Gridlock

SO HELLO MY READERS! I will be making little "mini-stories" from time-to-time and they don't have to do with ANYTHING about the episodes! AT ALL! XD So hope ya like this one! And I should have a catchphrase like, uh, SKADOOSH YO TOOSH! YES THAT'S IT! NOW SKADOOSH YO TOOSH EVERYONE!

Rachel collapsed and fell into a deep sleep for about an hour or so because she was so tired. When she woke up she found herself lying in the TARDIS chair in the console room with the Doctor's trench coat as a blanket. She snuggled in it for a few minutes and finally sat up in the chair.

The Doctor looked over and smiled. He said, "Hello! Go get changed, I've picked out some clothes for you."

Rachel laughed, "But you never change, why should I change?"

"Because I think you'll like the clothes I picked for you."

"Where is it?" "In the TARDIS wardrobe."

"Where in the TARDIS wardrobe?"

"Look for it yourself!"

"Fine!" but before she entered the corridor she giggled.

Rachel was walking through the TARDIS wardrobe trying to find the outfit the Doctor picked for her. She finally found the outfit he chose. It was a sea blue tank top, some black wash jeans, carbon black combat boots, and a gray short sleeve knit cardigan. She slipped on the pieces of clothing and went to the TARDIS console room.

When she entered she saw the Doctor say to Martha, "Just one trip. That's what I said. One trip in the TARDIS, and then home. Although I suppose we could stretch the definition. Take one trip into past, one trip into future. How do you fancy that?"

Martha replied, "No complaints from me."

"How about you Rachel?"

Rachel piped, "Yes, yes, yes, yes, YYYEEESSSSS!" and she ran at top speed and crashed into him with a hug.

"How about a different planet?"

Martha asked excitingly, "Can we go to yours?"

"Ah, there's plenty of other places."

"Come on, though. I mean, planet of the Time Lords. That's got to be worth a look. What's it like?"

"Well it's beautiful, yeah."

"Is it like, you know, outer space cities, all spires and stuff?"

"I suppose it is."

"Great big temples and cathedrals!"

"Yeah."

"Lots of planets in the sky?"

"The sky's a burnt orange, with the Citadel enclosed in a mighty glass dome, shining under the twin suns. Beyond that, the mountains go on forever. Slopes of deep red grass, capped with snow."

"Can we go there?"

"Nah. Where's the fun for me? I don't want to go home. Instead, this is much better. Year five billion and fifty-three, planet New Earth. Second hope of mankind. Fifty thousand light years from your old world, and we're slap bang in the middle of New, New York."

Rachel finished the statement by adding, "Although, technically it's the fifteenth New York from the original, so it's New, New, New, New, New, New, New, New, New, New, New, New, New, New York. One of the most dazzling cities ever built."

And the three went outside in the rain. Martha sarcastically remarked, "Oh, that's nice. Timelord version of dazzling."

The Doctor replied, "Nah, bit of rain never hurt anyone. Come on, let's get under cover!"

Rachel giggled, "I love the rain! Singin' in the rain!"

The Doctor laughed, "I love the rain too!" and put him arm around Rachel's waist.

They arrive at a little alleyway and Martha says, "Well, it looks like the same old Earth to me, on a Wednesday afternoon."

"Hold on, hold on. Let's have a look." The Doctor uses his sonic screwdriver to get a monitor working.

On the monitor a woman named Sally says, "And the driving should be clear and easy, with fifteen extra lanes open for the New, New Jersey expressway." and a picture of a high-tech Manhattan and flying cars.

Rachel beamed and said, "Oh, that's more like it."

The Doctor said, "That's the view we had last time. This must be the lower levels, down in the base of the tower. Some sort of under-city."

"You've brought us to the slums?"

"Much more interesting. It's all cocktails and glitter up there."

Rachel twirled around saying, "This is the real city!"

Martha laughed, "You guys would enjoy anything."

"That's us!"

