As the TARDIS dematerialized the Doctor slumped into the nearby seats, breathing deeply and trying to calm his racing hearts. A wisp of calming telepathy drifted through his mind from his ship, and a smile tugged at his mouth despite the situation. Clearly he had stepped over a line; he had known this even as he acted. But why not step over that line, there was no one to stop him. Though apparently there were many who disapproved. What gave them that right, they knew nothing?

The Doctor jerked up from his set and began pacing, rubbing tiredly at his face. This was not helping. He needed some calm-- he needed someone who understood just for a second and could help sort this out. Any clarity of mind would have to come from another party; the Doctor felt a stab of foreboding as he realized everything was too muddled, there was too much confusion for him to act. And he so desperately wanted to act. The TARDIS' concerned calm had become a torrent of pacifying energy, the like of which he'd not experienced since the days following Donna's departure.

But his ship could not help with this; it was beyond mere emotional turmoil, something that could be resolved with just a few days of meditation, light meals, and a quick reorganization of the library. No, he was nearing the end....he could feel it. And worst of all, it felt right deep in his bones. It was going to happen very, very soon and to advert it would be either impossible or extremely risky.

'Could I really do that? Tear the universe asunder to save myself?' the Doctor wondered silently.

The TARDIS heard, of course; the reassurance was withdrawn leaving a disapproving void behind. And just like that the Doctor had his answer: no. He could not. But, avoidance was the key to many situations and this was one such-- perhaps not indefinitely, but for a short while.

Feeling a bit of his natural enthusiasm return the Doctor abruptly stopped the TARDIS, leaving them floating far away from the Ood. He should go somewhere nice and quiet first, to calm himself and get back on his feet. Do the meditation but not library organization; that could wait until either a critical situation or another hundred years, whichever came first. A beach in the Xerzax system perhaps; back when all that roamed any of the planets were flying, flaming birds and invisible fishes in the waters. Setting the coordinates the Doctor stroked the panel lightly and said, "I wouldn't. I really wouldn't. Take us somewhere nice."

The familiar creaking resumed as they dematerialized from empty space (as empty as it could get anyway) and the Doctor sat down where he had been before, but much calmer. Feeling the last bits of tension drain away he was too distracted not to feel surprised when the TARDIS began to shake and the noise reached a frantic pitch. A particularly large jolt sent him flying to the ground with a surprised yelp; he lay on his back staring at the ceiling, the tremors disappearing as quickly as they came.

"Hello there. What are you doing on the floor?" a familiar voice asked, rather pushily. A bolt of entirely new --but familiar-- horror ran through the Doctor as he sat up and faced...himself.