Archive of Our Own

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Chapter One:
Lost
Series:
Two.

Episode:
Thirteen - Doomsday.

Stubborn. Stubborn was one word that could definitely describe Rose Tyler. As much as it hurt to send her away, it was what he did running from his problems rather than facing them. He should have known that not even a parallel universe would stop the Tyler woman, considering she had ripped open the TARDIS and almost died trying to save him last time he had sent her away. But after all this time, he had hoped that Rose would listen to him. He should have known better.

He hadn't meant to snap at her when she reappeared seconds after he had sent her away to safety. Where she could live a normal human life like she deserved. He had let his frustration and fear at losing her due to her own stubbornness course through him, causing him to snap at her. Why did she have to be so brave? Why couldn't she be like every other fear riddled human who was quick to follow instructions, in order to save themselves? Why did she have to be so jeopardy friendly?

Because despite what he'd told Rose, the Beast's words had lingered in his ear, echoed in his mind and festered doubts and fears.

'The Valiant child who will die in battle so very soon.'

And a glimpse at the timelines left him feeling certain that this was the battle the Beast had foretold. There was an infinitely small chance that either would survive today, Rose's chances being much fewer than his own. Of the many sprawling timelines that surrounded her, the majority would abruptly end today. And after everything they'd been through he couldn't, no,

wouldn't

let that happen, after all this regeneration was exceedingly more stubborn when it came to his blonde companion. Though in his hearts he knew she was so much more than just a companion and had been for some time.

Despite everything in him telling him not to, he wanted to believe her. She had ripped open his TARDIS to save him, she had stuck by him after regeneration and meeting Sarah Jane - he was still confused about what had caused them to burst out laughing -, she had promised him forever and she had jumped back across the dimension leaving behind her mother to come back to him.

He shook himself free of his thoughts and stopped pacing the room. When had he started doing that? He walked over to one of the desks and began typing away. He couldn't think about that right now. He had to focus on the Daleks and Cybermen. They were the problem right now. He heard Rose speak up from the other side of the room.

"We've got Cybermen on the way up."

"How many floors down?" He replied rushing over to her station.

"Just one." She said as he looked at her screen over shoulder before dashing off to solve the problem, while Rose continued to type away, her declaration having left her unsure of where they stood.

Once the Doctor had returned they continued to prepare to go into ghost shift as they typed away on the computers, the process made just that bit longer by the lack of staff that Torchwood had at their disposal. This led to the Doctor occasionally dashing off to a different workstation, to accomodate for the lack of extra hands. Finally, all preparation had been made - well almost - the Doctor dashed into the office, fully aware that Rose was following, as he clicked a couple of things on the main computer before a smile bloomed on his face.

"That's more like it a bit of a smile." He heard Rose say from behind him, he looked up facing her for the first time since he'd snapped at her and then sent her off to deal with the computers. "The old team." She continued.

"Hope and Glory. Mutt and Jeff." He said playing along trying to regain some of his false cheer from earlier, he picked up one of the magnaclamps. "Shiver and Shake." He finished standing right in front of her.

"Which one's Shiver?" She asked, continuing their playful banter.

"Oh, I'm Shake." He said dumping the magnaclamp into her arms and walking back over to levers with the other magnaclamp, he picked it up and attached it to the right wall. Rose did the same on the other side of the room. "Press the red button." he instructed. The magnaclamps made the tell-tale beeping signifying they had been turned on.

They turned away from the wall facing each other as the Doctor started explaining to Rose what to expect when the breach was opened.

"When it starts just hold on tight. It shouldn't be too bad for us but the Daleks and Cybermen are steeped in Void Stuff." They ran over to the levers, grabbing a hold of them. "Are you ready?"

"So are they."

The Doctor's head whipped around to look at what she was talking about. Outside the window, four normal Daleks - not the Cult of Skaro - hovered ready to foil the plans. Clearly having figured out that they had opened the breach after living in it for who knows how long.

"Let's do it!"

They pushed the levers into the upright position making sure they were locked in place before rushing back over to their magnaclamps before the suction of the void became inescapable. The light breeze quickly increased and began sucking at the contents of the room, papers flew around the room into the Void, computers were barely staying in place, straining against the wires that tethered them in place.

How much of this room had been impacted by Torchwood's meddling? Or rather, how much of

London

had been affected?

The air pressure in the room increased and suddenly the four Daleks were crashing through the window and hurtling into the Void. A stream of Daleks and Cybermen sped through the room and into what looked like a blank wall. But behind which, a fate most horrible awaited them.

As the stream continued the Doctor began to believe that maybe they could get through this without any further implications, the Beast had been wrong. Seconds later, a Dalek crashed into his lever as it passed, causing sparks to fly into the air before dying out. The brief smile dropped. His eyebrows furrowed as he watched his lever gradually begin to fall back down as it was no longer locked into position. He stretched one arm out towards it. It stood just out of reach. He could just let go of the clamp. He could hold on to the lever without falling into the Void, he was sure of it.

He leant further forward. His fingertips just brushed the pole. He could hear Rose screaming at him. His other hand left the clamp and he launched himself at the lever. Grabbing hold, he tried to lock it into the upright position but with the breach open he was being pulled in the opposite making it just that much more difficult. He slid around so his back was facing the breach and pushed the lever up. It took a lot more force to push it up this time.

He finally got it back into place but the suction had increased along with it and he couldn't get back to his clamp this time. The breach sucked at him, encouraging him to let go and fall into the oblivion that awaited within. He clenched his eyes shut and tried to grip the handle tighter. He could hear Rose screaming but couldn't distinguish any words. The wind pulled harder at his body, his grip slowly loosening. He looked up at Rose then.

Sheer panic and terror consumed her features. And just as his fingers came free from the lever her arm stretched out to him.

"No! My Doctor!"

Suddenly an image flashed through his mind. A memory from another life.

"I want you safe my Doctor."

The words of Badwolf lingered in mind. But he had removed Bad Wolf. Hadn't he?

He looked over at Rose. And with one final word she began to glow.

"No." Her tone firm and hauntingly beautiful. All traces of panic were gone as she stared at the Doctor resultantly. The golden glow started in her eyes, her brown irises no longer distinguishable, it travelled down her shoulder and twisted it's way down her arm before engulfing each of her fingers in turn. The speckled golden tendrils reached towards the Doctor. The tendrils twisted around the Doctor suspending him in mid-air. No closer to his clamp and no closer to the void.

Minutes passed and the breach finally closed in on itself. Seconds later the golden light had faded from Rose's eyes, her outstretched arm drop just as she collapsed. With the power of Bad Wolf no longer keeping him suspended, he hit the floor with a painful thump. He groaned but tried to crawl over to check on the unconscious Rose. Something tugged at him from the edge of his telepathic barrier, urging him into unconsciousness. He fought against the strangely familiar presence.

Every inch was harder than the previous. When he was finally within arms distance of her, he stretched an arm out towards her but he could no longer fight back the presence and collapsed into unconsciousness.

The TARDIS disapproved of the carelessness that the staff of Torchwood had handled her with. She looked around at the bodies littered on the ground and sighed sadly. It could have been a lot worse if it wasn't for her Thief. But all of that was of little concern right now. She had always known this day was coming. She had seen all the different variations this day had taken and had prepared accordingly. She had tried to ensure that nothing would happen to her Wolf or her Thief. As either being lost would have inevitably destroyed the other. But right now she needed to look after them.

She dematerialised from the spot where she had been stationed in the storage warehouse. Rematerialising around her Wolf and Thief. She knew her Thief would worry about her Wolf. He always worried, especially about things out of his control. So she had taken the liberty to remove his memories - only temporarily - of Bad Wolf from today. Unfortunately, the only way to do so had been to send him into a state of unconsciousness. Her Wolf was not yet ready to wield the power that festered within her veins and as such she needed time to heal. Neither would remember today, not until it was time.

She huffed irritably as she looked at the pair of them unconscious on the grating of her console room. They needed rest and they would not get it that way. Sometimes, she wished she had a physical form. She rearranged the rooms around them. She considered putting them both in her Thief's room but knew that would only lead to confusion when he awoke. Sighing, she left them on the plush sofas of one of her libraries.

She looked sadly at her occupants. Of all the ways this day could have gone this way was one of the best for the both of them but she knew that once her Wolf awoke, realisation would settle in and she would begin her period of mourning. And a long period it would be. While her Thief would continue to blame himself for her pain. There was nothing more she could do.

At this present time at least.

Two weeks had passed on the TARDIS. It had taken Rose a couple of seconds after returning to the TARDIS for the realisation of what happened to catch up with her. A strangled sob had fought its way past her lips but she’d swallowed it down and instead a vacant expression took over her features. She had ran off into the TARDIS somewhere, buried deep within the bowels of his ship to undoubtedly grieve. The Doctor hadn't seen her since and was starting to worry. He didn't know whether she was eating or sleeping. Humans were very fragile and a slight imbalance in either of those could make them unwell. But considering his TARDIS was keeping her hidden he just had to hope that she was looking after her.

And part of him felt guilty. So incredibly guilty. Because she was hurting because of him. Because she’d chosen him and in return had lost her family forever. He couldn’t imagine what Jackie was going through a whole universe away. He’d promised her he’d always bring Rose home and now he’d taken her only child from her so that she could never see her again. He’d ruined everything.

Those kinds of thoughts haunted him in Rose’s absence and he’d come to realise that he’d become dependent on her pulling him from one of his moods and yet this was how he was repaying her? So while Rose stayed hidden away the Doctor continued to rush around the TARDIS as he used her for a number of scans. There was one last thing he could do, he just had to make sure it wasn't too late. He was just about to give up when he saw it. A grin spread across his lips and he danced around the TARDIS with new found excitement.

He couldn't bring Jackie back - he’d already agonised over that possibility - but there was one thing he could do for Rose. He just hoped it would be enough.

"My Wolf."

She heard an ethereal voice say in her mind. A voice that reminded her of a mother trying to comfort their distraught child.

Rose ignored the TARDIS. She just wanted to stay curled up in an armchair in one of the TARDIS' smaller libraries staring into the flames of the fireplace. Whilst also, trying not to think about the last time she stared at a fireplace in such misery. She had taken refuge in the small rustic library after the events of the Battle of Canary Wharf, grieving the loss of her mother, and had yet to resurface.

She’d been

so

selfish, she hadn’t even said goodbye, she’d as good as told her mother that the Doctor was more important than she was, before leaving her behind. And that wasn’t true, it wasn’t. But she’d gotten so used to acting on impulse instead of planning first while travelling with the Doctor that it hadn’t even occurred to her.

But now it was eating her up inside. She wasn’t ready to leave just yet, the pain too fresh. And unwilling to burden the Doctor with her pain - while also knowing full well he was blaming himself regardless - she’d selfishly stayed hidden away.

God

, she really did make a mess of everything all the time, didn’t she? And she couldn’t exactly complain could she? She was the one who’d made a big speech about her choice despite the Doctor’s warnings. And yet here she was.

"Come along my Wolf."

Rose was intent on continuing to ignore the TARDIS, wallowing in her pain instead, when she spoke up again.

It had taken time to get used to the TARDIS' presence in her mind and to understand the odd way in which she spoke, but now it was almost second nature. Communicating with the TARDIS was difficult for one reason - she couldn’t talk - it was usually just thoughts, images and emotions broadcasted straight into her brain, as close to communicating as the sentient time machine could manage.

But on days when her barriers were low and she was particularly weak those impressions sounded more like words. Whether it was because they were words or because it was easier to translate when she wasn’t worrying so much, she didn’t know. And right now, she didn’t care either.

"Our Thief has something to show you... It's important."

She added after a moment's hesitation.

Rose bit her lips indecisively. She was curious. She couldn't deny that, after all, what would the TARDIS be disrupting her depressing thoughts for after so long if it wasn't important. Wringing her hands together, she left the comfort of the library hesitantly making her way to the console room. Her hands played with the long sleeves of her thin pink buttoned shirt.

Taking a deep breath, Rose stepped into the console room. Rose hadn't felt this awkward and uncomfortable around the Doctor since he had first regenerated. She looked up and watched the Time Lord dance around the console of his ship maniacally. He noticed her standing there out of the corner of his eye and his head snapped towards her. He gave her a small comforting smile before looking back down at the console and slipping into lecture mode. It was always easier to ignore the discomfort like this.

"Rose! There was one tiny little crack left in the universe but it needs a lot of power  to do though, even just for a couple of minutes, so I have us orbiting a supernova but I've already sent through a telepathic message so everything should be ready." He said quickly, flicking switches.

"What’s this all for, Doctor?" Rose asked, still thoroughly confused.

He turned to face her then no longer touching the console.

"It will give us just enough power to get a projection through. I can't actually take you to her but this is the best I can do," He said scratching the back of his neck awkwardly, face scrunched up. "So you can say goodbye to her, Rose." He looked up at her at that last sentence expecting to see anger for giving up and abandoning her mother in the parallel universe, but instead, she looked thankful.

"I can say goodbye?" Her voice was full of hope at the opportunity she thought she would never have.

He nodded at her question and she flung herself at him, her arms wrapping around him in a hug. He cautiously wrapped his arms around her waist, unsure of himself around her after her long absence. She mumbled a train of

'thank you'

s into his neck before releasing him. They both tried to ignore the fact that they missed having the other in their arms, for the sake of the other. They smiled at each other before the Doctor turned to flick one last switch.

An image of Jackie Tyler appeared near where the TARDIS' doors usually stood, now replaced by an empty grey beach, the rest of the TARDIS still remained behind her though she seemed to be standing just behind the line where the illusion ended on the familiar grating. Jackie was looking at something off to the right, dressed head to toe in pink clothing appropriate for colder weather. Rose bit the inside of her lip to hold back tears. Fiddling with the sleeves of her shirt she walked hesitantly towards the image.

By the time she was at arms length away from the image, Jackie had turned around. Jackie's hands flew up to her face. The older Tyler woman choked back sobs at the sight of her daughter.

"Rose?" Jackie asked finally, removing her hands from her face, she must be imagining it, Rose wasn't here, she was back in their universe.

Rose smiled at her mum unable to form words at the moment. She nodded in answer to Jackie's unspoken question. It really was her.

"Where are you?" Jackie asked after deciding that even if she wasn't the real Rose she would still make the most of it.

"In the TARDIS. The Doctor found one little gap left in the universe so I could say goodbye" Rose said shakily.

"You look like a ghost." And after their latest adventure that was not a reminder anyone wanted.

"Oh. Hold on." The Doctor said from behind her, she turned around to watch him point his screwdriver at something on the console before she turned back around to her mum, the projection much clearer now, she almost believed she was in the same room.

Jackie watched as the two of them came into focus. It was hard to believe she wasn't really here and actually on the TARDIS. She reached out to hug her daughter before the Doctor spoke up from behind her daughter.

"We're still just an image." He said sadly. He wished he could give them both something better but he couldn't.

Rose looked down at the now sandy floor sadly at the information. Jackie nodded and dropped her hand. Jackie wanted to ask the Doctor if they could come through properly but was afraid she already knew the answer. If he could, he would have done it for her Rose. That daft alien was as in love with her daughter as she was with him, she’d seen it firsthand after all. She couldn't understand the relationship but she wasn't going to dwell on that now. This may be the last time she ever saw her daughter after all.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t think I just left you there, I didn’t even say goodbye. I’m sorry.” Rose said tearily.

“Oh none of that sweetheart, you’ll set me off. I know you didn’t mean anything by it but I can’t talk about it now. If this is the last chance we’ve got, lets not let it be about regrets, eh?”

Rose nodded, still feeling guilty for leaving her. Trying to distract herself, she looked up and suddenly seemed to notice Jackie's surroundings. No zeppelins or London traffic, just a sprawling - if a little grey - beach.

"Where are you?" Rose asked.

"In bloody Norway! Some place called Dårlig Ulv Stranden Pete says."

"Dalek?" She heard the Doctor ask with a start from behind her.

"Dår-lig." She pronounced slowly in her thick cockney accent, she looked off down the beach at Pete and Mickey for a moment. She turned back to face her daughter before continuing "Mickey say this place translates as Bad Wolf Bay, though I don't see what that's any good for, not gonna stop me from freezin’ to death." She didn't notice her daughter freeze at the words or the way the Doctor became more alert. "How long have we got?" She asked sadly.

"About two minutes." The Doctor answered for them.

Jackie nodded. Two minutes before her daughter would disappear for good. Rose noticed the other two figures on the beach.

"Mickey's still around then?"

"Yeah, there's five of us now Mickey, Mickey's nan, Pete.... and a little one."

"You're not? Seriously?" Rose asked, there was a small disbelieving smile on her lips but there was sadness in her eyes. She had always wanted a sibling now she would never get to meet them. But she was happy for her mum, she finally got to have the life she always deserved.

"I know it’s barmy, I’m three months gone." Jackie said, smiling, placing a hand on her stomach. The two of them smiled from where they stood inside the TARDIS but Rose couldn’t help the slight twinge she felt at hearing how much longer it had been for her mum. "His sister helped save the world."

"He?"

"Just a hunch." Jackie answered suddenly, aware of her dwindling time, "I love you sweetheart don't forget that while you're off running for your life."

"I won't, I love you too mum and that baby." Nodding her head in the direction of her mum's stomach. Jackie nodded smiling at her daughter before turning to the alien standing behind her.

"And you. Look after her she hasn't got anyone else left now. You keep her safe or even a parallel universe won't stop me from givin' you a right good slap." The Doctor nodded she knew he would look after her, he had done so far anyway. "Am I ever gonna see her again Doctor?" She asked sadly.

The Doctor shook his head sadly looking down at the grating. He hadn't been particularly fond of Jackie in his last regeneration but he saw her as a sort of unfortunate mother figure now. It hurt to know he was making both of the Tyler women miserable. And there was nothing he could do to change it.

Jackie whispered to her daughter while the alien was distracted. "Forget what I said before sweetheart, about being like him it doesn't matter, I'm so proud of you, just... Just look after him. He needs you as much as you need 'im." Her daughter looked shocked but nodded nonetheless at what might be her mother's last request.

And just like that they disappeared fading into thin air. Jackie's head dropped and soon the rest of her followed as she sat crying on that dreaded beach in Norway. Pete ran over and held her in his arms as she sobbed for the loss of her daughter.

The image of Jackie disappeared right before her. Her mouth fell open. She would never see her again. Her lip wobbled. She pressed her lips tightly together trying to hold back her sobs. When she could fight it no longer she dropped her head into her hands. Tears flowed down her cheeks.

Two arms wrapped around her shaking frame. She turned, sobbing into his pinstriped suit. She could have sworn she felt a single tear drop onto her head but she couldn't be sure.

After a moment or two, Rose pushed herself out of embrace. Needing a minute to collect herself, she walked over to the other side of the console holding on to one of the coral struts for support. The Doctor, seeming to understand, left her alone after giving her hand a quick reassuring squeeze.

She heard the Doctor flicking a couple of switches in the silence that followed. That silence was suddenly broken by his exclamation.

"What?"

She heard a female gasp. Before the Doctor repeated his question.

"What?" The Doctor asked a little more firmly, having gotten over some of his shock.

"Who are you?" The voice of an unknown woman asked.

At this, Rose finally turned around, mascara tracked down her cheeks from crying. There stood a red-haired woman in her wedding dress in the spot her mother had stood not even moments before.

"B-." The Doctor tried to question her again before getting cut off.

"Where am I?" The woman asked angrily as if this was all a great inconvenience to her.

"What?"

"What the hell is this place!?" The woman yelled.

"What!?"

Oh, dear.

Rose thought,

This was not going to end well.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Chapter Two:
Red and the Spider.

Series:
Three.

Episode:
Christmas Special - Runaway Bride.

Rose

heard the Doctor flicking a couple of switches in the silence that followed. That silence was suddenly broken by his exclamation.

"What?"

She heard a female gasp. Before the Doctor repeated his question.

"What?" The Doctor asked a little more firmly, having gotten over some of his shock.

"Who are you?" the voice of an unknown woman asked.

At this, Rose finally turned around, mascara tracked down her cheeks from crying. There stood a red-haired woman in her wedding dress in the spot her mother had stood not even moments before.

"B-." The Doctor tried to question her again before getting cut off.

"Where am I?" The woman asked angrily as if this was all a great inconvenience to her.

"What?"

"What the hell is this place!?" The woman yelled.

"What!?"

"You can't do that I wasn't- We're in flight! That's physically impossible! How did yo-" The Doctor exclaimed confused.

"Tell me where I am. I demand you tell me, right now, where am I!?" She yelled, cutting him off.

"Inside the TARDIS." He replied more calmly than before.

"The what?"

"The TARDIS."

"The what!?"

"The TARDIS!" The Doctor said getting more exasperated as he moved around the console flicking switches.

"The what!?"

"It's called the TARDIS."

"That's not even a proper word! You're just saying things!"

Rose stood quietly watching the scene before her unfurl with her mouth dropped open in shock and confusion.

"How did you get in here?"

"Obviously when you kidnapped me! Who was it? Who's paying you? Was it Nerys?

Oh my god,

she's finally got me back! This has got Nerys written all over it."

"Who the hell is Nerys?"

"Your best friend."

"Hold on wait a minute, what are you dressed like that for?"

"I'm going ten pin bowling. Why do you think, dumbo!? I was halfway up the aisle. I have waited all my life for this and I was just seconds away and you- I dunno drugged me or something."

"

I

haven't done anything."

"I'm having the police on you! Me and my husband - as soon as he is my husband - we're gonna sue the living backside off of ya!"

Despite the absurdity and the seriousness of the situation Rose couldn’t help wonder how that would go down in court as the Doctor was for all intents and purposes a penniless, homeless alien who could change his face.

Donna spotted the TARDIS’ doors and ran towards them.

"No! Wait a minute! Wait a minute! Don-"

It was too late she had pulled open the doors and stared at the supernova they were still orbiting.

"You're in space. Outer space and this is my... spaceship. It's called a TARDIS."

"How am I breathing?"

"The TARDIS is protecting us."

"Who are ya?"

"I'm the Doctor. You?"

"Donna."

"Human?"

"Yeah. Is that optional?"

"Well, it is for me."

"You're an alien."

"Yeah."

"It's freezing with these doors open." Donna commented simply.

The Doctor slammed the doors, rushing back to the console he began to ramble.

"I don't understand it. And I understand everything." Rose gave a silent chuckle at that. "This can't happen. There is no way a human being can lock onto the TARDIS and transport itself inside." The Doctor mumbled to himself trying to come up with an explanation as he grabbed an ophthalmoscope to look at Donna's eye.

Donna slapped him, as he went on and on.

Mum would've liked her,

Rose thought to herself. Suddenly she realised it didn’t matter what her mum thought, she was gone for good. Fighting against the fresh wave of tears that threatened to overspill she stayed silent watching things play out, too overcome by the still fresh grief to intervene.

"What was that for?"

"Get me to the church!"

"Right! Fine, I don't want you here anyway. Where is this wedding?" The Doctor sniped childishly.

"Saint Mary's, Hayden Road, Chiswick, London, England, Earth, the Solar System!" Donna answered her volume increasing with each destination.

It was then that Donna spotted Rose standing in the doorway to the console room, mascara still tracked down her face having forgotten about it in her shock at seeing Donna.

"I knew it. Acting all innocent. I'm not the first am I? How many women have you abducted?"

"He didn't abduct me." Rose said gently.

"Then why are you crying?" Not believing the younger blonde she continued. "What did he do to you, huh? Drug ya? Say he'd hurt ya if you rat him out? You can tell me because my husband and I will have the police on him." She said in a much softer voice than she'd used since arriving on the TARDIS.

"I promise you Donna he didn't do anything. To me or you." She said she swallowed back fresh tears before answering her question "He just let me say goodbye to my mum."

"

Let

you?" Donna's rage had returned with a vengeance at the unfortunate misunderstanding. "You're coming with me, and we're getting out of here!"

Donna grabbed Rose's hand and pulled her towards the doors. They had landed by this point having felt the tell-tale thump. The Doctor looked panicked as he watched Rose get dragged off of the TARDIS by Donna.

"Donna wait!" Rose said panicking.

Donna pulled her out of the door but stopped right in front of them looking around frowning. The Doctor joined them outside thankful that Donna hadn’t whisked Rose away.

The short pause had allowed her head to clear only for her to realise she felt rather queasy. Days she’d spent holed up in the TARDIS and

now

she was getting sick? Typical. Weirdly enough though it felt almost as if the sensation didn’t belong to her.

"I said Saint Mary's, what sort of Martian are you? Where's this?" She questioned turning to the Doctor but was looking at his box with a frown stroking the outside of it.

"Something's wrong with her. It's... like she's...

recalibrating

!" He said diving back into the ship, Rose heard him continue to mutter to himself about the TARDIS.

Rose bit her thumb, looking worriedly at Donna. She was staring at the TARDIS in shock. Rose understood that feeling. She placed her hands on Donna's arms trying to comfort the woman.

"Donna?" Rose asked gently.

Just then the Doctor shouted her name too.

"Donna? You've really got to think. Is there anything that might've caused this? Anything you might've done?" Donna ripped out of Rose's grip to walk around the TARDIS. "Any sort of alien contacts? I can't let you go wandering off. What if you're dangerous. I mean, have you, have you seen lights in the sky, or did you touch something like something, something different, something strange? Or something made out of a box of metal or..." Donna's head darted in and back out again. She remembered feeling like that but she didn't know how to help without igniting the women’s anger again. "Who are you getting married to? Are you sure he's human? He's not a bit overweight with a zip around his forehead, is he?"

Donna's hand covered her mouth in shock. Rose went to comfort the older woman before she ran off. Rose ran after her.

"Donna!" Rose called

"Leave me alone I just wanna get married."

"Come back to the TARDIS, the Doctor will fix it."

"No way! That box is too... weird."

"I know it's bigger on the inside, freaked me out too."

Rose glanced back over her shoulder at the TARDIS, she really didn’t want to be away from the Doctor right now, it’d barely even been ten minutes since she’d said goodbye to her mum. She didn’t think she was quite up for this. And trying to figure out how to maneuver Donna’s explosive temperament was not a task she could manage today. But she knew calling for the Doctor would set the red head off again.

Donna carried on walking as she glanced down at her watch.

"Ten past three, gonna miss it." Donna said sadly.

"Here, phone them and then come back to the TARDIS and the Doctor will fix it, I promise." She said handing the woman her mobile.

Rose then remembered what the Doctor had asked about her husband being human.

"This man you're marrying, what's his name?" Rose asked.

"Lance." Donna answered a dreamy look on her face

"Gotta like Lance." Rose said with her cheeky tongue between teeth smile.

Donna smiled dreamily before turning away and calling someone.

"Mum get off the phone and listen I'm in... Oh my god I dunno where I am, It's a street and there's WHSmith but it’s definitely Earth." Donna ended the call, unable to provide any further information. "Here ya go Blondie. Thanks but I'm not going back in there it’s too... Martian."

Donna ran down the street. Rose ran after her as she was trying to call a taxi. Rose caught up with her.

"Why's his light on?"

"C'mon there's another one."

"Taxi! Oi!"

"C'mon."

"Oi!"

"Why aren't they stopping?" Perhaps she’d spent too long on alien planets, but she couldn’t seem to understand why they weren’t stopping. But she also wasn’t really in the right state of mind to think too deeply on it.

"They think I'm in fancy dress."

Another taxi drove past this one with it’s window down. The driver shouted something unrecognisable in his thick accent.

"They think I'm drunk."

Two men drove past in a bright blue car.

"You're fooling no-one mate." They shouted.

"They think I'm in drag."

Rose considered her options for a minute. Donna was gonna leave with or without her help and seeing as they still didn’t understand how she’d gotten on board it was probably best Rose kept an eye on her. She then remembered a trick the Doctor had taught her.

"Hold on."

She put two fingers in her mouth and let out a deafening whistle. A taxi swerved in front of them. The two girls clambered in.

"Saint Mary's in Chiswick just off Hayden road. It’s an emergency I'm getting married. Just hurry up." Donna said as soon as she got into the vehicle.

"That will cost you sweetheart, double rates today."

"Oh my god, have you got any money."

"Uh no." Her bag was still at her mum's; they hadn’t remembered to go back and get it amongst everything else, she was about as penniless as the Doctor right now.

The taxi braked suddenly. The girls sighed getting back out.

"And that goes double for ya mother!" Donna shouted at the driver before he drove off. "I'll have 'im, I've got his number, I'll have 'im. Talk about the Christmas spirit."

Rose suddenly became aware of her surroundings.

"It's Christmas already?" Rose asked confused.

Oh god it was her first Christmas without her mum. She hadn’t even had time to consider Christmas while travelling with the Doctor, she hadn’t needed to last year and now it had snuck up on her just after she’d left her mum behind. The irony was not lost on her.

"Yes! It's Christmas Eve." Donna replied frustrated.

"C'mon let's go see if the Doctor's got any money." Rose said solemnly, pointing her thumb back in the direction of the TARDIS.

The two of them walked back to the TARDIS. No running needed this time.

"How comes ya gettin' married on Christmas Eve."

"Can't bare it. I 'ate Christmas, honeymoon in Morocco, sunshine lovely."

Rose hummed in agreement.

“So if he didn’t kidnap you, what are you two? It’s not some sort of Stockholm syndrome thing is it? Are you an alien and all?”

“No, I’m human, London born and raised. The Doctor and I are just friends.” She answered uncomfortably, it didn’t matter what her own feelings were on the matter, they could never be more and she really didn’t want to think about that right now.

The awkwardness of her answer was not helped by the disbelieving look Donna sent her. Thankfully they’d returned to the TARDIS so Rose called to the Doctor before stepping inside the blue box. Donna stayed outside still not quite over the whole bigger on the inside thing.

"Doctor!"

"Yeah."

"Got any money, Donna needs a taxi."

"Uh." The Doctor stood up from where he had been checking the monitor as he patted down his pockets. "No. C'mon let's go find a checkpoint, maybe getting Donna back is the key to understanding."

The Doctor ran out and Rose grabbed a black leather jacket that had appeared by the door, she sent a thankful smile towards the ceiling before following. Donna was leaning against the TARDIS looking bored and fed up. The two women followed the Doctor as he tried to find a cash point. The Doctor finally found one, Rose followed while Donna lagged behind.

The Doctor hopped from foot-to-foot as he waited for the man in front to withdraw his cash. Rose withheld her laughter as she watched the Doctor get frustrated so quickly from such a short time waiting, he really did have the attention span of a toddler sometimes. The Doctor finally made it to the cash point using his sonic to withdraw money, making Rose wonder, he spent so much time on Earth why didn't he get an account? He had worked for UNIT after all. But she couldn’t deny how useful that particular setting was, especially off-world.

Rose dismissed that train of thought as she turned to look for Donna. It looked like Donna was taking matters into her own hands as she called over a taxi. She turned to tell the Doctor but spotted the robot Santas and groaned. One year. Just one goddamned year. Her attention drifted back to Donna when she shouted.

"Thanks for nothing Spaceman. I'll see you in court."

Donna clambered into the taxi. And of course the driver was a robot Santa.

"Donna!" The Doctor shouted from behind her.

They spun round to face the impending crowd of Santas. They had lowered their instruments, clearly prepared to shoot just like the previous year. The Doctor pointed his screwdriver at the cashpoint and money flooded out, passers by swarmed to grab the floating cash, effectively covering them from the Santas. He grabbed her hand and they ran back to the TARDIS together. They burst through the doors and the Doctor immediately began flicking switches and pulling various levers.

"It's Christmas? Again! What is it with this planet and Christmas?"

Rose leaned against the TARDIS doors as she watched the Doctor ramble about Christmas on Earth. A smile slowly bloomed on her face, the routine of chaos was something so normal to Rose that it distracted her from her grief and all her memories of last year. She suddenly heard the TARDIS make a disturbing grinding sound different from her usual ones. Her head snapped up to the rotor.

"Doctor? What's wrong?"

"We're flying. She doesn't like it very much."

She heard the TARDIS grumble in her mind. Something about the Doctor's driving.

"Oi!" The Doctor must have heard it as well.

The Doctor continued to flick switches, pull levers and turn knobs. Sparks flew from the console. Rose ducked slightly. The Doctor picked up his mallet and whacked the console.

"Behave!"

The TARDIS grumbled but no more sparks flew. Rose took that as a good sign.

"Rose come here." Rose rushed over to the console eager to help. "When I say, pull that lever, that lever there got it?" Rose nodded "Good." The Doctor ran to the doors, flinging them open.

"Open the door!" The Doctor yelled at Donna.

"Do what?" She yelled back.

"Open the door!"

"I can't, it's locked!" He made a frustrated noise in his throat, leaning against the side of the TARDIS, he pulled out his sonic screwdriver. Panic and fear suddenly flooded through Rose as she envisioned him toppling out, she wasn’t prepared to lose him now or ever, especially so soon after saying goodbye to the last of her family. He pointed it at the door and Donna pushed down the window.

“Be careful!” Rose screamed at him just as the TARDIS jolted, showering her in sparks she ducked to avoid them, subsequently pulling her eyes away from the Doctor and his precarious position in the doorway above the motorway.

"Santa's a robot." Donna said in shock.

"Donna open the door."

"What for?"

"You've got to jump."

"I'm not blinking flip jumping. I'm supposed to be getting married!"

He made another frustrated noise low in his throat as the taxi sped away.

"Now, Rose."

Rose pushed the lever forward. She felt the TARDIS jolt and bash into things. Probably cars. Sparks flew from the console. Rose shrieked trying to avoid the second wave of showering sparks. Oh this was such a bad idea. The Doctor wasn’t much better off himself as he was left clutching the sides of the TARDIS trying to avoid being thrown out.

"Listen to me - you've got to jump!"

"I'm not jumping on a motorway."

"Whatever that thing is, it needs you. And whatever it needs you for, it’s not good. Now, jump!"

"I'm in my wedding dress!"

"Yes! You look lovely! Come on!"

"I can't do it." Donna cried fearfully.

"Trust me." The Doctor said much more calmly than before in the hopes of coaxing her out before things got so much worse.

"Is that what you said to her? Rose, does she trust you?" Clearly still not believing that Rose hadn’t been kidnapped as she’d accused earlier.

"Yes, with my life!" Rose called from within the TARDIS.

"Now, jump!"

Donna screamed and landed on top of the Doctor in the TARDIS' doorway. The Doctor kicked the door shut and pulled them both up. He finally rejoined her at the console, taking over the controls and getting them off the motorway.

The Doctor landed them on a rooftop. The three of them exited coughing from the smoke. The Doctor was trying to distinguish the flames with a fire extinguisher that he kept handy for moments such as this. Donna looked down at her watch as Rose kept her mouth covered, keeping an eye on the Doctor.

"Funny thing is, for a... spaceship she doesn't do that much... flying. We better give her a couple of hours. You alright?" He asked the distressed looking bride.

"Doesn't matter." She said, shrugging.

"Did we miss it?" Rose asked coming to stand on the bride's other side.

"Yeah." She said, turning to face her.

"Well, you can book another date." The Doctor suggested as clueless as always.

"Course we can." She said, still sounding deflated.

"Still got the honeymoon." Rose said trying to help her, it just seemed wrong for the fiery woman to be so extinguished.

" 'S just a holiday now."

"Yeah, suppose so."

"Sorry." The Doctor apologised.

"It's not your fault."

"Oh! That's a change."

"Wish you had a time machine then we could go back and get it right."

"Uh ...yeah, yeah. But even if I did, I couldn't get back along someone's personal timeline. Apparently."

Donna looked at him suspiciously before sitting down on the edge of the roof. Rose plopped down beside her and the Doctor soon followed sitting on the red's other side. The Doctor draped his suit jacket over Donna's bare shoulders as she shivered between the two time travellers.

"God, you're skinny. This wouldn't fit a rat." Donna exclaimed.

Rose bit her lip and turned away in an attempt to keep her laughter at bay.

As her eyes scanned the city before her she couldn’t help spot her mum’s flat. And wasn’t that an odd thought. She’d spent her whole life there, yet now she thought of it as her mum’s rather than theirs. Briefly she wondered when that had changed but she knew that deep down she thought of the TARDIS and it’s Timelord as home for a long time now.

Unwanted memories rose to the surface at the thought, she dropped her gaze, staring at her dangling feet instead.

"Oh and you'd better put this on." Rose heard the Doctor say. "Sorry, but those creatures can trace you. This is a bio-damper. Should keep you hidden." He said, wincing.

Rose turned back around to see the Doctor holding out a gold ring to Donna. Donna nodded, accepting the explanation clearly giving up on questioning anything that was too unusual.

"So, come on then. Robot santas, what are they for?" Donna asked.

"Ah, your basic robo scavenger. The Father Christmas stuff is just a disguise. They're trying to blend in. We met them last Christmas."

Rose grimaced at the reminder. Hadn’t she just been thinking about them? Unsurprisingly, really.

"Why, what happened then?" Donna asked, perplexed.

Rose faced her, a deep frown etched into her skin.

"Great big spaceship hovering over London? Nearly 'alf of the world stood on the roof? You dint notice?" Rose asked, though she didn’t think it was possible, it was worldwide after all.

"I had a bit of a hangover." Donna answered as if that explained everything.

Rose frown deepened. She had her fair share of hangovers over the years, but nothing could have made her drunk enough to not notice what had happened. The Doctor looked concerned too. But he quickly went back to their robot attackers.

"Question is, what do camouflaged robot mercenaries want with you? And how did you get inside the TARDIS? I don't know. What's your job?"

"I'm a secretary." Donna answered, not noticing the worried expressions of the people on either side of her.

The Doctor whipped his screwdriver out and ran it over Donna.

"It's weird. I mean, you're not special, you're not powerful, you're not connected, you're not clever, you're not important. Just human. So what is it?"

Donna turned to Rose looking exasperated.

"Do you ever just wanna punch him in the face?" Donna whipped back round to the Doctor. "Stop bleeping me!" She shouted.

"What kind of secretary?" The Doctor asked, choosing to ignore Donna's remark to Rose, though he shot her a pointed look to which Rose smirked at, over Donna's shoulder in response.

"I'm at HC Clements. It's where I met Lance. I was temping." Donna's eyes glazed over as she recounted the memory. "I mean, it was all a bit posh really. I'd spent the last two years at a double glazing firm. Well, I thought I'm never going to fit in here. And then he made me a coffee. I mean, that just doesn't happen. Nobody gets the secretaries a coffee, right?" Donna asked Rose seemingly having chosen that she was the more normal of the two.

Rose nodded, whether in agreement or as an encouragement to continue it didn’t seem to matter.

"And Lance, he's the head of HR! He don't need to bother with me. But he was nice, he was funny." Donna continued, Rose smiled despite herself thinking about the other occupant on the roof, she shook her head dismissing the thought. Now was so not the time for her childish crush.

"And it turns out he thought everyone else was really snotty too. So that's how it started, me and him. One cup of coffee. That was it." Donna concluded.

"When was this?" The Doctor asked.

"Six months ago." Donna answered.

"Bit quick to get married." The Doctor commented.

"Well, he insisted."

The Doctor shot Rose a look that depicted that he didn't believe that was the case. Rose bit her lip again, trying to control the laughter that wanted to bubble past her lips. Rose shot him a glare that was quite clearly reprimanding him for being rude. The Doctor nodded as if to say 'Yep, rude and not ginger' he turned away from her, ending their silent conversation, a pleased smile on his lips for getting Rose to laugh - well almost laugh anyway - even after having to say goodbye to her mother less than an hour ago.

"And he just wore me down. And then finally, I just gave in." Donna continued, neither of them had noticed she wasn't quite finished, too consumed in each other.

"What does HC Clements do?" The Doctor asked to cover up the fact he hadn't been paying proper attention.

"Oh, security systems. You know, entry codes, ID cards, that sort of thing. If you ask me, it's a posh name for locksmiths."

"Keys." The Doctor said in the voice he always used when he knew something was important he just didn't know why quite yet.

"Anyway, enough of my CV. Come on, it's time to face the consequences. Oh, this is going to be so shaming. You can do the explaining, Martian boy." Donna said breaking the silence that settled over the trio as she stood up.

"Yeah. I'm not from Mars." The Doctor said, offended at the comparison.

"Oh, I had this great big reception all planned. Everyone's going to be heartbroken." Donna said to no one in particular in a disappointed tone clearly ignoring the Doctor's comment.

Rose smiled getting up, following the other two. She could tell she was gonna like Donna, she had this sort of fire to her.

The TARDIS materialised at the correct destination this time. Her passengers spilled out into the reception decorated for the festive season, Slade was coming from the speakers and all the guests were too busy enjoying themselves to notice the timeship appear out of thin air.

While growing up without a father had left Rose with a particularly dad shaped hole in her life that no amount of boyfriends filled, it did mean that she had been particularly close to her mum. They were all that each other had in this world. And there was no doubt in Rose’s mind that if she’d disappeared halfway down the aisle her mum would be organising a search party and not a single person would be partying.

After all she’d been missing for a year and her mum had never given up forcing the police to give a damn as well despite her only being another nobody from the estates in their eyes. And in that moment Rose felt nothing but anger towards - supposedly - the most important people in Donna’s life for how they’d quickly abandoned her.

"You had the reception without me?" Donna spoke up, outraged at this betrayal.

"Donna, what happened to you?" A dark skinned, bald man asked, stepping forward.

"You had the reception without me?" Donna repeated.

"Hel-" The Doctor went to speak but Rose nudged him slightly in the ribs, clearly noting the redhead's upset, the fact that they weren't on the guest list and had just so happen to turn up with the missing bride. Okay there were a ton of reasons the Doctor should keep quiet, his gob got them into as much trouble as it got them out of, if not more so.

The Doctor looked down at Rose, a questioning expression filling his features. Rose just shook her head subtly. For someone who spent so much time around humans he truly was clueless when it came to social cues sometimes.

"They had the reception without me." Donna said to the two travellers in disbelief, luckily having not heard the Doctor's interruption.

"Well, it was all paid for. Why not?" A blonde woman called a sneer decorating her otherwise pretty features.

"Thank you, Nerys." Donna spat.

A look of understanding passed over the Doctor's features, while Rose wondered why on earth the woman was at Donna's wedding when they clearly didn't see eye to eye. And what it was exactly that had transpired between the two that led to her thinking the blonde would go as far as to kidnap her on her wedding day, Jackie wasn’t the only gossip after all, Rose could just cover the nasty habit up as investigating, while Jackie didn’t have such an excuse.

"Well, what were we supposed to do? I got your silly little message in the end.

‘I'm on Earth?’

Very funny. What the hell happened? How did you do it? I mean, what's the trick, because I'd love to know." Another woman pushed her way forward, she had lined skin, pale blonde hair and her features were akin to Donna's.

Suddenly, everyone started talking at once. Rose heard Lance over the loud chatter say.

"Where were you the whole time?"

At the sudden onslaught of conversation, Donna promptly burst into tears. That quickly shut everyone up. Lance stepped forward to hug her, everyone burst into a round of applause and cooing, Rose noted that Nerys wasn't among them. From over Lance's shoulder Donna winked at the two travellers and continued her fake crying burying her face in her would have been husband’s shoulder.

Rose smirked. She could tell that Donna knew just what to do to get what she wanted and briefly wondered what she was like as a child.

It didn't take long after that for the ensembled guest to get back into the swing of the party. The Doctor looked down at Rose and nodded towards the bar, she followed after him.

"Have you got your phone?" The Doctor asked once they were at the bar, now that they were slightly further away from the source of the music.

Rose nodded and dug her phone back out of her pocket handing it over.

The Doctor quickly got to work searching up about this 'HC Clements'. He slid his glasses on as he read whatever it was he had dug up. Rose watched the guests dancing around and briefly thought back to the Doctor in another lifetime and how they had danced during the blitz, she looked at her own Doctor as these thoughts rampaged through her head. She saw him whip out his sonic screwdriver, probably to dig further. Suddenly he scowled.

"Of course." He said bitterly.

Rose looked at the screen over his shoulder.

'HC Clements, sole proprietor - Torchwood.' it read.

Rose turned away from the screen trying to not think of how Torchwood had ruined everything for her. She knew she couldn’t blame them, they had gone looking for trouble - as usual - but it wasn't entirely their fault. After all, she thought to herself, they can't be all that bad, seeing as Mickey works for Torchwood. She didn't listen to the nagging voice reminding her it was a parallel Torchwood ran by her father making the two versions of the institution literal worlds apart.

Rose turned back towards the Doctor forcing a smile at his inquiring look as he handed the phone back to her. She slipped it back into her pocket and continued her people watching.

Unaware that the Doctor's thoughts had drifted down a similar path as hers had only moments ago, as he watched a couple dance. While the dance they had shared in his last life hadn't crossed his mind he thought back on the first adventure he had taken Rose on in this body, when she had been possessed by Cassandra. The Doctor almost considered asking her to dance before remembering that she had said goodbye to her mother for the last time only this morning and he couldn't ask her to do something like that as his companion.

It was always hard for the Doctor to put Rose in the same category as the rest of his companions. He had very strict personal rules that ensured he never became ensnared like he was with Rose or that he ever gave them the wrong idea. He wasn't sure what had gone wrong, he was usually so careful. He blamed the vulnerability of his past self for letting the human in. After all, he had been born from the love he shared for Rose. A love he could never act on. In a way he was more of a coward than his last self when it came to her. With that thought in mind he turned away from the dancers that had captured his attention by chance.

No longer focusing on the dancers or his own internal thoughts he spotted a young man stood beside a camcorder on a tripod. The Doctor strode over to him. Rose noticing the change in the Doctor's attitude followed after him.

"Oh, I taped the whole thing. They've all had a look. They said sell it to You've Been Framed. I said, more like the News. Here we are..." The man was saying when Rose made her way over, she peered over the Doctor's shoulder to see what it was that he was showing them.

The recording played and they could see a beaming Donna making her way down the aisle. When suddenly what looked like golden particles of dust danced across her skin in a way that seemed far too familiar to Rose. At first it was only a couple but they quickly grew in number and seemed to swarm around her and move in golden tendrils of light. The Doctor's eyes flickered to Rose worriedly, but Rose didn't notice too enrapt by the footage playing before her. And just as the golden light seemed to coalesce, Donna screamed and disappeared.

"Can't be. Play it again?" The Doctor said, confused.

The man did as he was told, not questioning just who exactly the Doctor was, but Rose had long since given up questioning just why people seemed to trust a hyperactive puppy with a tattered wallet and a young blonde.

"Clever, mind. Good trick, I'll give her that. I was clapping." The unknown cameraman spoke.

"But tha- that..." The Doctor stuttered in disbelief.

"What is it Doctor?"

"But that looks like Huon Particles." The Doctor said, still not believing the words he was uttering.

"What's that then?" The man asked.

"That's impossible. That's ancient. Huon energy doesn't exist anymore, not for billions of years..." The Doctor paused a thousand thoughts seeming to rush through his mind at once. "So old that it can't be hidden by a bio-damper!" He shouted, dashing off.

Rose’s eyes widened in realisation as she chased after him.

And sure enough there they were. An approaching army of Santas. God her Christmases were weird. Having gotten the information the Doctor needed he ran back into the party trying to get through the throng while shouting.

"Donna! Donna, they've found you." He told her once he'd caught up with the would have been bride.

"But you said I was safe." Donna looked shocked and betrayed, and maybe that was fair enough considering the way her day was going.

"The bio-damper doesn't work. We've got to get everyone out."

"My God, it's all my family." Donna said looking appalled as the situation seemed to catch up with her.

"Out the back door!" The Doctor called.

They dashed over to the door but more Santas were approaching. They slammed the doors closed and ran back into the hall.

"Maybe not." Rose said, thinking out loud.

They looked through the french windows instead.

"We're trapped." Donna said hopelessly.

Donna and the Doctor were still staring out the window when something caught Rose's eye. Still looking off to the side she reached out behind her to tap the Doctor's arm.

"Doctor." Rose began warily.

"Christmas trees." They said at the same time, the tone of voice echoing with the reminder of the destruction they caused last time and with the thought of just how much worse it could have been.

"What about them?"

"They kill." Rose said her voice soft but her fearful expression betrayed just how bad they were, as she dashed back into the throng behind the Doctor.

"Get away from the trees." The Doctor shouted.

"Don't touch the trees!" Rose echoed, her tone severe.

"Get away from the Christmas trees! Everyone get away from them! Everyone stay away from the trees! Stay away from the trees!"

"Oh, for God's sakes, the man's an idiot. Why? What harm's a Christmas tree going to." Oh Rose was really starting to dislike the woman. "Oh." She stopped whatever she was going to say as the shiny, red baubles floated off the trees.

The Doctor and Rose eyed them warily.

They started spinning softly before zipping around the place. Suddenly several explosions were going off. The room was quickly consumed in panic. Presents went tumbling from their neatly stacked perch and one man went flying. Rose urged Donna and Lance under a table to shelter from the deadly decorations.

The Doctor looked up to spot the DJ desk and before running off towards it. Rose almost called after him to ask him what the bloody hell he thought he was doing, but any attempt at conversation would have been drowned out by the still exploding baubles.

"Oi! Santa! Word of advice. If you're attacking a man with a sonic screwdriver, don't let him near the sound system." The Doctor taunted.

Rose barely had time to warn the couple to cover their ears when the Doctor jammed the screwdriver into the sound deck and the air was filled with a horrible electronic screeching. The intensity of the sound shook the robots to pieces. The Doctor pulled his screwdriver out and surveyed the chaos. Rose slowly rose to her feet, as the Doctor came over to help her up.

Donna had darted off to help people and Rose went to help, needing to do something other than stand idly by while the Doctor made deductions.

Donna rejoined the Doctor seeking help from the man.

"Look at that. Remote control for the decorations, but there's a second remote control for the robots. They're not scavengers anymore."

"So someone's taken possession?" Rose asked, coming to join them, unable to be of much help.

"Looks like it."

"Never mind all that. You're a doctor. People have been hurt." Donna interjected.

"Nah, they wanted you alive. Look." The Doctor said chucking a bauble to her. "They're not active now."

"All the same, you could help."

“He’s not that kind of a Doctor.” Rose explained, apologetically.

"Got to think of the bigger picture. There's still a signal!" The Doctor said clutching the robot head to his ear before darting off.

Rose quickly followed after him.

"Donna, who is he? Who is that man?" Rose heard Sylvia ask from behind her, before Donna followed after them.

"There's someone behind this, directing the roboforms." The Doctor told Rose as Donna joined them.

"But why is it me? What have I done?" Donna asked impatiently.

"If we find the controller, we'll find that out." The Doctor answered distractedly. "Ooo! It's up there. Something in the sky."

The Doctor still had his sonic pointed at the sky trying to refine the signal, long after Donna had wandered away towards the approaching ambulances.

"Lost it." The Doctor muttered dejectedly.

He darted after Donna. Rose didn't follow this time. She crossed her arms across her chest as she looked skyward.

Christmas Eve,

She thought.

Her first Christmas without her mother.

And just like that, it all came crashing down all over again. All the emotions she had fought to keep at bay as they struggled to uncover the mystery that was Donna, suddenly crashed through all her barriers.

A hand flew to her mouth to stifle the sob that had escaped. She didn't wallow for long when she heard the Doctor call her. She drew in a deep breath and regained her composure before whirling around to face him. He was still a distance away so he couldn't see her face too clearly thankfully.

"We're going to HC Clements. Lance is giving us a lift." He didn't say it but he leaves it open in a question.

And once again Rose was reminded of last Christmas. Her first Christmas with this Doctor. How they were both so unsure where they stood with one another. She didn’t want a repeat of that. Rose forced a smile and nodded before making her way over. They had come a long way since then she didn't want to lose all of that.

The two time travellers hopped into the back of the car. Rose rested her head against the Doctor's shoulder. All of her energy having been washed away with her tidal wave of emotion. The Doctor wrapped an arm around her and pressed a quick kiss to her forehead. Easily figuring that all the emotions that came with saying goodbye to her mother had finally caught up.

The journey was quick considering it was Christmas eve and London but they finally made it to HC Clements. They all scrambled out. The Doctor in the lead, Rose's hand clutched in his, he immediately began rambling upon reaching the third floor.

"To you lot this might just be a locksmiths, but HC Clements was brought up twenty three years ago by the Torchwood Institute." The Doctor explained having finally reached a computer.

He still didn't relinquish his hold on Rose's hand, typing furiously. Rose squeezed his hand thankfully in between both of her own.

"Who are they?" Donna asked.

"They were behind the Battle of Canary Wharf." The Doctor explained, elaborating when Donna showed no signs of recognition. "Cyberman invasion." He added, still no change in expression.

"Skies over London full of Daleks? Big pepperpot looking things." Rose added trying to be helpful.

Still clueless, she feebly tried to explain her absence of recognition. "Oh, I was in Spain."

"They had Cybermen in Spain. " The Doctor pointed out.

"Scuba diving."

"That big picture, Donna. You keep on missing it." The Doctor added before diving back into his explanation, tugging Rose with him as he dashed to another computer. "Torchwood was destroyed, but HC Clements stayed in business. I think someone else came in and took over the operation." He said punctuating his statement by thumping the computer, reminding Rose of his treatment towards the TARDIS.

"But what do they want with me?" Donna asked exasperated.

The Doctor shoved his hands in his pockets - or tried to, still refusing to let go of Rose - he didn't immediately look at Donna. Almost as if he was stalling. Rose watched him curiously, also interested. She knew that look, whatever had been done to Donna, it was bad news.

"Somehow you've been dosed with Huon energy." The 'somehow' leaves Rose slightly wary. "And that's a problem, because Huon energy hasn't existed since the Dark Times. The only place you'd find a Huon particle now is a remnant in the heart of the TARDIS." For some reason the last statement about the heart of the TARDIS, triggered something in Rose. Frowning Rose tried to latch onto the information but it was gone before she could decipher it. "See? That's what happened."

The Doctor let go of Rose's hand to grab something off of the desk.

"Say, that's the TARDIS." He said gesturing to the mug he's picked up.

He bent down to grab something else.

"And that's you." He said holding a pencil.

Rose half watched the demonstration but also unable to entirely focus, something about Lance's reactions didn't sit right with her. Shaking it off, she continued to watch the Doctor as he explained.

"The particles inside you activated. The two sets of particles magnetised and whap."

He shook the mug and the pencil, then dropped the pencil into the mug.

"You were pulled inside the TARDIS."

"I'm a pencil inside a mug?" Donna managed to say, sounding both slightly dazed while also not completely following.

"Yes, you are." The Doctor answered, swirling the pencil around. "4H. Sums you up." He finished before grabbing Roses hand again and running to another computer. "Lance? What was HC Clements working on? Anything top secret? Special operations? Do not enter?" He asked as he sonicked the computer.

"I don't know, I'm in charge of personnel. I wasn't project manager. Why am I even explaining myself? What the hell are we talking about?" Lance stuttered out quickly getting angry at the questions, sounding awfully defensive to Rose’s ears.

"They make keys, that's the point." The Doctor said distractedly and Rose remembered what she had thought earlier about keys on the rooftop. "And look at this. We're on the third floor." The Doctor briefly explained running to the lift dragging Rose with him, who easily keeps up. She almost started laughing at his unwillingness to let go of her hand, but didn’t as she was rather grateful that he wouldn’t.

He'd already called the lift by the time Lance and Donna joined him.

"Underneath reception, there's a basement, yes?" The Doctor rushed into the lift. "Then how come when you look on the lift, there's a button marked lower basement? There's a whole floor which doesn't exist on the official plans. So what's down there, then?" The Doctor said mysteriously.

Rose grinned at him, already liking where this was going. She couldn't help but want this adventure to be over quickly so she could get back to the TARDIS. But that doesn’t mean the thrill of it isn’t as enticing as always, she just couldn’t quite stay in the moment.

"Are you telling me this building's got a secret floor?" Lance interjected unconvinced.

"No, I'm showing you this building's got a secret floor." The Doctor said simply, gesturing to the lift buttons with a nod of his head.

"It needs a key." Donna pointed out as if that ruins the Doctor's whole plan.

"I don't." The Doctor replied sonicing the lower basement button

Rose stepped inside the lift taking the Doctor's hand once more, smiling up at him. He returned her smile with a grin of his own. The Doctor turned back to address the other two.

"Right then. Thanks, you two. We can handle this. See you later." He dismissed.

"No chance, Martian. You're the man who keeps saving my life. I ain't letting you out of my sight." Donna answered sharply, joining them in the lift.

"Going down."

"Lance?"

Rose watched the man closely. She couldn't help the feeling of distrust the man brought out in her. And during her travels she’s learnt to trust her gut instinct, even if her compassion occasionally clouded her judgement.

"Maybe I should go to the police." The would-have-been groom attempted feebly.

"Inside." Donna barked.

The man followed reluctantly. Rose moved closer to the Doctor to make room, at least that’s the excuse she gave herself.

"To honour and obey?" The Doctor questioned.

Rose nudged him, her expression clearly telling him to behave, even as her eyes twinkled with amusement. The Doctor grinned at her in response.

"Tell me about it, mate." Lance answered waspishly.

"Oi."

The lift was consumed in an awkward silence as the doors slid shut and the lift descended.

"Where are we? Well, what goes on down here?" Donna asked.

"Let's find out."

"Do you think Mister Clements knows about this place?"

"The mysterious HC Clements? I think he's part of it." The Doctor responded casually before something caught his eye. "Oh, look. Transport."

Rose sighed as she too spotted the two wheeled scooters. She barely managed to withhold her fond smile at the Doctor's childish excitement. Unfortunately, there was only three scooters so Rose hopped on the back of the Doctor's at his insistence - it was more like whining and Rose had never thought the Doctor looked more like a puppy in his life - not bothering to listen when Rose pointed out that Donna and Lance were getting married and that surely it would make more sense for them to share. Rose wasn't complaining though as she clung to the Doctor's waist in order to not fall off the tiny platform.

One look at Donna from the Doctor was all it took to send her into peals of laughter at the absurdity of the situation, Rose quickly followed as she fought to muffle her giggles into the Doctor's back and the Doctor joined not long after. Leaving Lance to look at them as though they had escaped from a mental asylum.

The Doctor stopped suddenly outside of a door labelled 'Torchwood. Authorised personnel only.' Rose jumped down equally curious as to what Torchwood had hidden. The rage from their last stunt still pumping through her veins. The Doctor quickly spun the wheel, the only thing that was keeping the door locked, and finally pulled the door back to reveal a ladder. The Doctor peered around the small room quickly to see if it contained anything else but unfortunately it did not.

"Wait here. Just need to get my bearings. Don't do anything." The Doctor instructed his finger lingering at Rose when she grinned at him. He lingered on her as if pleading with her to stay put before he turned back to the ladder.

"You'd better come back." Donna called up after him.

"And leave Rose with you? No chance." The Doctor muttered disappearing out of view.

Donna and Lance had a brief conversation amongst themselves to which Rose didn't bother paying attention to.

"Thames flood barrier right on top of us. Torchwood snuck in and built this place underneath." The Doctor exclaimed once he had jumped down.

Rose raised an eyebrow at that, but didn't comment further.

"What, there's like a secret base hidden underneath a major London landmark?" Donna questions.

"I know. Unheard of." The Doctor replied sarcastically, exchanging a glance with Rose who scoffed.

The Doctor had led them down the dark, damp corridor into a brightly lit room filled with bubbling tubes.

"Oo, look at this. Stunning!" The Doctor said enthusiastically.

Rose tried to pay attention to the bouncy, bubbly Timelord before her - normally this wouldn't be such a difficult task - but suddenly a pounding headache demanded attention. And instead of watching the Doctor, she was focused on trying to ignore the pain and concentrate on where she was going.

"What does it do?" Donna asked, allowing Rose to refrain from contributing.

"Particle extrusion. Hold on. Brilliant. They've been manufacturing Huon particles. Course, my people got rid of Huons. They unravel the atomic structure." The Doctor said innocently.

"Your people? Who are they? What company do you represent?" Lance interjected.

Even in pain Rose couldn't resist rolling her eyes. She still didn't trust Lance at all.

"Oh, we're sort of uhh- freelancers." The Doctor mumbled distractedly. "But this lot are rebuilding them. They've been using the river. Extruding them through a flat hydrogen base so they've got the end result, Huon particles in liquid form."

"And that's what's inside me?" Donna asked.

The Doctor picked up a small vial from one of the machines. He twisted a knob on the top. The effect was immediate. The dull ache became a roaring pounding. Rose bit her lip to contain the scream that threatened to burst free as her hands flew to her head, clutching at her temples.

At the same time Donna began to glow in the same golden particles as before. Rose stared, something about it seemed so familiar but she couldn't quite grasp the thought. It slipped away from her as the pain grew stronger. Rose let it go, trying desperately to rid herself of the sudden pain.

"Oh, my God!" Donna exclaimed.

"Genius. Because the particles are inert, they need something living to catalyse inside and that's you." The Doctor said as the gold faded from Donna's body, it took a couple of seconds longer for the pain in Rose's head to dull again. She frowned at that, the two seemed to be linked. "Saturate the body and then. Ha!" Suddenly the Doctor jumped backwards.

"The wedding! Yes, you're getting married, that's it! Best day of your life, walking down the aisle. Oh, your body's a battleground! There's a chemical war inside! Adrenaline, acetylcholine. Wham! go the endorphins. Oh, you're cooking! Yeah, you're like a walking oven. A pressure cooker, a microwave, all churning away. The particles reach boiling point. Shazam!" The Doctor's excited prattling is cut off when Donna's hand connects with his cheek.

The Doctor looked flabbergasted. Rose bit back a snigger as she remembered when that had been her mother and he had been another man.

"What did I do this time?"

"Are you enjoying this?" Donna demanded, before stepping closer and softening her tone. "Right, just tell me. These particles, are they dangerous? Am I safe?"

"Yes." The Doctor said weakly after a moment’s hesitation.

"Doctor, if your lot got rid of Huon particles, why did they do that?"

"Because they were deadly."

"Oh, my God."

"I'll sort it out, Donna. Whatever's been done to you, I'll reverse it. I am not about to lose you."

"Oh, she is long since lost." Another voice piped up in a mixture of hissing, slurring and spitting.

The Doctor and Donna whirled around to face the divide marked 'Lab 003' as it rose from the ground exposing the hole that took up the majority of the space on the other side. Rose walked cautiously towards them as the voice spoke again.

"I have waited so long, hibernating at the edge of the universe until the secret heart was uncovered and called out to waken!"

Rose heard footsteps and turned to see Lance flee in the middle of the ominous voice's speech. Rose narrowed her eyes after him, before turning back to the Doctor. She definitely didn't trust him but she would give him the benefit of the doubt and hope her instincts were wrong. For now.

Several black robed robots turned to train their guns on the small trio. Donna looked panicked but Rose wasn't fazed this was normal for them. She was more worried about the headache brewing and the tingeing in her gut. The Doctor similarly ignored it and stepped forward to look over the edge of the chasm.

"Someone's been digging. Oh, very Torchwood. Drilled by laser. How far down does it go?" The Doctor questioned bitterly.

"Down and down, all the way to the centre of the Earth!"

And for a moment Rose remembered another similar Torchwood venture that led to an incident with Satan. And the blind panic from that trip still hadn’t completely left her so that line of thinking definitely wasn’t helping right now.

"Really? Seriously? What for?"

"Dinosaurs." Donna inputted helpfully.

"What?"

"That film Journey to the centre of the Earth, the one with the dinosaurs in. It's on the TARDIS." Rose added.

"What are you on about, dinosaurs?" The Doctor inquired.

"Trying to help." Donna explained meekly.

"Have you actually watched any of the films on the TARDIS?"

"Not the time, Rose. And that's not helping."

"Such a sweet couple." Rose raised an eyebrow at that, who exactly were they referring to.

"Only a madman talks to thin air and trust me, you don't want to make me mad. Where are you?" The Doctor threatened.

"High in the sky. Floating so high on Christmas night." The voice answered ominously.

"I didn't come all this way to talk on the intercom. Come on, let's have a look at you!"

"Who are you with such command?" The voice snarled.

"I'm the Doctor."

"Prepare your best medicines, doctor man, for you will be sick at heart."

A flash of blue appeared off to the side of the hole. As the shape solidified the light faded. There in its place stood a massive red spider with six eyes, a vaguely humanoid torso, a head shaped oddly like a crown and it’s teeth were jagged and sharp which explained the hissing and spitting that Rose thought was more suited for a snake than a spider.

"Racnoss? But that's impossible. You're one of the Racnoss?" The Doctor proclaimed in disbelief.

"Empress of the Racnoss." The spider stated proudly. And maybe that was something to be proud of but Rose had not the faintest clue what the bloody hell a Racnoss was and she was far too tired to ask.

"If you're the Empress, where's the rest of the Racnoss? Or, are you the only one? " The Doctor deduced.

"Such a sharp mind."

"That's it, the last of your kind. The Racnoss come from the Dark Times, billions of years ago. Billions. They were carnivores, omnivores. They devoured whole planets." The Doctor explained to her and Donna.

"Racnoss are born starving. Is that our fault?"

"They eat people?" Donna asked, shocked.

"HC Clements, did he wear those, those er, black and white shoes?" The Doctor asked Donna, Rose had already spotted what had triggered the question. Her hand flew to her mouth, the nausea was not helping with the still present headache.

"He did. We used to laugh. We used to call him the fat cat in spats." Donna chuckled.

