go down together, yeah? Jus’ like always.”
He sighs, relaxing into her arms. “Together. All right.”
“Good.”
“Though you know even if I do survive this it won’t do me any good.”
“No?”
“Nope. Jackie’s going to kill me.”
***
They scramble to their feet as footsteps approach outside.
He takes her hand as they hear the door being unlocked.
“Last chance,” he whispers as he brushes his lips against her cheek.
“I love you,” she whispers back, because it’s her last chance to say it.
“Quite right too,” he says; at least, she thinks it’s what he says, because his voice gives way in the middle of it.
He moves, putting his body in front of hers as the Behazadian captain orders, “The prisoners will come this way.”
***
“Let her go!” he pleads with the Behazadian captain. “She did nothing. It was all my fault.”
“No, Doctor! Told you, ‘m not leavin’ you.”
“The prisoners will be silent,” the captain orders.
“It seems the prisoner has learned nothing from his night of contemplation.” The prince steps out, still wearing the purple ruffles. The Doctor’s right. He really does look ridiculous.
“Oh, I have.” The Doctor drops her hand and steps forward, pushing past the captain. “I’ve learned that for all my brilliance I can be pretty stupid sometimes. I’ve learned that the human race is among the bravest in the universe. I’ve learned that the right words can often be the hardest thing to say.”
He turns, and his gaze meets hers, and even though she’s furious with him for going back on their agreement her heart melts at the look in his eyes. “Especially when others say the right words first.”
He turns back to the prince. “And I’ve learned that if words can get me into trouble then maybe they can get me out of trouble too. Your Excellence, your most magnificent Magnificence, you are the very picture of elegance. Your choice of clothing is a credit to your good sense and judgement, and flatters your appearance most perfectly. I beg of you, let my companion go, and I’ll write a sonnet to your style, sophistication and clemency.”
There’s a pause, during which every one of the soldiers stares at the prince, awaiting orders, swords drawn and pointed at the Doctor. She tries to reach for him, but the captain restrains her.
And then the prince speaks. “What is this... sonnet?”
***
“I don’t believe you ripped off Shakespeare!”
“Got us out alive, didn’t it? Told you I’d do it.”
“What was it again? My prince’s eyes are nothing like the sun?”
“Purple is far more vivid when on his shoulders worn
If skin be pitted, why, his is perfection done
If frills be fashionable, then his do splendour adorn.”
He grins. “Can’t remember the rest. Well, I can, but it’s too horrible to repeat.”
“Yeah.” She shudders. “Did the trick, though. Couldn’t believe it when he said he’d let us live.”
His fingers tighten around hers. “I am sorry, though. Could’ve been a bit more diplomatic. Just a teeny, tiny fraction.”
“Well, yeah.” She grins at him. “Or you could just try keepin’ your mouth shut.”
“Oi!”
“Or, y’know, I could keep it shut for you...”
“Sounds like a much better idea.”
- end
Author: wmr wendymr
Characters: Tenth Doctor, Rose
Rated: PG13
Disclaimer: ... come on, do I need to say it?
Summary: "So it doesn't bother you that we're in jail again?"
Black humour here, so be prepared. Written for my dear friend christn7 as a birthday present - and, as it's already Saturday in Australia, I'm posting now. With very many thanks to dark_aegis and kae_nine for BRing at short notice and reassuring me that at least they like it :)
Undiplomatic
“S’pose you absolutely had to tell the prince that purple’s not his colour.”
“It’s not! He looked ridiculous. Didn’t you see that... that... that thing he was wearing, with the puffy sleeves and frilly edging? Little-girly. He just needed pigtails and a lisp for the full effect. Would’ve made a pretty ugly little girl, really, with that wart on his chin -”
“An’ you had to tell him that too? Couldn’t’ve just... I dunno... tried bein’ diplomatic for once?”
“Diplomatic? Diplomatic? With a big girls’ blouse like that?”
“So it doesn’t bother you that we’re in jail again?”
“Nah! I’ll get us out of here, no probs. You’ll see.”
She folds her arms with a sigh. “Heard that one before. Last time I was almost frozen to death by the time you finally figured a way out. An’ the time before I got us out - by apologisin’ for your rudeness.”
“Are you saying you don’t trust me, Rose Tyler? Because I could very easily get offended at that. Here I am, opening up my TARDIS to take you all over time and space, showing you the wonders of the universe as your personal tour-guide, and when we just happen to get into a tiny bit of trouble, completely by accident, the kind of mistake anyone could make, you turn it into a big deal and don’t trust me to get us out of it?”
