Just Like Last Time (Trade with EmilyRose)

[Its_Glimpse]

This is my half of a story trade with EmilyRose; she wanted a fic with Ten and Rose (Doctor Who). I hope you like it!

--

“This is the place, eh?”

“The Azure Gardens of Tro,” the Doctor confirms, leaning back against the door of the TARDIS. “It's a beauty.”

“Well, it's certainly blue,” Rose chuckles, leaning down to run a hand through the raindrop-shaped blossoms around her feet.

“They like blue, yeah; not a bad thing. I bet they wish there was more of it, sparkling blue oceans like Earth and all that. They're a strange lot.” He shakes his head in vague bewilderment. “Interesting, though.” With a wild grin, he latches onto Rose's wrist and drags her up and down through the meadow they landed in. “But we didn't come here to talk, did we?”

“With you we always come to talk,” she argues with a surprised laugh, allowing herself to be pulled towards a dirt path.

“All right, fair point,” he allows, holding his free hand up in surrender. “I might talk a little more than the average--”

“A little?” she demands, laughing again. “You talk a little more than average the way we travel a little farther than average.”

“I let you have that! I even admitted it--of my own free will,” he insists.

“Oh, fine; you know I'm right though.”

“Well, if you were, would I tell you?”

“A gentleman would.”

“Oh, a gentleman, eh? So you're sa-saying I'm not a--” He stops to clear his throat, voice sounding a bit strange. “You're saying I'm not a gentlemen? Why's tha--” This time when his voice breaks off, he pulls his hand from hers, and his shoulders shake. Rose only catches a bit of the sound he makes, so tight and contained is it. “--nx'tsh” Then his shoulders shake again, with hardly a pause in between, the sound this time squashed into near nonexistence.

“You all right there, Doctor?” Rose asks, half-amused. “Not catchin' cold, I hope.”

Another shake. “No, no, I'm fine. Just the price of beauty on thi-this w-hekshoo! On this world.” He shakes his head, trying to clear it.

“Strange price, that,” Rose murmurs. “You've been here before?”

“The once, a long time back. Didn't have much fun last time, but figured a new body might fix it right up.” He sniffs, frowning. “Suppose not.”

“That's a shame; the flowers are beautiful.” Part of her wants to reach down and touch them again, to try and sneak some of the sapphire flowers back onto the TARDIS, but the rest wonders why something so ridiculous would even cross her mind. Like he would even let her.

“Hekschoo! Ugh, that they are.” He almost looks like he does not want to even compliment them, like he's taken it personally or something of that nature.

“I don't think they're trying to do this to you,” she tells him, her eyes sparkling in amusement.

“Obviously! These flowers aren't sentient, that's--” There's another pause, though this time thoughtful. “Unless they are sentient. Of course, no wonder their pollen is still effective.” Smacking himself on the forehead, he groans. “Why didn't I realize this? They're obviously--”

“They have sentient plants?” Rose interrupts, wondering if she should really encourage such an outlandish train of thought. But then again, considering what all she's seen on their travels...Maybe it's not so crazy.

“--xenophobic,” he continues, not even appearing to have registered her question. “Wonder why they're not bothering you, then...”

Unless it's completely crazy, that is.

“Hechshoo!”

“Maybe we just ought to leave, Doctor,” she suggests, biting her lip to try to keep from laughing at his expression. It really shouldn't be this funny, and yet...

It takes a bit to get him to agree, and Rose suspects the only reason he's willing to leave so soon at all is because he's already been here. It is not a complete waste of a trip, though; especially since she gets to hear something else she had never thought she would as they leave.

“Now, I'll be back, you insufferable little plants. Next time I regenerate, we are going to have a lengthy discussion on these past 'incidents' you've caused...”

How anyone can say something like that in a genuinely threatening tone or with a straight face, she may never know.

[SpookyScarySkeleton]

Woah. That's jus wow amazing plot! Love it c: