Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who nor do I own any of its characters, etc.

A voice is calling him.

"Doctor. Doctor. DOCTOR!"

The Doctor snapped out of his memories and focused on the annoyed girl standing before him. What a feisty human. He scratched his ear and grinned down at her.

"Yeah?"

She rolled her eyes. "What are you thinking about? You've been staring off into space for quite a while."

"Nothing. Nothing of consequence. Now then, there's the Festival of Fruits on Bicortine. You spend two weeks eating fruit cuisine, gourmet mind you, participate in the fruit fight," he paused, taking note of her skeptical expression.

"Right, you do end up with many bruises and washing the juice of a Puffsquirt out of your clothing is a right pain in the arse. How about the beautiful sand dunes of Silco? Beautiful. You can start out walking on blue sand then suddenly you cross into the area with pink sand…then white…green…not that fond of the puce— hmm gotta be careful not to be there during a sandstorm though. Absolutely chaotic. And the clean-up, oh they do have their paws full when that happens— they separate all the colours back into individual dunes! Quite remarkable…and a fascinating waste of time if you ask me. But no worries! Only happens once every 500 years or so. Speaking of sand, how about Barcelona? The planet mind you-" he stopped suddenly, face going blank again.

Martha recognized that yet again, the Doctor is lost in his thoughts.

Has he always been that spacey or is this a new development after…Rose? Had they gone to Barcelona together?

This insensitivity isn't new to Martha. After all, he didn't seem to understand what was wrong when she got disgruntled over the fact that he was brought her to a planet (New Earth) he has already shared with Rose. She sighed.

"Doctor!"

"Yes…yes…why not. Barcelona! They've got dogs with no noses..." He starts laughing and punching buttons. "That never gets old!"

Martha moved forward and stopped him.

"Why?"

He looked puzzled at her question.

"Why? I don't know. They just ended up with no noses. They do constantly have their mouths open though with their long tongues out and about. Gotta breathe somehow."

She looked exasperated with him.

"I mean why go there? I know whenever you are thinking about the past and you always try to brush it off when it's so obvious that something is bothering you. Why got to a place that you've shared with …her?"

"What are you on about?" He really is an idiot. She wanted to kick him. She just stared at him instead. An idiot. A smart idiot…he knows what she is talking about. He held her gaze steadily, as if daring her to elaborate on her question. She was the first one to look away. She heard him exhale.

"We never went to Barcelona if that is what this is about."

"That is NOT what this is about."

"Of course not! Right then! Off we go!"

The TARDIS lurched and Martha held on for dear life, thinking that a concussion, or several, is inevitable in her future.

Something is lurking in the water. Jay didn't see it in the pristine waters, but the feeling of unease grew as he waved to his wife. She smiled and waved back, then turned around to reach for something behind her. She is so beautiful. He feels so lucky to have recently gone through the mating ceremony with her. Maybe he should head back towards shore now. Back to sweet Giselle. He had spent much of his money on this trip for her after the ceremony. The newly opened Bad Wolf Resorts. Money well spent too, in his opinion.

Something brushed against him. He dismissed it as a local creature or some sort of plant life. He swam faster with a sense of urgency welling up in him. He doesn't know why dread and panic is clouding his mind, but he knew he had to get out of the water. The same thing that touched him before now clamped around his leg and pulled him under. He didn't have any time to make a sound before he died.

"Jay?" Giselle turned around with food in her hands, ready for Jay. Her husband must be hungry by now. Her eyes searched the expanse of the water for any sign of her husband. Surely he must have gotten out of the water while she was preparing the food. But he is nowhere on the beach.

"Jay?" The water is peaceful, now lapping at her feet. She took a couple more steps. "JAY?!"

Something bumped against her foot. She looked down but there was nothing there. Probably her imagination. Suddenly she felt something wrap around her ankle and pull. She lost her balance and fell. It dragged her backwards through the water so fast that no one else can react. Her screams were cut off as the water closed over her head. She looked up and saw the sun shining through to her. And it was getting further and further away.

"Martha! Don't touch that!"

