ARCADIA

Chapter Thirteen

"So now what do we do?" Rose said when she got to her feet and walked over to the barrier separating her and her mother.

"I don't know but it seems like he knows my every move," the DoctorJackie said.

Yes, so why are you still trying to trick him, Jackie thought to the Doctor.

Because I'm a stupid idiot who makes you look smart by comparison, the Doctor thought back.

No comment, Jackie thought.

Rose hit the force field in frustration and sighed when it held.

"Maybe our friends will save us," Rose said to the DoctorJackie.

Or maybe we all die, Jackie thought.

"Jackie, button it," the Doctor growled back at her. "I need to think and you're not helping."

"Mum, button it," Rose said, guessing what her mother might be saying to him.

Can I speak to my daughter before something happens and we're separated again, Jackie though to the Doctor.

The Doctor changed places with her and after telling Rose it was her now, Jackie moved towards the force field.

"I find it hard to believe after all this that you still trust the man," Jackie said to Rose.

"Mum, he's doing his best. He prevented that bastard from taking control of you, didn't he?"

"I s'pose but we're back on the ship and prisoners of Callisto again," Jackie said.

"We'll find a way to escape. We have Jack and the others and they're still free, yeah?"

"You hope," Jackie said. "For all we know, he went back down and captured them as well."

"Well, what should we do then?" Rose said in exasperation. "Do you have any ideas?"

"No, I don't because I'm not used to all this."

"Well, we are so let the Doctor do his job," Rose said.

Jackie sighed.

"He swore to me that you'd be safe, Rose."

"I will be, Mum."

Jackie shook her head.

"I know you think I'm being intrusive and whinging about all this but I love you," Jackie said. "I always have and I always will and the last thing I want is for you to end up enslaved or raped or killed."

"I know, Mum, but there's nothing we can do right now. We have to wait till an opportunity comes."

Jackie nodded reluctantly. She was about to say something when suddenly there was another flash and she and Rose found themselves back in the Salt Plains without the TARDIS. They looked around but there was no sign of Jack or the others and there was nothing human or humanoid for miles around. Rose was about to say something but Jackie held up her hand and shut her up.

"Doctor wants to come back into you. He says he's confident that the blocks he put inside me will hold. Do you want that?"

Rose nodded and Jackie put her fingers against her temple and Rose felt the Doctor slide back into her.

Ah, much more pleasant, the Doctor thought to Rose when Jackie finished and lowered her arms.

Rose let him take control and the DoctorRose looked around.

"We're deep inside the Salt Plains," he said to Jackie after letting her know it was him. "Very deep. Probably miles away from Jack and the others."

"What about those…lizard things then?" Jackie said.

"Anthrosis? Perhaps but without Pagos or Tiana to speak for us and Vak is probably miles away now with the elders. We might end up being killed."

"By them or by something else," Jackie said.

"Yes, something else. I believe that is more a problem at the moment than the Anthrosis becoming hostile," the Doctor said, looking around. "I'm sure Callisto put us at this exact spot for a reason and I'm sure nothing good is here."

"Doctor," Jackie said, pointing over his shoulder.

The DoctorRose turned and saw a large spider coming up over a large hill.

"Yup, nothing good is here," the DoctorRose said, backing up and standing beside Jackie.

"So what do we do then?" Jackie said.

The Doctor looked at the spider, watching while they slowly came down the hill towards them. The spider was the size of a pony, black with stiff black hair all over its body. It had eight eyes and large jaws with moist mandibles jutting out. Jackie's heart raced and she backed away in terror as the spider homed in on them.

"Doctor, don't you dare get my daughter killed," Jackie yelled at him when she noticed the DoctorRose hadn't moved back.

Then suddenly, the DoctorRose ran towards the spider and Jackie screamed in terror, fearful for her daughter. The spider stopped for a few seconds and the DoctorRose veered off to the right, running in a diagonal line in front of it. The spider turned and pursued Rose while Jackie watched in silent horror. The spider followed the DoctorRose as she ran around it and ran towards the hill. The spider was fast but the DoctorRose managed to keep just ahead of it and Jackie screamed in terror when her daughter ran over the hill and the spider followed.

"Rose!" Jackie screamed when she lost sight of everyone.

Muttering a curse, Jackie sprinted towards the hill, intending to save her daughter and get her out of there or lose her life protecting her. She reached the top of the hill and froze. The DoctorRose had managed to climb onto the spider's back and the spider was spinning around in a tight circle, trying to shake her daughter's body off while the DoctorRose tried to grab at its head. While Jackie watched, the DoctorRose managed to get Rose's hands on the sides of the spider's head and hold them there. Then after a minute, the spider slowed down and stopped and Rose let go. Jackie watched, dumbfounded, while Rose slid off the spider's back and walked towards her. The spider followed and Jackie was about to yell out and warn her daughter but Rose held up her hands.

"It's alright, Mum," she said. "The Doctor went into the spider's mind."

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