Breaking the Rule

by Landing

After a tragic date all Daniel Young wanted to do was go home and finish a bottle of wine. However, he instead found himself being transported to an alien planet on his way home and meets a mysterious stranger named the Doctor. Watch as Daniel sees the Doctor at his worst all the while the Doctor fears losing another companion and the end of his song. First in To Own His Hearts

1. Planet of the Dead

A/N: Hey what's up you guys! Welcome to my account where today I shall bring you a Fanfiction idea that was been in the works for far too long if you ask me. This series is set within the Tenth Doctor's Specials so this series will be 6 chapters (4 episode stories and 2 mini chapters.)

The Story will be told from the Doctor and Daniel's joint point of view so they won't know all the facts that we did when we watched the show, so there will be scenes missing from the chapters.

Daniel just stands below the Doctor's shoulders with light brown hair, blue eyes and often wears a button up shirt.

But now, on with the show.

~DW~ means a scene break

~DW~ means a flashback

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who, all rights go to the BBC, but I do own any and all original characters. If I did then we'd have mentions to past companions during Moffat's run as showrunner instead of acting like they never existed.

Breaking the Rules - Planet of the Dead

~DW~

It had quite possibly been the worse date Daniel had ever been on! Daniel Young practically stormed out of the small diner he had set up for them to have a bite to eat to ease them into the night. He had hoped that it would have been nice but the prat had only rocked up to the diner half an hour late and reeked of alcohol.

Even though Daniel was nervous and did allow himself to have a glass of wine before he left to calm his nerves but it didn't give him the excuse to drink himself to the point that if he wanted to meet someone like that we would of gone clubbing. He had said sorry to the staff, the brunette waitress that had been going to serve them shrugged it off and said she'd call for a taxi for both of them. He had said no, there had been a bus stop only a couple minutes down the road that he knew would take him back towards the block of flats he was currently living in.

So here he was, standing at the bus stop dressed in a black and white long sleeved plaid shirt, grey slacks and black Chelsea boots with a foul expression on his face, desperately waiting for the bus to take him back to his flat. Five minutes passed before the bus turned up, paying the driver with a forced smile Daniel seated himself towards the back of the bus.

~DW~

A few stops passed by with some of the passengers leaving, not that Daniel was paying them any piece of mind as he stared out of the window. But the odd times he did look at the people on the bus he could see there was a black couple; Daniel guessed that they were at least in their fifties, towards the front of the bus was a young black youth and finally a blonde woman sat alone in the row directly in front of Daniel.

This time when the bus stopped a woman with black hair and dressed all in black quickly hopped on the bus, speaking to driver in hushed whispers but Daniel could tell she was in a rush and found it strange that she ended up removing one of her earrings before she made her way up the bus to the empty row next to Daniel. He shrugged it off about to return to looking out the window when another person entered the bus this time dressed in a long brown coat and plimsolls entered. "You're just in time, mate." Daniel heard the driver say and watched as the man swiped his card.

The doors closed and the bus moved off, the man in the long brown coat set himself down next to Daniel who grinned and offered him a piece of a chocolate egg. "Hello, I'm the Doctor," The Doctor introduced and Daniel expected there to be a continuation of his name but he stopped. "Happy Easter."

Daniel gave the Doctor an odd look but accepted the chocolate piece, unable to stop himself and muttered a thanks. "The funny thing is, I don't often do Easter," The Doctor continued, taking Daniel's willingness to eat the chocolate as some sort of sign for him to talk. "I can never find it, it's always at a different time, although I remember the original, between you and me what really happened was."

Now Daniel wasn't always quick to judge someone but this Doctor bloke was a bit of a weirdo, he could barely keep up with him talking and his friends said that he chatted some… His thought and the rambling from the Doctor was cut off by a muffled beeping noise. "Oh sorry, hold onto that for me," Handing the rest of the egg over to Daniel, who had just finished the original piece of chocolate. "Actually,

go on, have it, finish it. It's all full of sugar and I'm determined to keep these teeth." The Doctor pulled out a hand-held gizmo which was lit up and making the bleeping noise. "Ah. Oh, we've got excitation, I'm picking up something very strange."

"I know that feeling." Daniel replied, the black haired woman suddenly coughed and Daniel smirked knowing she had been listening in on the Doctor babbling.

The Doctor remained oblivious to this small interaction as he focused on the device. "Rhondium particles, that's what I'm looking for, this thing detects them," The Doctor explained, the woman slid over towards the Doctor as she listened in on his rambling. "Look, this should go round, that little dish there." He began to smack it against his hand, expecting it to start working all of a sudden.

"Right now, a way out would come in pretty handy," The black haired woman spoke up, looking at the Doctor. "Can you detect me one of those?"

While Daniel, the Doctor and the black haired woman spoke with each other, they missed the black woman turn to her husband. "Lou, can you hear them?" The woman asked, glancing around the bus.

Lou, her husband, turned in the seat to face her with a slight frown. "Hear what, sweetheart?" He asked.

"The voices. So many voices. Calling to us. Calling so far." She replied, starting to sound a bit frantic.

"Ah the little dish is going round!" The Doctor grinned, sounding surprised that it actually worked and it made Daniel smile slightly.

"Fascinating," The woman rolled her eyes, settling back into her seat.

"And round. Whoa…" The Doctor held the device away from him as it began to spin faster and faster until part of the gadget exploded.

"I don't suppose it's meant to do that, is it?" Daniel had to ask, watching as the grin on the Doctor's faded slightly. It was unsettling.

The blonde woman, who had been trying her hardest to ignore the Doctor rambling, turned to give the Doctor an unamused look. "Excuse me," She asked. "Do you mind?"

The Doctor stood. "Sorry. That was my little dish."

"Can't you turn that thing off?" She asked once again, rolling her eyes.

The Doctor ignored her and turned to face Daniel and the woman. "What were your names?"

"Christina." Christina, the black haired woman, introduced.

"Daniel." Daniel replied, frowning.

"Christina, Daniel you both are going to want to hold on tight," The Doctor placed him back next to Daniel and gripped onto the handle. "Everyone, hold on!" He yelled, Daniel and Christina did as he asked even though Daniel did send him a concerned look.

The passengers were about to turn to face him until the bus lurched and began to shake as the passengers screamed as they jerked forwards. The Doctor felt himself lose his balance and was prepared to fall to the floor until he felt a sharp tug on the sleeve of his coat, sending Daniel a quick nod he made his way down the walkway towards the driver. A window shattered and sparks began to fly from the overhead wires, a young man with brown hair fell down the stairs from the upper deck.

"What's going on?!" He exclaimed, trying to steady himself on at the base of the stairs.

There was a blinding light and more windows began to shatter. The Doctor moved forward towards the driver when it suddenly stopped. Sunlight streamed through the windows, making the passengers squint at the sudden change in lighting. The Doctor quickly made his way to the door, opening it and looked out onto a desert. "End of the line," He stepped out of the bus, Daniel and the other passengers scrambled out of their seats to follow the Doctor. "Call it a hunch, but I think we've gone a little bit further than Brixton."

The passengers seemed to hesitate to step out but Daniel and Christine pushed past them and out onto the desert. Behind them stood the bus with the top deck of the bus was crushed and smoke was wafting from it. Daniel could only hope that the young man was the only passenger up there.

Daniel and Christina made their way towards the Doctor, who was lying on the ground as he let the sand sift through his fingers. "That's impossible!" The blonde woman cried, looking up at the sky. "There are three suns! Three of them!"

"Like when all those planets were up in the sky!" The black youth replied, thinking back to the massive invasion of Daleks.

"But it was Earth that moved back then, wasn't it?" The other young man frowned, looking at the black youth.

"Oh, man, we're on another world!"

"It's still intact, though!" The driver turned to face the bus and let a chuckle. "Not as bad as it looks. The chassis's still holding together. Oh, my boss is gonna murder me!"

"Can you still drive it?" The blonde woman turned to him.

"Oh, no, the wheels are stuck. Look at them, they're never gonna budge."

Christina and Daniel had made their way over to the Doctor, Christina had discarded her jacket and was now wearing a black short-sleeved top while Daniel had rolled his sleeves up as much as he could and unbuttoned the top two buttons. Christina put on a pair of sunglasses while Daniel just put a hand above his eyes in an attempt to block out the sun. "Ready for every emergency." Christina said.

The Doctor looked at her and then at Daniel, taking a pair of sunglasses out of his pocket and handed them to Daniel before taking off his own glasses and used the sonic screwdriver on them. He then put them back on, now tinted. "Me too!" He grinned before nodding at Daniel. "Him as well."

"And what's your name?" Christina asked, more at the Doctor then Daniel.

"I'm the Doctor."

"Name, not rank."

"The Doctor." Daniel said this time, he had thought of the similar question but in such a formal question.

"What he doesn't have a surname?" Christina turned to Daniel, who just shrugged.

"Just the Doctor." The Doctor agreed.

"You're called 'the Doctor?'"

"Yes, I am."

"That's not a name, that's a psychological condition."

"Bit odd though," Daniel agreed with her. "I mean naming yourself after your profession is a bit extreme." Christina smirked at him.

"Funny sort of sand, this," The Doctor cut in, he was sure if he didn't that they'd continue to go on about his name. "There's a trace of something else," The two humans watched as he dragged his finger through the sand and licked it. "Ack. Eurgh. Blah, that's not good." The Doctor spat out the sand wiping his tongue against the back of his hand.

"Well it wouldn't be, it's sand." Daniel deadpanned.

"No, it tastes like," The Doctor stood, shaking his head as he decided to not tell the humans what the sand tasted like. "Never mind."

Christina shrugged it off and began to look around the desert but Daniel frowned. "What is it? What's wrong?" He asked, concern etched on his face.

The Doctor was about to reply, tell him that nothing was wrong, when the young black youth pointed at him. Behind them stood the rest of the passengers, excluding Lou and his wife. "Hold on a minute, I saw you mate!" He pointed at him, Daniel took a small step forward almost like he was going to defend the Doctor, had it not been for Christina holding him back. "You had that thing, that machine. Did you make this happen?"

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Oh, humans on buses, always blaming me," He muttered before raising his voice to inform the humans what he had been doing. "If you must know, I was tracking a hole in the fabric of reality. Call it a hobby, but it was a tiny little hole no danger to anyone. Suddenly it gets big, and we drive right through it."

"But then where is it?" The driver asked, looking around the desert. "There's nothing, there's just sand!"

The humans nodded with the driver; surely if there had been some sort of hole they'd see it. "Alright, if you want proof," The Doctor grabbed a handful of sand and threw it at the space between the bus to reveal a swirling vortex. "We drove through this." The humans looked in awe at the swirling vortex which disappeared almost as quick as it had appeared.

"And that's?" Christina asked.

"A door, a door in space." The Doctor replied.

"So what you're saying is, on the other side of that is home?" The driver questioned, starting to feel hopeful that he could return. "We can get back to London through there?"

"The bus came through, but we can't."

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" The driver tried to rally the humans.

"Oh, no, don't!"

"I'm going home, mate!" The driver yelled over his shoulder as he ran at the portal.

"I said don't!" The Doctor yelled.

They all watched in horror as the moment the driver hit the portal, he let out a painful scream as his body caught fire burning to a skeleton before falling through. Daniel gasped, his hand shoot up to his mouth as he felt his stomach churn.

How would they get home now? He thought to himself as he looked at where they'd just witnessed the death of that man. The Doctor had warned him but would it have stopped him? Daniel could try and blame the Doctor for the man's death, anyone would but even Daniel found it hard to blame anyone other then the driver… he didn't even know his name. It's funny that you never think of things like that until you've faced with a situation like this.

"He was a skeleton, man!" The black youth shouted, horrified. "He was just bones, just bones!"

The Doctor walked to the bus, leaning in to examine it. "It was the bus," The Doctor rubbed his chin, behind him stood Daniel and Christina but he paid them no mind at all. "Look at the damage… that was the bus protecting us… great big box of metal."

"Rather like a Faraday cage?" Christina spoke up.

Even with the little knowledge of science Daniel knew he actually knew what that was. "What like being in inside a car is the safest place in a thunderstorm," Daniel stepped back and looked at the damaged bus again, with the idea of a Faraday cage in his mind he pointed out an obvious problem. "But with Faraday cages doesn't it need to be closed?"

Christina nodded in agreement. "He's right and that thing's been ripped wide open."

"Slightly different dynamics with a wormhole," He smiled at the duo, impressed by the suggestion. "There's enough metal to make it work, I think." He hoped. Last thing he needed was more humans dying because he made the wrong calculation.

There was determination in Daniel's eyes. "Then we have to drive five tonnes of bus, which is currently buried in the sand, and we've got nothing but our bare hands," Daniel looked the Doctor in the eyes as he started to smile. "Correct?"

"I'd say nine and a half tonnes, but the point still stands, yes."

Christina cleared her throat. "Then we need to apply ourselves to the problem with discipline!" Daniel and the Doctor looked at Christina at the same time that it almost made Christina laugh. "Which starts with appointing a leader."

Puffing out his chest, the Doctor agreed with Christina's statement and Daniel could only shake his head at the action. "Yes, at last, thank you, so…"

Christina cut in. "Well, thank goodness you've got me!" Turning away from the Doctor, who stood there pouting while Daniel snickered at him, she faced passengers. "Everyone do exactly as I say! Inside the bus immediately!"

"Is it safe in there?" The other young man asked, getting up from where he had been knelt comforting the blonde woman.

"I don't think anything's safe any more, but if it's a choice between baking in there or roasting out here, I'd say baking is slower," Well at least she was honest, the Doctor thought, as he knew he probably would of rambled out a lie that would have quickly turned into some form of truth. "Come on! All of you. Right now! And both of you as well, 'the Doctor' and Mister Young."

The Doctor gave a mock salute and Daniel just rolled his eyes. "Yes, ma'am."

"Up! Come on!"

~DW~

"Point five, the crucial thing is, do not panic," Christina said from the front of the bus, she'd been listing off some survival tips for the passengers. "Quite apart from anything else, the smell of sweat inside this thing is reaching atrocious levels. We need to add anymore. Point six. Team identification. Names. I'm Christina, this man is apparently 'the Doctor'."

"Hello." He grinned at the group.

"And beside him is Daniel Young," Christina continued, nodding at Daniel who had sat with the Doctor and he offered a small wave to the group. "And you?" She turned to face the young man.

"Nathan." He waved.

"I'm Barclay." The black youth continued.

"Angela, Angela Whittaker." The blonde woman raised her hand.

"My name's Louis, everyone calls me Lou," Lou introduced before gesturing to the woman beside him. "And this is Carmen."

"Excellent. Memorise those names, there might be a test." Christina nodded and Daniel smirked at the joke. "Point seven, assessment and application of knowledge. Over to you, the Doctor."

"I thought you were in charge." The Doctor retorted.

"I am and a good leader utilises her strength," She shrugged, almost as if it was obvious. "You seem to be the brainbox. So, start boxing."

The Doctor sat on the back of his seat, facing the crowd as Christina leaned against the drivers' door. "Right. So, the wormhole, we were in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was just an accident."

Carmen shook her head. "No, it wasn't," She spoke, drawing the attention of the passengers. "That thing, the doorway. Someone made it. For a reason."

"How do you know?" Daniel asked, eying Carmen for the moment.

"She's got a gift," Lou spoke up, defending his wife. "Ever since she was a little girl, she can just… tell things. We do the lottery, twice a week."

"You don't look like millionaires." Christina commented.

"No, but we win ten pounds. Every week, twice a week, ten pounds. Don't tell me that's not a gift."

The Doctor moved his hand behind his back, allowing Daniel to watch as he held up three fingers. "Tell me, Carmen. How many things am I holding up?"

"Three," The Doctor added another finger, Daniel glanced at his fingers then at Carmen. "Four."

The Doctor grinned. "Very good! Low level psychic ability exacerbated by an alien sun," He made his over to her, sitting down before her. "What can you see, Carmen? Tell me. What's out there?"

Carmen closed her eyes as she focused. "Something… something is coming," She let out a shaky breath, fearful of what was being shown. "Riding on the wind. And shining."

"What is it"?

"Death. Death is coming."

Angela began to weep. "We're going to die."

"I knew it, man, I said so." Barclay stressed.

"We can't die out here. No one's gonna find us." Nathan muttered.

The passengers' voices began to overlap; the Doctor watched it unfold before him as he tried to find the right moment to cut in. "This isn't exactly helping." Christina remarked, raising her voice.

"Shut up, we're not your soldiers." Barclay glared.

"It's not doing any good…" Nathan said, agreeing with Christina.

"You're upsetting her, be quiet." Lou remarked, rubbing Carmen's arm.

"Will we be bone, like the bus driver?!"

"Stop whimpering, all of you." Christina tried but to no avail.

"Alright now," The Doctor tried instead. "Stop it, everyone, stop it…" But his attempt was drowned out by the raised voices.

Daniel stood up from his seat and took a deep breath. "Everyone just SHUT UP!" Daniel snapped, he ignored the surprised look from the Doctor, and gave everyone his apparent 'parent' look. "This isn't the time for us to start panicking!"

The arguing stopped and the only sound was Angela crying, Daniel walked down the walkway towards the doors, when the Doctor stood in front of Angela and gripped her shoulders. "Angela, look at me. Angela, Angela, answer me one question, Angela. That's it, at me, at me," She stopped crying and looked up at him. "There we go, Angela, just answer me one thing. When you got on this bus, where were you going?"

"Doesn't matter now, does it?" She sniffed, wiping her eyes.

"Answer the question."

"Just home." She sighed.

"And what's home?"

"Me, and Mike and Suzanne, that's my daughter. She's 18."

"Suzanne. Good," He sat down beside Angela and looked back at Barclay. "What about you?

Barclay shrugged. "Dunno. Going round Tina's."

"Who's Tina? Your girlfriend?"

"Not yet." He gave the Doctor a small smile.

"Good boy. What about you, Nathan?"

"Bit strapped for cash, I lost my job last week," Nathan admitted with a smile. "I was gonna stay in. Watch TV."

"Brilliant. And you two?"

"I was going to cook." He smiled at them.

"It's his turn tonight," Carmen added, smiling at him. "Then I clear up."

"What's for tea?"

"Chops," Lou stated with a shrug. "Nice couple of chops and gravy. Nothing special."

"Oh, that's special, Lou. That is so special. Chops and gravy. Mmm! What about you, Christina?"

"I was going… so far away." Christina revealed.

The Doctor turned to Daniel, who had sat back down into his seat embarrassed by the outburst. "What about you, Daniel?"

The Doctor turned to ask Daniel, but he didn't look at him as he just stared out the window, his face red from embarrassment at his sudden outburst. He nodded to himself, making a note to ask him once they were away from the others and once he had allowed himself a moment of calm down. "Far away. Chops and gravy. Watching TV. Mike and Suzanne and poor old Tina."

"Hey!" Barclay chuckled.

"Just think of them. 'Cos that planet out there, all three suns and wormholes and alien sand, that planet is nothing," The Doctor affirmed them, the humans had forgotten about their worries and where now focusing on those they've got back on Earth. "You hear me? Nothing compared to all those things waiting for you. Food and home and people. Hold on to that. Cos we're gonna get there. I promise. I'm gonna get you home."

~DW~

Barclay and Nathan stepped out of the bus, holding seat cushions, as the Doctor, Daniel and Christina looked on. "Here we go! That's my boys!" The Doctor cheered. "We lay a flat surface between the bus and the wormhole, like duckboards, and reverse into it!"

"Let some air out of the tyres, just a little bit," Christina suggested. "Spreads the weight of the bus, gives you more grip."

"Oh, that's good!"

"Holidays in the Kalahari."

"Yeah, but those wheels go deep." Barclay pointed out.

"Then start digging."

"With what?"

"With this." They watched as Christina reached into her bag and pulled out a folded shovel.

Daniel and the Doctor just gave Christina a surprised and amused look, the Doctor taking it and opened it before handing it to Barclay. "Got anything else in there?" Daniel asked.

"Try that, might help with the seats." Christina handed Nathan a small axe, sending Daniel a wink.

"Thanks!" Nathan took the axe and headed back into the bus.

"I can't find the keys." Angela called from within the bus.

Daniel ran to the doors. "Buses don't have keys. There's a master switch, one button for start and the other for stop, yeah?" He offer a smile to Angela, he had apologised to her and the other passengers for shouting, as she sat in the drivers seat.

"Right. Hold on, oh, I've got it," Looking down at the switchboard, she flicked a switch. "Here we go, hold tight, ding ding!" She pressed the button and Daniel couldn't help but pull a face as the engines made a horrible spluttering sound before promptly dying.

"Oh that doesn't sound too good." Daniel ran round the back of the bus towards where the engine was, the Doctor and Christina following, and opened the hatch stepping back as sand threatened to be blown in his face. "Just when you thought things could get any worse," He turned to the Doctor and Christina. "The entire engine is filled with sand, we've only been here for like five minutes."

Christina walked around to where Barclay and Nathan were working on the wheels. "Anyone know mechanics?" She asked.

"Me!" Barclay stood, brushing sand off his knees. "I did a two week NVQ at the garage. Never finished it, but…"

That was enough for the Doctor. "Off you go then, try stripping the air filters, fast as you can. Back in two ticks."

The Doctor headed towards the dunes as Barclay went to look at the engine. "Wait a minute!" Christina and Daniel called, following the Doctor. "You're the man with all the answers. I'm not letting you out of my sights." Christina continued, speaking on behalf of Daniel also.

~DW~

The trio walked through the desert, the Doctor and Daniel were just ahead of Christina. "I never got to ask you," The Doctor suddenly said, causing Daniel to look at him confused. "What you've got waiting back for you on Earth."

Thanks to the sunglasses he wore, the Doctor missed the emotion that flashed in Daniel's eye. "I've got nothing," Daniel confessed as they walked, letting out a long sigh. "Used to live with my nan, but she died a year ago and I've been alone ever since," He shrugged, it didn't bother him to speak about it but he often jumped around the question. "Used to be my great granddad too, he used to drive busses after the war," Daniel scoffed as the Doctor gave him a sad look. "I don't want your sympathy Doctor, they died human and that's all that matters to me."

The Doctor wanted to ask him what he meant by to die human but he knew what it implied, Daniel had lost someone to something alien, but knew it would only open old wounds and could possibly distract them from saving the bus. Maybe it would best to ask him in the TARDIS once this was all over.

The Doctor stopped in his walking. No. He wouldn't take Daniel with him, he had made a promise to himself that he wouldn't take on another companion not after Donna. The memory of Donna was still fresh in his mind… it kept him up on some nights, he wouldn't want something like that to happen to Daniel or even Christina. "Are you alright?" Daniel asked, turning to look at the Doctor.

The Doctor nodded, continuing in their walk until they were out of sight of the bus. "Easier if you left that backpack behind." The Doctor suggested, looking at Christina who walked beside him.

"Where I go, it goes." She replied.

"A backpack with a spade and an axe," Daniel also commented, giving her a warning look over the top of his glasses. "Christina, who plans on going so far away and yet scared by the sound of a siren… who are you?"

Christina was taken back by Daniel asking the question. "You asking me? Let's just say that we three are equal mysteries." Christina countered, she truly didn't know anything or seemed to grasp at anything about Daniel and the Doctor.

"We'd make quite the group." The Doctor suggested, joking.

"We don't make any sort of group, thank you very much," She joked back. "Come on then. Tell me. If Carmen's right, if that Wormhole's not an accident, then what is it? Has someone done this on purpose?"

They stopped walking and just over the dune they stood on they could make out the bus. "I don't know," the Doctor confessed. "But every single instinct of mine is telling me to get off this planet, right now."

"And do you think we can?" Daniel asked.

"I live in hope." He grinned and Daniel shook his head.

"That must be nice. It's Christina de Souza," she held out her hands for both Daniel and the Doctor to shake. "To be precise, Lady Christina de Souza."

Daniel looked impressed and jokingly bowed, not believing her. "And I'm Lord Daniel Andrew of the Young Estates," Upon seeing that she was being serious he blushed. "You weren't joking… were you?"

Christina laughed. "You're lucky you're cute." She informed him, tapping him on the forehead lightly.

The Doctor smiled at the interaction. "That's handy. Cos I'm a Lord."

"Seriously?" Christina and Daniel asked. "The Lord of where?" She carried on.

"It's quite a big estate."

"No, but there's something more about you," Daniel spoke up, eying him. "The device you were carrying, and the wormhole. Like you knew. And the way you stride around this place, like…" He trailed off, trying to find the right word.

"Like?"

"Like you're not hum…"

"Anyway!" He cut him off, sending him a wink to show Daniel that he was right. "Come on! Allons-y." He continued on.

"Oui, mais pas si nous allons vers un chauchemar." Christina replied, her French fluent and clear.

Daniel laughed. "Do you two want a moment alone? You've got a whole desert to pick your spot."

They stopped once again and looked at the horizon. "Ah. Don't like the look of that." The Doctor frowned.

"Storm clouds," Christina shrugged, shading her eyes. "Must be hundreds of miles away."

"And getting closer."

"If that's a sand storm, we'll get ripped to shreds." Daniel stated, frowning.

"It's a storm. Who says it's sand?"

And with that suggestion they turned and ran back to the bus.

~DW~

"Barclay! Where's your phone?" The Doctor yelled as he ran down a sand dune, Christina and Daniel following close behind.

The boy in question poked his head around from where he had been working on the engine and frowned. "In the bus." He shrugged, closing the hatch to join the Doctor as he ran inside.

"Where is it?"

"There, there on the seat."

Daniel and Christina entered the bus, watching in confusion as the Doctor picked up Barclay's phone and flashed the sonic screwdriver on it. "You're hardly going to get a signal, we're on another planet!" Daniel sarcastically remarked, shaking his head.

"Oh, just you watch me," The Doctor flashed him a grin. "Right, now, bit of hush thank you. Gotta remember the number, very important number." They watched as the Doctor dialled in a number.

"Hello, Pizza Geronimo?" A man answered.

Daniel opened his mouth to comment but the Doctor help up a hand in his direction, hanging up. "And again! Ah! Seven-six, not six-seven…"

"This is the Unified Intelligence Taskforce. Please select one of the following four options." An automated message answered.

"Oh, I hate these things!" The Doctor groaned.

"No, if you keep your finger pressed on zero, you get through to a real person," Angela mentioned, offering a small shrug at the questioning looks everyone gave her. "I saw it on Watchdog!"

The Doctor grinned. "Thank you Angela." He did as he was informed and sure enough her advice worked as a female voice spoke up.

"UNIT helpline, which department would you like?" The woman asked.

"This is the Doctor! It's me!"

"Please wait while I transfer your call." The woman's voice disappeared and was replaced with some pop styled music.

"They put me on hold." The Doctor muttered, looking at the phone.

A few moments passed with the hold music being played on loud speaker, it was oddly relaxing as they had something to distract them from the silence of the desert.

"Doctor. This is Captain Erisa Magambo," the woman introduced herself and there was a slight ruffle of fabric as if she had moved her arm suddenly. "Might I say, sir, it's an honour."

The Doctor frowned, however was slightly amused by the sudden thought. "Did you just salute?" He had to ask.

It was silent for a moment before she spoke. "… No."

"Erisa, it's about the bus. HQ said you're at the tunnel, yeah?"

"And where are you?"

"I'm on the bus. But apart from that, not a clue," the Doctor looked out the window. "Except it's very pretty and pretty dangerous."

"A body came through here," everyone in the bus let out a breath at the reminded of the bus driver. "Have you sustained any more fatalities?"

"No, and we're not going to," the Doctor replied, his voice firm. "But I'm stuck, I haven't got the TARDIS and I need to analyse that wormhole."

"We have a scientific advisor on site, Dr Malcolm Taylor," Erisa informed and it sounded like she began to move. "Just the man you need, he's a genius."

"Oh, is he?" the Doctor rolled his eyes at the suggestion. "We'll see about that."

"Here's the Doctor." Erisa's voice came through a bit muffled, almost as if she was holding the phone away from herself.

"No, I'm all right now, thanks," A man replied, his voice clearer to them then Erisa's had been but only slightly. "It was just a bit of a sore throat, although I've got to be honest, a cup of tea might be nice."

"It's THE Doctor."

"Do you mean… 'the Doctor' Doctor?!"

"I know. We all want to meet him one day, but we all know what that day will bring."

Daniel frowned at that. The way that she spoke of meeting him sounded slightly concerning, compared to the way the man sounded just at the mention of the Doctor, it was as if this woman knew his past and what it held if they were to ever meet. The Doctor… was he as good as he appeared? Or would becoming involved with him be their downfall.

"I can hear everything you're saying." The Doctor chimed, pulling Daniel out of his thoughts.

"Hello, Doctor? Oh, my goodness!" The man called, sounding like he couldn't believe it truly was him.

"Yes, I am. Hello, Malcolm!"

"The Doctor! Cor blimey. I can't believe I'm actually speaking to you! I mean, I've read all the files!"

"Really? What was your favourite, the giant robot?" Daniel and Christina gave the Doctor a look. "No, no hold on, let's sort out that wormhole."

The Doctor made his way to the front of the bus, sitting in the driver's seat as Daniel stood behind him, listening. "Giant robot?" Daniel had to ask.

"Long story," He waved it off. "Malcolm, something's not making sense here. I've got a storm and a wormhole, and I can't help thinking there's a connection. I need a complete full-range analysis of that wormhole, the whole thing."

"I've probably got the wrong idea, but I've wired up an integrator. I thought it could measure the energy signature." Malcolm began.

"No that'll never work," The Doctor stated. "Just listen to me…"

"It's quite extraordinary, though!" He continued, not seeming to be fazed by the Doctor dismissing his idea. "I'm measuring an oscillation of 15 Malcolms per second."

"Fifteen what?"

"Fifteen Malcolms. It's my own little term," He explained. "A wavelength parcel of ten kilohertz operating in four dimensions equals one Malcolm."

"He named a unit of measurement after himself?" Daniel asked, apparently loud enough for Malcolm to hear.

"It didn't do Mr Watt any harm," Malcolm defended. "Furthermore, 100 Malcolms equals a Bernard."

"And who's that, your dad?" Daniel questioned, joking.

"Don't be ridiculous, that's Quatermass."

The Doctor groaned. "Right. Fine. But before I die of old age, which in my case would be quite an achievement, so congratulations on that, is there anyone else I can talk to?"

"No, no, no, no, but listen! I set the scanner to register what it can't detect and inverted the image."

"You did what?" The Doctor asked, surprised.

"Is that wrong?"

"No Malcolm, that's brilliant! So you can actually measure the wormhole," the Doctor assured him. "OK, I admit, that is genius!"

"The Doctor called me a genius." Malcolm gushed.

"I know, I heard." Erisa dryly remarked.

"Now, run a capacity scan. I need a full report. Call me back when you've gone it. And Malcolm? You're my new best friend."

"And you're mine too, sir." Malcolm said.

The Doctor hung up. "Barclay, I'm holding on to this." He pocketed the phone before walking out the door.

"Then you'd better bring it back!" Barclay called, watching as Daniel, Christina and the Doctor left the bus.

~DW~

The trio walked back the way they had originally come and stopped on the hill they been on. "Send this back to Earth, see if Malcolm can analyse the storm." The Doctor said, holding up the phone.

"There's something in those clouds, something shining. It looks…" Daniel squinted as the storm began to shine as the suns hit it.

"Like metal." The Doctor finished for him, taking a picture.

"Why would there be there be metal in a storm?" Christina asked before looking around as clicking reached her. "Did you hear something?"

"Hold on. Busy." The Doctor continued to take pictures.

Daniel frowned and looked around, the clicking sound reaching him now. "There's a noise," Christina nodded, thankful that someone heard it too. "Sounds like a…" He trailed off and backs into the Doctor accidentally. "Doctor."

Christina's eyes widened as she too spotted the creature. It was human in body but with what Daniel could only describe as a fly's head, it approached them with a weapon in its hand and speaks. The Doctor answers in its language clicking and chirping. "That's 'wait'. I shout 'wait', people usually wait." He translated for the humans.

"You speak the language?" Daniel and Christina questioned.

"Every language," He confirmed before continuing to speak with the creature. "That's begging for mercy."

It motions with its gun, they raised their hands. "That means 'move'." Christina remarked, rolling her eyes.

"Ooh! You're learning."

The creature marched them off in front of it, directing them through the sand dunes. "These fly things, they must be responsible. They brought us here." Christina suggested, seeing as this had been the first sign of life they had encountered since being on the planet.

They arrived at a crashed ship, they assumed it was the creatures ship. "No, no, no, no, no! Look at the ship, it's a wreck. They crashed, just like us." The Doctor answered, stepping inside.

~DW~

The interior of the ship looks like they have been trying to make repairs with wires and electronics. Daniel let out a sigh of relief as the ships temperature was much colder then the desert. "But this place is freezing!" Christina looked over at Daniel, hearing his sigh of relief.