She quickly jumped back from the glowing crystal that rested among a messy display of ship parts.

"What is it?" She turned to see the Doctor try on a hat. He turned his face this way and that, staring intensely into a mirror. Then he shook his head in disapproval and put the hat back. Martha raised an eyebrow. What a vain man.

"It is a power cell for some smaller ships. Not a lot of use these days, too dangerous to use. But if you lack the money for the advanced stuff then this is what you would get. Touch it without the right gloves and you get a nice dose of gamma radiation."

Martha's eyes widened and she inched back from the display. "Then why do they have it out? That is so dangerous!"

"Not to the natives they aren't. Anyway touching it is the dangerous thing to do, being around it isn't. Most people, aliens, species, whatever you know what I mean, know what it is. You don't, though that isn't surprising."

Martha glared at him and decided to move onto the next stall without him.

"Oh Martha, come now. I'm sorry-"

She decided he didn't sound apologetic at all. "Shove it, Doctor." She fitted another hat on him to shut him up.

"Oh interesting." He was looking into a mirror again, fascinated by the fish that swam in an enclosed bowl on the top of the hat. "Can't imagine why someone would want to wear that. The fish will just die in a month or so. Who would want to walk around with dead fish on their heads?"

"Where are the beaches you were speaking of?" A dog scampered past them, its tongue hanging out. There wasn't a nose on its face. She blinked and looked closer.

"I thought you were joking."

"Nope." The Doctor smiled at her, over-pronouncing the 'p' with a pop of his lips.

He abruptly came to a stop in front of her and she walked right into him.

"Ouch! What was that for?" She peered around his shoulder and saw an advertisement for a new resort on Pristine Beach, not far from where they are. She smiled at the strange name for the resort. "Bad Wolf Resorts? Not a very good name is it?" She looked at the Doctor. He didn't respond but just slowly blinked. She saw something flicker in his eyes, that familiar longing look he always has whenever he thinks no one is looking. He abruptly turned away from the flyer and started to stroll away, his hands tucked into his pockets.

She caught up with him and reached out to stop him by his elbow. He turned his head to give her a questioning look. She didn't want to bring back the sad look again so she changed what she was going to say.

"Think we'd run into trouble here?"

He grinned almost manically. "Maybe. Possibly. Probably. Yes."

She grinned back, happy that she made him smile.

"Ohhh look at that. That is a genuine Maconite crystal set right in that ring. That is rare. That is very rare. Maconite is only mined from a specific system of planets. Nice inhabitants. Very materialistic…quite easy to bribe," he stopped and wrinkled his nose, "I guess they aren't very trustworthy-however the point is, how did that get here? Hello, a matching set of earrings."

"It has gotta be pretty expensive, yeah?"

"Quite."

He leaned forward and stared at the jewelry. "If you aren't buying it, then stop blocking my table." The street vendor gave the Doctor a critical look over, deciding that the Doctor wasn't dressed wealthily enough to be able to afford the jewelry.

The Doctor backed away. "How did you come to possess this?"

"I use to travel around the stars. This is just one of the many items I have come to collect. Times are hard though. Got to make a living now that I'm old." She looked forlornly at the jewelry. "A suitor gave me these. He promised me the universe if I stayed with him. I was young and itched to continue my travels so I left him behind. That was…so long ago."

"I'm sorry." The vendor looked up into the Doctor's solemn expression.

"Oh just run along now and enjoy the sights. You are ruining my business."

The Doctor gave her a nod. Martha hooked her arm around his and gently pulled him away.

All around them, people were pushing past roughly to get to the growing crowd around a makeshift platform consisting of a barrel.

A short alien was standing on the barrel, its skin light purple with a big crested skull. It looked almost like a fancy headdress that is growing out of its head. Martha thought the creature looked pretty feminine. But when it started to speak, a deep baritone voice came out instead.

"I saw it happen! The newlyweds, Jay and Giselle, gone! Vanished!"

The crowd began to talk amongst each other.

"Tuff, where did this happen?"

"Should we leave?"

"Vanished? How?"

"I reckon he's just drunk!"

"What did you see?"

"Yeah! Tell us what you saw!"

"We're DOOMED!"

The Doctor had a frown on his face throughout the whole thing. Upon hearing the last comment, he threw his head back and groaned. "There always has to be one dramatic one."

"I was just sitting there, enjoying my hard earned vacation at Bad Wolf Resorts. Jay was swimming and Giselle was preparing food on the beach. Suddenly, Jay can't be found anywhere. Giselle went down to the water to double check and next thing we knew, she was screaming. It looked like something was dragging her into the water but there was nothing there. Nothing I tell ya! It happened so fast no one knew what to do. They are gone." Tuff sniffed.

A short burst of screeches blasted around them. "THIS IS THE BARC TEAM! CLEAR AWAY EVERYONE CLEAR A-WAY!"

Martha winced and covered her ears. The BARC jumped off of their hovercrafts and started towards Tuff. Their uniform consists of white and brown cloths covering what looks like lightweight armor. She guessed that these were the policing authorities on the small planet and the screeches were their version of sirens. It is really effective though, she admitted as she backed to the side to let the BARC through.

Tuff looked terrified and jumped off his barrel.

A BARC member with a different coloured collar stepped forward. "We just want to ask you some questions. The managers of Bad Wolf Resorts notified us of the incident. We want to gather all witnesses and get as much information as we can." Tuff relaxed and nodded. With another sniffle he followed the BARC leader back to the hovercraft. "Alright everyone, move along now."

Refusing to budge, the crowd ignored him and continued to gossip amongst themselves.

"EVERYONE MOVE!" The BARC leader shouted. Someone turned on the screeching sounds again.

That did the trick. As fast as it was formed, the crowd dissipated.

"BARC? As in...B-A-R-K? Like…a dog or a tree?" Martha shouted over the sound, suppressing the urge to laugh.

"No no no, BARC as in B-A-R-C. Stands for Barcelona Aid & Response Crew. It used to be the Barcelona Aid & Response Team but no one took them seriously. There were too many…gaseous jokes." The Doctor paused and winked at her. "Let's take a look, yeah?"

The Doctor felt the familiar itch for a good adventure. A seemingly invisible being dragging innocent tourists into the depths of the ocean. His frown deepened. He's got to get to the bottom of this.

"Bad Wolf Resorts…" he mused. He rubbed the stubble on his jaw. Why does that phrase still exist? Why does it still follow him around? Or maybe…he's following it? Last time they were messages leading Rose to the correct place at the right time. Maybe this is just a sign to…what? What could it be a sign to? Silly thoughts. These aren't signs to her. They are just remnants of her touch on the fabric of space and time.

"I can see everything. All that is, all that was, all that ever could be…" Her anguished voice echoed in his mind. He shook his head. Focus! He started towards Bad Wolf Resorts. He knew Martha was following him, asking him questions, but right now he just wants to figure out what was causing the trouble and fixing it.

They arrived at the entrance. It felt like entering a nice airy spa/retreat. Plants, light coloured-scheme, gauzy drapes…they even had scented oils heated in little lamps in the corners of the room. A well dressed receptionist stood behind a counter. She looked vaguely like Chantho. Must be ancestors or something, Martha thought.

"'ello!" The Doctor flashed the receptionist what he hoped was a charming grin. He waved his psychic paper in front of her then leaned forward. "I am here on behalf of BARC to conduct interviews and check the premises for the case of the disappearing couple?"

The receptionist looked confused. "But BARC already came earlier."

"Yeah, the higher ups were afraid the normal team might have missed something. So they sent me to do a thorough investigation. We don't want a new establishment to be marred by a bad reputation, especially for our planet, which relies so heavily on tourist economy."

What a good liar. Martha mused over the Doctor's innate ability to spin stories and completely overwhelm you with details if the situation calls for it. How does he do that? A lifetime of practice probably. Lots of practice and a quick mind. That said…how often does he put up a cheerful front for her and everyone else? How often has she been deceived into thinking he's happy? She suddenly wished they were here on vacation rather than investigating mysterious incidents. She imagined being pampered at one of these resorts. Oh well. She tuned back into the conversation.

