Chapter Text
“Yaz, pull that lever over -”
A shudder heaved through the TARDIS and Yaz fought her way over to the lever the Doctor had indicated. Struggling to keep her balance, she threw it. Sparks flew past her face and she let out an inadvertent yelp.
“There!” the Doctor shouted over the whooshing and clattering. “That should stabilize us until…”
With a sudden bang, all motion ceased. In the new silence, Yaz could hear Dan wincing as he picked himself up from the floor yet again. Small beeps and pleasant whirring soon filled the console room again, as the Doctor examined the new readouts on the controls.
“Blimey, Doctor,” complained Dan. “What was that about?”
“Just the TARDIS having a bit of a tantrum,” replied the Doctor absentmindedly, absorbed in whatever she saw. “She’s prone to those. Happens every few hundred years, when she gets agitated for some reason.”
“Some reason?” asked Dan. “It’s been doing that a lot for the past three days. What’s set it off, then?”
“Oh, could be anything,” said the Doctor. “She might need a bit of maintenance, I haven’t drained her pools in some time. Or it could be some rewiring needs done. Or sometimes that’s just her way of letting me know she isn’t happy about something. I’ll figure it out. And she, Dan, not it. Don’t need her any sulkier than she already is.”
Yaz bit her lip. Three days, the TARDIS had been randomly and violently throwing those tantrums, as the Doctor called it. It had been three days since the Doctor had sat on that beach with Yaz. Three days since the Doctor, with her hair whipping around her face, had broken Yaz’s heart so gently. Three days since Yaz had been able to look the Doctor in the eyes without immediately wanting to cry. Frantically, she studied where her hands rested on the console. She could feel Dan’s gaze on her. He obviously had flashed to the same connection as she had. But she refused to look at him; she didn’t need to see the pity in his face.
“What happened out there?”
“Nothing.” She took a deep breath. “Nothing. Doesn’t matter.”
“Come on, Sheffield,” Dan said gently, taking her elbow. “Talk to me. Everything alright?”
Yaz plastered on the best smile she could, bandaging together the two halves of her heart. “Everything’s perfect. Don’t worry about it, Dan. We had a talk. Cleared some things up. It’s fine.”
“Did the Doctor tell you she doesn’t like you back?” asked Dan, frowning. “Because you know that’s a lie. You should call her on it and -”
“I said it doesn’t matter, Dan. She’s my best mate,” Yaz interrupted, emphasizing his name. She rubbed her fingers together. Sand that had cling stubbornly to her skin dusted onto the floor and her eyes traced its swirling path down. She forced a lump in her throat down. “She’s my best mate,” she repeated softly.
A tense silence filled the air. Finally, the Doctor looked up. Yaz couldn’t resist a small glance too. The Doctor’s gaze slid from Dan to Yaz, and something shifted in her expression, something heavy flitted behind her eyes. It was old, ancient even. It was the same look she’d had when Yaz walked in on her alone in the console room after Gallifrey, when the Doctor didn’t realize she was observed. Yaz looked away.
“Right!” the Doctor said, far too brightly. Whatever had been in her expression for a fleeting moment had gone, hidden and locked in a box again. “Where to now? I thought it might be a good idea to have some time to relax, give me a chance to see what’s making the TARDIS so fussy. Any ideas?”
“Well -” began Dan.
“How about the Gilded Forests of Malstar?” continued the Doctor, giving no indication she’d heard Dan. She began to sweep around the console, throwing switches and pushing buttons. “Made of pure gold, every plant. The sunsets are gorgeous, reflecting off the treetops and the violet sky. Or Los Angeles, 24th century? The Hollywood sign is restored to its original design. I’ll tell you, the floating sky sign was absolutely the worst idea they’d had in a while. Or I suppose we could just go watch it be built in the 1920s, if we want to go for original. Oh, how about -”
She slammed on the brakes as she came face to face with Yaz. Yaz could feel the Doctor’s coat brushing against her legs, swaying with residual energy. Trembling, Yaz focused on breathing, her gaze trapped in the Doctor’s. But the breaths wouldn’t come. And for one long moment, she allowed herself to drown in the Doctor.
“Actually, Doctor,” said Dan. “I was kinda hoping for an alien planet. Haven’t had much of a chance to be a tourist at one yet.”
The moment shattered.
“An alien planet,” repeated the Doctor. Smoothly, she stepped away from Yaz. “Right. Right! An alien planet. What type of alien planet? Any specific requests?”
