Part Two

II

It's one of those days again, the Doctor thinks. Time being wobbly, hostile aliens about, no real obvious plan for escape and he's shackled up in a cold tree dungeon - and all he can do is grin madly.

"This isn't funny, Doctor."

"Oh, but it is. You look great in a traditional Sha'Fal dress."

Rose merely rolls her eyes, tugging slightly at her own shackles before slumping down next to him. The green and brown fabric she is wearing clings to her body and looks made for someone a bit smaller. Not that he's complaining.

"We're so in trouble," she says, cleaning against her knees. Knowing what she's told him happened with the leader of the Fenu'Sha, he can only agree.

"You're the one who smashed the Great Singer's great treasure and ensured she'll be down later to torture us both."

"You're the one who went on about something being wrong."

"And I was gonna fix it."

"You're just jealous I stole your thunder."

"All right, Thunder Girl, what's the rest of the plan, then? You're the dominante female, so dominate me."

"You wish."

She shivers and he feels the grin fade from his lips.

"Cold?"

"I'm not exactly wearing much, you'll notice," she says sarcastically.

"Come here."

It takes a bit of doing with both shackled to the wall, but eventually she's leaning against him, hands inside his jacket. He can feel her breath rise and fall, her heartbeat reverberate across his skin.

"Have you ever wanted to freeze time, keep a moment forever?" she asks.

"Yes," he replies and closes his eyes to the memory.

Gallifrey. Life. A moment before the burn, forever and ever. No death. No kill. No change.

And then he wouldn't know her hand in his, his breath mingling with hers.

"Me too," she says quietly. "I'm just not sure what moment."

"Maybe you haven't found it yet."

"Maybe."

She shifts slightly, resting her head against his chest and the weight of her seems no burden at all.

"So weird, listening to your heartbeats."

"Not to me."

The silence lasts a moment longer before she shifts again.

"Doctor? Is that the sonic screwdriver in your pocket?"

"Yes."

"You could have freed us at any moment. What were you waiting for?"

"The perfect one?"

II

The people of Fanu'Sha really should learn to put exits at the bottom of their trees too. He remembers that in the future they will, but that still doesn't change the fact that he and Rose have to climb to the top of the tree (preferrably unnoticed) and then down again on the outside.

"Next time," Rose says, breath ragged, "let's go somewhere flat."

"Yes, O Dominant Female."

Up, up and up, knock down a few guards, up, up and up some more. They're not even halfway to the top when the tree begin to shake. Faintly at first, but soon more and more until it seems an earthquake.

"What's happening?" Rose asks, holding onto the wall with one hand and anchoring him to her with the other. He doesn't tell her he has his own grip on a wall.

"I think time has discovered the tree is supposed to be dead."

"That's not good."

"Nope."

"Can we find somewhere to jump out?"

"I don't know. Can you fly?"

"No. Can you?"

"Never got around to it."

The tree stops shaking for a moment, and he takes the chance to look around. Steps ever upwards and wood and glimmering fabric in the distance.

Ah.

"Rose, go downstairs and grab the gun of the guard we knocked out. Maybe we can blast our way out."

"Okay... Aren't you coming?"

"I'll just see if I can find anything to use up on the next floor."

She nods and then her steps fades into the darkness, hurrying down, down, down.

"I didn't realise she wasn't the dominant one," the voice of the Great Singer says from the darkness.

"You forgot," he replies, looking into the shadows. "You been stuck in this time for so long you've forgotten others are not like you. I'm the expert, but she's my companion. There is no domination."

"Then what is there?"

He doesn't reply, merely waits as the shadow walks haltingly down and the Great Singer walks into the faint light. She's fading, the green turning to brown before his eyes. Dying. There must be death in time.

"I'm sorry," he says, and means it. "What you used... It wasn't built for that purpose. It wouldn't have worked anyway. Time will find its way. It had already started. Your world would have been ripped apart if Rose hadn't destroyed that thing."

She looks wildly at him and her eyes feel like a mirror of something he almost was. "No. How can you know that? How can you...?"

"I think what you used came from my world," he says calmly, even as his mind shakes with memories he can never forget. "Gallifrey, home of the Time Lords. But even we dare not tame it. We follow it, feel it, join it, but some things cannot be done."

He tries not to wish it could, tries not to wish he could trap Gallifrey in life, in a day of autumn such as this forever, nothing ever touching it. He tries not to wish it and fails, yet knows he would never try it.

No change and you might as well be dead.

"I could force you to teach me all you know," she says, but there is no light in her eyes and the song has faded from her voice. "I could kill your companion unless you did."

"You could. And I could tear your planet apart and burn all the trees if you dared harm her."

"How much are you willing to let burn for her?"

"A million stars and all the planets around," he replies, no hesitation. "And she would tell me not to, force me not to. I can't help you. I'm sorry."

The Great Singer slumps against the tree and he takes the chance to bolt downstairs, not bothering to look back. He doesn't think she'll kill, but he'd rather not see it if it turns out to be wrong. It would be too embarassing to face.

He's almost at the bottom when Rose comes running at him, weapon clutched in her hand and a look of determination on her face that fades to relief as she sees him.

"Oh. You took so long. There I was thinking you'd gone to confront some danger without me again."

"You know me, I'm a coward," he replies, and eyes the weapon. "Let's see if this thing can blast us through."

"And then what?"

"Then we run and try not to get hit by falling trees," he says, and grins. "Ready, Rose Tyler and the amazing running shoes?"

"With you, always."

II

The trees fall with great shudders and and beats against the earth as drums in a dirge. He stands with Rose and listens until there is no sound, no song, only the memories of it.

"Did I do this?"

"No. Time did."

"What happens now to this place?" she asks quietly, watching the wind find no tall trees.

"What's always meant to happen. The seasons will come and go, life will spark and die, things will change. Everything changes."

"You're nine hundred years old. I can't imagine you've changed much."

"You have no idea," he says absentmindedly. "Come on, Rose. Time to move on, see a new day somewhere."

"What's next?"

"Somewhere flat. No trees. I know a planet of only crystals and grass and two suns."

"No danger?"

"Not this time."

"No running?"

"No. Walking, if you want. Or we can sit still and watch the suns rise. Trap the moment forever in memory. It might be perfect."

She smiles, a flicker of sadness in her smile still. "Let's get to it, then."

He nods and his hand has already found hers, as it always seems to do. In the distance, the first flakes of snow are falling quietly, bringing end so that beginnings may be too. Ever the change, time's constant companion.

He finds himself hoping he has an ever companion too. Just for today, tomorrow never coming.

"Rose?"

"Yes, Doctor?"

"Keep the dress on."

"Only if you put on something equally revealing."

"Deal."

It's going to be a good day, he thinks.

FIN