When she woke, panic sieged her, her mind was flooded with a million things that could have gone wrong while she slept, but then she felt the soothing presence of the TARDIS on her mind, assuring her it would be alright.

She got up and dressed quickly, eager to wake the Doctor and sought out this mess. But he wasn't in his room. She quickly searched through several rooms before seeing a light streaming through a slightly ajar door. She quietly pushed open the door, to the kitchen, she remembered dully.

Inside, a figure was sitting at the bench, a mug with a tea bag dangling from it in front of him. His arms were folded on the bench and his head hung over the mug, ginger hair shielding his face from view.

'James?' She asked, breaking the silence of the room.

His head jerked up in surprise and his green eyes met hers. He nodded. 'How could you tell?' He asked.

Rose smiled before preparing a cup of tea for herself. 'Two things, the Doctor never got surprised by me walking into a room. Secondly, you left your tea bag in the cup, the Doctor always takes his out.'

James smiled, then looked thoughtful. 'You know, its funny, you'd think we'd be the same person, just different history, but we are different, aren't we?'

Rose sat down across the bench from him. 'Are you alright?' she asked, concerned.

James smiled. 'I'd be lying if I said yes.' He shrugged. 'But I trust you, and I've had a lot of time to think it over.'

At Rose's confused look, he continued. 'I woke up early… I think it was early anyway, and I went for a run to relax.' He rubbed the back of his neck and smiled. 'It was really strange, its like, I wanted to wind down and I ended up in a room full of technology, I wanted a drink and I ended up here.'

Rose looked thoughtful. 'Either the TARDIS is helping you out, or you're remembering a bit of the Doctor's mind.'

James nodded, then frowned. 'Hold on, what do you mean, the TARDIS is helping me?'

Rose grinned. 'You got some catching up to do. And you're gonna love her.'

She stood up and walked out of the room, motioning for James to follow.

He sat for a moment, then frowned.

'Her?'

Rose never imagined having to explain the rough workings of the TARDIS to the Doctor himself, but the look of wonder on James's face as he listened to her made her heart swell within her.

'So, this telepathic field,' James said, recapping, 'it gets inside your brain and rewrites the information coming in, so it turns out English?'

'That's right.'

'But how can she know what it means?'

'Her knowledge is practically limitless.' Rose shrugged, remembering one impossible language.

'Then what about that language?' James nodded to the display screen which was spinning with the familiar script.

'That's the Doctor's language.' Rose smiled. 'He used to say, if it was important enough to be written in that, it was important enough not to be read.'

James looked thoughtful. Suddenly, he spoke. 'Carpe Diem.'

'What?'

'Its Latin, did you hear English?' James questioned.

'No.' Rose looked confused, then she sighed. 'Something like that happened once before. The Doctor was unconscious, just after a regeneration; the TARDIS didn't translate because he's part of the circuit.'

James wasn't an idiot. He got the message. "You're not him. You never could be." He nodded solemnly and turned his attention back to the consol.

James's hands were hovering over the controls, fighting back the itch to find out how this living machine worked. But Rose had given very strict instructions of "look but don't touch".

He ducked under the consol, scrutinizing the machinery.

'It's a bit rubbish.' He said, nose wrinkled.

'Whoa, big fella, trust me, you do not want to get on this girl's bad side.' Rose held up two hands, she couldn't believe she was hearing this.

'Who? The ship or you?' James teased lightly. 'Anyway, that's not what I meant. This ship is beautiful, a work of art. She's magnificent.'

'Good boy, flattery will get you everywhere.' Rose smiled. 'Even to the toilet.'

James raised an eyebrow then shook his head. 'But, the state of these circuits, it's horrendous. The Doctor really, really needs to keep her in better shape. She deserves much more than this.' He appeared from beneath the consol, holding a rubber mallet in one hand, looking aghast. 'Please, please, please don't tell me he uses percussive maintenance on her.'

'What?'

'Does he hit her with this hammer?' He asked evenly.

'Sometimes.' Rose shrugged.

'Oh, I don't believe it!' He said incredulously. Rose just laughed.

'What?' He asked, after her attack of the giggles wore off.

'Usually it was the Doctor telling off someone for dissing the TARDIS.' She shook her head with a smile. 'Never thought it'd be the other way around.'

James closed his eyes and composed himself. What was she telling him? Was she trying to tell him anything?

He ran a hand around the rim of the consol, careful not to touch any controls. 'She just needs someone… delicate.'

'Ah, now, that the Doctor did do.' Rose smiled. 'TARDIS stroking.'

The machine hummed appreciatively under his fingers. Rose smiled.

'Actually, I was wondering if you could explain something for me.' He said, breaking the silence. 'A room I found on my jog.'

'Sure.' Rose shrugged. 'Lead the way.'

The room was a wreckage. Shattered equipment was strewn on the floor, tables' overturned, broken glass and scrap metal covered the floor. Overstepping half a broken glass globe, Rose caught sight of a thin orange trail of drips towards the wall where a small puddle of dried fluid had formed.

'Oh, no.' Rose squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. 'Doctor…' She bent low and touched the blood. James looked on.

'What is that?' He asked.

'Blood.' Her voice sounded hollow and empty.

A dream flashed back to her. A hand reaching out.

'James, give me your hand.' She said suddenly.

He looked confused, but held it out to her. She took his larger palm between hers, turning it over in her hand. She brushed her fingers along the back of his hand, over healing scratch marks that he didn't even know where there. Her fingers drifted over the fine white lines, delicately.

James snatched the hand back suddenly.

'Sorry.' Rose said automatically.

'No, it's not that, it's just…' James inspected the lines for himself. 'They weren't there last I remember… It's strange.'

Rose smiled strangely, her eyes studying the ground. She caught a glimpse of something she thought she'd never see. A thing silver tube sticking out from under an upturned table. She bent and picked it up, holding it carefully in her hand.

'What is that?' James asked, eyes widening.

'Do you recognize it?' Rose couldn't help but let some hope creep into her voice.

'I don't know.' James said, unsure. Slowly, he reached out and pulled the tube from her hand. Automatically, he moved his fingers, held down a button and the tip lit up, a glorious blue glow.

He jerks suddenly, almost dropping this object that held so much meaning, but he could not place how. 'I don't know how I knew that.' He admitted.

'Try to remember, James.' Rose begged quietly.

It was nagging at the corner of his mind, like a dream or a song he had forgotten the words to. His fist tightened on the object and he concentrated hard. His eyes jerked open. 'Sonic.' He said, and then uncertainty crept into his voice. 'Screwdriver…'

'Yes…' Rose urged.

An intense look filled his eyes, but then he laughed. Laughed. 'It was there the day I met you. Or something like it anyway. It created the signal that shut down the blob in Torchwood storage. That feels like years ago.'

Rose hung her head, eyes stinging and hope shattered. 'Right.' She forced a smile then spoke quietly to herself. 'What was I thinking?'

James cleared his throat. 'Anyway, I wanted to know about this.' He led her away to the single table that was left undisturbed. A single white sheet covered a bulky object underneath. He gripped the sheet and with a flourish, pulled it away, revealing what was beneath.

Rose smiled. 'My, Doctor, you have been busy.'

Sitting on the table was a half constructed K-9.

Sorry, I couldnt help it, K-9 is so cute! I thought, James is good with machinery...why not? So, what'd you think? I know, its a bit late, but thats how they're going to come now, so just bear with me. Many thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter, I love getting feedback, on that note, please review! Also thanks to my Maths teacher for giving out homework (never thought I'd say that!) which made me procrastinate by finishing this chapter.