Dan shrugged. “How about yours?” he asked casually.
Yaz narrowed her eyes at him. Catching her expression, Dan smiled innocently at her. He might be playing at nonchalant, but she knew him better than that. He was after something.
The Doctor paused.
“Gallifrey?” she said, almost as casually as Dan. “What for? Not really a good vacation spot at the moment. Besides, where’s the fun for me in going home? Yaz and I already went. Let’s do something new. I know! How about a winter planet? We were just at the tropics, why not do the opposite? There’s a wonderful one just a few solar systems away from Earth. Called Ice Palace. All buildings are made from the clearest ice. It looks like diamonds sparkling in the moonlight. Or maybe something else strikes your fancy? Yaz?”
“Oh.” Yaz started at being pulled into the conversation. Frantically, she wracked her brains for any planet the Doctor might have mentioned before. “Er, I don’t know. I trust you. Take us somewhere beautiful?”
“Somewhere beautiful,” repeated the Doctor softly. Her gaze softened as she considered Yaz. “I know just the place.”
______
“Where are we, Doctor?” asked Yaz, thirty minutes later. The TARDIS settled with a final, familiar groan, and the Doctor stepped back from the controls.
“Take a look,” the Doctor said with a faint smile at her. She gestured towards the doors, and Yaz couldn’t help the small smile that answered her back.
As Yaz flung open the doors, a warm, comforting smell seeped into the TARDIS. Blinking slightly at the bright light, Yaz stepped into a stunning vista. Hills rolled into the distance, covered in vibrant fields of wildflowers in every shade of the rainbow. Two suns burned happily in the sky, which was a vivid shade of pale blue that seemed distilled into pure perfection. A playful breeze skipped across her face, rustling stray hairs. Yaz closed her eyes, inhaling deeply.
“It smells like vanilla,” she said, opening her eyes. She turned to smile back at Dan and the Doctor, who had filed out behind her. Dan seemed thoroughly absorbed by the sight of the two suns, squinting up into the sky with a slightly open mouth. But the Doctor only looked at her, the same faint smile still on her face.
“It does,” the Doctor agreed. She pulled the TARDIS door shut behind her, pushing past Dan to join Yaz. “The planet Aquilegia. Locals are the Nerium. Currently completely isolated from the universe at large, so don’t go spouting off about Liverpool, Dan. They’re pacifists – never had a documented war in the entire history of their planet. Instead, they resolve disputes by giving flowers. They compete until each party has found the most magnificent flower; then, they are judged based on how well they can explain the beauties of their flower. Whoever wins the contest is declared in the right on whatever they were arguing over.”
“So where does the vanilla smell come from?” asked Yaz, hoping the Doctor would go off on another ramble.
“From the flowers,” said the Doctor, gesturing broadly all around them. “It actually changes based on the weather and season. It’s vanilla now, so we’re in late summer, early fall. Clear day. Winter smells like cloves, spring like mint and lemon. Overcast skies will have more peach notes to the smell, while sunny days intensify the main scent. No one knows why. Just something to do with the flowers' biology, because they never die. Not even in winter.”
“It reminds me of the Punjab,” said Yaz, unable to tear her eyes off the waving flowers. “The landscape, I mean. When you officiated for my nan, remember? It’s absolutely… beautiful.”
“It is.”
Something in the Doctor’s voice caught Yaz’s attention. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the Doctor wasn’t looking at the landscape. Her traitorous heart began to beat faster. Stop it. The Doctor had shut down any hope of anything happening. Her heart had no right to beat faster whenever the Doctor simply looked at her. And yet…
A scream splintered the air.
All three of them whipped around, trying to pinpoint where it had come from. Just then, a loud boom echoed, followed by more screams.
“There,” said the Doctor. She pointed at a column of billowing black smoke over a hill. “Come on, you two.”
And with that, she took off running. Dan and Yaz exchanged a quick glance, before pelting after her.
“So much for tourist planets,” shouted Dan as they ran. “Reminds me of South America in 1902, remember? I just wanted a week to rest, but of course that couldn’t happen!”
“Oi, it’s not my fault a child went missing and they asked for our help,” Yaz shot back. “What were we supposed to do, just ignore them?”
“Always something with you, Sheffield,” grinned Dan. “I’m beginning to see a pattern here.”
“And you wouldn’t have it any other way, Scouse,” said Yaz.
Dan laughed. “Never.”