The Doctor pointed to the web covered ceiling were two black and white covered feet poked out.

"Oh, my God!" Donna exclaimed in horror.

"Mmm. My Christmas dinner." The Racnoss hissed, cackling.

"You shouldn't even exist. Way back in history, the fledgling Empires went to war against the Racnoss they were wiped out."

Rose spotted it the moment Donna did. Lance creeped along the runway behind the Racnoss, as he wielded something in his right hand. Rose's eyes narrowed distrustfully at him.

"Except for me."

"But that's what I've got inside me, that Huon energy thing. Oi! Look at me, lady, I'm talking. Where do I fit in? How comes I get all stacked up with these Huon particles? Look at me, you! Look me in the eye and tell me." Donna snapped, eyes drifting to Lance occasionally.

"The bride is so feisty."

Lance continued to creep closer to the Racnoss, Rose could now see that he was carrying a fire axe in his hand.

"Yes, I am! And I don't know what you are, you big thing, but a spider's just a spider and an axe is an axe! Now, do it!" The redhead commanded.

As Lance started to swing the axe, an expression filled with rage consuming his face as the Empress turned, spotting him, she hissed at him. Lance stopped, dropping the arm holding the axe and began to cackle, the Empress joined in.

"That was a good one. Your face." Lance laughed.

"Lance is funny." Declared the Racnoss.

"What?" Donna asked bewildered.

"I'm sorry." The blonde said coming to rest her hand on Donna's arm to comfort her.

"Sorry for what? Lance, don't be so stupid! Get her!" The bride yelled.

"God, she's thick. Months I've had to put up with her. Months. A woman who can't even point to Germany on a map." He taunted.

"I don't understand."

"How did you meet him?" The Timelord asked, having pieced the last piece of the puzzle that was Donna together3 perhaps some time ago now.

"In the office." Donna stated.

"He made you coffee."

"What?"

"Every day, I made you coffee."

"You had to be dosed with liquid particles over six months." The Doctor elaborated.

"He was poisoning me." Realisation finally dawned on the red head.

"It was all there in the job title. The Head of Human Resources." The Doctor spat in disgust.

"This time, it's personnel." Lance joked.

He and the Racnoss chuckled.

"But, we were getting married." Donna said dejectedly.

Rose tightened her grip around the poor woman’s shoulders.

"Well, I couldn't risk you running off. I had to say yes. And then I was stuck with a woman who thinks the height of excitement is a new flavour Pringle. Oh, I had to sit there and listen to all that yap yap yap. Oh, Brad and Angelina. Is Posh pregnant? X Factor, Atkins Diet, Feng Shui, split ends, text me, text me, text me. Dear God, the never ending fountain of fat, stupid trivia. I deserve a medal." Lance spat.

Rose's dislike for the man quickly grew to hatred, her hand slipped from Donna’s arm as she moved as if to tackle the infuriating man. The Doctor stopped her, pulling her back by a hand on her waist and she suddenly remembered the gigantic hole in the floor that she’d forgotten in her rage.

"Oh, is that what she's offered you? The Empress of the Racnoss? What are you, her consort?" His hand still around her waist as if he didn’t trust that she wouldn’t try running after Lance again, not that she was complaining, it was a welcome distraction from her headache and rage.

"It's better than a night with her." Lance explained cruelly.

"But I love you." Donna said softly.

"That's what made it easy. It's like you said, Doctor. The big picture. What's the point of it all if the human race is nothing? That's what the Empress can give me. The chance to go out there. To see it. The size of it all. I think you understand that, don't you, Doctor?"

"Who is this little physician?" The Racnoss questioned.

"She said, Martian."

"Oh, I'm sort of homeless. But the point is, what's down here? The Racnoss are extinct. What's going to help you four thousand miles down? That's just the molten core of the Earth, isn't it?" The Doctor said dismissing the question, Rose thought it odd, it wasn’t often he lied about his home planet. Perhaps it held some significance to the Racnoss.

"I think he wants us to talk."

"I think so, too."

"Well, tough! All we need is Donna."

"Kill this chattering little doctor man and his sidekick." Fury stirred in Rose's stomach at that, as well as something else.

"Don't you hurt him!" Donna shouted, stepping in front of them.

"No, no, Donna. It's all right."

"No, I won't let them." She said adamantly.

"At arms!" The Racnoss spat.

The robots turned, training their guns at the Doctor and Rose.

"Ah, now. Except." The Doctor interrupted.

"Take aim!" The Racnoss called.

"Well, I just want to point out the obvious." The time traveller attempted, again.

"They won't hit the bride. They're such very good shots." The Empress boasted.

"Just, just, just, just, just hold on. Hold on just a tick. Just a tiny little, just a little tick. If you think about it, the particles activated in Donna and drew her inside my spaceship. So reverse it, and the spaceship comes to her."

The Doctor turned the knob on the Huon container as his arm dropped away from her waist, the golden light engulfed Donna's figure and Rose's headache returned with a vengeance. She wasn't quite able to contain the pain this time, and a whimper squeezed it's way past her lips that was thankfully, covered by the chaos surrounding them.

"Fire!"

The TARDIS built itself around them like a dark, dense cloud of smoke. Shouting and shooting continued to sound from outside the wooden doors. The Doctor darted past them to the console, dumping the vial into his pockets in the process.

"Off we go."

Rose slouched against the nearest coral strut, in her best attempt at not collapsing altogether, as she fought to catch her breath and wait for the pain to subside.

"Oh, do you know what I said before about time machines? Well, I lied. And now we're going to use it. We need to find out what the Empress of the Racnoss is digging up. If something's buried at the planet's core, it must've been there since the beginning. That's just brilliant. Molto bene." The Doctor rambled as they hurtled through the time vortex.

Donna perched on the captain's chair, her back facing the Doctor as she tried to stifle her sobs. Rose noticed before the Doctor did. Thankful that her headache had dulled until it was almost non-existent, Rose made her way over to Donna. Rose wrapped her arms around Donna's quivering shoulder.

"I've always wanted to see this. Donna, we're going further back than I've ever been before." The Doctor continued, finally taking note of Donna's upset.

"We've arrived. Want to see?" The Doctor asked gently, peering cautiously around the console at them.

"I suppose." Donna replied, wiping at her eyes.

"Oh, that scanner's a bit small. Maybe your way's best." He said going to the door.

"Come on. No human's ever seen this. You'll be the first." He encouraged, in an attempt to take her mind off it.

"All I want to see is my bed." She said, disentangling herself from Rose, a sentiment she could agree with.

Rose trailed behind her as she made her way to the door.

"Donna Noble, Rose Tyler, welcome to the creation of the Earth." The Doctor exclaimed dramatically.

He pulled open the doors exposing the lumps of rocks and dust floating around a weakly burning sun.

"We've gone back four point six billion years. There's no solar system, not yet. Only dust and rocks and gas. That's the Sun, over there. Brand new. Just beginning to burn."

"Where's the Earth?"

"All around us in the dust."

Rose thought distantly back to her first trip in the TARDIS when she’d watched the planet burn, and now she got to see it be born right in front of her eyes. Time travel really was insane. Though it did make her miss her first Doctor, her eyes drifted over to the Doctor before her and she quickly dismissed those thoughts. She’d already loved and lost that Doctor no use dwelling on it.

"Puts the wedding in perspective. Lance was right. We're just tiny."

"No, but that's what you do. The human race makes sense out of chaos. Marking it out with weddings and Christmas and calendars. This whole process is beautiful, but only if it's being observed."

"So I came out of all this?"

"Isn't that brilliant?"

A larger rock drifted past the open TARDIS doors.

"I think that's the Isle of Wight." Donna joked weakly.

They chuckled.

"Eventually, gravity takes hold. Say, one big rock, heavier than the others, starts to pull other rocks towards it. All the dust and gas and elements get pulled in. Everything, piling in until you get..." The Doctor trailed off.

"The Earth."

"But the question is, what was that first rock?"

A seven pointed star, spaceship - that appears to be covered in webs - came out of the dust clouds.

"Look."

"The Racnoss."

The Doctor darted back over to the console, pulling levers he shouted over his shoulder to the two girls.

"Hold on. The Racnoss are hiding from the war. What's it doing?"

"Exactly what you said." Rose said weakly, finally speaking up, as sick realisation dawned on her.

The rocks and dust swirled around the spaceship. Trapping it.

"Oh, they didn't just bury something at the centre of the Earth. They became the centre of the Earth. The first rock."

A resounding bang echoed through the console room as the TARDIS juddered. The Doctor closed the TARDIS doors, shutting out the sight forever, before either woman could go toppling out.

"Doctor! What was that?" Rose called as she clung to the railing.

"Trouble." He answered simply.

The TARDIS continued to shake, throwing her occupants about in the process.

"What the hell's it doing?" Donna yelled.

Rose and Donna clung to the console.

God, this was worse than the Doctor's usual driving.

Rose thought absently. The Doctor pulled himself up from the grating and began his usual dance around the console if only slightly more manic.

"Remember that little trick of mine, particles pulling particles. Well, it works in reverse. They're pulling us back!"

"Well, can't you stop it? Hasn't it got a handbrake? Can't you reverse or warp or beam or something?" Donna demanded.

"Back seat driver." The Doctor grumbled to Rose with a pointed look, Rose chuckled. "Oh! Wait a minute! The extrapolator!" He said suddenly as he remembered.

The Doctor pulled out the odd looking surfboard that Rose knew was technology more complex than she could possibly dream of understanding.

"It can't stop us, but it should give us a good bump!" The Doctor explained.

"Now!" The Doctor yelled, hitting the extrapolator with a mallet at the same moment the TARDIS dematerialised.

The Doctor pulled back the doors to reveal the same dark, damp corridor with its eerie green light as before.

"We're about two hundred yards to the right. Come on!"

The Doctor sprinted down the corridor before Rose and Donna could properly register the instruction. Rose quickly followed after but Donna was left quite a distance behind, not used to so much running and it was not made easier by her bridal attire.

"But what do we do?" Donna asked once they had stopped in front of the same bulkhead as earlier.

"I don't know. I make it up as I go along. But trust me, I've got a history."

Donna looked to Rose questionably, Rose nodded unable to get out much more as she panted for breath, this close to the lab her head was starting to throb dully again. The Doctor whipped out a stethoscope which he proceeded to use on the Torchwood door. Rose refrained from commenting.

"But I still don't understand. I'm full of particles, but what for?"

"There's a Racnoss web at the centre of the Earth, but my people unravelled their power source. The Huon particles ceased to exist but the Racnoss were stuck."

A robot dressed in black garbs came up behind Donna and grabbed her. Rose whirled round in time to spot Donna being dragged down a corridor. Rose sprinted down the corridor after them on impulse unthinkingly.

“Doctor.” She called over her shoulder but it was lost as the Doctor to ramble to himself.

Rolling her eyes, she continued down the corridor. Rose kept her distance and managed to stay silent as she followed behind them. She slowed down as she neared the green doors emblazoned with the Torchwood logo. She crept inside the laboratory and watched from within the shadows. It didn't seem she'd be much help to Donna at the moment, as the woman hung from the ceiling cocooned in webs.

The couple were both ensnared by webs and appeared to be bickering, if their spiteful expressions were anything to go by. The Racnoss taunted them with freedom and badly veiled wedding references. The bride and groom appeared to want nothing more than to be away from each other. Rose bit back a snort at the irony of that. Rose had been paying attention to the conversation - though something about being back in the lab brought forth her headache - when she suddenly heard the Empress call.

"Activate the particles. Purge every last one."

That was all it took to make Donna and Lance glow in that familiar golden dust. It was also all it took for Rose's headache to roar with fury. Rose grit her teeth determined to stay hidden. But then the Empress called again.

"And release!"

The Huon particles zoomed straight down into the hole so kindly dug by Torchwood. But Rose didn't notice. The pain consumed every one of her senses as she dropped to her knees. She clutched her head, lips open in a silent scream. She was burning. Every fibre of her being felt like it was being ripped apart and sewn shoddily back together again before being ripped apart again in a continuous torturous cycle. Very quickly every atom was engulfed in the unforgiving flames. The steady stream of tears down her cheeks did nothing to lessen the pain.

Rose couldn't hear anything except the screaming inside her own head. She wanted nothing more than for it to stop. She must have gotten her wish because not even five minutes after the pain had started black dots swam across her vision quickly filling her sight with nothing but darkness. She collapsed, in a dark shadowy corner against the concrete of the secret lab, her last thought of the Doctor as she’d once again wandered off and gotten into trouble.

A lone robot entered the laboratory and began a steady ascent of the staircase.

"My children are climbing towards me and none shall stop them. So you might as well unmask, my clever little doctor man."

The robot cocked it’s head in question before removing the robot mask and robe to reveal the Doctor.

"Oh well. Nice try. I've got you, Donna!"

He pointed his sonic screwdriver at the cocooned Donna, and the web started to give way.

"I'm going to fall!" Donna panicked.

"You're going to swing! I've got you!"

Screaming, Donna swung across the hole, past the Empress and stopped underneath the landing where the Doctor is standing. The strand of web she was clinging to too long as it had stretched in the process and she dropped to the ground with a clang.

"Oh. Sorry." The Doctor said apologetically from above.

"Thanks for nothing." Donna snarked from where she was led on the floor, gathering her wedding dress she stood.

"The doctor man amuses me." The Racnoss stated gleefully, drawing the Doctor's attention back to her.

With the Doctor preoccupied with the beastly alien spider, Donna's eyes roamed the laboratory. She spotted a familiar blonde crumpled on the floor.

"Oh my god." She muttered to herself as she darted over to her.

The girl's skin was glowing. Golden particles flowed across her like water, in gentle waves. Donna clutched the girl to her as she checked for a pulse. Her heart beating frantically in her chest. Donna tried to reign in her panic. The Doctor said the particles were deadly and here was the young blonde collapsed against the concrete as the golden energy moved freely. Donna whipped around to face the Doctor he must be able to help. His people destroyed Huon energy. But how had this happened?

The Doctor appeared to be trying to negotiate peace with the Racnoss. Donna realised she'd get no help from him. The young traveller's heart rate picked up as she began wheezing and tossing in Donna's hold. The particles moved more frantically, even extending from her figure in gentle tendrils.

Donna was too busy worrying over the blonde to notice the Doctor's sudden change in demeanour. She barely heard the sound of explosions as Rose wreathed in her grasp and her skin burned to the touch. Donna adjusted the girl's jacket to cover all exposed skin.

Suddenly, she took notice of the Racnoss' howls and the water sloshing around the two of them and quickly engulfing the lab. She noticed the fires and the Doctor standing indifferent above it all. And just as it became too much Donna's attention was drawn away by the blonde cradled in her lap.

The frantic movements and the wheezing has stopped. The glow was fading. Donna reached a hand to the girl's forehead. No longer burning but still higher than normal. And drenched as she was, she was likely to have a fever when she woke up.

"Doctor! You can stop now!" Donna called from where she was huddled on the floor.

The Doctor finally noticed the slumped figure of Rose Tyler in the bride’s lap. His eyes widen in panic and fear. His mouth flapped uselessly a couple of times as water poured down his face. He quickly made a decision.

"Come on. Time I got you two out." He called as he descended the staircase.

Donna shifted so she was kneeling with Rose still unconscious in her lap. The Doctor reached them and scooped Rose up. Together they exit the laboratory - with Rose coddled against The Doctor's chest - out into the Thames flood barrier. They barely heard the Racnoss' final howls as they escaped.

"Transport me!"

"But what about the Empress?" Donna asked as they climbed the staircase higher and higher further away from the carnage the Doctor had wrought below with every step.

"She's used up all her Huon energy. She's defenceless!"

The Doctor watched as the army blasted the Racnoss' ship apart. A voice in the back of his head niggled at him as it demanded attention.

This wasn't how he does things.

It whispered. Part of the Doctor wondered if it was because he didn't have Rose to pull him back when it was too much but this part was so small that it was easily covered by all the other thoughts rushing about in his head. Had Rose been awake she may have commented that it was lucky Donna was there to put a stop to it before it got worse.

As they clambered out onto the flood barrier they whooped with delight. Donna clung to the Doctor's arm to ensure neither fell as the Doctor was unable to do much with his arms clinging to Rose's prone form. As their laughter died down, Donna spoke.

"Oh my god... There's just...Just one problem." She spoke breathlessly from the climb.

"What is it?"

"We've drained the Thames."

They looked around themselves to find nothing but muddy, marshland. Boats honked from somewhere - probably stranded - they fell into peals of laughter once more.

The TARDIS was parked on a quiet street in Chiswick. The doors swung open leaving a slant of light on the road. Donna stepped out of the TARDIS, the Doctor followed after leaving the door open to keep an eye on Rose from where she lay delicately on the captain's chair.

"There we go. Told you she'd be alright. She can survive anything." The Doctor said, referring to the TARDIS.

"More than I've done." Donna said bitterly.

He whipped out his sonic to give her a quick scan. The results confirmed what he had assumed.

"No, all the Huon particles have gone. No damage, you're fine."

"Yeah, but apart from that, I missed my wedding, lost my job and became a widow on the same day. Sort of."

"I couldn't save him."

"He deserved it.” She paused for a second before her compassion won out and she corrected herself. “No, he didn't. I'd better get inside. They'll be worried."

"Best Christmas present they could have."

Through the window Donna's parents, Sylvia and Geoff, could be seen hugging each other.

While the Doctor and Donna bid farewells, Rose slept. Though it could hardly be considered a slumber as more of a healing coma. But one voice crept into her unconscious.

"Wolf..."

An ethereal voice whispered coaxing Rose to arise.

"Wolf."

The same voice came again.

Rose blinked open tired eyes. Eyebrows furrowed, as she took in the sight before her. There was nothing. But a realm of golden light it seemed. Rose spun in a circle. By the time she was facing the same direction again, a figure was stood there.

It was a woman. She had brown hair that floated in the golden aura surrounding her, her expression was calm and serene and she wore a loose white dress that was similar to that of a Grecian toga.

"Wolf."

She whispered again, her voice a little stronger now but still the breathy quality remained.

"My wolf."

"Who are you? Why am I here? I wa-" Rose's questions were cut off.

"None of that matters right now. You are here because exposure to Huon particles has awoken our connection."

"Connection? What connection? Who

are

you?"

"I am the TARDIS, so to speak. And the connection that was formed when you became Bad Wolf."

She paused on those last two words as if they had more meaning.

Suddenly, memories Rose didn't know she had flashed through her mind rapidly. She sunk to her knees and clutched at her head as she watched the memories fly past.

Looking into the heart of the TARDIS. The TARDIS looking back into her. Their joint desire to save the Doctor. Destroying the Dalek Emperor and the Dalek fleet. Resurrecting Jack from the dead.

And that's where it stopped. Rose knew there was more but she couldn't see it, it was like it was being kept hidden from her. Rose panted as the memories cleared and looked back up at the regal figure. Her lips were pursed slightly, she appeared to be worried.

"Bad Wolf was ages ago. I haven't felt anything since so why now?"

The woman took in a deep breath.

"On the Game Station, you were dying. You had absorbed the time vortex and that should have killed anyone almost immediately. But we were bonded - if you like - allowing me to use you to save my thief, and you to use my power to fix everything. The bond was the only reason you were able to sustain that power for so long. The bond changed you, fixed you, so you'd be able to constantly access that power.

"However, Huon particles are deadly. And you had absorbed more than what came with the bond, thus it was killing you. Your Doctor removed the time vortex from your head and locked away the memories."

"But it didn't work because I remember being Bad Wolf before today, so how did that happen?"

"The memories were slowly awakened when you met that werewolf in Scotland. You needed access to those memories for when the Battle of Canary Wharf came. It wasn't always certain that both you and my Thief would make it out of it together. The timelines were in flux. Having access to the memories meant you could call upon our bond, even temporarily, allowing you to cement the timelines into what they are.

"However, at that point, the bond wasn't strong enough for you to sustain the energy for long. The Huon energy levels in your blood were too low, causing you to fall unconscious. The exposure to different Huon particles today, strengthened our bond. But that does not mean you have access to Bad Wolf."

"What? Why not? And I don't remember Bad Wolf making an appearance at the Battle of Canary Wharf."

"The different types of Huon particles must be neutralised, that's why you are currently stuck in a healing coma."

She said gesturing around them before continuing.

"The timelines are still in flux. Although you cemented the events at Canary Wharf, something else is coming. And Bad Wolf must

not

be exposed until I tell you it is safe. You must understand this my Wolf, it is important. My Thief cannot know either."

The voice was stern yet still light and airy.

Rose assumed the Doctor was 'Her Thief'. Rose nodded gently as she tried to take all this information in.

"If the Doctor can’t know does that mean he doesn't remember what happened at Canary Wharf, either?"

"No, he doesn't."

She looked off into the distance for a moment as if she was listening to something.

"I must go. You need to heal, My Wolf."

And with that she disappeared.

"Wait! Wai-"

Darkness consumed Rose was more as her eyelids flickered, her eyes rolling back into her head and her body slumped ungracefully to the floor.

She wanted answers.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Chapter Three: An Odd Couple.Series: Three.Episode: One - Smith and Jones. Part: One.
After saying his farewells to Donna, the Doctor had scooped Rose up off of the captain's chair and taken her into the infirmary. Whereas before her skin had been too hot it was now icy. The Doctor had run multiple scans but they had all concluded the same thing. Diagnosis: Fever. Aside from that, it would seem she was in perfect health.

Rose had asked almost immediately upon waking what had happened to Donna the Doctor had awkwardly informed her that she hadn’t wanted to come. And though Rose was sure there was more to it than that, her mind had been so foggy from her fever that she hadn’t pushed for more. Though she had been disappointed, she thought the ginger woman would have made an excellent friend and companion.

The Doctor insisted they didn't go on any adventures just yet. And though Rose could tell it was driving him insane - and the TARDIS certainly didn't approve of the extra repairs - she was grateful. It gave her time to properly grieve and to get over her fever. They went on a couple of trips but they were all very safe and touristy. The Doctor had made the TARDIS promise to hold off on all life and death situations until Rose was better. And the TARDIS was not about to take that risk with Her Wolf.

And that was how it stayed for the three weeks after they had met Donna. But now even Rose was getting unbearably restless. Besides she had to empty out her mother's flat. When Rose told the Doctor as much he whined and complained that her fever wasn't completely gone. But the TARDIS medbay scans quickly disproved that. So with a grumble, the Doctor set the coordinates.

Rose and the Doctor arrived some weeks after the Battle of Canary Wharf - long enough that Jackie’s disappearance would have been noted - but before they’d met Donna. With the TARDIS parked in the flat, the Doctor went off to the landlord to inform him they were sent by the housing association to clean out the flat. Once returned, they quickly emptied Jackie's flat of anything and everything, sentimentals being the first to be loaded in the TARDIS - photo albums, their favourite mugs, the odd magnet Jackie had collected as well as a few more meaningful items of clothing - leaving heavier pieces of furniture behind. As far as officials knew Rose and Jackie Tyler had died in the Battle of Canary Wharf or at the very least Jackie had as most people still thought Rose was off travelling.

It would have been easier if people had believed Rose was dead too. It would have made the dreaded clean-up easier. But unfortunately for the two time-travellers, Shareen Costello - Rose's old mate off the estates - had been keeping an eye on Jackie’s flat, waiting for her to return, so when she’d heard a commotion inside she’d come running. Shareen had been hopeful that Jackie was safe and sound until she’d things being boxed away, Rose had been quick to explain the situation and offer comfort to the friend who had seen Jackie as a second mum.

Determined not to lose Rose too, the young woman managed to wheedle out a promise to come to dinner out of Rose as well as demanding that the Doctor attend also before she allowed them to finish clearing out the flat.

After carting all of her and her mum’s belongings into the TARDIS, Rose had had a craving for chips. Which was how they had ended up walking through Chancery Street, a few days after meeting Donna linear time - not wanting to run the risk of running into themselves or cause a temporal disturbance -, a portion of chips each in hand. It was as they were passing the Royal Hope hospital that the Doctor brought them to a halt by their conjoined hands.
Rose turned and looked back at him curiously as he stared intensely at the Hospital."What? What is it?""Plasma coils." The Doctor answered distractedly as he waved his hand around in the air in front of the hospital."And that's bad?" Rose asked, unsure."Dunno. Could be. Let's go check it out." The Doctor said going to rush into the hospital before Rose pulled him back by their adjoined hands."And how are we gonna do that? I don't have to be a dinner lady again, do I?" Rose questioned sternly, daring the Doctor to make her be a dinner lady again.The Doctor chuckled."Nah, we'll just sign in as patients." He said going to rush off again and once again Rose tugged him back."Sufferin' from what? It's probably only gonna be a quick visit so it can't be anythin' to serious but we still need to get in.""Stomach pains." The Doctor offered as if it were obvious.This time Rose let him drag her into the hospital but she made a point of arguing under her breath about the fact that she would have to do it because he was a bloody alien and did he even have any official records? And no, Rose didn't think he could get away with using the psychic paper to fake all of those documents.Rose quickly filled in the necessary documents and handed it back to the receptionist with a smile. The Doctor had told her to sign her name as 'Rose Smith' and then proceeded to slip a plain gold band. To which Rose had raised eyebrows at and asked how many of those he had, as she remembered the one he gave to Donna. She only got an awkward shuffle at that. Rose had rolled her eyes with a fond smile and refrained from further teasing as she slipped it on.A couple of hours past before she was finally admitted, given a bed and a change of clothes. Rose grumbled as she held the generic striped pyjamas she was supposed to wear. She ordered the Doctor to turn around before changing and slipping into the bed."Stay here, I'll be right back." The Doctor whispered.Rose grabbed his arm as he turned to leave."Oh no, you don't! Where are you going?" Rose hissed quietly, not wanting to give themselves away quite so soon."To have a look around. See what the plasma coils are for, or what's causing them.""So I'm supposed to stay here while you snoop around." Rose questioned, with an eyebrow raised."Yes. You're a patient can't have you wandering around otherwise they'll think you're fine and then we'll learn nothing.""Fine. Just this once, don't think you'll get away with it next time." Rose warned as she slipped back in bed, pointing an accusatory finger at him.The Doctor grinned and gave her hand a quick squeeze."I promise. See you in a bit." He said slipping out of the curtains.Rose sighed, leaning back into the cushions. She pulled her jacket out of the little bedside cabinet. She rummaged quickly through her pockets - the Doctor had fixed them so they were bigger on the inside after multiple instances of her things getting lost inside his pockets when she’d asked him to look after them - until she produced a book. 'Animal Farm by George Orwell'. Resigned to the fact that there would be no running for her today, Rose opened her book and settled in for another quiet day of reading.By the time the Doctor came back, Rose had fallen into a light slumber that was quickly disturbed by the Doctor trying to get through the stiff papery curtains."Find anything?" Rose asked sitting up."No. Nothing. Whatever is causing the plasma coils isn't hidden in the hospital but they're getting stronger.""So it should only take a couple of days then?" Rose asked hopefully.She had been stuck in the TARDIS for three weeks; she didn't want to be bedridden for half as long as that."Oh yeah. We should have figured it out in the next couple of days." The Doctor said adamantly."Good."Two days in fact. It was two days later that the purpose of the plasma coils became clear. Two days of waiting around in bed while the Doctor snooped. Two days of horrible hospital food and invasive questions.The day had started as it had for the past two days. But instead of nurses bustling in and out, asking questions, it was instead a group of medical students. The Doctor hadn't left for his daily snooping yet as it was still fairly early and having heard approaching footsteps they had halted any conversation and Rose had instead pulled out another book.The curtain was drawn back by a beaming old man in a suit, who Rose knew to be, Mr Stoker. The medical students followed after him like sheep as they clustered around the bed. Rose resisted a smile at the imagery. She had been lucky enough to not have been visited by medical students so far, it seemed her luck had run out."Now then, Mrs Smith, a very good morning to you. How are you today?""Aw, not so bad, been better." Rose chuckled."Rose Smith admitted two days ago with severe abdominal pains. Jones, why don't you see what you can find? Amaze me." A young woman with dark skin and straight black hair stepped forward."That wasn't very clever, running around outside, was it?" The medical student said looking pointedly at both of them."Sorry?" Rose asked when the Doctor looked just confused."On Chancery Street this morning. You came up to me, asked me if I wanted your chips." The women said, bewildered."Really? What did we do that for?" The Doctor said."I don't know, you just did." "Not us. We were here, I was in bed. Ask the nurses." Rose spoke."Well, that's weird, cause it looked like you two.""Weird.""As time passes and I grow ever more infirm and weary, Miss Jones.""Sorry. Right."The medical student put the stethoscope to Rose’s chest, she tried not to flinch at the cold metal."Diagnosis, Miss Jones?""Um. I don't know. She could be pregnant?""No. Sorry. Infertile." Rose quickly input, already seeing the Doctor begin to shift uneasily in the plastic hospital chairs. Clearly, he hadn't thought this plan all the way through.The woman's face flushed and she looked at Rose apologetically. Rose just smiled gently at her. "Exactly, and you would have known that had you not rather failed basic techniques by not consulting first with the patient's chart."He picked up the clipboard but quickly dropped it again on to the bed when he received an electric shock."That happened to me this morning." Said the young doctor, Miss Jones, Rose thought her name was."I had the same thing on the door handle." A blond haired male pipes up."And me, on the lift." An Asian woman added.The Doctor and Rose exchanged glances, the meaning clear. Did this have something to do with the plasma coils? "That's only to be expected. There's a thunderstorm moving in and lightning is a form of static electricity, as was first proven by, anyone?" "Benjamin Franklin." The Doctor answered cheerfully."Correct!""My mate Ben, that was a day and a ha-" Rose poked him swiftly in the side effectively cutting him off."Moving on." Announced Mr Stoker after giving them a suspicious glance, to which Rose grinned at.As the group moved away the Doctor spoke up once more, still nursing his ribs."What did you do that for?""Do you want to get stuck in the psychiatric ward?"The Doctor muttered something unintelligible under his breath, turning away from Rose's gaze. Rose chuckled, picking her book back up."Go on then. Go snoop."The Doctor grinned before darting through the curtains. Rose shook her head at his behaviour but was unable to wipe the smile from her lips as she hunkered down to read.Nothing happened for a good ten/fifteen minutes and Rose was certain that she was going to be spending another day stuck in bed.Until it started raining.Nothing seemed wrong with it at first. Though it did strike Rose as odd that not even moments before it had been bright sunshine and now there was torrential rain. But that was also very in line with British weather so she didn't find it particularly suspicious.But then the rain started going up.Rose heard the shuffling of feet against the laminated floor before she noticed it. She looked up from her book to notice everyone crowding around the window, doctors and patients alike. Tossing her book aside she got up to see what all the commotion was about.She'd barely had time to ponder the interesting rain patterns when a wave of pain crashed into her. Her mind burned as a tsunami of images flooded over her.
Martha being stopped by the Doctor on Chancellor street as he demonstrates removing his tie before sauntering off.

Martha tending to a bed-bound Doctor.

Martha struggling to suggest a diagnosis with the sound of his duel heartbeat ringing in her ears.

Letisha stood on Chancellor street staring gobsmacked at the crater where Royal Hope hospital once stood.

Martha gazing out of the window to see the Earth in the distance and the hospital embedded on the surface of the moon.

Martha discussing the lack of airtight windows.

The Doctor overhearing her and commending her.

The Doctor and Martha stood on the veranda.

The Doctor launching a pebble off of the veranda only for it to collide with some sort of force field.

Cylindrical spaceships belonging to the Judoon docked on the moon's surface.

Florence draining the blood from Mr Stoker as her two slabs keep him restrained, she talks about her need to absorb salt and terrible deeds to come.

The Judoon scan the inhabitants of the hospital and mark all humans with a clear cross on the back of their hand.
The words 'Shapeshifter' drifted through her mind. Scorching a path through the tidal wave of images.
The Doctor and Martha in the radiology room hiding from the slabs as Martha searches frantically through manuals for the correct button.
Again more words drifted through the torrent of images 'Assimulating' and 'Plasmavore'  were among them.
Florence is scanned by the Judoon and categorised as 'human'.

The Judoon chase after the Doctor and Martha when he scans as non-human.

The Doctor transfers traces of TNA with Martha via a kiss before dashing off, using Martha as the distraction.

Florence is fiddling with the machines in the MRI room causing a loud buzzing sound to emit, she intends to fry the brain-stems of every living thing on one half of the Earth with a magnetic pulse.

Florence assimulates the Doctor's blood, draining him dry.

Martha starts to apply pulmonary resuscitation techniques before she remembers he has two hearts.

Martha collapses as the Doctor is revived, he unplugs the red wire.

Back on Earth, the Doctor invites Martha along for one trip as a thank you. It inevitably becomes more.

'Alternate Timelines'.
Rose gasped as the stream of information ceased. During the short pause she’d somehow ended up on the floor and felt bruised in several places. Standing, she caught her reflection in the window. Her cheeks were flushed, her french braids loose from where she'd gripped the strands but most striking were her eyes.Her chestnut irises were no more. Instead the golden light, she had come to recognise as Huon particles after their adventure with Donna, shone in their place. Golden veins trailed beneath her eyes. She stared encapsulated at her own reflection. It was weird to think that it was the same face she'd had all her life because right now it looked so foreign.She shook her head turning her gaze away from the window, she knew what she'd find anyway. The images clung to her like a bad dream. She turned back to her bed, pulling the curtains back to get dressed. Once she'd donned the blue jeans, a grey t-shirt with a wolf on it (the TARDIS’ idea of a joke) and dark green jacket she stepped out again in time to see the Doctor returning."It's real. It's really real. Hold on."The training doctor reached for the window only to be stopped by her colleague."Don't! We'll lose all the air.""But they're not exactly air tight. If the air was going to get sucked out it would have happened straight away, but it didn't. So how come?" She pointed out.The Doctor, who had been listening in, finally spoke up. Rose froze in place beside him, those words, words that had echoed in her head just moments ago, now hung in the air. Was it real? Was that how things were going to play out, only one way to find out she supposed."Very good point. Brilliant, in fact. What was your name?""Martha.""And it was Jones, wasn't it? Well then, Martha Jones, the question is, how are we still breathing?" He darted over to the window to get a look for himself."We can't be.""Obviously we are, so don't waste my time." Rose jabbed a finger into his side cutting him off with an offended expression."Being rude again." She muttered pointedly."Good I meant that one." He turned back to the other woman. "Martha, what have we got? Is there a balcony on this floor, or a veranda, or..." He trailed off finally drawing his glare away from a smirking Rose to address the woman in question."By the patients' lounge, yeah." She answered watching the two with amusement.Rose shifted awkwardly under her gaze, the memory of an alternative timeline pulling her off kilter. Instead she shot the other training doctor an apologetic smile for the Doctor’s behaviour. A smile she’d had plenty of practice at unfortunately."Fancy going out?""Okay.""We might die." He cautioned her.Rose watched the woman curiously, she already knew how this would end - if she was to believe that what she had seen was an alternative timeline, that is - yet she still couldn't tear herself away. It was like watching a film that you'd seen a million times before, yet still getting sucked into the suspense of it all.Except. She hadn’t actually ever seen this, had she?"We might not." She replied bravely, pulling Rose from her confusing thoughts."Good." That seemed to clear up any doubts he had, Rose had always wondered how he decided who was worth travelling with, and now she was about to find out. "Come on. Not her, she'd hold us up."They pushed through streams of panicking patients and medical professionals. The lounge itself was relatively clear, not many in the right state currently for relaxing. The Doctor and Miss Jones pushed the doors open and stepped out onto the veranda. The moon laid out spectacularly before them.Rose lingered behind them, unsure of her place. She remembered her first adventure with the Doctor and she wouldn't have wanted it any other way. But simply knowing what was going to happen felt like she was ruining this moment for Martha. The Doctor looked over his shoulder at her with a look of curiosity, clearly still worried after everything that’d happened recently, he outstretched his hand to her. She gave him a reassuring smile before taking his hand in hers.She leaned up to whisper into his ear, not wanting to chase the young doctor away so soon."How come we've never been to the moon?""You never asked. Why? Did you want to?" He suddenly looked panicked, as if it was obvious he should have thought of it sooner.She chuckled and patted his shoulder. The sound of Martha's wonder pulling her back to reality. It was almost scary how easily she lost track of herself around the Doctor."We've got air. How does that work?""Just be glad it does." The Doctor answered, finally shaking himself free of the momentary panic."I've got a party tonight. It's my brother's twenty-first. My mother's going to be really, really..." She trailed off as awe gave way to other emotions.Rose pulled back from the Doctor slightly at the mention of family."You okay? It’s a lot to take in." She asked kindly."Yeah.""Sure?" The Doctor checked."Yeah.""Want to go back in?""No way. I mean, we could die any minute, but all the same, it's beautiful.""Do you think?"They all turned to gaze at the glittering jewel in the distance. Rose felt a sudden pang in her chest. It was ridiculous really, she'd be back soon, she'd promised Shareen. Another part of her knew that it hadn't felt like home for a long time, and now with no Mickey or Jackie waiting for her, she wasn't sure it ever would again."How many people want to go to the moon? And here we are.""Standing in the Earthlight."Rose smiled at the imagery, her mind once more wandering back to her first trip in the TARDIS."What do you think happened?""What do you think?" The Doctor asked innocently but Rose saw this for the test it was."Extraterrestrial. It's got to be. I don't know, a few years ago that would have sounded mad, but these days? That spaceship flying into Big Ben, Christmas, those Cybermen things. I had a twin sister. Adeola. She worked at Canary Wharf. She never came home.""I'm sorry." She knew it was an empty platitude as soon as it fell from her lips but she didn’t know what else she could say.Rose's heart broke for the woman, as many people as they saved, there were still those who didn't make it. She’d never had a sibling, let alone a twin, she couldn’t quite understand the pain she was going through. A thousand faces flashed before her eyes, she swayed on her feet, bombarded by the too real ghosts. She felt someone squeeze her hand, she looked up to see the Doctor staring at her, worry brewing in his brown eyes. She squeezed back before looking away. Guilt clawed at her throat for everything she wasn't saying."Yeah.""I was there, in the battle.""I promise you, Mr Smith and Mrs Smith, we will find a way out. If we can travel to the moon, then we can travel back. There's got to be a way."Rose tilted her head in curiosity. It was so weird to hear the promise fall from another's lips."It's not Smith. That's not our real names." The Doctor dropped her hand to stalk around the veranda.Rose crossed her arms across her chest as she leant back against the rough concrete as she watched him."Who are you, then?""Rose Tyler." She smiled with a wave, at Martha's confusion she elaborated. "We're not married." She muttered.The woman shot the Doctor a look and then looked back at her as if to say she didn't believe that for a second. Rose smiled wearily."I'm the Doctor.""Me too, if I can pass my exams. What is it then, Doctor Smith?""Just the Doctor.""How do you mean, just the Doctor?"Rose rubbed at her temples with a tired smile, it was always the same question."Just the Doctor.""What, people call you the Doctor?" She looked to Rose for confirmation."Yep." Rose said, popping the 'p' with a smile."Well, I'm not. As far as I'm concerned, you've got to earn that title." She decided adamantly."Well, I'd better make a start, then." Rose passed him the pebble she already knew he would be needing, he smiled but his eyes were full of questions. "Let's have a look. There must be some sort of..."The pebble once launched off of the veranda collided with seemingly nothing, yet still somehow causing the air to ripple from point of contact."Forcefield keeping the air in.""But if that's like a bubble sealing us in, that means this is the only air we've got. What happens when it runs out? ""How many people in this hospital?" Rose asked, the image of thousands suffocating still haunting her."I don't know. A thousand?""One thousand people. Suffocating." Rose barely concealed a flinch at the Doctor’s words."Why would anyone do that?" Martha demanded.After all this time travelling, Rose still didn't know the answer to that one, she didn’t think she ever would."Head's up! Ask them yourself."Three familiar cylindrical spaceships passed overhead. Rose recoiled at the sight, it was starting. And wasn’t that an odd thought. They land nearby on the surface of the moon, outside the barrier of the forcefield. Leather clad aliens came marching out in true military style."Aliens. That's aliens. Real, proper aliens.""Judoon." The name struck another cord within the blonde, well everything had played out as she'd seen thus far.The Doctor spun on his heel and thundered down the corridor following signs to what Rose assumed was the reception. She sighed."Come on we better follow him before he gets himself into trouble.""Does that happen often?"Rose threw her head back with laughter at the otherwise innocent question."If he had a middle name that would be it."The two women caught up with the Doctor who was crouched behind some leafy green plants on the mezzanine."Oh, look down there, Rose they've got a little shop. I like a little shop." The Doctor babbled happily, Rose smiled as she remembered the conversation from New Earth.“Not much use now, Doctor. Unless they’re allergic to flowers.”"Never mind that. What are Judoon?" Martha interrupted.Rose was beginning to admire the young woman, it'd only been a handful of minutes but she was already asking all the right questions after being thrown into an unusual situation."They're like police. Well, police for hire. They're more like interplanetary thugs.""And they brought us to the moon?""Neutral territory. According to galactic law, they've got no jurisdiction over the Earth, and they isolated it. That rain, lightning? That was them, using a H2O scoop."Rose wanted to question him further on the neutral territory thing but now didn't seem like the time."What are you on about, galactic law? Where'd you get that from?" The Doctor scrambled to another part of the walkway to get a better look, the two women followed after him. "If they're police, are we under arrest? Are we trespassing on the moon or something?"The young doctor's spew of questions were getting difficult to keep up with, the thought of two Doctors babbling at a thousand miles per hour with more technical terms than Rose could count made her head hurt but that did nothing to stop the smile that slipped onto her lips."No, but I like that. Good thinking. No, I wish it were that simple. They're making a catalogue. That means they're after something non-human, which is very bad news for me." He answered absentmindedly as he quickly assessed the situation."Why?" The Doctor raised one eyebrow in answer, Rose fought the urge to laugh at Martha's shocked expression. "Oh, you're kidding me. Don't be ridiculous. Stop looking at me like that.""Come on then." The Doctor darts away leaving a bewildered doctor in his wake."He's joking, right?""Not in the slightest."They caught up with the Doctor in a small darkened office. Rose settled in while the Doctor got to work on the computer, she was never any good with that tech stuff anyway. Martha disappeared back into the corridor for a couple of minutes before returning with news."They've reached the third floor. What's that thing?" Martha asked pointedly."Sonic screwdriver.""Well, if you're not going to answer me properly." Rose smirked to herself, she knew that feeling all too well. "No, really, it is. It's a screwdriver, and it's sonic. Look.""What else have you got, a laser spanner?""I did, but it was stolen by Emily Pankhurst, cheeky woman."Martha looked briefly to Rose with a questioning glance, she nodded in affirmation to the Doctor's statement. God, she remembered that day, he'd pouted about it for weeks. She was interrupted from her thoughts by the Doctor smacking the top of the computer in frustration."Oh, this computer! The Judoon must have locked it down. Judoon platoon upon the moon. Because we were just getting chips. I swear we were just wandering. We weren't looking for trouble, honestly, we weren't, but I noticed these plasma coils around the hospital, and that lightning, that's a plasma coil. Been building up for two days now, so we checked in. I thought something was going on inside. It turns out the plasma coils were the Judoon up above."Martha looked slightly bewildered as she tried to keep up with the Doctor's rambling."But what were they looking for?""Something that looks human, but isn't.""Like you, apparently.""Like me. But not me.""Haven't they got a photo?""Well, might be a shape-changer."That triggered a memory, that word, what was it? Plasmavore , her mind whispered to her."Whatever it is, can't you just leave the Judoon to find it?""If they declare the hospital guilty of harbouring a fugitive, they'll sentence it to execution."That should have been news to Rose but she already knew it and it wouldn't be the Judoon that were their biggest problem."All of us?" "Oh yes. If I can find this thing first. Oh! You see, they're thick! Judoon are thick! They are completely thick! They wiped the records. Oh, that's clever." The Doctor exclaimed sarcastically."What are we looking for?" "I don't know. Say, any patient admitted in the past week with unusual symptoms. Maybe there's a back-up.""Just keep working. I'll go ask Mister Stoker. He might know."Part of Rose panicked at the thought of the young doctor going out of sight when there were Judoon and shapeshifting criminals on the loose. But another part of her - the new part of her that seemed to be a fountain of knowledge regarding the events of today - knew she would be safe and was more worried about interfering.So against her better judgement, she watched the doctor leave, gnawing at a hangnail all the while. A dreadful habit she knew, but one she'd never been able to kick especially since travelling with the Doctor."You alright, Rose? You've been awfully quiet." The Doctor asked, still trying to wrangle the computer into showing him what he wanted."Yeah just..." She stumbled for a moment trying to sort through the chaos in her mind in order to give an answer that wouldn’t give away too much, the TARDIS’ warning still echoing in her mind. "Just how do you know who to take?"It was something she'd wondered many a time and seeing as she had been staring into the face of a possible companion for at least an hour now, now seemed as good a time as any to finally prose the question."Well I- you know I only take the best." The Doctor seemed to falter as well, perhaps unsure of how to explain or maybe he couldn't, maybe it's just something he knows .But it felt like the easy answer. Unwilling to commit. But she'd known the Doctor for a long time now, she should be used to non-answers.And maybe a part of her was jealous because in another timeline she and the Doctor are separated and he replaces her with this quite frankly brilliant woman. Educated, ambitious, clever, brave and quick enough to keep up with the Doctor. A reminder of all her silly little human insecurities that have plagued her, her whole life due to her class comes bubbling to the surface in a way that’s so very reminiscent of their trip with Madame de Pompadour. And really she knows that none of that matters out there in the big wide universe, nonsense human conventions that have no place amongst the stars. But insecurities die hard; they are, after all, the nastiest kind of habit and the hardest to shake.So maybe just this once she wanted an actual answer, she wanted to understand what goes on in that big Timelord brain of his, even if it's just to settle her own mind. And yes maybe that was selfish, but Jimmy Stone had taught her to be selfish in some backhanded way but he'd also bred most of the insecurities that lurked in the darkest corners of her mind as well."I chose you lot because my people believed you to be beneath us but so often you prove them wrong. The best of humanity, so brave and curious about the universe, but also so very reckless. How could I resist? And not everyone comes, their fear and responsibilities stronger than their curiosity. In a way I see myself in you lot." The Doctor finally divulged if a little reluctantly as he always is when sharing anything the slightest bit personal, as if aware of Rose’s inner turmoil, perhaps he was.Well, that settled it then.Resolved strengthened, she was pulled back to the present by the Doctor's triumphant shout."Good news?"He leapt from his seat in lieu of answering her as he darted past into the corridor."Got it."He crashed into a wide-eyed Martha, with Rose following behind."I've restored the back-up.""I found her.""You did what?" The Doctor deflated, an opportunity to show off lost, Rose thought to herself in amusement.Two men dressed in identical black leather biker outfits come crashing into the corridor."Run!" The three of them take off down the slippery hospital corridors, darting out of the way of crumpled patients as they go. They start down the stairs but almost collide with the Judoon on their way up, sandwiched between two very different problems they take a diversion down another corridor.
Well this is just great , Rose thought to herself, what the hell are they going to deal with first?

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Chapter Four: Just One Trip.Series: Three.Episode: One - Smith and Jones.Part: Two.
Two men dressed in identical black leather biker outfits come crashing into the corridor.

"Run!"

The three of them take off down the slippery hospital corridors, darting out of the way of crumpled patients as they go. They start down the stairs but almost collide with the Judoon on their way up, sandwiched between two very different problems they take a diversion down another corridor.
The Doctor directed them down corridors and through wards unable to lose their trailing slab, before pushing the two girls through the doors of the radiology room using the sonic to lock the door behind them as the slab continued to bang on the wood. The Doctor guided Martha behind the screen as Rose followed after, still keeping a wary eye on the door.“When I say now, press the button.” The Doctor commanded, tension leaking into his voice, as he darted towards the x-ray machine.“But I don't know which one.” Martha argued.The Doctor peeked back around at that.“Then find out!”The Doctor started messing with the x-ray machine while Martha looked at the many controls in confusion and panic. Rose grabbed the operator's manual from the shelf already knowing that’s what they would need and flicked to the right page shoving the book over to Martha, not wanting to steal her thunder but trying to relieve some of her panic. If the grateful look she shoots her way was anything to go by it would seem she’d succeeded.The slab outside was still battering at the door as its hinges slowly gave way, Rose turned to the Doctor almost by instinct, despite already knowing the plan.The door came crashing down causing Rose to redirect her attention to the slab that was now making it’s entrance. The Doctor already had the x-ray machine pointed at the doorway in preparation.“Now!” The Doctor called and Martha’s hand descended onto the massive yellow button at the given instruction.For a few moments, Rose was able to see the outline of both of their skeletons before the slab collapsed from the massive dose of radiation. Martha turned the machine off and the Doctor slowly came round to face the slab.“What did you do?” Asked Martha.“Increased the radiation by five thousand per cent. Killed him dead.” The Doctor answered nonchalantly.“But isn't that going to kill you?”“Nah, it's only roentgen radiation. We used to play with roentgen bricks in the nursery.”“That sounds like one hell of a nursery.” Rose said, half teasing half concerned.The Doctor grinned at her. “It's safe for you to come out. I've absorbed it all. All I need to do is expel it. If I concentrate, I can shake the radiation out of my body and into one spot.” The Doctor starts to do an odd sort of dance/jump on the spot and Rose couldn’t help the chuckle that escapes. “It's in my left shoe. Here we go, here we go. Easy does it. Out, out, out, out, out. Out, out. Ah, ah, ah, ah! Itches, itches, itches. It is, it is hot. Hold on.”The Doctor throws his new shoe into the bin.“Done.”“You're completely mad.”“You get used to it.” Rose said with a shrug, still thoroughly amused.“You're right. I look daft with one shoe.” Was the Doctor’s response.The other red dap quickly followed the first and Rose can’t help but wonder what the point was in the new look.“Barefoot on the moon.” The Doctor said with a snap of teeth as if that solved everything, Martha shook her head in disbelief.Rose laughed at him again though that was closely followed by her nudging his shoulder as she was now close enough. The Doctor threw her another grin, this one quickly followed with a wink. Which is why the fond smile that broke out over Rose’s face was definitely not her fault, she poked him in the side before he sauntered over to the x-ray machine to retrieve his sonic screwdriver.“If you two are quite finished, what is that thing? And where's it from, the planet Zovirax?”“It's just a Slab. They're called Slabs. Basic slave drones. See? Solid leather, all the way through. Someone has got one hell of a fetish.”“But it was that woman, Miss Finnegan. It was working for her, just like a servant.” Rose had her back to the Doctor as Martha described the woman she already knew they were after. Meanwhile, the Doctor pulled out what was left of his sonic, as it had been completely fried.“My sonic screwdriver.” The Doctor whined.Rose came and gave him a comforting pat on the shoulder.“She was one of the patients, but-” Martha was interrupted.“Oh, no. My sonic screwdriver.”“You can build a new one when we get back to the TARDIS, yeah?”“She had a straw like some kind of vampire.” Martha spoke up again and Rose was reminded that they were being awfully rude to the young woman.“Yeah, but I loved my sonic screwdriver.”“Doctor?” Martha tried to once again regain their attention.“Stop pouting, you’re being rude.”“Sorry.”The Doctor finally turns back to Martha, throwing the remains of his screwdriver behind him, as he gives her his full attention. Rose rolled her eyes fondly at him before doing the same.“You called me Doctor.” He grins. “She called me Doctor, Rose.”Rose laughed at the childlike glee on his face, poking him in the side again, softer this time. “Pay attention.”“Anyway? Miss Finnegan is the alien. She was drinking Mister Stoker's blood.”“Funny time to take a snack. You'd think she'd be hiding. Unless. No. Yes, that's it. Wait a minute. Yes! Shape-changer. Internal shape-changer. She wasn't drinking blood, she was assimilating it.” “Woulda known tha’ five minutes ago if you were listening.” Rose teased, tongue between teeth.“I’m listening now.” He argued, trying to defend himself. “If she can assimilate Mister Stoker's blood, mimic the biology, she'll register as human. We've got to find her and show the Judoon. Come on!” Turning back to Martha to explain, before running out of the room again.Rose rolled her eyes at the Doctor leaving without them again. She gave Martha an encouraging smile as they both followed after him.“That's the thing about Slabs. They always travel in pairs.” The Doctor muttered as they hid behind a water cooler having spotted the other slab before it walked past them.“What about you?” Martha asked.“What about me what?”“You said you two aren’t married, but you’re awfully close.”“Oh. Humans. We're stuck on the moon running out of air with Judoon and a bloodsucking criminal, you're asking personal questions? Come on.” The Doctor deflected, moving away from the water cooler.“I like that. Humans. I'm still not convinced you're an alien.”“The radiation dance didn’t confirm that for you? Be glad its just humans, he used to be awfully fond of the phrase ‘stupid apes’.” Rose teased, standing up also.They walked directly into a Judoon or rather the Doctor walked straight into their outstretched scanner.“Non-human.”“Oh my god, you really are.”“And again.” The Doctor grabbed Rose’s hand as he took off running.Rose reached back to grab the still shocked Martha as she heard the Judoon reach for their weapons.“Duck!” Rose called.They all narrowly miss the disintegrator beams that had been aimed at their heads.“Excellent timing, Rose.”“Excellent? We almost died!”“Focus on the almost, now come on.” Rose called back to her, pulling her along.The Judoon were still following them, their chain of hands quickly broke as they began to ascend the stairs. The Doctor waited until they were all on the ward with him before locking the door behind them manually, as he now no longer had the sonic screwdriver.“They've done this floor. Come on. The Judoon are logical and just a little bit thick. They won't go back to check a floor they've checked already. If we're lucky.”Patients were collapsing around them and Rose couldn’t help the guilt that swirled in her gut. Whoever this Finnigan woman was, Rose didn’t care if she was innocent of her crimes, she was willing to let thousands of already sick and suffering people die for her.The junior nurse from before was crouched on the floor giving oxygen to a patient. She may not have been companion material but she was still a compassionate woman and Rose knew she’d make an excellent doctor one day.Martha stopped at the sight of her colleague, her own doctor mode activated while the Doctor marched on. Rose tugged him to a stop, the Doctor looked at her in confusion as she nodded at the women getting him to finally look instead of soldiering on. She knew it was difficult to face but they had to, this was what they were fighting for, all these people.“How much oxygen is there?” Martha asked.“Not enough for all these people. We're going to run out.” Her fear from before pushed to the back as she focused on her patients.“How are you two feeling? Are you alright?”“I'm running on adrenaline.”“Eh, I’ve felt worse.” Rose grinned trying to dispel some of the Doctor’s worry with their usual banter.“Welcome to my world.”“What about the Judoon?” Now that was something Rose hadn’t considered, Martha really did ask all the right questions.“Nah, great big lung reserves. It won't slow them down. Where's Mister Stoker's office?”“It's this way.” Martha said getting up with a pant, despite what she’d just said, leading the way.The Doctor went through first cautiously, worried she’d still be inside. Martha followed closely behind. While Rose lingered in the corridor not quite ready to face the sight of the man’s body just yet.“She's gone. She was here.”Rose finally entered the room staying closer to the doorway mainly out of sight of the body of poor old Mr Stoker.“Drained him dry. Every last drop. I was right. She's a Plasmavore.”Just the word seemed to set off a sort of ringing inside Rose’s head. She bit back a wince, unable to tell if she’d been successful or not, she hoped it would be assumed to do with the body in the room rather than anything else if she had not been.“What's she doing on Earth, Doctor?” Rose asked because that was the one thing she hadn’t been able to figure out from those damn images.“Hiding. On the run. Like Ronald Biggs in Rio de Janeiro. What's she doing now? She's still not safe. The Judoon could execute us all. Come on.” The Doctor rambled mainly to himself, before getting up, he was already up and by the door - he’d grabbed Rose’s hand in the process hoping to comfort her, she’d given a weak smile in response - when Martha stopped them.“Wait a minute.”Martha bent down to close Stoker's eyes in a move of compassion that seemed to come so very naturally for the young doctor. Together they exited the office crowding the corridor as the Doctor tried to figure out his next plan of action before everyone suffocated to death. There’d been enough death today. The Doctor rubbed the back of his neck with his spare hand as he rambled to himself.“Think, think, think. If I was a Plasmavore surrounded by police, what would I do?”He spotted the sign to the MRI on the wall opposite him as he’s hit by the realisation of what the Plasmavore had planned.“Ah. She's as clever as me. Almost.”“That’s high praise coming from you.” Rose teased.Martha looked about herself still in confusion. However, they were all pulled from their thoughts by the Judoon crashing through the doors at the end of the corridor, the sound of patients screaming followed not long after.“Find the non-human. Execute.”The Doctor looked torn for a second as he stared at the approaching Judoon. And Rose was reminded of her vision from earlier of the Doctor kissing Martha. And unfortunately, she couldn’t help the flare of jealousy she feels at the reminder and makes a selfish decision right there and then.“Go. Go stop Miss Finnigan we’ll distract the Judoon.”The Doctor still faltered.“Go! We’ll be fine but you’ve got to stop her before the Judoon kill you or sentence the hospital to execution, yeah?”That seemed to convince him as he took a couple of steps towards the MRI room but he still doesn’t leave.“Be careful!”“As long as you don’t do anything stupid!” She called back to him with a smile that she knew was too weak to be comforting, but just knowing what his plan was, no matter that he survived it, put her ill at ease.But it seemed to suffice for the Doctor as he finally darted away and Rose let out a sigh of relief.“What the hell are we going to do?” Martha cried, bringing Rose back into the present.“Just trust me, yeah? And don’t tell the Doctor.”“Okay, but what are you going to do?” Still looking slightly worried.“Something stupid.” If the Doctor was going to be reckless then she could hardly be faulted for doing the same, though she doubted her plan would work, she was still human after all. Wasn’t she? Only one way to find out she supposed.Edging backwards slightly to give them more time. Martha seemed to be panicking as the Judoon marched towards them. She began to ramble, the first traces of fear causing a slight tremble in her words.“Now listen, I know who you're looking for. She's this woman. She calls herself Florence.”The Judoon pointed the scanner at Martha and a flicker of fear passed across her face. Rose squeezed the woman’s hand reassuringly.“Human.” The Judoon announced briskly before shifting to face Rose.Rose held her head up with faux confidence as they scanned her.“Human.” They paused. “Wait. Non-human traits suspected. Non-human element confirmed. Authorise full scan.” They pushed Rose against the wall and she could hear Martha gasp from behind her as Rose allowed herself to wear the fear she couldn’t help but feel. “What are you? What are you?”“Confirm human. Minor chronon mutation and traces of non-human contact. Continue the search for the non-human.”Rose sagged in relief as the Judoon confirmed their analysis while Martha was still staring at her worriedly. A big cross was drawn against the back of her hand as she was handed a small booklet with illegible writing she didn’t recognise.“You will need this.”“What's tha’ for?”“Compensation.”“Right.” She tucked the booklet into her back pocket. “The non-human went this way.” She called dragging them down the corridor to the MRI room.Rose burst into the room with the Judoon marching behind her as Martha followed a slight distance behind. Miss Finnigan dropped the Doctor’s body onto the floor stuffing her straw away as she scrambled away from the Doctor’s now limp body. Rose rushed forward cradling the Doctor’s head in her lap as she glared up at the woman.“What have you done?” Rose accused.“This poor man just died of fright.”“Scan him. Confirmation. Deceased.”Martha ran through at that moment.“No, he can't be. Let me through. Let me see him.”“Stop. Case closed.”“But it was her. She killed him. She did it. She murdered him.”“Judoon have no authority over human crime.”“But she's not human.” Martha said pleading with them to listen to her, to believe her.“Oh, but I am. I've been catalogued.” Florence said smugly.“But she's not! She assimi-” She paused finally understanding what the Doctor’s plan had been, she looked to Rose for confirmation, and despite her thunderous expression she nodded at the unspoken question. “Wait a minute. You drank his blood? The Doctor's blood?” Martha grabbed one of the Judoon’s scanners pointing it at Florence.“Oh, I don't mind. Scan all you like.”“Non-human.” The Judoon declared and finally, the smug facade dropped and Rose smirked despite her worry.“But, what?”“Confirm analysis.” The rest of the Judoon withdrew their scanners.“Oh, but it's a mistake, surely. I'm human. I'm as human as they come.” The Plasmavore rambled in her panic.“He gave his life so they'd find you.”“Confirm. Plasmavore, charged with the crime of murdering the child princess of Patrival Regency Nine.”“Well, she deserved it! Those pink cheeks and those blonde curls and that simpering voice. She was begging for the bite of a Plasmavore.” Rose’s hatred for the woman increased ten-fold at her proud confession of murdering a child.“Then you confess?”“Confess? I'm proud of it! Slab, stop them!”Florence ducked behind the slab to the MRI controls as she made her demands. The slab stepped forward as instructed but was rendered to dust in seconds by the Judoon’s weapons. “Verdict, guilty. Sentence, execution.”Miss Finnigan connected one last plug and the machine made a startling noise as it warned of a magnetic overload. Rose noticed that Martha had ducked behind the Judoon as they fired up their weapons.“Enjoy your victory, Judoon, because you're going to burn with me. Burn in hell!”The Plasmavore received the same fate as her last remaining slab. Martha crawled forward towards Rose and the Doctor once it was safe. Florence’s words still ringing in all of their ears. Rose moved out from under the Doctor satisfied that Martha would stay with him.“Case closed.”“But what did she mean, burn with me? The scanner shouldn't be doing that. She's done something.” Martha asked as she took up Rose’s position.The Judoon scanned the MRI machine.“Scans detect lethal acceleration of mono-magnetic pulse.”“Well, do something! Stop it!”“Our jurisdiction has ended. Judoon will evacuate.”“What?” Martha shouted, outraged.“You can't just leave it, there are a thousand people in this hospital ‘cause you brought them here!” Rose bellowed.“What's it going to do?” Martha asked.“All units withdraw.” Who Rose assumed was the leader, ordered into their communication device.Rose scrambled to her feet as they flee, yelling after them.“You can't go! That thing's going to explode and it's your fault!”She felt slightly calmer once she returned to the room but she was still bristling with far too many emotions to stay still right now.“Martha start CPR on the Doctor, he’s got two hearts, one on each side.”“What? You’re not serious.”“I am, now get on with it, I’m going to try and stop the scanner.” She answered back sharper than she intended to the young woman who had been absolutely brilliant despite everything. “Sorry but please, he may be our only way out of here.”Martha nodded and started the compressions as Rose made her way over to the scanner. She looked down at the two plugs and tried to remember which she saw Florence use to set off the overload. In the panic, she hadn’t been paying close enough attention and in her memory, the two colours had blurred together. Casting a look back at Martha, satisfied that she was occupied, she pressed her fingers to her temples and she shut her eyes as she tried to call upon that power she’d felt earlier. Frustrated when nothing happened, she began to plead quietly, almost as if to herself.“Come on, please I know you said not to, but just one quick look. Please, old girl. I need your help.”She took a quick peek at herself when nothing seemed to happen, only to find her hands glowing in the soft golden light of before and the word ‘ red’ drifted softly across her mind in a voice that most certainly wasn’t her own. Grinning to herself, she pulled the red plug apart as the Doctor suddenly spluttered behind her. She jumped back with a shout when the plugs sparked, but thankfully the machine’s hum had died down and her skin was back to normal.She sagged against the controls, the adrenaline slowly leaving her as she realised just how little air they must have left as she panted to herself. Her little stunt certainly hadn’t helped any for that particular problem. Rose looked up to see the Doctor looking at her in shock. She gave him a tired smile as he dove forward.“Rose Tyler you are brilliant.”“So was she.” Rose gasped as she nodded towards the unconscious Martha. “Doctor the air.”“Come on.” The Doctor said tugging her up by the hand, he went to scoop Martha up before leading them over to a window.Rose leant against the Doctor the slightest of exertion too much for her.“Come on, come on, come on, come on, please. Come on, Judoon, reverse it.” The Doctor pleaded jumping up and down on the balls of his feet.It started to rain and slowly the Doctor grinned beside her.“It's raining, Rose. It's raining on the moon.”Rose gave a feeble smile as her legs buckled, the use of Bad Wolf and the lack of oxygen finally getting to her. There was a flash of lightning but Rose missed it as she fell into oblivion and the hospital returned to it’s home.Medical staff, media, family and friends swarmed the hospital all trying to get to the survivors, each for a different reason. The Doctor slipped away to the TARDIS with an unconscious Rose once he was sure Martha was safe. He left Rose in the med-bay with an oxygen mask on before having the TARDIS disappear from the scene, no need to add more fuel to the fire.Rose was sitting up when he got back. She went to pull the mask off but he rushed forward and tugged into back into place. She pouted at him from behind the mask.“Slight oxygen starvation, best leave it on for a minute.”Rose mumbled something at him that he couldn’t quite understand.“Nope. Sorry, you’re just going to have to wait.” He grinned at her.Rose rolled her eyes but tugged the mask off anyway.“Can’t believe I’m back in here again. I hate hospitals.” The Doctor tried unsuccessfully to put the mask back on while Rose just swatted at his hands. “Doctor I’m fine, really.” The Doctor seemed to finally accept that she was not going to give in, and relented. “What happened to Martha?”“Back at the hospital, she’s fine. Got her brother’s party tonight, hasn’t she?” The Doctor answered nonchalantly, avoiding Rose’s gaze.Rose narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously, before sighing.“You didn’t say goodbye, did you?”“Well...” He trailed off rubbing at his neck awkwardly.Rose rolled her eyes at him, hopping off the medical table.“She saved your life, you should at least say thank you.” She said as she trailed out of the room, her comment certainly had nothing to do with what she’d seen this morning, not that anyone would be able to prove either way.“Where are you going?”“Console room.” She called over her shoulder as she disappeared down the corridor.Rose heard the tell-tale slap of the Doctor’s daps on the floor as he followed after her, clearly, he’d gone and changed into his other suit after his stunt in the radiology room. Maybe she’d been out for longer than she’d realised.“What for?” He asked, having caught up with Rose who was now sitting on the captain’s chair waiting for him.“Come on she was brilliant, you should invite her along. At least to say thank you. Plus she saw us this morning so there’s also that circular paradox to deal with.” Rose continued to push, because despite what she knew she still thought Martha deserved a trip, she hadn’t lied when she’d said she’d been brilliant.The Doctor’s mouth opened and closed a few times as if he were going to argue but when he obviously drew up a blank he gave up on the excuses and started the dematerialisation sequence.“I hate when you’re right.” He mumbled pointlessly. “Though I suppose it’s a good job you remembered that little circular paradox because you haven’t eaten anything today. Ended up on the moon at lunchtime.”“No, you don’t.” Rose teased, giving him her signature tongue in teeth smile she knew he secretly loved. “And thank god, I was getting really sick of hospital food.”“We’re here. Do you want to do the honours?”“Sure you got the right time? It's not accidentally been a year or anything?”“Oi. That happened once.”“Well…”“Out you go. Go and find Martha.” He said opening the doors pushing a laughing Rose out. “Minx.” He muttered under his breath.Rose skipped to the end of the alley they’d landed in, still grinning to herself when she heard a woman going on about drugged people believing they’d gone to the moon.The Doctor appeared at her side just in time to also catch that part of the argument.“Told you I got it right.” He whispered in her ear.“This time.” She teased.She went to say something else but the Doctor put a finger to his lips and shushed her, whether because he thought they were going to get spotted being total creeps on a dark street corner or because his ego couldn’t take any more teasing. Rose couldn’t be certain but with a roll of her eyes, she did keep quiet, turning back to the bickering family.Maybe this hadn’t been such a good idea.It was really just driving home just how much she missed her mum and Mickey. She couldn’t even argue with them about the little things, it was weird how that worked. Of course, she missed the good stuff too but now she didn’t even have the bad stuff and the scene before her was really driving that home.Rose was pulled from her thoughts by the Doctor nudging her.“You okay?” “What happened to being quiet?” She teased, but when the worried look didn’t fade she settled on a more serious expression. “I’m fine, I’ll be even better when you go buy me some chips.”“Oh I’m buying them now, am I?”“Yep.” She grinned popping the ‘p’ before copying the Doctor’s shushing motion from before and turning back to the street before them.As the last of the family members disappeared into the night Martha was left alone outside the pub staring off after them with a sigh. It took a couple of seconds for her to notice them there but when she did, Rose beckoned her over before they sunk back into the alley towards the TARDIS.Moments later the sound of heels could be heard clicking on the cobblestones before Martha appeared in the mouth of the alley with a smile.“I went to the moon today.”“A bit more peaceful than down here.”“You never even told me who you are.”“The Doctor.”“What sort of species? It's not every day I get to ask that.”“I'm a Time Lord.”“Right! Not pompous at all, then.”Rose laughed at that, she’d never really thought about that particular aspect she kind of forgot amidst the lectures of superior biology.“She’s got a point.”This time it was the Doctor who poked Rose in the ribs.“Behave.” He muttered to Rose before turning back to Martha. “We just thought since you saved my life and I've got a brand new sonic screwdriver which needs road testing, you might fancy a trip.”“What, into space?” Martha asked dubiously.“Well…”“But I can't. I've got exams. I've got things to do. I have to go into town first thing and pay the rent, I've got my family going mad.”As Martha listed off all the things she had to do Rose couldn’t help but feel glad she didn’t have those kinds of concerns anymore.“If it helps, he can travel in time as well. Don’t know why he doesn’t ever start with that.” Rose said with a roll of her eyes.“Where’s the fun in that?” The Doctor answered Rose.“Get out of here.” Martha said in disbelief.“I can.”“Come on now, that's going too far.”“I'll prove it.” The Doctor said slipping inside the TARDIS.“See in a second, you’re gonna love this bit.” Rose said before disappearing inside too.“Right.” The Doctor declared. “Let’s go get you those chips. Where did Martha say we saw her?”“Chancery  street.”“Right then off we go.” The Doctor began his usual dance around the console, Rose smiled to herself at the sight it’d been a while since he’d done so, so exuberantly, it hadn’t been the easiest of weeks after all. Rose clung to the railings by the TARDIS doors with a laugh at a particularly strong lurch. When they finally came to a stop.   “Oh, money.” The Doctor said patting down his pockets but Rose had already opened the doors.“Should still have the money from when we saw Donna and if not I’m sure we can find a cashpoint ‘cause I don’t have anything. No job me, and I can’t pinch any off of mum anymore.”“Good point.” He rummaged through his numerous pockets before he pulled out a tenner from their trip with Donna when he suddenly groaned. “Does that mean I’m going to need to start carrying around Earth currency, I hate Earth money.”He heard Rose laugh from outside the TARDIS doors at his whinging, it was a conversation they’d had before after all.“You never have any money when we go into the past so I don’t see wha’ difference it would make.”“Yeah but I have a bad habit of ending up in present-day London, well present for you anyway.”“Chips first, plan currency later.” Rose said adamantly looping her arm through the Doctor’s as she dragged him towards the nearest chippy.The second problem occurred when it came to locating Martha amongst the morning crowd. Thankfully the Doctor had an advantage with his height and was able to spot her after a while. Worried about the time frame of the paradox, they quickly made their way over.“Morning, you want any chips? Long day and all that?” Rose asked the slightly younger Martha trying to make it seem a little less weird than it was, but most likely failing.“Um, no thanks.” Martha said slowly as if she wasn’t quite sure if Rose was sane or not, which was fair enough all things considered.“Suit yourself.” The Doctor said, taking Rose’s hand and heading back to the TARDIS. “And back again.”They opened the doors back to the alley they’d been in only moments before to see a very stunned Martha stood back against the bins. The two of them stood in the doorway watching her in amusement.“Sure, you don’t want one? They’re still hot.”“No, but, that was this morning. Did you? Oh, my god. You can travel in time.”The Doctor pinched one of Rose’s chips while Martha got over the whole time travel thing.“Oi!” Rose protested, but he simply grinned and tried to grab another one while Rose struggled to keep the bag out of his reach which was far more difficult than it should have been. The lanky git.“But hold on. If you could see me this morning, why didn't you tell me not to go into work?” The two of them focused back on Martha and the Doctor used that distraction to pinch another chip for which he got an elbow to the ribs.“Crossing into established events is strictly forbidden. Except for cheap tricks.” The Doctor explained munching on his pilfered chip.“And that's your spaceship?”“It's called the Tardis. Time and Relative Dimension in Space.”“Your spaceship's made of wood. There's not much room. It’s a bit intimate, I mean you two barely even fit in the doorway.”“We’d fit a lot better if he stopped nicking my chips.”“I paid for them.”“Hardly counts.” Rose disputed.“Take a look inside.” The Doctor finally answered Martha as they stepped out of the doorway. “No, no, no.” Martha muttered before darting back outside. “But it's just a box. But it's huge.” She started circling the TARDIS before coming back inside. “How does it do that? It's wood. It's like a box with that room just rammed in. It's bigger on the inside.”Rose watched the Doctor mouth the last bit at the same time as Martha and bit back a laugh.“Is it? I hadn't noticed.” The Doctor said sarcastically.Rose followed the Doctor up the ramp.“You love that bit.”“It’s the best bit.” He defended.“Right then, let's get going.” He said louder this time so Martha could hear him too.“But is there a crew, like a navigator and stuff? Where is everyone? Can’t be just you two.”“Just us.”“Just you two, on your own?” “Yeah, that’s how I like it. Now. Just one trip to say thanks. You get one trip, then back home.”“Then back home.” Martha repeated.“Good. Well, then. Close down the gravitic anomaliser, fire up the helmic regulator. And finally, the hand brake.” Rose didn’t miss the wistful glance Martha shot at the grating as the Doctor rambled on. She couldn’t help but feel guilty that the Doctor kept reinforcing the idea that it was just one trip as it had been her idea in the first place but she’d seen the other timeline and she’d tried to follow it as closely as possible but maybe she’d just made things worse.“Ready?” The Doctor asked.“No.”“Off we go.”As the Doctor threw the dematerialisation leaver the TARDIS gave a massive jolt throwing about her occupants so that they had to hang on for dear life. Rose sent a stray thought to the TARDIS, wondering what the hell her problem was.“Blimey, it's a bit bumpy.”“Welcome aboard, Miss Jones.”“It's my pleasure, Mister Smith.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Chapter Five: Getting Back to Normal.Series: Three.Episode: Extras: Post - Smith and Jones.
Rose returned to the console room after showing Martha to the bedroom the TARDIS had prepared for her.