"The hull's made of Photafine steel. Turns cold when it's hot," The Doctor explained. "Boiling desert outside, freezing ship inside. Since I've met you two, we've been through all the extremes!"

"That's how I like things. Extreme." She winked.

Turning his attention to the ship around him, he began to gush. "Oh, this is beautiful! Intact, it must have been magnificent. A proper streamlined deep-spacer!"

"I'll remember that as I'm being slowly tortured," Daniel remarked, giving the Doctor an unamused look. "At least I'm bleeding on the floor of a really well-designed spaceship!"

A second creature joined them and touched a device attached to his clothes. "Oh, right, good, yes, hello!" He gave them a wave while Daniel and Christina offered the creatures a small smile. "That's a telepathic translator. He can understand us."

"Still sounds like gibberish to me." Christina commented, looking at the Doctor.

"That what I said, he can understand us. Doesn't work the other way around," The creature began to communicate and the Doctor began to translate for them. "'You will suffer for you crimes.' Et cetera. 'You have committed an act of violence against the Tritovore race. Tritovores, they're called Tritovores. 'You came here in the 200 to destroy us.' Sorry, what's the 200?"

They thought about it for a moment before Daniel informed them, a smile on his face as he turned to look at the Tritovores. "It's the bus. Number 200, they mean the bus. We're stuck here like you guys are."

"I think you've made the same mistake Christina did. I'm the Doctor, by the way, this is Christina, the Honourable Lady Christina, at least I hope she's honourable! And that young man is Daniel Young, and he's right, we got pulled through that wormhole. The 200 doesn't look like that normally, it's broken, just the same as you." The Doctor assured them.

The Tritovores spoke to each other and a moment later, they lowered their guns. "What are they doing?" Christina asked, apprehensive.

"They believe us."

"What, as simple as that?"

"I've got a very honest face and Daniel's got a charming smile," Daniel rolled his eyes at the compliment. "And the translator says I'm telling the truth. Plus the face and the smile. Right! So, first things first, there's a very strange storm heading our way, can you send out a probe?"

The Doctor made his way to a control panel, followed by the Tritovore with the translator who speaks with him. "Ah, they've lost power. Hmm, the crash knocked the mainline crystallography out of synch. But if I can jiggle it back…" He kicked a panel and the power came back on. "I thank you!," The Tritovore clicked and chirped. "Yes, I am! Frequently. Okey-doke, let's launch that probe."

Pulling a lever, the probe was launched, and after some fiddling with the control panel the Doctor brought up an image onto a holographic screen. "The Scorpion Nebula," The Doctor informed them, Daniel walked to the other side of the screen his eyes filled with wonder. "On the other side of the Universe, just what you wanted Christina, so far away," the image zoomed in until it showed another a planet. "The planet of San Helios."

"And that's us?" Christina breathed, awed by the image. "We're on another world."

"We have been for quite a while."

"I know, but seeing it like that…"

"It's good, isn't it?"

"It's beautiful." Daniel breathed from the other side, locking eyes with the Doctor as they smiled at each other.

The Tritovore began to click and chirp as it began to tell them the story of how they became trapped on San Helios. "The Tritovores were going to trade with San Helios. Population of one hundred billion… plenty of waste matter for them to absorb."

"By waste matter, you mean?" Christina didn't want to ask, having an idea, but she'd rather have it confirmed.

"They feed off what others leave behind. From their… behind, if you see what I mean," At the disgusted looks from Daniel and Christina, he began to defend. "It's perfectly natural. They are flies."

"Charming. Just remind me never to kiss them."

The projection now showed them a thriving city with trees and green parks. "San Helios City."

"That's amazing," Daniel breathed. "But you've seen things like this all the time, haven't you?"

"Thousands of times." The Doctor confirmed.

"That Lordship of yours… the Lord of where, exactly?" Christina asked, curious. She had heard Daniel earlier about to say something before being cut off and it seemed she now was understanding what he had been about to say.

"Of Time. I come from a race of people called the Time Lords."

"You're an alien?"

Yeah. But you don't have to kiss me either."

Daniel made his way around the screen and to his side. "You look human." He stated, looking up at him.

"You look Time Lord." Grinning down at Daniel, his grin softened. Christina cleared her throat, disrupting the moment. "Anyway!" They looked back at the screen at the same time.

Christina snickered to herself as she watched Daniel's cheeks turn red. "So if that's San Helios, all we need to do if find that city. They can help us!" Daniel said, focusing on the situation at hand.

"I don't think it's that simple," The projection changed to the desert. "We're in the city right no." The Doctor cleared his own throat as he too, focused on the projection.

"But it's sand!" Christina looked between the Tritovores. "That first image, the temples and things, what's that, then? Ancient history?"

One of the Tritovores chirped. "That image was taken last year." The Doctor translated.

"It became a desert in one year?"

The Doctor crouched down to take a handful of sand. "I said there was something in the sand," he let the sand fall through his fingers. "The city, the oceans, the mountains, the wildlife and 100 billion people, turned to sand. All those voices in Carmen's head… she's hearing them die."

Daniel gasped and Christina brushed a hand through her hair. "But I've got sand in my hair. That's dead people! Oh that's disgusting! Oh!"

"Something destroyed the whole of San Helios."

"Yes, but in my hair!"

The mobile rang and the Doctor pulled it from his pocket. "Malcolm! Tell me the bad news!"

"Oh, you are clever! It is bad news!" Malcolm informed. "It's the wormhole, Doctor, it's getting bigger! We've gone way past 100 Bernards; I haven't invented a name for that."

"How can it get bigger by itself?"

"Well, that's why I'm phoning! You'll work it out, if I know you, sir."

"Doctor, we estimate the circumference of your invisible wormhole is now four miles, heading upwards," Erisa spoke. "I've grounded all flights above London. We can't risk anyone else falling through."

"Good work, both of you."

"But I have to know," She continued. "Does that wormhole constitute a danger to this planet?"

The phone beeped and the Doctor looked at it. "Oh, sorry, call waiting, gotta go," He switched calls. "Yep?"

"Doctor, it's Nathan. We got those duckboard things down, but…" Nathan trailed off.

"It's my fault." Angela sobbed in the background.

"No, it's not, don't say that." Nathan assured her.

"Why, what's happened?" The Doctor asked, stepping away from Daniel and Christina.

"We kept on turning the engine, but… we're out of petrol. Used it all up," Nathan took a shaky breath. "Even if we can get those wheels out… this bus is never going to move."

The Doctor lowered the phone; Daniel looked at the Doctor concerned. "Doctor, tell me, what did he say?" He asked, crossing his arms at the Doctor's silence.

"You promised you'd get us home. Doctor? Are you still there?" Nathan continued.

"Doctor, tell me, what did he say?" Daniel asked again.

A beep came from one of the monitors and the Tritovores chirped excitedly. "It's the probe," The Doctor said once he hung up the call. "It's reached the storm."

"And what's he saying?" Christina asked.

"It's not a storm."

The image from the probe came up on the screen showing them a mass of creatures that looked like stingrays with metal plating. "It's a swarm. Millions of them." Christina suggested, her eyes wide.

"Billions." The Doctor corrected, they watched as one of the creatures flew straight at the probe, opening its mouth to show its sharp teeth. The connection is lost. "Ah! We've lost the probe. I think it got eaten. Everything on this planet gets eaten."

"How far away is that swarm?" Daniel asked.

"Hundred miles. But at that speed, it'll be here in twenty minutes," the Tritovore chirped, fearful of the creatures. "No, they're not just coming for us. They want the wormhole."

"They're heading for Earth!" Daniel realised.

"Show the analysis," one of the Tritovores pulled up a 3D image of the creatures. "Incredible! They swarm out of a wormhole, strip the planet bare, then move on to the next world, start the life cycle again." The Doctor explained.

"So, they make the wormholes?" Christina asked.

"They must do."

"But how? They don't exactly like technicians. And if the wormhole belongs to them, why are they 100 miles away?"

"Because they need to be? No. That's bonkers," The Doctor frowned as he thought. "Hang on! Yes! Oh! Do you see? Billions of them, flying in formation, all around the planet, round and round and round, faster and faster and faster, till they generate a rupture in space! The speed of them, the numbers, and the size, all of that rips the wormhole into existence!"

"And the wormhole's getting bigger?"