The Doctor beamed, "Ah, the rain's stopping. Better and better."

Martha asked him, "When you say last time, was that you and Rose?"

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, it was, yeah."

"You're taking me to the same planets that you took her?"

Rachel complained to her, "What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing. Just ever heard the word rebound?" then a man opens the front of his stall and he says, "Oh! You should have said. How long you been there? Happy. You want Happy."

More hatches open. The next two are women. We will just call him 'pharmacist one'

The second one who opens her stall says, "Customers. Customers! We've got customers!" we will call her 'pharmacist two' and the next one 'pharmacist three'. Pharmacist three says, "We're in business. Mother, open up the Mellow, and the Read."

Pharmacist one says, "Happy, Happy, lovely happy, happy!"

Pharmacist two exclaims, "Anger. Buy some anger!"

Pharmacist three says, "Get some Mellow. Makes you feel all bendy and soft all day long."

Pharmacist one says, "Don't go to them. They'll rip you off. Do you want some happy?"

Rachel grips the Doctor's coat tightly. Oh my god, I can't believe they're selling moods to me! I'm only 21! Rachel thinks.

The Doctor replies to the three pharmacists, "No, thanks."

Martha asks in horror, "Are they selling drugs?"

"I think they're selling moods."

"Same thing, isn't it?"

A woman enters dressed in rags. Pharmacist three shouts, "Over here, sweetheart! That's it, come on, I'll get you first!" and the woman walks over to pharmacist three's stall.

And then pharmacist 1 shouts, "Oi! Oi, you! Over here! Over here! Buy some Happy!"

"Come over here, yeah. And what can I get you, my love?"

The woman replies, "I want to buy Forget."

"I've got Forget, my darling. What strength? How much do you want forgetting?"

"It's my mother and father. They went on the motorway."

"Oh, that's a swine. Try this. Forget Forty three. That's two credits."

The women exchange the items, then the Doctor asks, "Sorry, but hold on a minute. What happened to your parents?"

The woman answers, "They drove off."

Rachel replies, "Yeah, but they might drive back."

"Everyone goes to the motorway in the end. I've lost them."

And then the Doctor replies, "But they can't have gone far. You could find them."

The woman is starting to put the tab onto her neck, then Rachel shouts, "No! No, No, don't-" But too late. The woman already put the tab on her neck.

The woman asks, "I'm sorry, what were you two saying?"

"Your parents."

The Doctor says, "Your mother and father. They're on the motorway."

The woman smiles, "Are they? That's nice. I'm sorry, I won't keep you." and she leaves.

Martha states, "So that's the human race five billion years in the future. Off their heads on chemicals-" A man grabs Martha from behind, and a woman points a gun at the Doctor and Rachel.

The stalls all close their hatches. The man says, "I'm sorry, I'm really, really sorry. We just need three, that's all."

The Doctor shouts, "No, let her go! I'm warning you, let her go! Whatever you want, I can help. All three of us, we can help. But first you've got to let her go."

The woman shouts, "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. Sorry."

The man drags Martha through a green door, and the woman locks it behind them.

The Doctor tries to get it open. He finally gets it open, but the car is already starting to fly off.

Rachel and the Doctor both shout, "Martha!"

The Doctor hammers on the closed hatch. Pharmacist three opens it and says, "Thought you'd come back. Do you want some happy, happy?"

The Doctor asks, "Those people, who were they? Where did they take her?"

Pharmacist one replies, "They've taken her to the motorway."

And then pharmacist two says, "Looked like carjackers to me."

Then pharmacist two also says, "I'd give up now, darlings. You won't see her again."

And then pharmacist one says, "Used to be thriving, this place. You couldn't move. But they all go to the motorway in the end."

Rachel asks them, "He kept on saying three, we need three. What did he mean, three?"

Pharmacist three explains, "It's the car-sharing policy, to save fuel. You get special access if you're carrying three adults."