The Doctor had been eager to get to their next adventure but Rose had stepped in to remind him that the humans needed to sleep, especially after such a long day. Martha had shot Rose a grateful look and Rose felt the last traces of tension leave her, she may not have known Martha in the original timeline, but perhaps this time around they could be friends. They were going to be living together after all.

The Doctor was aimlessly fiddling with the controls upon her return. Rose stood in the doorway for a moment, simply observing.

It was their first adventure since saying goodbye to Donna - their first voluntary adventure since Rose had said goodbye to her mother - and it'd been interesting, to say the least. She'd largely been trying to ignore the significance of it all throughout the day. The first Christmas without her mother and she didn't even get to celebrate it. They'd spent the day chasing after Donna, trying to understand how it came to be that she'd ended up in the TARDIS in the first place and then she'd ended up unconscious for the rest of it. In a way, she was glad that she hadn't had the time to actually acknowledge the fact.

The Doctor spotted her in the doorway, his voice pulling her from her thoughts, as she registered his words.

"Martha find a room all right?"

"Yep, she's all tucked in ready for tomorrow's trip." The Doctor nodded in acknowledgement, but his focus remained on the controls in front of him. "I forgot to ask, what's with the new suit?"

Although he’d changed back into the brown suit before they’d picked Martha up, she still couldn’t help but wonder. He hadn’t worn any other suit but the brown since he’d first chosen it after regenerating. With the exception for the odd occasion when he pulled the black tuxedo out.

The Doctor's gaze flickered up to hers at the question, but it fell as he thought of how best to respond.

"Uh, blue was the colour of-" He reached across the console to flick a group of switches, effectively putting his back to Rose as he spoke. "it was the uh colour of mourning on Gallifrey. In respect to your mum, I guess." He shrugged, aiming for nonchalance.

Rose smiled at his back. She knew mum and the Doctor hadn't gotten along when they'd first met but things had been different since the incident with the Slitheen in downing street and especially in this regeneration. He’d become one of the Tylers whether he liked it or not. She just knew his last self would have bristled at the sight of how domestic this Doctor could be sometimes.

But she also knew that her war-battered Doctor in leather had craved the kind of acceptance that only came with being family. He’d lost everything. And yet sometimes she found herself hoping she had helped ease some of the suffering in his hearts. She was not naive enough to think she could save him, she was just a girl off of the Estates after all. But Rose hoped she’d proved by now that she was always going to be there for him, whether he believed he deserved it or not.

While she’d only picked up bits and pieces about the Doctor’s home planet and it’s cultures in the time she’d been travelling with him, she knew what it had come to mean to him. So it warmed her heart to know he’d chosen to share this part of his world with her. But Rose also knew this to be the Doctor’s own way of coping with his loss. His planet’s culture and rituals survived solely through him and she was not about to let him feel insecure about sharing that part of himself in his own home.

She joined him at the console. Looping her arm through his, she rested her head against his arm.

“Thank you.” Her tone hinting at all the things she wasn’t saying. “I loved the suit by the way but did you really have to chuck your shoes away?” She added steering the conversation away from the more emotional topic.

He rubbed the back of his neck at her teasing.

“Probably not, was a bit busy. Though I should probably find some more if I’m going to wear the blue one more often.”

He looked down at her thoughtfully for a second, Rose peered back up at him, letting his train of thought run its course.

“Shouldn’t you be getting some rest too? Been a busy day after all.”

“Nah, couldn’t sleep if I wanted to. Been stuck in bed for what feels like months now and I’ve missed this, still running on adrenaline it feels like.”

“Well, I suppose we could…” He trailed off as a grin grew on Rose’s lips, she knew what that look meant. “Always go on a quick trip while Martha’s still sleeping.”

“If you think you can land us without waking her up.” Her words a challenge as she grinned up at him, tongue between teeth.

A challenge the Doctor couldn’t help but rise to.

“Ten quid says I can.”

“You still owe me from Queen Vic so we’d be even if you can manage it.”

“You’re on, Rose Tyler.”

Rose took a step back grabbing hold of the railing as the Doctor began his dance around the console. She laughed as the TARDIS threw him back onto the grating, he gave her a half-hearted glare before continuing to throw levers and press buttons and switches. They landed with a fairly gentle thud considering how badly they’d been thrown about on previous trips.

The Doctor dashed for the door, moving before the TARDIS had even finished settling, grabbing his coat as he went. Rose ran after him without missing a beat grabbing the new blue leather jacket the TARDIS had left her. She shot a quick thanks towards the ceiling before shutting the doors behind her.

She was still pulling her jacket on as she gazed at the sight before her. The soil was an icy blue colour, from which several of the domed huts at the bottom of the hill they’d landed on seemed to have been built of, they probably blended right in with their surroundings from a distance. Rows of larger buildings made of glistening white bricks stood behind the blue huts, each seemed to be displaying different types of items in their windows. Shops, Rose reasoned. There was little in the way of vegetation in the particular area they’d landed in.

“Where are we?”

“The planet Krevaar. Previously a favourite tourist spot of the inhabitants of Raxacoricofallapatorius. It was best known for its vast markets and mountains, it’s garnered a rather unsavoury reputation due to the Slitheen family doing business here illegally. Making it the perfect place to come for a quiet day of shopping, unlikely to run into any tourists here.”

Rose listened to the Doctor’s lecture on the planet with her usual smile and enthusiasm.

“We’ve come to get you new shoes, haven’t we?”

“Yes.” Rose laughed at his admission. “But there’s plenty to do here and the locals are rather friendly, we shouldn’t run into any bother.”

“Friendly like the polyamourous Javaats, who will marry anyone who looks at them. Or friendly like an Ood?” She questioned.

“Well not quite like either of those. But! Point is we shouldn’t be at risk of running for our lives. Now come on let's have a look around.”

The Doctor grabbed her hand and they ran towards the little shops, carefully zig-zagging out of the way of locals in a manoeuvre that only years of practice could perfect.

The Doctor managed to find some new red daps that were surprisingly a perfect match to the ones he’d lost on the moon before disappearing into a shop filled with mechanical parts with almost childlike glee. Rose picked out some new exotic teas, some heels that were apparently adapted for running, a basket of fuzzy purple kiwi-like fruits that she’d tried once before with the credit stick the Doctor had procured.

She always enjoyed little markets and shopping strips such as this, it was the perfect place to observe the culture of the locals without getting too many suspicious glares, looking for all the world as if she was simply browsing the wares displayed before her.

Though she and the Doctor often ended up separating for these trips, their differing interests drawing them to different shops. And Rose had learnt early on that it was best to leave the Doctor to his scavenging if she wanted to avoid a lecture on each of the individual parts he’d found. Because while she loved the sound of the Doctor’s voice and the enthusiasm with which he delivered each fact, she’d never had much of a mind for the more technical side of things that came with the travelling.

She was wandering through the aisles of shops as she wondered which to enter next when a group of small children ran up to her to convince her to join their game having seen that she’d finished with her purchasing. And while she didn’t often find herself in situations such as this, it did happen. Especially on planets where her blonde hair was unusual and exotic.

And it was this particular thought that had her spotting the differences between herself and the locals surrounding her. Because the Doctor had been right, while tourism had clearly once been a staple for this town once, it was pretty lacking at the moment. Rose only having spotted three other individuals that didn’t quite fit in just as herself of the Doctor.

The adult locals she’d seen were humanoid and lilac in colour with big dark glittering almost bug-like eyes, thin stripes fanning out from around their eyes in a slightly warmer purple and with eight short fingers on each hand. While the children before her were still a light cornflower blue with the older among them being a shade less blue and a tad more purple.

When she’d agreed to their children’s request, they’d dragged her towards a small field past the white shops and behind the blue domes with tall grass that was almost a perfect match to the children’s blue skin. They made her count as they hid in the tall grass. Rose had always found it fascinating which games seemed to be universal as well as the more bizarre ones she’d never encountered before.

So there she stood, back to the towering blue grass, counting to herself. Before she remembered the instructions she been left with by one of the older children. It seemed she’d found herself playing a game of hide and seek in which the children had the advantage of near-perfect camouflage.

And that was how the Doctor found her once he’d reemerged with far more parts than he needed quite some time later. Chasing small giggling children through the grass as they attempted to evade her capture. When one of the children that had been hiding up a twisted tree jumped down onto her back causing her to trip and soon the rest of the children dog-piled on top with a victorious cheer while Rose giggled from beneath them.

“Sorry guys but I need to take this one back home.” The Doctor said as he stepped through the long grass to give Rose a hand up.

A series of groans punctuated the air at that.

“But we defeated the mighty beast.” One of the youngest clamoured.

“Does she have to go? No one else will play with us; they're too busy with the feast.”

“And what feast is that then?” The Doctor asked as Rose dusted herself off.

“The feast of Solude. To celebrate the last days of summer before we go underground.”

Realisation dawned upon the Doctor and Rose realised that this was one cultural tradition that had completely slipped his mind. It was bound to happen every now and again, Timelord brain or not, he couldn’t remember everything no matter how he boasted the opposite. It happened.

The Doctor chanced a glance down at Rose, suddenly unsure if they should leave but also not quite willing to leave.

“We were just going to do a bit of shopping but I suppose…” He rubbed the back of his neck, clearly having come to a decision as his curiosity got the better of him. “If it’s okay with Rose?”

Rose looked down at the eager and pleading faces of the children. It would be just too easy to agree, but if this was a tradition on their planet, outsiders might not be welcome. It had gotten them into a spot of bother several times before after all.

“We’d love to.” The children started to jump about excitedly. “But we should check to see if we’re actually invited first.” She said pointedly to the Doctor.

“Right you are, Rose.”

And that was how they ended up getting chased off of Krevaar and banned for the foreseeable future.

The Doctor and Rose leant back against the closed TARDIS doors panting before they slowly dissolved into laughter. Hadn’t the Doctor said they wouldn’t end up running into any trouble and yet here they were. How very typical of them.

The Doctor pushed off from the doors as he began the dematerialisation sequence. Rose watched him with a smile, not moving away from the doors as the TARDIS jolted twice before stabilising in the vortex.

She’d let the Doctor take the lead with the locals and he had somehow ended up invoking their wrath. It was probably his passing remark about the Slitheen though, that really set the locals off.

“There we go. Safe and sound inside the vortex, far from any angry locals.”

“I’m starting to think that’s it the calm that’s the bits in between rather than the trouble. You seem to have a penchant for finding trouble anywhere.” Rose said with a tongue touched grin as she pushed off from the doors up the grating.

The Doctor scoffed.

“You’re one to talk Miss Jeopardy Friendly.” He said pointing an accusing finger at her.

“I guess we’re just as bad as each other then.”

“So it would seem.” His smile faded, replaced by a far more serious expression as he regarded her. “Are you alright? After everything at the hospital and bringing along a new companion you must be exhausted.”

“I’m okay, Doctor. Though I should probably get some rest before we take Martha out tomorrow.” She started walking backwards towards the corridor off of the console room. “Any idea where we’re going?”

“Ah ah. It’s going to be a surprise.”

“Oh come on. Not even a hint?” She grinned, daring him to change his mind.

“Nope nope nope. Go on off to bed with you Rose Tyler.”

“Okay okay.” She laughed. “But at least answer this, past or future? I really don’t want another incident like Queen Victoria.”

“Hmm, let's see. Your first trip was future, let's try past for Martha.”

“Think you can actually get us there?” She teased frozen in the doorway.

“Oi. That’s enough out of you, you’re clearly sleep-deprived off you go.”

Rose laughed before spinning around and heading down the corridor, her purchases bumping against her leg as she did so.

“Night, Doctor.” She called back to him.

“There is no such thing as night on the TARDIS, Rose Tyler.”

“Good

night

, Doctor.” She repeated with a chuckle.

“Goodnight, Rose.” He said softly into the now empty console room.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Chapter Six: Meeting the Genius.Series: Three.Episode: Two - Shakespeare Code.Part: One.Martha woke slowly the next morning, unaccustomed to the quiet of the TARDIS, it took her a moment to realise why there wasn’t any morning light or London traffic drifting through her windows. Before she remembered she’d run away with an alien with a time machine and his sort-of-human-not-girlfriend-companion.She sat up bleary eyed, she rubbed at her eyes as she tried to focus on her surroundings. As she did so, the lights slowly lit the room in a dim glow, enough for her to see without being too bright for first thing in the morning.The room they’d found for her was painted in the same shade of blue as her flat, it had shocked her at first and she’d asked Rose how that was possible when the blonde seemed adamant that this was ‘ her room’. Apparently not only could it travel through time but it was also sentient and telepathic and had known what she’d wanted in a room and had constructed it off of that.Rose had laughed at her bewildered expression and told her that eventually you got used to it but if she ever heard the Doctor start rambling in alien technobabble that she didn’t understand it was best to just nod along or she’d never escape the conversation.Aside from the colour scheme the room was vastly different from her bedroom back home. The ensuite for starters was far more luxurious than the cupboard sized bathroom back in her apartment. Rose had told her that there should be sleepwear in the wardrobe and her outfit would be washed while she was asleep. Martha didn’t ask how that would happen, content to follow Rose’s advice and not ask. But there was her outfit from last night draped over the desk chair crease free and fresh smelling. And she didn’t know what the mattress was made of but she wanted one for her flat because that was the best night sleep she’d had in… well ever.Martha pushed herself up, staggering to the bathroom still not completely awake. Fresh faced and dressed she exited her room determined to hunt down the rest of the ship’s occupants. But it wasn’t until she was standing in the corridor that she realised she had no idea which turnings they’d taken to get here last night. Rose had seemed to lead her down corridors aimlessly while still managing to find the room they needed.Refusing to let this ruin the good mood she’d woken up in, Martha headed down the corridor she thought they’d taken the night before. But after ten minutes of wandering and opening doors at random - Rose had mentioned that any rooms she wasn’t supposed to enter would be locked so not to worry about opening the wrong door - she seemed to be no closer to finding the Doctor or Rose.“Hey, there you are. We were wondering where you’d gotten to.”She looked up to find Rose standing there with a smile. At Martha’s confused face, Rose threw an exasperated sigh at the ceiling but she didn’t miss the slight amused smile on her lips.“She been making you run in circles, has she?”“Who? How did you find me?”“The TARDIS. She can move corridors and rooms around. Don’t worry she’s just playing, you won’t ever actually get lost in here. C’mon, come get some breakfast.” Rose said simply before turning back the way she came as if the whole thing was completely normal, though Martha, supposed it probably was for her. And if a small wooden box could have a whole world stuffed inside of it and create rooms in under an hour to suit it’s inhabitants wants and needs, of course it could also move things around.“How come we needed to take so many turns last night then?” Martha asked catching up with her.“She was giving me the time to explain a few things to you as well as wanting to get the room right before you found it.”“You keep saying ‘she’ is that like the way that blokes always call ships she or is it because of the whole sentient thing?”“Because of the sentient thing, though now you mention it might be a bit of both. Hmm, never thought about that.” She looked thoughtful for a second before shaking her head and pulling open the door in front of her to reveal… “Here we are, the kitchen, though the Doctor insists on calling it the…” She trailed off with an amused glint in her eye as someone spoke from within.“It’s a galley, this is a ship, Rose Tyler.” The Doctor admonished from within.Rose gestured with one hand to the room that lay within to prove her point, she seemed to be biting her lip to in an effort to refrain from laughing at the Doctor’s supposed predictability.She grabbed Martha’s hand and tugged her inside the far too futurist galley, she wasn’t sure she recognised half of the things in there. The Doctor was leaning against the counter nearest what Martha would assume was a hob judging by the frying pan of eggs resting atop it, using his sonic screwdriver to fiddle with some sort of mechanical part. Whatever it was Martha didn’t recognise it.Rose tugged her over to the circular table in the center of the room, on which a plate of pancakes was already waiting. Rose placed three plates on the table along with cutlery before she took her seat.“Morning Martha. Sleep well?” The Doctor asked not looking up from his fiddling.“Morning Doctor. Yes actually best sleep I’ve ever had - aside from those odd jolts - where do you get your mattresses?”Rose shot the Doctor an amused smirk at that, her head propped on her hand the picture of relaxed.“You owe me twenty quid.”The Doctor glared at her but Martha could tell it was playful.“TARDIS grown, won’t find anything else like them. And sorry about that it was Rose’s fault.”“It was your driving.” Rose shot back still grinning, leaving Martha to wonder just what exactly had occurred after she’d gone to bed.“There’s nothing wrong with my driving, Rose Tyler. You try piloting a transdimensional ship by yourself it’s not as easy as it lo-”“Doctor, the eggs.” Rose easily interrupted what was sure to be a long ramble defending his ego.The Doctor swivelled back around to find the eggs had burnt slightly while he’d been distracted. The Doctor muttered something under his breath that Martha didn’t understand but she would assume was a curse based on the tone used.“Can stop an alien invasion but can’t cook, I’m assuming you made the pancakes then?” Martha asked Rose lightly.Rose laughed.“I did make the pancakes, but he’s a fairly good cook when he’s not getting distracted. Though it’s usually safer for me to cook as that’s what happens when he gets bored.” She explained, pointing to a pile of disassembled parts. “I hope you don’t want toast with your eggs.”“That’s a toaster?” Martha exclaimed.Rose hummed in agreement.“The TARDIS can technically control the hob so by that logic nothing should ever burn she just likes watching me suffer, which is why Rose’s food is always fine.” The Doctor interjected glaring at Rose.“She likes me better.” The blonde retorted with a shrug.“She’s my ship.” The Doctor muttered to himself in sulk. “And these eggs would have been fine if you didn’t insist on Earth chicken eggs.”“I’m all for trying the local cuisine and even bringing some of it on board but you’re not going to change my mind on Earth eggs and milk.”The Doctor continued to grumble quietly to himself even as he bought the plate of salvaged fried eggs over. Rose got up with her now empty mug to grab another from the cupboard.“Sorry Martha forgot to ask, do you want a cup of tea? Been awhile since there’s been anyone else on board but me and the Doctor, I’m a bit out of practice.”“Yes, please. But only something from Earth.” Martha added in light of their last conversation.“One earl grey coming up. Milk, sugar?”“Yes please, just one sugar.”Rose snorted to herself.“Don’t ever accidentally mix your tea up with Doctor’s.”“Why not?”“He takes like five sugars in his. Got one hell of a sweet tooth.”“Oi, don’t knock it.”Rose rolled her eyes, bringing the cup over to Martha before she started to grab some eggs and pancakes for herself.When breakfast was said and done the Doctor and Rose had moved as one to clear up. So in sync in their routine that Martha was once again left wondering how long they’d been together. They left the galley through the same door they’d entered by, but instead of the corridor they found themselves back in the console room. They’d come through a side door rather than through the main one that Rose had shown her through last night.Martha whirled back round to the door they’d just come through in confusion - because that door hadn’t been there last night, she was sure of it - and sure enough it had disappeared once more after they’d gone through. Trying to keep track of the seemingly magical transdimensional time machine was going to give her a headache of that she was certain.Not that it mattered, she reminded herself glumly, it was just one trip after all.Unaware of the depressing turn her thoughts had taken the Doctor began making his way around the console, activating controls seemingly at random, though Martha was sure there was some logic behind it. The TARDIS bucked violently and Martha suddenly understood why Rose was clutching the railing, she had after all, mentioned the Doctor’s driving at breakfast. The girl in question shot Martha an apologetic smile as the ship bucked once again.As the TARDIS continued to jolt and throw its occupants about Martha couldn’t help the questions that flittered through her mind, and needing something else to focus on other than the bruises she was sure to have, she asked.“But how do you travel in time? What makes it go?”“Oh, let's take the fun and mystery out of everything.” Rose laughed at the Doctor’s disgruntled tone from where she was now sprawled on the floor, not making any attempt to stand. “Martha, you don't want to know. It just does. Hold on tight.”The TARDIS came to a sudden halt throwing Martha to the floor to join the other girl who was still laughing.“Blimey. Do you have to pass a test to fly this thing?”“Yes, and I failed it.”“Oh now he tells me. Do you actually have any sort of valid driving license?” Rose interrupted with a grumble, remembering his motorcycle driving from the wire incident, lending Martha a hand up once she’d dusted herself off.The Doctor glared at her but continued as if she hadn’t spoken.“Now, make the most of it. I promised you one trip, and one trip only. Outside this door, brave new world.”Rose shifted uncomfortably at the reminder and for a fleeting moment Martha wondered if maybe the blonde didn’t want her here after all. The thought was quickly brushed aside as the excitement of what possibly lay beyond those doors mounted. She may only get one trip but she was going to make the most of it.Rose made her way round to the monitor and peered at it unseeingly.“And you’re sure we’re in the past, yeah?”“Yep, already double checked the coordinates and everything. The TARDIS will show you which clothes you need.”“Clothes?” Martha questioned, looking down at her own outfit.“Yeah the TARDIS has a wardrobe of clothes from all different eras and planets to help blend in, you don’t always need to bother. He certainly doesn’t. But one disapproving Queen is enough for me. Wanna come take a look?” Rose asked.Martha’s head spun as she tried to make sense of everything Rose had just said. She looked at the friendly smile on the girl’s face and back to the doors. It was certainly intriguing but she worried that maybe if she stalled too long the offer for even just one trip would be taken off the table. Besides, Rose had said past and she wasn’t particularly eager to find out just how complex the fashion of the days gone by was to navigate.“And risk getting lost in there? No thanks.” She declined kindly, she didn’t want to risk agitating the crew after all.“Okay, I’ll try be quick.” Rose smiled, before pointing at the Doctor. “Don’t go off without me.”“Wouldn’t dream of it.” The Doctor replied easily.Rose narrowed her eyes at him once more before disappearing into the ship with a sigh. The Doctor moved towards the controls once her footsteps could no longer be heard and Martha’s heart lurched as she realised that maybe she should have taken Rose’s offer. If only to stay on this magnificent ship for a little longer.“We’ll probably be left waiting at least an hour if Rose is left to her own devices, but a little manipulation of the local chronon field should speed things along.” He looked up at Martha as he adjusted a dial. “Don’t tell Rose, she’ll never let me live it down.”Some of the tension left her at that, she would still get her trip. But his comment did get Martha thinking. The two travellers were clearly close despite their protest of not being together and yet they seemed to find it so easy to keep things from each other, the big and the small. Not a particularly healthy dynamic, she’d seen first hand what hiding things could do to a relationship with her parents.She shook her head to dismiss the thought. Where did she get off making such assumptions about practical strangers? She hadn’t even known them for two days and yet here she was making judgments about their relationship! Maybe it would be best if it was just the singular trip.It’d barely been a minute when Rose returned in a pale yellow dress with a matching lace up yellow corset adorned with embroidered flowers, big puffy white sleeves and second shorter pink skirt resting on top. Her hair had been pulled back in a simplistic updo, which Martha suspected was more for practicality than era-suited.
Rose's Outfit
“Ah there you are. We’ve been waiting ages.” The Doctor complained.Rose gave Martha a subtle look, that the Doctor missed, as if to signify that she knew exactly what he’d done and that he had no basis for his grumbling.“Well?” She asked instead, giving a quick twirl in the doorway as she awaited the Doctor’s assessment.Mid-twirl her skirts lifted enough for Martha to get a peek at the brown leather boots perfectly suited for running, but definitely not for whatever period they’d found themselves in. She was beautiful, Martha couldn’t help herself from thinking, the Doctor was mad for not snatching her up when he had the chance.“Will this do, seeing as we still don’t know where we are?”“Considering the strict sumptuary laws of the time she chose well.” The Doctor answered absently as he grabbed his coat.Rose rolled her eyes but her smile was fond, a smile that quickly fell when she felt Martha’s eyes on her.“What are sumptuary laws?”“Colours belonged to certain classes, wear the wrong colour you could lose your property or title.” Rose said waving her off, clearly not quite certain if she understand it completely herself.“How’d you know that?”“TARDIS leaves a lil fact sheet with some of the clothes sometimes. They’re quite interesting.” She shrugged.The Doctor’s face crumpled in almost disgust, he shot a look at the ceiling.“Since when?”He shook his head dispelling the thought and returning to the present.“Now then where were we? Right! Brave new world, ready?”Rose came to stand next to Martha.“Where are we?”“Take a look. After you.”Martha chanced a look back at Rose.“Go on.” Nodding to the door with an encouraging smile, Martha stumbled forward.“Oh, you are kidding me. You are so kidding me.” Rose stepped out after Martha with the Doctor shutting the door behind them with a smug smirk. “Oh, my God, we did it. We travelled in time. Where are we? No, sorry. I got to get used to this whole new language. When are we?”“Mind out.” Rose yanked Martha back as a familiar call echoed from above.“Gardez l'eau!”A waste bucket emptied out right where they’d stood moments before. Rose recoiled, lip curled back in disgust. She never had got used to that particular aspect of travelling to the past. And with good reason she supposed.“Somewhere before the invention of the toilet. Sorry about that.” The Doctor said, responding to the medical student’s earlier question.“I've seen worse. I've worked the late night shift A+E.”Rose had to commend her on that. She’d never gotten used to it not when she’d lived on the estates and not now that she travelled in time. It just brought up the worst kind of memories for her. Memories she’d rather stay forgotten.Rose stepped forward with the Doctor when he held out his hand to her. They began to make their way through the street when they were halted by another of Martha’s questions.“But are we safe? I mean, can we move around and stuff?”Always asking the right questions it seemed. That was Martha Jones.“Of course we can. Why do you ask?”Rose slapped his arm. It was her first trip through time and all she had to base her information off of was bad sci-fi films, he could at least try being gentle.“It's like in the films. You step on a butterfly, you change the future of the human race.”Martha, it seemed did not need someone to stick up for her, and in a way Rose was glad. Glad to know that in the other timeline she wouldn’t have let the Doctor push her around.“Tell you what then, don't step on any butterflies. What have butterflies ever done to you?”“What if, I don't know, what if I kill my grandfather?”“I wouldn’t worry about it too much Martha. Time isn’t quite as delicate as the films make it seem, you can get away with quite a bit without altering history. It’s just fixed points you’ve got to watch out for, and the Doctor would know about them anyway.”“And this is London?”“I think so. Round about 1599.”Rose didn’t bother with a teasing remark about his driving this time. The TARDIS wouldn’t have lead her to the right section of the wardrobe if she intended to ruin Martha’s first trip.“Oh, but hold on. Am I alright? I'm not going to get carted off as a slave, am I?“Why would they do that?”Rose and Martha both gave him a pitying look for that question. For a man who spent so much time around humans and jumping through their history he did seem to remain pretty clueless.“Not exactly white, in case you haven't noticed.”“I'm not even human. Just walk about like you own the place. Works for me.”“Works for you because your a white male. Nobody puts a price in pigs on men.” Rose pointed out, still not over that particular adventure when the Doctor had defended that she was worth more than two pigs. A right charmer, that one. “You'd be surprised. Elizabethan England, not so different from your time.” The Doctor rebutted, as two black women crossed in front of them. “Look over there. They've got recycling.” He pointed to a man shovelling horse manure into a bucket.“Water cooler moment.” He continued, referencing the two men gathered round a water barrel deep in discussion.“And the world will be consumed by flame.” A preacher claimed dramatically.“Global warming?” Rose asked cheekily, giving her signature tongue in cheek smile.The Doctor laughed.“Oh, yes, and entertainment. Popular entertainment for the masses. If I'm right, we're just down the river by Southwark, right next to…” He trailed off as he grabbed their hands and dragged them down the street at a run. “Oh, yes, the Globe Theatre! Brand new. Just opened. Through, strictly speaking, it's not a globe, it's a tetradecagon. Fourteen sides. Containing the man himself.”Despite the Doctor’s enthusiasm she was lost. She couldn’t recall famous entertainers from the Elizabethan era. It had never crossed her mind as something to look up on one of her late night reading sessions in the library.Fortunately, it seemed Martha knew what the Doctor was hinting at.“Whoa, you don't mean. Is Shakespeare in there?”“Oh, yes. Miss Jones, will you accompany me to the theatre?”“Mister Smith, I will.” Martha answered excitedly, taking the Doctor’s unoccupied arm, while Rose retained her grip on his hand.“When you get home, you can tell everyone you've seen Shakespeare.”“Then I could get sectioned.” Martha said sarcastically as they made their way to the globe.They found seats in the lower stands once they’d gotten in with a combination of the few Elizabethan coins the Doctor had managed to dig out of the depths of his pockets and a flash of the psychic paper. Martha and the Doctor seemed to be enthralled by the play but Rose was struggling to focus. She’d never been good at the whole sitting still and listening thing at school and travelling with the Doctor had just worsened that trait. The outdated language helped none in that aspect. Not for the first time did she wish she’d paid more attention in her English classes.Her attention had been diverted through out, focusing on the coil of conflicting emotions that didn’t belong to her. She’d managed to pick up contrasting waves of excitement and nauseating fear from the TARDIS and try as she might, she couldn’t seem to discern what had caused the reaction.She was pulled from her thoughts by the sudden applause, signifying the end of the play that she hadn’t been watching. Getting to her feet with the rest of the crowd she clapped half-heartedly as her gaze drifted through the audience.“That's amazing! Just amazing. It's worth putting up with the smell. And those are men dressed as women, yeah?” Martha exclaimed from the other side of the Doctor to Rose.“London never changes.”“Where's Shakespeare? I want to see Shakespeare. Author! Author!” Rose had to admire Martha’s enthusiasm, it was infectious, even as she looked unsure of herself. “Do people shout that? Do they shout author?”Clearly Rose wasn’t the only one who thought so, as a bloke behind them took up the chant, “Author! Author!” It wasn’t long before the entire audience had taken up the chant.“Well, they do now.”With a leap and a cocky smile the man himself stepped onto the stage. Soaking up the rapturous applause.“He's a bit different from his portraits.”“Mmm. He’s not bad looking.” Rose said appreciatively, ignoring the look the Doctor shot her.The Doctor ignored the girls’ commentary, rambling about the magnificence of the playwright.“Genius. He's a genius. The genius. The most human human there's ever been. Now we're going to hear him speak. Always he chooses the best words. New, beautiful, brilliant words.”“Ah, shut your big fat mouths!” The audience laughed but the Doctor’s face dropped.“Oh, well.”“You should never meet your heroes.” Martha said sympathetically.“At least Charlie boy didn’t disappoint.” Rose reminded him with a playful nudge.“You've got excellent taste, I'll give you that. Oh, that's a wig.”Rose tuned out the rest of what was going on as she felt an odd prickle run up the back of her neck. She looked about herself trying to discern the cause but once more, found nothing. Her skin felt too tight and itchy as the TARDIS attempt to translate the odd energy signals she was picking up onto her. She rubbed at her arms trying to dismiss the feeling but it did nothing to abate the sensation.“I know what you're all saying. Love's Labour's Lost, that's a funny ending, isn't it? It just stops. Will the boys get the girls? Well, don't get your hose in a tangle, you'll find out soon. Yeah, yeah. All in good time. You don't rush a genius.”On the stage, Shakespeare was still playing to the audience when the peculiar energy reached it’s crescendo. Shakespeare jolted upright from his bow with a jerk and in an almost trance-like state, he delivered the answer the audience was most hoping for.“When? Tomorrow night. The premiere of my brand new play. A sequel, no less, and I call it Love's Labour's Won.”With narrowed eyes, Rose regarded the playwright skeptically. Whatever was going on she had a feeling it had something to do with him.As they were filing out of the Globe, Martha added another piece to the curious mystery.“I'm not an expert, but I've never heard of Love's Labour's Won.”“Exactly. The lost play. It doesn't exist, only in rumours. It's mentioned in lists of his plays but never ever turns up. And no one knows why.”Rose was really beginning to wish she’d paid more attention in English. Or at least brushed up on her knowledge of famous figures.“Have you got a mini-disc or something? We can tape it. We can flog it. Sell it when we get home and make a mint.”“Don’t get a brain door.” Rose muttered absenyly, remembering someone else who’d tried to use time travel for their own gain.And judging by the Doctor’s expression - a mixture of disappointed and disgusted - he was thinking similarly.“No.” He told her sharply.“That would be bad.” She said with a little self-conscious laugh.“Yeah, yeah.”“Well, how come it disappeared in the first place?”“Well, I was just going to give you a quick little trip in the TARDIS, but I suppose we could stay a bit longer.”Martha’s smile turned victorious at this declaration. She turned towards Rose, who would have shared in her excitement if she wasn’t so distracted by that damn buzzing, unfortunately the young doctor misinterpreted this reaction. Once again worried that the blonde didn’t want her there.It didn’t take long to find out where the great genius was residing, a couple of carefully pointed questions here and there and they were on their way. The Doctor bounded up the steps of the Elephant Inn, the two girls trailing behind him at a more leisurely pace, the night was still young no point tiring themselves out so early. They didn’t catch the conversation going on before the Doctor burst in on them, having still been trying to mount the stairs when he did so.“Hello! Excuse me, not interrupting, am I? Mister Shakespeare, isn't it?” Even without seeing him they could hear his gleeful tone and knew there was likely a smile to match it.The two girls stepped through the doorway, their view mostly blocked by the Doctor. The wordsmith had his head in his hand as he pinched the bridge of his nose with his eyes shut, the two actors looked on at the newcomers curiously.“Oh, no. No, no, no. Who let you in? No autographs. No, you can't have yourself sketched with me. And please don't ask where I get my ideas from. Thanks for the interest. Now be a good boy and shove-” Shakespeare trails off suddenly having spotted Martha. “Hey, nonny nonny. Sit right down here next to me. You two get sewing on them costumes. Off you go.”The playwright looked slightly entranced and if the smile upon Martha’s lips was anything to go by she certainly didn’t mind the attention. Rose found the whole thing rather amusing if she was being honest, the past always seeming far more foreign than any far off planets. And the Doctor’s confusion only added to her amusement.“Come on, lads. I think our William's found his new muse.” The innkeeper ushered out the two actors looking amused.“Sweet ladies.”Martha sat besides Shakespreare, grin still in place as the previous occupants of the room scappered. Rose sat across from Shakespeare, unable to shake her amusement even as the Doctor’s tense form sat beside her. He was sat closer than normal not that that was particularly unusual for them but the glare he was sending the wordsmith certainly was interesting. As well as being reminiscent of the look he’d shot Jack when they’d first met.“Such unusual clothes. So fitted.” He said eyeing Martha’s form with an appreciative eye.“Er, verily, forsooth, egads.”Rose bit back a smile, reminded of her awful attempt at Scottish during the run in with Queen Victoria and felt embarrassed on Martha’s behalf.“No, no, don't do that. Don't.”The Doctor flashes the psychic paper at Shakespeare.“I'm Sir Doctor of TARDIS and these are my companions, Dame Rose Tyler of Powell Estate and Miss Martha Jones.“Interesting, that bit of paper. It's blank.”“Oh, that's very clever. That proves it. Absolute genius.” The Doctor beamed, his earlier glare but a mere memory.“No, it says so right there. Sir Doctor, Dame Rose, Martha Jones. It says so.”“ And I say it's blank.”“Psychic paper. Er, long story. Oh, I hate starting from scratch.” The Doctor grumbled tucking the wallet away.Rose poked him the ribs.“Being rude.” She shot Martha an apologetic look across the table, mouthing her reassurances to the young student. “I’ll explain later.”“Psychic? Never heard that before and words are my trade. Who are you exactly? More to the point, who is your golden maiden and this delicious blackamoor lady?”“What did you say?” Martha asked stunned and barely hiding her offence under a chuckle.“Oops. Isn't that a word we use nowadays?” He apologised not looking particularly contrite, as he listed other terms. “An Ethiop girl? A swarth? A Queen of Afric?”“I can't believe I'm hearing this.”“And you say I’m rude.” He muttered to Rose. “It's political correctness gone mad. Er, Martha's from a far-off land. Freedonia.” Rose bit back a chuckle at the Doctor’s less than stellar explanation, it was practically transparent. And judging by the narrowing of Shakespeare’s eyes he saw right through it. Rose bit at her thumb, worried of the consequences the playwright might wrought. They’d had many an incidence with their not so clever lies getting them into more trouble than they’d bargained for, it wouldn’t be the best way to introduce Martha to life on the TARDIS.But before her mind could wander too far and conjure all kinds of absurd fantasies, they were interrupted by the bellowing voice of a newcomer. All heads snapped towards the doorway to greet the sight of a portly man in Elizabethan finery and a severe expression.“Excuse me! Hold hard a moment. This is abominable behaviour. A new play with no warning? I demand to see a script, Mister Shakespeare.” The man in question dropped his head into his hand once more, looking far too weary for this to have been his first run in with the bloke. “As Master of the Revels, every new script must be registered at my office and examined by me before it can be performed.”Pretentious git, Rose thought to herself absently as she watched the scene before her unfold.“Tomorrow morning, first thing, I'll send it round.”“I don't work to your schedule, you work to mine. The script, now!” He demanded, Rose rolled her eyes, already fed up with the pompous prick.“I can't.” His temper showing as he spat out the words.“Then tomorrow's performance is cancelled.”Turning away from the dramatics she noticed the serving girl disappear quietly, Rose had spotted her moments prior having been listening to the conversation with more vigor than Rose deemed necessary. She dismissed the thought, there was nothing sinister about a serving girl.“It's all go around here, isn't it?” Martha muttered quietly.Despite the situation Shakespeare was smiling, if looking a tad exasperated but not as worried as Rose would expect for someone who was being prohibited from their livelihood.“I'm returning to my office for a banning order. If it's the last thing I do, Love's Labour’s Won will never be played.” And as quickly as he’d arrived, he left.Silence settled over the quartet and Dolly returned with their drinks.“Well then, mystery solved. That's Love's Labour’s Won over and done with. Thought it might be something more, you know, more mysterious.”“Famous last words.” Rose muttered.And no sooner had the words been spoken than the sound of a man’s screams could be heard from the street below. The four of them were up out of their seats and crashing down the stairs to investigate before they’d even had a chance to properly consider what situation they might be walking into.“Help me!” A woman begged.Various voices could be heard screaming from the street below. Upon arriving at the scene they spotted Lynley violently coughing up water and Rose recognised that same tingle up her spine from the theater. As the Doctor and Martha dove into action to help the man, Rose tried to carrol the spectators from the scene while also looking about herself to try pinpoint from where the sensation had arose from. But just as before the energy continued to mount as it raced to its peak, the source out of sight.Rose spun around in time to watch Lynley collapse. Martha knelt over the man’s still form, every bit the attentive doctor.“Got to get the heart going. Mister Lynley, come on. Can you hear me? You're going to be alright.” After checking that the man was no longer breathing, she prepared to start CPR.Only to all of their surprise, to see water bubble forth from his mouth.“What the hell is that?”“I've never seen a death like it. His lungs are full of water. He drowned and then, I don't know, like a blow to the heart, an invisible blow.”“Is that even possible?” Rose muttered to herself on edge, something was going on here and it was not natural.“Must be.” The Doctor answered her absent mindedly before turning back to the landlady. “Good mistress, this poor fellow has died from a sudden imbalance of the humours. A natural if unfortunate demise. Call a constable and have him taken away.”“Yes, sir.”“I'll do it, ma'am.” The serving girl from before offered, something about her gave Rose the chills, but she dismissed the feeling just as before, as the girl disappeared down the street.“And why are you telling them that?“This lot still have got one foot in the Dark Ages. If I tell them the truth, they'll panic and think it was witchcraft.”Ever the eager student, Martha asks. “Okay, what was it then?”“Witchcraft.” His expression far too severe, for either of them to question his assessment.“Of course it was. So much for a trip to the theater.” Rose commented bemusedly.Once the constable was called, dealing with Mr Lynley was a rather quick, if morbid affair. His death had caused quite the stir and the authorities wanted him out of sight as quickly as possible, if only to quiet the rumours and whispering. But once that was done with the five of them trekked back up to the Elephant Inn, the atmosphere morose in light of the man’s death.“I got you a room, Sir Doctor. You and your companions are just across the landing.” Dolly informed them.Rose shot the woman a grateful smile before she disappeared. Their attention back on the wordsmith as he spoke up.“Poor Lynley. So many strange events. Not least of all, this land of Freedonia where a woman can be a doctor?”“Where a woman can do what she likes.” Rose would not begrudge Martha her prideful tone, she was sure the woman had worked tooth and claw for that position and deserved every second of pride.But the playwright was not done with his assessments of the travellers, not by a long shot.“And you, Sir Doctor. How can a man so young have eyes so old?”“I do a lot of reading.”“A trite reply. Yeah, that's what I'd do.” His tone amused, Rose wondered what it was that he had seen in them but before she could ponder it he turned his gaze on her. “And you, Dame Rose. There is something of starlight in your own eyes.”Rose swallowed fearfully, her mind replaying the golden light of Bad Wolf from the hospital. How could he know that? She was once more reminded of her dislike of prophecies as the Beast’s words rang in her ears. She was shaken from her thoughts, by Shakespeare turning back to Martha.“And you? You look at them like you're surprised they exists. They’re as much of a puzzle to you as they are to me.”“I think we should say goodnight.”“Think I’ll join you.” Rose agrees, panic still clawing at her throat as the two of them leave the room behind, as well as Shakespeare and his too knowing words.The room Dolly had prepared for them was cramped but housing all the basics of the time period, the only shortcoming was the two small beds.“It's not exactly five star, is it?” Martha commented, as she slung her jacket on the wooden bench in their room.Rose laughed, lighting the hand held candle.“This is practically luxury after you’ve found yourself in some of the worst dungeons the universe has to offer.” She looked up at the student who was regarding her with a curious eye. “You alright? Sure this wasn’t wha’ the Doctor had in mind for your first trip, i’s a bit much.”Martha let out a mirthless chuckle, as she stared resolutely at her shoes.“Just a bit.” Rose smiled sympathetically, she knew that feeling. When she first started travelling with the Doctor she’d been loathed to admit whenever it got a bit too much, worried that her vulnerability would be enough to get her sent back home.“You should get some sleep, it will help.”“Not actually that tired.” Martha admitted.“Trust me,” Rose laughed. “When you travel with the Doctor you take any chance you can to get some sleep because before you know it you’re running for your life and you haven’t slept for nearly 50 hours.”Martha’s jaw dropped a little in shock and disbelief as she considered the last part of Rose’s advice while also struggling to grasp what the blonde might mean by travelling with the Doctor. Because surely she only meant it as advice for this one adventure, after all that was all she had been promised.“That happens?”Rose shrugged lightly.“Sometimes, enough for me to take advantage of every second of sleep.”Rose made her way over to the bed on the furthest side of the room, closest to the window she took a seat on the edge of it. Just as the Doctor walked in.“Slight problem though.”“What’s tha’?” Rose asked as she unlaced her boots.“I haven't even got a toothbrush.”“Doctor?”“Hmm.” The Doctor stopped his perusal of the room at the calling of his name.“Toothbrush.”“Oh. Er.” He patted down his pocket before pulling out a clear tube with bristles at one end handing it off to Martha. “Contains Venusian spearmint.”Martha took the toothbrush apprehensively, which was fair enough Rose supposed, it was rather odd to carry a toothbrush around in your suit, she didn’t really think about it anymore. So very used to the weird and wonderful things the Doctor seemed to carry around all the time.“So, who's going where? I mean, there's only two beds.”The Doctor flopped down onto the bed on the opposite side of Rose, the blonde looked slightly disgruntled about being jostled about but also very accepting of her fate, as if this was parr the course for them. Martha was really beginning to doubt their claims about not being a couple.“Ah we’ll manage, I don’t need much sleep anyway.”Rose rolled her eyes and muttered something under breath that made the Doctor smirk.“If you’re going to be hogging all the space, migh’ as well make yourself useful.” Rose said pointedly over shoulder, where the Doctor was indeed taking up more than half the bed.“Hmm?”“Strings.”“Oh.”A look of understanding finally dawned on the Doctor as he propped himself up. Martha was glad at least one of them understood what was going on because she constantly felt like she was running to catch up with these two.The Doctor’s nimble fingers made quick work of Rose’s corset strings. With a word of thanks she stood up making her way over to the changing screen. The one hand against her chest the only thing holding her dress in place as she moved.Refusing to dwell on the travellers’ peculiar dynamic, Martha asked the question that had been preying on her mind since Lynley’s death.“So, magic and stuff. That's a surprise. It's all a little bit Harry Potter.”“Wait till you read book seven. Oh, I cried.”“But is it real, though? I mean, witches, black magic and all that, it's real?”Rose slipped out from behind the changing screen in her slip, the rest of her ensemble draped over the top. She took her seat back besides the Doctor as she awaited his answer.“Course it isn't!”“Well, how am I supposed to know? I've only just started believing in time travel. Give me a break.”Rose elbowed the Doctor in the ribs with a scowl.“Don’t be rude. If werewolves can be aliens, why can’t witches? It’s a fair question.”“Oi. Looks like witchcraft, but it isn't. Can't be.” He turned back to Martha. “Are you going to stand there all night?”Rose rolled her eyes at him, and sent an apologetic smile Martha’s way. Martha got the feeling that the blonde was constantly apologising for the Doctor’s rudeness. But she sat on the other bed regardless despite feeling slightly disgruntled by the order.“So? What is it? Any ideas.” Rose asked once Martha was settled.“There's such a thing as psychic energy, but a human couldn't channel it like that. Not without a generator the size of Taunton and I think we'd have spotted that. No, there's something I'm missing. Something really close, staring me right in the face and I can't see it.”“Who says it’s human? And to be fair you did miss the London eye, and knowing our luck it’d be linked to the Globe. Got a habit of London landmarks being used for nefarious schemes.” She teased, tongue between cheek, hoping the uncomfortable sensations she’d experienced earlier would at least be useful and not completely obvious.“Oi, that happened once!” The Doctor argued indignantly, causing Rose to smirk. “And besides, most of the species capable of channeling psychic energy without such a large generator have died out or never existed. I suppose we’ll find out tomorrow and then I’ll take you back home, Martha.”Rose’s face dropped at the last bit, she cast a furtive glance at the other girl, to see that her face had crumpled under the weight of crushed hope that she hid carefully behind a mask of disgust.“Great.” Martha said harshly, blowing out the candle plunging the room into darkness.She’d allowed herself to hope that maybe her trip could be extended what with all of Rose’s pointed advice but it seemed she’d gotten ahead of herself, and they didn’t want her with them after all.With the room shrouded in darkness Rose attempted to take her own advice and get some sleep. Nudging the Doctor over she laid down, hoping that sleep would come to her. But just as she began to doze off a prickling sensation started at the base of her neck.Intent on ignoring it, she tried to bury her face in the pillow but still the sensation grew, pulling her further from unconsciousness in the process. And as she returned to the land of the living she remembered what had happened the last time she’d felt the peculiar sensation that the Doctor had suggested was psychic energy. And just like that the drowsiness disappeared.At the same time a scream echoed down the corridor.She launched herself out of bed just a second after the Doctor and the two of them flew through the Inn, as their companion struggled to grasp the situation having been awoken so suddenly.The Doctor burst into the room in which they first met Shakespeare, startling him from where he slept on his desk. Rose noted absently that he’d managed to sleep through the scream that had roused them on the other side of the Inn.The Doctor bent down to check on Dolly, while Rose casted her eyes about the room trying to note anything out of place. Martha wandered over to the now open window.“What? What was that?” Shakespeare asked weakly, his voice still thick with sleep.“Her heart gave out. She died of fright.”“Doctor?” Martha called their attention from her place by the window.The two travellers quickly made their way across the room to join her. But upon arriving they saw nothing out of the ordinary.“What did you see?”“A witch.”By the time a constable had arrived and his questions answered - after all they’d been at two crime scenes now - morning had broke. Rose had returned to their room to slip back into her Elizabethan garb, not much fancying the idea of confronting the constable in this era’s equivalent of underwear, sometime in between.The Doctor was deep in thought, eager to get to the root of the mystery as the body count piled up.“Oh, sweet Dolly Bailey. She sat out three bouts of the plague in this place when we all ran like rats. But what could have scared her so? She had such enormous spirit.”“Rage, rage against the dying of the light.” The Doctor spoke for the first time in hours, aptly quoting Dylan Thomas, as he lowered his hand from his face.“I might use that.”“You can't. It's someone else's.”In any other scenario Rose might have laughed at the absurdity of the Doctor giving Shakespeare some of his most famous quotes but today was not any other day. There was too much on her mind; the strange sensations from the TARDIS, their new companion and the aborted timeline she represented and the fact she was coming to realise this might still be too close to the loss of her mum for her to be in the right headsapce for life threatening adventures.“But the thing is, Lynley drowned on dry land, Dolly died of fright, and they were both connected to you.”“Sounds right ou’ of a play.” Rose remarked absently, upon the strange deaths.“You're accusing me?”“No, but I saw a witch, big as you like, flying, cackling away, and you've written about witches.”Rose wasn’t ignorant enough to not recognise the famous Scottish play when referenced. It was perhaps the first play she’d recognised on this particular excursion.“I have? When was that?”“Not, not quite yet.”“Peter Streete spoke of witches.” Shakespeare eyed the Doctor suspiciously, at his none too subtle reference to time travel.“Who's Peter Streete?”“Our builder. He sketched the plans to the Globe.”“Of course he did.” Rose muttered, it was always the landmarks.Rose regarded the Doctor quietly, he was deep in thought again. She knew that face, any moment now he’d started shouting as the pieces slowly fell into place in that big old brain of his, even while he was still left scrambling trying to understand why those pieces made up the picture. “The architect. Hold on. The architect! The architect! The Globe! Come on!” Slapping the table and shouting, he leapt from the room as they trailed after him.The Doctor paced in the sawdust of the pit, Shakespeare and Martha stood above him on the stage while Rose sat on the edge, her feet dangling down into the pit below, watching the Doctor curiously.“The columns there, right? Fourteen sides. I've always wondered, but I never asked. Tell me, Will. Why fourteen sides?”“It was the shape Peter Streete thought best, that's all. Said it carried the sound well.” The playwright answered dismissing the question.“Fourteen. Why does that ring a bell? Fourteen.”“There's fourteen lines in a sonnet.” Martha inputted carefully, worried of embarrassment after his dismissal of witches.“So there is. Good point.” “If its psychic energy, wouldn’t they need the generator or whatever to match the rhythm of the words to amplify their power?” Rose asked, following on from Martha’s point and her own point about the globe from last night’s discussion.“Another good point. Words and shapes following the same design. Fourteen lines, fourteen sides, fourteen facets. Oh, my head. Tetradecagon. Think, think, think! Words, letters, numbers, lines!” Smacking his head as he tried to make sense of the picture.“This is just a theatre.”The wordsmith clearly thought they were at least a bit barmy, and wasn’t ready to play along just yet.The Doctor came to stand next to Rose as he addressed Shakespeare’s skepticism.Rose watched him closely, already prepared for the inevitable ramble, and wanting to catch that sparkle in his eyes when it happened.“Oh yeah, but a theatre's magic, isn't it? You should know. Stand on this stage, say the right words with the right emphasis at the right time. Oh, you can make men weep, or cry with joy. Change them. You can change people's minds just with words in this place. But if you exaggerate that.” He trailed off wandering back into the pit, and Rose knew that the picture was beginning to become clearer.“It's like your police box. Small wooden box with all that power inside.”Rose smirked to herself, one way to get on the Doctor’s good side? Compliment the TARDIS, which was fair she supposed, it was rather impressive.“Oh. Oh, Martha Jones, I like you. Tell you what, though. Peter Streete would know. Can I talk to him?”“You won't get an answer. A month after finishing this place, lost his mind.”That didn’t seem coincidental to Rose, something was going on with the Globe and the fact the architect had lost his mind cemented that theory in her mind. A glance at the Doctor confirmed her thoughts.“Why? What happened?”“Started raving about witches, hearing voices, babbling. His mind was addled.”Okay definitely not unconnected then.“Where is he now?”“Bedlam.”“What's Bedlam?”“Bethlem Hospital. The madhouse.”Already knowing where this was going, Rose hopped off of the stage coming to stand next to the Doctor.“We're going to go there. Right now. Come on.” And once more the Doctor strode off leaving everyone else scrambling after him, he caught Rose’s hand on his way out.“Wait! I'm coming with you. I want to witness this first hand.” Shakespeare marched after them pausing only to deliver the script, before catching up with Martha. “So, tell me of Freedonia, where women can be doctors, writers, actors.”“This country's ruled by a woman.”“Ah, she's royal. That's God's business. Though you are a royal beauty.” The cheesy one-liner easily slipped into conversation.The pair of them came to a stop as Martha confronted him.“Whoa, Nelly. I know for a fact you've got a wife in the country.”“But Martha, this is Town.” He flirtily rebuked, as if it was obvious.The Doctor spun back around to gather the other half of their quartet, dragging an amused Rose with him.“Come on. We can all have a good flirt later.”“Is that a promise, Doctor?” Shakespeare eyed the Doctor up and down, his gaze far from innocent.“Oh, fifty seven academics just punched the air. Now move!”Rose laughed, “Doesn’t he sort of remind you of a Renaissance era Jack?”“Oh, as if one Jack wasn’t bad enough.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Chapter Seven: Toil and Trouble.
Series: Three.
Episode: Two - Shakespeare Code.
Part: Two.

Bethlem hospital was more vile and depressing than Rose could have possibly imagined. The sick and the unfortunate forced to live in terrible conditions and put on display for the gentry as some sort of macabre entertainment, made Rose sick to her stomach. It wasn’t the first time she’d witnessed something of this sort and wouldn’t be the last, but it didn’t stop her heart from aching for each and everyone of them every time.

The patients - though the term prisoner seemed more apt in this case - pleaded for help, some clawing at the bars as they attempted to make a grab for the visitors.

“Does my Lord Doctor wish some entertainment while he waits? I'd whip these madmen. They'll put on a good show for you. Mad dog in Bedlam.” The keeper boasted, oblivious to their disgust.

“No, I don't!” The Doctor snapped.

“Well, wait here, my lords, while I make him decent for the ladies.” The keeper seemed to fumble at the unusual reply as he disappeared through the cages, whipping the bars on his way past.

“So this is what you call a hospital, yeah? Where the patients are whipped to entertain the gentry? And you put your friend in here?” Martha spat at the wordsmith.

“Oh, it's all so different in Freedonia.” Shakespeare responded unbothered by her accusations.

“But you're clever. Do you honestly think this place is any good?”

Rose ignored the two of them, too distracted by the patient’s plight. She knew there wasn’t much they could do to help, this sort of practice would continue for years, but it didn’t make it any easier to deal with.

“I've been mad. I've lost my mind. Fear of this place set me right again. It serves its purpose.”

“Mad in what way?”

“You lost your son.” The Doctor spoke up, in the tone Rose had come to recognise as him reflecting on what he’d lost after the Timewar and sympathising with those who’d experienced similar.

Rose’s mind wandered back to the conversation on the TARDIS during their run in with the isolus and once more found herself having to remind herself that she didn’t know the Doctor quite as well as she liked to think she did.

“My only boy. The Black Death took him. I wasn't even there.”

“I didn't know. I'm sorry.” Martha fumbled to acquit herself at the revelation.

Rose rubbed a hand soothingly down her arm, knowing she felt awful for lashing out, taking her own guilt at being useless in the patients’ suffering, out on Shakespeare. She would likely have reacted similarly if she wasn’t so lost in her own bloody head.

She’d experienced the most awful tugging in her gut accompanied by a wave of nausea as well as the now familiar prickling sensation associated with psychic energy not long after they’d left the theatre and was even more keen to have this situation over and done with so she could retreat to the safety of the TARDIS.

“It made me question everything. The futility of this fleeting existence. To be or not to be. Oh, that's quite good.”

“You should write that down.” The Doctor suggested.

“Maybe not. A bit pretentious?”

The Doctor shrugged non-committedly, while enjoying giving the playwright some of his most famous lines was apparently unwilling to push the issue.

Any further conversation was interrupted by the bellowing of the keeper.

“This way, my lord!”

The quartet made their way down the last of the dank corridors separating them from Peter in silence.

“They can be dangerous, my lord. Don't know their own strength.”

“I think it helps if you don't whip them. Now get out!” The Doctor snapped, his tone dripping with condemnation, so at odds with how he’d spoken only moments before.

The keeper looked startled but wisely said nothing else as he made his exit, locking the door behind himself.

