Chapter 4

"What's wrong?" asked the Doctor, immediately.

Rose pointed to behind him, her eyes confused and fearful. Puzzled, he turned his head and opened his mouth in surprise.

"What..?" he exclaimed.

Standing in a semi-circle behind them was about half a dozen dwarf sized creatures with webbed hands and feet and a bluey-green shade coloured skin.

"I thought you said this was an uninhabited island," Rose said quietly, not tearing her eyes off the strange creatures.

"It's supposed to be," muttered the Doctor. He slowly climbed off Rose and addressed the creatures.

"Greetings. I am the Doctor and this is Rose Tyler."

"We are the Gwarf," the aliens said as one.

The Doctor shook his head, never having heard of them before. "Why are you here?" he asked, "This is a deserted island."

"We have been cast off our planet," the Gwarf said, again as one, "to return would mean the death penalty."

"They sound just like the Slitheen," Rose muttered, her hand finding his.

The Doctor repressed a smile. "Which planet would that be?"

"Raxacoricofallapatorius," came the reply.

Rose gasped in disbelief. "Do you know the Slitheen?" she asked.

"They are our cousins and also our enemies. It was because of President Blon Fel-Fotch Passameer-Day Slitheen that we are exiled,"

"Margaret?" asked the Doctor, almost lost for words,

"We do not know this 'Margaret' you speak off," chorused the Gwarf, "we came to this planet with the knowledge it was uninhabited. Instead we find you here,"

"We're just visiting," the Doctor said shortly, his grip on Rose's hand increasing. "Are you planning on living here?"

"We believe so. It is a good planet and we would do well out of it."

"Well good luck with it," replied the Doctor, "come on Rose, we'd better get going." He pulled Rose up from the sand and began tidying up their spot before dragging his partner over to the TARDIS and firmly closing the door.

"What's wrong?" asked Rose, hastily doing up her bikini top.

"I don't trust them," said the Doctor, "I bet they're up to something,"

"You don't trust anyone," Rose said, watching as he fiddled with the TARDIS control panel,

"I trust you," the Doctor said, offering her his hand, "I'd trust you with my life."

Rose smiled and joined him at the control panel. He wrapped his arm around her waist and idly traced patterns on her exposed skin while gesturing at the screen with his other hand.

"The Gwarf…" he mused, "not come across them before. Anything in the databanks..? Ah yes. Distant cousins of the Slitheen family. They are also a family and only speak together and originally came from the northern part of Raxacoricofallapatorius. Can live in water and on dry land, hence the webbed fingers and toes."

Rose nodded. "Does it say why they were exiled?"

The Doctor scanned the screen before snorting. "Apparently they were caught devising a plot to destroy Raxacoricofallapatorius and sell it on to the highest bidder. Sound familiar?"

"Just a bit," muttered Rose, "so the Gwarf just basically copied the Slitheen's idea?"

"Yup. No wonder they got caught and by President Blon Fel-Fotch Passameer-Day Slitheen!"

"Sounds like our plan worked and Margaret did grow up again to become good," Rose remarked.

The Doctor smiled softly. "It's events like this that make my life worthwhile."

Rose didn't know how to reply to that so she wrapped him up in a hug and gently kissed his neck.

" You make my life feel so worthwhile now, Rose," he mumbled into her hair.

"I'm glad. And ditto. So, what's the plan?"

"Stop the Gwarf in their tracks by foiling whatever they're plotting- it's what we do best- and then get on with our little beach holiday,"

"Carry on with what we started, you mean?"

The Doctor looked down at Rose who stared directly back; her eyes full of love and conviction.

"Absolutely."

"So what exactly are we looking for?" Rose asked later, as the pair strolled along the beach.

"Anything suspicious looking," replied the Doctor, swinging their interlinked hands back and forth,

"Like the Gwarf?"

" Especially the Gwarf!"

"Alright."

They walked around the small island a few times, keeping their eyes peeled for anything suspicious. They saw nothing except sandy outskirts and lots of trees in the middle. There were no buildings to suggest civilization which Rose found pretty creepy.

It was on their fourth circuit when they finally saw something. The Doctor pulled Rose to a stop and pointed. It was the Gwarf, looking the same as before, only wet, plodding out of the sea, across the sands and into the shady trees. They had also suddenly doubled in number.

"Come on," whispered the Doctor, "let's follow them."

Hand in hand, they crept after the Gwarf, darting behind trees when the aliens showed any signs of turning around and keeping a sharp look out for any fallen twigs which might give away their presence. All in all, Rose found it rather exciting.

Finally the Gwarf came to a halt in the middle of the forest in a suspiciously large clear space and formed a circle. There were no trees in this area and the leaves and sparse grass on the forest floor seemed to have been flattened somehow. It was peculiar.

"Welcome Brothers Gwarf," they chanted in unison, "let us finalise our plans."

One of the Gwarf stepped forward and began to speak. His words were echoed by the rest.

"Our plans were foiled by the traitorous Slitheen so we must try again on this unnamed, unwanted planet. Everything is set up and tomorrow morning at midday, we shall activate our power source, blowing up this unneeded planet. We shall be rich, my brothers, beyond our wildest dreams and we shall be able to destroy our cousins, the Slitheen!"

The Gwarf began to cackle evilly, sending chills up Rose's back, while the Doctor hissed quietly.

"We need to stop them," he said, in a low voice as the Gwarf filed past, still laughing, "and luckily, I think I know how."

So basically, we're going to Raxacoricofallapatorius to see 'Margaret'- hoping she doesn't remember us from her "past life"" said Rose, making quote gestures with her hands, "and get her and an army or something to come back here with us to arrest the Gwarf?"

"Yup!" nodded the Doctor, "Absolutely foolproof."

"OK. You're the boss," Rose said, "when are we going?"

"In half an hour," said the Doctor, "I need to tinker with the TARDIS first."

"Alright," smirked Rose, "I'm going out for a walk,"

"Keep out of sight, yeah?"

"Yup," Rose answered, picking up her towel and slipping out of the door.

The Doctor grinned and began to disappear out of sight underneath the control panel. Suddenly, the TARDIS began to beep urgently and he reappeared.

"What's up, girl?" he wondered. He looked at the screen and paled. "Are you sure?"

The TARDIS flashed once and the Doctor swallowed audibly. "Then I suppose I have no choice."

He patted the console and walked outside, scanning the surroundings for Rose. She was nowhere in sight; probably on the other side of the island. The Doctor sighed and bent down in the wet sand by the sea.

"Better leave her a message."

He dug his fingers into the sand and spelt out some words. Then, he stood back up, took a last look around and walked into the TARDIS. Thirty seconds later, the engines fired up and the machine disappeared. One minute after that, an extra large wave flowed up the beach and scrubbed out the Doctor's words. A further twenty minutes passed until running footsteps were heard.

"Doctor!" Rose called, "Where are you? Doctor?"

She stared at the outline of the TARDIS left in the sand and her knees buckled, sending her to the floor.

"Not again," she whispered, "He can't have…"

Her face paled and she blinked furiously, refusing to cry. Tears wouldn't help. But what or who would?

"Rose?" suddenly said a voice, "Rose! What are you doing here?"