BETTER WITH FOUR

Chapter Twenty Seven

Rose and Martha hid behind the house next to Banes and watched for any signs of activity. By this time, the sun was beginning to go down and the people were beginning to thin out as they hurried home for supper.

"Are you sure about this?" Martha said softly to Rose as they waited to make their move. "I can come inside with you if you want."

"No, I want the wanker to let his guard down," Rose said softly. "Just wait by the door and if I need you, I'll yell."

Martha nodded. Both women looked around before they hurried silently towards the door. Martha looked around while Rose hazarded a glance through the doorway. To her surprise, Banes was sitting at his table, quietly enjoying a meal of what looked like two dead white rats. Rose fought to keep her churning stomach in check as she nodded to Martha, letting her know that she was in there. She tensed her muscles and gathered her courage and wits about her before putting her hand with the pokeball behind her back and stepping into the house.

The sudden appearance of Rose startled Banes and he dropped the rat he was to put into his mouth. It landed with a thunk on his plate while he stared at her in shock.

"What is this?" he demanded. "Why are you still alive?"

"Well," Rose said airly, "I believe it's called Being Smarter Than You Think."

Banes stood up and opened his mouth for a moment, baring his fangs at her.

"Where is the other one?" he snarled at her.

"What other one?" Rose said innocently.

"The Doctor, where is he?" Banes snarled at her.

"Oh him? I killed em," Rose said smugly.

"You lie."

Rose gave him a smug look.

"I'm the Bad Wolf," she said. "The most powerful being in the world. The Doctor is no match for me…oh, sorry…WAS no match for me!"

"Well, let's see if you're a match for me then, little mammal!"

He lunged at Rose. She tried to sidestep him but she was too quick and the force of the blow made her hand come out from behind her back and to her horror, the pokeball flew from her grasp and landed across the room. Rose was lying on her back with the enraged cobra on top of her. She gasped and tried to push his head away from her as he opened his mouth to sink his fangs into her.

"MARTHA! I NEED HELP!" Rose screamed as Banes laughed in triumph.

"Where is the Bad Wolf now!" he yelled as he reared up and prepared to strike.

He was about to plunge his fangs into her when Banes felt a tap on his shoulder. He shifted his body and lowered his hood so he could look behind him and to his shock, he saw the Doctor standing over him.

"Hello, I'd like to register a complaint about the hospitality or lack thereof," the Doctor said.

Banes hissed and got to his feet but the Doctor pulled the spare pokeball out of his pocket and opened it. Rose shielded her eyes as Banes was enveloped in the white light and went hissing into the tiny ball. Rose breathed a sigh of relief when the ball snapped shut and the light faded, leaving her and the Doctor alone in the house. The Doctor asked her if she was alright as he helped her to her feet.

"Yeah, didn't expect to see you here," Rose said as Martha and Donna came into the house.

"Well, the TARDIS is a miracle worker at times," the Doctor said. "And I'm very sorry I tried to kill you. I wasn't in my right mind at the time."

"Oh, you think?" Rose teased as she nudged his side with her finger.

The Doctor smiled, pulled her close to him and kissed her on the cheek while Rose held him, thankful that he had been restored. Rose looked down at the ball in his hand.

"What about him, what are you gonna do with him?" Rose said, pointing to it.

"Oooh, I think I shall take him to the proper authorities and tell them he's been kidnapping people, forcing them to mutate and kill others. I think the authorities will be veeery interested in what he has to say," the Doctor said, throwing up the ball and catching it with his hand. "But for now, let's head back to the TARDIS. Ladies…" he said, gesturing to the door.

Martha and Donna walked out of it but when Rose tried to walk towards it, the Doctor grabbed her around the middle, pulled her to him and mimed biting her neck while Rose giggled.

"Sssss, I want ssssome Rosssse!" he hissed in her ear.

"Mm, maybe later, if you're a good little cobra," Rose said, patting his cheek.

She laughed when the Doctor beamed at that and waggled his eyebrows. She took his hand and the two of them walked out of the house and followed the others back to the TARDIS.

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