“Peter? Peter Streete?” The Doctor spoke gently as he approached the man.

“He's the same as he was. You'll get nothing out of him.”

“Peter?”

As the Doctor’s hand came to rest on Peter’s shoulder, the man’s head snapped up at an unnatural speed, his eyes wide and filled with madness. His body trembling with each breath.

Realising he’d get nothing out of him in this state, the Doctor raised his fingers to Peter’s temples with shuttered eyes, a sign that he was about to attempt telepathy.

“Peter, I'm the Doctor. Go into the past. One year ago. Let your mind go back. Back to when everything was fine and shining. Everything that happened in this year since happened to somebody else. It was just a story. A Winter's Tale. Let go. That's it. That's it, just let go.”

Peter began to fall back onto his cot as the telepathic suggestion took hold. Rose watched fascinated, the Doctor didn’t use telepathy often so it was something she was rarely witness to.

“Tell me the story, Peter. Tell me about the witches.”

“Witches spoke to Peter. In the night, they whispered. They whispered. Got Peter to build the Globe to their design. Their design! The fourteen walls. Always fourteen. When the work was done they snapped poor Peter's wits.”

The speech pattern of the sick man was adled and confusing, and Rose’s heart went out to the man who’d got caught in these creatures path and lost.

“Where did Peter see the witches? Where in the city? Peter, tell me. You've got to tell me where were they?”

The telepathic suggestion seemed to lose some of it’s hold over Peter as whatever the witches had done to him took over, his panic becoming more apparent. But the additional prompting seemed to be enough to allow him to get the words out.

“All Hallows Street.”

Just as the words were spoken a figure appeared over the Doctor’s shoulder. A thunderous migraine overtook Rose before she could warn the Doctor.

“Too many words.” The hag-like woman spoke.

The Doctor stumbled back, rejoining the rest of them, but leaving Peter at the witch’s mercy.

“What the hell?”

“Ma thoughts exactly.” Rose gasped, struggling to regain her breath through the pain.

“Just one touch of the heart.” She said dramatically, before bending over Peter with an outstretched finger.

“No!”

As the finger touched Peter’s chest he let out a choked gasp before his eyes went dull with lifelessness. The witch wailed as she stole the man’s life from him, as if she was in pain rather than the one who’d caused such pain. Rose clutched a hand to her mouth at the overpowering nausea, hoping to stifle any noise that might key the Doctor in on her condition as well as trying to abate the sensation. But the being’s very existence made the TARDIS rebel inside Rose’s mind, only adding to her pain.

“Witch! I'm seeing a witch!”

“Now, who would be next, hmm? Just one touch. Oh, oh, I'll stop your frantic hearts. Poor, fragile mortals.”

“Let us out! Let us out!” Martha shrieked as she shook the bars that kept them trapped with the creature.

“That's not going to work. The whole building's shouting that.”

The Doctor was far too calm for Rose’s already frazzled nerves. This creature was impossible, how could he not see that?

Rose faltered for a second, questioning how she herself had known that. The information hadn’t come to her in a stream the same way it had at the hospital as an obvious symptom of Bad Wolf but rather as a simple fact that she’d always known, like what she’d had for breakfast this morning. A part of her rather than a part of someone else.

“Who will die first, hmm?”

“Well, if you're looking for volunteers.” The Doctor stepped forward.

“No! Don't!” And Rose was inclined to agree.

“Doctor, can you stop her?”

“I hope you have a plan.” Rose said through gritted teeth, as the pain had yet to dissipate.

“No mortal has power over me.” The creature glared at her haughtily.

“Oh, but there's a power in words. If I can find the right one. If I can just know you.”

“None on Earth has knowledge of us.”

The being’s finger stretched out once more, aiming for the Doctor this time but he leant back just out of reach barely in time, as he tried to look at the pieces of the puzzle and fill in the blanks in the picture.

“Then it's a good thing I'm here. Now think, think, think. Humanoid female, uses shapes and words to channel energy. Ah! Fourteen! That's it! Fourteen!” The creature collapsed in on herself a little, glaring balefully at the Doctor for likely having put a wrench in the works of their plans. “The fourteen stars of the Rexel planetary configuration! Creature, I name you Carrionite!”

The Carrionite screamed as it vanished in a ball of blinding light, Rose’s migraine pulsed painfully behind her eyes as her stomach twisted. But the pain finally dulled as the light faded and she was freed from the Carrionite’s presence. For the time being anyway.

“What did you do?” Martha asked breathlessly.

“I named her. The power of a name. That's old magic.”

“But she’s gone for good now, right?” She asked somewhat hopefully, she never wanted to see one of those things ever again.

“No idea what affect it’ll have on them, never encountered one outside of storybooks before.”

“But there's no such thing as magic.” Martha blurted, recalling their conversation from last night at the inn.

“Well, it's just a different sort of science. You lot, you chose mathematics. Given the right string of numbers, the right equation, you can split the atom. Carrionites use words instead.”

“Use them for what?”

“The end of the world.”

An ominous feeling settled over Rose, she wasn’t entirely sure whether the feeling was entirely hers or the TARDIS’, or a little of both.

The Doctor was pacing the floor, rambling, when they returned to the inn moments later, all still shaken from having witnessed a man’s death. Shakespeare was washing his face, the nightly routine likely acting as both an outlet and cover for his shock and grief. Martha was leaning against a chest of drawers lost in thought. Rose hugged her middle lightly, as if to protect herself from another wave of nausea, as she watched the Doctor carefully.

“The Carrionites disappeared way back at the dawn of the universe. Nobody was sure if they were real or legend.”

“Well, I'm going for real.”

“But what do they want?”

“A new empire on Earth. A world of bones and blood and witchcraft”

“So the usual then.” Rose muttered absently, missing the light tone she was hoping for by a mark.

“But how?” Always asking the right questions, that was Martha.

“I'm looking at the man with the words.”

Rose followed the Doctor’s gaze to Shakespeare. He was connected somehow, that much was obvious, you didn’t need a Timelord brain or to be a genius to spot the link. And hadn’t Martha mentioned the same only this morning?

“Me? But I've done nothing.”

“Hold on, though. What were you doing last night, when that Carrionite was in the room?”

“Finishing the play.” His tone a tad defensive in light of their accusations.

That gleam was back in the Doctor’s eyes, he’d figured out the next piece in the puzzle.

“What happens on the last page?”

“The boys get the girls. They have a bit of a dance. It's all as funny and thought provoking as usual.” His defensive tone dropped as he faltered, looking a little worried himself now. “Except those last few lines. Funny thing is, I don't actually remember writing them.”

“That's it. They used you. They gave you the final words like a spell, like a code. Love's Labours Won. It's a weapon. The right combination of words, spoken at the right place, with the shape of the Globe as an energy converter! The play's the thing! And yes, you can have that.”

The Doctor had pulled out dozens of maps after his revelation, and began hunting down the name of the street that had caused Peter’s death.

“All Hallows Street. There it is. Martha, Rose, we'll track them down. Will, you get to the Globe. Whatever you do, stop that play.”

“I'll do it. All these years I've been the cleverest man around. Next to you, I know nothing.”

“As if his head wasn’t big enough already.” Rose teased, grinning at his offended squawk.

“Oh, don't complain.” Martha teased, an air of jovelity returning to her.

“I'm not. It's marvellous. Good luck, Doctor.”

“Good luck, Shakespeare.” The Doctor grabbed his coat as he ran for the door Martha following in his wake, while Rose lingered. “Rose, you coming?”

“This all seems to be linked to Will, yeah? They probably not gonna be too happy that we’re tryna stop them, I’m gonna go with him.”

“You sure?” And there was that concerned gaze that she’d seen far too much of since losing her mum, and Rose remembered why she’d wanted to get back to normal.

“Positive.” She said, giving her most reassuring smile.

Aware that time was slipping away, the Doctor didn’t try to convince her.

“Right then, once more unto the breach.” He said ducking through the doorway in which Martha had disappeared moments before.

“I like that. Wait a minute, that's one of mine.”

The Doctor poked his head back through the doorway, “Oh, just shift!”

Shakespeare grinned at Rose and together the two of them took off for the theatre.

The streets of Elizabethan were far more windy than they had any right to be. It was frankly unnecessary and Rose was sure she would have gotten lost without Shakespeare leading her through the labyrinth that was London.

“What is your secret, dear Rose.” Shakespeare asked suddenly.

“I’m sorry?”

“Come now, I saw the way you reacted to that Carrionite you looked positively faint. You were careful not to draw your Doctor’s attention, which has me wondering what you’re hiding.”

“He’s not

my

Doctor.” Rose corrected automatically, but cursed herself inwardly at the sight of Shakespeare’s now victorious grin, that was so not relevant right now. “Do you really want to do this now? Think you’ve forgotten abou’ the world endin’, mate.”

“I doubt I’ll get another moment alone without

your

Doctor nearby.” He emphasised in light of her outburst with a grin. “You seem intent on keeping it a secret, now may be my only opportunity. No need to cry Wolf, dear Rose.”

Rose tripped over thin air at those last words, her shock distracting her. She stared gaping, at the wordsmith.

“What did you say?”

Shakespeare seemed taken aback by the mounting fear in her eyes.

“You fear the Wolf, and yet it is a part of you.”

“You shouldn’t know that.” A prickle ran up her spine as her gaze flickered down the street. “We need to stop the play.” She said putting an end to their revealing conversation and continuing down the street.

The play was already in full swing when they arrived. The voices from the stage floating backstage to meet them. Rose hissed, clutching her head as her migraine and nausea returned with a vengeance.

“Rose?” Shakespeare asked, coming to a halt.

“Go.” She waved him off, unable to do much more without aggravating the mind numbing pain that was consuming her. “Don’t worry about me, you need to stop the play.”

He faltered for a moment more before doing as she said with a nod. Rose heard the stage doors swing open, the voice from within increased in volume for a second before they were muffled once more by the closing of the door. Rose sagged against the wall, overcome by the pain, she tried to take a minute to gather herself, away from the eyes that had accompanied her all day.

She was just beginning to catch her breath when her stomach began to rebel even more violently than before, and every breath was lost in retching. The stage doors flung open and a handful of actors stumbled in carrying an unconscious Shakespeare. They dumped him on a pile of straw off to the side out of the way before scurrying off. And Rose realised she’d been right to follow him.

She rushed over to him to check for a pulse and after struggling for several moments she found it. Pulsing reassuringly under her fingertips. Resolve strengthened, she stood, brushing off her clothes she made for the stage doors when her vision swam. She shook her head in an attempt to clear it, but that only made it worse.

A familiar song began to whisper through her mind, giving her strength, she started forward once more. But the pain just increased tenfold, it felt as if her brain were trying to detach itself from her skull. Her stomach roiled violently and suddenly it was too hot, the torches too bright, as her vision swam once more as black spots plagued her vision also. The song in her mind increased in tempo, sounding almost panicked. Through the singing she heard another voice, that filled her heart with dread and set her skin aflame, the last words she heard before the world faded away to darkness.

‘Of the Wolf he knows not, he shant save Rose from Her plot.’

The Doctor arrived backstage after having faced one of the Carrionites to find a dazed Shakespeare and an unconscious Rose. His hearts skipped fearfully, he willed himself to believe that unconscious was all she was, as he rushed to her side. Upon finding her pulse he sent out a silent thanks to the universe for being kind for once.

But with the fear now dispelled, all that could take it’s place was anger. Righteous fury that some had dared harm Rose, and to do so in an attempt to hurt him no less! As if she was no more than collateral damage. The guilt was swept aside by the torrent of anger, to be dealt with later. Unfortunately for Will, none of the people responsible were currently available.

“Stop the play. I think that was it. Yeah, I said, stop the play!”

“I hit my head.” He argued weakly.

“Yeah, don't rub it, you'll go bald.”

A pained groan filled the air and the Doctor’s gaze immediately dropped back to Rose. She moved sluggishly as she slowly came to.

“What happened?” She croaked as she sat up with the Doctor’s aid, taking in the turmoil and anger in his eyes.

“The Carrionites.” The Doctor answered simply, through gritted teeth, as if unable to say much more.

Rose’s eyes widened as she remembered what had happened before the world had turned to play.

“Doctor, the play!”

Their heads flicked to the doors as screams of terror could be heard from the audience.

“I think that's my cue!” The Doctor leapt to his feet and scrambled towards the doors.

Rose struggled to follow after him, her head pounding and her skin still too tight and too hot.

“Now begins the millennium of blood!” The Carrionites crowed from their perch in the stands.

The sight that lay waiting for them behind the doors, made bile rise in her throat. Clouds and lightning the colour of blood filled the globe. Cackling bat-like figures occupied the storm. Her fear began to overwhelm her as it mixed with the TARDIS’ along with the inherent knowledge that this was wrong, wrong, wrong.

“Come on, Will! History needs you!” The Doctor dragged Shakespeare forward.

“But what can I do?”

“Reverse it!”

“How am I supposed to do that?”

For a moment Rose feared they’d have to waste time thinking of another plan, that Shakespeare wasn’t up for it. Or god help her, he’d say the wrong words, words that would allow these vile creatures permanence in this world.

“The shape of the Globe gives words power, but you're the wordsmith, the one true genius. The only man clever enough to do it.”

“But what words? I have none ready!”

“You're William Shakespeare!”

“But these Carrionite phrases, they need such precision.”

“Trust yourself. When you're locked away in your room, the words just come, don't they, like magic. Words of the right sound, the right shape, the right rhythm. Words that last forever. That's what you do, Will. You choose perfect words. Do it. Improvise.”

The Doctor stepped back having concluded his speech, but Rose’s panic had not abated. One mortal was hardly any match for creature so old and powerful. It had taken the eternals to end their reign of terror the first time. Rose’s head swam, how did she know that?

“Close up this din of hateful, dire decay, decomposition of your witches' plot. You thieve my brains, consider me your toy. My doting Doctor tells me I am not! Foul Carrionite spectres, cease your show! Between the points-” The playwright stopped suddenly turning to the Doctor for help.

“Seven six one three nine oh!”

“Seven six one three nine oh! Banished like a tinker's cuss, I say to thee…”

The wordsmith faltered once more at a loss for the final word to banish the creatures. He turned to the Doctor who looked similarly panicked as he in turn, turned to his companions. Rose was struggling to reconcile the two worlds of knowledge in her head and had missed most of the speech.

Luckily, Martha’s mind had drifted back to last night’s conversation and she found the perfect word. “Expelliarmus!”

“Expelliarmus!” The Doctor echoed.

“Expelliarmus!”

“Good old JK!”

The bloodred storm of cackling creatures was sucked into the sky by an unseen force. The stage of spectators grinned at the sight. A gust of wind blew open the stage doors and the play’s manuscript came streaming out, going up with the Carrionites. The swirling storm disappeared in a flash of light.

Rose sagged with relief, finally free of the tumultuous sensations the Carrionites presence caused.

Silence fell over the theatre.

Until slowly, applause filled the air. The Doctor disappeared off stage and Rose, feeling clear headed for the first time in days, couldn’t help but follow after him.

They found the seats in which the Carrionites had occupied, a small snow globe like object all that’s left. The Doctor crouched to pick it up, the creatures screamed and clawed at the glass from within, sending a shiver of fear and revulsion down Rose spine.

“Is that it then? They’re stuck in there for good now?”

“Hope so.” The Doctor said tossing it lightly. “Only one way to be sure they don’t get free again.”

Rose’s heart dropped just a little. It was only moments ago, so of course she still remembered how the Carrionites made the TARDIS feel. But she knew - objectively -  there was nowhere safer for them than on their ship.

“Guess you better clear out some space in that attic of yours then.”

“Nah. Always space in the TARDIS-”

“It’s bigger on the inside.” They said in unison.

“I know.” She finished quietly as she shifted uneasily, not comfortable around the creatures, even while contained. “Come on, we best check that Shakespeare hasn’t whisked Martha away.”

“And that simply wouldn’t do.”

Morning came too slowly for Rose’s liking the next day. She’d barely slept a wink, their current adventure having left her restless and uneasy, she’d longed to run back to the TARDIS. The Doctor had commented on her constant tossing and turning from where he was sat up against the headboard fiddling with an odd contraption he’d found in his pockets. Rose had glared up at him and he’d wisely kept quiet on her sleeping habits for the rest of the night.

It wasn’t his fault, he didn’t know of the TARDIS’ meddling or how she’d felt the last two days. But she was irate and stressed and longing to escape.

They’d gone back to the theatre to make sure all copies of the play had disappeared as they’d suspected, not keen on the idea of the Carrionites awakening again. Frankly, Rose was beginning to hate the Globe or perhaps even theatres in general. One thing was for sure, if she didn’t have to see a play or a witch for at least a month she could die happy.

Martha and Shakespeare chatted or rather flirted on stage, while the Doctor rummaged backstage. Rose had gotten bored five minutes in and had gone to join the Doctor in his search. The quicker the search was over the quicker they could leave.

The Doctor got predictably distracted by a great many things in the props store but it offered Rose a distraction too. One she selfishly took, despite the secrets she was hiding.

The two of them rejoined the others on stage, the Doctor trailing behind looking ridiculous in neck ruff and laden with props.

“Good props store back there. I'm not sure about this though. Reminds me of a Sycorax. Rose, what do you think?”

She turned back around to see exactly which of the many props that he’d snagged he was referencing. Only to see a giant animal skull in hand that did indeed remind her of her first christmas with Doctor.

“Oh definitely, hopefully you’ll keep both your hands this time though.”

The Doctor grinned at her, she rolled her eyes in response.

“Sycorax. Nice word. I'll have that off you as well.”

“I should be on ten percent. How's your head?”

“Still aching.”

“Here, I got you this.”

The Doctor took off the ridiculous ruff and put it around Shakespeare’s neck. Rose and Martha grinned at the sight of the playwright in his signature accessory.

“Neck brace. Wear that for a few days till it's better, although you might want to keep it. It suits you.”

“What about the play?” Martha asked.

“Gone. I looked all over. Every single copy of Love's Labours Won went up in the sky.”

“Good riddance to that trouble.” Rose commented lightly, from where she was leaning against a support beam.

“My lost masterpiece.”

“You could write it up again.” Martha suggested.

A now familiar spike of panic jabbed at Rose’s heart at the thought.

“Yeah, better not, Will. There's still power in those words. Maybe it should best stay forgotten.”

“Oh, but I've got new ideas. Perhaps it's time I wrote about fathers and sons, in memory of my boy, my precious Hamnet.”

Blimey had Rose really paid so little attention in her English classes that she’d misremembered the title of one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays.

“Hamnet?” So obviously she wasn’t wrong, if Martha’s confusion was anything to go by.

“That's him.”

“Ham

net

?”

“What's wrong with that?”

“Anyway, time we were off. I've got a nice attic in the TARDIS where this lot can scream for all eternity, and I've got to take Martha back to Freedonia.” The Doctor stepped in before they revealed anymore to the genius.

“You mean travel on through time and space.”

Okay so maybe that plan was a lost cause. How much had the wordsmith seen? Were their lies really that transparent? The Doctor looked equally baffled by the revelation.

“You what?”

“You're from another world like the Carrionites, Martha is from the future, and Rose is somewhere in between. It's not hard to work out.”

Rose’s brows furrowed in confusion.

‘In between’

what the hell did that mean? Was this in reference to their little conversation yesterday?

The Doctor however, did not seem fazed by this and was instead lost in admiration for his hero.

“That's incredible. You are incredible.”

“We're alike in many ways, Doctor. Martha, let me say goodbye to you in a new verse. A sonnet for my Dark Lady. Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate.”

The trios eyes widened as they recognised the famous sonnet, the famous sonnet composed for Martha it would seem. Time travel really was a funny old thing.

Shakespeare was cut off from his recital by two of the actors from last night.

“Will!”

Rose was almost glad for the interruption, she wasn’t sure she could take any more surprises from the great wordsmith.

“Will, you'll never believe it. She's here! She's turned up!”

“We're the talk of the town. She heard about last night. She wants us to perform it again.”

“Who?” Martha asked baffled.

The actor seemed to think Martha was being ridiculous but explained anyway. “Her Majesty. She's here.”

A fanfare sounded as Queen Elizabeth entered flanked by two pikemen. She looked older than in any of the portraits Rose had ever seen of her.

“Queen Elizabeth the First!”

“Doctor?” The Queen hissed, to the Doctor’s great confusion.

“What?”

“My sworn enemy and his harlot Rose.”

“What?” Rose and the Doctor crowed in unison.

“Off with his head!”

“

What

?” The Doctor echoed once more, in mounting confusion and disbelief.

“Never mind what, just run!”

“Yep, I’m with Martha on this one.” Rose agreed grabbing the Doctor’s coat sleeve as they ran from the globe.

“See you, Will, and thanks.” Martha called back over her shoulder as they ran.

“Stop that pernicious Doctor and his wife.”

Shakespeare’s laughter echoed through the globe as the travellers legged it through the cobbled streets of London towards the TARDIS and away from their armed pursuers.

“Stop in the name of the Queen!” One of the pikemen bellowed.

Rose rolled her eyes at the order, as if anyone would listen to that. They didn’t even grace them with a look back over their shoulders.

“What have you two done to upset her?” Martha asked as they neared the TARDIS.

“Are we really going to piss off every member of the Royal family we run into?”

“How should I know? Haven't even met her yet. That's time travel for you.” The girls thundered past the Doctor into the TARDIS as he grinned at the prospect of a future adventure that awaited them. “Still, can't wait to find out. That's something to look forward to. Ooo!”

The pikemen raised their bows prepared to shoot the Doctor, he ducked inside at the last minute, the arrow stuck in the wood of the door instead. The pikemen watched baffled as the box housing their targets disappeared before their eyes, each wondering how the hell they’re going to explain this one to their Queen.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Chapter Eight: Once more. Series: Three. Episode: Three - Gridlock. Part: One.
Martha and Rose clung to the railings still shaken from their sudden violent departure from Elizabethan London.

“Right then,” The Doctor spoke up unperturbed by the rough landing. “Rose Tyler. Off to the medbay with you.”

“What on Earth for?” Rose asked, still panting from their recent escape from trouble.

Martha looked similarly perplexed but also seemed to be more concerned with righting her breathing.

“We have no idea what affect the Carrionite’s power has on time travellers, even they seemed unsure. You were out for at least half an hour, whereas Martha woke up less than ten minutes later.”

Rose went cold from head to toe. She hated the medbay, even more so lately after having spent weeks getting near-constant check ups in there and then almost dying in a hospital. The Doctor was very aware of her less than favorable opinion of the medbay and had to wrestle with her every time, their stubborn streaks were frequently too well matched. And it did happen often, what with her being so jeopardy friendly. He had resigned himself to just patching her up with the sonic for minor injuries but his protectiveness won out over her stubbornness for bigger injuries.

“I don’t even understand what happene- wait a minute, they got Martha? How?”

“Some weird witchy poetry to do with your name.” Martha answered, waving her off, as if it were no big deal.

Rose really wished she hadn’t just waved it off because in doing so, Rose lost any chance at distracting the Doctor from his desire to drag her off to the medbay for a battery of tests and scans.

Rose had just opened her mouth to begin her second rebuttal when Martha stepped in once more. And she decided right then and there that she’d been right, having two geniuses on board was definitely going to drive her mad.

“The Doctor’s right, the Carrionites were banished for a reason, we shouldn’t just assume that everything’s fine. And you did seem to be out for much longer than anyone else. No harm in being sure.”

Rose glared at her half-heartedly, the young doctor didn’t sound half as convincing as she’d probably intended as she gave a wan smile and shifted uncomfortably on the spot. Likely having realised that the last place Rose wanted to be was in the medbay.

Taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm her unnecessary rage - she really did have her mother’s temper after all - she tried a different tactic.

“I really am fine, I just need something to eat and a proper night's sleep.”

“Yes well, insomnia might be a side effect of the Carrionite’s psychic energy.”

Logically the Doctor’s reasoning sounded completely rational, the only downfall being that Rose knew that it wasn’t completely true. She knew it wasn’t the force of the psychic attack that left her vulnerable but rather whatever mods the ship had made to her that made her so susceptible. The TARDIS herself had seemed particularly queasy around the Carrionites, it was only logical that it would impact Rose too now.

Obviously she couldn’t tell him that, wouldn’t even know where to begin even if the TARDIS hadn’t warned her against it. It wasn’t like she didn’t want to either, in those three weeks after meeting Donna she had tried to tell him but every time she’d tried she’d been overcome by a dizzy spell and found that she’d forgotten the information entirely until hours later. The TARDIS’ less than subtle attempt at making sure her words were followed.

“Or, the more probable explanation being, Elizabethan mattresses and their lack of comfort. Besides Martha slept fine so it can’t be related.”

“Psychic energy affects people differently.”

And there was the out she’d been looking for, if psychic energy affected people differently then it stood to reason that the Doctor had no need to be so concerned by the amount of time it had taken her to awaken after all.

“Well then I really don’t see why we need to worry. I’m just hungry, if I suddenly feel worse I’ll let you know. Can we eat now?”

The Doctor sighed deeply as if incredibly inconvenienced by the whole thing but seemed to concede for the time being. That was easier than she expected.

Half an hour or so later they found themselves sat down in the kitchen enjoying a stir fry with some kind of alien meat - that vaguely resembled chicken in texture - that the Doctor had prepared. Rose had attempted to help but all of her attempts had been thwarted by the Timelord who insisted that she at least sit down for his peace of mind if she was going to be stubborn and refuse scans. She’d ignored that advice as well and had gone to

‘wash the Elizabethan out of her hair’

.

Martha was still a little uncomfortable if she was being honest. The two of them were so often lost in their own little world in which no one else existed aside from themselves. That Martha could deal with, she’d spent plenty of time around couples who acted the same. But Rose’s odd behaviour and hostile glare had left right back where she’d been when they’d first left the TARDIS several days ago. Questioning her place on the ship or at least questioning whether or not the blonde actually wanted her there.

Said train of thought was difficult to hold on to when Rose seemed to be trying to make up for her earlier attitude with pleasant mealtime chatter.

But with Martha still a little on edge and the Doctor still concerned that something terrible was going to befall Rose, she received little response.

Rose sighed in defeat as she let her fork clatter to her now empty plate.

“Fine, lets go run those stupid scans, if only to stop you moping.” She said in frustration as she stood with her plate.

“Timelords don’t mope.” The Doctor automatically rebutted, sounding offended, but he looked to be in better spirits than he had since stepping back on to the ship.

“I’ll have to take your word for it.”

The Doctor was eager to head straight to the medbay, seeing no reason to delay now that Rose had agreed. But Rose had simply glared at him and told him that he wasn’t going to get out of doing the dishes, and he better not even think of leaving them to Martha.

The medical student in question looked a little uncomfortable at being used as an excuse in their bickering. And briefly wondered how often people got caught up in the storm between the two of them.

The second the dishes were done the Doctor grabbed Rose’s hand and all but dragged her from the room. Rose shouted something back over her shoulder about Martha taking a wander, though she couldn’t be entirely sure.

Rose hopped onto the exam table with practised ease, she really had spent too much of her time in here. She lay down as the Doctor dragged one of the futuristic scanners over that she’d never bothered to learn the name of. She was sure that would change in the near future considering the profession of their newest companion.

The Doctor ran the scanner along her body from head to toe. Once that was done, she sat swiftly back up, swinging her legs back over the side of the table and began rolling her sleeve up. She may hate the medbay but she had become uncomfortably familiar with the routine.

Blood taken they waited on the results. A process that took significantly less time with the TARDIS’ advanced equipment.

Uncomfortable with being back in the medbay and feeling more than a little guilty with her earlier behaviour towards Martha, she decided to ask something that’d been playing on her mind.

“So.” She started awkwardly.

“So?” The Doctor asked amusedly, as he spun away from the monitor that would display the results to face her, with a raised eyebrow and a crooked grin.

Rose dropped her gaze to her swinging feet as she spoke.

“Not quite the ‘thank you’ trip I was expecting. She’s going to think trouble is all our lives are.”

Rose heard the Doctor shift in his chair, the leather squeaking as he did so, but she didn’t raise her gaze from the floor just yet.

“Rose you just lost your mother, do you really think it’s wise to bring someone else along so soon.”

“Would have asked Donna if I wasn’t unconscious.” The Doctor snorted and muttered something that sounded distinctly like ‘jeopardy friendly’, Rose chose to ignore it, this time. “And I’m not saying she should come with us full time, it is your ship and it would ultimately be her choice. But she did save your life at the hospital and then again with the Carrionites, you can’t deny she did brilliantly. Just think she deserves at least one more chance at a proper thank you trip.” Rose finished quietly.

She knew she was playing with fire here. She knew too much about the timelines, she could end up putting them in danger, especially if she continued to meddle. But part of her felt that she owed it to Martha. Martha had been there for the Doctor when Rose couldn’t be, and she knew how rubbish the Doctor could be on his own, not that he always made travelling with him easy either. And while that timeline technically never existed, simply knowing it had, made Rose feel indebted and grateful to the young woman in a way she’d never be able to express.

But if this was going to happen at all, it had to be on the Doctor’s terms. This was his ship, his home, it was his choice who should get to stay. And her track record wasn’t the best. She had after all asked the Doctor to bring Adam along, who then went on to put them all in danger as well as almost altering time dramatically.

If he decided against it she wouldn’t push it. It had only been recently that she’d lost her mum - the only constant in her life for the last twenty years - and Mickey before that, but maybe having someone else on board could be just the distraction she needed.

The Doctor hummed quietly as he spun his chair slightly. Rose peeked up at him from beneath her lashes. He opened his mouth to respond when the monitor beeped, notifying them that the results were ready. He stood from his chair, slipping on his glasses, to read them.

From behind him, all Rose could see was the slight droop in his shoulders. Whether that was good news or not she couldn’t quite tell.

“Okay,” The Doctor spun around to face her, leaning back against the counter, arms crossed and specs still in place as he spoke. “One more trip for Miss Martha Jones. Your results are all clear and if you're sure this is a good idea, I don’t see why not. She was brilliant.”

Rose knew that had the circumstances been different the Doctor would have taken Martha along with no questions. But Canary Wharf had left its mark on both of them.

But that knowledge didn’t stop the grin that slowly blossomed across her lips. An identical smile spread across the Doctor’s face in reaction to her own, like a delayed reflection. She leapt from the examination table and into his arms, unstabling him slightly leading him to take a step back to regain balance. He caught her as easily as ever, lifting her from the floor with the extra height he had on her. Her delighted laugh was echoed back in her own ear.

“Thank you.” She muttered into his shoulder.

He gently lowered her back to the floor.

“Well,” He grinned, dragging the word out. “Your wish

is

my command.” He cleared his throat, his smile diminishing slightly as it usually did when he thought of the man he used to be, Rose’s heart broke a little for him in those moments. “You go find Miss Martha Jones, and I’ll decide on a destination.”

“Yes Sarge.” She said snapping off a salute, trying to regain some of that teasing air from before, the weak crooked smile was better but still evidence that she hadn’t entirely succeeded.

She slipped from the medbay down the corridors of the TARDIS, pulling open doors at random in search of Martha. She was beginning to wonder if perhaps the young doctor hadn’t ventured further than the kitchen, when she happened upon the empty galley, shrugging, she continued her search.

She finally found her in a sparsely furnished room with projections of far off galaxies in place of a ceiling. The floor was soft and padded, perfect for stargazing on. Stepping into the room, she silently took a seat next to the sprawled out Martha.

“The Doctor’s gone to pick our next destination, told me to come and find ya. Glad I did, never seen this room before.” She spoke softly so as not to startle her.

Martha looked at her curiously for a moment before nodding. She started shifting as she made to stand when Rose laid a hand on her arm ceasing her movements.

“I’m sorry abou’ earlier. Shouldn’t ‘ave treated ya like that. It’s nothing personal, got my mum’s temper not that that’s any excuse, I just hate hospitals and I’m not used to there being another person around when me and the Doctor argue about it. I overreacted, I’m sorry.”

She nodded silently once more.

Rose stood with a sigh, she didn’t think an apology was going to fix everything she’d treated the girl far too harshly for someone she barely knew, but she’d always been a bit of an optimist.

“Hope that means you don’t hate me?” Martha teased softly.

Rose turned back around to her with furrowed brows.

“Huh?”

“You said you hate hospitals, does that extend to doctors too? Or medical students even.”

Rose chuckled lightly, shaking her head as she stared at the floor. Bile rose in her throat as it often did when she thought of

him

.

“Nah, just bad experiences that led me to hospitals that’s all.” She rose her gaze from the floor, as a cheeky grin slid in place, “Make it a bit difficult travelling with him, if I did.”

Martha laughed.

“Suppose it would. We should probably get going before he wonders where we’ve got to.”

“Trust me has no problems coming to look for us if he runs out of patience. The amount of times he’s dragged me from bed ‘cause he couldn’t wait to start the day.” Rose confided as they made their way down the identical coral corridors.

“He didn’t!”

“He does.”

The Doctor was waiting for them when they finally made it to the console room, leant against the console with his back to them, supposedly deep in thought. Martha took a seat on the captain’s chair, having learnt from the previous rough landings it would seem, Rose grabbed hold of the railings beside her. The sound of their footsteps must have notified the Doctor of their presence as he suddenly spun around.

“Just one trip. That's what I said. One trip in the TARDIS, and then home. Although I suppose we could stretch the definition. Take one trip into past, one trip into future. How do you fancy that?”

“No complaints from me.” Martha beamed.

And finally that shadow that had lingered since the Doctor had first mentioned the medbay, lifted just a little bit. Her doubts just that little bit smaller.

“How about a different planet?”

An innocent enough suggestion, Rose had never imagined it could go quite so wrong.

“Can we go to yours?”

And there was that shadow again, this time settling over the Doctor as his previous excitement left him suddenly, Rose shifted awkwardly on her feet. She knew how the Doctor reacted to mentions of his home, and it wasn’t always pleasant.

“Ah, there's plenty of other places.” The Doctor dismissed easily as he shifted around the console to stay hidden.

Martha leapt up from the seat to follow after him, complacent in her excitement, Rose reached out to grab her as she passed to warn her against such questioning. But the fellow traveller skipped past with ease.

“Come on, though. I mean, planet of the Time Lords. That's got to be worth a look. What's it like?”

“Well, it's beautiful, yeah.” He admitted bluntly, like even that was revealing too much.

Rose watched him with growing concern. It was too much too soon. She shouldn’t have pushed him, and maybe she wouldn’t have, had she known this would happen.

“Is it like, you know, outer space cities, all spires and stuff?”

“Martha.” She finally spoke up, a warning clear in her tone.

The woman in question turned to face her with confusion, Rose shook her head, hoping she’d pick up her meaning and stop before she went too far.

“I suppose it is.”

Despite Rose’s warning Martha continued to push, emboldened by the Doctor’s answer. Miming her next assumption as she walked in a small circle.

“Great big temples and cathedrals!”

“Yeah.”

“Lots of planets in the sky?”

Rose bit at her thumbnail uncomfortably. The Doctor had come a long way from the trauma of the Timewar, but she wasn’t an idiot, she would never know how deep those scars ran but she could imagine. It was obvious not all of his scars were fully healed, many still openly bled. She didn’t want to know how many more would after this reminder.

“The sky's a burnt orange, with the Citadel enclosed in a mighty glass dome, shining under the twin suns. Beyond that, the mountains go on forever. Slopes of deep red grass, capped with snow.”

Rose rarely heard the Doctor speak of Gallifrey so openly, especially not in this body, so she could understand the reverence in Martha’s voice when she next spoke. The Doctor had a way of speaking about his home that demanded awe and respect.

“Can we go there?”

The awe was shattered by the Doctor’s frantic movements and distracting rambling, which was obviously the purpose of such behaviour.

“Nah. Where's the fun for me? I don't want to go home. Instead, this is much better. Year five billion and fifty-three, planet New Earth. Second hope of mankind. Fifty thousand light years from your old world, and we're slap bang in the middle of New New York. Although, technically it's the fifteenth New York from the original, so it's New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York. One of the most dazzling cities ever built.”

The Doctor pulled on his coat as he spoke a mile a minute while dashing down the ramp with Martha close on his tail.

Rose followed after them at a more leisurely pace, not because she wasn’t excited to see how New New York had changed since their last visit. But the last couple of days had left her off kilter, she hadn’t thought much of it when she’d asked the Doctor to consider bringing Martha along for once more, had barely considered it when her conversation with Martha had reminded her of Jimmy it was only as Martha pressed for more about Gallifrey that it really hit that maybe she wasn’t ready. Add that on to the sudden change in pitch in the TARDIS’ hum and it was safe to say she was a little wary. So much so that she couldn’t find it in her to laugh at the familiar joke. The familiar destination did little sooth her nerves, it seemed that the Doctor really did know her better than she knew herself.

But another part of her, the newer part, told her she had to. The foreknowledge she had of the timelines was dangerous and she couldn’t risk them falling apart, she’d seen how that could end after all, with her father. It wouldn’t be easy but she could get through this.

She grabbed the black hooded coat that had appeared on the coat stand beside the door as the Doctor yanked out the arrow impaled in the TARDIS’ door. She cast one last cautious look back at the rotor before stepping out into the rain with the other.

“Oh, that's nice. Time Lord version of dazzling.” Martha complained, as she zipped up her jacket in a futile attempt to ward off the rain and wind.

“Nah, bit of rain never hurt anyone. Come on, let's get under cover!”

The three of them dashed through the pouring rain to an overhead shelter as Martha continued to complain about the weather. Not that Rose could blame her, they got enough rain back home, it wasn’t anything spectacular. And she had just ended up on the moon due to a particularly troublesome downpour.

“Well, it looks like the same old Earth to me, on a Wednesday afternoon.”

“Hold on, hold on. Let's have a look.”

They’d managed to find both shelter and an information outlet, a good sign in Rose’s books. A quick scan with the sonic produced a fuzzy picture that refused to clear, until the Doctor pounded on the unit with his fist.

A woman appeared on the screen in business attire that wouldn’t have looked out of place on a newsreader back home, which was fitting as she seemed to be giving some kind of traffic report.

“And the driving should be clear and easy, with fifteen extra lanes open for the New New Jersey expressway.”

The picture changed to the view of New Earth Manhattan and the flying cars that they’d seen last time.

“Oh, that's more like it. That's the view we had last time.”

“Not that we saw much of it mind, spent most of our time in that damned hospital.” Rose said bitterly, “So where are we this time, Doctor?”

“This must be the lower levels, down in the base of the tower. Some sort of under-city.”

“You've brought me to the slums?” Martha asked incredulously, still staring at the image of the upper levels.

“Much more interesting.”

Rose scoffed, “If you say so.”

“It's all cocktails and glitter up there. This is the real city.” The Doctor defended.

“You'd enjoy anything.” Martha remarked.

Rose chuckled slightly from the Doctor’s other side. Yeah, that sounded about right. Not that the same often couldn’t be said for her too, she had been rather excited about encountering a werewolf, the fear that should have been present, absent after all.

“That's me. Ah, the rain's stopping. Better and better.”

They stepped out from under the shelter when Martha asked a question that had been playing at the back of her mind since they landed, but she hadn’t given much thought to.

“So how come you're taking me to the same planets that you took Rose?” It was an innocent enough question, but Rose could read the underlying hurt in her words.

“Well, promised you a thank you trip and I thought Rose could use some cheering up.” The Doctor answered easily, unaware of how dismissive it came across to the humans.

Rose rubbed at her brow in frustration, god he was such an idiot sometimes. She appreciated the gesture, this was the first place they visited after he’d regenerated so it would always hold a special place in her heart, but this trip

was

supposed to be for Martha.

“I’m fine, I don’t need any cheering up.” Rose said, nudging his shoulder with a mock glare, as Martha watched on in confusion. “If you wanted to show me the slums, coulda taken me back home. Bit dreary for a thank you trip.” She teased.

The Doctor returned her glare when she dismissed her pain once again. God she was going to have to be more careful if she wanted to leave the TARDIS again anytime soon. She gave him a tongue in cheek grin, and his posture softened slightly, but it seemed she’d likely be hearing about this again later. He turned to give the stalls surrounding them a better look.

“Cheering up? What’s he mean, what happened?” Martha asked a touch concerned, pulling Rose back from her thoughts on how to convince the Doctor she really was okay.

“It’s nothin’.” She dismissed with a wave. “He’s just worrying over nothing.”

He shot another glare at her over his shoulder, and with a roll of her eyes she sidled up beside him and took his hand in hers. Leaning on his shoulder ever so slightly, as a permanent reminder that she was fine and wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Suddenly the lids of one of the green containers surrounding them burst open causing Rose to jump backwards slightly. The Doctor smirked down at her in amusement. She nudged him with the arm locked in his in retaliation. No further retribution could be given though as they were distracted by the voices of newcomers.

“Oh! You should have said. How long you been there? Happy. You want Happy.” A rather jubilant man asked in a grubby white jacket behind a matching grubby counter, Rose absently wondered if he’d been sampling his own goods, whatever this ‘happy’ was.

More hatches on more containers opened, revealing two women behind them, which the trio of travellers spun around to face.

“Customers. Customers! We've got customers!” Bellowed the first woman.

“We're in business. Mother, open up the Mellow, and the Read.” Crowed the second.

The first bloke tried to grab their attention again, “Happy, Happy, lovely happy Happy!”

“Anger. Buy some Anger!” The first woman spoke up again, shaking a small packet with a small plastic patch in it.

What the bloody hell was going on, Rose thought to herself, a difficult feat with all the yelling going on.

“Get some Mellow. Makes you feel all bendy and soft all day long.” The third person spoke, miming her words.

“Don't go to them. They'll rip you off. Do you want some happy?” The first spoke up again.

“No, thanks.” The Doctor declined with an unimpressed glare.

“Are they selling drugs?” Martha asked tone a mixture of intrigued and disgusted.

“I think they're selling moods.” The Doctor corrected.

“Well at least we know one more thing that they were using human guinea pigs for.” Rose said absently.

Personally she didn’t think it was necessarily a bad thing - minus the human experimentation - she’d seen first hand on the estates how untreated mental health could ruin lives. Not having the time or money to seek treatment often lead to trying to cope through the use of drugs and alcohol which only lead to addiction and therein lies ruin. Perhaps this was a combative measure against mental health issues, though she didn’t doubt that people also abused their use just like back home.

“Human ginnea pi-” Martha started to question, but it was lost in the sudden cacophony of the vendors all trying to gain the new arrival’s attention simultaneously.

The young woman was pale, frail and drawn. Her overworn clothes hung from her slight frame. Similarly overwhelmed by the cacophony she headed to the second woman who spoke in gentle encouraging tones rather than the boisterous calls of her fellow vendors

“Come over here, yeah. And what can I get you, my love?”

“I want to buy Forget.”

“I've got Forget, my darling. What strength? How much do you want forgetting?” Asked the pharmacist.

“It's my mother and father. They went on the motorway.”

Rose’s brow furrowed in confusion at the reply, since when did parents going on a roadtrip require mood altering drugs. The Doctor and Martha looked similarly perplexed. But it seemed the vendor knew exactly what she was referring to with her vague statement.

“Oh, that's a swine. Try this. Forget Forty three. That's two credits."

The trio slowly edged their way closer to the distraught woman. Curious as to her predicament.

“Sorry, but hold on a minute. What happened to your parents?” The Doctor asked, causing her to falter in her application of the mood altering sticker.

“They drove off.” She answered simply, as if that explained everything.

And maybe it did to the people of this world, but it meant nothing to them. Rose began to wonder just what exactly had happened here since their last visit.

“Yeah, but they might drive back.” The Doctor tried to reason.

“Everyone goes to the motorway in the end. I've lost them.”

Rose could sense that they were losing the woman, her grief too palatable to distract her from her task. And on some level Rose could relate, but they were unlikely to get answers much more personal than this. Couldn’t get much closer to the domestic approach than this.

“Why? What’s on the motorway?” Rose interjected gently.

“Escape.” She answered simply at first, as if that was all the explanation they needed, and in a way it was. “Look around you. There is nothing here, nothing worth staying for.” Her voice broke at the end.

Rose’s heart broke for her. Her parents were gone and apparently for good, and by the sounds of it they hadn’t even considered their daughter. Grief and loss filled her big, blue, watery, eyes.

“But they can't have gone far. You could find them.” The Doctor tried to reason as her lips trembled and with a slight shake of her head she placed the tab on her neck, victim to her pain and loss no more. “No. No, no, don't.”

“I'm sorry, what were you saying?” Her face took on a glazed appearance as cheer bled into her words.

They’d lost her. And part of Rose envied her, that she had the option to not be hurt by her losses anymore, an option Rose did not have and would likely not take even if she did. Yes, losing her mum and Mickey hurt, but the hurt reminded her of just how important they were to her and she would not disservice them by forgetting them.

“Your parents. Your mother and father. They're on the motorway.” The Doctor reminded her, trying to bring her back to the conversation, holding on to hope that the drug couldn’t possibly have acted that fast and they might yet get their answers.

Martha looked on in fascination and concern. Her eager mind hungering for knowledge even now. Hoping to understand even with no foreknowledge.

“Are they? That's nice. I'm sorry, I won't keep you.”

Gone was the pain and any knowledge of what those words implicated. They might as well have asked a stranger from another planet for all that she now understood.

The woman staggered away in a daze, as the travellers looked on in shock. Martha looked a tad disgusted by the whole situation, Rose gathered she hadn’t spent much time around those struggling with addiction and tried to quell the bitterness she felt at that thought. They’d lived very different lives on Earth but that was neither of their fault.

The Doctor looked strangely detached from it all even as Martha spoke, likely having experienced similar in the past or at least having knowledge of such events.

Rose watched after the woman, wanting to follow her, she wasn’t in her right mind right now and from the sounds of it she had no one to look after her. But she felt there was much more going on here than just one woman. Maybe if she’d been less concerned with the fate of one stranger, she could have helped a new friend.

“So that's the human race five billion years in the future. Off their heads on chemicals.” Disgust dripping from her words.

Any further contemption was cut off by her scream. The two of them whirled round to find Martha held against her will by two people. A man pointing a gun at Martha’s temple while the other woman pointed her gun at the two of them.

The surrounding stalls closed their hatches simultaneously, willing to drug a vulnerable woman for money, but not willing to risk helping an innocent bystander. An attitude all too familiar from back home on the Estates, Rose mused bitterly.

“I'm sorry, I'm really, really sorry. We just need three, that's all.” The man holding Martha blabbered.

“No, let her go! I'm warning you, let her go! Whatever you want, I can help. Both of us, we can help. But first you've got to let her go.” The Doctor roared, the rage often kept so well hidden, now so close to the surface with their companion in danger.

“I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. Sorry.” The woman still pointing a gun at them trembled, as they edged backwards with Martha.

The door slammed shut in front of them, with Martha and her kidnappers on the other side. The panic on the Doctor’s face belayed his fears and mirrored Rose’s own as they lunged for the door.

Rose shook the handle, her panic surmounting as it held fast, Martha’s screams becoming more and more distant with every second.

“Doctor, sonic!”

“I know!” The Doctor answered as they switched places, the door finally releasing.

Heart pounding in her chest, they ran down the dark, cluttered alley that separated them from Martha. They took turns seemingly at random, but with so much on the line, Rose didn’t bother questioning the Doctor. She wasn't sure she’d even be able to speak past her panic at the current moment.

They’d burst through a door at the end of another cluttered corridor just in time to see the car housing Martha take off. That last little bit of hope that Rose hadn’t realised she’d allowed to bloom, disappearing with it as her heart stuttered in her chest.

“Martha!” The Doctor screamed after them.

Unwilling to be defeated, they marched back to the alley they’d first found themselves in with the pharmaceutical stalls. The Doctor pounded on the hatch of the one closest, revealing the beaming woman who’d served the grieving girl.

“Thought you'd come back. Do you want some happy happy?”

Rose resisted the urge to punch her right in her beaming face. They’d stood by while their friend was taken and now had the audacity to suggest they forget her in a drug induced haze.

Not to be swayed, the Doctor demanded, “Those people, who were they? Where did they take her?”

“They've taken her to the motorway.” The first bloke answered simply, his statement holding no weight or emotion to it.

“Looked like carjackers to me.” The beaming pharmacist informed them with faux sympathy.

Wonder if any of their emotions are genuine, Rose thought nastily before she could help herself.

“I'd give up now, darling. You won't see her again.” The second woman added.

The unhelpful comments did nothing to abate either of their anger.

“Used to be thriving, this place. You couldn't move. But they all go to the motorway in the end.” The bloke said wistfully, echoing the grieving woman’s statement from earlier.

“He kept on saying three, we need three. What did he mean, three?” The Doctor asked, determined to get his answers and not be distracted by their chatter.

The unnervingly joyful one informed them, “It's the car-sharing policy, to save fuel. You get special access if you're carrying three adults.”

“This motorway. How do I get there?”

”Straight down the alley, keep going to the end. You canna miss it.” The Doctor started towards the TARDIS, when she spoke up again. “Tell you what. How about some happy Happy? Then you'll be smiling, my love.”

“Word of advice, all of you. Cash up, close down and pack your bags.” The edge of the Oncoming Storm bleeding into his command.

“Why's that, then?” She asked oblivious to the Doctor’s rage.

“Because as soon as I've found her, alive and well. And I will find her alive and well. Then I'm coming back, and this street is closing, tonight!”

It was rare these days that Rose found herself unnerved by the Doctor’s bursts of anger. She’d seen them often enough and they rarely occurred without provocation, especially in this regeneration. Today was not one of those times. Perhaps if she hadn’t been so swept up in her own anger and blame she would have questioned the Doctor’s reaction to the pharmacists, but right now she couldn’t find it in her to care.

They made their way back to the TARDIS largely in silence, with the Doctor leading the way. Rose was usually fine to let it lay, but Martha had been kidnapped and at present the only person she could find to blame - aside from the carjackers - was Rose herself. Martha might have been safely at home if it wasn’t for her, and because of that she had to know what the Doctor was planning.

“So we using the TARDIS to locate her then?” She asked, because she hadn’t forgotten that the Doctor had asked for directions to the motorway, so their current course had left her in a state of confusion.

“No.” Rose stilled several paces away from the TARDIS, certain she wasn’t about to like where this was going. “You’re going to stay on the TARDIS while I get her back.”

“You’re daft if you think I’m staying here, she’s only gone because I asked you to bring her.” Rose argued.

The Doctor swung round to face her, the storm in his eyes abating only slightly to reveal his fear. Rose didn’t feel so confident in her argument anymore.

“I will not risk losing you too. I should have checked before bringing you both, it’s not your fault, it’s mine and I won’t lose you too especially after-” He cut himself off suddenly, unable to look into her eyes.

She knew him well enough to know he hated any signs of vulnerability and that he felt he’d shown too much already. She also knew him well enough to know that his thoughts had turned back to her mum. Rose knew on some level he felt responsible for her loss, he had been the one to bring her to Torchwood to begin with, too lost in his excitement to notice Jackie was on board.

The fight left her, leaving only guilt in its place. She hadn’t thought much about how he must be reacting, not since their trip to Krevaar and she suddenly felt incredibly selfish. He’d brought Martha along to appease her because he believed it would help with her grief but she hadn’t given the time to think about him in return.

Overcome by her guilt, she nodded. Trying not to show much of her internal conflict on her face.

“Okay, I’ll stay.” At her agreeance the Doctor’s shoulders sagged with relief. “But be careful, can’t promise I’ll wait longer than five and half hours.” She teased, in a weak attempt at humour.

The Doctor rewarded her efforts with a weak smile of his own.

“I’ll try not to take that long, this time.”

“Good.” She nodded, some of her confidence returning now. “Go and bring her back safe.”

They switched places, with Rose closing the distance between her and the TARDIS and the Doctor heading back the way they came. He looked back over his shoulder once more before they parted.

“See you later.”

“Not if I see you first.” She grinned.

His smile a little stronger now as he darted back towards the stalls to go and find their lost companion.

She sagged against the TARDIS with a sigh as she watched him disappear from sight. Giving herself a moment to collect herself she stared at her dreary surroundings and with a pang she realised it was almost indistinguishable from home. If she’d found herself wandering these streets at night, she was certain she wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. As a tidal wave of grief threatened to consume her she finally turned her back on the cluttered streets and let herself into the TARDIS.

Safe within the TARDIS’ walls, she let the tears that burned behind her eyelids finally fall. She staggered bleary eyed to the captain's chair, sinking down into it as her knees gave out. All the stress and grief that she’d been ignoring since meeting Donna finally came crashing down around her.

What the hell was she doing? She couldn’t do this. She couldn’t have this power or whatever the hell it was. And she certainly couldn’t keep lying, she was certain she’d break under the weight of it all. She was no protector of timelines, no goddess of time. She couldn’t do this!

But then she remembered her father. And all the destruction she’d wrought by selfishly saving him. She wouldn’t let him down again. If that meant lying to the man that she- to the Doctor then she’d do it. She’d do what she had to, even if she didn’t understand the TARDIS’ reasoning. She’d hide her secrets from him. It was for his own good.

Martha was having the

worst

day. Though that was becoming increasingly relative the longer she spent with the Doctor, so far today, was topping the list. She’d been soaked, kidnapped, drugged, trapped on the slowest car in history, was currently being attacked by unseen creatures with no one to save her and she was pretty certain that she’d listened to someone’s final moment. They were now driving in a state of hysteria as they fought to avoid the same fate. So yes, she was certain this qualified as having the worst day.

“Go faster!” Cheen shouted.

Martha didn’t bother pointing out that speed had been of little use thus far, no matter how frustrated she felt by her inability to help.

“I'm at top speed!” Milo shouted back.

They weaved blindly through the exhaust fumes hoping the irregularity of their movements would help them dodge the creatures prevailing them. Milo tapped at the computer trying to make another request to get off of the fast lane.

“No access above.” The monotoned voice of the computer informed them.

“But this is an emergency!” Milo shrieked.

Trying a different route, he attempted to call the police instead, only to be rebuffed by them too.

“Thank you for your call. You have been placed on hold.”

Panic continued to rise as the inhabitants of the car were shaken about and desperation began to set in as their fate become increasingly clear. When Martha was suddenly hit with an idea. It was a long shot but at this precise moment in time, death seemed imminent anyway.

“Turn everything off.” Martha demanded, in a tone much calmer than she felt.

“You've got to be joking.” Milo questioned.

Frustration quickly replaced panic at having her suggestions so rudely dismissed.

“But listen, it's all fog out there, so how can they see us? Maybe it's the engines, the sound, or the heat, or the light. I don't know. Turn everything off. They might not be able to find us.”

“What if you're wrong?”

“It can't be worse than this! Just do it!” Martha shouted, finally losing her temper.

Finally acquising, Milo began flicking switches and pushing buttons until they were plunged into darkness. And at last the noise from outside died down.

“They've stopped.” Cheen noted.

Ever the pessimist, Milo pointed out. “Yeah, but they're still out there.”

“How did you think of that?” Unwilling to dwell on that fact, Cheen asked.

Thankful that it’d worked, Martha explained. “I saw it on a film. They used to do it in submarines. The trouble is, I can't remember what they did next.”

“Well, you'd better think of something, because we've lost the aircon. If we don't switch the engines back on, we won't be able to breathe.” Milo informed them.

“How long have we got?”

“Eight minutes, maximum.”

Time passed at a leisurely crawl as they sat silently in the dark, constantly aware that they were living on borrowed time. Uncomfortable with being inactive and feeling useless, Martha was inexplicably pleased when Cheen finally broke the silence that had settled over them.

“How much air's left?”

“Two minutes.” Milo panted.

Feeling defeated already, Martha clung to her last shred of hope.

“There's always the Doctor. Those friends of mine. They might think of something.”

“Martha, no one's coming.” Milo informed her.

“He looked kind of nice.” Cheen said, grateful for a distraction.

Uncertain how to describe the two travellers she settled on a vague answer. “He's a bit more than that.”

“Are you and him…” Cheen left the question hanging.

And though they were perfect strangers, it was the first chance she’d had to vent to someone so she took it with grasping hands.

“No. Though him and Rose seem closer than they’d like to admit. Sometimes I’m not sure why they brought me but sometimes, I just think they need someone with them.”

“I never even asked. Where's home?

“It's a long way away.” An inadequate explanation but also the only one she could give. It suddenly hit her, that lost in the excitement of it all, she’d never really considered the fact that she’d ran away from home without any notice. “I didn't really think. I just followed the Doctor and Rose, and they don't even know where I am. My mum and dad. If I died here, they'd never know.” The implications of her actions suddenly heavy on her shoulders.

“So, er, who are they, then, this Doctor and Rose?” Milo asked tentatively.

“I don't know. Well, not really. There's so much they never say.”

“But that means that the only hope right now is a complete stranger. Well, that's no use.” Cheen gasped, panic returning.

“It is, though, because you haven't seen the things they can do.” Martha rushed to reassure them. “Honestly, just trust me, both of you. You've got your faith, you've got your songs and your hymns, and I've got the Doctor.”

She may be milleniums away from home, but she knew she could count on the two of them to save her, of that she had no doubt.

“Right.” Milo said determinedly, as he switched the car back on.

“Systems back online.” The computer informed them.

“Good luck.” Milo said, grasping Cheen’s hand in his own.

“And you.” Martha returned.

As the car started it’s deadly dance through the fog once more.

Rose wasn’t certain of how much time had passed, but the tears had long since stopped leaving only numbness and determination. She slowly stood for the captain’s chair, knees weak from a prolonged period of sitting in an uncomfortable position. She staggered to the console, a plan slowly forming.

“Okay old girl, think you can take us to the Doctor?”

Whatever had led to her hearing the TARDIS’ voice after losing her mum, was no longer working. The only response she received was another change in hum, this time sounding slightly angry or maybe even frustrated? It was difficult to distinguish but for now, Rose would assume it was a negative response.

“Oh come on, I can’t just sit here and do nothing while Martha’s in trouble. I know you said he can’t know about it, and you’ve made sure of that but surely there’s still something we

can

do. It’s not as if I have a big yellow truck on hand this time.” She’d been circling the console as she’d spoken, her hands kept in contact the whole time almost subconsciously, as she awaited an answer.

She’d been waiting for it this time, so the TARDIS’ reply was easier to interpret. Well as easy as a hum was to understand. And though reluctant, it seemed as though the TARDIS agreed. As the TARDIS whired to life around her, she realised that without a pilot it was likely to be a bumpy ride and she should probably grab a hold of something.

And just as the thought entered her mind, the world went dark.

Rose opened her eyes to find herself laid on the grating of the TARDIS. Grunting quietly to herself, she slowly sat up feeling bruised and tender.

What the hell happened? She wondered to herself.

One moment she’d been determined to help and then… nothing. Just a big old blank space in her memory. Her brow furrowed in confusion, had she blacked out? Wobbling to her feet, she used the handrail to support herself as she yanked open the TARDIS door. She stumbled out of the door, looking back over her shoulder in bewilderment. She was pulled from her confusion by a voice.

“Rose!”

She whipped round to see Martha looking at her. Confusion was replaced by elation at seeing the woman alive and well.

“Martha!” She dived forward, wrapping the girl up in a hug. “Thought we lost you.”

“It’s good to see you too.”

As they pulled back, they finally took note of their surroundings. Gone was the filth of the alley in it’s place stood a prestigious building left in ruin and littered with decayed bodies.

“Is that…” Martha trailed off, not wanting to finish the thought.

“I think so.”

“Doctor?” Martha whispered.

“Over here.” The Doctor’s voice echoed through the large chamber.

Unwilling to spend much longer surrounded by corpses the two women darted off in the direction of the voice. As they stepped into view the Doctor’s face crumpled in confusion.

“Rose, what are you doing here?”

“Dunno. TARDIS just took off, thought it was another one of your emergency protocol things.” Rose answered distractedly, her attention focused on the Face of Boe, lying on the floor in a bed of glass and wires from his tank.

“What happened out there?” Martha stopped suddenly at the sight of the Face of Boe. “What's that?”

“It's the Face of Boe. It's all right. Come and say hello. And this is Hame. She's a cat. Don't worry. He's the one that saved you, not me.” The Doctor’s voice was gentle as he spoke.

“My lord gave his life to save the city, and now he's dying.” Hame said through unshed tears.

“Rosie.”

A voice whispered in Rose’s mind leaving her frozen in shock at the greeting, she’d never spoken to the Face of Boe before, not really and there was only one person who’d ever called her that.

“No, don't say that. Not old Boe. Plenty of life left.”

“It's good to breathe the air once more.” The Face of Boe spoke verbally this time though it seemed to take a considerable amount of effort.

“I’ve missed you, Rose.”

“Who is he?” Martha asked from besides Hame.

Shaking off her shock at

that

nickname, Rose finally settled on the floor with the others besides the Doctor, today just kept getting weirder.

“I don't even know. Legend says the Face of Boe has lived for billions of years. Isn't that right? And you're not about to give up now.”

“Everything has its time. You know that, old friend, better than most.” The Face of Boe wheezed.

A chill ran up Rose’s spine at the words. Who was the Face of Boe to call the Doctor ‘old friend’ and how did he know them? No one could tell by looking at the Doctor that he was hundreds of years old, so how did he know.

The TARDIS hummed quietly in the back of her mind, it took her a moment to realise that the TARDIS too, was mourning. That cemented it for Rose this wasn’t just the loss of another life, this was the loss of a dear friend.

“The legend says more.” Hame started.

“Don't. There's no need for that.”

“It says that the Face of Boe will speak his final secret to a traveller.” Novice Hame said pointedly at the Doctor.

“Yeah, but not yet. Who needs secrets, eh?”

The guilt that statement brought would be felt later, Rose knew. But right now, this moment was the Face of Boe’s.

“I have seen so much. Perhaps too much. I am the last of my kind, as you are the last of yours, Doctor.”

Something about those words rang untrue to Rose but she couldn’t pinpoint what, the Face of Boe was dying, he had no reason to lie.

Martha’s gaze flickered to the Doctor in confusion. Neither of the travellers denied Boe’s claim.

“That's why we have to survive. Both of us. Don't go.” The Doctor pleaded.

“I’m sorry we didn’t get here sooner, but please don’t go.”

Rose tried to project her words to the Face of Boe mentally just as he’d done, unsure as to whether it had worked.

“I must.” He said in answer whether to just the Doctor or to Rose as well she wasn’t certain.

“You’ll see me again soon, Rose.”

He spoke solely to Rose for a moment before continuing. “But know this, Time Lord. You are not alone.” And with the utterance of his final secret the life left him.

Rose reached out a hand to stroke the side of his cheek, until the skin beneath her fingers grew cold. Novice Hame sobbed, as the Face of Boe’s eyes closed for the last time. She could sense the tension in the Doctor besides her, could already tell his mind was working at a million miles an hour to determine the Face of Boe’s possible meaning.

Martha rose to shaky feet, looking unnerved by his passing. The Doctor stood too, wrapping an arm around Martha’s shoulders.

The Doctor popped back to the alley they’d first arrived in to ensure his order had been followed through with. On the trip over he’d explained that the city had gone under quarantine due to a virus mutating inside of a new mood patch. This had only sought to reaffirm the Doctor’s belief that the business should be shut down and Martha was clearly in agreeance with him.

Rose’s mind however, was stuck on the loss of the Face of Boe and his possible connection to them.

From scraps of cardboard, signs had been made to hang on the hatches that read:

closed until further notice

. The entire place was deserted, the only movement to be seen was plastic bags caught in the wind. It was all a tad depressing, a place that used to bustle with life was now empty and in ruin, the rest of the city was likely in a similar state. So while the Doctor and Martha celebrated the closure of the mood patch businesses, Rose silently grieved the losses the city had sustained.

“New New York can start again. And they've got Novice Hame. Just what every city needs. Cats in charge. Come on, time we were off.”

Rose was all too glad to escape the somber attitude of New New York. And began heading back to the TARDIS with the Doctor when Martha spoke up.

“But what did he mean, the Face of Boe? You're not alone.”

“I don't know.”

“You've got me and Rose. Is that what he meant?”

“I don't think so. Sorry.” The Doctor rejected with a careful smile.

“Then what?” Martha asked, crestfallen.

“Doesn't matter. Back to the TARDIS, off we go.” The Doctor dismissed.

Rose was tired and more than a little emotionally drained, she didn’t want to plead with Martha to leave it be once more, she prayed that she’d see that it was a losing battle on her own. Unfortunately, that train of thought came to a sudden halt at the sound of a chair scraping against the concrete.

“All right, are you staying?” The Doctor asked, confused by the sudden development.

“Till you talk to me properly, yes.” Martha said adamantly, “He said last of your kind. What does that mean?”

“It really doesn't matter.”

“You don't talk. You never say. Why not?”

A part of Rose just wanted this conversation to be over so they could return to the TARDIS, another part of Rose could relate to the frustration of getting non answers from the Doctor. She had had a similar moment when she first started travelling with the Doctor after all, but she’d begrudgingly accepted that the Doctor didn’t like to talk about personal things over time.

“Fast falls the eventide.”

“It's the city.” Martha spoke awestruck at the song filling the air.

“The darkness deepens.”

“They're singing.”

“Lord, with me abide. When other helpers fail.”

“It’s beautiful.” Rose commented quietly.

She looked over her shoulder at the Doctor when she realised he still hadn’t spoken. Though he was still, Rose could almost see his internal conflict. Stepping closer, she took her hand in his, his shoulder’s immediately sagging with a sigh.