"The motorway. How do we get there?"

"Straight down the alley, keep going to the end. You canna miss it. Tell you what. How about some happy, happy? Then you'll be smiling, my love."

The Doctor replied, "Word of advice, all of you. Cash up, close down and pack your bags."

"Why's that, then?"

"Because as soon as we've found her, alive and well. And we will find her alive and well. Then we're coming back, and this street is closing tonight!"

The Doctor unlocks a metal door and the two brunettes step out onto a small balcony, coughing in the exhaust fumes. The stationary traffic is stacked in all directions, including up and down. The car nearest the balcony opens its door and a figure in WW2 flying jacket and helmet, goggles and a white scarf across its face looks out. It has an Irish accent.

The figure says, "Hey! You daft little street struts. What are you doing standing there? Either get out or get in. Come on!"

Then the Doctor and Rachel get in and gasp for breath. The figure that was a man asked, "Did you ever see the like?"

A dark haired woman puts an oxygen mask on the Doctor and Rachel. She said, "Here you go."

"Just standing there, breathing it in."

Then he removes the scarf and goggles. OMG HE'S A CAT?! Rachel thought. The man-cat says, "There's this story, says back in the old days, on Junction forty seven, this woman stood in the exhaust fumes for a solid twenty minutes. By the time they found her, her head had swollen to fifty feet."

The woman argues, "Oh, you're making it up."

"A fifty foot head! Just think of it. Imagine picking that nose."

"Oh, stop it. That's disgusting."

"What, did you never pick your nose?"

"Bran, we're moving."

"Right. I'm there. I'm on it." and they feel the car move a very short distance. The cat-man smiles, "Twenty yards. We're having a good day. And who might you be, sir, madam? Very well-dressed for hitchhikers."

The Doctor removes his and Rachel's oxygen mask and says, "Thanks. Sorry, I'm the Doctor, and this is Rachel Parker."

"Medical man! My name's Thomas Kincade Brannigan, and this is the bane of my life, the lovely Valerie."

Valerie smiled, "Nice to meet you."

"And that's the rest of the family behind you."

The Doctor draws back a curtain to reveal a litter of kittens in a basket. The Doctor smiles, "Ah, that's nice. Hello." and he picked one up. Rachel followed suit and picked up the smallest one in the litter, and held it up to her face and stroked its fur against her cheek.

Rachel asked the couple, "How old are they?"

Valerie answered, "Just two months."

Brannigan added, "Poor little souls. They've never known the ground beneath their paws. Children of the motorway."

The Doctor asked, shocked, "What, they were born here?"

Valerie replied, "We couldn't stop. We heard there were jobs going, out in the laundries on Fire Island. Thought we'd take a chance."

"What, you've been driving for two months?"

Brannigan answered, "Do I look like a teenager? We've been driving for twelve years now."

"I'm sorry?"

"Yeah! Started out as newlyweds. Feels like yesterday."

Valerie argued, "Feels like twelve years to me."

"Ah, sweetheart, but you still love me."

"Twelve years? How far did you come? Where did you start?

"Battery Park. It's five miles back."

Rachel asked, "You traveled five miles in twelve years?!"

Valerie asked trying to change the subject, "Where are you two from?"

"Never mind that. We've got to get out. Our friend's in one of these cars. She was taken hostage. We should get back to the TARDIS"

The Doctor nodded and opened the slide door. They poked their heads out the door and coughed in the exhaust fumes. Then he closed the door.

Brannigan said, "You're too late for that. We've passed the lay-by. You're passengers now."

The Doctor asked, "When's the next lay-by?"

"Oh, six months?"

The Doctor hacks into the communications system. The Doctor says, "I need to talk to the police."

The computer responds, "Thank you for your call. You have been placed on hold."

"But you're the police."

"Thank you for your call. You have been placed on hold."

"Is there anyone else? I once met the Duke of Manhattan. Is there any way of getting through to him?"