"Do take care not to disturb Her Majesty's holiday here. She is residing in the grand suite for some time. I would hate to see anything happen to you Mr. Smith." The receptionist smiled coyly at the Doctor and stroked his face.

The Doctor looked taken aback but quickly recovered. "I would hate that too thanks," he said weakly, "and by Her Majesty…which one are you referring to by the way?"

Martha snickered over the awkward reaction the Doctor has to come-ons. It is as if he's always surprised that both females and males of different alien species would flirt with him. He backed up a little and stepped right on her foot. "Ow! Watch it!"

"Oh I am so sorry Martha Jones." He grinned at her then turned back to the receptionist who was answering his question. "It is Her Majesty Lily from the depths of our lovely oceans. She is quite tired of the darkness and artificial sun you see."

Accident my ass, Martha thought. He is never that clumsy by accident. He definitely heard her make fun of him. She shifted a bit and "accidentally" stepped on his foot too.

The Doctor shot her an annoyed look. She smiled sweetly at him.

"Thanks for your help!" He went straight for the back entrance of the resort, which lead to the beach with Martha right behind him.

"Who do you suppose is behind all this?" Martha asked.

"I dunno. It could be anyone. Anything. Keeps it interesting." His eyes roamed around the beach and the water, taking in every detail to spot anything suspicious.

"According to what people are saying, this is the 2nd time this has happened. The first incident was about a month ago. Then people let their guards down and it happens again. Both times right here on this beach. No one dares to go into the water anymore." They had reached the shoreline. The Doctor puts his hands on his hips and squinted out at the water. After a few seconds deliberation, he nodded and started to take his clothes off.

"Hang on, w-what are you doing?" Martha watched him loosen his tie and drop it onto the sand. He shrugged out of his long jacket and handed it to her. Her eyes widened and she found it difficult to breathe.

"I'm going in of course." He threw her a look that made her feel like she just asked him what 2 + 2 was.

"Naked?"

That earned her another look. This time it made her feel like a pervert.

"No, I like that tie and jacket." His socks and shoes off, he grinned and stepped into the water.

"Martha. You stay here."

"What? No! You are not leaving me alone here while you go play hero." She moved to set his jacket down.

"No no no. You make sure that jacket is nice and dry."

"I'm not your maid, Doctor!"

"You are human. You risk drowning if something did pull you down. Now stay. Right. Here."

"But, what about you?"

"I can hold my breath for extended periods of time. Comes with the whole Time Lord benefits package."

He started to step deeper into the water. Martha felt the beginnings of panic starting to unfurl in her stomach.

"What if you need help? I can't just stand here!"

He stopped and looked back at her, his expression solemn.

"I promise I'll make it back. Martha Jones, look at me. Look at me. I won't leave you here alone, you have my word."

And that, Martha thought as she watched the Doctor dive into the water, was that.

"Good-looking husband you've got yourself there." She turned around and saw a regally dressed humanoid being standing behind her. She wagered a guess that the alien was a woman. The alien was the color of pale coral with faint outlines of shimmery scales all over the surface of her skin. She was dressed in a white silky dress with shells adoring her ears. Two BARC members are standing guard behind the woman. Her bearing and attitude screamed royalty.

"Oh, you've got it all wrong, Your Majesty. He's not my husband."

"Boyfriend?" Martha shook her head no. Her Majesty Lily smiled slowly. "Sexual companion?" Martha shook her head no again.

"He…has someone else." She gazed out at the picture perfect seascape and bit her lip with worry.

"I see." The Queen looked at her with a serene smile. Martha almost detected a hint of delight in her eyes but when she looked again, it was gone.

"Would you like to dine with me tonight…Ms…?"

Martha did a small curtsy. "Jones, your majesty."

"Ms. Jones. Come to my suites when your friend returns. Formal dress of course." Queen Lily walked away, trailed by the BARC members.