ROSE TYLER, NINJA ASSASSIN
Chapter Twenty Nine After feeling his way through the dark to the ramp, the Doctor opened the doors and sure enough there was a crowd of curious onlookers from the village gaping at the TARDIS. The Doctor pushed past them while Donna guarded the entrance, found two torches, lit them and ran back to his ship. The onlookers watched while the Doctor handed the torches to Rose, pulled up a floor grate and went down under the console. The Doctor pulled out one of the power cells and Rose knelt down with Akira and Hattori watching while the Doctor blew on it. "What are you doing?" Akira said. "Giving my energy to my ship," he said while the cell glowed green briefly and then began its power up cycle. "It'll take time but hopefully we'll have plenty of that now." He came up out of the hole after putting the cell back and put the grate back in the floor. By now, Donna had brought Toshi inside the ship and he looked around the interior in silent shock. "Toshi, my friend, welcome to my ship," the Doctor said, walking over to him. "Are you sure you aren't a kami?" Toshi said. "Pretty sure," the Doctor said. "But I do have alien technology at my disposal and that's what this is." "Gods, your face," Toshi said when he got a good look at his bruised and bloodied face. "Oh yes, have to deal with that as well. Donna, shut the door. Everyone inside can stay here but I don't need the console room crammed with curious ninjas. I need to go back to the med bay so why not give our new friends the scenic tour." Donna nodded. She quickly explained to the crowd that the Doctor wanted the door closed before shutting it. The Doctor thanked her while giving her one of the torches and taking the other one. He told everyone he would be back soon and left the toom. Rose hesitated a moment and then followed him. The Doctor paused and raised his eyebrow when he saw Rose behind him. "That wasn't very stealthy," he teased. "I thought you ninja were masters of sneaking up on people." "I wasn't trying to be sneaky." "Oh. Well, come with me. I want to have a chat while I fix my face." He waited till Rose was at his side before he resumed his pace. While they walked, the Doctor spoke with Rose about killing people. "A ninja is trained to kill people," Rose said after she listened to his objections about it. "I've been trained to kill people as well but I don't use it unless I have to. I want you and Hattori to come with me but you can't go into every situation with swords drawn." "Hattori is coming too?" "Yes, I invited it. He has no family and no career now that his hand is gone. Although I promised I would have someone build a new hand for him. I will speak to him as well but I just want you to know that there are other ways to deal with situations besides killing people. If that lot out there killed Hattori, he wouldn't have been around to help us. Not every person is deserving of death and that includes samurai. Hattori became one to hide his eta past and have a well paying career. He's not a bloodthirsty killer. Now I'm sure there are killers employed by Ieyasu who enjoying killing for the hell of it but isn't that true for the ninjas?" Rose thought about that and nodded. "What I do requires a lot of strategy and outwitting an opponent. Unlike you, I don't carry tons of weapons with me into every situation. I use my mind and try to outthink my foes before I resort to maiming and killing them. I would like you and Hattori to do the same. Will you try that?" "I would do anything for you, Doctor-sama." "Good, although I don't want you to be an obedient robot. You don't have to follow me blindly, just use your noddle a bit more and please quit using sama after my name. I know it's a mark of respect like saying sir but I don't like it. I'd rather be called Doctor and leave the honorifics outside." "I thought it would honor you," Rose said. "Sama is the highest form of address to someone." "I know but it grates on my nerves. I don't think of myself as deserving of an honorific. I want to be close with my companions and calling me sama creates a distance I don't like. I understand if you slip up sometimes but could you also try not to use sama after my name?" "Yes…Doctor." "Thank you. I'll speak to Hattori about that as well. I never could understand why people needed to call me sir or sama or your highness or grand poobah and things like that. I'm just the regular old Doctor." They reached the med bay and the Doctor handed Rose the torch and showed her inside. XOXOXOXOXO By the time the Doctor was done, the blood was off his face and the bruises were slowly disappearing. Rose nodded while he looked in a mirror. "Your face is improving," she said. "Yes. I have many medicines that work quickly. The bruises will probably be completely gone in an hour or two. So…back to the front then?" Rose nodded and the Doctor took her hand, giving it a squeeze while they walked back to the console room. By the time they got there, it was empty and the Doctor was pleased to see that the TARDIS had incorporated enough power that the lights were dimly lit, giving enough light to see without the torch. "I s'pose Donna is giving the tour to the others," he said. "I should do that for you. You need to know where things are in here," "Are you sure you want me to come with you, Doctor-sa…Doctor?" "I wouldn't ask if I didn't want you with me." "I just thought it would be painful having me here when I look like the other Rose." The Doctor took her hand and squeezed it. "It was at first, I will admit that but the other Rose is in another universe starting a brand new life with a version of me and I decided that perhaps I could do the same with you and follow their example. I want you here, Rose. I enjoy your company and you're a brilliant warrior. We just have to get that killing instinct toned down a bit but you and Hattori will be assets to me. Besides, you and Hattori can teach Donna how to fight. She could use the lessons." The Doctor kissed her forehead. "You are wanted here, Rose. Don't ever doubt that." Rose's heart beat rapidly when she realized that was the first time anyone had ever said that to her. She knew then that going with the Doctor would be the right decision. "So…would you like a tour as well? I have a torch," the Doctor said. "I'd love one," Rose said. The Doctor put his arm around her and led her out of the room. XOXOXOXOXO When the Doctor concluded the tour, he found everyone else in the kitchen drinking tea. "I did the same thing," the Doctor said. "I gave Rose the quick tour so she'd be familiar with the layout of the TARDIS." "Doctor-sama…" Toshi said, rising from a chair beside the table. "Um…Doctor doesn't like sama, he told me not to use it," Rose said. The Doctor chuckled when Toshi gave him an odd look. "It's alright, just go on with what you were about to say," the Doctor said, holding up his hand. "Doctor-sama, after all you've done for us, I have decided to adopt you as a son and adopt Donna-san as a daughter," Toshi said. "Really?" the Doctor said overjoyed. "Thank you!" "Thank you," Donna said, beaming.. "No, thank you. We have been blessed by your presence here. You have done so much for us and you will always be welcome here anytime you wish to return," Toshi said to them. "Um…I'm not sure when that will be but if we ever do pop by I will be sure to come and see you," the Doctor said, sharing a look with Donna as she chuckled. Toshi walked over to him and hugged him tightly. The Doctor smiled and returned the hug. Then he did the same with Donna. "Thank you, my son and daughter from the stars, may the gods and kami smile upon you always." The Doctor and Donna thanked him warmly. Toshi nodded and asked if everyone wanted to come to his house for supper. Everyone agreed to it and the Doctor and Donna led the way back towards the console room.
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