“Well, now that you mention it...”
***
“All right, I give up.”
“What?”
“I don’t get it.”
“What don’t you get?”
“We’re locked in a cell, right?”
“Think we’ve established that, yeah.”
“They’ve left our hands untied. We’ve even got light. The only thing between us an’ freedom’s a door. Am I right, or have I missed something?”
“Nope. Seems a pretty good summary to me.”
“So why are we still here? I mean, shouldn’t you be, I dunno, resonating concrete by now? If not actually... um... y’know, unlocking the door?” He did say he’d get them out. No probs, he said. Easy.
The Doctor looks directly at her for the first time since they were thrown in here, and suddenly there’s no humour at all in his gaze. A chill runs through her.
“They took my screwdriver away.”
***
“Rose, what are you doing?”
“What’s it look like I’m doing?”
“Well, it looks like you’re trying to use a twenty-first century metal hairclip to pick the lock.”
“Score an A-star for the genius!”
“A lock that doesn’t have tumblers.”
“Oh.”
“Well... It was a good thought. In principle. Definitely an A for effort and determination.”
“But it’s not going to get us out of here, is it?”
“Nope.”
***
“I lied. I’m sorry.”
He’s just spent the last half-hour, she thinks, examining the cell in minute detail, for the fourth time since they were thrown in here. Now, he’s come to lean against the wall next to her and he’s staring at the floor.
“ ‘Bout what?”
“I said I could get us out of here. Said it’d be no problem. Easy. But I can’t, Rose. There’s no way out. I’m sorry.”
After a moment, she reaches over and curls her hand around his. “ ‘S not your fault, Doctor.”
“Yes, it is.”
He grips her hand tightly, and they both stare at the floor.
***
“Doctor?”
“Yep?”
“You know how if you die you regenerate, right?”
“Right...?”
“So, what happens if you’re beheaded, then? Do you still regenerate?”
There’s a pause. A long pause. He rubs the back of his neck in apparent contemplation - or maybe it’s a protective gesture. “Um. I don’t know. It’s never actually happened. Dunno if it ever happened to any other Time Lord either.”
“Oh.” She stares at her hands. “Well, what d’you think would happen? Could you come back?”
“Be a bit difficult if my head’s separated from my body, I think. Um. Well... perhaps not. Or maybe I would, but my body would regenerate already decapitated. That could be interesting. Might be, anyway.”
“Yeah.” She drums her fingers on her knee. “S’pose you’ll get to find out soon enough.”
“Suppose I will. You might, as well. They did say I get to go first, didn’t I?”
“Yeah. Lucky you, eh?”
***
“ ‘M cold.”
She hears him shuffle closer. The light blinked out abruptly half an hour ago. Now they’ve got no way of knowing how long remains until morning; she can’t see her watch. “C’mere.”
His arm wraps around her, pulling her into his body. There’s not a lot of body heat coming from him, of course, but it still helps.
“I’m sorry.”
“Said that already.”
“Saying it again.”
“Yeah.”
“Shouldn’t have promised I’d get us out when I knew I couldn’t.”
“We’ll get out. Always do, us. Unbeatable combination, you an’ me, yeah?”
“Yeah.”
His chin comes to rest on top of her head. “All the same...”
“Yeah?”
“If we don’t escape this time...”
“Don’t say that. We’re gonna escape, Doctor. Course we are.”
“Course we are,” he agrees. “All the same... I’m sorry.”
***
“What time d’you think it is?”
“Depends.”
“On what?”
“On where you’re talking about. And what convention. Earth standard? London time? Behazadian time?”
“Don’t care. Just wanna know how long we’ve got until morning.”
“Until dawn... ooh, four hours, three minutes and twenty-two - no, twenty seconds.”
“That’s... um, precise.”
“Yep.”
“Thanks. Good to know.”
“Yeah.”
“So... you know any good games to pass the time?”
“Well... I s’pose we could try I-Spy.”
“Yeah, right. I spy with my little eye... something beginning with D.”
“You liar! You can’t see me! You can’t see in the dark.”
“Exactly.”
“Oh. Right. Sorry. Not I-Spy, then.”
“Best not.”
***
“You’ll tell my mum, won’t you?”
There’s a pause, and she knows he’s considering whether to lie. Finally, he says, “If I can,” and she knows he’s reminding her that he might not survive this either.
“Thanks.”
“Welcome.”
“You don’t need to tell her the truth.”
“No? Rose Tyler, are you suggesting I lie to your mum?”
