Canon: Only loosely based on beginning of The Impossible Planet.

Settling Down

By Alexannah

Immigration and Customs

If the shuttle ride had been long, the queue they were now in was longer. Rose, whose legs had already been wobbly when they began, was close to falling asleep on the Doctor's shoulder. He had been fiddling with his sonic screwdriver when they began, but had had to abandon that distraction after a while in favour of keeping Rose upright.

She peeled her eyes open and glanced back up at the clock. It was a different time system to Earth, and she couldn't make head or tail of it.

"Doctor."

"Yes?"

"How long have we been here?"

"Er ..." The Doctor looked up at the clock as well, and frowned. "I'm not sure."

"Don't tell me you can't read it."

"I can! I just have to work it out, give me a moment. Erm ... about ... you're not going to like the answer."

"Just tell me."

"Ten hours. Give or take ... a couple of. Um. Hours."

"You are joking."

"No. But we're almost there, Rose, I can see the end of the queue," the Doctor said in a forced cheerful tone.

With a great effort, Rose lifted her head. A large sign welcoming visitors to Em Yle spread above a door, which a family at the front of the queue were being ushered through. "Thank goodness."

"Sorry." The Doctor looked back down at her. "We shouldn't have come to such a popular planet. I just thought you'd like it. It's a bit different to Earth, but not too different, there's cities and countryside and in-between areas, the weather's not bad and the customs are similar. And the human population's about ten percent."

"What's the other ninety percent?"

"Mainly Ylies. But there's about five per cent Llosphanarians, and about fifteen per cent Gusk, and about one per cent miscellaneous." He sighed. "Which I guess is the category I fall into."

Rose felt for his hand, and he squeezed it. "Won't be long now."

Silence fell between them until they reached the front of the queue, and were finally brought through the doors. Disappointment plummeted through them as the other side turned out to be a waiting-room.

"I don't believe this," Rose muttered.

There were two chairs available, the rest were filled with the twenty or so people who had been ahead of them in the queue.

"At least there's chairs here," the Doctor said. "Why don't you have a snooze, I'll wake you when it's our turn."

A soft snore right next to his ear told him she had already taken his advice.