Beauty and the Doctor

There was a collective breath of relief when Belle and the Doctor got back to the TARDIS, throwing the doors open and basically falling inside. They had all of their limbs and had managed not to get crushed by the giant Macra.

There was a mad excitement in the Doctor's eyes as he ran around the center console, going through his routine of pushing and pulling and twirling and spinning.

"Doctor, do you have a plan?"

"Oh, yes I do!"

And they were off once again-- engines whirring, screeching like a huge, metal organism. The travelers were flung around the ship like rag dolls, grappling for anything to hold onto and laughing the entire time.

"How are you going to help the Slagras?" Belle yelled above the roaring.

"Well, I--" The TARDIS flipped, leaving the two hanging from the railing side-by-side until the ship righted itself-- "I have a feeling that this darkness didn't just come out of nowhere."

"You think that something is blocking out the sunlight?"

"I think that something is blocking the sun entirely."

The ride was similar to the previous, and when the TARDIS stopped, Belle looked at the Doctor with a raised eyebrow. "Where are we?"

"We're in a ship."

"What? A-another spaceship?"

He nodded. "The Crusetians are blocking the sun with one of their army ships. They can be the size of planets. It's created a sort of eclipse. Now, come on. I've got a bone to pick with these lobsters."

She followed him out, wringing her hands nervously as they stepped into a dark corridor that the TARDIS was simply sitting in. The walls looked like metal, and they were covered in some kind of piping. Gas of some sort was escaping from tiny holes in it, and Belle was glad that neither of them had taken their suits off while traveling in the police box.

"Now, all we've got to do is find one of them. Stay close. The Crusetians are a very violent people."

They began walking through the corridor, turning into another. Their footsteps echoed around them, and Belle felt like her breathing couldn't have gotten any louder. She had never read about anything like this.

New footfall sounded on the metal flooring, and Belle held her breath, clutching onto the Doctor's arm tightly. She flinched when the figure rounded the corner and came face to face with them. Its head looked like a solid shell with beady, black eyes carved into it, and each of its six limbs were covered in the same exo-skeleton.

"Intruders!" It screamed in a strange, hollow voice. "How did you get in here?"

"Oh, we just decided to drop in," the Doctor said nonchalantly. "Mind if we have a word with your leader?"

"I should kill you on the spot!"

"Oh, but you won't."

"And, why is that?" The creature spat.

With a small smirk, the Timelord stepped forward, getting nose to nose with the Crusetian. "Because I'm the Doctor."

The crab-man took several steps back, tiny eyes growing a bit larger. "It can't be! The Time War--"

"Survived it. Now take us to your leader." He was eerily calm, and Belle was surprised when the Crusetian bowed his shell-shaped head and turned, allowing them to follow.

"Why-- How-- Doctor, it looked at you as if it was frightened of you."

"It is frightened of me."

"But, why?"

"Let's just say this isn't the first time I've butt heads with the Crusetians."

They continued walking, twisting and turning in the corridors and coming in contact with more of the crustacean-like aliens.

There was a funny feeling in the pit of Belle's stomach. She couldn't shake the way that the creature had backed away from the man she was walking beside.

"Doctor--"

"Yes?"

"Should I be frightened of you?"

He didn't look at her, keeping his gaze forward, but Belle could tell that he was thinking hard. That did nothing to reassure her. "No, you shouldn't be."

She smiled, taking his word for it. From what she had seen so far, the Doctor was nothing short of magnificent. She was sure he couldn't have gotten that way without making a few enemies along the way.

The Crusetian led them to humongous double doors, and when they were opened, they revealed a large room with a throne situated in the middle. It was covered in what looked to be shells and barnacles, and ten other Crusetians surrounded it.

"My King, the Doctor is here," the one leading them announced.

Belle watched as a figure rose from the chair. It seemed slightly bigger than the rest and was wearing a strange, green robe.

"Is that...?"

"Seaweed, yes." Belle found it a bit stereotypical. They were in space, on a huge ship, surrounded by crab people, and yet, the crabs were still acting as if they had just crawled out from the sea.

"Ah, Doctor, so wonderful to see you again." The King had the same strange voice that the other did.

"Not on my part. What are you doing here, Gnashicor?"

"I am simply providing for my people." He showed a strange sort of smile, holding his claws out.

"By murdering others."

"If that is what it takes, then so be it."

The Doctor straightened up, glaring. "Well, I won't stand for it. I am not going to let an innocent race like the Slagras be slaughtered by you."

