 ose hung on to the console as the TARDIS pursued yet another journey through time and space, while the Doctor raced around her and the console, flicking switches and turning dials, setting the co-ordinates for the adventure.
'Where next?' he asked her a broad smile of excitement lit across his face.
She smiled back, 'I'm not really sure.'
'Come on, Rose. Where's your imagination?'
'I was never good with history, so going back in time is not an option. Especially after, well, you know.'
'Yes, well what about the planets? The stars?'
'Well, as far as planets go, I only know our own solar system, thou I'd probably struggle on remembering them.' She moved around the console and stood next to him as they watched the monitor screen set upon the console.
Suddenly the TARDIS lunged from side to side sending its occupants unsteady on their feet and both instinctively grabbing the console for support.
'Bit of a rough ride this one,' shouted the Doctor above the groaning sound of the time column. He moved frantically again around the console.
'You're telling me' mumbled Rose.
The Doctor suddenly grabbed Rose's hand and forced it down onto the console in front of her. 'Hold this! Don't let go!'
'What?' she declared, 'Is there a problem?' she stumbled over her words.
The Doctor looked up, still with a broard grin spreading across his face said, 'No. Not really.'
'Doctor?' shouted Rose. She knew he was lying, that broad smile gave him away every time. Rose went to let go of the lever that the Doctor had instructed her to hold to and thought better of it. There was another massive lurch which again came close to knocking her off her feet as sparks errupted from the console sending plumes of smoke into the air, causing Rose to jump.
The Doctor continued to circulate the console frantically trying to control his ship.
'Can't you control this thing?' shouted Rose turning her head from side to side as he moved around her.
'Yes!' he shouted back then, 'No, no, no, no!!'
'Well make up your mind!'
The TARDIS gave one final lurch but this time its occupants were thrown to the floor and the lights momentarily went out as the ship came to a final halt.
They both looked at each other, each waiting for the other to say something. The Doctor smiled, picked himself up and helped Rose to her feet.
'Is it always like this?' she asked.
'Not usually. I know the TARDIS can be a bit temperamental.'
'Temperamental? It felt like we hit something.'
'Yes. Yes it did. Thou the TARDIS is indestructible.'
'Try telling that to my ar--'
'Well, there dosen't appear to be too much damage.'
'Who are you kidding? I'll probably be black and blue all over' she said rubbing the appropriate area of her anatomy.
'I meant the TARDIS.'
'I'm surprised you can tell.'
The Doctor looked at her slightly hurt. The TARDIS had been though a lot in its time but always served it's purpose first and foremost as a home to him. He continued to look over the damage on the console. 'Nothing that can't be fixed.' he said.
'Well, where are we then?' she asked, moving over to his side. He moved away from her around to the opposite side of the console.
'Not sure.' he said. 'Shall we take a look?'
'Wait.' said Rose, 'Did you feel that?'
'Feel what?' he asked. Then it happened again, a slight movement from side to side. 'We must have landed on something.'
Rose moved towards the doors of the TARDIS, her interest and excitement bubbling away at the prospect of seeing something new and wondrous beyond them.
The Doctor flicked a couple of switches and levers on the console and stood at the top of the ramp leading down towards the door, hands in the pockets of his leather jacket. He smiled at her. 'Come on then, open the door.'
Rose pulled on the handle of the door and slowly opened it. The smell hit her full on. Her face crumpled up as she put her hand to her nose to mask the smell. 'Woah, smells like a farm.'
The Doctor laughed and continued down the ramp to join Rose as they both crossed the threshold of the TARDIS and into a dimly lit room beyond.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
 s their eyes adjusted to the light within the room the TARDIS had arrived in, they could see. wooden crates and boxes stacked haphazardly around them; parcels of different sizes wrapped in brown paper and string; mail sacks stacked on top of each other and full matching suitcases of different designs all neatly stacked at one end of the room and saw dust and straw covering the wooden floor.
'Ah, a railway carriage,' declared the Doctor, and as if on queue, the room rocked gently as the sound of the wheels on the track rattled.
'It stinks in here,' said Rose, her hand still trying to mask the smell.
The Doctor moved around the carriage, examining the parcels and luggage, 'Probably live stock.'
'Live stock?' said Rose suddenly becoming cautious of her surroundings, 'What kind of live stock?'
'Chickens!' declared the Doctor, as he pulled back the dusty cover off a stack of crates to reveal the clucking, feathered creatures within.
'Oh, hello.' Rose offered the chickens but received not even a cluck.
The Doctor continued to look around their surroundings. He could see several small slots running along the walls of the carriage where beams of light filtered through giving them enough light to see. He suddenly scrabbled to the top of a stack of luggage and peered out through one of the slots.
Rose moved over towards him. 'What can you see?' she asked.
'Not a lot,' he said, turning towards her and offering a hand to help her up beside him. 'Nothing there.'
'What? Nothing there at all?' asked Rose taking a look for herself.
The Doctor looked at her despondently, 'Don't you believe me?' he asked.
'Well...' Rose turned to him and saw the look he gave her. 'Well...maybe you missed something.' Rose turned back to the viewing point, squinting her eyes to look out beyond the glare of the sun.
'Nothing wrong with my vision I'll have you know.' The Doctor said, matter-of -factly and jumped down off the luggage and went to sit on top when he suddenly noticed the gold painted letters blazoned on each piece of luggage.
Rose turned and jumped down beside him. 'Not much to see really.'
He looked at her 'Really?' he asked.
'Plenty of sunlight.'
'Really?'
'But not much else...really.' she said.
'Nothing to see then?' the Doctor asked.
'Well...no.' Rose conceded.
'Well, what about this then?' he indicated the luggage.
'It's luggage.' Rose said in a matter-of-fact way.
'Well, I can see it's luggage. Don't you see?'
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The Last Train Home