“Nah. Jus’... you don’t need to tell her about the purple ruffles, all right?”
“Doesn’t sound like much of a cause to die for, I suppose.”
“Could think of better.”
He bumps her shoulder. “You saved the universe, Rose Tyler.” His voice falls to a whisper. “You saved me.”
“Wouldn’t’ve missed it for the world.” And she means it every bit as much now as when she first said it.
“Still. Shouldn’t end like this. I’m sorry, R-”
No. Not again.
Because she’s scared, because time’s running out and they’ve got less than three hours to live, because she’ll regret it for all of the one hundred and seventy minutes left of her life and because she can’t bear to hear him apologise again, she finds his face with her hands, pulls it down to hers and kisses him.
***
“Rose?”
“Yeah?”
“Is there some reason why you’ve just had your tongue down my throat?”
“Probably the same reason you just had yours down mine.”
“I asked you first.”
She wants to evade, but they’ve only got a little over two hours left. She doesn’t want his last memories of her - assuming he does regenerate - to be of her lying. “Always wanted to. Figured this was my last chance.”
“Aah, course it’s not. We’ll get out of this. Always do, you and me. We’ll be fine. Plenty more chances to snog me. Always supposing -”
“No more pretendin’, Doctor. Please. We’ve only got -” Her voice gives way; she takes a deep breath before continuing. “ - a couple of hours. I don’t wanna spend them lyin’ to each other.”
He folds her into his arms. “How do you want to spend them?”
She finds his lips again in the dark. “With you.”
***
“Floor’s cold.”
“Yeah.” He moves away, and there’s rustling. “Here. Try this. Won’t be warm, but it’s better than nothing.”
He’s laid his coat and jacket on the floor. And, yes, it’s better. Not just because it’s eased the chill, but because they’ve got his scent. She’s cocooned by him, his coat below her, his body leaning over her.
“If you’re cold, we should probably stop,” he says, but his hand’s still roaming over her body.
“You’re joking.” She pulls him closer, forces her hand through his shirt-buttons, groaning in frustration as she finds a T-shirt underneath. “Not gonna stop now. Not gonna die without doin’ this with you. ‘Sides, ‘s a good way of keeping warm, right?”
“Well... arousal does increase the blood flow around the body, making your heart pump harder and generating body h -”
She reaches up and presses her lips against his to swallow his words. When they’re counting their remaining time in minutes, talking’s not a priority.
Though a little bit of talking’s okay.
“This all right?”
“Jus’ a bit to the left -”
“Like that?”
“Oh, yeah... Oh!”
“Oh, Rose Tyler, you...”
“That better be a compliment, Doctor.”
“Gorgeous? Sexy? Insatiable?”
“Keep going.”
He moves. She gasps. “This good enough for you?”
“Won’t complain if you do it some more.”
“How about this?”
“You’re gonna kill me if you keep that up -”
He kisses her hard, cutting off her choked sob, and makes her splinter in his arms. It’s only as her breathing returns to normal that she realises he didn’t come.
***
“What’re you doing now?”
Her words are muffled. “What’s it feel like?”
“I know what it feels like. Just... why?”
She raises her head from his lap. “Cause I want to. Cause I want you... to.”
“Rose.” His fingers comb through her hair. “You don’t need to do that.”
“Told you. I want to.” She leans down again.
This time, he sits back, his hand resting in her hair, and a shuddering sigh escapes him as her tongue swirls around him.
Later, he pulls her up hard against his chest, wraps his arms around her tightly enough to hurt, mutters something indistinct and kisses her deeply.
It’s only as she kisses back that she realises what he said. All my fault.
***
“What’s it like? Dyin’, I mean.”
“Hard to say. Different each time. Let’s see... I died of old age, then forcibly regenerated, then bitten by a poisonous spider. Then there was that fall from the radio-telescope. Not a lot of fun, that. Next one was poison. That was a bad one. Woke up in my sixth body and nearly strangled my companion.”
“Ow.” She snuggles closer to him. He’ll think she means his companion, whoever she was, but she knows him. He probably still feels guilty.
“Not one of my better lives, that one. Got better towards the end. Then... well, ran into an old enemy and died during the fallout. Then... ooh, shot in the heart and died on an operating table. And you ask why I don’t like hospitals?”
Yeah, makes sense, that. And she’s been counting. She knows what’s coming next.
“You saw my most recent death. That was interesting. Never went up in flames before. Or did it standing up.”
“You should’ve been the one watchin’ it. Had no idea you could die an’ come back in a different body.”