“I lied to you, because I liked it. I could pretend. Just for a bit, I could imagine they were still alive, underneath a burnt orange sky. I'm not just a Time Lord. I'm the last of the Time Lords. The Face of Boe was wrong. There's no one else.” The Doctor’s words are careful and measured, none of his emotions bleeding in as he spoke.

Rose squeezed his hand in an attempt to comfort him. She couldn’t bring his people back, she couldn’t heal his suffering but for now she could offer this.

“What happened?” Asked Martha.

“Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day.”

The Doctor pulled up a chair to sit with Martha as he explained, Rose followed suit, already knowing what was coming.

“There was a war. A Time War. The last Great Time War. My people fought a race called the Daleks, for the sake of all creation. And they lost. They lost. Everyone lost. They're all gone now. My family, my friends, even that sky.” Gone was the carefully measured monotone, his voice betraying the tears he would not let fall. “Oh, you should have seen it, that old planet. The second sun would rise in the south, and the mountains would shine. The leaves on the trees were silver, and when they caught the light every morning, it looked like a forest on fire. When the autumn came, the breeze would blow through the branches like a song.”

Beneath a foreign sky the Doctor spoke of his lost home with reverence as the people he saved, filled the air with song.

“The darkness deepens. Lord, with me abide.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Chapter Nine:
Bad Wolf Corporation.

Series:
Three.

Episode:
Six - The Lazarus Experiment.

Part:
One.

When they finally returned to the TARDIS, it was to make a beeline straight for the kitchen, as they hadn’t eaten since they’d been in Elizabethan England that morning. And though Rose had been aboard the TARDIS for several hours alone she’d been so distracted she hadn’t thought to eat. Funny how life changing secrets can blind you to the menial tasks of surviving.

The Doctor whipped up some pangshen, a delicacy from Norrooma that resembled fishcakes in appearance and texture but tasted more like a beef/lamb combination served with some ordinary steamed Earth greens. Conversation was light and stilted after the stressful day, the mind’s of the three travellers occupied.

With the meal finished, Rose ushered Martha out of the room to rest after her ordeal rather than concerning herself with the washing up. Silence lingered between the duo for a moment as they went through the motions of putting away the clean crockery, putting the dishes from their meal in to be washed and tidying away any signs of the meal they’d just eaten.

With that done, they retook their seats cups of tea in hand, each to their unique specification as they had done so many times before. Neither knew where to start, as they cradled their mugs.

“Rose.” The Doctor started somberly.

“I know.” Rose answered equally solemn, as she stared into her mug. “She can’t stay. She’s got a life back home to get back to and she never really agreed to come along full time anyway.” All of her earlier determination having fled her, she’d only seen that the Doctor had invited her along for

a

trip, it had only been her assumption that there was more, likely having caused more damage in the process.

And maybe her machinations were for nothing anyway. Clearly the TARDIS had the ability to intervene if she so wished, if Rose’s convenient amnesia episodes were anything to go by. If she was going to mess up she didn’t doubt that the TARDIS would intervene. All her current path was doing was stressing her out and she didn’t need that on top of the grief of losing but not losing her mum. She’d carry on as normal, do what she thought best rather than constantly second guessing herself.

Her earlier resolve was forgotten in the grief of losing the Face of Boe, another name to add to the ever growing list. She’d come to the conclusion that this couldn’t continue, she couldn’t keep second guessing every one of her actions for a timeline that no longer existed. She was going to drive herself mad, she had to continue as before and if the TARDIS had a problem with that then she could deal with it.

“She could have ended up dead.” The Doctor said, effectively erasing any doubts about just how much trouble Martha was in. “I didn’t mean for that to happen, and certainly not now.”

“I’m sorry.” She fiddled with the handle of her mug, her guilt consuming her. “I shouldn’t have pushed, didn’t even ask if it was alright and look what happened?”

The question hung in the air as they were both reminded of how much worse today could have gone.

“First thing tomorrow then, yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Rose was quiet the next morning at breakfast, staring into the swirling depths of her cup of tea, Martha’s already prepared besides her as the two travelers awaited the arrival of their guest. Martha was all smiles as she joined them in the kitchen. Rose fought to return the smile with equal fervour but knew it was strained with the knowledge of what today would bring for her. She’d almost died and this was the thanks she was to receive?

Rose shook her head, dismissing the thought as she took a sip of now tepid tea. No. She’d told herself last night she would not continue on in that way. Part of her wondered if it was the TARDIS’ own meddling that led to such thoughts.

Breakfast was a simple affair of tea and toast, the toaster the Doctor had been fiddling with was no longer functionable for its original purpose but Rose had pulled a spare one out of the cupboard for this exact situation, common as it was.

Conversation was forced on Rose’s end but Martha didn’t seem to take note of it, which made it all the more difficult for Rose. She’d come to quite like having the young medic aboard, she fit into their life so easily but it wasn’t safe for her. She had a family and a life to get back to, and so close after Canary Wharf Rose knew the Doctor wouldn’t risk that again. And it’d only been a few days, she argued to herself.

Food eaten and dishes dealt with they crowded into the console room as they had each time before.

Martha clung to the console as the TARDIS hurtled through the vortex, Rose held on to a nearby railing, not wanting to be closer when the inevitable fallout came and feeling more than a little detached from the whole situation.

The TARDIS landed with a rather gentle thump, signifying their arrival. Conversation had been light but never once touched upon the day’s destination.

“There we go. Perfect landing. Which isn't easy in such a tight spot.” The Doctor announced scratching the back of his neck, the only sign of awkwardness in his otherwise cheerful countenance.

“You should be used to tight spots by now.” Martha said absently as she straightened and brushed off her hands, “Where are we?”

“The end of the line.”

Martha rushed down the ramp with a grin, pausing at the doors, looking back at the Doctor for reassurance.

The Doctor nodded his reassurance, “No place like it.”

Martha beamed, excitement almost palpable as she pulled open the doors and rushed outside.

The Doctor followed after her at a much more leisurely pace. Rose almost considered staying in the TARDIS to avoid the waiting conflict. But then the Doctor shot a pleading look at her over his shoulder, holding out his hand for her to take, and she knew she couldn’t. Goodbyes were never easy, especially for the man with so many.

“Home. You took me home?” Martha asked, tone laced with barely concealed disgust.

“In fact, the morning after we left, so you've only been gone about twelve hours. No time at all, really.”

Rose didn’t bother with the teasing comment that sat on the tip of her tongue at that. There was no space for it today, couldn’t make herself enjoy their usual banter.

The Doctor stepped more fully into Martha’s flat, leaning down to look at the pictures on the mantel.

“But all the stuff we've done. Shakespeare, New New York, the Moon?”

The accusation and confusion was clear in Martha’s tone.

Rose leant back against the TARDIS, it was easier to be the bigger person in thought but it was that much harder when the person you were trying to protect didn’t agree. And maybe Rose of all people should have understood the irony in that but she convinced herself it wasn’t the same.

“Yep, all in one night, relatively speaking. Everything should be just as it was. Books, CDs, laundry.” He said, gesturing to Martha’s clothes horse of washing, “So, back where you were, as promised.”

“This is it?” Martha said incredulously.

“Yeah, I should probably um-” He trailed off, uncomfortable with the situation that was too close to the clean up he usually tried to avoid, thankfully interrupted by the ringing of Martha’s home phone.

It went straight to the answering machine, the message ringing out in the awkward silence.

“Hi, I'm out. Leave a message.” Answer machine Martha said.

“I'm sorry.” Marth apologised.

“Martha, are you there? Pick it up, will you?” An unfamiliar woman spoke.

“It's Mum. It'll wait.”

“All right then, pretend that you're out if you like.” The Doctor and Martha shared a weak smile at that, “I was only calling to say that your sister's on TV. On the news of all things. Just thought you might be interested.”

Martha grabbed the TV remote from the sofa as the message finished. Grateful for the distraction from the current car wreck of a conversation that was happening in her flat presently.

“The details are top secret.” The elderly man on the TV said.

Rose pushed away from the TARDIS to stand besides Martha and the Doctor to see the news more clearly. Also glad for the reprieve, she’d been dreading this moment since their conversation last night. Potential scenarios swirling around her brain, preventing her from sleeping. She’d never been a particularly anxious person, but travelling with the Doctor had taught her to look at situations differently, nothing was too ridiculous of a possibility.

“How could Tish end up on the news?” Martha questioned rhetorically.

And indeed behind the elderly man was a woman stood primly in a suit, clipboard clutched to her chest, featuring vaguely resembling Martha’s.

“Tonight, I will demonstrate a device which will redefine our world.” Continued the unknown man.

“She's got a new job. PR for some research lab.” Martha explained, gaze not drifting from the screen as she spoke.

The TARDIS seemed to shudder in Rose’s mind leaving her distracted, as she focused on the bizarre sensation rather than on the new report before her. She still wasn’t particularly used to being able to feel the TARDIS in her mind, especially so close to the ship.

“With the push of a single button, I will change what it means to be human.” The main said.

Martha turned the TV off as reporters began to clamour for the professor’s attention. Turning back to face the two travellers.

“Sorry. You were saying we should?” Martha asked.

“Yes, yes, we should. One trip is what we said.” The Doctor responded, gaze unfocused still slightly distracted by the news announcement.

“Yeah. I suppose things just kind of escalated.”

Rose had to admit that Martha was taking this better than expected, perhaps she had seen this coming. Rose’s stomach clenched at the thought, but she couldn’t decide if it was better or worse for her to have foreseen this possibility.

“Mmm. Seems to happen to me a lot.”

“Thank you. For everything, both of you.” Smiled Martha.

“It was my pleasure.” Returned the Doctor, stepping back inside the TARDIS.

“Take care of yourself.” Rose finally spoke, giving the girl a brief hug and smile.

She deserved better than this hasty goodbye, part of her argued, but another part of her knew that Martha would be brilliant with or without them.

“You too.”

Rose stepped back, joining the Doctor in the TARDIS resolve faltering, she dared not look back.

The Doctor started up the dematerialisation sequence. Rose leant back, letting her head thump back against the TARDIS’ door, feeling more than a touch of guilt at the abrupt goodbye.

God this was getting frustrating. She felt guilty when Martha was with them and guilty when she wasn’t, Rose thought bitterly to herself. When did her feelings get so conflicting? She wondered to herself before thinking better of it, already sure she knew the answer to that question, and not wanting to deal with that right now.

But then the professor’s words caught up with her. The words she’d been distracted from due to the TARDIS’ behaviour. She edged slowly away from the doors heading towards the Doctor. Who was currently raking his hands through his hair in frustration, clearly debating with himself.

“Did he just…” Rose trailed off.

“I think so.” The Doctor answered, already starting the rematerialisation sequence.

As soon as they landed he thundered down the ramp and pulled open the door.

“No, I'm sorry. Did he say he was going to change what it means to be human?”

Martha was more than happy to tell them about the event that was taking place that night for Lazarus Laboratories.

“We’re going.” The Doctor announced.

“Um Doctor? Big event like that, bound to have a strict guest list, how do you expect to get in? Can’t exactly go in as Martha’s plus two.” Rose asked.

“Psychic paper.” He answered simply and that was the end of that.

Excited at the prospect of one last adventure Martha had suggested hopping straight to this evening, an idea the Doctor was totally on board with until Rose reminded them that Martha had been going to go into town to pay the rent today when they’d first met her. That had put a bit of a damper on things. But Rose had promised to show Martha the wardrobe room when she got back and they could get ready together.

Rose was a little excited herself, she’d not had a chance to have a big girly get ready together in a while. Not since Shareen had last dragged her out, long before Canary Wharf. It hadn’t been the same since she started travelling with the Doctor, there was some much she couldn’t say and they always had so many questions. Rightly so.

When Martha returned, makeup bag in hand, Rose dragged her deep into the bowels of the ship to the wardrobe room. The TARDIS had already highlighted an area of the room - a landing that came off halfway up the winding coral stairs - that would suit tonight’s needs. Two racks had been separated from the rest, one for each of them with their sizes in mind.

The two girls rifled through their individual racks of gowns. The chatter was light and easy until Martha addressed the elephant in the room.

“So you were just going to leave, just like that?”

Rose let the wine red dress she was assessing fall back with the others with a whisper of fabric.

She froze for a moment considering her words as the guilt bubbled up again and made it’s presence known. She turned slowly to face Martha, eyes downcast, not wanting to meet her gaze.

“Do you remember when we first met, what the Doctor said about the Battle of Canary Wharf?” Rose started.

Martha nodded. “He said you were there. But what does-”

“It's not been that long for us. Time travel,” Rose chuckled bitterly, “it's all over the place. It's not even been that long since Christmas for us and we were there too. It's just.” She paused biting on her lip.

She didn’t even know how to go about explaining this to Martha. Could barely understand it herself. But she was right, she was owed an explanation.

“We never really stopped to take a breather after everything.” She dropped her gaze to the grating, all the levels of the wardrobe visible between the gaps as she picked at a hangnail. “I lost my mum in the battle. She’s not dead!” She quickly amended, lifting her gaze. “She’s stuck in a parallel universe, that’s where the ghosts came from. And to get rid of them the Doctor had to seal the two universes off to each other, leaving my mum on the other side with my mate Mickey, unreachable. I’d barely said goodbye to her when we ended up in London on Christmas. Then the day we met you we’d just come back from clearing out the flat. Like I said we’re not used to having people on board, Adam was kicked off, Jack and Mickey stayed behind, it doesn’t always end well. And you got kidnapped and almost died and it was just too much of a risk, after everything.

“I mean,” She chuckled bitterly, running a hand through her hair in frustration, “You’ve got a life and a family and a job here! You’ve got everything and you could have lost it all and we’d never even asked you if you actually wanted to come along for good. It was just sort of a wakeup call. Its not always safe, the travelling, you’ve already lost your sister Adeola, could your family really suffer another loss?”

Martha nodded, she understood. It made sense, she hadn’t known any of that before. She still wasn’t happy about the abrupt goodbye, but it made more sense, she’d had months to grieve the loss of her twin and the thought of her still left a painful twinge in her chest.

“A little warning would’ve been nice though.” Martha chuckled trying to alleviate some of the tension that settled between them.

Rose smiled weakly.

“I know, but how do you prepare someone for that?”

She had a point Martha supposed. They both turned back to their dresses when Martha spoke up.

“I think it would be worse.” Martha said gently.

“What?” Rose asked perplexed.

“Knowing someone was alive but unable to see them. You’d never know if they were safe or happy. At least when they’re dead you don’t have to worry anymore. I know Addie’s job with the government was dangerous and I always worried it would get her killed, but now there’s relief. Yes there’s grief and pain and loss too, but I know she’s not in danger anymore.” She’d thought about it a lot after she’d lost her sister, the relief, the guilt and self-hatred it brought her.

“I suppose so.” Rose all but whispered back.

Conversation shifted back onto less serious topics after that as they focused back on their dresses for the night. They each tried several on behind the changing screens provided and after some discussion between the two they finally settled on a dress each.

Rose took the dresses back to her room to keep safe before they headed to the kitchen for some quick sandwiches for lunch. The Doctor was nowhere in sight.

“Where’s the Doctor gone off to?” Martha asked.

“Probably fiddling with the remains of the toaster, he’ll probably pop back up later.”

While Rose dealt with the dishes, Martha stepped back into her flat to grab some hair things.

They returned to Rose’s room to get ready. Martha rose an eyebrow at the mess, there were knick knacks and historical clothing strewn all throughout the rather large room. Rose’s face scrunched up in embarrassment as she looked about herself as well.

“Sorry it’s a bit cluttered. Always dashing from one place to the next, have a nasty habit of just dumping things, should really sort it out. Come on.”

She led Martha into the large, gleaming, white, bathroom. The dresses were hung on a rail attached to the door, likely for this very purpose. While the bedroom had been in cluttered chaos the bathroom was fairly tidy. The only things visible were some bottles in the shower and a bar of soap at the sink. Martha had spotted all of Rose’s everyday makeup scattered across her vanity table in her room under a cork board of pictures that she hadn’t looked too closely at.

Martha stepped into her dress while Rose went to gather her makeup. Martha plugged in her straighteners while Rose stepped into her own dress. There were two sockets on either side of the large mirror that took up nearly the whole of one wall of the bathroom. Rose plugged her curlers into the socket on the other side and set to work on her hair as well.

“So who’s Adam?” Martha asked.

“He was one of the first people we brought along - bit of a computer genius - but he did something stupid for his own gain, almost changed the history of the human race and nearly got me and the Doctor killed.”

“You said don’t get a brain door.” Martha said, thinking back on the odd comment Rose had made after seeing the play.

“Yeah, he got this head chip thing that opened up doors to your brain so he was able to access information about the evolution of computers. Was gonna use the information so he could profit off it and in turn alter human history, creating a paradox in the process. He was a liability I guess, so the Doctor sent him home.”

“Bit harsh.”

“I suppose. I didn’t think much of it at the time.”

“And now?” Martha wondered.

Rose put the hair curlers down on the counter. She’d gotten them from an Althusian
travelling market on an asteroid, they had sensors that could detect the differences in material and would only heat the part touching hair.

“Now its complicated. I know more about time travel, there are things you shouldn’t mess with but I’ve also made my own mistakes too.” Rose shrugged weakly, “The Doctor’s been doing this for longer than I have, I trust his judgement.”

Martha nodded in understanding.

The two of them continued doing their hair for a beat when another question occurred to Martha.

“What’s psychic paper, you never got the chance to explain after Shakespeare.”

“It shows people whatever you want it to, you’ve just got to think. It doesn’t work on some people; some have training to be able to see through it, some species don’t have a concept of a written language and some like Shakespeare are just able to see through it. But not most.”

“Bet that comes in handy. Any other fun toys?”

“Not really he generally just makes it up as he goes along. As long as he’s got his sonic.”

They finished heating their hair around the same time. Martha moved on to makeup while Rose started to pin her curls up in a loose curly bun.

“You also mentioned fixed points, what are they?”

“Some points are fixed, you can’t change them, most things are in flux but things like the Titanic sinking have to happen. Timelords have time senses or something, they can sense what is and isn’t a fixed point, its sort of uncomfortable for them apparently, so the Doctor’ll always know. Fixed points are what differentiates parallel universes, its what makes that universe what it is sort of thing.”

“Anything else I should know?”

Rose laughed.

“No idea still figuring it out myself.”

Rose finished up with her makeup before slipping on the bracelet she’d found in the wardrobe room. Martha had gone into the bedroom to sit on her hastily made bed to put her heels on. Leaning against the bathroom door frame Rose slipped her own heels on. She’d gotten them from a bazaar on a human colony, they had improved support and comfort that made them more adept for running in which Rose was certain would be a possibility tonight.

Martha stood up brushing off her dress as she picked up the clutch she’d chosen for her ensemble, a wine red bardot dress that flared out at the waist and came to mid thigh, simple matching heels with straps across the middle and a satin ruffled clutch in the same colour with gold chain. Her hair was straightened and held back by a sparkly black hair band. Both practical and cute.

“Ready?” Rose asked.

“Yep.”

Martha led the way back to the console room chatting about her sister Tish - who’s event they would be crashing - as well as the rest of her family. She bounded into the console room first. Rose was about to follow when her heel had gotten stuck in one of the gaps in the grating that started just outside the console room. Sighing to herself, she slipped the heels off, before finally slipping into the console room as well.

The Doctor turned to face her as she entered, stopping mid babble. Rose hadn’t noticed, too busy staring at the grating and wondering whether it was worth putting her heels back on yet.

She’d chosen a dark blue satin halter dress with a single slit up the right leg that the TARDIS had suggested, matching peep toe heels adorned with a bow and silver bangle encrusted with diamonds that met in the middle by an oval blue jewel.

Deciding against it she looked up to find the Doctor looking at her and gave him a beaming smile. He shook himself free of whatever trance he’d been in.

“You look beautiful.” He said before shaking his head and moving to the console. “Both of you.”

“We taking the TARDIS there?” Martha asked, amused at the Doctor’s slip which Rose apparently hadn’t caught.

“Nah, I’ll just hop on forward and then we can take a taxi. Love a taxi.”

Rose chuckled.

The Doctor moved to dart past her but she lightly caught his arm. He paused looking down at her questioningly. Not answering, she reached up to straighten his bow tie.

“There. Better.” She said, finally looking up with a smile. “Do you still have the money from when we got chips?”

“Yep.” He tapped his blazer pocket. “Last bit.”

“Come on then."

The cab ride was fairly quick considering London traffic. Martha rattled off the address to the driver. The Doctor worked on making Martha’s clutch bigger on the inside while they waited. The streets were closed off for the event so their driver dropped them as close as they could. The girls hopped out while the Doctor paid before making their way towards the event.

The Doctor was fiddling with his cuffs as they walked.

“Oh, black tie. Whenever I wear this, something bad always happens.” The Doctor complained.

Rose batted his hands away from where they were still messing with his cufflinks. She knew how he felt about the black tux, had made his complaints known many a time. For someone who spent all their time in a suit you’d think they’d be more used to it.

“It's not the outfit, that's just you. Anyway, I think it suits you. In a James Bond kind of way.”

His hands had moved on to his bow tie, and Rose fought back the urge to tell him she’d just fixed that, but she knew he’d just find something else to fiddle with anyhow.

“James Bond?” He sounded almost disgusted at the comment before preening. “Really?

The two girls chuckled at the response.

Getting in was far easier than it should have been with the psychic paper, Rose would have almost questioned their security - or lack thereof - if it didn’t work in their favour. Inside was all cold stone and gleaming glass with a white cubicle on a platform surrounded by four pillars that sat centre stage, likely the main attraction of the night.

Rose was admiring the venue trying to ignore the faint buzzing in the back of her head that she was sure was coming from the TARDIS, she tried tuning it out but it was like trying to get the right frequency on the radio, not quite managing it, when a waiter walked past with a tray of nibbles which the Doctor quickly lunged for.

“Oh, look, they've got nibbles! I love nibbles.”

Rose rolled her eyes at him good naturedly as he scooped off a handful from the passing tray.

When suddenly Martha was ambushed by a woman.

“Hello.” The woman greeted.

“Tish.” Martha responded, scooping her up into a hug.

Ah so this was the older sister - Tish - that Martha had spoken of.

“You look great. So, what do you think? Impressive, isn't it?” Tish said.

“Very.”

“And two nights out in a row for you. That's dangerously close to a social life.”

“If I keep this up, I'll end up in all the gossip columns.”

“You might, actually. You should keep an eye out for photographers. And Mum, she's coming too. Even dragging Leo along with her.”

“Leo in black tie? That I must see.” Tish’s eyes flickered over to her and the Doctor, her smile becoming a little strained. “This is, er, the Doctor and Rose.” Martha introduced.

“Hello.” The Doctor greeted, shaking her hand.

Rose waved, wary of the strained smile and distracted by the now constant buzzing that was making it difficult to focus.

“Are they with you?” Tish asked, smile just that little bit more strained as she likely thought of the repercussions of a security leak.

“Yeah.”

“But they’re not on the list. How did they get in?”

Martha faltered a little at that. They hadn’t really thought about confronting Tish, getting in was the easy bit after all. The Doctor was unable to help, mouth still full of nibbles. Rose, frustrated by the persistent buzzing, decided to step forward instead.

“We’re potential financial investors from Bad Wolf Corporation, the Doctor is our scientific advisor.” Rose lied confidently in that

‘don’t question it we know what we’re doing’

tone that she’d seen the Doctor use oh so many times.

Tish’s eyes flicked down to her clipboard scanning the names in front of her, relief finally slipped into her gaze, having found truth in Rose’s random lie, she tried not to think about that too closely. Before Tish could comment further on the odd happenstance, the Doctor spoke.

“So, this Lazarus, he's your boss?”

“Professor Lazarus, yes. I'm part of his executive staff.”

“She's in the PR department.” Martha dismissed.

“I'm head of the PR department, actually.” Tish rebutted.

“You're joking.”

“I put this whole thing together.”

Rose smiled weakly at the exchange between the siblings, she’d never have that. It had been one of her biggest dreams growing up, to have a sibling, not anymore though.

“So do you know what the professor's going to be doing tonight? That looks like it might be a sonic microfield manipulator.” The Doctor said.

“He's a science geek. I should have known.” Was Tish’s only response, as if that answered all her previous questions, “Got to get back to work now. I'll catch up with you later.”

“Science geek? What does that mean?”

“That you're obsessively enthusiastic about it.” Martha answered, teasing tone barely concealed.

“Oh, nice.” The Doctor preened nonetheless before turning to confront Rose. “Bad Wolf Corporation? Where’d that come from?” The Doctor all but whispered so none but Rose would be able to hear.

Rose shrugged. “Dunno thought it was worth a shot, worked dinit?”

The Doctor made a noise in the back of his throat of reluctant agreement causing Rose to grin up at him.”

The three of them turned back to look at the chamber that the Doctor had identified as a sonic microfield manipulator with a closer eye. Rose had no idea what to expect but she’d learned any warning signs may be helpful. They were interrupted by the rest of Martha’s family.

“Martha.” Martha’s mum called.

“Mum!” Martha swept up her mum in a big hug.

A pang of loss went through Rose at the scene, she’d never get the opportunity to hug her mum again. Tonight seemed to be a constant reminder of what she’d lost.

“All right, what's the occasion?” Francine chuckled.

“What do you mean? I'm just pleased to see you, that's all.”

“You saw me last night.”

“I know. I just missed you.” Martha struggled to cover, instead switching the focus of the conversation. “You're looking good, Leo.”

“Yeah. If anyone asks me to fetch them a drink, I'll swing for him.” Leo joked.

“You disappeared last night.” Francine stated, suspiciously eyeing her and the Doctor.

“I just went home.” Martha tried to reassure.

“On your own?” Looking pointedly at the Doctor.

“These are some friends of mine. The Doctor and Rose.”

“Doctor what?”

“No, it's just the Doctor. We've been doing some work together.”

“You all right, mate?” Leon greeted, shaking the Doctor’s hand then Rose’s.

“It’s lovely to meet you, Mrs Jones.” The Doctor beamed, shaking Francine’s hand as well.

“And how do you know my daughter?” She asked.

“We heard Miss Jones was present at Royal Hope Hospital at the time of the moon incident. We’ve been doing some investigating into the event, checking for any possible side effects, Martha has been very helpful in our investigations.” Rose slipped in, having gone largely unnoticed by the suspicious mother. “The Doctor was responsible for checking for any signs of the mass intoxication suggested by the media.” Rose smiled placatingly.

“And yourself?” Francine sneered.

Rose’s smile thinned just a little bit at the condensation in the woman’s tone. Likely her blonde hair and low class accent being the root of such judgement, it wouldn’t be the first time after all.

“I was tasked with overseeing any legal ramifications that may arise from such a scenario. It wouldn’t do to have our doctor, nurses, medical students and even patients being drugged en mass, would it? Who would we trust then?” She asked with forced levity that did little to hide the edge in her tone or eyes.

The lights suddenly dimmed and a clinking of a glass could be heard, ending any further conversation.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I am Professor Richard Lazarus and tonight I am going to perform a miracle.” All attention shifted to the man of the hour as he spoke. “It is, I believe, the most important advance since Rutherford split the atom, the biggest leap since Armstrong stood on the moon. Tonight, you will watch and wonder. Tomorrow, you will wake to a world which will be changed forever.”

Lazarus stepped into the chamber, cameras flashing as he did so. The scientists behind a counter loaded with equipment, began flicking the necessary switches to calibrate the machine. The machine started with a whir as a hand descended on a big red button. The room was flooded with light as the four columns started to oscillate and rotate around the chamber as energy poured into it.

All seemed well for a moment, though it was difficult to tell when you couldn't look at it without being blinded, until an alarm sounded. Screens flashed with the warning

‘system overload’

.

“Something's wrong. It's overloading.” The Doctor announced.

Sparks flew from the controls, the two scientists jumped back with a gasp. The Doctor darted over to them, leaping over the counter as he went.

The crowd began backing away from the machine, all the while unable to tear their eyes away, mesmerised.

The Doctor began flicking buttons and running his sonic over the machine in an attempt to limit the potential fallout.

“Somebody stop him. Get him away from those controls!” Lady Thaw shouts.

“If this thing goes up, it'll take the whole building with it. Is that what you want?” The Doctor sniped back.

The machine kept churning, smoke billowing down the sides of the chamber, the pitch of the whirring increased until finally the Doctor yanked out a big power cable. The machine slowly ground to a halt.

Both Rose and Martha rushed towards the chamber instinctively.

“Get it open!” The Doctor bellowed.

Martha managed to pull open the door, allowing smoke to come pouring out, shrouding the figure. As the smoke cleared the figure became visible, a young man stumbled out of the chamber and onto the platform besides Marth, Rose and the Doctor.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I am Richard Lazarus. I am seventy six years old and I am reborn!” Clamoured the professor dramatically to the awaiting crowd.

“He did it. He actually did it.” Beamed Lady Thaw.

Wild applause broke out.

As Lazarus stood posing for the photographers, the Doctor examined the wires and machinery encapsulated in the columns of the chamber more closely.

“It can't be the same guy. It's impossible. It must be a trick.” Martha denied, watching Lazarus like a hawk.

“Oh, it's not a trick. I wish it were.” The Doctor grimaced.

“But he can’t have, surely? We’d know if humans had this kind of technology. Hell Cassandra would have been first in line!” Rose argued.

Rose was sure of it. If humans had had this kind of technology it would have been prevalent in the future. The human race, always looking for a way to prolong the inevitable would have jumped on a chance like this. A longer lifespan was one thing but to be young all over again? She was hard pressed to think of someone who wouldn’t want that.

“What just happened?” Martha asked.

“He just changed what it means to be human.” The Doctor replied simply, not easing the worries of the two women at all.

When they next saw the professor he was shovelling canapes into his mouth as though he hadn’t eaten in years.

“Energy deficit. Always happens with this kind of process.” The Doctor informed Lazarus as he sidled up besides him.

“You speak as if you see this every day, Mister...?” Lazarus trailed off.

“Doctor. And well, no, not every day, but I have some experience of this kind of transformation.”

“You should try a cup of tea.” Rose imparted, thinking of the Doctor’s post regeneration struggle.

“That's not possible.” Lazarus rebuted.

“Using hypersonic sound waves to create a state of resonance. That's inspired.”

Rose bit back a smile. She may not have the first clue what it was the Lazarus had done, but she could see that the Doctor was impressed. A feat that didn’t occur often and his glee was infectious.

“You understand the theory, then.”

“Enough to know that you couldn't possibly have allowed for all the variables.” The Doctor said gravelly.

“No experiment is entirely without risk.” Lazarus dismissed, still munching away on canapes.

Rose’s lip curled in disgust. How could he be so nonchalant? When his experiment almost cost the lives of every single person in the room just because his ego needed an audience.

“That thing nearly exploded. You might as well have stepped into a blender.”

“You're not qualified to comment.” Lady Thaw argued.

“If I hadn't stopped it, it would have exploded.”

“Then I thank you, Doctor. But that's a simple engineering issue. What happened inside the capsule was exactly what was supposed to happen. No more, no less.” Lazarus continued in the same devil may care tone.

“You've no way of knowing that until you've run proper tests.” Martha stepped in.

“Look at me. You can see what happened. I'm all the proof you need.” Lazarus scoffed.

“This device will be properly certified before we start to operate commercially.” Lady Thaw added, as if that was supposed to be reassuring in the slightest.

“Commercially? You are joking. That'll cause chaos.”

“Not chaos, change. A chance for humanity to evolve, to improve.”

“Change. Chaos. They have a tendency to go hand in hand.” Rose snapped, frustrated by their lack of concern it never failed to rile her up when people ignored their warnings.

“This isn't about improving. This is about you and your customers living a little longer.” The Doctor glared, disgusted.

“Not a little longer, Doctor. A lot longer. Perhaps indefinitely.”

“Richard, we have things to discuss, upstairs.” Lady Thaw dismissed them, walking away.

“Goodbye, Doctor. In a few years, you'll look back and laugh at how wrong you were.”

Lazarus went to follow Lady Thaw but stopped to pick up Martha’s hand, placing a kiss on the back - much to her chagrin -, before leaving.

“Egotistical prick.” Rose muttered, glaring after his retreating form.

“Oh, he's out of his depth. No idea of the damage he might have done.”

“So what do we do now?” Martha asked.

“Now? Well, this building must be full of laboratories. I say we do our own tests.”

“Lucky I've just collected a DNA sample then, isn't it?” Marth said, lifting up her hand with a smile.

“Oh, Martha Jones, you're a star.”

Gaining access to one of the labs was embarrassingly easy, Rose would have thought that a high tech lab would try to keep their secrets safe but apparently not. It hadn’t taken long for Martha and the Doctor to set up, Rose didn’t know what they were up to so largely left them to it, and now they were all huddled around a computer screen in a dark lab at a party they’d crashed and were now ignoring.

“Amazing.” The Doctor said in awe, staring at the image of Lazarus’ DNA.

Rose didn’t know what ordinary human DNA was supposed to look like so she wasn’t sure what she was supposed to be looking for, as she leaned against the counter, hand propping her head up staring at the screen.

“What?” Martha asked, equally confused.

“Lazarus' DNA.”

“I can't see anything different.”

Rose smiled, glad she wasn’t the only one out of the loop, but frustrated nonetheless. Honestly she was sick of not understanding; not understanding what was happening with the TARDIS, not understanding the Doctor’s technobabble, it was quite frankly infuriating.

“Look at it.” The Doctor ordered.

Sighing, Rose lent further forward, squinting at the computer trying to figure what she’d missed. And just then the image flickered, the shape of the DNA strand changing. Rose gasped.

“Oh, my God. Did that just change? But it can't have.”

“But it did.”

“I know enough to know that’s not a good thing.” Rose muttered darkly.

For a second the image before her eyes swam as the irritating buzzing at the back of her head sent out a bolt of pain, leaving her a head throbbing for only a moment before receding again.

Bloody TARDIS, Rose thought to herself, grumpily. Why couldn’t she just leave well alone for five minutes?

“It's impossible.” Martha denied, tone firm and unwavering.

“And that's two impossible things we've seen so far tonight. Don't you love it when that happens?” The Doctor grinned.

Martha ignored the Doctor’s glee, still focused on the image in front of her. “That means Lazarus has changed his own molecular patterns.”

“Hypersonic sound waves to destabilise the cell structure, then a metagenic programme to manipulate the coding in the protein strands.”

Rose stared at the Doctor blankly, no idea what he was saying, and more importantly what it meant. Thankful when he continued.

“Basically, he hacked into his own genes and instructed them to rejuvenate.”

“But they're still mutating now.” Martha pointed out.

“Because nothing’s ever that simple.” Rose bemoaned sarcastically, causing the Doctor to flash a grin at her.

“Because he missed something. Something in his DNA has been activated and won't let him stabilise. Something that's trying to change him.”

“Change him into what?”

“I don't know, but I think we need to find out.”

“That woman said they were going upstairs.”

“Let's go.”

Leaving the lab as quickly as they entered, they rushed to the lifts.

Back at the reception, Francine beckoned her eldest daughter over. Something was going on with that Doctor bloke and that Rose woman. She didn’t trust them. And okay maybe she was channeling her hatred of Annelise and her divorce onto the woman but still.

“Tish! Have you seen Martha or that Doctor and that blonde anywhere?” Francine sneered.

“Not since the demonstration.” Tish answered.

“Do you know anything about him? Has she ever mentioned him before?”

“Not to me, why would she have? They said they were just potential investors.”

Suspicion mounting, she continued. “Investors? That woman said they were investigating the moon hoax. And the way she followed him.”

“She's a doctor. She was just doing her job.” Tish dismissed.

“She's not a doctor yet. Never will be, if she doesn't stay focused.”

Leo and Tish shared a look. They knew all too well that their mother pushed too hard, their youngest sister was no exception, not even after Addie’s death. They had to work twice as hard to make it, their mother would remind them, they didn’t get the luxury of reprieval.

“Look, she's found a bloke. So what?” Leo stepped in, hoping to disway his mum from her current thinking.

“There's something going on, Leo, I can feel it.” Francine argued, adamant that there was more to this than her daughter had let on.

They arrived at Lazarus’ office to find it dark and empty. Lacking the professor they’d come look for. The Doctor flicked on the lights.

“This is his office, all right.” Martha commented.

“Mmm, very flash.” Rose said, glaring at a roman-esque statue.

“So where is he?” The Doctor asked.

“Don't know. Let's try back at the reception…” Martha trailed off.

The Doctor and Rose turned to face Martha, hoping to be clued in to whatever had caused her to trail off. When they noticed she was staring, fixated on something ahead, they turned as well. Spotting the skeletal leg donning a woman’s shoe peeking out from behind the ostentatious desk, they dashed over.

As they drew closer they recognised the dress Lady Thaw had been wearing was now fitted to the corpse. With dried and shriveled grey skin it was hard to tell who it had once been but all signs pointed to the lady herself, which led to a horrifying revelation in turn.

“Is that Lady Thaw?”

“Either that or someone’s got a twisted sense of humour.” Rose remarked, feeling nauseous.

“Used to be. Now it's just a shell. Had all the life energy drained out, like squeezing the juice out of an orange.”

“What could do that, Doctor?” Rose asked.

Because that was the question wasn’t it. How could a human be capable of that. Mutation or not, what had Lazarus become.

“Lazarus?” Martha hazarded, not sure if she wanted to be right or not.

“Could be.” The Doctor answered.

Rose’s stomach twisted. God she was done with feeling sick all the time. Why couldn’t the professor have changed into something less gruesome?

“So he's changed already?”

“Not necessarily. You saw the DNA. It was fluctuating. The process must demand energy. This might not have been enough.”

“So he might do this again?” Martha asked appalled.

Rose had to agree with her on that, give her a dalek any day at least she knew what to expect.

“Mmm.”

They rushed back off to the lifts, desperate to get back to the people below, before Lazarus changed again.

The reception was as crowded as it had been before they’d absconded, making it that much more difficult to locate the allusive professor.

“I can't see him.” Martha declared.

“He can't be far. Keep looking.” The Doctor snapped, rushing off.

Rose followed after the Doctor only to be dragged back by Leo’s words.

“Yeah, well, he was getting cosy with Tish a couple of minutes ago.”

“With Tish?” Martha snapped to the Doctor.

“Ah, Doctor.” Francine said joining the group.

“Where did they go?” The Doctor barked at Leo, ignoring Francine.

“Upstairs, I think. Why?”

The Doctor ran back to the lift, spilling Francine’s drink over her as he went. Rose cast an apologetic look over her shoulder but followed after.

“Doctor I'm speaking to you!” Francine bellowed after them.

“Not now, Mum.” Martha said through gritted teeth, joining them in the lift.

They burst out of the lift in a flurry, anxiety mounting at the continued absence of people in Lazarus’ office.

“Where are they?” Martha asked, panic evident in her tone, she’d already lost one sister after all.

“They can’t have gone far.” Rose attempted to reassure, eyes darting about the office space for another potential skeletal corpse.

“Fluctuating DNA will give off an energy signature. I might be able to pick it up.” The Doctor offered, pulling out his sonic.

The sonic beeped as it scanned the room trying to pick up Lazarus’ energy signature. The few seconds it took to get a reading were filled with pain staking anxiety.

“Got him.” The Doctor announced.

“Where?” Martha’s panic voice asked.

The sonic was focused on the ceiling.

“But this is the top floor.” Martha mused before realisation dawned, “The roof.”

And once again they ran off in the direction of potential danger. This time heading for the stairs to the roof hoping they weren’t too late. They’d lost enough family lately.

The Doctor pressed a finger to his lips, signaling for the other two to remain quiet as they slipped onto the rooftop. Lazarus stood closely to Tish and seemed to be quoting some kind of poem.

“Falls the Shadow.” The Doctor finished the quote, announcing their presence.

The two occupants spun to face the trio, a smile bloomed on Lazarus’ face as he took them in.

“So the mysterious Doctor knows his Eliot. I'm impressed.” Lazarus remarked, rocking back on the balls of his feet as he slid his hands into his blazer pockets.

“Martha, what are you doing here?” Tish glowered at her sister.

“Tish, get away from him.” Martha pleaded, gesturing for her sister to join them.

“What? Don't tell me what to do.” Tish argued, waspishly.

“I wouldn't have thought you had time for poetry, Lazarus, what with you being busy defying the laws of nature and all.”

Rose’s eyes flickered between the Doctor and Lazarus, aware that he was employing his usual distraction tactic, but Rose worried it wouldn’t be enough to stave off the change; they had no idea how it worked and whether it was triggered or voluntary, after all.

“You're right, Doctor. One lifetime's been too short for me to do everything I'd like. How much more I'll get done in two or three or four.”

“Doesn't work like that. Some people live more in twenty years than others do in eighty. It's not the time that matters, it's the person.”

“But if it's the right person, what a gift that would be.”

“Or what a curse. Look at what you've done to yourself.”

Rose shivered slightly at the pain and loss hidden in the Doctor’s words. It wasn’t the first time he’d referred to his near immortality as a curse and she knew there was nothing she could do to lighten that particular burden. She was human after all, she’d leave him one day too, whether she liked it or not.

“Who are you to judge me?” Lazarus sneered.

“Over here, Tish.” Martha called softly.

Tish finally stepped away from the professor, sneer in place as she got right into her sister’s face, looming over her as she reprimanded her.

“You have to spoil everything, don't you? Every time I find someone nice, you have to go and find fault.”

Unbeknownst to Tish, Lazarus had started his transition. Muscles spasming as he twisted and turned.

“Tish, he's a monster!” Martha snapped, her eyes begging her sister to see reason.

“I know the age thing's a bit freaky, but it works for Catherine Zeta-Jones.”

Martha gaped in horror as Lazarus twitched on the floor, flesh ripping, skin tearing making way for a skeleton much too large for his human skin.

Catching her sister’s look, Tish turnt slowly around to see her boss mid-transformation.

The wet sound of muscle ripping and reforming filled the air as bones continued to snap and break into new and horrifying shapes leaving an unrecognisable skeletal looking scorpion-like creature in the professor’s place.

But on further inspection, with a twisted stomach, Rose realised the scorpion-esque creature still carried the professor’s former face but now split in two to make way for mandibles. Rose fought back waves of nausea as the buzzing in her head sounded more like cries of alarm.

“What's that?” Tish questioned, voice shaking with fear and disgust.

“Run!” The Doctor bellowed as the creature lunged for them, they collectively dived for the rooftop door.

Grabbing her skirt, Rose ran down the stairs after the Jones sisters, the sound of the Doctor sonicking the door shut and the ensuing crashing of the creature hurling itself at said door ringing in her ears as her heels clattered on each step. Her heart pounded in her chest at the thought of what the once professor might do if he got near those people down stairs.

Martha smacked the button for the lift repeatedly in her haste, fear evident in all of their movements.

“Are you okay?” Martha asked her sister, trembling.

“I was going to snog him.” Tish confessed, still in disbelief as to what she’d just witnessed.

To make matters worse the lights suddenly flickered as Lazarus’ continued crashing and snarling began to take effect.

“Security one. Security one. Security one.” The tannoy repeated.

“Please tell me that’s not what I think it is.” Rose asked, a little breathlessly.

“What's happening?” Martha whispered, eyes wide and worried.

“An intrusion. It triggers a security lockdown. Kills most of the power. Stops the lifts, seals the exits.” Tish rambled, glad to focus on anything but the reason for the lockdown.

The Doctor turned to face the ceiling and source of the noise. Each crash and subsequent crunch of metal made Rose’s head pound and sent her pulse thrumming in anticipation, adrenaline already coursing through her veins.

“He must be breaking through that door. The stairs, come on!” The Doctor instructed them, leading the way.

Rose tried not to think too much about the hideous creature chasing them or the Beast’s words from not so long ago as she flew down the stairs after the Doctor. But nonetheless she did. And of all the ways to die, as a dried out husk was not something she was looking forward to.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Chapter Ten:
Inevitably Dead.

Series:
Three.

Episode:
Six - The Lazarus Experiment.

Part:
Two.

The Doctor turned to face the ceiling and source of the noise. Each crash and subsequent crunch of metal made Rose’s head pound and sent her pulse thrumming in anticipation, adrenaline already coursing through her veins.

“He must be breaking through that door. The stairs, come on!” The Doctor instructed them, leading the way.

Rose tried not to think too much about the hideous creature chasing them or the Beast’s words from not so long ago as she flew down the stairs after the Doctor. But nonetheless, she did. And of all the ways to die, as a dried-out husk was not something she was looking forward to.

They thundered down the stairs, heels and skirts making it that much more difficult for the girls, the sound of crashing and growling echoing behind them. Used to running in formal attire, Rose wasn’t far behind the Doctor but she was glad for her choice in footwear nonetheless.

A crash sounded from above.

“He's inside!” Martha screeched.

“We haven't got much time!” The Doctor shouted back.

They made it to the reception in record time.

“Tish, is there another way out of here?”

“There's an exit in the corner, but it'll be locked now.” Tish fluttered.

Rose was impressed with the girl’s resolve, despite being massively out of her depth, she was still managing to hold it together. Maybe it ran in the family.

“Martha, setting fifty-four. Hurry.” The Doctor tossed the sonic screwdriver to Martha.

The sisters ran off in the direction that Tish had indicated earlier.

“Now what?” Rose asked, panic starting to settle in as she took note of just how many people were in danger.

“We need to get them out.” The Doctor said, gazing flickering about the room before landing on the contraption that had started it all, he leapt onto the platform to address the room. “Listen to me! You people are in serious danger! You need to get out of here right now!”

“Don't be ridiculous. The biggest danger here is choking on an olive.” A woman in a bejewelled champagne dress argued just as Lazarus crashed into the railing above.

The crowd turned to gape at the monstrosity, frozen in place even as it leapt down onto the reception floor. People finally started moving as Lazarus started flinging tables. Rose tried directing them towards the emergency exit, in an attempt to control the chaos. But panic very rarely followed logic and a stampede of gowns, suits and heels quickly formed, Rose, getting swept up in the process.

Servers had dropped trays of food and drink in their haste to flee from the beast leaving the floor extra slippery for those in heels. Rose was shoved about as the crowd buffeted her to and fro, her attempts to free herself from the throng of people were no match against the fear and hysteria that had gripped them.

As the crowd tried to avoid the tables being flung at them by Lazarus, someone stepped on Rose’s TARDIS blue gown as they shunted past her, causing her to skid on a patch of nibbles and go hurtling to the stone-paved floor. Her attempt to break her fall sent shooting pain up her arm and the buzzing in the back of her mind rose to a screeching pitch - that reminded her of old TV static - all of which left her gasping for breath and momentarily disoriented.

But now was not the time to worry about that as she pulled herself to her feet, she caught sight of the Jones’, still nowhere near the exit. Ignoring the throbbing pain in her arm and the fading mental static, she dashed over to them just as Leo called out.

“Mum, get back!” Leo stepped in front of his mother in an attempt to shield her as Lazarus sent another table flying in their direction, taking Leo down with it.

“Leo!” Francine called.

Rose pulled Leo out from underneath the table - her arm screaming in protest as she did so - once Lazarus’ focus had been directed elsewhere.

“What are you doing?” Francine spat, accusation and suspicion lacing her words.

“Nevermind that just help me!” Rose shot back, not in the mood for questions, all things considered.

She heard Martha call something out to the guests, likely having gotten the door open, as she dragged Leo over to a corner further from the carnage with Francine’s help.

Rose looked up, wondering what had captured Lazarus’ attention just in time to see him turn to drain the life of the woman who denied there being any threat.

“No! Get away from her!” Rose heard the Doctor bellow, turning away from the scene she knew was going to play out with a flinch.

A loud rattling thump was heard that Rose knew was the sound of the now desiccated body hitting the floor. But she focused on Leo, willing to take any distraction. There was no sign of bleeding but he seemed woozy and dazed.

God she wished she’d taken that first aid training course they’d offered at Henriks’

, she thought to herself, not for the first time.

There was a scuttling sound on the stones behind them and Rose looked up to see Lazarus looming over them. She tried to ignore the stifling wave of nausea his proximity provoked in her.

“Go. Go. Go!” Rose muttered as she shuffled backwards, dragging Leo back with her good arm and Francine’s help.

Lazarus roared at them as he edged closer. Rose grimaced at the sight of human teeth behind mandibles, it was just all kinds of wrong. The buzzing in her head shifted to something more akin to humming as if the TARDIS was in agreement with her assessment.

“Lazarus!” The Doctor called, causing the creature to turn away from them even as they continued to shuffle away, “Leave them alone.”

“Martha,” Francine said relieved as her daughter finally joined them.

“Come on, stay with me. You're okay.” Martha stepped forward, taking Rose’s position to help Leo stand up.

“What's the point? You can't control it. The mutation's too strong. Killing those people won't help you. You're a fool. A vain old man who thought he could defy nature. Only Nature got her own back, didn't she? You're a joke, Lazarus! A footnote in the history of failure!” The Doctor taunted before leaping off of the dais and dashing off down a corridor, Lazarus close on his heels.

Rose stood, tempted to follow after the Doctor - and the monster subsequently - they’d rarely left each other's sides since Canary Wharf the last time they’d done so Martha had been kidnapped and almost died. The thought only increased her anxiety. But Martha tugged her back with a glare.

“What's the Doctor doing?” Tish asked.

“He's trying to buy us some time. Let's not waste it. Leo, look at me. Focus on me. Let's see your eyes. He's got a concussion. Mum, you'll need to help him downstairs.” Martha told them after checking Leo over.

Martha reached for one of the buckets of champagne to scoop some ice into a napkin before pressing it to Leo's forehead. “This'll keep the swelling down. Go! I'll be right behind you. Tish, move! We need to get out of here.”

Rose moved to follow after the Jones’ when Martha stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. Rose turned back to look at her, question present in her gaze.

“Your arm?” Martha asked, gaze locked on her left arm, the one she’d fallen on.

Rose pulled her shoulder free. “I’m fine, we’ll worry about that when we’re back on the TARDIS. Come on.”

When they finally made it to the bottom of the stairs they noticed the pile-up of guests pushing against the locked doors.

“We can't get out. We're trapped!” Tish panicked.

“There must be an override switch. Where's the security desk? Tish!” Martha demanded.

“There.” Tish got hold of herself enough to answer.

Martha darted over to the security desk that Tish had indicated, Rose close on her heels. Martha ran the sonic over an electric blueprint of the building. A groan of frustration spilling out when the door setting didn’t trigger the override.

“Give it here,” Rose said softly, stepping up beside her.

Martha placed the sonic into Rose’s waiting hand. Rose held the device lightly in her left hand finding the correct setting with her fully functioning right. She gritted her teeth as she ignored the shooting pain in her arm, the adrenaline helping to numb the feeling.

Setting set, she ran the sonic over the blueprint just as Martha had done before. Within moments the lights came flickering back on and the cries of the trapped guests shifted to triumph and relief.

Martha let out a sigh of relief herself.

“Quick, better join the others.” Rose motioned back the way they came.

The Jones' stood before the doors behind the rest of the guests waiting to get out too when they rejoined them.

“I've got to go back,” Martha announced suddenly.

“You can't! You saw what that thing did. It'll kill you.” Francine argued.

“I don't care. I have to go. “ Martha turned to Rose, hoping the blonde would agree with her, but instead she found apology in her eyes and already knew the denial that would spill from her lips.

“No. I’ll go. Stay with your family, make sure they’re safe.” Rose pleaded softly, already walking backwards even as she kept eye contact with Martha, the unsaid words lingering in the air between them.

Stay with your family because I can’t. Stay because you never know when you might lose them.

Martha’s jaw tightened in protest but she nodded regardless. The pain in Rose’s voice during their discussion on the TARDIS still ringing in her ears.

Having gotten her confirmation, Rose spun on her heels and ran back the way she’d just came. She blindly headed for the corridor she’d seen the Doctor take when she heard an explosion. Grinning, she ran towards the sound, sonic clutched in her good hand, the other buried in her skirt to prevent her from tripping again.

She bumped into the Doctor as they both came charging around the corner. The Doctor’s hand flying to her waist to steady her as they both came to a stop.

“What are you doing here?” The Doctor shrieked.

“Returning this.” Rose panted, holding up the sonic, “You’re useless without it.” She teased.

“How did you...?” The Doctor trailed off.

“I heard the explosion, know you’ve got a thing for pyrotechnics, figured it was my best bet. What did you do anyway?”

“I blasted Lazarus.”

“Did it kill him?” She asked just as she spotted movement out of the corner of her eye.

She turned to face it only to see Lazarus very much alive and launching himself through the glass barrier. From where his hands were still on her hips, the Doctor looped one arm around her waist to pull her down the corridor with him as he started running again.

“More sort of annoyed him, I'd say.” The Doctor admitted.

Rose’s brain finally engaged with her feet and she reached for his hand, running back the way she’d just come. It was a night of running in circles it would seem.

Martha was keeping an eye on her brother when her mum was pulled away by a member of the staff. She thought she’d caught him mentioning the Doctor before he lowered his voice but she couldn’t be sure. Too consumed by her worry for the Doctor and Rose. She should have gone with them. Should have insisted. Proven herself to them.

But all she could keep thinking about was what Rose had confessed before on the TARDIS. And her family had already been in danger once tonight she wanted to keep an eye on them, wanted to keep them safe. Like Rose had asked. Like she hadn’t been able to with Addie.

They found themselves once again back in the main reception room casting about for a plan. The Doctor seemed to flounder for a moment. Unwilling to risk the guests they’d just saved, they were confined to the building and its limited options.

“Please tell me you’ve got a plan ‘cause we've just gone round in a circle.”

Just then Lazarus leapt into the room and in doing so seemed to force the Doctor’s hand as he lunged for the sonic manipulator chamber that had started all of this. Still holding his hand Rose went with him as he moved. The sudden movement jarring her injured arm, her wince concealed by Lazarus’ crashing.

“We can't lead him outside. Come on, get in.”

The chamber was not meant for two people and was more than a little bit cramped, in any other situation Rose may have tried to appreciate the setting but now was not the time. Trying to distract herself from her mounting fear and the ever-present pain, she decided to find out what exactly the Doctor’s plan was.

“So the plan is to hide then?” Rose questioned.

“No, he knows we're here. But this is his masterpiece. I'm betting he won't destroy it, not even to get at us.”

“But we're trapped.” Rose pointed out.

“Well, yeah, that's a slight problem.”

Rose took a deep breath trying to stay calm as she asked, “Doctor, what is the plan?”

“The plan was to get inside here.” He said simply.

“And then?”

“Well, then I'd come up with another plan.”

“Take your time, it’s not like we’re monster bait or anything.”

The Doctor reached into his tux inside pocket for the sonic he’d just recovered as Lazarus growled from outside.

Rose hissed in pain as her arm was squashed between herself and the chamber wall. The state of her arm couldn’t be ignored in the cramped space, guilt flickered across the Doctor’s before being replaced with determination.

“Sorry, sorry, sorry. I’ll take a look at that once we get back to the TARDIS.” He promised.

“Monster first.” Rose reminded him, a tad breathless from the agony.

“Here we are.” He said as he finally freed the sonic from between them.

“What're you going to do?”

“Improvise.” The Doctor answered as he slid to the floor to access the panel at their feet that Rose hadn’t noticed before.

Rose tried to focus on the panel at their feet and it’s exposed wiring and circuitry rather than how close the Doctor face was to the exposed skin of her thigh from the slit in her dress or the pain in her arm and mind. It was only a semi-successful endeavour.

“That’s not nearly as reassuring as you think it is.” Rose threw back, aiming for their usual banter as a form of distraction.

“Oi! I’m very impressive, I’ll have you know, Rose Tyler.”

“I’m still not convinced. Where’d that thing come from? Is it alien?”

“No, for once it's strictly human in origin.”

“Human?” Rose scoffed. “Excuse you, I’m not a big vampire scorpion thing.”

“Probably from dormant genes in Lazarus's DNA. The energy field in this thing must have reactivated them. And it looks like they're becoming dominant. Some option that evolution rejected for you millions of years ago, but the potential is still there. Locked away in your genes, forgotten about until Lazarus unlocked it by mistake.”

“So it's a throwback.” Rose clarified.

“Exactly. Nice shoes, by the way.”

Rose smiled wryly at the odd timing of the compliment, likely an attempt to distract her, one she was thankful for regardless.

“Thanks, was the TARDIS’ idea, seems she’s rather fond of blue.” She said absently as the Doctor continued to work on the circuitry and wires at their feet.

Suddenly the lights inside the chamber flared to life as secondary whirring - separate to the sonic - started up.

“That’s not what I think it is, is it?” Rose asked feebly.

“Sounds like he's switched the machine on. I was hoping it was going to take him a little bit longer to work that out.” The Doctor answered before focusing on the opened panel with renewed interest.

“We better not get scrambled,” Rose warned him, squinting against the bright flashes of light.

“I know, I know. Nearly done.”

“What're you doin’?” Rose all but shouted, panicking mounting as he still hadn’t answered that.

“I'm trying to set the capsule to reflect energy rather than receive it.”

“Will that kill it?” More desperate for something to focus on other than their current situation than before.

“When he transforms, he's three times his size. Cellular triplication. So he's spreading himself thin.”

“Not gonna work if we end up like him before you're finished!”

“Just one more!”

The whirring increased in pitch to a squeal and the lights increased in brightness before suddenly dying down. The capsule door clicked as it unlocked. Rose breathed a sigh of relief as the Doctor pulled the door open, the buzzing in her mind had died down to an almost unnoticeable hum which also made it easier to breathe.

The Doctor stepped down from the platform and on wobbling feet, Rose followed closely behind.

“You cut that one close.”

“Really shouldn't take that long just to reverse the polarity. I must be a bit out of practice.” The Doctor admitted with a glare, frowning at the chamber.

As they stepped free of the shadow of the machine they caught sight of Lazarus’ prone form.

“He’s human again.” Rose gasped. “It's almost pitiful.”

“Eliot saw that, too. This is the way the world ends. Not with a bang, but with a whimper.” The Doctor quoted gravelly.

It wasn’t long until the paramedics arrived for the professor’s body and the two travellers joined the rest of the guests outside. Martha rushed over to join them as they emerged. The Doctor loosened his tie staring morosely as Lazarus was loaded into the ambulance.

“Is he…” Martha trailed off.

Rose nodded lightly, unable to speak the words.

It didn’t matter anyway because Martha’s sudden departure had caught the rest of her family’s attention and now Francine was striding over to them looking none too pleased by their presence. Rose gulped, looking at the woman with uncertainty.

“Ah, Mrs Jones. We still haven't finished our chat.” The Doctor spoke with a faux cheer that hadn’t been there moments before.

Francine strode right up to him and slapped him across the face drawing gasps from the few lingering guests.

“Keep away from my daughter,” Francine warned.

“Mum, what are you doing?” Martha asked through gritted teeth.

“All of the mothers, every time.”

“He is dangerous. I've been told things.” Francine told her daughter.

The proclamation drew worried frowns from the other two travellers.

“What are you talking about?” Martha said tersely.

“Look around you. Nothing but death and destruction.”

“This isn't his fault. He saved us, all of us!”

“At least twice today by my count,” Rose muttered, glaring at the woman trying to ignore the weird sense of deja vu the situation was giving her or the pang it sent through her at the reminder of her mother.

“And it was Tish who invited everyone to this thing in the first place. I'd say technically, it's her fault.” Leo stepped in.

Tish elbowed Leo in the ribs at his offhanded accusation when suddenly there was a loud crash from the direction the recently departed ambulance had taken. The remaining crowd turned towards the sound.

“Was that…” Rose asked trailing off not daring to complete the sentence in case it wasn’t true and she jinxed them but the returning force of the mental buzzing dissuaded such notions.

The Doctor cast one look back at Martha before the two of them darted off towards the noise. Leaving the option of joining them open but not forcing it in the current situation. Perhaps it was another test, Rose thought absently.

“Leave him,” Francine demanded as she grasped Martha’s arm midstep.

Martha silently shook her head before following after them.

“Martha?” Tish called after her sister, stepping forward.

“Not you, too?” Francine pleaded.

“Sorry.”

Tish quickly followed after her sister leaving her mother and brother behind on the steps of her disastrous PR event.

The ambulance doors were flung open to reveal the desiccated corpses of the paramedics. Rose fought against another wave of nausea at the sight. She’d seen far grizzlier but was unsettled all the same. Martha joined them at the ambulance, her proclamation of shock announcing her arrival.

“Lazarus, back from the dead. Should have known, really.” The Doctor admitted defeatedly as he pulled out his sonic and began scanning their surroundings.

“Because things were starting to feel too easy,” Rose muttered sarcastically.

Another set of heel clad footsteps clattered up beside them. Rose turned to see that Martha’s sister had decided to join them. Rose had to admit she was impressed, perhaps all the Jones’ were this fearless.

“Where's he gone?” Martha asked.

“That way. The church.” The Doctor announced.

“Cathedral.” Tish corrected, garnering their attention, “It's Southwark Cathedral. He told me.”

The quartet slowly made their way inside the cathedral the Doctor leading with his sonic and Tish all but trailing behind as she followed the travellers uncertainly.

“Do you think he's in here?” Martha whispered in the still cathedral.

“Where would you go if you were looking for sanctuary?” The Doctor asked rhetorically but Rose couldn’t stop herself from answering.

“Somewhere a little less creepy.” Because tonight really was ticking all the creepy cliche horror movie boxes thank you very much.

They walked carefully up the nave to the altar. Their footsteps loud and echoing in the high vaulted building. They stepped around the altar to find Lazarus clad in a red ambulance blanket shivering and retching.

Noting their presence, Lazarus began to speak, “I came here before, a lifetime ago. I thought I was going to die then. In fact, I was sure of it. I sat here, just a child, the sound of planes and bombs outside.”

The Doctor began circling the rejuvenated professor until he stood in front of him not wanting him out of sight in case he changed again.

“The Blitz.” The Doctor said simply.

“You've read about it.” Lazarus seemed almost surprised as he responded.

“I was there.”

“You're too young.” Lazarus rebutted.

“So are you.” The Doctor shot back.

Lazarus laughed but was interrupted by his own gasping and twitching as his bones cracked for a moment before continuing with his story.

“In the morning, the fires had died, and I was still alive. I swore I'd never face death like that again. So defenceless. I would arm myself, fight back, defeat it.”

The Doctor began circling the professor again as he twitched, certain a change was imminent as he stared up at the ceiling. The girls followed his gaze up trying to gage his plan.

“That's what you were trying to do today?”

“That's what I did today,” Lazarus stated all that cocky arrogance from before returning.

“What about the other people who died?” The Doctor demanded, with the edge of the Oncoming Storm.

“They were nothing. I changed the course of history.” Lazarus dismissed nonchalantly sending a wave of disgust rolling through Rose.

“Any of them might have done too. You think history's only made with equations?” The Doctor spat before softening his tone, “Facing death is part of being human. You can't change that.”

His words reminding Rose of their conversation not long ago outside of a nondescript cafe. The certainty with which he’d spoken of her death. Because that’s how he saw them, the human race, the inevitable dead.

“No,

Doctor

. Avoiding death, that's being human. It's our strongest impulse, to cling to life with every fibre of being. I'm only doing what everyone before me has tried to do. I've simply been more successful.”

He convulsed again, contradicting himself in the process, as he choked and gasped, still fighting the change.

“Look at yourself. You're mutating! You've no control over it. You call that a success?”

“I call it progress. I'm more now than I was. More than just an ordinary human.” He spoke through the breaking of his own bones.

The idea of being more than human ricochets through Rose, resonating with the dual buzzing part of her mind that she’s now certain doesn’t belong to her.

“There's no such thing as an ordinary human.”

Lazarus convulsed again, more violently this time, his whole body thrown into the movement as he retched on the cathedral floor.

Martha saddled up to the Doctor, Rose not far behind her, eyes not leaving Lazarus in the process.

“He's going to change again any minute,” Martha whispered.

“I know. If I can get him up into the bell tower somehow, I've an idea that might work.” The Doctor whispered back.

“Up there?”

Any confirmation was disrupted by the professor speaking up again. The Doctor stepped away from the two of them, circling the man again.

“You're so sentimental, Doctor. Maybe you are older than you look.”

“I'm old enough to know that a longer life isn't always a better one. In the end, you just get tired.” For a moment Lazarus looked nearly regretful at the Doctor’s words. “Tired of the struggle, tired of losing everyone that matters to you, tired of watching everything turn to dust. If you live long enough, Lazarus, the only certainty left is that you'll end up alone.” The Doctor crouched down next to Lazarus, looking him in the eye as he spoke in the hopes that he’d finally understand.

Rose swallowed back the tears that threatened to spill at the gravity and loss in the Doctor’s words. It was all too easy to forget how long he’d lived, except for moments like this. If she could keep him from feeling that pain, she would. But one day she’d leave him too. Whether it was emergency program one, on a fifty-first-century spaceship or in a parallel universe, she would leave. Against her own will, but inevitably so. You can’t escape death. Not even Lazarus could.

“That's a price worth paying.” And then the moment of regret was gone.

“Is it?”

Lazarus flinched as the convulsion started up once more.

“I will feed soon,” Lazarus said instead.

“I'm not going to let that happen.”

“You've not been able to stop me so far.”