"Oh really?" Gnashicor walked forward, sizing up to the Doctor. "And, what exactly are you going to do to stop me?"

In a swift motion, the Timelord raised a foot and harshly kicked the King right in the stomach, sending him tumbling backward. Two of the Crusetians immediately seized his companion, but she was almost too busy watching The Doctor to notice, though she did feel a painful pinch around both of her arms. The man followed Gnashicor's fall and knelt over him, and Belle looked on in shock as the Doctor pulled back the King's cloak and took hold of a spur on his back.

"Now, I don't like threats very much, but this is the second time I've caught you going against the Shadow Proclamation, and while I could report you and get you and your entire species imprisoned, I'm going to give you a choice: leave here, and live your own life on your own planets, or rot in a cell for the rest of time."

Gnashicore seemed to sneer and struggled against the Doctor's grasp, but he suddenly wailed in pain. Belle guessed it had something to do with the way the Timelord was holding onto him.

"This is your last chance, Gnashicore. Choose wisely."

The crab man panted, black eyes darting around his head. Then, he dropped his claws and deflated. "Release the girl. Send word to the pilots that we're moving the vessel."

Belle felt the grip on her arms disappear, and she raised her gloved hands to rub at the violated areas.

The brunet man jumped up like a five-year-old and clapped his hands together. "Right, well then, this all worked out rather nicely," he said in a happy tone. "I trust you'll stay true to your word. Now, if you don't mind, Belle and I have somewhere to be."

He showed a sparkling grin, then walked over to Belle and grabbed her hand. "Back to the TARDIS?"

"Yes," she nodded, letting out a sigh of relief.



"The gas should dissipate over the next few days, and you'll have your sun back in no time," the Doctor finished up happily, staring at Orin and his wife.

"Oh, thank you, Doctor. How can we ever repay you?"

"You don't have to repay me. Just live your life and remember that if you're ever in trouble, I'm just a distress call away."

The two Slagras grinned and nodded, gratitude shining bright in their slanted eyes.

"Now, Belle, how about we get you back home?"

As much as she had enjoyed their time together, Belle was exhausted. She had seen an entirely new world, discovered that there was so much more out there than she had ever imagined.

"Yes, I'd like that."

Holding out his hand once again, the Doctor took hold of Belle's and led her out of Orin and Harin's home and up to the entry tunnel where he had parked the TARDIS. The human walked in front of him, taking a seat on the bench, and once he had their destination locked, the two were flying through time and space, getting tossed around the console room and laughing madly.

Belle couldn't even begin to describe the feeling that arose in her when the TARDIS landed. She couldn't wait to run out and tell her Papa about all of the wonderfully frightening things she had seen. More so, she couldn't wait to tell her about the Doctor and how fantastic he was.

She pulled her suit off quickly, folding it and stuffing it inside of the compartment by the door, then looked to the Doctor while biting her lip. He nodded, motioning to the door. "It's all yours, Belle, Open up."

She cried with joy at the sight of her plump father waiting for her with wide eyes, and the two ran toward each other, wrapping their arms around one another in a tight embrace.

"Oh, sweetheart, I'm so glad you're back!"

"How long was I gone?"

"Only a few hours, but I worried every minute."

Belle smiled and shook her head. "You didn't need to. I was in good hands."

She then turned back to the TARDIS, finding the Doctor standing in the doorway. He was still in his space suit and was smiling in a funny sort of way, almost as if he was sad. Belle walked over to him and extended a hand, gently touching his cheek.

"Thank you, Doctor. Thank you for taking me on a real adventure."

"Oh, Belle-- beautiful, clever Belle. I was more than happy to take you on a real adventure." He reached up and grabbed the hand that was on his face, squeezing it gently before letting go.

She stepped back, feeling a wetness in her eyes. She had, had so much fun on their journey, and she would gladly travel with him again someday, but she was happy to be on familiar grounds with the sun setting over the field.

"You be safe out there, Doctor. Promise me."

He grinned that childish grin and nodded, backing into the TARDIS. "I promise."

She smiled, walking back to stand with her father so that they could watch his departure, but before he shut the door, he poked his head out one more time. "Oh, and Belle, just so you know, this may have been your first real adventure, but it was definitely not your last."

She cocked her head at the implication, but before she could ask him any questions, the door shut, and the mechanical whirring began, growing louder and louder as the Doctor and his big blue box slowly disappeared.