A/N: Audrey mentioned, in a post to my LJ, that Rose keeps 'channeling' Jack O'Neill. So this one's for her and has no point other than to stuff as many Stargate SG1 quotes as I can into a Doctor Who fic. grins
The TARDIS shook once last time and then settled. The Doctor picked himself off the floor laughing. Rose just sat. In her opinion being flung to the floor each shift was getting really old. She glared at the Doctor, who was checking the dials, giggling to himself.
"You're cracked you are," she informed him.
The manic grin she received in reply seemed to underline the correctness of her statement.
"Seriously. Three fries short of a Happy Meal."
"I'm having fun," he explained.
"How is being flung on your arse fun?" Griped Rose as she stood up and rubbed her backside.
"Depends on your point of view. And whether you need a hand there."
"So what? You're actually doing it on purpose in the hope you can then rub me better?"
The Doctor thought about that. "Well, no," he said slowly. Then he smirked. "But it's an idea."
"Oh for crying out loud," Rose sighed and changed the subject. "Where are we anyway?"
"Ruins of Abroxth."
"What's it like?"
"Ever seen Giza?"
"Pictures of it, yeah."
"Well it's nothing like that."
As Rose exited the TARDIS she found that the sky was a pale pink and the ground a greyish lilac. She poked her foot at the ground; it was gritty, somewhere between sand and gravel. The land was virtually flat, stretching off uninterrupted in every direction bar one. Behind them a range of blue mountains reared up into the sky.
"I guess we're not in Kansas anymore," she quipped.
"Eh?" The Doctor queried, spoiling her moment.
"Never mind," Rose sighed.
They walked towards the mountains. Soon Rose could see huge columns rising into the air.
"That it?"
"Yep."
"Wow."
"Yep."
There were eight columns of green stone, set out a huge rectangle on raised stonework. Rose stared up at the columns, awed. It must have been a temple or something, she decided. She vaguely remembered seeing similar in history books. She reached out and touched the intricate etchings worked into the face.
"It's beautiful," she whispered, stunned.
The Doctor grinned at her. "Yep."
Rose felt a surge of annoyance. "You really excel in being irritating. You're not gonna spoil this for me, so stop up." She turned her attentions back to the etchings. "I wonder what they say," she pondered aloud.
"They're pleas to the fertility goddess," the Doctor murmured next to her ear and making her jump – she hadn't heard him approach. "Prayers for the perfect mate. So it's basically about sex."
Rose found herself blushing, although she wasn't sure why. She had the feeling it might have something to do with the Doctor's proximity; she could feel the heat emanating from him, feel his breath on her neck. An odd sensation tingling through her nerves and she shivered. She strove to break the sudden tension.
"So that's why the columns are so big," she joked, somewhat pathetically. She risked a glance at him.
The Doctor's gaze was wandering over the symbols. Then he looked at Rose and froze her with an intense stare. Then he shrugged. "Maybe," he said and walked off.
Rose slumped against the column, shivering. Marvellous, she thought to herself, bloody marvellous. She understood the reason for her extreme reaction; somewhere along the line of being dragged away from Autons and seeing the world blow up and finding ghouls in Victorian Cardiff her feelings for the Doctor had gotten… confused. She wasn't in love. Or at least, she didn't think so. But it was… something.
"Aw crap," she muttered to herself. Then she pushed away from the column; she could hear something. Faint and distant, it was a buzzing sound like a fly or a wasp, but much, much louder. Holding a hand to block out the sun, Rose looked round. It took her a moment to place it, but when she did she screamed.
"Doctor!" She yelled in panic. "What the hell is that?"
It was an insect, similar to a dragonfly, but yellow and black. It was huge and it was heading their way.
The Doctor ran over to Rose and grabbed her hand. "That's a big, ugly bug," he told her in a calm tone that made her want to hit him. "I think maybe we should run."
"You reckon?" She retorted as he dragged her away.
The big, ugly bug got closer. Rose could hear the thrumming of its wings. It created a fair amount of downdraft, raising dust and choking them. The Doctor pulled Rose to him, glancing behind them. He found the sonic screwdriver and brandished it with a savage grin.
"What you gonna do with that?"
"No idea. Run!"
"What?"
"The TARDIS. Go on Rose, now!"
Rose ran about ten yards, then skidded to a halt. She turned round to see the bug attacking the Doctor. "Oh god," she whispered. She looked round her desperately. The gravel was all small pieces, with nothing of a decent size to throw. The Doctor fell under the attack. Rose wasn't sure whether he was yelling in pain or anger, but it was one of the two and she had to do something but what?
She kicked the gravel in frustration and then stopped as an idea formed. She bent over and yanked off her trainers. Dashing back over the gravel – which was somewhat painful – she hiked a trainer at the bug. It clobbered it on the head. The bug made a high-pitched screeching noise and backed away from the Doctor.
"Yeah! Take that you ugly son-of-a eek!" Rose's shout cut off as the bug made a beeline for her. She threw her other trainer in pure desperation. By some fortunate chance, it also made contact with the bug's head. It crashed on the ground and twitched. Rose punched the air. "Yes!"
The Doctor got up and rescued the first trainer. He grinned as he came over to her. "Hey that was great," he said warmly.
"I know!" Rose laughed, completely high on adrenaline. She giggled, somewhat on the verge of hysteria.
"Okay, calm down. Here, put these back on," he handed her the trainers. "I'm thinking we ought to get outta here pronto."
Rose plonked on the ground, still giddy with her accomplishment. She shoved her feet back into her trainers and did up the laces. She took the Doctor's outstretched hand, glancing at it as she did so. The euphoria drained as she saw the ugly marks on his hands.
"You're hurt," she said, horrified. She felt the first stirrings of panic.
"Not now Rose," he said firmly. He maintained a grip on her hand. "Let's get outta here before that thing wakes up.