“Leave him, Lazarus! He's old and bitter. I thought you had a taste for fresher meat.”

Rose’s gaze flickered to Martha in alarm. God, she hoped she knew what she was doing.

“Martha, no.” The Doctor warned.

Lazarus lunged at Martha with a growl. Rose grabbed her arm and dragged her across the floor towards the stairwell. If they were gonna do this they better move. Tish ran after them.

“What are you doing?” Martha shouted to Tish.

“Keeping you out of trouble!”

“Less talking, more escaping.” Rose interrupted.

“Doctor! The tower!” Martha called.

They were partway up the spiral staircase when groaning and bones snapping could be heard.

“Did you hear that?” Tish asked.

“He's changed again. Keep moving. We've got to lead him up.”

They resumed their previous pace as Lazarus’ growls followed them up, the beast likely not far behind. They were at the end of a landing when the Doctor called up to them.

“Martha?! Rose?”

The trio stopped to look down from where they stood in a passageway in the clerestory to see the Doctor stood below.

“Doctor!” Martha called back.

Rose panted beside her. The buzzing in her head now a roar so similar to that of the creature’s it was difficult to focus. Coupled with the fact her head was being filled with quick flashes of a similar scene but they were much more fleeting than the ones she’d experienced at the hospital and she could not distinguish anything useful from them. All it did was make her stomach roll.

“Take him to the top. The very top of the bell tower, do you hear me?!”

“Up to the top!” Martha repeated the Doctor’s instruction for clarity.

“Martha.” Tish interrupted, tapping her sister’s arm as she looked back the way they’d come.

Rose turned to look too. Only to see the creature was much closer than anticipating and still gaining.

“Then what?”

“We need to go.” Rose interrupted tugging the girl’s arm.

“Martha, come on!”

Three sets of heels clattered on the stones as they charged through the passages to the bell tower. Finally emerging to find only a circular runway. They moved around futility, hoping for escape or at the least to put some distance between them and it.

“There's nowhere to go. We're trapped!” Tish exclaimed.

“This is where he said to bring him.” Was all Martha could say.

“All right, so then we're not trapped. We're bait.”

“I’ve been in worse situations,” Rose said feebly, suddenly feeling a tad too hot for the drafty bell tower in her light dress.

“He knows what he's doing. We have to trust him.” Martha argued.

“Ladies,” Lazarus announced himself.

The three girls pressed themselves against the wooden railing trying to create more space as the monster crashed through the wooden beams.

“Stay behind me. If he takes me, make a run for it. Head down the stairs. You should have enough time.” Martha instructed.

“But-” Tish started to argue.

“Just do it, Tish!”

Lazarus swung out his scorpion tail, they ducked with a scream in an attempt to evade in the cramped space. Rose heart pounded as they each did their best to avoid his attack but he seemed most focused on Martha.

Rose kept her eye on the young medical student as organ music filled the air. The barrier in front of Martha went crashing down on the first swipe, the second swipe sending her tumbling over the edge, suspended in the air only by her fingertips. Rose hurried over as Tish cried out.

“Martha!”

Lazarus leapt across the railings to another part of the walkway. He lifted up his tail to once again swipe at Martha when the roaring in Rose’s head sent a blazing wave of heat through her.

“No.” She said in an echoey voice unlike her own as she raised her arm up as if to physically stop the creature.

Her arms were covered in the golden light of Huon particles and as she raised them to the creature, the golden tendrils enveloped his tail too. Her body burned with the pulsating heat of the Huon energy as she focused on the rage buried inside of her, pushing it all towards the creature and her goal of keeping him suspended where he was, away from Martha.

Lazarus fought to free himself from the power just as Rose fought to keep him there and fought to stop the fire from consuming her mind. Her arms quaked with the effort as though she had a physical hold on him.

“Tish, get her up!” Rose shouted through gritted teeth over the booming organ music.

Her head was throbbing from both the energy coursing inside of her, the effort it took to control it and the music that reverberated through the bell tower and subsequently her skull.

Tish hoisted Martha up, both their faces twisted up in pain as the music grew ever louder pounding against their skulls with no protection from it.

Rose trembled in the golden light, the pain mounting as Lazarus started to flail and twitch, with a scream she let him go. As whatever the Doctor was doing took effect, he went careening to the stone floor far below.

Rose crumpled on the wooden landing beside them as the music finally ceased and the golden light retreated along with the buzzing. She shuddered as exhaustion set in and the chill seeped through, replacing the fire that had consumed her seconds before. She looked to a gaping Martha and Tish with scared pleading eyes as she returned to herself.

She knew that hadn’t been her. Yes, it had been her determination to keep Martha safe, her anger at Lazarus for trying to take Martha from her family and her grief at losing her own family. But that power? The knowledge of what to do? The act itself? That had come from somewhere besides her.

And that thought terrified her. What was happening to her? What had she done?

“Rose? Martha?” The Doctor called.

“I’m okay.” Rose called back automatically, before turning back to Martha with a whisper, “Please don’t tell him. I don’t know how I- I can’t jus--” Her voice quaked as the last few moments caught up with her and the terror swept out the rage. “Just please don’t.”

“Martha!?” The Doctor shouted again, worry starting to seep in at her lack of reply.

Martha stared back at Rose for a few heart-stopping moments in which the blonde feared this would be what would push her over the edge. What she would decide was too much.

“We’re all okay.” Martha finally answered.

Beside her, Rose breathed a sigh of relief.

Thank you

, she mouthed to the two sisters.

“It's your Doctor you should be thanking,” Tish spoke softly, fear barely concealed by her awe. “He cut it a bit fine though, didn't he?”

“He always does. It's more fun that way.” Martha smiled.

“Who is he?”

Martha seemed to wrestle with the question for a moment unsure of how to answer.

“He's, he's the Doctor.” Was the answer she finally settled on.

“No other explanation really,” Rose said.

“And you? You’re not really investors, are you?”

“No. We’re not. Be lucky to have a penny either of us. I’m…” She trailed off. It was rare she had to answer the question for herself and the answer suddenly seemed a lot more complicated than before. “Tired. Come on.”

On wobbly knees, they stood and made their way back down to the Doctor. Rose’s arm still throbbing by her side and Martha’s ankle twingeing with every step after being swiped at by Lazarus, it was a slow descent.

The Doctor ran towards them, meeting them halfway as they finally came to the bottom of the stairs. He swept Rose up in a hug first, the two of them clinging to each other in relief.

“You okay?” The Doctor whispered in her hair, feeling her tremble.

“Yeah, I’m alright,” Rose answered, pulling back to give him a reassuring smile.

One the Doctor gladly returned before turning to hug Martha too.

“I didn't know you could play?” Martha asked as he let her go.

“Oh, well, you know, if you hang around with Beethoven, you're bound to pick a few things up.”

“Hmm. Especially about playing loud.”

“Sorry?” The Doctor feigned hard of hearing causing Martha to laugh.

Rose couldn’t help smile at the exchange even as she gnawed at her thumb nervously.

When they finally exited the cathedral and the sisters had said their goodbyes, they hailed a taxi back to Martha’s. Squashed in the backseat with the Doctor in the middle, Rose pulled off her heels and tiredly laid her head on his shoulder.

Her head was thankfully quiet at last and if it wasn’t for the life she lived after today she would have considered a mental breakdown to be the cause. But the churning of guilt in her stomach and the look in Martha’s eyes reminded her that it wasn’t. It was something far more bizarre.

As the taxi came to a stop, the Doctor patted her hand to rouse her.

The trio clambered from the taxi and into Martha’s home. The two girls were exhausted after booking it up several flights of stairs away from the mutated scientist.

The Doctor unlocked the TARDIS, pushing open the doors a crack before turning to Martha.

“Something else that just kind of escalated, then.” The Doctor said, considering Martha carefully.

“I can see a pattern developing. You two should take more care in the future. And the past. And whatever other time period you find yourselves in.” Martha told them.

Rose watched them both carefully. She knew what they’d discussed last night before this had all happened. She wasn’t ready to say goodbye to Martha. The young doctor was brilliant. But once again her life had been in danger as well as that of her family. They couldn’t.

And yet. She’d been certain the Doctor had been testing her earlier. And his next words confirmed it.

“It's good fun, though, isn't it?”

“Yeah.” Martha agreed with a giggle, face beaming.

“So, what do you say, one more trip?”

Martha’s face faltered as she broke eye contact with the Doctor looking instead at the TARDIS.

“No. Sorry.”

“What do you mean? I thought you liked it.” The Doctor asked, perplexed.

“I do, but I can't go on like this. One more trip. It's not fair.”

Suddenly the guilt that Rose had been feeling gained another dimension. This was her fault. She’d asked the Doctor to bring Martha along for a trip. And then just one more.

“What're you talking about?”

“I don't want to be just a passenger anymore. Someone you take along for a treat. If that's how you still see me, I'd rather stay here.”

The Doctor looked down at the floor guilty as Martha spoke.

“Okay, then. If that's what you want.”

“Right. But we've already said goodbye once today. It's probably best if you just go.” Martha said in shock, a touch of hurt and anger in her words as she turned away.

Rose smacked the Doctor’s arm, frustrated at his inability to just come out and say what he meant.

“What’s that for?”

Rose sighed, before stepping forward towards Martha.

“He means come with us. We want you to travel with us. Properly.”

Martha looked towards the Doctor for confirmation.

“I said okay.” The Doctor said nodding towards the TARDIS, “You were never really just a passenger, were you?”

“Oh, thank you, thank you!” Martha exclaimed hugging them both in turn.

Rose smiled at her, “Come on, I’ll help you pack.”

The two girls packed Martha’s bags in record timing and soon enough the three of them were in the TARDIS leaving Martha’s flat far behind, all of time and space at their fingertips.

But back in Martha’s flat, an ominous warning echoes through the empty room, the intended recipient of the warning already long gone.

“Martha, it's your mother. Please phone me back. I'm begging you. I know who this Doctor really is. I know he's dangerous. You're going to get yourself killed. Please, trust me. This information comes from Harold Saxon himself. You're not safe!”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Chapter Eleven:
Link to Home.

Series:
Three.

Episode:
Extras: Post - The Lazarus Experiment.

Martha’s
first night aboard the TARDIS as an official passenger was beyond ordinary and not fitting with the fast-paced life of the last few days, to say the least. First stop had been the medbay to sort out Martha’s ankle and Rose’s arm. A quick scan of both had revealed that Martha had a sprained ankle and Rose a broken bone. The dermal regenerator made quick work of the damaged tissue in Martha’s ankle and with pain medication given, she was off to bed, exhausted from the day's events.

Rose jumped up awkwardly next, her broken arm making the action difficult and cumbersome. The Doctor administered the pain relief first - a device that looked like a cross between a pen and a syringe, but instead of a needle at the end there was a light - and with a similar device something to speed up the healing process.

Rose thought he might have said something about it being from a human colony in the 67th century but she couldn’t be sure. Though the buzzing in her head had subsided once Lazarus had died and then disappeared altogether once they’d entered the vortex, she was still finding it difficult to focus. It’d been a long day.

The Doctor pulled out the familiar supplies for a cast and immediately got to work. Rose noted the tenseness in his posture and knew he was blaming himself for her clumsiness. She bit her lip indecisively. She wanted to tell him, he deserved to know and the guilt was eating at her. It wasn’t his fault it was hers.

Just as she opened her mouth to tell him, he spoke. Eyes not leaving her arm, there was a level of concentration there that wasn’t necessary for something he’d done so many times before.

“This is becoming a bit of a habit.” He said, aiming for teasing but the tense hold of his shoulders belied his worry.

“Shouldn’t have worn the heels. That was just asking for trouble.”

There was a small quirk of his lips before the frown returned.

“Can’t seem to avoid that lately.”

Rose shrugged. “It’s a good distraction.”

The Doctor finally met her eye, and there was the regret and guilt she’d known would be there. Rose dropped her own gaze to the floor. The Doctor’s hands were still on her arm, cast now finished but he’d yet to move.

“I forget sometimes that we can’t just pop home for a visit.” She stared at her shoes from where she'd dropped them on the floor, for a moment before lifting her gaze again. “I don’t regret my decision. I want to be here, I love this life. And I know she’s happier there than she ever was here. Just seeing Martha with her family just reminded me is all.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t. Don’t be. I wouldn’t change the way things happened. Like I said once, everyone leaves home in the end.”

“But home isn’t usually a universe away though.”

Rose laughed, she couldn’t help it. She stared at her lap for a moment, biting her lip.

“Before Canary Wharf when mum was in the TARDIS she was worried that when she was gone I’d have no reason to come back home. I guess I just feel guilty that she was right, the TARDIS is my home. I have no reason to go back. But Martha does.”

A look of understanding passed over the Doctor’s face.

“That’s why you wanted her to come. A link to home.”

“Sort of,” Rose spoke honestly. “She is also brilliant.”

“Yeah, she is.”

They shared a smile at the thought of their newest companion.

“There’s nothing wrong with wanting a link to home.” The Doctor told her softly, “The TARDIS is my last link to home and the only place that’s ever felt like home.”

Rose stared at him, unable to keep the sympathy from her gaze. It wasn’t that long ago that he’d lied to Martha about Gallifrey still hanging in the sky after all. But she’d never heard him speak of Gallifrey like that. She’d gathered that the Doctor hadn’t exactly fit in with the Timelords based on what he said about them and how his actions contradicted that, but he’d never been quite so blunt about it.

She gave a small smile.

“I guess that makes us a pair.”

“I guess it does.” The Doctor suddenly seemed to realise he was still holding her arm. “Right then all done. We’ll take it off in a week or two, you know the rules.”

“Don’t forget your waterproof sleeve.” They said in unison, Rose’s tone a tad mocking.

“I know.” She said with a smile, hopping off the table. “Night Doctor.”

“Goodnight Rose.”

Martha woke the next morning excited to begin the day. Her previous mornings on the TARDIS had been filled with the worry that it’d be her last but now she was here for good. Well not for good. She had to go back at some point. She still had every intention of becoming a doctor.

She got ready quickly with zeal, she practically skipped to the galley for breakfast. The Doctor was already there when she pushed open the door, tinkering away on the dismantled toaster. He only looked up briefly to flash her a smile before returning to his tinkering.

There was a plate of pancakes waiting on the table along with a steaming pot of tea on the counter. She quickly fixed herself a cup before taking the seat next to the Doctor facing the galley door. She added a few pancakes to one of the waiting plates before digging in.

It was a while before Rose joined them.

She pushed open the door with a groan, eyes only half open, still looking sleep rumpled. She stood in the doorway for several moments blinking blankly at Martha as her sleep-addled brain tried to register the fact that the young doctor was sitting in her seat.

It took a few moments but when she did, she collapsed into the third and final chair. Immediately resting her head on the table, cushioned only by her arms and she tried to block out the kitchen light.

Without speaking the Doctor slid over the cup of tea that had been sat beside him waiting for her.

Not lifting her head, Rose snaked out one hand from beneath her head to grasp the cup. Tucking it in against herself, allowing it to warm her cheek as she tried to wake back up enough to take a sip.

“Thanks,” She said softly once she’d taken a sip.

“Not a morning person, I take it?” Martha asked, amused.

“You could say that,” Rose spoke, eyes now fully closed as she rested her head against her propped up hand.

The Doctor snorted. “Rose can’t function first thing in the morning without a cup of tea, learnt that the hard way.”

Rose’s brows furrowed, looking positively comical with her closed eyes, she put her cup down to swipe at the Doctor. Just missing him, she knocked one of his tools onto the floor.

“You seemed fine the last couple of days?” Martha pointed out.

“Wanted to make a good impression.” Rose shrugged, taking a deep sip of her tea, “This generally doesn’t.” She said gesturing to her face. “But you're stuck with us now.”

Martha chuckled. “Fair enough.”

A comfortable silence fell over the trio as Martha ate, the Doctor tinkered and Rose attempted to revive herself with each sip of tea.

“So what’s the plan for today?” The Doctor eventually asked.

“I fancy going swimming, maybe I can give Martha a tour at the same time. And we need to go food shopping, we were supposed to go after seeing mum but…” Rose trailed off. “And we’re gonna need more food anyway now that Martha’s joined us.”

The Doctor nodded, in light of their conversation last night it hadn’t been the response he’d been expecting but it had been a non-stop action couple of days.

“I need to do some TARDIS repairs, so we can go after.”

Rose nodded, “Martha anything you need, just add to the list next to the kettle. We’ll go somewhere on Earth so don’t worry about it too much.”

Once that was settled the two girls chatted amongst themselves while they ate.

After breakfast, the Doctor headed to the console room and the girls headed down the corridor deeper into the ship. Martha started talking the second they were out of earshot of the Doctor.

“So are you gonna tell me what happened? How you were able to do that glowy thing?”

“Later. I still need to figure it out for myself first.”

Martha looked reluctant to let it go, she was already keeping two secrets from the Doctor for Rose, she’d at least like an explanation. But eventually, she nodded.

Rose gave her a thankful smile before launching into tour guide mode.

“The TARDIS likes to move things around, so there’s not much point showing you where things are because they’ll always be there when you need them. But you can generally tell a room by its door, as long as you remember the main ones you should be fine. Like I said before any unlocked doors are fair game and there are no common room doors that are TARDIS blue, those all seem to be bedrooms. Some doors have symbols or etchings on, most of the main rooms are sort of distinctive.”

They stopped walking coming to a halt in front of a wooden door with an elegant fairytale scene etched into its surface.

“This is the library,” Rose explained. “Or at least the main library. I’ve found at least two smaller ones but they’re harder to locate.”

With that said, Rose pushed open the massive wooden door to reveal a library spanning several floors with gorgeous stone archways and paisley printed walls.

In the right-hand corner beside the door was a little alcove, the full wooden bookshelves were built into the walls, below said bookshelves was a plush plum coloured velvet L shaped sofa. An inviting location to curl up with a book, Martha thought.

Along the same wall further down a grand fireplace crackled softly, a fluffy white rug sat in front of its hearth. A cream armchair had been placed behind the rug with its back to the fireplace and a matching long sofa sat to its right. A large oval wooden table had been set in the centre of them and two smaller circular tables lay at either end of the sofa.

On one of the circular tables, the one nestled between the right arm of the sofa and the armchair, Martha noticed a book waiting for its owner. Charles Dickens. A tale of two cities. Martha wondered who it belonged to.

“Woah. How many floors are there?”

“Eight. Impressive, right?”

“Yeah. Is it just alien books? How do you ever find anything?”

“There’s a bit of everything in here. Fiction, non-fiction, Earth, alien. Everything. If you’ve got something in mind you’ll always be able to find it. I’m not sure if she moves things around in here, I’ve never been able to figure out the order and have always found what I’m looking for after a few rows. I’ve not needed to go up to another floor unless I wanted to be up there or was just wandering.”

Martha nodded, so awestruck by the vast library.

“Do you think I could borrow some?” Martha blurted without thinking, as the words caught up to her she blushed, looking sheepish as she explained. “I just mean, for studying. I’m not a doctor yet and I’m sure I could find a wealth of knowledge in here that I couldn’t find on Earth.”

Rose laughed.

“You’re welcome to read anything. The TARDIS seems to reshelve things once you're done with them. You’d have to ask the Doctor about taking them off of the TARDIS though. But yeah take what you like. You can read them in here or your room or the kitchen, wherever.”

“I’ll do that,” Martha said a little breathlessly at the idea of having all this information at her fingertips.

After a few more moments of gawking, Rose took her hand and tugged her from the room.

“Come on. More to see.”

The next door they came to was a soft brown door that swung open with ease. The room consisted of large plump brown sofas and an even larger screen. The left-hand wall was taken up with cases that resembled that of DVDs. The room was done in soft warm shades of brown and beige giving it a cosy feel. There was a tray left on the low wooden table in front of one of the sofas. An empty tea mug and a similarly empty plate all that was left on it.

“This is the media room,” Rose announced.

“You’ve got a TV?” Martha asked a little perplexed, how did that work?

“Yep, picks up all the basic channels from Earth and other planets,” Rose said from where she’d moved to sit on the back of the sofa.

“You get alien channels? What, is there Martian EastEnders?”

Rose laughed. “No. But there is Venusian.”

“You watch alien soap operas?”

Rose shrugged with a smug little smile.

“This is mad,” Martha said, gazing about the room.

“That it is. Welcome aboard.” With that Rose jumped up and walked back out onto the corridor.

Martha was slow to follow her out, taking her time to ponder the enormity of last night’s decision to join the travelers. She was still lost in her thoughts when she took note of the coral lattice that made up the walls of the corridor. The golden light that emanated through the gaps was familiar. Reminding her both of the roundels in the console room as well as the way Rose had glowed last night.

Maybe she had been a little hasty in her decision to join them. She didn’t really know anything about them. And the life they lived was so very dangerous. But she’d never felt more alive than in the few days she’d known them.

Back home, she felt constantly torn between the two warring sides of her family that had been prevalent ever since her parent’s divorce and she really had nothing in her life outside of her work. Tish was right, socialising really hadn’t been a priority as she tried to find her feet as a training doctor. And since losing her sister Adeola she really hadn’t wanted anything else.

This life was a breath of fresh air. And she didn’t have to worry about the detriment it’d do to her career because she could be back tomorrow or in a year and nothing would have changed.

She needed this.

She was pulled from her thoughts by Rose stopping in front of another door. How long had it been?

This door almost seemed to be made of moss, but when she outstretched out a hand to touch its surface it felt exactly the same as the coral walls beside it.

“Weird, right?”

“Yeah, what is that?”

“No idea.”

They laughed at that.

“I think I tried asking the Doctor once, but I may have fallen asleep.” She shrugged. “The ship’s alive and moves things around, I’ve just learned to accept things. It saves time.” With that, she pushed open the not moss door.

“Is that…” Martha trailed off.

“Yep. It’s an orchard. There’s a couple of them on board, they all have the mossy doors, some have flowers on them as well.”

“I’m sorry. How can there be an orchard on a spaceship?”

“Something about regulating something or other.” Rose tried to explain in a tone that clearly indicated that she hadn’t bothered to remember. “Like I said, you just-”

“Learn to accept it. Yeah, I’m starting to get that.”

Rose laughed.

She pulled the door shut before coming to an immediate stop in front of a smooth, gleaming white door. Beside the door, there was a big green button embedded in the wall. The door slid into the wall at the press of the button. She didn’t step inside of this room, just leaning against the door frame as Martha peeked inside.

“The medbay.”

“Right, we were here last night. I didn’t really get a good look at the door.”

“I figured as much. Probably one of the most important rooms. Especially for you doctor Jones.” Rose pressed the button again, causing the door to slide back shut before continuing down the corridor again.

It took Martha a moment to realise Rose was walking again before catching up with her.

“Not a doctor yet.”

“You were doing your residency, right? Well, I’m sure the Doctor will tell you that with me on board that it’ll feel like you never left the hospital.”

“That bad, huh?”

Rose shrugged nonchalantly.

“I don’t like waiting for him to save the day when it’s so much more fun to wander off and figure some things out myself.” She turned to look over her shoulder at Martha as she spoke the next words. “Remember that. Although he says not to wander off, sometimes you need to. Figure things out so much quicker if you do. The Doctor misses things sometimes, dismisses things that don’t seem important to him. That's why he needs someone to point them out.”

“Got it. Wandering off is good.” Martha said with faux seriousness.

“Exactly,” Rose said in the same tone.

They managed to maintain an air of seriousness for all of about five seconds before they started laughing.

They pulled themselves together as they came to another door. This one seemed to be made of a type of woven fabric. What fabric? Martha couldn’t say for certain, it was unlike anything she’d seen before.

“This is the wardrobe room. We were in here yesterday too. Never ask the Doctor where it is, he’ll give this really long-winded route when really the TARDIS’ll just put it where you need it.”

“Right. Does anything have an actual place?”

“Hmm. I don’t think so. I mean the kitchen is always on the corridor just off of the console room but as you saw your first day here, she’ll move that too.”

Martha nodded, trying to wrap her head around that. Martha was a big fan of proper organisation and structure. The idea that any room could be anywhere at any time was a little too stressful for her.

“Hey,” Rose said, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry about it too much. If you want things to be in a certain place, the TARDIS will move them for you. Just don’t think about it.”

“Okay.” Martha chuckled in relief.

“Okay. Let’s head to one of the swimming pools. I’ll meet you at your room and we can find one together.”

“There’s more than one?”

“Oh yeah definitely. There’s a basic one with just a pool and hot tub, there’s one that looks like a waterpark with flumes and everything, there’s one with a mini waterfall, there’s a spa one, one with purple water and I think one with projections of fishes in the water.”

“Wow.”

“Yeah. Go big or go home I guess.”

Without realising it they’d reached Martha’s room. Martha’s door was a glossy burgundy red reminiscent of her leather jacket and etched into its surface in black was the outline of a crescent moon. She’d not seen Rose’s door but she kind of loved hers. It was perhaps a bit weird to feel so strongly about a door. But the whole room seemed to encapsulate her perfectly.

“See you in ten minutes?”

“Yeah. Sure.” Martha spoke a little distracted, this ship was baffling.

Rose patted her on the shoulder with a smile before disappearing down the winding corridor. Likely to her own room.

Taking a deep breath, Martha pushed open her own door. Now she just had to find her swimming costume.

It took up maybe five of the ten minutes but Martha finally managed to locate her swimming costume from within her luggage. She’d almost considered not bringing one. Swimming didn’t really seem to fit in with this life of running and adventure. But Rose had insisted that she’d need at least one. So she’d shoved in a black strapless one piece.

She changed quickly, slipping on a violet swimming cover-up over the top. She located her sandals next and slipped those on too. She was just finishing pulling her hair up as a knock sounded on her door.

She opened the door to see Rose standing there. She was wearing a white strapless dress with pastel stripes, the bright pink straps of her swimming costume peeking out over the top with white and beige flip flops. Her hair was still hanging around her face, not as rumpled from sleep anymore. A canvas bag matching her dress sat on her shoulder.

“Ready?” She asked with a smile.

It was difficult to imagine that Martha had ever wondered if Rose hadn’t wanted her here. The friendliness in which she interacted with the universe just seemed to be woven into her nature. But it was just as difficult to imagine her wielding the kind of power she had used last night to keep Lazarus at bay.

But both of those things were true.

And all of those questions that Martha had pushed to the back of her mind during the tour came rushing to the forefront again.

Lost in thought, it took her a moment to realise she hadn’t responded.

“Uh yeah.” She said grabbing her towel. “Ready.”

Rose’s smile had softened into something more resembling understanding before she turned on her heel and led them down the corridor.

They came to a stop in front of a door that appeared to be made of glass with a wavy patterned gracing its surface. But despite its appearance, Martha couldn’t see into the room beyond.

There was a silver switch next to the door that looked very much just like an ordinary light switch, but when Rose pressed it, the door slid up from the bottom, disappearing into the top of the door frame.

Without hesitation, Rose stepped straight into the room one the door was high enough for her to walk under. The hesitancy Rose lacked, Martha had in spades, worrying the door would drop back down on her as she stepped under. But it wasn’t until she was fully in the room that it slid back down again.

Nonetheless, she continued to stare at it warily for several moments. In the meantime, Rose headed over to the wall that ran adjacent to the door which was half-filled with lots of narrow light wooden cupboards for storing towels and such. The last half of the wall led to shower cubicles far nicer than any found at a public swimming pool.

Rose dumped her bag in one of the cupboards, her dress and sandals quickly following.

When Martha turned away from the door it was to the sound of splashing as Rose entered the water. Martha turned away with a smile, heading to one of the white pool lounge chairs. She perched on the white and red striped cushion as she considered her questions.

Meanwhile, Rose swam a few laps up and down the pool. Content to ignore the questions she knew Martha must have for the moment. She knew she couldn’t avoid it forever so she would take these few moments while Martha tried to gather her thoughts.

“Last night. What you did. You were glowing. That happened.” Martha finally said.

Rose swam over to Martha, resting her arms on the pool ledge as she thought.

“Yeah, that happened.”

“And what did happen? How could you do that?”

Rose sighed, tucking a strand of wet hair behind her ear.

“A while ago, I did something stupid and it changed me. I don’t know how I did what I did. I couldn’t let him kill you and it just…” She trailed off unable to find an adequate explanation. “Happened.”

“Rose,” Martha said seriously, the implication of what Rose had done hung heavy in her tone. “You kept a ten-foot mutant scorpion suspended mid-attack without touching him.”

“I don’t know how. It wasn’t me. Okay yes, it was me physically, but that stupid thing I did? It bonded me to the TARDIS or something, that power was all her. I’ve never done that before I didn’t know I could. This is all still new to me. I’m still trying to figure it out.”

Martha was silent for a moment before something else occurred to her.

“When we were on the moon. That Judoon said you were non-human. Minor chrome mutation or something.”

“Chronon. Yeah, I guess whatever I did altered me somehow.”

“You don’t sound very sure.” Martha pointed out.

“It's only really been a month since this all started.”

“But you said the thing you did, happened a while ago. Does the Doctor not know?”

Rose leant back in the pool, letting the water seep into her hair as she stared at the ceiling thinking.

“About a year ago the Doctor was in danger and he sent me home. I had to get back to him and I would have done anything to do it. And I did. I ripped open the TARDIS and stared into her heart. We were temporarily one. That power you saw? That was her. That’s what it was like last time. But more. So much more powerful then.

“Anyways, I saved the Doctor and he took it out of me. We both thought it was over. Then something happened at Christmas and it sort of reactivated? I’m not sure exactly. And no he doesn’t know. The TARDIS told me not to, something about jeopardising timelines. And I’ve tried. Believe me, I’ve tried.” She let out a bitter laugh at that, “But every time I try, she removes the memory and I get sort of sick. I don’t know why she’s letting me tell you.”

“Removed your memory? How can she do that? And how do you know any of this? I mean clearly, you don’t know everything so why do you know part of it?”

“The TARDIS is telepathic, it’s how she translates everything into English. But that’s just surface telepathy. I’m guessing what I did strengthened her telepathic capabilities and so she has more access.” Rose shrugged. “I was in a sort of healing coma at Christmas after whatever it is was awoken. The TARDIS sort of appeared like a hallucination and explained some of it. Foreknowledge is a dangerous thing so whatever’s coming in the timelines, that means I can’t tell the Doctor, is probably the same reason I can’t know everything.”

“If it’s telepathic can’t you ask it?”

“The TARDIS is telepathic, I’m not. I’m still human. Whatever this telepathic connection is, it’ll be one way. Like she can translate for us but we can’t understand her.”

Martha nodded trying to absorb everything she’d been told. Rose laid back in the water, just floating on her back for a moment. Part of her was glad to finally get this off her chest.

It wasn’t long before Martha had thought of more questions.

“But how does it work? Do you always have that power?”

Rose laughed.

“You ask a lot of questions. No, I don’t. It’s only happened twice and it’s only ever temporary. Once at the hospital and then with Lazarus. And I felt sort of sick around the Carrionites but I think that's just feedback.”

“At the hospital?”

Rose tried not to shift uncomfortably; she didn’t want to risk going under.

“I saw glimpses of a timeline. Like snapshot moments of what was going to happen. They weren’t clear and it wasn’t everything it was just for a moment.”

“And you couldn’t change things from what you’d seen. Except for cheap tricks.” Martha said repeating what the Doctor had told her the first time he’d invited her along.

“Essentially.”

Silence fell over them once more with Martha mulling over everything she’d learnt and Rose trying not to let panic set in at Martha’s silence.

“Okay.” She said finally. “I won’t tell him.”

No longer floating, Rose stood to face Martha.

“Thank you. I know it’s a big ask and it’s a lot. But I appreciate it.”

“Of course.” Martha smiled.

They just smiled at each other for a moment, the weight of Rose’s secret hanging between them.

“How long do you think the Doctor will be busy for?” Martha asked.

“At least an hour.” Rose chuckled.

“In that case, I think I’ll join you.”

Nearly two hours later the TARDIS lights flashed notifying Rose that Doctor was almost done. Pulling herself from the pool, she headed for the showers, wanting to rinse the chlorine off before heading to her room.

She bid Martha farewell as she headed to her room to change and brush her hair out.

It wasn’t long before she was walking into the console room, entering with the shopping list at the same moment as the Doctor pulled himself up from under the console.

“Ready?” The Doctor asked once he spotted her.

“Yep. But could you…” She trailed off showing him the hairbands and hairbrush in her other hand.

“Sure.”

Smiling, Rose plopped down sideways on the captain’s chair. The Doctor sat behind her taking the hairbrush from her hand he set to work braiding her hair.

Two french braids later they were ready to go.

They ended up at some random UK supermarket in the near future to avoid running into anyone Rose knew. Rose had commandeered the shopping trolley despite the Doctor’s complaints. For someone who was supposed 900 odd years old, he could act like a child if given half a chance.

Getting everything on the list didn’t take long. The most time-consuming part was convincing the Doctor to put stuff back.

“Doctor we don’t need ten boxes of custard.”

“But Rose what if we’re stranded on Axotn 5 and the only way to escape is to bargain for our freedom with custard.”

“First we’d have to get Axotn 5. Put them back.”

“Rose look!”

“No one is going to eat pickled eggs, Doctor. No.”

The Doctor dropped something into the trolley. “And these.” He announced.

“Caviar? Doctor, that’s not on the list. Stick to the list.”

“Doctor why are there car fresheners in the trolley.”

“They might be useful.”

“We don’t have a car. Stop.”

It was like shepherding a child through a sweet shop. Except the child wanted to buy safety pins, engine oil and pickles.

Eventually, they made it back to the TARDIS. The Doctor wanted to dump everything in the console room for the TARDIS to sort but Rose wasn’t having that. Her mum’s words still lingering in her mind after last night and this morning’s conversation. She was still human, she would do things the human way.

Despite his complaining, the Doctor eventually joined her in the putting away of the shopping. A couple of times Rose had to rearrange some of the items the Doctor had been in charge of putting away. But overall it went smoothly. Until they realised they'd have to get all the ingredients they'd just put away back out to prepare dinner.

Finally finished with the simple task of groceries, they collapsed into two chairs at the table. Prepared to just sit there until dinner needed to be served up.

Rose bounded into the console room the next day to see the Doctor fiddling with the controls as he stared at the monitor. Martha had disappeared after lunch to do some more exploring in the library, Rose had managed to focus on her book for about an hour before she’d wandered off.

The Doctor had been sort of absent all day, tucked away in his workshop, this was the first time she’d seen him. But she’d known he’d been up and around because just like always, her cup of tea had been ready and waiting for her in her usual seat when she’d woken up this morning.

She plopped down onto the captain’s chair, the springs creaking as she did so.

“What you working on?” She asked, hoping for a distraction, she did so love to hear him talk.

“I was just thinking.” He couldn’t seem to look at her as he fiddled with one of the controls. “About what you said the other night.”

Rose cast her mind back trying to decipher what he could be referring to. Thankfully she didn’t have to as he finally finished what he’d been trying to say.

“About wanting a link to home, a reason to come back. And I just thought,” He reached up to scratch the back of his neck “You might like to see Sarah-Jane.” He shrugged.

Rose smiled a little. She hadn’t thought that much about her words that night. Yes, on the one hand, she did feel like she was failing her mum by leaving Earth behind and becoming that little bit less human in the process. But the TARDIS had been her true home now for quite some time.

The idea that the Doctor had been thinking of ways that he could give her that connection to home sent the butterflies she usually tried to ignore fluttering.

She’d visited Sarah-Jane a handful of times since meeting the woman, there were very few people who could understand the life she lived and she’d been in desperate need of a confidante. Shareen and Keisha weren’t options for obvious reasons, and her mum would just try to convince her to stay home. But Sarah-Jane understood.

“I’d like that.”

Rose tried to ignore the nerves that settled amongst the butterflies as the Doctor piloted them to Sarah-Jane's. It was easily done, the excitement winning out. As soon as they landed she turned to the doors, intent on ignoring any nerves she may have.

But although she bounded down the ramp upon their arrival, she hesitated once she got to Sarah-Jane’s front door. Maybe they should have called ahead? Warned her of their arrival. Maybe she was out?

She knew that wasn’t true though as her classic mint green car sat still in the driveway. Yet she couldn’t stop herself from looking back at the TARDIS as she gnawed at her thumb.

Rose shook her head, she was being ridiculous. Before she could talk herself back out of it, she raised her hand to knock on the white wood of the door.

“One moment.” A familiar voice called from behind just before the door swung open. “Hel-”

Sarah-Jane froze mid greeting as she caught sight of Rose.

“Rose?” She spoke softly, her voice heavy with a confusing amount of sadness.

“Hi, sorry for dropping in lik-” Before she could finish what she was saying she was enveloped in a tight hug.

“I thought you were dead. I did an investigative piece on the aftermath of Canary Wharf and I saw your name on the list of the dead. And no one’s seen you! What happened? Where’ve you been?”

“Oh, I’m so sorry Sarah-Jane I didn’t think. If I knew you’d see that list I would have come by to explain sooner. I’m fine, I’ve been with the Doctor.”

“What about your mum?”

Rose sighed. It was still a sore subject and she didn’t know how to begin to explain.

“How about we go inside? You can explain over a cup of tea.”

“That sounds nice.”

So as she sat at Sarah-Jane’s wooden kitchen table, a cup of tea warming her hands, she told the story of the Battle. Told her everything that had happened since they’d last spoken. Losing Mickey, the Beast’s prophecy, LInDA targeting Jackie, meeting Donna and bringing Martha along.

“Should have known you’d two would be behind the draining of the Thames and the return of the hospital.” Sarah-Jane teased.

Rose let out a half-hearted chuckle.

She hadn’t realised just how heavily everything had weighed on her until she’d had to relive it all.

“I’ve got something to tell you and all.”

“Oh yeah?” Rose asked with a smile, curiosity peaked.

She knew Sarah-Jane didn’t keep out of trouble even though she was Earthbound she couldn’t wait to hear what the other woman had been up to.

Just as she opened her mouth to explain an unfamiliar voice called through the house.

“Mum?”

Rose looked at Sarah-Jane with furrowed brows, a question in her eyes as she looked down the corridor in the direction of the voice.

A lanky boy of thirteen stumbled into the kitchen. Silencing Rose further at his arrival.

“Meet Luke,” Sarah-Jane said feebly.

Rose opened and closed her mouth a couple of times as she tried to formulate her thoughts into a coherent sentence. She cleared her throat to try again.

“When we first met you said you didn’t have kids?” Although it was a statement it sounded more like a question as it left her lips.

“I didn’t.” And with that Sarah-Jane launched into the tale of her encounter with the Bane and Luke’s subsequent arrival in her life.

“Wow. You don’t do things by half do you?” Rose chuckled, she turned to the teenager. “I’m Rose, nice to meet you.”

“You know about aliens too?” Luke said.

Rose blinked at the bluntness of his question both amused and taken aback.

“Uh yeah. Me and Sarah-Jane have a mutual friend that sort of introduced us to this life.” She briefly explained once she’d gathered herself.

Luke seemed to accept the explanation.

“Was there something you needed, Luke?” Sarah-Jane asked her son.

When Rose returned to the TARDIS hours later she felt lighter than she had since she’d lost her mum. Sarah-Jane had made her promise to visit more frequently now that her mum and Mickey were gone. Rose had tried to argue, not wanting to impose on the woman.

But she’d insisted, admitting she got lonely stuck on Earth unable to share her secret with anyone. And well Rose couldn’t exactly refuse after that. Hadn’t she thought the exact same thing when the Doctor had suggested it?

So she all but skipped back into the TARDIS, a pep in her step as she thought of her promise to Sarah-Jane.

Yes, the TARDIS was home but she was human and the Earth would always be part of her. She needed that connection to her humanity, to her family and to her past. And what better person than someone who’d lived this life already?

The Doctor was still stood at the console staring at something on the monitor he looked up once she made it to the top of the ramp.

“Ready to go?”

Rose nodded with a smile that felt more genuine than it’d been in weeks.

The Doctor sent them into the vortex with practiced ease. Once the shaking had abated, Rose stepped up next to him, wrapping her arms around him in a hug that he quickly returned.

“Thank you. I needed that.”

“Anytime.”

“So where next?” She asked with a grin.

Everything may have changed but she still knew where she belonged. By the Doctor’s side as they ran hand and hand throughout time and space

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Chapter Twelve: Mission Control. Series: Three. Episode: Extras: Post - The Lazarus Experiment.
“Right! Where should we go today? What’s the plan, Martha Jones?” The Doctor asked exuberantly as he ran around the console.

“Me?” Martha asked in surprise. “I get to choose?”

Rose smiled encouragingly over at Martha.

“Beginner’s choice.”

“So all of time and space where do you want to start?”

Martha seemed to flounder for a moment. It was no easy feat to choose one place and one moment in all of universal history, especially when one lacked the knowledge of all of space. And her mind was stuck on just one place. But it was hardly exciting.

“The moon landing?”

“The moon landing?” The Doctor said incredulously. “We went to the moon, and you want to see someone else land on the moon on a shaky, low-quality camera?”

“I know we did! Which is why I thought of it. And that human colony we saw on New Earth, human exploration, it all starts at that moment in history. Come on that's got to be worth a look.”

A grin stretched across the Doctor’s lips.

“Couldn’t have put it better myself.” Launching into action, he began his dance around the console. “NASA headquarters, Washington, D.C, 20th July 1969.”

They landed with the usual rattling thump that threatened to sweep their legs out from underneath them. The Doctor was the first to recover bounding towards the door seconds after they land, the shakes not having yet subsided. Rose recovered second, dusting herself off and reaching out a hand to help Martha up too.

She let the young doctor take the lead. This is her trip after all. She can barely hold back a grin as Martha hesitantly makes her way to the door. She felt like a proud mother seeing her child off to school and what an odd feeling that is.

Martha pulled open the door and stepped out after the Doctor, her mouth dropped open in awe as her gaze roved over the control room of Apollo Eleven. She distantly recognised the sound of Rose shutting the TARDIS doors behind her but thought little of it as she was captivated by the banks of controls and the screens that take up an entire wall.

She vaguely remembered when they were little that her brother Leo had briefly wanted to be an astronaut, no doubt he would have loved to see all of this.

Pulled from her thoughts by the cacophony of voices that filled the space as they prepared for a historical moment in time. One voice became more prominent than the rest, as a harried-looking man in glasses found his way in front of them.

“Who the hell are you? You don’t have authori-”

“Special orders.” The Doctor interrupted flashing the psychic paper.

The man seemed to pale a little as he gulped.

“Of course, apologies sir. As you were.” He said before darting away from the trio in seeming embarrassment.

“What did you tell him? He couldn’t seem to get away fast enough.” Martha asked curiously, watching after the man.

The Doctor showed them the psychic paper.

“Special orders on request of President Nixon to personally oversee the landing of Apollo 11?” Martha read out loud.

“Which ones, Nixon?” Rose asked absentmindedly.

“Watergate.” The Doctor sniffed in contempt.

“Ah, that one.”

Rose’s American political history was sketchy at best. She’d once been assigned America during the 20’s to 30’s as her coursework project at school, but that had been years ago. She’d hated learning about the political aspect necessary for the coursework and as such had never devoted additional time to learning about the other American presidents and what they were known for. They didn’t spend much time in America as it were anyway.

Rose and the Doctor took two seats at the back further from the hubba bubba, allowing them to better view history in motion. While Martha chose to flit about taking in as much as she could. She got a few too many glances bordering on disgust before the man that had intercepted them upon arrival put them to right. The glare the Doctor shot everyone may have helped as well.

Rose was trying to pay attention, history was unfurling right in front of her eyes after all, but she was distracted by the odd pressure in her skull. It wasn’t uncomfortable, it distantly reminded her of the sensation when you sit with your back against a closed door, then feel someone do the same on the other side. Becoming subconsciously aware of their presence even though you can’t see them.

Oddly, the thought that there might be another TARDIS present drifted through her mind. A thought she quickly dismissed because surely the Doctor would know if that were the case. She shot him a quick look out of the corner of her eye but nothing about his disposition suggested he was concerned.

Nonetheless, it had Rose worried. It was a new and bizarre sensation and thus far every new and bizarre sensation had been linked to the TARDIS. Not only that, but they’d all been unpleasant to experience. This wasn’t. It was just a gentle pressure that brought no pain or unpleasantness but was simply just there. It was throwing her through a loop. This wasn’t what she’d come to expect of her new Bad Wolf sensations and she wasn’t entirely sure how to process it.

It was something new. And new usually meant dangerous.

She scratched at her recently healed arm, unable to combat the pseudo itch. The Doctor had taken her cast off of after three weeks, the recovery period much shorter thanks to the advance technology. She still remembered the Doctor's confusion after he’d scanned her freshly released arm.

“That’s odd.” The Doctor frowned at the results.

Rose was shaking out her arm beside him, glad to finally have the cast off. While it didn’t impede on her too much as unlike the ones back at home it had no issue with water and didn’t leave her skin dry and gross, it was still irritating to accommodate for.

“What is?” She asked, not particularly interested in the answer, the Doctor tended to worry a lot after all.

“Your arm’s been healed for a while.”

Rose stared at him uncomprehendingly.

“Isn’t that the point in using all the futuristic stuff? Quicker recovery?”

“Well yes but still it shouldn’t have been that quick. Seems like it was all healed up over a week ago. Even with TARDIS intervention it shouldn’t be that quick.”

TARDIS intervention, the phrase echoed through her mind causing her heart to pound. Was this another aspect of Bad Wolf? Surely not.

“Well maybe she’s just better than you give her credit for.” Rose said, aiming for levity.

But the Doctor was still glaring at the results.

After a moment he seemed to register that Rose was watching him and pasted on a smile. The mask firmly in place, all concern hidden from view. If Rose hadn’t been watching the transition she might have believed it better. But instead it sent a chill down her spine.

“Well she is brilliant. And you’re all patched up so nothing to worry about.”

The last time he’d smiled like that had been right before he’d revealed his plan to send her to Pete’s world. It was the face he got when he didn’t want her to worry or to know there was anything to worry about.

It had the opposite effect.

But still, she returned the faux smile and hopped off the table, already heading for the door. She was sick of lying to him and didn’t want him to call her out on it anymore than she wanted to call him out on his own mask.

“Good news all round then. I told Martha I’d help her find a specific book on anatomy in the library so better go seeing as I’m done here?” She raised her eyebrow in question, looking for confirmation.

“Yep, all good.” He said popping the ‘p’, the unnerving smile instead in place.

Rose’s own grin tightened once before she slipped out the door and down the corridor. God, she hated this.

Trying to distract herself from the memory and the odd sensation, she cast her gaze about the room, noting all the flurrying scientists and engineers. She was just considering making some excuse about feeling sick in order to escape to the TARDIS when her eyes were drawn back to an odd figure standing in the control room doorway.

A tall humanoid figure in a black pinstripe suit with a bulbous head and cavernous eyes stood in the doorway. Rose tilted her head as she observed the clearly extraterrestrial creature. Absently she noted that the dual pressure in her skull had shifted to a trill of warning.

Was the TARDIS worried about this creature?

So caught up in her thoughts she missed the moon landing. Only brought back to the present by the cacophony of cheering. Startled and disorientated, she pasted on a smile as if she hadn’t just missed a fundamental milestone for the human race because she was distracted by her symbiotic bond to a telepathic multidimensional time machine.

But hadn’t there been something else that had captured her attention?

, she briefly wondered to herself. But when she cast her mind back she drew up a blank.

Martha came bounding up to them with a wide grin, like a toddler on a sugar high, further distracting Rose.

“That was amazing! It’s so weird to think that forty years ago we landed on the moon when it feels like I did that just the other day.” Martha grinned jokingly.

“You’re an astronaut, Martha Jones.” The Doctor grinned as he stood, “But don’t tell them that, wouldn’t want to wound their pride. Humans. You lot get very competitive about being the first.”

“I don’t think it’s just a human thing,” Rose commented, pulling herself up from her chair, she’d heard the Doctor boast about the Timelords being the first to discover time travel a time or two before, after all.

But the Doctor wasn’t listening, seemingly lost in thought. It made her think back to her earlier assumption that the Doctor would know if there was another TARDIS present. Timelords should be able to sense that kind of thing, right? After all, he’d once told her that he’d be able to telepathically sense another Timelord if they still existed. Surely that applied to the TARDIS’ too? And even then if there was another TARDIS, a Timelord would surely be needed to pilot it.

Rose was starting to confuse herself with all these mental loops that she was doing. She couldn’t seem to think straight these days, always circulating and twisting. It was beginning to drive her mad.

Though her conversation with Martha the other day had been clarifying, the venting hadn’t cleared her mind quite as she’d hoped. Perhaps she could convince the Doctor to take them to a resort planet next?

“Right who’s hungry? Surely we can find a good diner around here somewhere, they must be everywhere. Though I suspect they’ll be quite full on a day like today.” The Doctor absently mused largely to himself as he danced around the console, no longer lost in thought it would seem.

“Does it have to be in 1969?” Martha asked cautiously, “It’s just I think I could do without the racial judgment when I’m eating.”

“Of course it doesn’t.” Rose tried to reassure, placing a hand on her shoulder as the two of them joined the Doctor in the TARDIS, “Right, Doctor?”

“Of course not. Food’s not great in this time period anyway. And if you want an American style burger with a view then I know a much better place anyway.”

Martha breathed a sigh of relief at that.

She’d tried to not let it bother, just enjoy the historic moment unfolding before her, but she couldn’t stand another second of the sixties. This period of American history was famous for a lot more than just the moon landing after all.

She took a seat on the jumpseat, prepared for the Doctor’s usual brand of reckless driving, only to be pleasantly surprised when she wasn’t thrown from her seat. Maybe she was getting the hang of this?

“Welcome to Santori Deluxe X, pleasure planet dedicated to traditional cuisine throughout time and cultures. Magnol’s is famous for its classic American dining, Georgian styled architecture and view of the Kuiper asteroid belt.” The Doctor told them, already shrugging into his coat as he made for the door.

“Hold on, Georgian architecture?” Martha questioned.

“Yeah, history gets a bit confused when it comes to architecture it all seems to bleed into one as humans tend to take inspiration from past eras and give it a modern spin. Lots of non-native species make that mistake. You lot included.”

Rose and Martha looked at each other with a raised brow, struggling to hold back a laugh at the Doctor’s pompous tone.

After taking a moment to gather their composure, it occurred to the duo that they’d left the Doctor prattling outside on his own. Grabbing their coats they headed out the door to join him.

“Wow.” Martha was the first to exclaim.

“It’s beautiful.” Rose agreed.

The planet was paved with smooth, dark yellow stones that from the lack of obvious seams made it appear as though it had been carved from one singular sheet of rock. The sky was littered with big gleaming stars that looked almost close enough to touch if it weren’t for the clamouring buildings that shattered said illusion of proximity, each in a different and unique architectural style. The street was filled with the aroma of a dozen different cuisines, each more curious than the next.

Rose thought she spotted a large ice blue hut, reminiscent of the ones she’d seen on Krevaar, in the distance but couldn’t be sure.

There were a variety of different species roaming the streets, some completely unfamiliar to Rose, she itched for her sketchpad at that moment to capture their likeness on paper. It’d make it easier to read up on them later in the library. As she was accustomed to doing after being caught off guard by the Sycorax that Christmas when the Doctor had been comatose.

But she didn’t have it to hand or the time presently, so she’d just have to hope she could capture them in her mind’s eye.

She wished she’d remembered to pick up her camera...

After a moment’s gawking she registered the tugging on her arm and looked down to see Martha trying to get her attention. Apparently, the Doctor had started to wander off without them and was already a considerable distance ahead.

With a quick apology to Martha for her distracted nature, they chased after the Doctor, who’d already made it to Magnol’s. They took a moment to stare at the odd attempt at Georgian architecture before making their way inside to eat.

The interior was a strange mix between a Hollywood Western saloon and a fifties diner with its dim faux gas lamp lighting and vinyl booths, it made for an interesting environment but not one that Rose immediately disliked.

They were seated fairly quickly at a table with large floor to ceiling windows - that didn’t quite fit with any of the eras they were imitating - on the second floor that gave them the perfect view of the asteroid belt. Apparently, the Doctor was well known by the owner, for reasons that Rose couldn’t quite catch.

The menu was exactly what Rose would have expected from a fifties diner except for a few odd dishes here and there that the Doctor insisted were patron favourites. But whatever Quafflemeat was, Rose didn’t want to find out.

They gave their orders to a puce coloured humanoid with six three-fingered arms. The Doctor ordered a swindonal sandwich with a banana flavoured root beer, Rose an old new york style hot dog with soda float and Martha a traditional cheeseburger with a strawberry milkshake. Neither girl fancying braving the unfamiliar foods this time.

As they waited for their food the Doctor told them a little more about the planet’s and the restaurant's history. As well as describing the asteroids and constellations they could see from the window. Rose tried not to stare too much from her seat opposite the Doctor as he spoke, but she’d never found anyone’s voice quite so captivating, a trait which had remained unchanged even after regeneration.

At one point, Martha had nudged her with a knowing smile and Rose knew she had failed in her endeavour leading to a furious blush to coat her cheeks, one that wasn’t quite hidden by her makeup. The Doctor had questioned her as to her health, worried that she was coming down with another fever and was left dumbstruck when the travelling med student burst out laughing at his query.

Rose attempted to fumble out an excuse but thankfully was saved further mortification by the arrival of their food, she quickly took a bite to prevent her from having to explain herself which just seemed to baffle the Doctor further.

Thankfully, Martha eventually took pity. And with a roll of her eyes, she reassured him that Rose was fine, to stop being such a worrywart and to eat his weird looking sandwich. Which he did without further delay.

The rest of the meal passed by uneventfully, the asteroid belt providing a beautiful background for the meal. Just as the Doctor had promised.

After what must have been a couple of hours, they finally dragged themselves back to the TARDIS. The Doctor piloting them into the vortex before they each dispersed for the evening, Martha to her room to study, Rose to the library for some extracurricular research and the Doctor to his workshop to work on some gadget he’d picked up on their last bazaar trip.

The calming evening had pushed all thoughts of the odd sensation she’d experienced at the NASA headquarters out of her mind to be forgotten for many years.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Chapter Thirteen: Race Against the Clock.Series: Three.Episode: 42.Part: One.
They were gathered in the console room ready for another day of adventures. The Doctor was currently performing his usual jiggery-pokery on Martha’s phone with his sonic after a pointed reminder from Rose when Martha had mentioned that she missed her mum.

“Right, there we go. Universal roaming. Never have to worry about signal again.” The Doctor exclaimed, tossing Martha back her phone with a flourish.

Martha caught the phone in mid-air, face suspended in shock at the Doctor’s claim. Rose grinned. It did sound too good to be true, impossible even, they were in a time machine for god’s sake! And yet...

“No way. This is too mad. You're telling me I can phone anyone, anywhere in space and time on my mobile?” Martha questioned, staring at her phone in disbelief.

“As long as you know the area code,” The Doctor told Martha, “Frequent flier's privilege. Go on, try it.”

Martha grinned at the mention of being a frequent flier, it made Rose giddy to think about too. Though she couldn’t help remember how they’d intended to leave Martha behind after being kidnapped and before everything kicked off with Lazarus. They’d almost taken all this from her.

The TARDIS suddenly juddered, sending her occupants to their knees as they scrambled to find a handhold at the abrupt turbulence. The Doctor pulled the monitor around to read out the display at it’s insistent beeping. Recognising the sound from previous distress calls, Rose hunkered down for the inevitable tossing as the Doctor put his shoes on the console in order to stay grounded while he flew the ship.

“Distress signal. Locking on. Might be a bit of-” The Doctor was thrown to the floor before he could finish his warning, Martha joining him. “Turbulence. Sorry. Come on. Let's take a look.”

The Doctor was already at the door when he called for the two girls who were still brushing themselves down.

“You’d think there’d be less turbulence when we actually know where we’re going,” Martha muttered.

Rose rolled her eyes.

“You’d think! But something about using the signal to pull the TARDIS through knocks the navigation system partially offline giving him less control.” Rose told her with a dismissive wave as she repeated the excuse the Doctor had given her a million times as if she didn’t believe him. Which was fair considering the Doctor was generally not a great driver. “Let’s go before he wanders off and takes all the fun.”

From outside the TARDIS doors, they heard, “

Distress signal transmitted

.” From an automated voice.

“Whoa, now that is hot.” They heard the Doctor comment to himself from outside.

Martha grinned at Rose and raced out the door, she ducked back in moments later to toss her stripped off cardigan over the railing. Noting this, Rose shed the t-shirt she was wearing leaving her in a plain vest and ditching the proffered jacket at the door. She pulled her hair into a quick bun as she joined them outside of the TARDIS.

“

Automated distress signal transmitted

.” The computer repeated.

“Whuff, it's like a sauna in here,” Martha complained.

“Remind me not to complain about the cold the next time we get stranded in the snow after this.” Rose chimed in agreement with Martha.

It had only been four days ago that they’d got lost on the way back from the capitol on Denoor when it had started snowing. The two women had been left shuddering in only their thin jackets, glaring at the Timelord who’d seemed unaffected and unable to locate their destination amongst the flurry of white.

They’d made the Doctor promise to take them somewhere warm next, a promise she was now regretting while this hadn’t been quite what they’d meant you always had to be careful what you wished for with the TARDIS.

“Venting systems. Working at full pelt, trying to cool down. Wherever it is we are. Well, if you can't stand the heat.” The Doctor pulled open the door before them, ducking through the bulkhead. “That’s better.”

The two girls followed after him into a cooler corridor that was unfortunately still uncomfortably hot and were met with shouts from what was most likely the distressed ship’s crew.

“Oi, you three!” A male shouted.

“Get out of there!” A second voice joined this one a woman.

They turned to spot three crewmates, running towards them, sweaty and dirty. The corridor they’d found themselves in was equally dirty, the walls seemingly coated in a thin layer of grime.

“Seal that door, now!” The first voice told them as the third person charged past them to slam the door they’d just walked through shut.

“Who are you? What are you doing on my ship?” The woman - apparently the captain - asked.

“Are you police?” The third said from behind them.

“Why would we be police?” The Doctor asked, face crumpled in confusion.

The travellers looked between the captain and the two crewmates in confusion at the accusatory tones directed towards them.

“We got your distress signal,” Martha told them.

“Surely you were expecting someone, weren’t ya?” Rose followed on from Martha.

“If this is a ship, why can't I hear any engines?” The Doctor asked.

“It went dead four minutes ago.” The captain informed them, eyes flitting between the travelling trio.

“So maybe we should stop chatting and get to Engineering. Captain.” The first bloke snapped, tagging on the title at the last second as an afterthought.

The captain rolled her eyes, clearly used to his attitude.

“

Secure closure active.

” The computer drolled.

“What?” The captain looked around in confusion.

“The ship's gone mad.” The quieter bloke of the three of them commented.

From behind the captain, they could see the bulkheads slamming shut with a heavy thud, a petite brunette running to stay ahead of them, a welder’s helmet in hand.

“Who activated secure closure? I nearly got locked into area twenty-seven.” She asked upon joining them, looking as equally scruffy and irritated as her other crewmates.

The last bulkhead - labelled area 30 - slammed shut. The newest arrival stared at the travellers uncomprehendingly.

“Who are you?” She panted.

“He's the Doctor, she’s Rose and I'm Martha. Hello.” Martha said distractedly as she drifted towards the window.

“And you lot are?” Rose asked.

“I’m Captain McDonnell this is-”

From above them, the computer spoke again, interrupting McDonnell, “

Impact projection forty-two minutes twenty-seven seconds

.”

Distracted from her own question by the announcement, Rose tried not to think how ominous it sounded and all the different ways things could go wrong. Things had a habit of going from bad to worse around them.

“We'll get out of this. I promise.” McDonnell told them sincerely.

Martha stared out the ship’s porthole before calling for the Doctor’s attention.

“Doctor.”

When the Doctor stayed rooted to the spot, Rose made her way over to Martha to see what she’d spotted, her mouth dropping open at the sight.

“Oh god.” It was worse than she’d even dared to imagine.

“Forty-two minutes until what?” The Doctor asked McDonnell.

“Doctor! Look.” Martha tried again with greater urgency now, as she took to clutching at the porthole ledge.

The Doctor darted over to join them finally seeing why the two girls and the crew were concerned.

“Forty-two minutes until we crash into the sun.”

The enormity of that statement settled over the ensemble. The trio stared at the swirling star they were hurtling towards. It was burning Rose’s eyes just looking at it, she tried not to think about how she’d feel in forty-two minutes.

Especially as upon reflection, she realised the burning was coming from inside her head, specifically the little corner of her mind where the TARDIS resided. The TARDIS that was currently trapped in the sauna-like ventilation chamber.

The Doctor was fumbling for a plan as Rose rubbed at her temples trying to ignore the hot, stuffy feeling inside her head that reminded her of that one time in year 9 when she’d caught the flu.

“How many crew members on board?” The Doctor asked, running over to McDonnell and grasping her arms.

“Seven, including us,” McDonnell spoke quickly.

“We transport cargo across the galaxy. Everything's automated. We just keep the ship spaceworthy.” The first bloke, the one with the longer hair, informed them.

“Call the others, I'll get you out.” The Doctor told them, running towards the bulkhead they’d first stepped through.

“What's he doing?” The second bloke spoke.

“Doctor, don't!” McDonnell shouted.

The Doctor was knocked to the floor by a blast of heat upon opening the door. Rose and Martha rushed to the Doctor’s side. The other woman put on her welder’s mask and slammed it shut again.

“But my ship's in there!” The Doctor told them.

“In the vent chamber?” The shorter-haired bloke queried, stunned.

“It's our lifeboat.” The Doctor told them seriously.

“It's lava.” The longer-haired bloke rebuked bluntly.

“The temperature's going mad in there. Up three thousand degrees in ten seconds, and still rising.” The woman in the welder’s mask read out the temperature gauge.

“Channelling the air. The closer we get to the sun, the hotter that room's going to get.” The shorter-haired bloke explained.

“We're stuck here,” Martha said, looking at the Doctor with an almost accusatory gaze.

The Doctor looked quickly away from Martha, not wanting to face her accusation, as he spouted out a plan.

“So, we fix the engines, we steer the ship away from the sun. Simple. Engineering down here, is it?”

And for how simple it sounded, Rose already knew it wouldn’t be that easy, it never bloody was.

“Yes.” McDonnell agreed.

“

Impact in forty twenty-six

.” The computer helpfully reminded them.

They made their way down to engineering with the Doctor leading the way, as usual, despite having never been here before.

“Blimey, do you always leave things in such a mess?” The Doctor asked rhetorically at the sight of the obvious sabotage done to the engine.

“Oh, my God,” McDonnell exclaimed.

“What the hell happened?” The longer-haired bloke asked.

“Oh, it's wrecked.” The shorter-haired bloke commented.

“Pretty efficiently too. Someone knew what they were doing.” The Doctor said.

“What sabotage? But why would anyone want to crash a ship - that they’re on - into the sun?” Rose asked, confused.

“Where's Korwin? Has anyone heard from him or Ashton?” Captain McDonnell asked, unable to see either of the aforementioned crewmates.

“No.” The longer-haired bloke said simply - from where he was running a torch over the engine - in what Rose was beginning to understand was his usual way of speaking.

“You mean someone did this on purpose?” Martha questioned, equally confused.

McDonnell headed over to an intercom embedded in the wall, likely to question the whereabouts of the other crewmates she’d queried about.

Rose tried to ignore the chill that ran down her spine despite the heat and the mental fever of the TARDIS. They were less than an hour from crashing into the sun on a sabotaged spaceship with missing crew members. And while she didn’t want to make any snap judgments about the crewmates she had yet to meet, it seemed obvious to her that they were likely behind their current dilemma. Unless there was a stowaway on board as well.

“Korwin, Ashton? Where are you? Korwin, can you answer? Where the hell is he? He should be up here.” She said in frustration.

The Doctor ignored her from where he stood in front of a data bank, reading out the display.

“Oh, we're in the Torajii system. Lovely. You're a long way from home, you two. Half a universe away.” The Doctor told them, sounding pleased.

Rose couldn’t help smile, even in life and death situations you could count on the Doctor to find joy in the littlest of things.

“Yeah. Feels it.” Martha replied tonelessly.

Rose made her way over to the Doctor, unable to ignore the tension in his posture. She came to stand besides him, her back to the data bank as she studied his profile.

“Would it be wrong of me to assume that the missing crew are responsible for the current situation?” She murmured so only he could hear her.

“Are you deducting, Lewis?” The Doctor replied absently.

Rose smiled weakly at the reminder of their trip to the 2012 olympics.

She shrugged.

“The captain seems shifty. I mean they must have known about the distress signal, yet they seemed more concerned at the prospect that we were police when they’re moments away from crashing into a sun.”

The Doctor hummed, finally turning to look at her.

“Good thing they didn’t see the TARDIS then.” He said referring to the broken chameleon circuit. “And I think you might be right about that, there’s definitely something more going on here.”

He stared unseeingly at the wreckage before them for several moments as Rose in turn watched him.

“But that’s not what’s got you so worried.” She pointed out, she could probably guess what it was but she needed to hear him say it. “What is it?” Still too quiet for anyone else to overhear.

“We’re stranded again. I’ve trapped you and Martha here and she knows it too.” He scrubbed a hand down his face.