“I did try to explain! Not easy when every cell in your body’s dying and your brain’s about to explode. But, yeah. Dying. Not much I can say, really. It hurts, but then it’s over. The best ones are over fast. Can’t tell you what comes after, if anything does. Never stay dead that long.”
A shiver runs through her. In a little over half an hour, they’ll be losing their heads. The Behazadian commander took great pleasure in explaining the process to them last night before they were thrown in this cell. One by one, the Doctor first, they’ll be taken to a platform, made to kneel down with their head on a shelf, and a soldier armed with a sword will decapitate them. If they’re lucky, the commander said, it’ll work first time.
She really shouldn’t ask. But she’s got to know. “How long till dawn?”
It’s long enough before he replies that she wonders if he’s fallen asleep. “Seven minutes.”
“Doctor...” If she doesn’t say it now, she never will. “I lo -”
“I want you to run. I’m gonna create a distraction - I’m brilliant at distractions, I am. I want you to run. Get back to the TARDIS. They’ll kill me, but that’s okay. I’ll regenerate, and then I’ll come back to you.”
“No! ‘M not leaving you, Doctor.”
“You’ve got to.” His voice is harsh. “They’ll kill you. You’ll be dead and there’ll be nothing I can do to save you. Nothing. You’ve got to run. I regenerate, I’ll be fine.”
“What if they behead you? You said, you said you probably won’t come back.”
“And if I don’t come back then I don’t. But you’ll be alive.”
Finding his shoulders in the dark, she shakes him. “The universe needs you more than it needs me. I’ll create the distraction. You run.”
“No. Rose, I won’t -”
She interrupts him. “We go down together, yeah? Jus’ like always.”
He sighs, relaxing into her arms. “Together. All right.”
“Good.”
“Though you know even if I do survive this it won’t do me any good.”
“No?”
“Nope. Jackie’s going to kill me.”
***
They scramble to their feet as footsteps approach outside.
He takes her hand as they hear the door being unlocked.
“Last chance,” he whispers as he brushes his lips against her cheek.
“I love you,” she whispers back, because it’s her last chance to say it.
“Quite right too,” he says; at least, she thinks it’s what he says, because his voice gives way in the middle of it.
He moves, putting his body in front of hers as the Behazadian captain orders, “The prisoners will come this way.”
***
“Let her go!” he pleads with the Behazadian captain. “She did nothing. It was all my fault.”
“No, Doctor! Told you, ‘m not leavin’ you.”
“The prisoners will be silent,” the captain orders.
“It seems the prisoner has learned nothing from his night of contemplation.” The prince steps out, still wearing the purple ruffles. The Doctor’s right. He really does look ridiculous.
“Oh, I have.” The Doctor drops her hand and steps forward, pushing past the captain. “I’ve learned that for all my brilliance I can be pretty stupid sometimes. I’ve learned that the human race is among the bravest in the universe. I’ve learned that the right words can often be the hardest thing to say.”
He turns, and his gaze meets hers, and even though she’s furious with him for going back on their agreement her heart melts at the look in his eyes. “Especially when others say the right words first.”
He turns back to the prince. “And I’ve learned that if words can get me into trouble then maybe they can get me out of trouble too. Your Excellence, your most magnificent Magnificence, you are the very picture of elegance. Your choice of clothing is a credit to your good sense and judgement, and flatters your appearance most perfectly. I beg of you, let my companion go, and I’ll write a sonnet to your style, sophistication and clemency.”
There’s a pause, during which every one of the soldiers stares at the prince, awaiting orders, swords drawn and pointed at the Doctor. She tries to reach for him, but the captain restrains her.
And then the prince speaks. “What is this... sonnet?”
***
“I don’t believe you ripped off Shakespeare!”
“Got us out alive, didn’t it? Told you I’d do it.”
“What was it again? My prince’s eyes are nothing like the sun?”
“Purple is far more vivid when on his shoulders worn
If skin be pitted, why, his is perfection done
If frills be fashionable, then his do splendour adorn.”
He grins. “Can’t remember the rest. Well, I can, but it’s too horrible to repeat.”
“Yeah.” She shudders. “Did the trick, though. Couldn’t believe it when he said he’d let us live.”
His fingers tighten around hers. “I am sorry, though. Could’ve been a bit more diplomatic. Just a teeny, tiny fraction.”
“Well, yeah.” She grins at him. “Or you could just try keepin’ your mouth shut.”
“Oi!”
“Or, y’know, I could keep it shut for you...”
“Sounds like a much better idea.”
- end