"Because they're getting closer!"

"But how do they get through? Cos that wormhole's a killer, we've seen it!"

Daniel shook his head. "They'd be fine, their skin is made of metal allowing them pass through the wormhole without a problem." The Doctor looked impressed. "What? I pay attention."

"Those things are going to turn the entire Earth into a desert. So why exactly are you smiling?" Christina asked, looking at the Doctor.

"Worse it gets, the more I love it!" He grinned back.

"Me too." The humans replied, laughing.

"The thing is, Doctor, you're missing the obvious," Upon the Doctor's questioning look, Christina continued. "We came here through the wormhole, yes? But our Tritovore friends didn't. They came here to trade with San Helios. Therefore, the question is, why did they crash?"

"Ah, good question! What a team! Like she said, why did you crash?"

~DW~

One of the Tritovores led them into another room with a large hole in the floor. "Oh, yes. Gravity Well, look. Goes all the way down to the engine. So what happened?" The alien chirped as it explained. "He says the drive system stalled. Ten miles up, they fell out of the sky… but what caused that?"

The Tritovore shrugged. "That means 'no idea.'" Daniel joked.

"Yeah. But wait a minute, that's a crystal nucleus down there, yes?" The Tritovore nodded. "And it looks like it survived the crash. If the crystal's intact… Oh, yes, that's better than diesel!"

"What, you can use the crystal to move the bus?" Christina asked.

"I think so. The spaceship's a write-off, but the 200's small enough."

"In a super-clever outer-spacey way, just trust me!" He pulled some feed from a monitor, looking at a scan for the tunnel. "There's the crystal! It's fallen to the bottom of the well, have you got access shafts?" the Tritrovore answered his question. "All frozen? Maybe I can open them! Internal comms, put that on," He handed Daniel a Bluetooth-like device and ran for the door. "You both stay here, keep an eye on the shaft. Tell me if anything happens."

Once the Doctor had left the room, Christina removed her and sat at the edge of the well, a smile crossing her face. "What are you planning?" Daniel asked, turning on the device.

She only grinned.

~DW~

The Doctor rushed to a bank of machinery. "If I can use that sunlight to start the automatic maintenance, Daniel," He pulled out some cables. "If you see a panel opening in that shaft let me know."

Back at the Gravity Well, Daniel watched as Christina began to gear up. "Nothing yet." He replied, assist her in strapping on her harness.

"Anything now?" the Doctor connected some cables.

"Nothing yet."

"Any sign of movement?"

"Nothing, are actually doing something or is this a test?"

"No, I am doing something! How about now?"

"No there's still nothing."

"Any result?"

Daniel sighed, watching as Christina set up a wire cable and winch attaching herself to it. "Remind me, is it the crystal we need," the Doctor mumbled out a yes and Daniel nodded to Christina. "Then I'd say we've got it under control."

Christina pulled the last time from her pack, a small torch and attached it to the Velcro of her harness. "Why, what d'you mean? Daniel? Daniel!" The Doctor ran into the Well room.

"You're crazy, you know that right." Daniel commented, handing the comm. to her and she winked at him.

Just as the Doctor entered, Christina swan dived into the well. "No!" He turned to face Daniel. "Why didn't you stop her?!"

"What was I suppose to do? You wanted the crystal, what better way then to get it mission impossible style." Daniel rolled his eyes.

The Doctor got to work using the sonic on the pulley. "I take offence to that Daniel." Christina's voice sounded through the comm.

The pulley went red as it caused Christina to stop. "That's better."

"I decide when I stop, thank you."

"You're about to hit the security gird. Look!" Peering over the edge, they spotted the field of crackling energy.

"Excellent. So what do I do?"

"Try the big red button."

Christina pushed the button directly in front of her, the field shutting off. "Well done!"

"Now come back up! I can do that."

"Oh, don't you wish?"

"Slowly!"

"Yes, sir." She continued to go down, head-first this time.

"Quite the mystery, aren't you? Lady Christina de Souza. Carrying a winch in her bag."

The Doctor sat on the edge of the well, his back to it while Daniel looked at a looked to be security monitor. "Doctor, could you fix this?" Daniel asked, pointing at the screen.

The Doctor obliged, flashing the sonic at it as a schematic of the Well flashed on his screen it showed a red flashing dot that was meant to be Christina. "No stranger then you, spaceman." Christina countered.

"I had this friend, once. She called me spaceman." The Doctor reminisced, thinking back to the feisty ginger he had travelled with.

"And was she right? Do you zoom about the place in a rocket?"

"Well, a little blue box. Travels in more than space. It can journey through time, Christina," Daniel looked over at him, a sad smile as he thought about all the things he could do with a time machine. "Oh, the places I've been. World War One. Creation of the Universe, end of the universe, the war between China and Japan," the Doctor looked into her bag and saw a chalice. "And the Court of King Athelstan, in 924 AD, but I don't remember you being there, so what are you doing with this?" He pulled out the chalice, turning it in his hands.

"Excuse me. A gentleman never goes through a lady's possessions."

Daniel stepped away from the monitor to look at the chalice about to ask what it was, but it seemed the Tritovore asked a similar question as the Doctor went on to explain. "It's the Cup of Athelstan. Given to the first King of Britain, as a coronation gift from Hywel, King of the Welsh. But it's been held in the international Gallery for 200 years, which makes you, Lady Christina, a thief."

Christina waved it off. "I like to think I liberated it."

"Don't tell me you need the money."

"Daddy lost everything. Invested his fortune in the Icelandic banks."

"No, no, no, if you're short of cash, you rob a bank. Stealing this, that's a lifestyle."

"I take it you disapprove?"

"Absolutely. Except, that little blue box. I stole it… from my own people."

"Well aren't you both didn't fall too far from the apple tree then did you?" Daniel commented.

"What and you've never stole anything?" She asked.

"Probably a bunch of pens from high school and that was on accident."

"Well aren't you a good boy, you can give us an earful when we steal again," Before Daniel could reply there was a loud screech from the lower levels of the ship. "What the blazes was that?"

Daniel rushed to the security monitor and his eyes widened, seeing a new red light sat still near the end of the Gravity Well. "Doctor! Look at this!" He called him over, the Tritovore following.

"We never did find out why the ship crashed," Upon seeing the new red blip, his concern grew. "Christina, I think you should come back up."

"Too late. I can see it." She answered, slightly fearful at the idea there was something lurking with her.

"Careful… slowly," the Doctor looked at the Tritovore. "Have you got an open-vent system?" the alien answered and even Daniel knew that it meant yes. "I thought so."

"It's like when birds fly into the engines of an aircraft."

"One of the creatures." Christina gasped.

"Got trapped in the vents, caused the crash," He rushed over to the Well. "Christina, get out."

"It's not moving, I think it's injured."

"No, it's dormant, because it's so cold down there. But your body heat is raising the temperature."

"I tend to have that effect. Almost there."

"Not just the crystal. I need the while bed, the plate thing."

A moment later she yelled up at them. I've got it!"

The Doctor used the sonic on the winch. "Come on, come on!" Daniel peered over and could spot the creature slamming itself against the Well as it chased her. "Come on, come on, come on, come on! It's gonna eat its way up!" The comm. picked up the creature shrieking in pain as it hit the field. "Oh, she's good!"

The moment Christina was up, Daniel pulled her over the side while the Doctor took the crystal and its couplings. "I've got you, I've got you!" He began to release her from her harness at record speed.

The Tritovore took the crystal from the Doctor and speaks to him. "Aren't they just."

They ran back into the control room where the other Tritovore stood by the controls. "Commander! Mission complete! Now we've got to get back to the 200, all of us," the commander clicked and chirped his reply, causing the Doctor to groan. "Oh, don't be daft! A captain can leave his ship if there's a bus standing by."

There was a rumbling from within the ship. "What the hell was that? Is this place safe? It's the creature. It's not dead." Christina looked around, ready for the creature to pop out.

"Maybe you didn't hit just one of them. If you hit a swarm…" The Doctor trailed off.

Daniel looked around the ship, fearful. "You mean there are more then one on board?"

"This ship's built inside a metal sleeve. They can move through the infrastructure, all around us," The creature slammed against a wall. "And they wake up hungry. Commander, you've got to come with us, right now!"

"You can come back to Earth, the Doctor has a ship he'll find you a home!" Daniel smiled, holding out a hand for the alien to take.