“Hey, we’ll get out of this. We’ve dealt with worse, Martha’s just not as used to it yet. Not that I would suggest we make a habit of it. And seven crewmates is a much smaller hurdle than a couple dozen ood.”

The Doctor smiled at her attempts to reassure him.

“Yeah, I suppose you’re right.”

“There we go then, nothing to worry about.” She grinned at him, tongue between teeth in the way she knew always drew his gaze.

“Yes.” He breathed in response before whirling around and continuing in a louder voice. “And you're still using energy scoops for fusion? Hasn't that been outlawed yet?” The Doctor asked McDonnell in that way he did when he already knew the answer but wanted to see how they’d responded.

Rose watched on in interest. So that's what he’d meant when he’d said there was something else going on. This was why they were worried about the police. McDonnell’s eyes flickered to the shorter-haired bloke’s, as he climbed down the ladder, before answering. But Rose already knew, just as the Doctor did.

“We're due to upgrade next docking.” She quickly changed the subject as she moved away from the Doctor, “Scannell, engine report.”

The longer-haired bloke - now identified as Scannell - moved over to the databank that the Doctor had abandoned.

After a series of negative beeps, he informed them, “No response.” Already walking back towards the other end of the engine.

“What?” McDonnell vocalised her confusion.

“They're burnt out. The controls are wrecked. I can't get them back online.” Scannell reported, throwing down the burnt-out wires.

The Doctor whipped off his glasses, “Oh, come on. Auxiliary engines. Every craft's got auxiliaries.”

“We don't have access from here. The auxiliary controls are in the front of the ship.” McDonnell informed him.

Of course, they were. Hadn’t she thought it wouldn’t be easy? Of course, they’d landed in the vent chamber, of course, secure closure had been activated, of course, the control’s were wrecked and of course, the auxiliary engines were behind 30 closed bulkheads. Despite what she’d told the Doctor she couldn’t help the slight frustration that she felt for a moment. Rose leant back against a support beam, it was going to be one of

those

days it seemed.

But she’d been right when she told him, they’d dealt with worse. They would get out of this it just depended how much trouble they’d find themselves in first.

“Yeah, with twenty-nine password sealed doors between us and them. You'll never get there in time.” Scannell added on.

“Can't you override the doors?” Martha queried.

“No. Sealed closure means what it says. They're all dead-lock sealed.” Scannell explained.

Of course they were, Rose thought to herself rubbing her temple. Bloody hell they could do with some good news right about now because the bad news pile was starting to cave in under it’s own weight at this point.

“So a sonic screwdriver's no use.” The Doctor murmured, thoughts taking a similar path to Rose’s own she knew.

“Nothing's any use. We've got no engines, no time, and no chance.” Scannell snapped.

While his persistent pessimistic nature was grating, Scannell did have a point. They were racing against the clock to avoid being burned alive in a nearby sun and everything was going wrong. This was the Doctor’s third rescue plan already.

But he always worked best under a time crunch.

“Oh, listen to you. Defeated before you've even started. Where's your Dunkirk spirit? Who's got the door passwords?” The Doctor shot back, directing the last part to McDonnell.

Rose smiled at the Doctor’s persistence. He wasn’t going to abandon them no matter how shady things seemed currently.

“They're randomly generated. Reckon I know most of them. Sorry. Riley Vashti.” The shorter-haired bloke finally introduced himself, stepping forward.

“Then what're you waiting for, Riley Vashti? Get on it.” The Doctor instructed.

“Well, it's a two-person job. One, to take this for the questions, and the other to carry this. The oldest and cheapest security system around, eh, Captain?” Riley explained pulling down the large two-piece security system that seemed to be comprised of firstly a large backpack containing a portable computer and keyboard and then a mechanical clamp of equal size.

“Reliable and simple, just like you, eh, Riley?” McDonnell teased.

Riley shouldered the backpack as he shot back at the captain, “Try and be helpful, get abuse. Nice.”

“I'll help you. Make myself useful.” Martha offered, taking the clamp from Riley.

“It's remotely controlled by the computer panel. That's why it needs two.” Riley told her as they turned to leave.

“Oi.” The Doctor called Martha back, “Be careful.”

“You too.” Martha smiled.

Rose watched the pair go, gnawing at her thumb as she did, she had a bad feeling about Martha leaving. They hadn’t had many calm trips since Martha had joined them, the stakes seeming so much higher recently - Martha had been kidnapped at gunpoint for god’s sake! - it didn’t seem right to let her out of sight but there was a lot of work to be done. She’d just get in the way tagging along on a two-person job.

A voice suddenly spoke over the intercom, getting all of their attention “McDonnell. It's Ashton.”

McDonnell darted over to the intercom system in the wall that she’d been using earlier.

“Where are you? Is Korwin with you?” She asked.

“Get up to the med-centre now!” Was all Ashton responded with.

McDonnell fled the room, the Doctor close on her heels. Rose deliberated for all of a second before charging after them, someone had sabotaged those controls and now there was an emergency in the med-centre? It couldn’t be a coincidence. And she’d like to know what else they were going to have to deal with other than the inevitable solar impact.

“

Impact in thirty-four thirty-one

.”

They arrived at med-centre to find a woman in scrubs holding down a screaming man with the help of an older bloke, likely the ‘Ashton’ that had spoken over the intercom.

“Korwin! What's happened? Is he okay?”

“Kath? Help me! It's burning me!” Korwin writhed on the medical bed, eyes clenched shut.

“How long's he been like this?” The Doctor asked the medic, as he helped restrain Korwin.

“Ashton just brought him in.” The medic responded.

The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and began scanning Korwin with one hand.

“What are you doing?” McDonnell demanded to know.

“Don't get too close.” The Doctor warned.

McDonnell took Ashton’s place by Korwin’s side regardless of the Doctor’s warning, “Don't be so stupid. That's my husband.”

“And he's just sabotaged our ship.” Ashton corrected.

“What?” McDonnell snapped at Ashton.

“You’re kidding? He doesn’t seem to be in much of a state to do anything let alone the damage we saw.” Rose said, doubt colouring her tone.

The man before her, contorted in pain, didn’t look like he’d be able to walk across the room without assistance let alone cause the level of damage they had seen downstairs. Rose briefly wondered if Ashton himself was responsible and was blaming his incapacitated crewmate, as he wasn’t in much of a position to defend himself. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d seen someone use that tactic.

“He went mad. He put the ship into secure closure, then he set the heat pulse to melt the controls.” Ashton elaborated.

“No way. He wouldn't do that.” McDonnell rebuked.

“I saw it happen, Captain.”

“Korwin? Korwin, open your eyes for me a second.” The Doctor attempted to coax Korwin.

“I can't!” Korwin screamed.

“Yeah, course you can. Go on.”

“Don't make me look at you, please.”

The Doctor takes a hypo-gun from a medical tray next to the bed.

“All right, all right, all right. Just relax.” He told Korwin before turning to the medic, “Sedative?”

“Yes.” She agreed.

The Doctor placed the hypo-gun at Korwin’s neck, injecting the flailing man with the sedative, his body went limp almost immediately.

“What's wrong with him?” McDonnell asked.

“Rising body temperature, unusual energy readings. Stasis chamber. I do love a good stasis chamber. Keep him sedated in there. Regulate the body temperature. And, just for fun, run a bioscan and tissue profile on a metabolic detail.” The Doctor said rapid-fire.

“Just doing them now.” The medic informed him, looking perplexed at the instructions coming from a stranger.

“Oh, you're good. Anyone else presenting these symptoms?”

Rose tried to ignore the flare of jealousy that the Doctor’s praise evoked, especially when she registered what else he’d said.

Oh god please don’t let them have landed in the middle of a contagion on top of everything else, Rose thought desperately. Her head was still throbbing and at this point, she couldn’t tell if it was due to the TARDIS or the ever in surmounting odds they seemed to have found themselves up against.

“Not so far.”

“Well, that's something.”

Took the words right out of her mouth.

“Will, someone tell me what is the matter with him?” McDonnell demanded.

“Some sort of infection. We'll know more after the test results. Now, allonsy, back downstairs. Hey. See about those engines. Go.” Ashton left to do as instructed, but McDonnell hesitated at her husband’s side, “Hey. Go.”

McDonnell managed to peel herself away from her husband, reluctant to do so but her ship was still half an hour away from crashing into the sun. And as captain, she had a responsibility to her crew.

“Call us if there's news. Any questions?” The Doctor asked as they headed towards the door.

“Yeah. Who are you?” The medic wondered.

“I'm the Doctor.”

They headed back to engineering, the Doctor’s mind flicking through all the different possible outcomes and solutions, it was practically written on his face. Rose knew it was best to just let him mull it over for now. If the guilt and responsibility started to weigh on him she’d pull him back again.

Another burst of heat came flaring through her link with the TARDIS, wincing she massaged her temple, not letting the pain stop her from keeping in step with the Doctor.

“You alright?” He asked, concern colouring his tone.

“Yeah course. Stuck on a sabotaged ship that’s half an hour away from crashing into the sun, separated from the TARDIS and with a potentially contagious crew member on board. Must be a Thursday.” Rose grinned, partially to reassure him and partially because as terrifying as the situation was, she couldn’t ignore the thrill adventures like this always gave her.

“Must be.” The Doctor agreed, returning her grin.

“

Heatshield failing. At twenty-five per cent. Impact in thirty-two fifty

.”

They both looked up to the ceiling at the computer’s announcement. The unnecessary reminder that the clock was still ticking and they were running out of time and options.

“Come on, better get back.” The Doctor broke the silence that had fallen over them in the wake of the computer's sombre announcement.

“Good idea.”

“Abi, how's Korwin doing? Any results from the bio-scan?” The Doctor asked the medic over the engineering intercom.

“He's under heavy sedation. I'm just trying to make sense of this data. Give me a couple of minutes and I'll let you know.” Abi replied.

“Martha? Riley? How're you doing?” The Doctor switched channels.

“Area twenty-nine at the door to twenty-eight.” Came Martha’s reply.

“Yeah, you've got to move faster.”

Rose raised an eyebrow at the Doctor’s blunt response as he came to join them back at the engine, she could understand the necessity for speed, impending solar impact and all that but still. She had no doubt that Martha was working her hardest to complete the task set to them.

“Oi! Being rude.”

The Doctor opened his mouth to defend himself but was cut off by Martha’s equally snarky response.

“We're doing our best.”

Rose smiled at Martha’s response, returning to her task.

“Find the next number in the sequence three one three, three three one, three six seven. What?” Riley’s voice filtered through the intercom.

379

, whispered her mind.

Rose froze in the middle of shifting through the wreckage when she registered the misplaced voice. That hadn’t been her. There was no way in hell she knew that, but where else could it have come from? She fought the impulse to look about herself but she knew the voice hadn’t been external. Shaking her head she returned to her task intent on ignoring another odd aspect of herself. Those were becoming frequently common lately but she had more pressing concerns presently.

“You said the crew knew all the answers.” Martha’s reply filtered through next.

“The crew's changed since we set the questions.”

“You're joking.”

The Doctor leapt over piles of junk and spare parts to get to the intercom, “Three seven nine.”

Rose froze once more when the Doctor repeated the number her mind had uttered. What the hell was that? How could she have known that? Bloody hell, she rubbed her fevered forehead in frustration.

“What?” Martha asked.

“It's a sequence of happy primes. Three seven nine.”

“Happy what?”

“Just enter it.”

“Are you sure? We only get one chance.” Riley questioned.

“Any number that reduces to one when you take the sum of the square of its digits and you continue iterating until it yields one is a happy number. Any number that doesn't, isn't. A happy prime is a number that is both happy and prime. Now type it in!” The Doctor clarified with mounting irritation before turning to McDonnell who happened to be closest, “I don't know, talk about dumbing down! Don't they teach recreational mathematics any more?”

Rose rolled her eyes at the Doctor’s jab - which was really just a more roundabout way of saying

‘stupid apes’

- but didn’t stray from her task of sorting through the wires and components to discard any that had been destroyed by the heat pulse again. The task vaguely reminded her of the time she’d helped the Doctor sort through and strip cables on the game station. A time she wasn’t particularly enthused to be reminded of considering what had come next.

“We're through!” Martha announced.

“Keep moving, fast as you can. And, Martha, be careful. There may be something else on board this ship.”

“Any time you want to unnerve me, feel free.” Martha said sarcastically, to hide the underlying fear and tension she was experiencing.

“Will do, thanks.” The Doctor replied with an equally sarcastic tone.

“

Impact in thirty fifty.
”

The Doctor rejoined them at what Rose had privately nicknamed ‘junk mountain’. He picked up a melted cable to inspect.

“We need a backup in case they don't reach the auxiliary engines in time.” He tossed the melted junk back down, spinning to address each of the crew in turn, “Come on, think. Resources. What have we got?”

“Doctor?” Martha’s voice interrupted from the still open intercom channel.

“What is it now?” The Doctor asked sharply.

“Who had the most number ones, Elvis or the Beatles. That's pre-download.”

“Elvis. No! The Beatles! No! Wait! Er, er. Oh, what was that remix? Er, I don't know. I am a bit busy.” The Doctor snapped.

“Fine. I'll ask someone else.” Martha muttered.

“Now, where was I? Here comes the sun.” The Doctor said, the name of the remix finally coming to him but seeming ironic out of context to the crewmates who apparently knew little about the Beatles. “No, resources. So, the power's still working, the generator's going. If we can harness that. Ah!”

“Use the generator to jump-start the ship,” McDonnell answered, catching the Doctor’s drift.

“Exactly. At the very least, it'll buy us some more time.”

“That is brilliant.”

“I know. See? Tiny glimmer of hope.”

“If it works.” Scannell cut in.

“Oh, believe me. You're going to make it work.” McDonnell shot back.

“That told him.” The Doctor grinned, as Scannell disappeared to do as told.

“

Impact in twenty-nine forty-six.

”

Everyone set about following the new plan, when suddenly Abi’s confused voice could be heard over the intercom.

“Doctor, these readings are starting to scare me.”

“What do you mean?” The Doctor asked.

“Well, Korwin's body's changing. His whole biological make-up. It's impossible.” Abi’s voice suddenly changed, panic morphing into terror through the intercom, “This is Med-centre. Urgent assistance requested. Urgent assistance!”

“Stay here! Keep working!” The Doctor instructed running from the room, McDonnell following after him.

Rose was tempted to follow too, but they still didn’t know the cause of Korwin’s sickness and avoiding crashing into the sun seemed like their top priority. They could deal with the contagion after they’d gotten out of the first life and death situation if necessary.

“Urgent assistance!” Abi repeated.

“Abi, they're on their way.” The woman who’d almost been trapped by secure closure reassured her.

Rose really needed to learn her name, but there never seemed like a good moment to ask those kinds of questions in these kinds of situations.

“What's happening to you?” Abi’s question to Korwin filtered through the still open intercom.

“Burn with me. Burn with me. Burn with me.” A deep, gravelly voice unlike Korwin’s chanted.

“Korwin, you're sick.”

“Burn with me!”

A gut-wrenching scream that could have only been Abi’s followed after. The entire crew froze at the sound.

“

Impact in twenty-seven oh six

.”

“Oh, would that bloody thing shut up!” Rose hissed, Abi’s scream still ringing in her ears as she tossed another melted component onto the scrap pile.

She may have been shaking she couldn’t tell nor did she care. Her nerves were the least of their problems right now. That right along with the uncomfortable sensation of sweat gathering on her overheated skin.

Voices drifted through the intercom as the trio finally reached the med-centre.

“Korwin's gone,” McDonnell announced perplexed.

“Oh, my God,” Scannell exclaimed. “Tell me that's not Lerner.”

“Endothermic vaporisation. I've never seen one this ferocious. Burn with me.” Came the Doctor’s voice.

“That's what we heard Korwin say.”

Whatever else was said was cut off as a click announced that the channel had been closed.

Endothermic vaporisation, Rose thought to herself, heart pounding in her chest as the TARDIS shrieked warnings in her head. Abi had been vaporised. What the hell kind of infection changed a person’s biology and allowed them to vaporise people?

She was definitely shaking now. She needed a proper distraction, something to consume her focus, sifting through junk just wasn’t cutting it. She threw herself back into the task anyway. Distracting or not it still needed doing. And she wasn’t much help on the engineering side of things, sure she’d helped Mickey down at the garage a time or two, or assisted the Doctor in repairs but she didn’t have the understanding to go along with it.

It didn’t take long for her to finish sorting through the different engine components for what was to be scrapped and what could be salvaged though. So when the woman that had almost been sealed in by secure closure - who she’d come to learn was called Erina - left to get some tools that Ashton needed, Rose went with her. Needing something to do as well as not wanting the woman to be alone in light of the whole vaporisation thing.

The two women babbled to each other as they walked, a needed distraction from the chaos unravelling around them.

Rose had learnt that Erina was an engineer, low level, but had hoped that cargo tours would lend to better experience in a more hands-on environment. She’d made a little quip about how if every day was as hands-on as today, she’d probably not have lasted more than one tour. Rose had laughed and shared some of her own ‘hands-on’ experiences.

Any doubts they’d had about what had befallen Abi was cleared when McDonnell spoke on all channels.

“Everybody, listen to me. Something has infected Korwin. We think... he killed Abi Lerner. None of you must go anywhere near him, is that clear?”

Erina looked distraught and overwhelmed when she put a hand to her forehead, floundering for a moment before yanking open a locker door with more force than necessary. Rose wanted to comfort her but was unsure if the gesture would be appreciated, she was just weighing up the merits of such an action when her head whipped back to the corridor they’d just come down. Sure she’d heard movement.

“Understood, Captain. Erina? Get back here with that equipment.” Ashton’s voice replaced McDonnell’s on the intercom.

From behind her, Rose heard Erina mute Ashton. But was still otherwise occupied. It took a moment for Rose to register what the shape was that lurked in the shadows. A figure in a welding helmet and gloves wearing the same jumpsuit as Ashton and Korwin… except Ashton was in engineering.

“Whatever you say, boss. Go there. Come back. Fetch this. Carry these. Make drinks. Sweep up. Please, kil-” Rose cut off Erina’s complaining by grabbing her arm and dragging her down a corridor.

“We’ve got to go!” Rose explained.

“Burn with me,” Korwin said from too close behind them.

Rose ducked behind a doorframe pulling Erina with her. Korwin scorched the metal of the corridor instead of them, the visor falling back into place and shielding his blazing eyes.

“What the hell!?” Erina shrieked, fear lacing her words.

Rose didn’t respond to her exclamation, just pulled her further down the corridor, needing to create that distance between them and him.

“

Impact in twenty-four fifty-one

.”

They ran for several minutes ducking and weaving their way through the ship. At some point, they realised Korwin was no longer following. Panting they headed to engineering to deliver what few tools they hadn’t dropped along the way to Ashton. From the entrance, they spotted Korwin looming over Ashton. Rose put an arm out in front of Erina to hold her back.

“What’s he doing to him!?” Erina cried, in a shrill whisper.

“Nevermind that. Run!” Rose hissed, pushing her down the corridor to relative safety. “Get out of here.”

Rose stayed rooted to her spot as she watched Erina leave. She had to find out what Korwin was up to, then they’d stand a better chance at stopping him. They couldn’t risk saving Ashton, they’d barely gotten away once let alone twice. She ignored the sick feeling in her gut at the thought.

Korwin held Ashton up by his grip on his jumpsuit. The older man trembled in his grip as Korwin placed both gloved hands on either side of his head, after announcing that they must

‘share the light’

. Smoke billowed from the old man’s skin as he shook in Korwin’s grip, eyes rolling back in his head. Rose felt sick to her stomach at the sight. Her head pounded at the wrongness that Korwin evoked in the TARDIS.

Rose crept back away from the entrance silently, waiting until she’d put enough distance between them so as not to alert them to her presence, before bolting down the corridor away from the two infected men, Ashton’s screams echoing behind her.

“

Heat shields failing. At twenty per cent

.”

She pulled off into a side corridor - that seemed to be storage of some kind with spacesuits stored along one wall - when she felt she was a safe distance away. She headed for the intercom, pushing the button for ‘all’.

“Doctor? We saw Korwin. He’s wearing this welder’s helmet and there’s something wrong with his eyes. He tried to attack Erina. We got away but he seemed to do something to Ashton. I think the infection’s spread.”

“The infection’s spread? Are you safe now? What do you mean there’s something wrong with his eyes.”

“Yeah, I’m fine. He said something about ‘sharing the light’ and then he touched Ashton and his skin started smoking. After he said ‘burn with me’ he raised his visor and there was this bright light coming from his eyes and it scorched the wall. I think that might have been how he killed Abi.”

“If you’re safe just stay there. I’m working on something for the infection.”

The com clicked off.

Rose scoffed to herself in the now silent storage room.

“No chance.”

Like hell was she going to hide away when there were now likely two homicidal crewmembers on board and they were twenty minutes from crashing into a bloody sun and Martha was still out there. She left the storage room in search of Erina, if she had to make a bet on where the young engineer would have gone, Rose would put her money on going back for the tools they dropped. It was unlikely that Korwin would go back that way, so it was a good place to start.

Elsewhere on the ship, Riley and Martha were struggling to get the computer to work when they were distracted by the sound of footsteps.

“Is that Korwin?” Martha asked quietly.

“No, wait a minute. Oh, Ashton, what're you doing?”

“Burn with me.” Ashton’s voice boomed from behind the welder’s helmet.

Realisation dawned on Martha, Rose had been right that Ashton had been infected too then. She started to creep back when she noticed that Riley wasn’t following.

“Move! Rose said he’s infected too. Come on!” Martha shouted slamming a door button on the panel next to her.

Rose had just found one of the abandoned tools - sans engineer - when Martha’s panicked voice rang out over the intercom.

“Doctor! We're stuck in an escape pod off the area seventeen airlock. One of the crew's trying to jettison us! You've got to help us!”

Rose looked about fitfully. She knew she had to get these tools to engineering and make sure Erina was safe. But Martha was in danger, granted the Doctor was likely already on his way to help her, but it was Martha!

Going against what she’d much rather do, Rose continued in her search for Erina. A couple of moments past before the Doctor came sprinting passed her.

“I told you to stay safe. Get to engineering!” He told her as he passed.

“But what about Martha!” She called after him.

“I’ll save her but I need you safe, now go!”

Rose resisted the childish impulse to roll her eyes at him and the second more petty impulse to follow after him in spite. She knew he was right which was why she hadn’t gone to Martha in the first place.

But that didn’t stop the frustrated growl that tore itself free of her throat. God this was infuriating. How many times had Martha’s been in danger now while she’d been pushed to the sidelines to stay safe.

She finally made it to engineering to find Korwin trapped under a vent screaming.

“What are you doing?” McDonnell shouted at Scannell, who Rose could just about make out was turning some kind of valve through the fog.

“Freezing him. Ice vents.”

“You'll kill him!”

“It’s not Korwin anymore, McDonnell.” Rose tried to reason, though it lacked conviction when she was desperately trying to ignore the fact that another person’s screams were ringing in her ear for the third time that day.

“He recognised me!”

“He killed Abi. Korwin wouldn’t have done that.” Erina reasoned.

Rose hesitated for a moment, both equally valid points and she really didn’t want to see another person dead, but it didn’t matter. A moment later a frosted Korwin dropped to the floor unmoving.

“McDonnell? Ashton's heading in your direction. He's been infected, just like Korwin!” The Doctor informed them over the intercom.

“Korwin's dead, Doctor,” Scannell told him, from where the four of them were kneeling besides Korwin’s body.

She couldn’t save him, he was already gone, there was nothing she could do. It didn’t really matter what excuses she gave. Another person was dead. She hadn’t tried to save Ashton either. Now Martha and Riley very well might join that list before the day’s end.

No TARDIS, no time, no engine and a whole bunch of bodies. How the hell were they going to get out of this one?

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Chapter Fourteen: Here Comes the Sun.Series: Three.Episode: 42.Part: Two.
She finally made it to engineering to find Korwin trapped under a vent screaming.
"What are you doing?" McDonnell shouted at Scannell, who Rose could just about make out was turning some kind of valve through the fog."Freezing him. Ice vents.""You'll kill him!""It's not Korwin anymore, McDonnell." Rose tried to reason, though it lacked conviction when she was desperately trying to ignore the fact that another person's screams were ringing in her ear for the third time that day."He recognised me!""He killed Abi. Korwin wouldn't have done that." Erina reasoned.
Rose hesitated for a moment, both equally valid points and she really didn't want to see another person dead, but it didn't matter. A moment later a frosted Korwin dropped to the floor unmoving.
"McDonnell? Ashton's heading in your direction. He's been infected, just like Korwin!" The Doctor informed them over the intercom."Korwin's dead, Doctor," Scannell told him, from where the four of them were kneeling besides Korwin's body.
She couldn't save him, he was already gone, there was nothing she could do. It didn't really matter what excuses she gave. Another person was dead. She hadn't tried to save Ashton either. Now Martha and Riley very well might join that list before the day's end.

No TARDIS, no time, no engine and a whole bunch of bodies. How the hell were they going to get out of this one?
"Impact in seventeen oh five."McDonnell was kneeling beside the prone form of her husband.Rose pushed down the wave of guilt that threatened to consume her at the sight. There was nothing they could have done, right? Korwin had already infected Ashton, killed Abi and tried to kill Erina. He was lost already, they'd just stopped any further damage he may have done, right?But no matter what she told herself she couldn't assuage her guilt. She had done this. By not saving him she had just as well killed him."What did he mean, your fault?" Erina asked in a soft voice, similarly moved by her captain's grief and not wanting to do anything to disturb the delicate moment.McDonnell didn't answer, maybe she didn't have an answer, stuck as she was in a grief-induced trance."What are you doing? Don't touch him. He's infected. We don't know how it spreads." Scannell swiped her hand away when McDonnell reached for her husband.Scannell's interruption snapped her out of her trance. She glared furiously at him, snatching her hand back from him as if he'd burnt her."You murdered him!" McDonnell snapped at him, disgust lacing her words."He was about to kill you." Scannell tried to reason with her, guilt and grief not far from his own gaze."He recognised me." She rebutted."You heard the Doctor. It- it isn't Korwin anymore." He stumbled, eyes downcast lacking the conviction he was trying to project."The Doctor doesn't know. None of us knows!""McDonnell the Doctor would have done anything to save your husband if there was still a chance. He's dealt with things like this before." Rose tried to reassure her as she crouched next to her she laid a hand on McDonnell's shoulder.McDonnell roughly jerked her shoulder free."So what are you going to do, sit there until we burn? Because without you none of us stands a chance of getting out of here." Scannell sniped at McDonnell irritation bleeding into his words.The two of them stared at each other, begging the other to understand."Scannell! I need a spacesuit in area seventeen now!" The Doctor's voice came over the intercom then, bringing an end to their battle of wills."What for?""Just get down here!" The Doctor barked back.Something had happened. Rose realised as she registered the urgency and guilt in his tone, barely concealed by the anger he was projecting. Something had gone wrong in his attempt to save Martha, Rose would bet. She gnawed at her lip as she fought the urge to just run straight to him.Not yet, she told herself, not just yet. They had other problems."Well, go on. Do what he says." McDonnell urged bitterly, the underlying message clear.Scannell had killed Korwin because the Doctor had said he was already gone. McDonnell blamed the Doctor for Korwin's death, resented Scannell for trusting him.Scannell hesitated, unwilling to leave while she was clearly so volatile."Ashton's still out there." He argued."I'll deal with him." She said determinedly, a fire burning in her gaze.Rose knew that look, she wanted revenge. She wanted revenge against the infection that had taken her husband and doomed her crew.Scannell ultimately stood, already heading towards wherever the spacesuits were stored though still reluctant. Rose stood too, bent on following him but paused mid-step, her back to McDonnell."What are you going to do to Ashton?" She asked, she had to know.Ashton was heading this way the Doctor had said. And despite the guilt that still churned in her stomach and her wish to remain in denial, she had to know.But Rose didn't turn to look at her, the fierce determination in McDonnell's gaze scared her, she couldn't bare to look at it when she did answer."Stasis chamber should freeze him out." She answered simply, tone carefully controlled and void of emotion.Rose nodded. She was right, she didn't like the answer but so much had already gone wrong and it was Ashton that had put Martha in further danger. And there was that familiar churning of rage and power in her gut, the need to keep those she cared about safe, the consequences be damned. A fierce protectiveness that wasn't entirely her own but she recognised from twice before. Once, when she'd stood face to face with Lazarus as Martha dangled over the bell tower ledge. And the second (or rather the first), at the game station when she'd been faced with a legion of Daleks and their emperor, all of whom intended to destroy the Doctor.Bad Wolf had been created for one purpose, a purpose that was now ingrained within her very DNA that she couldn't deny even if she wanted to.So she turned away, heading after Scannell."Erina help her." Was all that she said as she fled the room.Rose finally caught up with Scannell who was already lugging an orange spacesuit down the corridor."Just can't stay away can ya?" He asked bemused.Rose simply shrugged as she matched his pace."The Doctor's going to do something stupid, I'd at least like to know what before he does it.""Who are you guys, anyway? You just turned up when we needed help and seem to have all the answers. And even now you're running towards the trouble instead of away. You have no reason to help us, so why?"Rose stared at the floor for a moment as she pondered her answer.The further away from the venting room, they moved, the more intense the pain in her head grew, she noted absently as she considered. Just an irrelevant fact that helped nought at the moment, but her mind had decided to fixate on now that she had a moment to just think."We do this thing a lot, it's sort of a hobby. We were nearby when we picked up your distress signal and thought we'd check it out." She shrugged, "Why wouldn't we? We can, so we do.""And now one of your crew might be dead because of it. Doesn't seem worth it to me." He shrugged."The Doctor's got a plan. He'll find a way to save them both." She told him simply before striding ahead.Scannell's pessimism was starting to grate on her. So what, they weren't under any obligation to help people. But they had the means to and they could so why wouldn't they? He didn't know what he was talking about, Martha would be fine. She had to trust the Doctor on that and she did. He'd proven himself more than enough."Rose what are you doing here? I told you to stay in engineering.""Yeah 'cause I always do as I'm told." She said sarcastically. "What's the plan?""I'm going to get Martha back. And Riley." The Doctor told them carefully avoiding her gaze as he started pulling the spacesuit on."Okay? What's the spacesuit for then?" She prodded.He was avoiding answering, she knew, because he didn't think she'd like the answer. Occasionally she'd let his purposeful evasion go. But Martha was in danger as were the rest of the crew; she didn't have time for his beating around the bush presently."I need to go out the airlock to access the manual controls on the side of the ship." He reluctantly admitted.Rose nodded tersely. She bit her cheek in frustration. It was one of those rock and a hard place moments. There was no nice and easy solution here. And as much as she wanted to shout and scream at him for being so reckless with himself as the churning within her demanded. She couldn't. She understood it. As she was currently also biting back a similar impulse.She had to trust that he could do this. That it wouldn't be too much even for him. She'd kill him herself otherwise."I can't let you do this," Scannell told him, trying to make him see sense."You're wasting your breath, Scannell. You're not going to stop me." The Doctor snapped back at him."You want to open an airlock in flight on a ship spinning into the sun. No one can survive that.""Oh, just you watch.""You can't seriously let him do this!" Scannell turned to her instead.Rose stared at the Doctor. He returned her gaze. She saw the determination in his gaze, the crippling guilt and fear that plagued him. She was briefly reminded of when Martha had been kidnapped in New New York and the ensuing conversation in the kitchen. Their combined guilt and grief. She saw it reflected in his gaze in this moment too.Decision made then."I want that suit back in one piece you hear me? I'll kick your arse myself otherwise." She smiled weakly, too worried about the pair of them to properly commit to the levity she was forcing.Scannell stared at her like she was crazy. Clearly, that wasn't the response he was expecting from her."You open that airlock, it's suicide. This close to the sun, the shields will barely protect you." He tried to rationalise again."If I can boost the magnetic lock on the ship's exterior, it should remagnetise the pod. Now, while I'm out there, you have got to get the rest of those doors open. We need those auxiliary engines.""Doctor, will you listen! They're too far away. It's too late.""I'm not going to lose her." The Doctor told him firmly, as he twisted the helmet into place heading for the airlock.Scannell stared after him hopelessly. Rose briefly wondered who he'd lost that lent to his pessimistic outlook, as she bit her thumb. His quick thinking had saved McDonnell and now he was determined that the Doctor not die for someone - who in his mind - was already dead.The Doctor stepped through as the computer sounded from above."Decompression initiated. Impact in twelve fifty-five."Rose's heart pounded in her chest as the TARDIS writhed in her mind, begging her to stop him. She was currently in two minds, in one she wanted desperately to drag the Doctor back inside to relative safety but in the other, she also wanted to put herself in his shoes to save Martha. She didn't want him to do this, but if there was a chance that Martha and Riley could be saved they had to try."Who did you lose?" Rose all but whispered as she bit her thumb.Scannell turned to her in surprise. She didn't face him, still staring at the door that the Doctor had gone through. She needed something to focus on other than the clawing need to drag him back inside to safety."M-my sister and dad. She was sick. Nothing the doctors could do, she died at only 23. Drove my dad mad. He couldn't cope, he took his own a month later. That's when I signed up for cargo tours." He said quickly with the carefully blank tone of someone desperately repressing something traumatic."I'm sorry that happened to you.""How did you know?" He asked softly, it was the gentlest Rose had heard him speak since meeting him.She shrugged."I didn't. I just guessed. Been around a lot of people who have lost someone I know how it clings to you."She saw him nod out of the corner of her eye."There wasn't anything that could have been done to save her, she'd always been sick. And I miss her, always will. But he didn't have to go with her."Rose finally turned to look at him. He was staring blankly ahead, lost in memory most likely."I think we like to kid ourselves that it would be easier to let go than to keep living with the pain." She told him, trying to rationalise the actions of a man she'd never met. "But you saved McDonnell and the Doctor'll be alright. He'll save Martha and Riley. It'll all work it out.""Who are you?" He whispered again, eyes wide and confused.Rose imagined she looked just as lost and fearful at the moment but for a different reason."I told you. Just travellers passing through and helping out.""But why?" He asked desperately."Because sometimes it's easier than focusing on who we've lost." She told him.She moved towards the coms, itching to know what was happening. And Scannell left to go open the doors like instructed."Doctor, how're you doing?" She asked into the intercom after several moments had passed with the change, pushing her anxiety down."I can't, I can't reach! I don't know how much longer I can last." The Doctor whimpered back."Come on. Don't give up now." Scannell chimed in, from elsewhere on the ship.There was a scream down the coms before the screen read 'remagnetising', Rose breathed a sigh of relief. He'd done it."You did it!" Rose cheered. "Now get back inside."Rose moved to the window and watched as the Doctor scrambled back inside. He turned to watch the return of the pod before seeming to become frozen in place as he stared directly into the sun.The TARDIS shrieked and wailed inside her mind. Something was wrong. She was overwhelmed with the urge to grab him and run, just do something, anything to break his gaze. Because whatever he was doing had the TARDIS worried.Burn with me, a voice snarled through her connection with the TARDIS.Her head snapped up at the phrase the infected had used.Instinctively, she knew it hadn't come from the TARDIS but the TARDIS' own connection with the Doctor. Something was broadcasting that message through the Doctor."Doctor?" Still he didn't move, rooted to the spot. "What the hell is he doing?" She muttered to herself.She pushed desperately at the door, but it wouldn't open until the escape pod returned and sealed the breach in the hull. Why wasn't he moving?"Doctor?" She banged on the glass trying to get his attention, if he didn't move he would be crushed, never mind whatever else the TARDIS was concerned with."Rose?" Scannell's voice called over the coms. "Did he do it?""Yeah, the pod's returning but now he's just sat there staring, I can't get him to move. I think something's wrong." She tried to ignore the hysteria in her own tone.But she couldn't ignore the fear that had sunk its way into her bones."He has to close that airlock now! That pod's going to smash into him.""Impact in eight fifty-seven.""I know! But I can't get through to him." She snarled at the intercom before banging on the glass again. "Doctor, what're you doin'!"Finally, his gaze was broken with the return of the pod. The Doctor pulled off his helmet, his face screwed up in pain. Rose stared impatiently at the screen as she waited for the door to open."Come on. Come on. Come on!" She urged."Airlock recompression completed."Finally, the door clicked open, Rose pushed through before it'd even finished opening as she rushed over to the Doctor who was curled up on the floor, trying to crawl away from the escape pod. She helped him crawl through the door before he wrenched himself free as he backed himself against the wall.Martha and Riley came scrambling out of the escape pod to join them. Rose looked desperately up at the young doctor for help. Fear twisted through her sickenly, her panic almost overwhelming as the TARDIS continuously flashed mauve with a hysterical painful screech in her mind.She could barely contain her own panic and now she had to contend with the TARDIS' as well."Doctor! Doctor! Are you okay?""Martha, something's wrong with him."Before them the Doctor opened his eyes very briefly, white light shining from behind them. The same light she'd seen in Korwin."Stay away from me!""Oh my god." Rose panted.How the hell had this happened? What were they going to do? They hadn't been able to save the other's what could they possibly do for the Doctor?Just then McDonnell came charging down the corridor to join them."You're supposed to be working on the doors." Rose snapped, they had enough problems they didn't need any more delays and she needed some way to vent her ever-mounting panic."Erina's doing it. What's happened?" McDonnell asked instead."It's your fault, Captain McDonnell!"McDonnell stared at him panting in the wake of his accusation, the same accusation Korwin had fired at her. She knew something that she hadn't bothered to share. Rose knew in that moment that her earlier suspicions may not have been that far off.But instead of addressing the accusation, she turned to bark orders at Riley instead."Riley, get down to area ten and help Scannell and Erina with the doors. Go!"Riley ran off to do as instructed, leaving the four of them with the sick Doctor. Leaving McDonnell without witnesses to whatever she was being accused of. Rose barely paid him any mind as he left, unwilling to let her focus drift from the Doctor for a second. Even as she silently acknowledged that the Captain had likely put them in further danger with her secrets."Doctor what are you talking about?" Rose asked, face creasing as she reached for him again and once more he jerked away.The TARDIS was wailing at an almost painful pitch now, screeching in pain and echoing through Rose."You mined that sun. Stripped its surface for cheap fuel. You should have scanned for life!" The Doctor spat through gritted teeth, face contorted in pain."I don't understand," McDonnell muttered, taking half a step back from him.Rose ached to comfort him as she could clearly see he was struggling with something, but could tell by his continuous pulling away, that he believed he was currently a danger to them."Doctor, you're not making any sense," Rose said instead."Doctor, what are you talking about?" Martha urged."That sun is alive. A living organism. They scooped out its heart, used it for fuel, and now it's screaming!" The Doctor told them between pained gasps and pants.Rose gaped at him in horror as she registered his words. Martha had a similar look of horror as she turned to stare at McDonnell with thinly veiled accusation."What do you mean? How can a sun be alive? Why is he saying that?" McDonnell asked, still not grasping what she'd done."Because it's living in me.""Oh, my God." It finally dawned upon the Captain."Humans! You grab whatever's nearest and bleed it dry! You should have scanned!""It takes too long. We'd be caught. Fusion scoops are illegal.""Oh of course, but why should that stop you!" Rose hissed at her, this was their fault, all of it.They'd brought this on themselves. Bloody human greed. How many times had that been the case during her travels with the Doctor? And now the Doctor was suffering as a result.A vindictive streak that wasn't entirely her own wanted to leave them to deal with the consequences of their creation, but she knew she couldn't, she wouldn't. The TARDIS was hurting and wanted retribution but the feeling would pass."Doctor, what do we do? How do we help you?" Rose turned back to the Doctor who was her main concern right now, as she finally put that hand on his shoulder like she'd wanted to from the beginning. Gripping the limb beneath the orange spacesuit."You've got to freeze me, quickly." He told her."What?" Martha questioned, looking panicked and out of her depth"Stasis chamber. You've got to take it below minus two hundred. Freeze it out of me! It'll use me to kill you if you don't. The closer we get to the sun, the stronger it gets! Med-centre, quickly! Quickly!" The Doctor told them quickly between panted screams as he fought against the malevolent force to finish his instructions.Rose shifted her grip to hoist him up, as Martha did the same on the Doctor's other side."Help us!" Martha shrieked - fear mounting - at the frozen captain as they struggled with the writhing Timelord."Impact in seven-thirty."They moved as quickly as possible through the grimy corridors to the med-centre. A difficult task with the struggling Doctor in their grip causing them to occasionally stumble as he screamed in pain."I can do this, I can do it," Martha muttered to herself as she lunged for the instruction manual.Leaving Rose and McDonnell to drag the Doctor the last few feet to the stasis chamber."What's she doing?" McDonnell asked, still wary of the Doctor's plan.Which prompted the Doctor to ask, "Martha, where are you?""She's just reading the manual, Doctor. Setting everything up." Rose reassured him before addressing McDonnell. "Help me get him up.""Stasis chamber, minus two hundred, yeah?" Martha double-checked from over Rose's shoulder."No, you don't know how this equipment works. You'll kill him! Nobody can survive those temperatures." McDonnell shrieked in denial."He's not human. If he says he can survive, then he can." Martha refuted."Let me help you, then." McDonnel offered instead, throwing her arms down at her sides in frustrated helplessness now that her control had been entirely relinquished."You've done enough damage." Martha spat with venom.Rose felt mildly vindicated by the sight. The TARDIS smug in her mind. Bad Wolf was in mutual agreement with Martha's attitude.Rose took the Doctor's hand from where he was now lying in the stasis chamber. She wouldn't be able to hold on once the machine started up but she could give him this comfort now."You know what you're doin', yeah?" Rose checked with Martha, she had total faith in the med student, encouragement shining out from her gaze amongst the panic and fear that clawed at her insides.Martha nodded her answer, her face tight with equally felt dread."Ten seconds. That's all I'll be able to take. No more. Martha!" The Doctor arched and writhed in pain below them as he gasped."Yeah?""It's burning me up, I can't control it." The Doctor retched, the flames clawing at his throat, "If you don't get rid of it, I could kill you. I could kill you all." He growled in a voice not entirely his own before he was cut off by a scream and a whimper. "I'm scared! I'm so scared!"Rose's face crumpled genuinely fearful for the man she loved that was currently laid helpless as his mind was ravaged and torched by a malevolent sun. The Doctor rarely admitted that he was scared or vulnerable. It seemed wrong for a man so often so strong. Her grip tightened on his hand. They didn't get to win. Not today, not ever. They wouldn't take him from her."We've got you. We're going to stop this. I'm not letting you go anywhere, you hear me?" Rose told him adamantly."Just stay calm." Martha joined. "You saved me, now I return the favour. Just believe in me.""It's burning through me, I dunno what'll happen." He said through gritted teeth."That's enough! I've got you." Martha reassured him."There's this process, this, this thing that happens, if I'm about to die."Rose's heart lurched fearfully in her chest at his words. Did he really think he was going to die and regenerate here? It brought a striking moment of clarity as she realised the extent of the situation before them. He really didn't think he was going to make it."That's not going to happen." Rose bit out, anxiety clawing at her throat."Shush. Quiet now. Rose's right, we're not going to let that happen. Are you ready?"The Doctor spluttered for a moment before letting out a choked "No."Martha looked to Rose with wide pained eyes. Rose nodded at the unspoken question in her gaze and untangled her fingers from the Doctor's grasping hand. Martha took hold of the joystick to roll the Doctor completely into the chamber, typed -200 into the keypad and pressed the green button. Rose pressed her hands to her mouth as the Doctor screamed as his body temperature rapidly fell. Across from her, she could see the quick rise and fall of Martha's chest from her quickened breaths."Heat shields failing at five per cent."The Doctor's screams tugged at something deep within her chest - that she normally tried to ignore - and all she wanted in that moment was for it to stop and his pain to cease. And then suddenly it did.The power cut out at minus 70 when the Doctor was covered in a thick layer of frost."No! Martha, you can't stop it. Not yet.""It wasn't her Doctor. Just stay there." Rose told the Doctor as her gaze flickered between Martha and McDonnell for an answer."What happened?" Martha asked."Power's been cut in engineering," McDonnell told them, staring back at the entrance."But who's down there?""Leave it to me," McDonnell told them firmly, before turning on her heel and leaving the med centre.Rose knew she should probably stop her from whatever reckless course of action she was considering, but she didn't dare leave the Doctor's side not even for a second. Not with him still gasping and screaming in pain."Impact in four forty-seven.""Come on. You're defrosting." Martha pleaded through gritted teeth, pressing pointlessly at the stasis chamber keypad.The power was still off and the ice had all but melted from the Doctor's body. Rose had returned to gripping his hand ever since McDonnell had left, it was all that she could do in this moment but it did little to stay off the helplessness of the moment."Rose, Martha, listen! I've only got a moment. You've got to go!""No way.""Yeah, no chance. You're not getting rid of me this time." Rose agreed with Martha, grip tightening on the Doctor's hand to reinforce her point."Get to the front. Vent the engines. Sun particles in the fuel, get rid of them." The Doctor screamed.Martha darted back and forth between the keypad and the Doctor ready to start the stasis chamber back up the second they had power. Because like Rose, she was similarly unwilling to leave him when he was clearly suffering."We are not leaving you!" Martha snapped firmly."You've got to give back what they took!"Part of Rose marvelled at his ability to think clearly, still trying to save them even with his own life in the balance."Doctor." Martha snapped firmly, not budging."McDonnell will have the power back on any moment, we're staying here." Rose tried to reassure him."Please go!"Rose stared at him conflicted. She couldn't leave him even if she wanted to, the TARDIS would not let her leave his side while he was like this. But she couldn't deny what needed to be done. It wasn't just their own lives they were risking by being stubborn. Rose gritted her teeth before turning to Martha."You go, I'll stay with him, turn the chamber back on as soon as we have power. We have to think about the others too, you have to tell them."Martha deliberated, gaze flickering between the two. The pain on the Doctor's face almost mirrored on Rose's. She knew that Rose would keep the Doctor safe and that she was right. Someone had to tell them."I'll be back." She told them before running from the room to do as instructed."Impact in four oh eight.""Rose you need to go too." The Doctor pleaded, pain lancing through him."No chance. You're all I've got left, I'm not letting you out of my sight." She forced a smile as she spoke her next words. "Look what happened the last time I did that." She teased in reference to their current predicament.It fell flat. She was too consumed by worry to truly commit to it. But she meant what she said nonetheless. She didn't have anyone else and she was not about to leave the man she loved to suffer by himself."I could kill you, I don't want to live with that."Rose bit the inside of her cheek, deliberating. She trusted that the Doctor wouldn't ever hurt her if he could control it, but right now he didn't trust himself."You trust me?""Of course." He gasped, the pain mounting as still, they fell closer and closer to the sun."Good. Because that's not going to happen, I won't let it. That sun is not about to win and I am not going to leave you. We'll figure this out together.""Impact in three forty-three."Just then the intercom engaged, a soft click sounded through the room barely audible over the Doctor's screams. Rose tightened her grip."Shush, shush, just a couple more seconds.""Riley, Scannell, Erina." There was a brief pause after McDonnell called her crewmates names. "I'm sorry."Rose froze. There was a finality to her words. McDonnell wasn't coming back. Rose's head whipped up, somewhere on the ship she knew McDonnell was about to die. Her heart plummeted. Oh god."Exterior airlock open."Rose was still stood frozen as the computer's words registered in her mind. The Doctor twisted free of her now lax grip, with a scream. She turned her attention back to the Doctor. She tapped at the keypad but the power had never been brought back online."Impact in two seventeen. Primary engines critical."With her back to him, Rose missed the moment the Doctor fell from the stasis chamber and began crawling across the floor. She jumped at the sound of the pained thump turning to find the Doctor on the floor."Doctor?" Voice wary, she took a step towards him. "What're you doing, you need to stay in the stasis chamber?""We're too close, I can't control it anymore. It's too late.""Don't say that. Martha'll fix it. There's still time. Don't say that." She all but pleaded with him as he continued to crawl across the floor towards the door where she stood.She hadn't even realised that she'd stopped moving towards him and started backing away. It wasn't safe anymore, she knew subconsciously. But her conscious mind still wouldn't let her leave him and she didn't want it to."Repeat. Primary engines critical. Survival estimate projection zero per cent."Rose looked up at the ceiling at the computer's words, the hopelessness of the situation sinking its way into her bones. God, she hoped she was right."You have to go! It's too strong.""I can't." She nearly whimpered.It hurt to see him in such pain and currently it was overriding her survival instincts. Because the TARDIS knew that if the Doctor died here, so would she. And what would become of Rose if the TARDIS died? And what would it even matter if the man she loved was dead?"Go! Please!" The Doctor screamed at her.A tear streaked down her feverish skin, barely noticeable with the sweat that clung to it. She shook her head fervently, not that he could see."No. I'm staying." She was reminded of a time beneath a black hole when the crew had believed the Doctor was dead and she'd said the same thing."Please." The word was soft now, the urgency no less apparent, but gone was the demand only the quiet suffering of a desperate man left in its place.She couldn't deny him. Wouldn't make him suffer with the knowledge that she died at his hands. Squeezing her eyes shut, she made her decision."Okay." She said equally soft before she turned and fled down the stairs.She hesitated at the bottom, unwilling to move much further even as the Doctor approached. She edged backwards, hands feeling behind her to guide her, her eyes never leaving the Doctor. Ashton was dead. So was Korwin. There was no other threat on board other than the one before her and the sun below.As she moved through the ship, always staying out of reach of the Doctor, she absently noted the surreality of the situation. Part of her was certain she'd make it out alive, this was by no means a battle. But she knew she shouldn't put her faith in pit dwelling Beasts. No, she'd already given her faith to the man before her, the man who had always saved her, even just from her boring life.Just then the Doctor called out. The coms still open from McDonnell's parting words."Martha!""Doctor!" Martha gasped, a small measure of relief in her tone. "Rose, what's he doing?""He got out of the stasis chamber. He said we're getting too close." Rose told her absently, gaze still fixated on the man a few feet away from her."I can't fight it. Give it back or burn with me. Burn with me, Martha." The Doctor panted, voice taking on an odd growl as he threatened her, light spilling out from behind barely opened lids."Go, Martha! I've got him." Rose didn't know what she would do to stop him, but killing her would at least slow him down, she acknowledged with no small amount of fear."Impact in one twenty-one."Before her, the Doctor screamed as he fought to close his eyes, "NOOO!"Rose jumped at the sound before taking a further step back."Life support systems reaching critical. Repeat. Life support systems reaching critical. Impact in one of six. Collision alert. Collision alert."The computer seemed to be stuck in a loop, as they neared their destruction. It's warning constant. Rose ignored it as she continued to edge backwards."Collision alert. Fifty-eight seconds to fatal impact.""Think we got that thanks," Rose said through gritted teeth just as she stumbled, foot catching on a loose panel sending her tumbling to the floor, her head throbbing.The Doctor was gaining on her now. She tried to ignore the screaming pain in her mind as the TARDIS burned. Shuffling backwards on her hands. She came to a sudden stop at the ledge of a door, unable to get herself over it. The pain in her head was more excruciating than the ache in her legs from her stumble. She leant back through the opened doorway as far as she could from the Doctor as he neared."Fuel dump in progress. Fuel dump in progress."As the computer tolled above, the light slowly went out from the Doctor's eyes with a scream. The Doctor collapsed on his back as his eyes fully cleared, mere inches from her. Rose closed her eyes and sighed in relief as she slumped in place.The ship suddenly jolted as the axillary came to life. Rose was thankful she was already on the floor as her legs would have been swept out from underneath her otherwise. The ship tilted as they moved away."Impact averted. Impact averted. Impact averted."The ship levelled out beneath her, the burning in her mind starting to recede. She gently pulled herself to her feet, the task much more manageable as the pain lessened and the ship became more stable.She carefully made her way over to the Doctor helping him to his feet as well, clutching him in relief. As soon as he was upright, she engulfed him in a hug, causing the pair of them to sway backwards from the force. She clung tightly to him, eyes squeezed shut in relief."That was too close." She breathed into his shoulder, before pulling back to look at him. "Don't do that again.""I'm not planning on it." He gave her a wan smile.Just then Martha came charging down the corridor, they turned as one to face her. Rose reluctantly stepped back from the Doctor as she neared, making space for Martha to hug the Doctor herself, their relief bubbling over as they laughed. Beside them, Rose let out a deep breath, relief and the heady freedom from passing pain.It had all worked out in the end.They'd finally made it back to the ventilation chamber and the TARDIS. Relief coursed through her anew at the sight of her. Whether it was Rose's own or the TARDIS' was difficult to tell but she'd wager it was her own. Now that the danger had passed the TARDIS' was all but silent in her mind again."This is never your ship," Scannell commented in disbelief as he drew nearer to the box."Compact, eh? And another good word, robust. Barely a scorch mark on her." The Doctor boasted as he finished circling her, looking out for any signs of damage.His relief at seeing her had been practically palatable, a sensation Rose was now familiar with as she had felt the same."She can put up with anything." Rose smiled, patting the wood, the faint pleased hum filtering through before dying out again made her falter."We can't just leave you drifting with no fuel," Martha said, turning to the crew.The TARDIS was confirmed to be fine, her way back home secure and that was enough for the med student. Transport was still transport in Martha's mind. She lacked their emotional investment."We've sent out an official mayday. The authorities'll pick us up soon enough." Riley explained."Though how we explain what happened..." Scannell shook his head, lost."Or where to even start," Erina added.Rose was pleased to see that the young engineer had made it through but it did little to dull the aching guilt at everyone they had lost."Just tell them. That sun needs care and protection just like any other living thing." The Doctor told them simply before slipping inside the TARDIS.Rose watched him leave, he didn't like to hang around and he certainly wouldn't today after everything. She was still reluctant to leave him, she turned back to the crew to say her goodbyes, unwilling to leave them without at least that."You lot take care, yeah? Can't guarantee we'll be in the neighbourhood again. Maybe take a break from cargo tours for a bit." She jokingly advised drawing a smile from Scannell and Erina before she too stepped inside, leaving the door open for Martha.She quickly made her way over to the Doctor's side."I'm beginning to think the spacesuits are more cursed than the Tuxedo of Doom." She said gently, wary that only minutes before he'd been in excruciating pain.The Doctor hummed, "You might be right. Though I'd rather not test out that theory."Rose scrunched up her face. "Me neither."They both smiled softly at the other, the weight of the adventure heavy on the shoulders. As if in sync, they moved as one to hug the other. Needing the physical reassurance that the other was here and okay. They clung desperately to each other for a few seconds longer than proper, the Doctor pulling away first."I wonder what's keeping, Martha?" He said, wanting to step away from the sombre mood.Rose leant back to peek through the open doors to see Martha and Riley kissing. Her eyebrows shot up and a grin stretched across her lips."I think I might know."The Doctor turned to her with a question in his gaze but at that moment Martha herself stepped through the doors. Rose schooled her features, not letting on that she'd seen the passionate moment."So. Didn't really need you in the end, did we?" Martha teased as she made her way up the ramp, stopping once she caught the Doctor's expression. "Sorry. How are you doing?""Now, what do you say? Ice skating on the mineral lakes of Kur-ha. Fancy it?" The Doctor didn't address her question, instead stepping away from her to start the dematerialisation sequence.Martha's face fell, "Whatever you like."The Doctor looked at her curiously, he wasn't the best at reading human emotion, Rose knew. But he could tell he'd messed up some social faux pas he hadn't noticed. He turned to look at Rose, unsure. Rose simply nodded at him, nudging the arm closest to her.The Doctor turned back to Martha, digging in his suit pocket."By the way, you'll be needing this."Martha turned to see the Doctor holding up a TARDIS key on a chain. Martha's eyes widened. From behind them, Rose smiled."Really?" Martha asked, hands already outstretched."Frequent flier's privilege." He smiled, lowering the key into her cupped hands. "Thank you.""Don't mention it," Martha said softly, still cupping the key before realisation suddenly dawned on her and she was reaching for her pocket. "Oh, no. Mum!"Rose looked at her curiously but didn't say anything. The Doctor merely raised his eyebrows and continued with the dematerialisation sequence, likewise saying nothing. He pointed to a familiar control beside Rose, silently asking her to pull it as he moved around behind her.Her fear from earlier at seeing the Doctor so incapacitated hadn't quite faded. She didn't want to be more than a step away from him but similarly didn't want to get under his feet. However, she was familiar enough with the routine, had been asked to help a fair few times as well that she could probably manage it. Especially as the Doctor seemed to feel the same as he reached out for her hand, pulling her with him to guide her to the controls.They'd come too close to losing each other today. The memory of the Beast's words and a storm not long passed still ever-present in their minds.Neither paid any mind to Martha's conversation with her mother. Their focus elsewhere.They briefly looked over when Martha said 'over-emotional mad day', they didn't know what Martha had said to her mum when she thought she was dying but it sounded like it had been more than she'd intended. Rose absently noted Martha promise to visit that night, election night as she watched the Doctor adjust the controls, tongue between teeth.It wasn't exactly how she would have liked to officially invite the med student on board but she thought it rather fitting for their lifestyle that her first distress call had started with universal roaming and ended with the giving of a TARDIS key. Martha was no more a passenger than Rose and today had really proved that she thought. She only hoped Martha now knew that too.She leant against the Doctor's shoulder in lieu of catching her balance as they took off. Yes, it had been a close one today, but they'd made it out alive. Just like they always did.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Chapter Fifteen: Cold as Ice.Series: Three.Episode: Extras: Post - 42.The Doctor had been off ever since they’d returned to the TARDIS from saving the crew on McDonnell’s ship. Rose could see the guilt lingering in his gaze, every member of the crew they hadn’t been able to save weighing on his mind. Rose could understand the feeling, she’d felt the same way when she thought Korwin had been killed. But she also knew it was more than that.His mind had been ravaged by a telepathic presence. A lifetime ago the Doctor had explained the etiquette of telepathic species, the rules that were universally known and respected - generally. And entering another’s mind without permission, especially forcing entry into another’s mind, was considered the most despicable violation and awful pain a person could experience.She couldn’t imagine how that would feel exactly. But she remembered her own reaction to just knowing that the TARDIS was inside her head. Remembers how it felt to be manipulated and used by Jimmy, to have her thoughts and experiences twisted beyond reality. She still felt dirty just thinking about it.And she could remember how the TARDIS’ sweltering presence had felt in her mind. Clearly, the sun had left a similar presence in the Doctor’s mind, but far more potent and malevolent.The TARDIS had been colder ever since that encounter, the Doctor refused to go anywhere near the library fireplace, practically recoiled at the kitchen stove.The telepathic invasion and subsequent loss of control had left its mark on the Doctor and Rose had no idea how to help. Because as always the Doctor refused to acknowledge anything.“Right then, how do we feel about a trip Ciurtir?” The Doctor asked them, dancing around the console.On the surface, he seemed as cheery as always. But Rose had practice looking past the veneer he presented, his stance was rigid, his movements mechanical so at odds with his usual fluid elegance.“What’s on Ciurtir?” Martha asked giddily.She hadn’t noticed the Doctor’s continued peculiar mood past the giving of her TARDIS key. He was an alien and his behaviour was generally at odds with how she expected people - humans - to act. She didn’t have the same experience that Rose did, and Rose wasn’t about to burst her bubble and drag her down with her. Travelling was supposed to be fun and exciting after all.“It’s an ice planet, in the Safoar system. It’s well known for its resorts and skiing facilities. Thought you two might like to spend a day or two there. Been a hectic couple of days with the kidnapping and mutant professors.” The Doctor sniffed nonchalantly, tone blunt and forcefully free of the guilt swimming in his eyes.“A holiday? Sign me up.” Martha beamed.The Doctor smiled at Martha’s enthusiasm, before turning to look at Rose with an expectant brow raised. Martha turned to her too. She’d been unusually quiet, she knew. Because the Doctor was right, it had been a hectic couple of days and she hadn’t been sleeping well.“One question.” She started instead of voicing all that was occurring with the confines of her cranium.“What’s that?’“Are there any cultural customs that we should be aware of beforehand that could land us in prison?” Rose asked with a teasing smile, poking her tongue between her teeth for good measure to make up for her lack of enthusiasm.Not that that was the case. Any other day Ciurtir would sound like the perfect trip. But she was worried about the Doctor, worried about the TARDIS, tired from her sleepless night and consumed by her own guilt in relation to all she wasn’t saying and those they’d lost.But she wasn’t about to voice that. The Doctor had been distant ever since Canary Wharf, guilt was the most obvious conclusion. Maybe he even felt responsible for her, now that she had no family left. She wasn’t sure. Emotive conversations had never been commonplace anyhow.“Could that happen?” Martha asked wide-eyed.“Of course not.” The Doctor dismissed at the same time that Rose said, “Yes.”The two fell silent as they realised what the other said. Rose rolled her eyes, turning to face Martha.“It has happened on the odd occasion, infrequently, but it can happen.”“There’s nothing like that on Ciurtir.” The Doctor told them adamantly, staring at the console as he adjusted the controls.Rose shrugged. “If you’re sure, then I don’t see why not. I’m not ready for another prison break, though we can try next week.” She tacked on the end to let the Doctor know she was only teasing. “How much time do I have to pack?”“Well, I’ll need to sort out reservations first so give me twenty minutes. The TARDIS will let you know when we’re ready.”He was still staring intently at the console, a common avoidance tactic of his. Rose fought back the sigh that wanted to escape. It wasn’t his fault. Centuries-old habits were hard to break especially when you weren’t inclined to. But she wanted to help and she couldn’t do that when he was like this, completely closed off and unwilling to admit that anything was wrong.It was infuriating and a little hurtful but she’d gotten used to it with her first Doctor. She no longer thought he kept her out because he didn’t trust her but rather that he thought so little of himself that he didn’t want to burden her. It pained her to think about how suffocated he was by his own self-loathing. He was the most magnificent person she’d ever met and yet he’d never believe that. For all his supposed arrogance it was often as preformative as her mum’s beloved soap operas.“Come on Martha, I’ll show you the winter section of the wardrobe room,” Rose said, tapping the girl’s arm as she left the console room.She was loath to leave the Doctor like this but there was little else she could do.Despite her good mood, Martha didn’t speak on their way to the wardrobe room, sensing Rose’s need for quiet. Martha didn’t know what was wrong with the blonde but suspected it had something to do with either the Doctor, the TARDIS or even both of them. They hadn’t had much chance to speak since that day that Rose had given her a tour, but Martha hoped to change that.She’d already gathered that the Doctor was a closed book when it came to himself. But Rose wasn’t. And it seemed wrong for someone as light and bubbly as Rose to be this quiet and distant. She knew the two of them could be good friends if Rose wasn’t so preoccupied with everything happening to her.When they entered the wardrobe room they found themselves on the eighth floor surrounded by thick woollen sleeves, padded clothes and furs. In the middle of the circular platform sat two duffle bags - one light pink and the other burgundy - the racks of clothes lining the circumference of the platform, reminding Martha of a forest clearing.Rose grabbed the pink duffle - it was the one the TARDIS usually left out for her when they planned to leave for a few days - passing the burgundy one to Martha. Before quickly turning to the racks to sift through.“So have you been to Ciurtir before?” Martha asked softly after a beat of silence.“Hmm? Oh no. I don’t believe so.” Rose answered simply, not elaborating.Martha chewed her lip in thought, doubt now clouding her previous assumptions.“Have I done something wrong?”Rose whipped round to face her; confusion creasing her face.“What? No. Why would you think that?”“You’ve just been quiet lately, distant. I started to think maybe it was my fault.”She’d never admit it but she had quite a few self-esteem issues. Her parents had always pushed her to be more and as a middle child, she’d found herself constantly comparing herself to her siblings, often finding herself lacking. It wasn’t any fault of her family, just the way the cookie crumbled sometimes. Her parents had always wanted the best for her but sometimes it had come across as suggesting that her achievements weren’t good enough. Having a twin to constantly compare to hadn’t helped in that regard.And sometimes she had taken that same attitude when trying to make friends. Seeing people through the same lens as her parents saw her and her siblings. Which resulted in her coming across as occasionally aloft and often disinterested.She didn’t want to make the same mistake here.Rose’s face dropped. She fiddled with the cream jumper in her hands as she stared at the floor, shame creasing her brow.“I’m sorry.” She dragged a hand down her face, “It’s not your fault. I’m just tired, I haven’t been sleeping well. I didn’t think about how it’d come across, himself would never notice.”She hung the cashmere jumper back on the rail, brushing her hand over another jumper instead.“You’ve not been sleeping well? My best night's sleep has been on this ship.” Martha frowned.Rose shrugged, “I know, sleep through anything normally, prison cell an’ all. Just got a lot on my mind I suppose.”She said all of this with her back to Martha, hiding her face in lieu of looking through the racks of clothes. But Rose wasn’t the only person on this ship that used that tactic when she was avoiding something. Martha idly wondered which of them picked up the trait from whom. Or if they’d always done it independently of the other.“How long has it been going on?” She asked instead, grabbing a form-fitting black scoop neck jumper she spotted in the corner of her eye at the same time.“Dunno. Since America? Maybe since Lazarus. Not sure.”Martha gaped at the blonde.Was she being serious?“Rose that was weeks ago. It's been at least two since America, never mind Lazarus.”Martha figured Rose could be a little nonchalant about her health at times. She remembered how she’d reacted to the broken wrist, that dismissive attitude hadn’t faded for the weeks she had to wear a cast. It was a bloody good job she wasn’t limited by 21st-century medicine because Martha was sure Rose would be a nightmare patient. But she at least figured she’d be more cautious with food and sleep considering the fast-paced lifestyle they lead and the advice she’d given Martha herself. But apparently not.“I know.”She scrubbed a hand down her face again, from frustration or tiredness, Martha now wasn’t sure. At least she was now facing her, her back to the jumpers she’d been flicking through. But gaze still downcast, focused on the garment she was fiddling with.“I keep having these dreams, they’re probably nothing, dreams generally are.” She shrugged before going quiet, words more uncertain than before when she spoke again. “But they feel like that vision I had at the hospital. Like glimpses of another timeline. I don’t know what’s happening to me or what they mean but I don’t want to drag you into it. I figured the sleepless nights would pass and no one would notice. But obviously not.”She let out a bitter laugh and dragged a hand through her hair.Martha wondered how old she was. She gathered that they were about the same age but that was it. Sometimes she was certain that Rose was older when she got this particular look in her eye. Other times, like now, she seemed so much younger and so very, very lost in this strange world she’d found herself in.“Well now that I have noticed, maybe it would help to talk about them?” Martha suggested.Rose shook her head, tossing a cream turtleneck into her duffle.“I don’t remember them, is the thing. They fade almost as soon as I wake. I’m just left with this crippling loneliness, a feeling like being left adrift at sea not a soul for miles with the knowledge that I’ve lost something precious. I don’t know if it's some sort of echo from my bond to the TARDIS or a subconscious memory. Either way, I just want it to stop.”Martha watched Rose sadly. This was someone who had lost their family and had then been changed by a powerful time machine with no understanding of why or what had happened to her. She was left in the dark to deal with it by herself and yet was worried about burdening others with something she had no control over.“You can’t carry on without sleep. Especially not with all the running we do. Maybe a break is just what you need. But Rose.” The blonde finally met her gaze, “Please tell me if it carries on. I may not be an alien or super genius but I am still a doctor. Or close enough.”Rose smiled.“Okay, I’ll try. Thank you, Martha.”“Of course.” Martha returned the smile, “Though we should probably start packing now that that’s out of the way.”Rose laughed, “You’re probably right.”They made quick work of their duffles after that, the bags soon filled to bursting with jumpers in fabrics that Martha had never before seen, all perfectly suited for their frosty getaway.As they were leaving, bags in hand, they noticed a blue duffle sat in the doorway - the same colour as the Doctor’s suit - with a fond smile and eye roll, Rose picked up that bag too. Her pink bag dangling from her left hand and the Doctor’s blue bag slung over her other shoulder.The TARDIS lights flashed as they walked down the corridor letting them know that the Doctor was ready to go now.“Ah, there you are, perfect timing.” The Doctor told them as they entered the console room.“TARDIS left this for ya.” Rose showed him the duffle before plopping it down on the jumpseat.“Oh brilliant, we can go straight away then. Hold on.”The TARDIS shuddered and jolted through the time vortex, throwing her occupants about in the process as her pilot danced around her console.“Never gets easier.” Martha panted as the shakes finally subsided.“You really need seatbelts on this thing,” Rose grumbled lightly from where she’d toppled off of the jumpseat.“Nah, not as much fun otherwise.” The Doctor said dusting himself off as well.He came to collect his duffle, which had miraculously managed to stay on the jumpseat even when Rose hadn’t. Rose glared at the duffle bag as if it had personally pushed her off of the seat. The Doctor seemed amused by this. With his free hand, he helped her up off of the grating.“Well, go on. Go and take a look.” He said bending down a little so they were eye level, gesturing to the door with a wide sweep of his arm.He was showing off. Trying to hide what he was struggling with behind the mask of a jovial tour guide, the playfulness he displayed was at least partially forced as he grinned at her. Rose rolled her eyes at him, but there was no heat to it, as she made her way towards the door with duffle in hand. The TARDIS door creaked as she pulled it open slowly. The first thing she saw was snow. Snow blanketing the world outside and falling gently from above. She pushed the door open completely taking her first step out of the TARDIS. The black snow boots she’d found in the wardrobe room crunched satisfyingly in the pristine snow. Another step followed the first and then another and another.A soft gasp from behind her told her Martha had joined her.“Ah brilliant. Snow. Real proper snow.” The Doctor cheered.Rose smiled, tipping her face up to the sky. Snow catching in her hair and lashes as she did so. After taking a moment to enjoy the snow, she decided to take a proper look at her surroundings.They’d landed in a residential area by the looks of things. Squared buildings lined the street each made of the same black textured material that stood out against the white of the snow. The identical buildings each had wide windows with coloured glass, the colour combinations the only difference between them. Great big transparent tubes lined the street each filled with some kind of liquid. A variety of species passed them by as they walked down the streets, each dressed for the cold weather.Rose saddled up next to the Doctor.“How come the buildings are black? You’d think they’d be pale to blend in or something.” She asked, slipping her gloved hand into his on instinct.“The colour and texture of the buildings helps them better absorb heat. The coloured glass is actually solar panels, what little sunlight they do get is converted into energy. They’re very conscientious here, try to use only what is found in nature. Most things here are powered by water and wind! The colours correspond to their families.” The Doctor explained.“Should introduce people back home to the concept,” Martha commented.“They do. Or they will. It’s how this planet builds interstellar relations, by trading in sustainable resources and building sustainable energy alternatives. Take the street lights for example,” He pointed to the towering transparent cylinders filled with bubbling liquid with his free hand, “they’re filled with bioluminescent plankton. The liquid is actually filled with nutrients that they feed on.”“Isn’t that a little cruel?” Rose queried, a concerned frown marring her face.“It's a conservation attempt. The species was nearing extinction due to pollution caused by tourists so laws were put in place to crack down on pollution and to provide a solution. And this was their answer. The tubes join up under the ground and lead back to a laboratory where they’re monitored.”Rose wasn’t entirely convinced. Sure it was ingenious and definitely seemed more beneficial for the planet than anything in place at home. And though they were tiny it seemed cruel to have your whole world confined to such a small space in comparison.“What did you mean about the colours corresponding to their families?” Martha asked as they continued to stroll through the snow disrupting Rose’s thoughts on the plankton.“Well, they don’t use surnames to identify themselves here. Instead, the planet is divided by the three original factions; the faction that resides here uses specific colour combinations to represent them, sort of like how there are particular tartan variations for Scottish clans, as they are textile descendants. Another faction uses specific symbols, generally weapons, as they are descendants of smithies. And the last faction uses certain animals as representations as they’re responsible for livestock.”“But what about when they get married? How do they decide which family’s symbol to use?” Rose asked.“The species here are highly empathic, part of the marriage ceremony includes a ritual in which their empathy is measured. Whoever is more empathic gets to share their symbol. Their family symbol - or korsa - is considered incredibly sacred so by sharing it with someone less empathic you are showing how much you personally value them regardless of their supposed intrinsic value.”“They’re valued based on their inherent empathy? Isn’t that a little barbaric?” Martha scowled, appalled.“Most societies have a measurement of value that is considered barbaric to others. But they don’t see it like that here, it’s generally viewed as an honour that someone of higher empathy would wish to spend their life with someone of lower empathy. Sort of like finding the good in their flaws type of ideology.”Rose wasn’t too convinced about that either. But she could agree that systems that measured a person’s intrinsic value in any hierarchical society were generally cruel to those deemed to have less worth. Was it that different from different jobs and subsequent classes being treated as less on Earth?“So what’s the plan?” Rose asked, changing the subject. “You mentioned something about resorts.”They’d been walking for a while now and she knew the Doctor had been planning something but he hadn’t specified as to what.“Well this area is all residential, but they have more familiar log-style cabins for visitors near the resorts and that’s where we’re heading.” He explained, not divulging further.“And what, they don’t have any transport to get there?” Martha asked pointedly.While the two girls had dressed warmly, clothes lined with furs, fleece and all kinds of fabrics Martha couldn’t name, the Doctor was only in his suit. The Doctor seemed awfully fond of great long treks and certainly saw no problem with running about everywhere. But Martha was not accustomed to traversing such distances so frequently yet.“Of course they do. But this is much better for sightseeing and getting a lay of the land.”Rose stared at him for a moment before a teasing smile stretched across her lips.“We parked further than you planned, didn’t we?”The Doctor scratched the back of his neck with his free hand, embarrassed.“Well,” He said, dragging the word out in the way he was want to do, “maybe a little bit. But still. Look at it! It’s stunning. Why would you want to miss out on this?”“I’m starting to think you can’t control the TARDIS,” Martha muttered from a few steps behind them.“It’s not my fault! The navigation system was knackered when I borrowed her. And she's got a couple more centuries of mileage on her now.” The Doctor grumbled a tad petulantly.Rose came to a sudden stop in shock, the Doctor stumbled as he was tugged back by their conjoined hands.“You stole the TARDIS?” “Borrowed. And well they weren’t going to just let me have one as I failed my test. Besides she’d been decommissioned - apparently she was a little disobedient - no one was going to want her and she was going to be scrapped. What was I supposed to do? I wanted to leave Gallifrey and so did she.” He shrugged as if it was completely reasonable to steal a sentient multi-dimensional time machine.“Maybe they had a point in failing you.” Martha pointed out when Rose continued to gape at the Doctor.“Oi!”Martha shrugged. “You stole a knackered time machine that you don’t have the qualifications to use and was already temperamental. Seems like they saw it coming.”“We never got along.” He mumbled barely audible but Rose caught it. “I was always going to return her.”“You two were made for each other.” Rose finally found her voice.The Doctor shrugged, but there was a slight twitching of his lips as he fought to suppress his smile. They started walking again, the shock had worn off and Rose’s legs now working again.From what Rose had gleaned of the Doctor’s relationship with his fellow Timelords, they didn’t exactly get along, him being a little too rebellious for the strict society. It made sense that the TARDIS - the Doctor’s longest companion she’d wager - was equally rebellious. Though it did make Rose wonder why Bad Wolf had chosen her. All of time and space, every variable timeline that the TARDIS could choose, and she’d chosen the one that lined up with Rose.They’d been walking for maybe ten minutes when the dark residential buildings gave way to brightly coloured cylindrical buildings. The windows of these buildings were clear allowing you to view the merchandise inside the building. People flitted in and out of the building, netted bags hanging from assorted limbs.Shops. They’d reached the shopping district. Rose wondered if shopping was on today’s agenda and part of the reason as to why they hadn’t taken transport straight to their lodge.“Ah the Ciurtirist markets. Perfect for gift shopping and everyday essentials. Best known for their carriets.” The Doctor proclaimed.“They’re known for their carrots?” Rose questioned, not sure she’d heard him correctly. It was difficult to keep up with his gob sometimes.“Carr-iets.” The Doctor corrected, “They’re mini snow fountains. They’re like water fountains but instead of water, they spray perpetual snow. Often the scene is encased in a dome, like a snow globe. They’re brilliant. I bought five the last time I was here.”“What do you need five snow fountains for?” Martha queried, looking at the Timelord confused.“Why not?” The Doctor shot back unrepentant. “Each carriet is handcrafted so each one is slightly different and they come with different folk songs. You can’t just choose one.”Martha looked to Rose for clarification.“He’s a bit of a hoarder,” Rose told her with a shrug, having long come to terms with this particular quirk of the Doctor’s.“Oi! I’m not a hoarder. I prefer the term collector. And you can speak for yourself, Rose Tyler, I’ve seen your room.”Rose shrugged unfazed.“Must have picked it up from you. Think your bad habits are rubbing off on me.” Rose shot back, giving him one of her tongue in teeth grins.The affronted expression on the Doctor’s fell away at the sight of Rose’s grin, Martha thought she might have even seen him gulp before he turned away from Rose.My god, they were unbearable, Martha thought to herself with a smile. They were sickeningly sweet sometimes. She still wasn’t entirely sure she believed that they weren’t together. Except when the other wasn’t looking they got these looks of painful longing like the other was all they wanted but couldn’t have. She was going to have to ask Rose about that one day.She’d always been too curious for her own good.“So how do you pay for alien snow fountains? Do they have a cashpoint or something around here?” Martha asked a tad sarcastically.Rose laughed, catching the other girl’s eye as she did so. The Doctor glared lightly at Rose seemingly scolding her because it really wasn’t that funny. Rose simply raised an eyebrow back at him in response.“They accept universal credit here so you don’t need to worry about that. I should have one in my pockets. Rose, do you have yours?” The Doctor responded.“Yep.” The blonde said, popping the ‘p’ as she pulled out a sleek metal strip from her coat. “Unlimited credit, it comes in handy.” She told Martha.“I’ll bet.”The Doctor was still rummaging through his own pockets, that was the problem with bigger on the inside pockets, it took much longer to find anything. He was now elbow deep in one of his pockets still unable to locate the credit stick. Rose was watching him struggle with amusement, tapping her own credit stick against her chin in the process, as if rubbing in the fact that she’d already found hers.“Aha!” He withdrew two identical metal strips, with a triumphant cry, handing one to Martha. “Don’t go spending it all on sweets, have fun, meet back up in an hour.” He rattled off the instructions looking sternly at Rose for the last part.“I’m not going to wander off. You know I love a good shopping spree.”“Oh don’t I ever.” He said with faux pain.Rose shoved him with a scoff. He stumbled back a few steps in the snow, no longer tethered together by their hands since he’d been rummaging in his pockets.“One hour.” He repeated.“I heard you.” Rose brushed him off, already dragging Martha towards the first shop.Martha looked back over her shoulder at the Doctor to see him watching them with an intense expression that made her quickly look away. She briefly wondered what the comment about wandering off had been about. She’d heard the Doctor refer to Rose as jeopardy friendly plenty of times since coming aboard but surely he didn’t think they were in any danger here. Right?Then again hadn’t she been thinking about Rose’s seeming tendency to neglect her health only moments prior.The first shop seemed to be selling warm apparel. They weaved their way through the aisle stopping every now and then but ultimately left without buying anything. The TARDIS wardrobe already had all this and more. But it was still nice to look at the different options for different species available.They spent an hour flitting between the different shops that were selling mainly local delicacies, clothing, carriets and equipment for traversing and enjoying the snow. Conversation was light and idle between the two girls, focused mainly on the alien artefacts surrounding them.Martha was quickly racking up quite a collection of souvenirs and treats, this was her first alien shopping trip after all.Rose - who often loved a good shopping spree - was more reserved in her spending on this occasion, gaze constantly searching out the Doctor. Worried about the Doctor, she spent more time gnawing at her lip than looking at the goods on offer.Martha was trying to ignore Rose’s distracted attitude, wanting to give the girl space as well as enjoy the opportunity before her but it was getting increasingly difficult to do so.“Okay, spit it out.” Martha finally spoke up.Rose’s head whipped around to face her, confusion etched into the lines of her face.“Wha’ you talkin’ bout?”“Oh come off it. You’ve been distracted the whole time we’ve been here, and don’t give me that tired excuse again, you’ve barely bought anything.”That was true. While Martha now had several netted bags of goods, Rose’s purchases came to a grand total of two. A hot drink that she’d bought to stave off the cold and some thicker socks than what had been on offer in the wardrobe room.“So what is it?”Rose kicked up some of the snow at her feet as she thought, covering her boots in the process. She didn’t want to give Martha further reason to worry by sharing her concerns about the Doctor, it was why she hadn’t brought it up in the wardrobe room. Hadn’t needed to really, there was a lot playing on her mind as of late.“Usually I get a little souvenir for my mum at places like this. Can’t exactly do that anymore. Not sure what exactly to get instead.” Rose explained, staring a way off so as not to meet Martha’s gaze.She didn’t want sympathy, she’d made her choice and she knew her mother was happy and healthy where she was. She wouldn’t change a thing. But that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt. And this was all still new for Martha, she wasn’t about to ruin it for her. It’s why she hadn’t said anything, not wanting to put a dampener on things so early on.There was also the small fact that she’d realised the Doctor had used the excuse of shopping to be on his own. And with how things had been lately she was worried that he’d gone off to throw himself headfirst into danger to distract himself. He could be awfully self-sacrificing when he wanted to.But Martha wasn’t like Rose. She wasn’t driven by emotions, she was driven by logic first and foremost. And while she was sympathetic to the blonde’s plight, her focus was more on providing a solution than empty platitudes.“Who says you can’t still get her something? It might help with the grieving. Write letters about all the things you’d normally tell her, buy the things you want to give her. You’re trying to confront too much at once, it’s better to deal with her loss gradually.” Martha picked up one of the handcrafted mugs in front of her, the TARDIS kitchen was filled with the Doctor and Rose’s personal mugs and she’d quite like one herself rather than one of the generic ones she’d been using. “And you never know, with the life you live, maybe you’ll see her again.”After a moment of silence, Martha turned back to face Rose, worried she’d upset her further. But instead of hurt at Martha’s detached response, a small smile graced Rose’s face. Rose was the first to look away.“Maybe you're right. It might help.” Martha nodded, softly. “You should get that one,” Rose told her, pointing to the mug she’d first picked up, before heading to the next store.Martha looked at the first mug again. A large burgundy mug with moon-like craters decorating its surface and a chrome handle. It was beautiful and oddly fitting. She handed the credit stick over to the store’s owner to pay for the mug, before following after Rose.She was looking at tea blends. At least they looked like tea blends to Martha, for all she knew it could be this planet's equivalent of a salad.After that, there was a bounce in their step as they flitted from store to store, the purchases quickly racking up. They each left with one of the famous carriets the Doctor had mentioned. Martha’s was a scene of two figures ice skating over a frozen lake. The snow falling from an ice sculpture of a swan-like bird in the middle of the lake, covering the twirling figures. Rose’s was of a dance hall, the figures decked in sleek gowns as they spun in an unfamiliar fashion in trios rather than the usual couples. The snow fell from a golden light fixture above the dancers, covering the scene in golden flecks.They made their way back to the spot where the Doctor had left them as their hour drew to a close. They perched on a bricked wall, nattering as they waited for the Doctor to return. Rose was the first to spot him.“Beat you back.” She told him with a teasing grin.Martha spun around to spot whoever she was addressing to find the Doctor standing there.“Well, I figured I had a few spare minutes knowing your penchant for getting sidetracked. Martha must be a good influence on you.”“I don’t get sidetracked, talk about pot kettle.”The Doctor opened his mouth for a rebuttal that Martha was sure would spark off another round of gloriously, domestic bickering. It was cute in a pinch but after over a month with them, she knew when to nip it in the bud and when to let it be.“So anything else planned? Or can we head inside now, I can’t feel my nose and while I know how to treat pneumonia, I’d rather not.” Martha stepped in.“Of course. The lodges are just after the shopping district. We can take a tarron.”The two girls looked at each other in confusion.“And a tarron is?” Rose asked, taking one for the team.“Basically this planet's equivalent of a taxi service. Looks sort of like one of those bike cars you get on Earth but instead of wheels it's a sleigh.”“Right,” Martha said slowly, still frowning.That really hadn’t cleared anything up but at least they knew they wouldn’t have to walk in the cold for much longer.It was a short walk to the closest tarron dock. The Doctor enquired into the two women’s purchases from their spree. Rose told the Doctor of Martha’s idea to buy items in remembrance of her mum as she showed him the tea blend and trinkets she’d picked out. The Doctor shot Martha a proud smile before agreeing in a soft nostalgic voice that Jackie would have loved them.Martha hadn’t been able to tell how well the Doctor had known Rose’s mum from the bits and pieces she’d picked up, but in that moment Martha could tell that the woman likewise meant a lot to him. They both missed the woman that was stuck a universe away.It made her miss her own mother. She’d spoken to her just the other day as they’d hurtled towards a sun on a doomed spaceship. She’d promised to come for dinner that night but with the TARDIS she could stretch that deadline over hours, days, weeks, months even! She wasn’t ready to go home yet, not by any stretch but it did make her nostalgic for all those moments she was missing out on for now.Maybe she should have taken her own advice and picked out some things for her family. Though how she’d ever be able to explain how she’d acquired them. If the Doctor got her back when he promised, then to them she would never have been gone at all. So how would she be able to explain away all the trinkets she’d bought them on the travels they didn’t know she’d been on?In the tarron the Doctor and Rose sat almost cuddled up to the other mainly chatting amongst themselves, they didn’t exclude Martha from the conversation by far. But she was happier to simply observe them and the alien landscape speeding past her window. Absently Martha wondered about those other people that Rose had mentioned travelling with them. Did they too feel like an outsider looking in sometimes?Martha was not oblivious, not by a longshot. She could see that they cared deeply for each other, but there was a distance between them that confused her. And there was a distance between themselves and the universe that had become all the more apparent since their trip on McDonnell’s ship. At first, Martha had passed it off as lingering trauma from the event.But Rose had been there to comfort her after her nightmares. They’d sat in the kitchen, the library, even the stargazing room and spoke. Rose reassuring her that she’d survived, that she was safe and that the nightmares would pass. Some may linger longer than others but she’d come out the other side wiser, but not always necessarily stronger.And Rose had reassured her that her own sleeplessness was not the result of nightmares, though Martha hadn’t thought to ask about present nightmares on those nights when Rose had sat with her. Only of how she’d dealt with nightmares in the past.No, this distance Rose projected seemed different. A distance from herself as though she didn’t fully trust herself anymore now that she knew what lingered beneath her skin. A power she didn’t understand, a power she couldn’t confide in the Doctor about.And perhaps that was where the Doctor’s own distance was coming from. Perhaps it was more than just having his mind ravaged by a telepathic sun but a reaction to Rose’s own distant self. Or perhaps - as she’d just learnt - it was distance borne out of grief for the woman they’d both lost.Martha couldn’t be certain. But it did leave her curious and wondering about those other people that had travelled with them and known them. What had they seen of the two travellers?Martha could say though, that they both seemed more jovial outside of the TARDIS than within her confines. Whether it was out of habit, a facade to reassure the other or true joy Martha wasn’t sure. But she was glad for it.Sooner than she expected she was pulled from her thoughts by the stopping of the tarron. They’d stopped on a street lined with wooden cabins, familiar enough in style to the ones you’d find back home for Martha to momentarily forget that she wasn’t stood on Earth soil. Martha was the first to exit the tarron, staring at her surroundings with her purchases in hand. Rose and the Doctor hopped out behind her, the Doctor thanking the driver as he paid. Lost in thought as she was, she didn't notice Rose step up beside her.The landscape reminded her of the ski trips she used to take with her family, before the turmoil, the divorce, the family fractures and the loss of her twin sister. She’d been thinking about those times more often recently, reminded of them as she was by the separation of time and space and Rose’s separation from her mother. A happier, easier time. Idyllic even. A time remembered through the rose coloured glasses of childhood. The fractures in her family’s foundations had always been there just unnoticed in her childhood innocence.“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Rose said from where she’d been standing beside her watching her for a few moments now.“Yeah, very fairytale Christmas though,” Martha answered absently.Rose laughed, “Yeah, I suppose it is.”“You two coming?” The Doctor called from ahead of them.Martha startled. When had he gotten there? She looked about herself and spotted the tarron down the road, already heading back to town and the Doctor a good three cabins ahead. How long had she been lost in thought?She turned to look at Rose, who only gave her a gentle smile before picking up her bags.“Come on, best catch up before we lose him in the snow.”“I’m pretty sure we’d still be able to hear him, talking to himself as he does.”Rose laughed again in agreement, “Race you!” She said before charging through the snow.“Hey, that’s cheating!” Martha shouted before darting after her.Martha would never admit to being particularly competitive but it was pretty much unavoidable as the middle child of busy parents and as a twin. And a race was the type of challenge she couldn’t ignore.The snow made it difficult to manoeuvre but through sheer determination, she managed to just pass by Rose to reach the Doctor who was already waiting for them outside of one of the log cabins.“I win!” Martha called as she came to a stop, breathing heavily besides an amused Timelord.Rose reached them a moment later.“How did you do that?” Rose panted coming to a stop, hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath.“We used to bet doing the dishes on whoever could win in a race, our least favourite chore. Leo usually won so he rarely did them. Me and Addie used to race each other so we could try to beat him.”“I’ll keep that in mind.”“Are you two done?” Asked the Doctor, trying to hide his amusement.“Speaking of bets, you still owe me twenty quid.”“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” The Doctor sniffed, adjusting his tie before striding to the door of the log cabin they were standing in front of.Rose laughed, “Don’t think I’ll forget Mister.” Rose teased following him up the path.“Wouldn’t dare.” The Doctor said, matching her tone before pushing open the cabin door, likely a distraction tactic not that Rose seemed to mind if her excited gasp was anything to go by.The Doctor indicated to the interior with a flourish of his hand. Martha found it rather amusing if a little dramatic. But the two women stepped inside nonetheless.The room they stepped into appeared to be a living room with large clear windows that took up the majority of the opposite wall showing a snowy garden. A large black stone fireplace sat on the right wall with two doors on either side of it. There were two large plush muted sage green sofas one sat beneath the windows with the other facing it from the other side of a dark wooden oval table. A matching plush armchair sat between them next to the left wall, another wooden door in the front left corner behind it. The floors were wooden too, covered only by the furniture and the cream fur rug in front of the fireplace. A matching cream throw hung over the back of the sofa closest to them with its back to them.The Doctor shut the door behind them as they looked around. Rose was edging towards the right side of the room where the two identical doors waited.“Where do the doors go?” Rose asked.“The front right one leads to the staircase that’ll take you upstairs to the bedrooms. The back one leads to a downstairs bathroom and a storage room with fuel for the fireplace. The left door opens into the kitchen and dining room, the backdoor is also through there.”“How did you manage to do this in twenty minutes?” Martha questioned, confused, in truth it had probably been longer than twenty minutes that they’d been in the wardrobe room but it was difficult to keep track of time on the TARDIS.“Time machine.” The Doctor shrugged, flopping down onto the nearest sofa, putting his feet up on the coffee table.Rose walked over and without a word, pushed his feet off of the table and sat next to him.“You think you’re so impressive,” Rose said lightly, acting unimpressed as she brushed snow off of her clothes.“I am so impressive.” The Doctor told her, smugly adjusting his tie again in what Martha assumed was an old faux argument.Rose smiled, looking at her snow-covered boots she admitted softly, “Maybe.”They sat there for a moment just smiling like idiots before the Doctor leapt up with the clearing of his throat. The moment shattered. Rose’s smile faded to something nearing melancholy - but far too accepting to be characterised as so - as she too stood, with less enthusiasm.“Should probably put your things in a room, uh, you should probably choose a room first though.” He rubbed his neck. “They should be the same as each other. But a busy couple of days ahead of us so off you pop.”“Come on, Rose.” Martha took Rose’s sleeve, who seemed frozen in place. “Let’s have a look around.”Rose nodded, though Martha wondered if she'd even heard what she’d said as the blonde followed her out of the door to upstairs. The entire cabin seemed to be wooden, at least the stairs were also carpeted. Though Martha did wonder whether or not this planet had termites or anything similar.At the top of the stairs, there were four doors. One led to a bathroom, another led to one of the two larger bedrooms and the last to a small bedroom that Rose reckoned was for the Doctor as he didn’t sleep much. Rose took the bedroom at the end of the hall with its soft lilac shades and single corner window. Martha’s was decorated in shades of light yellow that seemed more spacious with its big windowed view of the garden and fewer pieces of furniture.Martha had tried to convince Rose to take it but Rose had been insistent that she have it especially as she was unlikely to sleep much. So reluctantly she’d conceded.Once they’d unpacked and made their way back downstairs sometime later the Doctor had ushered them back out of the front door, only giving them enough time to don their coats and boots again. Martha had grumbled something along the lines of ‘what's the rush?’ but Rose had only laughed well accustomed to this behaviour from the Doctor.The rush - it would seem - was to get food for their stay here, while the resort hosted many restaurants for them to eat at, it was a fair trek to make every morning for breakfast. So the Doctor - ever-practical - had figured it’d be best to make use of the cabin’s cooking facilities and have breakfast there.Next stop had been the town square - though it was rather circular with its full-size snow fountain taking centre stage - to witness the lights. This planet’s version of the Northern lights. While they were waiting for the streaks of colour to paint the night sky there were fireworks.“Let me guess, they’re plankton?” Rose quietly asked the Doctor, not wanting to disturb Martha who was soaking in the sights.“No. But they use bioluminescent powders produced by the flowers here. As well as being awfully nice to look at, shooting it into the air like this means it's dispersed over more ground because once it lands it acts as a fertiliser.”Rose was a little distracted by the way the light of the fireworks cast bright colours across the plains of the Doctor’s face as he spoke. One minute he was lit up in shades of orange only to be plunged into darkness the next only to be lit up again in shades of green. She’d always liked to listen to him speak but the fireworks - or rather the dried flower powder as she’d just learnt - was setting off fireworks inside of her, she almost forgot to respond.“Hmm, that’s useful.”“Isn’t it?” The Doctor grinned at her.She couldn’t help returning the grin with one of her own. Absently she realised she probably looked quite smitten in that moment, but really it wasn’t her fault. He shouldn’t be so bloody endearing.She turned away from him before her grin got out of hand and turned back to the firework display. She believed the Doctor referred to them as Luxettes but she really couldn’t see them as anything other than fireworks.“Did you know about the light display when you landed us here?” She asked him.“Nope. Just got lucky, I heard one of the locals talking about it when you two were shopping. Asked them when and where but it took a little longer than expected and that’s why I was late back.”“Sure you didn’t just get distracted by a gizmo?” She teased, tongue between teeth.“Rose Tyler, I’ll have you know that Timelords do not get distracted by gizmos like big overgrown, gangly magpies. We are far too impressive to be distracted by something so mediocre.”Rose fiddled with the ends of her scarf as she laughed at his faux offended pompous tone.She’d managed to find the rainbow woven scarf she’d worn in Cardiff with Jack, Mickey and her last Doctor. She hadn’t worn it for a while, thought it lost to the chaos of her wardrobe, but there it was tucked in the pocket of the winter coat she’d worn on her first Christmas with this Doctor. Oddly fitting that the two of them would be together, though she’d never worn them together or with the same Doctor until today.“I don’t know, I think you’d make a good magpie.” She responded.The Doctor spluttered beside her which only made her laugh again, drawing Martha’s attention this time. Rose shot the other woman an apologetic smile. Martha shook her head with a smile before turning back to the light show.“You, Rose Tyler, should be paying attention to the light show.” The Doctor reprimanded in a faux serious tone, poking her side.“Yes sir.” She said in the same tone, giving a sarcastic salute before doing just that.They’d gone to get food at one of the resort’s restaurants after the light show. And though it had a spectacular sight to behold, part of Rose was uneasy with the thought that she’d seen something similar on a beach back home. But she knew that not to be true. She’d never seen the Northern lights on Earth.The resort was situated in the centre of the rows of log cabins. They’d taken another tarron back to it and had settled into the first restaurant they’d stumbled upon with the Doctor exclaiming that ‘the humans were famished’. Rose had gently kicked him under the table for that, knowing that his metabolism was much higher than a human’s and he ate much more than they ever did.Nonetheless, the hot food had been eagerly welcomed by all and was certainly delicious but by the end of the meal, Rose was exhausted once more and just wanted to crawl into her bed. Which she’d done immediately upon arriving after a quick goodnight to the others.But unfortunately for Rose, it had not been a restful sleep. The dreams came once more.
Rose found herself in a bed with an unfamiliar floral spread in an unfamiliar room likewise unable to sleep. A desperate hungry loneliness that clawed at her, devouring any and all other emotions leaving only pain and suffering untouched. Rose sat on her bed staring at the wall with the impression that she’d lost something monumental that she’d never replace.

