"Oh, stop it." The broken voice came from the huddled form. "Haven't you done this enough? I know he's not coming back. He died, remember? So you can stop doing this. I know it's not real."

She finally raised her head to look at him, and he found himself looking into a pair of hopeless brown eyes he knew almost better than his own.

He was speechless for a long moment, and then he managed a whisper.

"Ace?"

He stared at the girl, trying to figure out if it really was her. The face looked right, but it was hard to tell in the dark.

"You know it's me." came the scornful reply. "You've been using this stupid trick for ages. Inject me with something, make me hallucinate, make me think he's come back, make me think I've got hope, then make him disappear. It's not going to work any more. I've given up. I've finally accepted it. He's dead." Her voice broke. "You might as well kill me now. I'm done fighting. I don't care any more, not since he's gone. I've got no reason to care."

The Doctor's eyes filled. He had had no idea she thought so much of him. And to use that against her…His anger toward her captors grew terrible. Was there nothing the Daleks would not do? He looked again at the girl in front of him and was about to speak when she beat him to it.

"I have to admit, though." She said with a wry smile. "My hallucinations aren't usually this good-looking."

Any doubts he had held about the girl's identity left him then. Her spirit may have been damaged, but that smile was all Ace. He took her chin lightly, resisting her attempts to pull away.

"Look at me, Ace. It's me. I'm not dead. I survived the War. If I had known you were here, I would have come sooner. I am so, so sorry. I know that doesn't even begin to cover it, but I am."

She stopped struggling, and he could see, in her eyes, a faint hope. "You can't be. The Doctor is gone. How can you be him?" her voice, like her eyes, held a poorly- disguised hope.

He smiled at her. "Now Ace, you don't mean to say you honestly thought I was gone for good? Look into my eyes, Ace, and tell me what you see there. Then you can decide who I am."

She grew immediately suspicious. This, too, was pure Ace. "What, so you can do some nasty magic trick and get me stuck? I don't think so, scumbag. You keep your eyes to yourself. Oh, I wish I had my Nitro!"

He could have laughed aloud. Her spirit was not completely irreparable, it seemed. "Trust me, Ace. No funny business, I promise. I'll even keep my hands behind my back if it makes you feel better." He laced his fingers together behind his back to show her he was serious. She still looked dubious, but she leaned forward carefully and looked warily into his eyes. After a moment, she spoke.

"I see Gallifrey. I see the Time Lords. I see a planet burning, and a Dalek fleet burning with them. I see fear, and loneliness. I see Earth and a blonde girl. I see love and hope and terrible loss. I see a dark skinned girl. I see….I see myself. I see longing and desperation and awe and passion and fire and ice and I see…"

Whatever she saw surprised her, because she suddenly drew back, her eyes wide and wondering. She looked at him, amazed and scared, hardly daring to hope. She spoke quietly and tentatively, her voice filled with powerful emotions.

"Professor?" she asked. The Doctor grinned. He had thought he was never going to hear that again. He opened his arms wide.

"Hello, Ace." He said. She stared at him, her eyes bright with tears, before reaching out and hugging herself to him tightly, crying. He held her gently as she cried, murmuring soothing words in her ear.

Eventually, he eased himself out of her grasp and stood up carefully. "It's time to get you out of here." He told her. "Can you stand?"

"I don't know." She said. "Both my legs have been banged up pretty bad." She attempted to stand, using him to pull herself up, but she collapsed with a cry of pain. He caught her before she hit the ground, and in one swift motion swept her off her feet and into his arms. He noticed that she weighed much, much less than she should have. She rested her head against him and to all appearances either went to sleep or passed out. He noticed that she had pulled her jacket on before she stood, and that the jacket was in good shape. "So that's what you were sitting on." He murmured. "I thought so."

Being careful not to jostle her too much, because every movement, however slight, brought forth a small groan or cry, he walked out of that room of horrors, his new-found hope safe in his arms.

I know it's a short chapter, but that just seemed like the best place to stop. I have more, if I get reviews.