Ashes ~ (a TenRose Fanfiction)

Useful Danger

~Chapter 16
A bit of a mishmash :)) that's such a fun word to say ahh.
Ella X

***
-The Doctor's POV

"I'm going hunting" Justin announces over a breakfast the next morning. It's mango which has dried and shrivelled in yesterday's sun, but still tastes good enough to eat.
"I'll come" Rose says. I turn my gaze towards her.
"Okay. I'll be glad of the company" Justin smiles warmly.
"I don't mind going. Rose, why don't you stay with Albany?" I ask her.
"No, really. I'd like to do something useful" she says. I hesitate a moment, the events of the previous day's brushing over my mind like paint, but slowly fade out and I remember to let Rose be independent.
"I trust you to keep safe" I say to her. She smiles.
"I will. I promise" her voice is truthful enough for me to let her go. So I watch as her and Justin gather up some sticks with sharp ends to start of their trail with, and leave the cave. I know I should let her go, and I've done the right thing, but having her out of my sight for too long unnerves me and makes me think of the worst.
"She'll be okay" Albany speaks up, as if reading my mind. I turn my gaze to her and she smiles. I smile back.
"Yeah" after a second I break the moment "right, so Albany, what do you wanna do today? We could go and go over the SOS sign, although I don't feel up to that today, or we could take a dip in the lagoon, go and explore...your choice" I put the rest of the day in the hands of this tiny seven year old and desperately hope she doesn't choose the option of working hard in the sun.
"The lagoon? I'd like to have a swim" she smiles. I nod.
"Of course. We can go for an hour or so, then come back to see if the others have come home" I say. I realise I just used the word "home" for out little cave, and it surprises me a little. Albany smiles.
"Okay" her sweet voice perks up and she takes my hand as I let her lead me down to the lagoon. She babbles along our walk there, about how she first discovered it, and how warm the water is, but how it's safe to drink. I let her talk the whole way there, and start to wonder about the curious little child that is holding so tightly into my hand. You'd think a child that'd lost her family just one week ago would still be unresponsive, and blocking everyone out. But not her. She'd done her crying and knew she had to carry on living. She almost felt five years older than she actually was. When we reach the lagoon she jumps straight in, not caring about her shorts or t-tshirt. I smile at her
"Can you swim?" I ask. She nods.
"I got my 50metre badge"
"That's something to be proud of" I smile "I once won an Olympic gold medal in swimming" Albany's mouth forms a perfectly shaped "O" and I half laugh at her reaction. "It's a long story"
After a moments silence she speaks up "Aren't you getting in?"
"I will do in a moment. But you see those coconuts there?" I gesture to the top of the tree beside me "I'm going to get them to fill up with water"
"Okay" she says "But that looks a bit dangerous"
"I've done it before, it's fine" I say, and look around for any vines that might support my climb up the tree.

***
-Rose's POV

Justin walks ahead of me, but keeping the same pace. His back is brown and yet peeling from the sun, and his hair has turned a lighter shade of blonde than when we arrived. His spear drags along the floor beside him, creating a line in the earth that I mindlessly walk along. This part of the island is more shaded, the trees creating an over head canopy above us, shielding us from the effects of the burning sun. As we walk I listen to the sound of exotic birds and strange chirps from all around, and feel lost in the islands complexity.
"There!" Justin suddenly points into the bushes beside me, his exclamation making me jump slightly. I turn my head and look in the direction he's gesturing to, and I see a small pig, well rounded and still. I look a little closer and realise it is completely oblivious to us, facing in the opposite direction.
"There's pigs on the island?!" I half-whisper. Justin nods and gets the spear in his hands, getting ready to plunge it down on his prey. I turn away as he does it without even thinking, and I try to block out the sound of the squealing that comes and then so quickly dies down.
"It's okay, Rose. It's survival, right?" He says to me. I turn back round and he's got the pig in his hands, holding it by its trotters like a prize. I realise how animal-like he's become whilst hunting, completely one-with nature and determined to kill. It scares me but I know he does it for the best. And that is survival.
"Yeah. Yeah, course" I say, but deep inside I feel bad for the little pig we just ended the life of. "But since when have pigs been on islands?"
"I don't know. Think Lord Of The Flies. I swear there was pigs there" Justin shrugs.
"Yeah, I never read that in school. I kind of dropped out early." I say.
"What?" Justin seems surprised.
"Yeah, I was never really...that determined to do well" I say, and ignore the fact images of Jimmy are crawling there way back into my mind. Just at that precise moment, a loud shouting comes from down the track. We haven't been walking very far from the cave, and it must be close.
"What's that?" Justin asks, looking around.
"I think it's..." And then I realise "Albany!"