From outside of her room she could hear her mum and Pete chatting jovially. But that did nothing but make Rose feel worse. Here she was with everything anyone could wish for and all she could focus on was the life she’d lost.
What had she lost? Rose wondered to herself, but she received no answer.
God, she was so selfish. 
A tear slipped down her cheek. Rose knew it wasn’t the first to have fallen nor would it be the last. In her mind, she heard the desolate howl of a wolf, alone and abandoned as it called for its pack only to receive no response. It never would. Never again. Rose shook her head trying to stop the howling, god why wouldn’t it leave her alone. Couldn’t it see there was nothing she could do?
She was stuck here. Stuck in a fairytale that felt like a nightmare to no one but her.

Her eyes slipped closed for a second, she was so bloody tired. And from behind closed lids, she could see that same grey beach that she didn’t recognise nor understand the importance of.

Then her eyes opened once more and the image dispersed.

It’d been like this for days. She couldn’t sleep but when she did she was haunted by images of daleks, cybermen, white walls and grey beaches. She just wanted it to stop. Just wanted to be left alone. Just wanted to return to the life that had been cruelly stolen from her only to be given a gingerbread house life in return.

She remembered the Doctor’s warning of parallel universes being akin to gingerbread houses, perfect and delectable on the outside but hiding a terrifying darkness inside. And he’d been right.

Another tear escaped. She felt like she was drowning but with no light, she couldn’t tell which way to swim to break the surface. There was no one and nothing to bring her out of the darkness. Not anymore.
Rose woke with a gasp.The dream faded from memory even as Rose sat there panting in the dark. She couldn’t remember anything other than the notion of drowning and the feeling of unending pain.With a frustrated sigh, she ran a hand through her hair. She was cold and clammy in the wake of her dream. And was suddenly overcome by the sense of claustrophobia. Feeling trapped under her duvet, unable to see anything in the dark she could only feel her covers tighten around her as she writhed to free herself.She eventually stumbled free from her bed unwilling to stay in her temporary bedroom a second longer. It was foreign and unfamiliar and something about it tugged at her in the way her dream had. She needed familiarity.She padded as quietly down the stairs as she could, not wanting to wake Martha in her half-awake state.And just as she knew he would be, there was the Doctor, sat alone in the living room area most decidedly not asleep. He seemed to be contemplating something as he stared ahead, feet on the coffee table again. Likely a dozen complex equations rattling around his head that Rose had no hope of determining the purpose of or understanding.He turned to face her as she stepped across the threshold, a frown creasing his brow.“I thought you went to sleep?” He asked before turning back to the windows, checking to see that it was indeed still night as he turned straight back around to her again.“I was.” She said simply, taking a seat at the other end of the sofa, turning so her back was against the arm so she could face him. “Bad dream woke me up.” She admitted.It wasn’t the first time they’d had such a conversation. It had taken a while for her to admit as such to her first Doctor but when the sleepless nights had caught up with her and she’d all but passed out during a typical life and death situation, she’d had to come clean.He’d been angry of course. Angry that she wasn’t looking after herself. But more angry that he hadn’t noticed. From that point, he’d made her promise that she would come to him if she needed him. Eventually, she’d managed to wrangle the same promise from him.There were nights after Jack joined them that the three of them would sit huddled in the kitchen bleary-eyed from disturbed sleep and exhausted after a particularly hard adventure over cups of tea. Not always talking but just taking solace in the others’ company.That hadn’t changed when the Doctor had regenerated thankfully. Normally, she’d trundle from her bed to find him working on the console. Once it became clear why she was up during her normal sleep phase he’d start narrating just what he was working on and why. She didn’t understand, of course, could barely process what he was saying, half asleep as she was.But it helped chase away the demons. Helped ground her in reality, reminding her she was fine, she was safe, she was on the TARDIS with the Doctor and nothing could get them here. They were safe. They’d survived.On the rare occasion that the Doctor did sleep only to be awoken by nightmares, he’d come to Rose’s room and sit on the end of her bed or in the chair beside it, and gently rouse her from sleep to hear her talk. An arrangement they’d come to during his current regeneration when Rose had realised that her last Doctor would only confide in her if she was already awake.Sometimes he’d stay even after she’d accidentally fallen back to sleep, leaving only to make breakfast which they’d then eat in Rose’s room and decide whether or not to brave leaving the TARDIS that day.Most times though, he’d slink away at some point and the next time she’d see him would be to find him extra exuberant and bouncing around the kitchen chatting a mile a minute. On those days Rose knew to wear her best trainers because they’d be running for their lives as the Doctor tried to outrun his demons.She didn’t mind, not really. She wanted to do the same some days. Run so far and so fast that whatever had haunted her in the night seemed like nothing at all. It wasn’t healthy but sometimes it was all you could do to just keep going.“Do you want to talk about it?” Another common feature of nights like this.Rose shook her head, picking at a thread on her pyjama trousers.“I don’t remember what it was about. I just felt lost and almost trapped.” She licked her lips as she stared at the ceiling trying to remember more specifics of whatever had woken her, but she couldn’t.The Doctor nodded in understanding, even with the vague details of her dream.“You just lost your mum, Rose. Bad dreams are almost to be expected.”She ran a hand through her hair, getting stuck in the ends, tangled from sleep. She worked on freeing her fingers as she thought about her response. Using the task as a convenient distraction from what she was feeling.“I know, and I did in the beginning before I got to say goodbye to her. But this feels different. Like it’s something else.” She doesn’t meet his eye as she speaks, directing far too much focus to her tangled strands.She almost feels guilty about such an admission. She would have before. But they’d both come a long way in accepting that they were not to blame for their subconscious musings. She wasn’t a bad person for not being haunted by her mum’s loss anymore. Yet there was always a niggling doubt that remained.“You’re probably right. We’ve been through a lot in the past couple of months, anything could be the cause of bad dreams.”Rose had to agree with him on that. They had had a couple of hectic months, Martha particularly.“And what about you?” She asked instead, still finger-combing her hair. She wasn’t entirely ready to meet his eye, while she knew she wouldn't find judgement there, it was still difficult to talk about.“Me? I’m fine.”“Oh come off it.” She finally met his gaze, not letting him avoid the topic any longer. “Ever since the distress call with McDonnell’s crew you’ve been avoiding anywhere remotely warm. I’ve seen more snow this week than I had in nineteen years on the estate. You once told me what a violation an intrusion like that was. Bad dreams are to be expected.” She echoed his earlier words back to him.The Doctor shifted uncomfortably on the sofa at her direct approach. But she didn’t let up, pinning him with her gaze until he finally sighed.“It’s not the first time I’ve had my mind invaded like that, and I doubt it’ll be the last either. But I can still feel its lingering presence as it torched through my memories and the most sacred parts of my mind. I haven’t felt that vulnerable in a while.” He admitted staring out of the window.Rose nodded.“Is it helping?” He turned to look at her with a confused expression painted in the furrow of his brow. “Pretending that heat doesn’t exist. Is it helping erase the memory of the sun in your mind? Because if it is, I’m not going to argue. But if it isn’t, then maybe it's time to admit that running from your problems isn’t going to solve them this time because it’s not sustainable.”His brow furrowed further as he considered his response.“It’s helping. And I know we can’t stay like this. Sooner or later the universe will need us or I’ll get bored of it, whichever happens first. But for now, it’s helping.”“Then we’ll stay. Until it stops helping, you get bored or the universe needs us. Whichever happens first.”They shared a smile then. Their respective burdens a little lighter now.Rose wished they could stay in moments like this where it was just them and they could be brutally honest with each other without the masks. She had felt like she couldn’t be like that lately. Everything going on with the TARDIS had consumed her, she knew the Doctor had likely put it down to her missing her mum and she hadn’t been able to correct him. Had used Martha’s presence onboard to distract and distance him. Martha was a far better-suited companion after all. She could actually keep up with him more often than not, and she was a doctor too. What did Rose have? Obviously, she knew the answer to that, she’d grown a lot since she was nineteen years old. But it was difficult to remember that sometimes.Especially with newer niggling doubts involving the TARDIS and Martha. She tried to push past all of them. She’d made her choice and she wouldn’t change it for the world but she worried one day he would.Rose shifted on the sofa trying to physically remove the unpleasant thoughts. She shifted until her head was resting on the Doctor’s shoulder as she spotted a discarded book on the sofa arm.“Read to me?” She asked tentatively, eyes heavier than they were moments before even while the fear from her dreams still lingered.“Of course.” He said picking up the book, clearing his throat he began to read to her.Rose didn’t quite catch what the story was, just content to let the Doctor’s voice wash over her. They weren’t better but their burdens were lighter and they still had each other and really what mattered more than that?Eventually, the Doctor became aware of the little panted breaths escaping through parting lips signalling Rose had fallen back asleep while he’d been reading. He pressed a kiss to her hair as he considered her words from before, trying to ignore the guilt churning away in his gut.She’d reassured him multiple times about her decision to come back, that she didn’t regret it but that didn’t stop his own doubts. He knew what it was to lose your family, had known long before the time war had ever loomed over him. And Rose was so young in comparison she couldn’t know that she wouldn’t feel differently in a decade or more.So while he believed her when she said her nightmare hadn’t been due to the loss of her mother that didn’t mean his guilt on the matter had lessened. Especially with all the subsequent guilt that came with all the trouble, they’d been getting into lately. Rose hadn’t been herself - not entirely - since Canary Wharf and while there had been moments where everything slotted back into place like tonight, he still worried about where she went when she wasn’t present. Was she already regretting her decision but didn’t want to upset him? Was she considering leaving? Would she stay with Shareen when they went for dinner? Or maybe Sarah-Jane? Was that why she’d invited Martha? As a barrier or a replacement?These questions had been haunting him on repeat for months now but he hadn’t said anything. Just as she hadn’t said anything in turn about her distance. So perhaps that was the issue. He’d responded to her distance with his own, neither addressing the issue. He briefly wondered which of them had picked the trait up from whom. After all this body was built for Rose, he could deny it all he wanted but it had been obvious to him from the start. He wondered if she knew that? Saw the reflections of herself in aspects of this him.That thought sent his mind down another path as he looked down at her asleep on his shoulder. Probably not. After all, she had wanted the old him back, to begin with, and he’d never been any good about saying what was in his hearts, relying on his actions to get the message across. But the cultural differences between himself and his companions often led to misunderstandings both intentional and unintentional on his part.But Rose had been different from the start. Had known when to push, when to distract, when to ask questions and when to just be there. It had been evident to him from their first trip when they’d argued about the TARDIS getting in her head and who he was. When it had all kicked off Rose had offered an olive branch and a distraction in the form of her mobile.Afterwards, he recalled her doing the same when he’d forgotten about Mickey. Trying to calm his anger by asking about his accent and when that hadn’t worked asking about the TARDIS’ appearance.But there were limitations even to Rose’s insight. And the same could be said for him. While this body was built for Rose he still found himself at a loss sometimes, like right now.Logically he knew if he wanted her to open up and close the distance between them he’d have to do the same. But the other part of him feared he’d drive her even further away if he did so. And he couldn’t lose her. Knew it would destroy him. It always hurt when a companion left whether willingly or taken from him, but somehow he knew it’d be worse with Rose. Not somehow, you know why it’ll hurt more with her . His mind whispered vindictively in the background to his train of thoughts, he swatted at the voice refusing to listen. It had gotten harder to ignore that line of thinking ever since Kroptor, the beast’s words lingering even after he verbally dismissed them.While he may not lose Rose today or even tomorrow, he would one day. And the storm he sensed had still not passed as he’d first assumed, it had abated for the moment but it was still there on the horizon taunting him.Pressing another kiss to her hair as the arm around her waist pulled her tighter to him as his fears got the better of him, he feebly hoped the universe would be kind for once and let him keep Rose Tyler a little while longer.Rose woke the next morning in her bed, the smell of food cooking rousing her further from sleep. It wasn’t unusual for Rose to find herself tucked back up in bed after she’d fallen asleep somewhere she wasn’t supposed to, part of her mind hissed maliciously that she shouldn’t get used to it, it would only hurt all the more when he inevitably tired of her.Rose glared into the empty room at the thought. Old insecurities die hard, the rot of Jimmy’s abuse had deep roots in her mind that she couldn’t entirely free herself. But she wouldn’t let that bastard ruin her friendship with the Doctor. Especially when she noted the book that the Doctor had been reading to her was now on her bedside table and the chair that had been beneath her window now besides that.Pulling back the covers with greater ease than she had last night when she’d stumbled free from them in the wake of her dream, she walked to the kitchen with bleary eyes and a grumbling stomach.The kitchen was made of large segmented windows that showcased the winter wonderland they’d found themselves in beautifully, the dining table sitting just below the windows. The door at the far end that led to the back garden was kept shut because of the cold but there were snowy shoe prints that led to the Doctor - who was currently standing at what constituted as a stove on the wall perpendicular to her - that suggested he’d been out there previously.Martha was already sitting at the dining table, mug in hand as she gazed out the window, chatting absently with the Doctor.Rose hadn’t thought she was making that much noise but as soon as she stepped through the doorway the Doctor spun towards her dropping his spatula into the frying pan.“Rose! There you are. Thought I was going to have to pull you out of bed.” He told her at his usual million miles an hour tempo as he walked over to her, a mug now in hand rather than a spatula. “Here’s your tea, brought the tea bags from the TARDIS, should still be warm.” He stuck a finger into the tea. “Yep, still warm.”She tried not to grimace as he dipped a finger into her morning beverage. Said finger having already disappeared into his mouth to lick the tea clean from it. It was unfortunately fairly common for the food onboard the TARDIS to have the Doctor’s fingerprints in it. Nonetheless, she took the mug gratefully when he pressed it into her hands and began ushering her towards the table.“I was just telling Martha about our plans for the day. Hopefully, the TARDIS showed you the ski clothes because those will definitely come in handy today.” He returned to the stove as soon as he made sure she was sitting.Rose turned to Martha expectantly with a question in her eyes, but the young doctor just shrugged looking just as perplexed. Though the Doctor had been talking it apparently hadn’t been entirely clear and Martha didn’t know the extent of today’s plans either. That wasn’t unusual either. Well, they’d find out sooner or later.Rose sipped at her tea as the Doctor brought over plates of food. One of the dishes looked vaguely like scrambled eggs minus the green and salmon splotches of colour. She knew better than to question the dishes presented to her by now and just started scooping stuff onto her plate, the Doctor doing the same with gusto between her and Martha. Martha joined a moment later with slight reluctance.The Doctor started to speak again a second later through a mouthful, but the words were unintelligible. “Don’t speak with your mouth full.” Rose reminded him absently when she noticed Martha’s disgusted expression.“Sorry.” He mumbled, still chewing. Rose rolled her eyes exasperatedly, trying to ignore the fond tug of her heart. God, she had it bad.Rose was rubbish at skiing she’d learnt.They’d gone back to the resort after breakfast to begin the day’s activities. Which they’d quickly realised was skiing upon sitting through the brief instructional seminar. Martha had taken to it like a duck to water. Apparently, her family used to go on skiing trips before everything had fallen apart. And of course, the Doctor also had experience, not that that was all that surprising considering he had been around for centuries.But Rose had quickly realised it was not the sport for her. There were too many things to keep in mind. The skis themselves, then her ski poles, the landscape and her posture and body. And honestly, it was all a bit much.She may have looked the part in her pink ski pants, white turtleneck, matching white snow boots and winter coat, pink bobble hat, pink snow gloves and hired out ski equipment but appearances did not equal ability.She’d given it a valiant effort, not liking to be beaten. But after several tumbles and slips, she was pretty sure her shins and bum were thoroughly bruised by her attempts. She kept hitting herself with the ski poles, forgetting they were there, and had eventually decided to call it quits, content to just watch the other two exceed where she was most certainly not.She’d stick to skating, thank you very much.Martha was easy to spot amongst the other skiers in her purple ski suit, white snow boots and matching purple snow gloves. The Doctor was similarly easy to spot in his usual brown suit and long coat. The instructors had tried to convince him to change into something more appropriate, perhaps one of the outfits available in the resort’s store? But if there was one thing the Doctor could do in any regeneration, it was argue. He’d predictably won that argument. As was evident by the long coat billowing in the breeze as he hurtled over the course on his skis, Martha often not far behind him. And after their conversation last night she’d known he wouldn’t be swayed into wearing something warmer.Half an hour or so later, Martha rejoined her with a beaming grin, cheeks flushed from the cold and the skiing.“You not joining us?” She asked, a little breathless.“Can’t seem to keep my skis under me.” Rose teased at her own expense.She didn’t mind honestly. Time travel did not grant you every skill, unfortunately. And it would probably be pretty boring if it did, where was the fun in excelling at everything?“We’ll teach you.” The Doctor suddenly spoke up from behind her.Rose jumped at the unexpected voice, she swung around to face him.“I was quite enjoying just watching, honestly.” She tucked a strand of hair that had blown free back into her bobble hat as she spoke.“Come on, Rose!” The Doctor was trying to bounce on his heels now as he dragged her name out, unable to do so with the skis on though. “It’ll be fun.”Rose deliberated for a moment but it was very hard to focus when the Doctor was smiling at her like that. How could she ever say no to anything he asked when he looked like that?“Go on, then. But ten quid says even you are going to have to admit defeat on this one.”The Doctor just grinned back.An hour later and she was no better.“Okay, I’m done.” She laughed as she pulled herself up off of the snow again. “It is too cold and I think I’m getting worse. I’m gonna take respite in the cafe. You two have fun but I want you home by midnight.” She joked.“Yes ma’am.” The Doctor mock saluted in return.Rose waved them off as she headed back up to the resort and off of the slopes. Once she was a distance away she heard Martha turn to the Doctor.“You do realise that means you owe her a tenner, right?”“I’ve lost more than a tenner in bets to Rose Tyler recently.” The Doctor responded sheepishly.Rose grinned to herself, she didn’t need to turn around to know he was probably rubbing the back of his neck, familiar as she was with his body language by now.The cafe was lovely and the spiced hot drinks on offer even more so. She didn’t feel like she was missing out and it was nice to have a break from falling over constantly. Instead, she’d taken to people watching. The Doctor had been right about Cuitir being a tourist spot. Beings of all kinds and shapes were making use of the resort.About twenty minutes into her people-watching, she pulled out the small sketchpad she’d stowed in her coat pocket, switching it from yesterday’s black one to today's. Her white coat didn’t have the bigger inside pockets like her other one so it took some manoeuvring to free it and her pencils for some quick sketches.She’d managed to draw ten or so rough figures when the Doctor and Martha joined her about two hours ago. She had no real way of telling how much time had passed, she didn’t have the Doctor’s time sense.The Doctor flopped down in the chair next to her looking over her shoulder as she finished up the last figure.“A Tenfoal.” The Doctor told her. “And a good likeness too.”Rose hummed her thanks. The Doctor was fairly nosey, not entirely understanding the concept of boundaries it would seem sometimes, so it wasn’t the first time he’d seen a drawing or something of hers. But it still left her feeling a little vulnerable when people caught her unfinished sketches.While she didn’t have to worry about criticism from the Doctor she couldn’t shake the feeling that it was like baring part of her soul to someone, each sketch containing a little piece of her.She went to close the sketchpad and press it down onto the table but the Doctor instead scooped it out of her hands to flick through. She threw him a mock glare in response.“Did you have fun? I expected you guys to be longer, honestly.”Martha chuckled from where she was reclining opposite Rose. It was then that Rose realised that the chair that had been a third of a way around the table had now been slid up beside her own.“It’s been three and a half hours. We’ve been here five hours.” Martha told her.Rose had not been expecting that. She knew she’d been caught up in her sketches and people watching but she didn’t think it could have been that long. “I like this one best.” The Doctor shoved her sketchpad under her nose to show her which one he was referring to.“Get it out of my face.” She laughed, shoving his arm out from under her nose.“Sorry, could you not see it that close up?” The Doctor questioned cluelessly.Rose shook her head in fond exasperation.God, it was really hard to forget why she couldn’t just kiss him sometimes, why they were just friends.“No, you plum. Some of us don’t have ‘superior timelord senses’.” She mocked in an intentionally awful attempt at his voice.“I don’t sound like that, and I should know I have superior hearing too.” He told her primly as he straightened his tie.Rose shoved his arm again causing the tie he was straightening to lie crooked instead.“What a scoundrel you are, Miss Tyler.” The Doctor exclaimed in an even more exaggerated tone.“Scoundrel, am I? Suppose that’s an improvement on stupid ape.” She couldn’t help but tease back.The Doctor flopped back in his chair. “You were never a stupid ape.”“No?” She laughed.“No. Just the rest of them. Minus a few like Martha.”“Ah, gotcha,” Rose exclaimed in faux understanding. “Just the few you choose, right?”“Exactly.” He sniffed.“You’re impossible.” He only seemed to preen at her words. “It looked like they had something resembling banana cake up there, did you see?” She told him, because she just had to get him to stop looking at her like that before she did something stupid. It was all very well and good when he kissed her in Rome or pressed a kiss to her hair, but she knew if she pushed it further than the usual kiss to his cheek he’d clam up indefinitely.Taking the bait like she knew he would, the Doctor all but leapt from his chair as he headed to the cafe counter and their display of cakes.Rose chuckled as she watched him go, the sound fading to something bittersweet until she noticed Martha watching her.“What?”“Nothing,” Martha said unconvincingly.“No, it’s something. Come on.”“I’m just trying to understand this whole ‘only friends' thing.”Rose scowled at the air quotes as she shifted uncomfortably in her chair.“What’s there to understand we’re friends and that’s it.”“But you wish it was more than just that?” Martha pointed out leaning forward in her chair.Rose sighed, settling back against her seat, she picked up the sketchpad the Doctor had left on his seat to fiddle with.“It’s complicated.”“Oh yeah, it must be so complicated. You care about him and he cares about you. Wow, definitely complicated.” Martha retorted sarcastically, stirring her drink.Rose gave a wry smile at that, “He’s an alien and 900 odd years old he doesn’t see me like that. We’re just friends. Doesn’t really matter how I feel about it because he’d never allow anything else to happen. I’ll keep ageing and one day he’ll have to watch me die if I don’t go before that.”She tore the corner off of a new page needing an outlet for the bubbling emotions at the topic of conversation. Rose had made her peace with it honestly. The Doctor had her whole heart but she knew nothing would come of it, couldn’t come of it because he wouldn’t allow it to, haunted by the ever-looming countdown to her last breath.It was sort of morbid to think about, she tried not to really, but the realisation had been lingering in the background of her thoughts ever since that conversation outside a cafe after the fateful meeting with Sarah-Jane.She loved the Doctor and she’d rather have him in her life as a friend and nothing more than to not have him at all.“Okay, but you’ve at least got to admit he feels something for you. He doesn’t treat you like ‘just a friend’, not entirely. Case in point.” Martha gestured to the distance between Rose and the Doctor’s chairs and then the distance to her own.Rose gnawed at her lip as she tried to ignore the points Martha was making.“We’ve always been like that. It doesn’t mean anything, not to him at any rate.”Martha scoffed, she cocked her head to the side as she regarded Rose with what she could only describe as an ‘are you kidding me’ look.Rose just looked away. She didn’t want Martha to make her question everything she knew. She knew where her and the Doctor stood, where they would always stand, where they could always only stand.It didn’t matter that she knew there was a difference between her own relationship with the Doctor and others. Previously she’d put it down to her being the only female on the TARDIS, but with Martha on board she could no longer continue with that weak attempt at delusion. Could only remind herself of the reasons why they couldn’t.Martha opened her mouth as if prepared to say more when they were interrupted by another voice.“You were right, Rose. They had strooden cake, it’s not quite banana but it tastes almost the same.” The Doctor was staring at his cake as he spoke, which Rose was thankful for as her head whipped round to face him.The Doctor looked up with a smile that quickly fell as he noticed the tension between the two women. Rose forced a smile onto her face in an attempt to remedy the situation but it was a little too late.“What happened?”“Nothing.” Rose quickly covered. “Martha was just trying to explain some of her studies to me. Safe to say I’m a little too slow on the uptake.”“Nonsense, you’re brilliant.” The Doctor retorted with ease as he flopped back down into his seat, coat fanning out at the action.Rose’s smile faltered at the common compliment. The Doctor missed the ‘told you so’ look Martha shot her as he started eating his cake but Rose saw it, had to fight down the urge to retort in kind to dispute it.“You want some?” The Doctor asked, lifting a forkful to her lips nonchalantly.But Rose was now hyper-aware of their actions as well as their observer in the form of one Martha Jones. She didn’t want to second guess herself around the Doctor, but it seemed to be a running theme when someone else joined them on the TARDIS. Martha, Mickey, Jack, Adam, even Adam had made comments about her and the Doctor’s relationship!She knew it was just how the Doctor was. While he may care for her it would never go beyond friendship and if it ever seemed like it did it was usually just his obliviousness to human culture to blame.Like right now.“I’m good.” She brushed off, with a smile patting his arm.He shrugged it off, popping the forkful in his mouth but Rose couldn’t ignore the feeling of Martha’s eyes on them.Needing a distraction she decided on the tried and true method of getting the Doctor to talk.“So what’s the plan?”“Well…”The next day - after an evening of food and hot spiced drinks - they found themselves on their way to one of the other factions the Doctor had mentioned. The first stop was to the farming region. The Doctor spent the morning leading them between paddocks telling them about the animals that resided there and their purposes. They grabbed lunch in one of the cafes which consisted of fresh produce from the region.Afterwards, they headed to the metalwork region for the afternoon.There were no immediate differences in architecture between factions, Rose noted. The buildings and streets looked exactly the same right down to the plankton lighting. But on closer inspection, she noticed that instead of different combinations of coloured windows, the residents' windows were decorated with a white animal silhouette in the farming region or a black symbol related to the specific trade in the metalwork region. One such symbol looked like the planet’s equivalent of an axe? Or maybe a scythe? She wasn’t entirely sure.The Doctor assumed his usual role of tour guide during all of this as he led them through the streets to the markets. They stopped at different stalls occasionally, with the Doctor explaining the different objects on offer quietly enough that the seller wouldn’t get upset.Rose was struggling not to laugh as the Doctor explained the uselessness of a particular vendor’s wares. She pressed a finger to her lips as she tried to shush him between giggles. Eventually, she gave up on that endeavour as her attempts to stifle her laughter just seemed to be provoking the Doctor, she put the object that had started it all down and pulled him away.He was still going even as the laughter finally bubbled free. He looked particularly pleased with himself about that, for which she shoved him.“You’re gonna get us kicked out.” She managed to get out once she calmed down.“We can add it to our list.” He shot back with a grin.Rose rolled her eyes but couldn’t suppress her own smile.They had a list of places they’d been kicked out of, banned or exiled from. It was frightfully long if she was being honest with herself. But it was rather impressive. Especially the fact that Rose had managed to get banished from her country of birth centuries before she’d even been born. That was time travel for you.“Let’s catch up with Martha.” She said rather than encourage his own jeopardy friendly streak.Martha was already watching them when they joined her. Rose tried to squash the part of her that wondered how long Martha had been watching them, their conversation from yesterday's still lingering in her mind.“You two having fun?” Martha asked with a knowing smile.Rose dropped her gaze to the ground as she kicked up snow with her boots. God she didn’t want to think about their conversation when she was right next to the Doctor.“Oh, yes. Though I think that vendor might quite like to throw us out.” The Doctor delighted in telling her.Rose rolled her eyes, giving him another little shove.“And you call me jeopardy friendly while you go looking for trouble.”“You’ve set records with your penchant for being kidnapped and held hostage. As well as your ability to escape from said kidnappings and hostage situations.” The Doctor retorted.“It doesn’t happen that often.” Rose shot back petulantly, staring at the buildings rather than meeting the other two’s gazes.“No? Well, I think if we look back at the evidence-” The Doctor started teasingly before being cut off with a splutter at the snowball that hit him square in the face. “Well I never, Rose Tyler.”“You were saying?” She asked with faux innocence.“Minx.” The Doctor grumbled as he brushed the snow off with the sleeve of his long coat.Rose simply hummed in response. She knew it wasn’t over, he’d get her back for it later but she’d take the temporary victory. As well as the distraction from a recount of her jeopardy friendly tendencies.“What exactly was wrong with that vendor's wares?” Martha asked.While still discomfited by yesterday’s conversation she was thankful to Martha for the distraction it provided as the Doctor launched into his explanation while Rose slipped away to another stall.“Well…”Martha hadn’t meant any harm when she’d brought up the obvious connection between the two travellers to Rose yesterday. But it was apparent that she’d made the other woman uncomfortable, wary about her behaviour in regards to the Doctor now.Martha thought it was a little ridiculous. Anyone who’d ever met the Doctor and Rose would assume the same, hell even Queen Elizabeth the first had referred to Rose as the Doctor’s wife. There’d been plenty of incidences since she started travelling with them that the duo had been confused for a couple and they didn’t always correct them. Well, they didn’t bother correcting the assumption if the other wasn’t around, just quickly moving on so they wouldn’t have to address it.In fact, they seemed to do that a lot. Avoid talking about things they didn’t want to address, that is.So of course she had noted the way Rose had scurried away at the first opportunity while the Doctor prattled on. The blonde disappeared with ease even with the finite crowd. Martha also noted the way the Doctor’s head darted about searching for the third person in their trio, he never faltered in his speech but it was obvious he wasn’t just looking at the stalls.Briefly, Martha wondered what it would have been like if Rose didn’t travel with them. Would the Doctor still be consumed by Rose even in her absence? Martha thought so. Which is why it seemed so insane to her that they both denied the obvious.But she was quickly coming to realise that they functioned best when not addressing the elephants in the room, and there were quite a few of them. Martha was struggling not to constantly trip over them at this point, had clearly failed in that pursuit yesterday.Martha didn’t regret bringing it up, curiosity would always be her downfall, and quite frankly she thought the two of them could use a good shove.Martha was broken free from her thoughts by the Doctor’s change in tone. From his lecturer tone to what Martha had secretly dubbed his ‘Rose’ tone.“Ah, there you are! What did you get?”Martha turned to find that Rose had rejoined them, trinket now in hand. Martha doubted that the Doctor had ever not known where Rose was, not that he’d admit to such.Rose held up an oval metal cut pendant on a leather cord. The Doctor gently took the pendant to inspect closer, allowing Martha to peer around his shoulder at it too. The pendant had a forest scene decorating its surface out of different metals. The different colours depicted the scene beautifully.The Doctor started talking about the different metals and methods used in the production of the pendant. Martha thought it was a little overkill, but when she looked over at Rose and the fond expression on her face, she realised that perhaps that was just what Rose liked.“It’s beautiful,” Martha commented, cutting the Doctor off as he handed it back.“Uh yes. Yes, that’s what I meant to say.”Martha rolled her eyes at the Doctor’s attempt to salvage the conversation but Rose merely chuckled.“Well, thank you, both of you. But the person who sold it to me said we better head over to the tarrong station if we don’t want to be stranded here as the last tarrong is arriving soon.”“Right, you are Rose Tyler.” The Doctor quickly recovered.Martha fought back a smile as he scooped up Rose’s hand, already pulling her along in the direction of the tarrong station, slowly swinging their hands. God, they were sappy.She kept pace with them easily as the Doctor babbled about the different restaurants at the resort and what food they served. She mainly tuned out the actual words being exchanged as she just observed them.They didn’t have to wait long for the last tarrong to show up, just like the vendor had told them they wouldn’t have to. The tarrong looked like a stretched out tarron in appearance but functioned like a train based on the tracks it resided on and the speed of it. Or perhaps it was closer to a tram?Either way, it was a bloody convenient way of getting around the three factions.Rose absently chatted with the Doctor on the journey back. Martha had pulled a book out of her burgundy coat at some point and was blissfully ignoring them despite the Doctor’s attempts at engaging with her.He was in a decidedly better mood today. Whether it was due to their trip or he had slipped into his usual exuberant persona he wore when he was trying to avoid something, Rose wasn’t entirely sure. Perhaps a bit of both, it had definitely seemed like the latter yesterday but seemed to be shifting towards the former today.They went to another of the resort's restaurants when they returned just as the Doctor had suggested on the walk to the tarrong station. The constant stream of talking didn’t stop even when they were eating. Which led to Rose reminding him about speaking with his mouth full again.Perhaps it was less to do with his own feelings but compensating for the tension between the women he’d picked up on. Rose hoped, to whatever deity may exist, that he hadn’t picked up on it. She really didn’t want to have to explain herself on that one.But despite the lingering tension, the meal passed with relative ease. The human duo relaxing after a long day of sightseeing and now filled with warm food. They decided to walk back to the cabin, enjoying their last night there rather than take a tarron, spirits significantly lifted.Martha was telling Rose about the plot of the book she’d borrowed from the library as they trudged through the snow when Rose felt something cold hit her back. She turned slowly to face the Doctor mouth agape as she registered the sensation.The Doctor was rocking back and forth on his heels, hands behind his back, as he grinned at her.“You didn’t.”“I definitely did.”“Oh, you’re so dead.” Rose declared as she quickly scooped together a snowball to launch back at the smug prick.Very quickly things devolved as they flung snow back and forth between them whilst simultaneously trying to hit their target and avoid getting hit. Martha shrieked as she got caught in their flurry of hastily made snowballs.“My book! Oh, it’s on.” Was the only warning they got, as Martha joined the fray and began pelting the pair of them with snowballs.They quickly changed tactics as they switched to throwing snow at both Martha and the other.Rose was absently admiring the way the flying snow glinted in the light of the bioluminescent plankton when a snowball caught her hair.“Hey!” She spluttered at the grinning med student.“Shouldn’t have let yourself get distracted.”“She’s right, Rose. This is serious business.” The Doctor nodded sagely.“Is that so?”The duo nodded before the three of them descended into another round of snow throwing, it wasn’t much of a snowball fight, none of them having enough time to create a perfect snowball before they were pelted by one of the others.Things weren’t perfect but under the light of a million glowing plankton and flurries of snowflakes, it seemed pretty close to perfect.