The Doctor crested a hill and slammed to a stop. Panting slightly, she surveyed the land below as Yaz and Dan caught up. A small village lay nestled in the valley between two hills. People swarmed in between the flower covered houses, like ants scurrying about after their nest was kicked. Buildings blocking the source, thick, tarry smoke emanated from the other side of the village. Tents had been set up on the side closest to where the three of them stood, and Yaz could hear moaning and cries coming from them. As they watched, a pair of people carried a third on a stretcher into the tent. A hand flopped down, swaying limply, as they passed through the flaps.
“I thought you said there were no documented wars on this planet, Doctor,” said Dan quietly, all mirth gone.
“There aren’t,” said the Doctor, her eyes fixed on the smoke.
“Well, there’s got to have been something,” Dan pointed out. “Look, that tent has been there for a while. It’s covered in grime and dirt. And the ground in front of it has been trampled to muck. They didn’t just set it up today to deal with that one explosion we heard.”
There was a pause as they all considered his words.
“Come on,” said Yaz. “Let’s get down there. See if we can help.”
“Yeah. Yeah, of course,” said the Doctor, still staring out at the scene of devastation before them. Suddenly, she frowned and turned back to them. “But no wandering off, okay? Stick together. Whatever this is, it can’t be good. It’s throwing an entire history of pacifism into turmoil.”
“Last time you said that, we’re not the ones who wandered off,” Dan pointed out. “So don’t you leave us behind, okay? I don’t fancy getting zapped back in time again. Although as long as Yaz is with me, I wouldn’t worry.”
The Doctor pressed her lips into a thin line.
“Fine.”
And with that, she strode off down the hill. Yaz took his elbow as they trailed slowly behind her.
“Was that really necessary?” she asked quietly. “It wasn’t her fault.”
“No, I know that,” said Dan. “But I don’t like how she’s been treating you these past couple of days. She’s been brushing you off quite a bit. Seems to me she needs reminded of amazing you are every so often. Maybe then she won’t run off without you again.”
“I’m sure she’s been beating herself up privately about leaving us behind with the angels,” said Yaz. “She doesn’t need reminding from you. You, er, haven’t told her how long it actually was, right?”
Dan shook his head. “Thought you should. If you were going to.”
“Right. Yeah.” Yaz bit her lip. “You know I don’t need you protecting me, right? The Doctor and I… we’re figuring it out. Just one day at a time.”
“She hurt you, Yaz. And I know she hurt herself, too. I just can’t understand why.”
Yaz squinted at him. “Is that why you asked about going to her home planet?”
“Yeah.” Dan shrugged. “Figured if we went to her home, maybe we could get a little insight about relationships there. Maybe understand why she’s pushing you away so hard when it’s obvious that she wants you just as much as you want her. Or meet someone who could explain why she’s being such a prat. I didn’t know you’ve already been, though. You kept that quiet.”
“She’s not being a prat,” Yaz objected immediately. Her ears warmed as she processed the rest of his words. “Is it… really that obvious?”
“Maybe just to me. Definitely not to the good hearted weirdo,” said Dan, chucking her affectionately with his shoulder. Yaz smiled and chucked him back.
“It wouldn’t help, anyways,” she said, her smile fading.
“What wouldn’t?”
“Going to Gallifrey.” Yaz bit her lip. “It wasn’t a fun trip when we went. Her childhood best friend had destroyed everyone living there. Then he kidnapped her and tried to kill her. We found her, but he was threatening to overrun the universe with an army of regenerating Cybermen. The Doctor went on a mission to stop him the only way she could think of; by destroying any remaining organic life there forever. Including herself. She got us out and I…” Yaz took a deep breath. “I spent ten months thinking she was dead, praying that she wasn’t, and trying to get back to Gallifrey to look for her.”
“Blimey… Yaz, I’m sorry, I didn’t know,” said Dan.
Yaz shrugged. “How could you? I never told you. I don’t like thinking about it. Worst ten months of my life.”
“And the years we spent in the 1900s? Were they as bad as that?”
“No.” Yaz paused. “I had a job. I had to believe she was alive.” She grinned. “And I had a Scouse tagging along to take care of. Had to get him back to Lady Di, the love of his life.”
“Nah,” said Dan. “I had to get Sheffield back to hers. I wasn’t tagging along; I was protecting you.”
“Whatever you have to tell yourself, mate.”
“Oi, you two,” called the Doctor. “Hurry up!”
Yaz rolled her eyes, but obediently made her way down the rest of the hill at a faster pace. They caught up to the Doctor at the edge of the town. Up close, the smell of burning was horrific. It choked and clogged Yaz’s throat, the ash settling on her eyelashes and nose.