He wasn't sure were this confidence was coming from. In the last hour they'd spent trapped on this planet, with all the running and dangers it was almost like everything Daniel thought he knew about himself was changing as this new version of himself began to emerge. He assumed it was because the Doctor just had this affect on the people around him, he didn't seem to mind Daniel offering the aliens that they'd be found a new home.

"Look at that smile! Can't say no to that!" The Doctor commented.

One of the Tritovores moved to Daniel's open hand about to take it with his claw. But as the second turned to follow, one of the creatures dropped through the ceiling and devoured it. The last Tritovore takes out its gun and prepared to shoot. "No, don't!" The Tritovore advanced but was devoured by the creature, the Doctor pulled Daniel back slightly. "There's nothing we can do. Run!"

The trio ran through the corridors of the ship until the reached the desert as they continued their run from the swarm. The phone in the Doctor's pocket began to ring and seeing that his hands were full with the crystal and the base plate, Daniel answered it. "Doctor…" Malcolm began to say.

"Sorry Malcolm!" Daniel shouted into the phone before hanging up.

They reached the bus. Nathan and Barclay stood at the door. "At last! Where've you been?!" Nathan asked.

"Get inside, get them sitting down," the two boys did as the Doctor asked, taking a seat themselves. "Now then, let's have a look." The Doctor held the crystal, Christina beside him as Daniel stood in the doorway.

"So what does that crystal do?" Christina asked, curious about what her newest steal could do.

Much to her surprise, he threw it over his shoulder. "Oh, nothing, don't need the crystal."

"I risked my life for that!" She cried, looking at the discarded crystal.

"No, no, you risked your life for these," the Doctor unhooked one of the clamps. "The clamps! One there," He placed one on the driver's side front tire. "One there," again on the rear tire. "One there," again on the other rear tire. "One there," this time it was placed on the front tire before he stepped inside. "And one there!"

"But what are the clamps for? Do they turn the wheels?"

"Something like that," He sat in the driver's seat, placing the final clamp on the steering wheel. "I just need to fix this. Have you got a hammer in that bag?"

She pulled a hammer from her bag. "Funnily enough."

"Phone, phone…" Daniel held the phone up, expecting him to take it. "Press redial." Doing as he was asked, the Doctor began to hook the final clamp to the steering wheel when Daniel pressed the phone to the Doctor's ear. "Malcolm, it's me!"

"I'm ready!" Malcolm answered, ready for the Doctor to give him instructions.

"Ready for what?"

"I don't know! You tell me!"

"I'll try to get back. There might be something following us, you need to find a way to close the wormhole."

"Would that be compressed burst of feedback on a counter-oscillation perchance?"

"Oh, Malcolm! You're brilliant!"

"Coming from you, sir, that means the world."

"Doctor, what sort of something?" Erisa asked, concerned. "That wormhole is now measuring then miles and growing, I need to know the exact nature of the threat."

The Doctor was silent for a moment. "Sorry, gotta go." He nodded at Daniel, who ended the call.

The Doctor continued to work on the steering wheel. It sparked. "Ah, it's not compatible! Bus, spaceship, spaceship, bus. I need to weld the two systems together."

"And how do you do that?" Christina asked.

"I need something non-corrosive, something malleable, something ductile, something…" He looked at Christina. "Gold."

Immediately Christina knew what he was suggesting. "Oh, no you don't."

"What is worth more, one chalice or the life of everyone on the bus." Daniel suggested, his voice hushed.

Before she could answer, Barclay came forward offering his watch. "Hey, use this!"

"I said hold." The Doctor deadpanned.

"It is gold." He insisted.

"Oh, they saw you coming. Christina!"

Barclay headed back to his seat, Daniel patting him on the shoulder as he passed. Christina looked at her bag and then back at the passengers, Daniel's words sticking with him, before taking out the cup and held it out to the Doctor. "It's over 1,000 years old. Worth £18 million. Promise me you'll be careful."

The Doctor took the cup gingerly. "I promise." he then proceeded to turn the cup upside down and bang it with the hammer.

Christina watched in horror as the chalice began to go out of shape. "I hate you."

He grinned and Daniel rubbed her arm. "This is your driver speaking!" The Doctor yelled, setting the battered chalice into place. "Hold on tight!"

"What for? What's he doing?" Barclay asked from his seat.

"Do as he says!" Daniel yelled back before leaning into the Doctor. "What are you doing?"

"Come on, that's it… you can do it, you beauty! One last trip!" The Doctor muttered to himself, coaxing the engine.

The bus sputtered and rattled as the clamps began to do its job. It then rises from the sand and the passengers in the back made sounds of astonishment. "Ah, you are so kidding me!" Barclay exclaimed, looking out the window.

"We're flying! It's flying!" Nathan cheered.

"He's flying the bus!" Lou laughed.

"It's a miracle!" Angela breathed.

"Anti-gravity clamps. Didn't I say? Round we go." The Doctor grinned.

Turning the bus away from the oncoming swarm, allowing the passengers to get a clear view of the stingrays heading directly for them. "Doctor! They're coming!" Carmen informed.

The Doctor and Daniel looked out of the side-view mirrors. "Do you think this thing will survive the journey back?" Daniel had to ask, however there was a excited grin plastered his face.

"Only one way to find out! Next stop…" He grinned.

"Planet Earth!" Daniel yelled.

Everyone held on tight and cheered as the Doctor propelled the bus through the wormhole. In the same way as it had been upon entering the wormhole, the interior of the bus was filled with a bright white light before emerging in London and flew over the head of the UNIT taskforce positioned outside and up into the night sky.

"It's London!" Barclay yelled.

"We're back home!" Angela cheered.

"They did it!" Nathan also cheered, looking at the Doctor, Daniel and Christina. "They did it!"

The Doctor took the phone from Daniel and redialled. "Malcolm! Close that wormhole!"

"Yes sir! My pleasure, sir!" Malcolm answered before hanging up the phone.

"He hung up on me!" He looked at Daniel, who just laughed, before redialling again. "Malcolm?"

"Not now, I'm busy." Once again the man hung up on the Doctor.

"He's hung up again!" Once again he redialled. "Malcolm! Listen to me!"

"It's not working!"

"We need that signal. We've got billions of those things about to fly through!"

"Well, what do I do?"

"Loop it back through the integrator, and keep the signal ramping up."

"But by how much?"

"500 Bernards! Do it now!"

All the Doctor could hear was the sound of keys being pressed before Malcolm spoke. "Yes!"

The wormhole closed and the UNIT soldiers continued to fire at there only three creatures as they flew overhead. "Doctor, it's coming for us!" Nathan called as one of the creatures headed for the open window, but swerved away like it's playing with them.

"Oh, no, you don't!" The Doctor swerved the bus and smacked the creature away.

Daniel laughed and threw himself at the Doctor, pulling the man into a side hug. "If this is what its gonna be like with you around, I'm never gonna leave you." He said, Christina just watching them with a pout.

She was going to kiss him as she had joked about with the Tritovores but Daniel had unknowingly gotten in her way but as she watched them, she smiled. She couldn't wait to see how long it would take before Daniel owned the Doctor's heart. So she joined in with the cheers and hugs that the passengers were giving one another.

Pulling away from the Doctor, he could only grin at Daniel. "Do not stand forward of this point. Ladies and gentlemen, you have reached your final destination. Welcome home, the mighty 200."

The UNIT soldiers watched as the bus came in for a landing, the bell ringing. The moment it touched down safely, they began to applaud. The Doctor opened the bus door with the sonic screwdriver, everyone gathered their belonging and puts their jackets back on as the crisp London air made them shiver.

A soldier greeted the passengers as they got off the bus. "Welcome back, if you could step away from the bus to be safe. As fast as you can. It's standard procedure," The solider offered them all a smile. "We need to screen you and then you'll all be taken to debriefing."

The Doctor held up the psychic paper. "I don't count."

Daniel frowned, about to follow him. "No, but Doctor…"

The soldier took his arm lightly, but strong enough for Daniel to not break free. "With me, sir." With a final look over at the Doctor, who didn't look back at him, he allowed himself to be dragged away.

The Doctor headed towards a professional woman wearing a beret, who he assumed was Erisa, but was intercepted by a short man with a scarf and glasses. "Doctor!" he called, his voice sounded familiar so it wasn't hard to place a finger on where he heard that voice.

"You must be Malcolm!"

