Chapter 2B: Take Me

Trees. There were bleedin' trees walking around. Introduced by blue men. Well, a blue man, and then some blue... little people. Or maybe they weren't little at all. For all she knows, they're supposed to be that size. Or they could be kids. Does that count as child labor?

Not only that, but the Doctor was flirting with a tree. Not just a little smile or wink, but... exchanging of air. Which, for a tree is probably something that would get you arrested for public indecency. Like that one time with Jimmy.

At least she got some gifts out of all of it. Okay, so one of those gifts was a bit of spit in her eye. And another one was a bit of sabotage from a flap of skin that apparently passes for human once the Earth is gone. So basically, she got a plant that's sitting on the console room floor that will probably grow enough to climb out of its pot and walk off one day.

She slips off her jacket and winces as the sleeve brushes over the slight burn on her arm. Nearly killed by burning rays of the sun. If they'd hit her head-on it would have shot right through her. Thankfully all she's got is a small surface burn from where one shot got dangerously close.

The aching of her skull is a bit worse though. Took a metal fist to the forehead, then collided with the floor. The combination of the two has left her with a killer headache. Too bad she doesn't make a habit of carrying around parcetemol. That may have to change.

The Doctor never asked if she was alright. No, she took the time to ask him but he just assumed she was a-ok after being locked in a room with failing heat shields. Couldn't he see that she wasn't all right? How could he not tell?

He must have realized something later on, and it did help a bit. Going back and seeing that the world wasn't really gone. Not for her anyway.

She licks her lips and smiles at the flavor of salt. They were good chips at least. So she got a few burns, a bump on the head, a house plant and chips.

And he finally answered her question about who he is. The Doctor, last of the Time Lords. Sounds very proper and powerful, but there's a huge sadness to it. Left on his own.

She thought for sure he'd laugh at her, or maybe even get annoyed when she pointed out that he had her. Who was she to suggest she was comparable to an entire lost planet and species? And since when did he have her anyway? An hour before she was terrified, locked in a box with a strange man she didn't know, and suddenly she was buying him chips.

He trusted her, and somehow she knows that that means a lot. He didn't want to talk about it. Didn't want to tell her anything, but he did anyway. Maybe he felt guilty. Maybe he did realize she'd been through a lot and that was his way of showing it.

She sniffs her shirt and cringes. Between running around underground in London, and the heat of being right next to the sun expanding, she's done a fair share of sweating in these clothes. That decides it - if he's got her, then he's stuck with her, and right now she needs a shower, and a room.

"Where am I staying?" she asks, and he looks surprised by the question as if it hadn't even occurred to him. "Do I get a room?... or should I just camp out on the floor in here?"

He's staring at her without answering. She shouldn't have asked, should she? He said she could come with him. Maybe he'd meant something more temporary? They could be on their way to her flat right now and she'd never even know it. Oh god, she has mangled this up, hasn't she? Now she does look like a fool. He didn't really mean he'd take her long term.

"Right!" he declares and she jumps. "Pick any room you like. Don't sleep too long. I can't wait forever."

That's it? He's just going to leave her on her own to wander around, trying to find a room? What if she gets lost? Or opens an air lock? Does this thing even have an air lock? At least he didn't laugh or tell her no.

He gestures to the door so she nods slowly and exits, amazed by the mass of corridors beyond. The ship is huge. The entire estate could probably fit inside with room to spare and she's supposed to find her way around?

She opens the first door she finds and slams it back shut at a flash of sharp teeth. She doesn't know what the teeth belong to, but she doesn't plan to find out.

The next door she opens slowly, revealing a fairly small kitchen, considering the size of the ship. All of the appliances seem pretty normal. Wouldn't a high-tech time-traveling ship have space agey appliances like instant food makers? Good lord, is he gonna expect her to cook? She hadn't thought about that. Is she gonna have to do something to earn her keep? Cooking, cleaning... other things.

She swallows hard, keeping her mind out of the gutter. Okay, so he made her pay for chips. No big deal. If he starts telling her to do anything else, she'll just have to draw the line. After all, she's a guest and should be treated as such.

She shakes her head and laughs at herself, closing the kitchen door. She wanders aimlessly, feeling like she's walking in circles but slowly getting somewhere until finally she reaches a door that feels right and she opens it.

It's bigger than her room back home, that's for sure. A great big bed with one of those tall mattresses you need a safety line to climb up onto. It looks much more mature than her room at home as well. Matching wooden furniture, a dark burgundy blanket, trimmed with gold and covered with matching decorative pillows. To the left, just past the dressing table and before the dresser she sees an open door and sighs. A bathroom. Her own bathroom. All her life, the one thing she's always wanted. No anti-wrinkle cream on the counter. No blue eye-shadow in the medicine cabinet. Just her own stuff. She walks in and drops onto a bench by the bathtub and smiles.

She'll cook for this. She'll cook, clean and do whatever else he wants to live like this. Relaxing jacuzzi baths. And is that... she peeks back into her bedroom (is it hers then?) and nearly faints. That's a walk in closet. A walk... in... closet. Oh yes, she's his, and he's stuck with her forever.