“Keep close,” the Doctor said, pulling out her sonic with a frown. “The nearer we get, the less I like the look of this.”
“Mate,” Dan said, pulling a passerby to a halt. “What happened here? Is everyone alright?”
The man didn’t respond, wrenching his arm out of Dan’s grasp. Shaking his head in disbelief, he vanished into the miasma.
“Just trying to help!” Dan called after him.
“We don’t need strangers here.” A young woman, with a strong jaw and slightly wideset eyes, wearing a tattered brown coat appeared from nowhere. Her blonde hair was so matted with ash, it looked grey. Wiping her grimy hands pointlessly on an equally grimy cloth, she frowned and pointed back the way they’d come. “Go on, leave. We’ve got enough trouble here without tourists.”
“We’re not tourists!” The Doctor patted down her coat pockets and produced the psychic paper. She shoved it in the woman’s face. “See? Here to help.”
The woman’s frown deepened. “Flower judges? Look around you. We’re not in any position to host a competition nor need one.”
“Flower judges, yeah,” said the Doctor, taking a quick glance at the paper before stowing it. “But we’re not just any flower judges. Specially trained in rescue missions and general problem solving. Isn’t that right, gang?”
“Only the very best,” Yaz said.
“Right, yeah,” Dan added belatedly. “General problem solving. Not tourists. That’s us.”
“See?” The Doctor gestured broadly. “So let us help you. What’s happened here?”
The woman raised an eyebrow skeptically, but tucked the cloth in her belt and sighed.
“I think what’s happened here is a bit more than ‘general problem solving.’ Even for flower judges. But come on. I’ll show you.” She jerked her head and began leading them through town.
“I’m the Doctor,” she said as they all fell into step. “That’s Yaz and Dan. What’s your name?”
“You’re a doctor, eh?” The woman took a hard look at her. “Hmm. Strange coincidence. They’ve been asking for a doctor. I’m Rose.”
The Doctor blinked. “…Rose?”
“Yes. What of it?”
“Nothing.” The Doctor shook her head, as if to pull herself back to the present. “Just had a friend with that name, once. Haven’t heard it in a while.”
“Fairly common around here. Not like your friends’ funny names.”
“Why’re our names funny?” asked Dan.
“Never heard of a flower named ‘Dan’ or ‘Yaz,’ before.”
“Who’s they?” interrupted Yaz before Dan could retort. “The ones who are looking for a doctor. Who are they?”
Rose’s face darkened. “The ones who did all this.”
They had come to a break in the buildings. Although, Yaz could tell the town had not been initially planned that way. A crater had punched dozens of feet down into the ground, blackened and charred objects littering the bottom and sides. Rubble from destroyed homes turned the surrounding area into hazardous footing. Beneath her feet, Yaz felt burnt flowers crumble. And deep in the heart of the crater sat a metal cylinder shell, cracked and familiar. It had two rods extending from the front, with metal bumps covering the exterior. Rising from it was the smoke that had drawn them to the village in the first place.
“Dalek.” The Doctor’s voice hardened.
Dan badly stifled a groan. “Again? I only just got all kinks out of my back from getting exterminated on New Year’s.”
“How long have they been here?” demanded the Doctor. “Why is there only one? They always come in fleets. Where’s the rest of them?”
“And how did it get like that?” added Yaz. “All blown up. They’re not exactly easy to take down.”
“It blew itself up,” said Rose. “One a day, every day for the last week, has come down and blown itself up after exterminating as many people as it can find.”
“What?” said the Doctor. “That doesn’t sound like Daleks. Why are they blowing themselves up? They should be trying to hunt you all down and exterminate you, not commit suicide one at a time. What are they playing at?”
“Oh, they’ve done plenty of damage as it is. Dozens of folks have been killed. But watch. Should be happening any second now.” Rose pointed up at the sky.
Yaz scanned where she pointed, but only saw the ever-present smoke.
“Are we supposed to be looking at something in parti-” She cut off with a gasp. A hologram appeared in the smoke of man. His suit was ripped, his mouth scowled, his eyes were filled with anger. But none of that was the most striking thing about him. Half his face had been partially melted, fusing together in a grim mask of scars. Yet he was still recognizable.
“The Master,” the Doctor said. Her voice contained revulsion, anger, shock. But as Yaz looked at her, her face twisted for a second, showing a flash of fear. Above them, the hologram thundered.
“Bring me the Doctor!”