AMAZONS

Chapter Three

Jade stood by the doorway and looked out while the Doctor found another chair and sat down beside Rose. Jade turned her head and watched the Doctor. He was holding Rose's hand while Jackie stood beside the bed and stroked her daughter's cheek. She had never seen any woman let a man be that affectionate with her. Most men were enslaved, put in slave quarters or cages and used for pleasure or procreation when they weren't doing domestic duties or working in the mines. No woman would let a man get this close or care about him so much but she could tell by Rose's expression that this man was very dear to him.

"Where you come from, men are equals?" she finally asked, coming away from the door.

Jackie and Rose looked at each other.

"Well," Jackie said. "In some ways, yes, and some ways, no. But where we come from, men aren't all enslaved and used for procreation against their will."

"Well, some are," Rose said.

"Yes, but she means all men. All men aren't slaves on Earth," Jackie said to her.

"But he isn't from Earth," Rose said, pointing to the Doctor. "He's from Gallifrey."

The Doctor raised his eyebrow when Jade gasped and stepped back.

"Time Lord?" she said to the Doctor.

"That's right, you've heard of us?" the Doctor said.

"There are many legends about the Time Lords," Jade said in awe. "But they are extinct."

"I am the last," the Doctor said.

"This changes everything then," Jade said, still in awe of the Doctor.

"Why?" Jackie said.

"He is the last surviving Time Lord. The Time Lords were the only males that were revered among our people. And the last…he must meet the council as soon as we return home."

The Doctor was pleased at that.

"I would be honored," he said to her.

He turned to Rose with a smug grin on his face.

"See, Rose, pays to have name recognition. Keep telling you my name gets me in anywhere," he said to her.

"Yes, he says that often," Rose said to her mother.

"It does!" the Doctor said. "If I mention my name to the bouncer at Henry's Hilarious Ha-Ha Hut, I get free admission and a complimentary cocktail."

"He says that often as well," Rose said to her mother. "He never stops saying it."

"I'm proud of it," the Doctor said.

Jade didn't know how to react to all that but she cleared her throat and the Doctor turned to look at her.

"Actually, you're not the only visitors to our city. We also have an archaeologist from Luna University visiting us as well," she said to them.

The Doctor scoffed at that.

"Pishtosh! Archeologists are rubbish as far as I'm concerned," he said airily.

"Time Lords are rubbish as well," Jackie said.

"Never!" the Doctor said while Rose giggled. "How many archeologists can get free admission and drinks at Henry's Hilarious Ha-Ha Hut? Huh? Huh?"

"None of them!" Rose said enthusiastically.

"I would give you a pat on the head for your loyalty, Rose, but your head is tender and hurting at the moment so I'll refrain from doing so," the Doctor said to her.

Jade went back to the door and looked out; searching for the others while the Doctor sat down beside Jackie and relaxed. Rose relaxed, the pain and headache subsiding now.

"Doctor?" she finally said after several moments of staring at the ceiling.

"Yes?"

"Can you teach me some Gallifreyan since I'm stuck here?" she said.

"You've never taught her your language?" Jackie said to him.

"Well, it's difficult to learn my language, at least for humans, and I never had the inclination to teach it to anyone. But…"

He smiled.

"I have a word for you," he said to her. "Arkytior."

"That's beautiful, what's it mean?" Rose said.

"It's Gallifreyan for rose."

Rose blinked in surprise and she rose up on her elbow to look at him.

"There were roses on Gallifrey?" she said to him.

"Yes. But the Arkytior was a species of rose that grew only in certain areas. And it was beautiful. A vibrant pink with just a hint of silver at the tips of the petals. It was rare and very hard to get and very sought after."

"I wish I could see one," Rose said, utterly enchanted, by the thought of a pink and silver rose.

"Sorry, they were destroyed along with Gallifrey."

"Could that be my nickname then?" Rose said.

"I thought your nickname was Dork Muffin," the Doctor said, feigning confusion.

Jade chuckled when Rose pulled her pillow out from behind her head and smacked him on the head with it. The Doctor smiled, took it from her and put it back behind her head.

"Okay, Arkytior, settled down now before you hurt yourself," he said as he adjusted it.

Rose settled back against the pillow, loving the sound of her new nickname while her mother watched lovingly. The Doctor sat back down in his chair and winked at Jade before he relaxed and waited for the others to come back.

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