Malcolm pulled the Doctor into a large hug. "Oh! Oh, I love you," he ended the hug. "I love you, I love you."

"To your station, Doctor Taylor." Erisa commanded as she stepped over to the two.

"Yes, ma'am," Malcolm headed back to the lab but turned to point at the Doctor. "I love you!" He once again yelled and the Doctor pointed back with a smile and Malcolm continued on.

"Doctor," Erisa saluted and the Doctor grimaced. "I salute you, whether you like it or not. Now, I take it we're safe from those things?"

"They'll start again, generate a new doorway," He confessed. "It's not their fault, it's their natural life cycle. But I'll see if I can nudge the wormholes on to uninhabited planets," he looked over at the humans being scanned. "Closer to home, Captain, those two lads," He pointed over to Nathan and Barclay, who were chatting to one another. "Very good in a crisis. Nathan needs a job, Barclay's good with engines. You could do a lot worse. Privates Nathan and Barclay, UNIT's finest."

"I'll see what I can do," she nodded, aware that Daniel was watching them as he held his arms aside to be scanned with a Geiger counter. "And I've got something for you."

A tarp is dropped to reveal the TARDIS, the Doctor laughed and walked over to it. "Better then a bus, any day! Hello!" He greeted the box.

"Found in the gardens of Buckingham Palace." Erisa sent him a look.

"Oh, she doesn't mind."

"Now, I've got three dead alien stingrays to clean up. I don't suppose you fancy helping with the paperwork?"

"Not a chance!"

"Till we meet again, Doctor."

"I hope so."

They shook hands and Erisa walked away. Angela called her daughter as she stood beside Nathan. "I said I'm back, Suzanne, I'm home!" she laughed at the confused reaction her daughter gave her before turning to Nathan. "They didn't even know I was gone!"

The Geiger counter monitoring Daniel beeped loudly but he's had enough. "I was on an alien planet, I'm gonna go off like a bloody power plant." He pushed past the soldier, unable to stop him as he ran to the Doctor. "Little blue box! Just like you said!" Daniel laughed as he leaned against the TARDIS.

The Doctor smiled to himself as he heard the box chime inside of its approval of Daniel… but there was the problem of his promise to himself about travelling alone. Despite Daniel having what the qualities of a companion, he didn't want him to suffer a fate similar to Donna or worse like Rose. Two companions he cared about so deeply that their departure left him broken but as he thought about Donna the words she had said to him all those years ago…

~DW~

Donna Noble stood before the TARDIS, her wedding dress drenched and ruined, watching as it began to dematerialised and she realised that she was never going to see him again. "Doctor! Doctor!" Donna yelled, not caring if the entire neighbourhood would hear her.

The engines stopped and the Doctor popped his head outside the door. "Blimey, you can shout." He joked.

"Am I ever gonna see you again?" She had to ask, hopeful that she would see the Martian ever again.

"If I'm lucky." He assured.

"Just… promise me one thing," Upon his questioning look, Donna continued. "Find someone."

The Doctor's back straightened and his face dropped. "I don't need anyone." He wanted Rose and with all the pain and sadness he was feeling there was no way he'd take another companion on. He wouldn't allow himself to get that connected to a human when they could in fact leave or worse.

"Yes, you do," Donna countered, a soft smile on her face. "Because sometimes, I think you need someone to stop you."

~DW~

Donna had been right. She was always right, even if she didn't know, she was right. Daniel Young, the boy who smile could charm an empire, was perfect to join him but even in the hour they had known each other he cared for him… and it worried him. He could already picture Daniel leaving the TARDIS by his own choice after an adventure that had proved too much for him or worse as Daniel had remained trapped on an alien ship with no sign of the Doctor to save him.

But he wouldn't allow that to happen and he smiled down at Daniel, about to open the TARDIS for him to enter when Christina ran up to them. "Right then, off we go! Come on, Doctor, show me the stars!" She grinned up, anxiously looking around at the many police officers.

"No." He replied, his voice hardened.

"What?"

"I said no."

"But I saved your life and Daniel's life. And you saved mine."

"So?"

"We're surrounded by police. I'll go to prison."

"Yeah."

Christina let out a sigh, looking the Doctor in the eyes. "But you were right, it's not about the money. I only steal things for the adventure, and today, with you… I want more days like this, I want every day to be like this. We're made for each other, you said so yourself. The three musketeers… why not?"

It was the Doctor's turn to sigh. "People have travelled with me and I've lost them, lost them all. Never again." He missed the look Daniel gave him but Christina caught it.

Why wasn't she surprised that Daniel had been the one to be offered a spot by the Doctor's side as they travelled the stars. The boy had been open to helping the Tritovores back in San Helios, even brokering a peace between them just by speaking to them like they weren't aliens, she could have imagined herself keeping the aliens at a distance as she would have been sure that they would turn on her and the Doctor the instant they made a discovery. Maybe she would never get the answer to this question.

A man dressed in a light brown coat approached them with a handful of uniformed officers. "Lady Christina de Souza! Oh, I have waited a long time to say this. I am arresting you on suspicion of theft," A officer cuffed her with her hands behind her back. "You don't have to say anything, etcetera, etcetera. Dennison, take her away."

The Doctor does noting as she is led away, Christina just looks at him over her shoulder as she escorted away. Carmen and Lou came over to Daniel and the Doctor, offering them a smile. "Doctor? You take care, now." Carmen said.

"You too! Chops and gravy, lovely!" He smiled back.

"No, but you be careful. Because your song is ending, sir."

His smile disappeared. "What do you mean?"

Daniel looked at the Doctor in concern and then back at Carmen. "It is returning. It is returning through the dark. And then, Doctor… oh, but then… he will knock four times."

Carmen then turned to Daniel. "And you, oh so young, will rise from the ashes like a phoenix would and I'm sorry, so sorry but your heart will break."

Carmen and Lou turned to leave as the Doctor and Daniel stared ahead, trying to process what had been said. "You know," Daniel's shaky voice pulled the Doctor out of his thoughts. "Christina does have a point, she did save our lives… maybe we could save hers."

The Doctor offered him a small smile as he points the sonic screwdriver at Christina, unlocking the handcuffs. As she was being placed into the car, sending the Doctor and Daniel a thankful look, as they watched as she scooted over the seats and ran for the bus. The two officers gave chase. "No! Stop that woman! Stop that woman!" He yelled, waving other officers down to assist him. "Stop her! Don't just stand there, stop her!" Once at the bus, Christina closed the door. "Open the door! I'll add resisting arrest!"

The Doctor sauntered up behind the officers. "I'd step back, if I were you." He suggested.

"I'm charging you too! Aiding and abetting!" The office rounded on him.

He only smiled. "Yes, I'll step inside this police box and arrest myself." He headed back to the TARDIS, Daniel leaning against the door with an amused smile.

"Am I going to have to escort you inside, sir?" Daniel jokingly asked as they watched the scene unfold.

"Out, now!" The man shouted, tapping the door with a walkie-talkie, but Christina waved and started up the bus. "No! Come back!" All he could do was watch helplessly as the bus took off.

Everyone who had been on the bus began to cheer and laugh. "Go on." Angela yelled up at the woman.

The Doctor made a move to open the TARDIS door when the bus stopped just above them, the door opening. "We could have been so good together." She called down to them.

"Christina. We were." The Doctor grinned.

Daniel gasped as he suddenly remembered something. "Before you go Christina, I left you a gift just under the first seat on the right," Christina and the Doctor gave him a confused look. "Try not to spend it all at once."

Christina could only smile and closed the door, flying off into the night sky as everyone cheered her on. The Doctor opened the TARDIS, stepping in with Daniel behind him.

~DW~

Standing by the doors, Daniel looked around in awe at the interior of the TARDIS before stepping outside, the Doctor smiled as he leant against the TARDIS console as he waited for Daniel to enter and say those famous words. "It's bigger on the inside." Daniel breathed as he re-entered the TARDIS.

"One trip," the Doctor said from his spot at the console. "One trip through out all of time and space, where do you wanna go?" Daniel walked towards the console.

Daniel could only smile. "Surprise me."

And with that, the Doctor began to run around the console flicking switches as Daniel watched as the room filled with a wheezing sound that could have bothered him but instead it filled him with excitement.

A/N: And so begins the adventures of Daniel and the Doctor. Up next will be a short chapter set during the Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith, until next time. I've been Landing and this is To Own His Hearts.