Wings ¹ | d.w

.five

CHAPTER FIVE.
" The Long Game. "

.• THE THROBBING HUM OF THE TARDIS ECHOED INSIDE MARA'S EARS AS THEY LANDED. She had no idea where they were going, no clue where she was, but she was somewhere. But apart from being able to travel again, she was travelling with her best friend. Let's just say, Rose wasn't so happy when the Doctor met Mara for a second time.

Opening the door, the Doctor looked around when Mara and Rose came out. "So, it's 200,000, it's a spaceship... no, wait a minute, space station. And, er... Go try that gate over there! Off you go." Mara laughed as she heard the Doctor speaking. He smiled over his back at her as Rose took note of it with a small glare.

"200,000?" She asked leaning towards the Doctor. "200,000." "Adam! Out you come." Rose opened up the door of the TARDIS revealing, to Adam, the space station. It was huge, colourful and overall amazing. Adam was shocked. Mara held in a laugh at his expression. "Oh, my god..."

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it." "Where are we?" "Good question. Let's see. So, erm, judging by the architecture, I'd say we're around the year 200,000. And if you listen... engines. We're on some sort of space station. Yeah, definitely a space station." Mara decided to put away her wings as she stopped leaning on the TARDIS. God, it was warm in there.

"It's too hot in here, can somebody turn down the heating?" Mara questioned as she fanned herself with her hand, she may be part time lord but she's part another species. She never got the whole "okay in too cold or too hot weather" thing. Well, she's okay in winter, just not when it's boiling hot.

"Tell you what, let's try that gate. Come on." Rose led Adam to a gate with a staircase at the end of it, Mara and the Doctor following close behind.

"You all right?" The Doctor asked looking at Mara.

"Yeah, I'm good, why?" Mara questioned looking at him strangely. He's acting a bit weird. "Come on, don't want those two getting into any trouble." She patted his arm before following up the stairs. The Doctor sighed before going after her.

"Here we go. And this is..." Rose began but stopped as she smiled at the earth that they were able to view from above. It was so... round! Very gorgeous. "I'll let the Doctor describe it." The Doctor turned to Mara, nodding at her, telling her to describe it. She smiled.

"The Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire. There it is. Planet Earth, at its height. Covered with mega-cities, five moons, 96 billion residents, the hub of a galactic domain stretching across a million planets and species, with mankind slap bang in the middle." Suddenly a loud thud came from behind the two Aliens and Rose.

"He's your boyfriend." The Doctor stated while looking out on to planet Earth. Rose took a quick glance at Mara before looking back at the glass.

"Not anymore."

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"Come on, Adam, open your mind. You're gonna like this. Fantastic period of history - the human race at its most intelligent. Culture! Art! Politics. This era has got fine food, good manners, the works..." the Doctor told Adam as he wrapped his arm around Mara's shoulder and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Out the way!" A man yelled when the whole place opened up revealing some sort of food court. "Somebody there? What do you want, love! Keep it moving. I'll be with you in a minute." "One at a time!" "Now what was it? Kronkburger with cheese, kronkburger with pajatos." Everybody was talking over each other as the place erupted with life.

"Fine cuisine?" Rose looked at the Doctor who's arm was still around Mara's shoulders. Lifting up his other arm, the Doctor checked his watch. "My watch must be wrong. No, it's fine. That's weird." Mara smiled before pushing the Doctor in the shoulder.

"Thats showing off. Your history's not as good as you thought it was." Rose smiled at the Doctor when he looked at the blond in hurt. "My history is perfect." "Well, obviously not." Adam looked around at all the people rushing around, eating food or yelling at one another. Mara felt right at home.

"They're all human. What about the millions of planets, the millions of species? Where are they?" Adam asked while taking a few steps forward. Good question. Actually, that is a good question. Mara furrowed her eyebrows while looking around and nodding. That's suspicious.

"Good question. Actually, that is a good question." The Doctor walked up to Adam with a big smile while removing his arm from Mara's shoulders and placing his arm on Adam's. "Adam, me old mate, you must be starving!" "No, I'm just a bit timesick." "No, you just need a bit of grub. Oi mate, how much is a kronkburger?" The Doctor walked to the front of the line where a man was behind the counter.

"Two credits twenty, sweetheart. Now join the queue!" The man "smiled" while pointing to the end of a long queue. How good were these kronkburgers to be waiting in a queue so big? Mara raised one eyebrow at the sight before shrugging at following the Doctor as he yelled. "Money! We need money."

"Let's use a cash point." The group follow the Doctor as he circles around to a cash point, using is sonic screwdriver to get free credits. The Doctor handed it to Adam. "There you go, pocket money. Don't spend it all on sweets." Adam looked down at the thing in his hands.

"Well, how does it work?"

"Go and find out, stop nagging me!" The Doctor groaned looking back at Adam. "The thing is, Adam, time travel's like visiting Paris. You can't just read the guidebook. You've got to throw yourself in, eat the food, use the wrong verbs, get charged double and kiss complete strangers." He furrowed his eyebrows. "Or is that just me?" He looked back at Adam. "Stop asking questions, go and do it."

Rose smiled before Adam walked off. The Doctor looked at her. "Off you go then. Your first date." Rose looked back at the Doctor, pointing at him.

"You're gonna get a smack, you are!" He smiled before she walked off, he looked down at Mara. "Well then, shall we?" he held out his arm. Mara gratefully took it.

"We shall."

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