Brannigan laughed, "Oh now, ain't you lordly?"

"We've got to find our friend."

Valerie answered, "You can't make outside calls. The motorway's completely enclosed."

"What about other cars?"

"Oh, we've got contact with them, yeah. Well, some of them, anyway. They've got to be on your friends list. Now, let's see. Who's nearby? Ah, the Cassini sisters!" The screen shows a picture of two older women and a number, 3-1-7-a-1

Brannigan laughs, "Still your hearts, my handsome girls. It's Brannigan here."

A woman named Alice responds, "Get off the line, Brannigan. You're a pest and a menace."

"Oh, come on, now, sisters. Is that any way to talk to an old friend?"

"You know full well we're not sisters. We're married."

"Ooo, stop that modern talk. I'm an old-fashioned cat. Now, I've got hitchhikers here, calls themselves the Doctor and Rachel Parker."

The Doctor says, "Hello. Sorry. We're looking for someone called Martha Jones. She's been carjacked. She's inside one of these vehicles, but we don't know which one."

Another woman named May replies, "Wait a minute. Could I ask, what entrance did they use?"

The Doctor asks Brannigan, "Where were we?"

Brannigan answers, "Pharmacy Town."

The Doctor says to the Cassini's, "Pharmacy Town. About twenty minutes ago."

May says, "Let's have a look."

Alice says, "Just my luck to marry a car-spotter."

"In the last half hour, fifty three new cars joined from the Pharmacy Town junction."

The Doctor asks, "Anything more specific?"

"All in good time. Was she carjacked my two people?"

"Yes, she was, yeah."

"There we are. Just one of those cars was destined for the fast lane. That means they had three on board. And car number is four six five diamond six."

"That's it! So how do we find them?"

"Ah. Now there I'm afraid I can't help."

"Call them on this thing. We've got their number. Diamond six."

"But not if they're designated fast lane. It's a different class."

"You could try the police."

"They put me on hold."

Alice says, "You have to keep trying. There's no one else."

The four were all silent for a few seconds, then Rachel said, "Thank you."

The Doctor says, "We've got to go to the fast lane. Take us down."

Brannigan replied, "Not in a million years."

"You're got three passengers plus one."

"I'm still not going."

"She's alone and she's lost. She doesn't belong on this planet, and it's all my fault. I'm asking you, Brannigan, take me down."

Valerie argued, "That's a no. And that's final. I'm not risking the children down there."

"Why not? What's the risk? What happens down there?"

"We're not discussing it. The conversation is closed."

"So we keep on driving."

Brannigan answers, "Yes, we do."

"For how long?"

"'Till the journey's end."

Then Rachel grabs the radio handset and says, "Mrs. Cassini, this is Rachel Parker. Tell me, how long have you been driving on the motorway?"

Alice replies, "Oh, we were amongst the first. It's been twenty three years now."

"And in all that time, have you ever seen a police car?"

May answers, "I'm not sure."

"Look in your notes. Any police?"

"Not as such."

"Or an ambulance? Rescue service? Anything official. Ever."

"I can't keep a note of everything."

The Doctor takes the mike and says, "What if there's no one out there?"

Brannigan snatches the mike back and says, "Stop it. The Cassini's were doing you a favor."

"Someone's got to ask, because you might not talk about it, but it's there in your eyes."

Rachel adds, "What if the traffic jam never stops?"

Brannigan replies annoyed, "There's a whole city above us. The mighty city state of New, New York. They wouldn't just leave us."

"In that case, where are they, hmm?"

The Doctor adds, "What if there's no help coming, not ever?"

"What if there's nothing."

"Just the motorway, with the cars going round,"

"And round,"

"And round,"

"And round, never stopping."

"Forever."

Valerie yells, "Shut up! Just shut up!"

Then the woman on the computer says, "This is Sally Calypso, and it's that time again. The sun is blazing high in the sky over the New Atlantic, the perfect setting for the daily contemplation."

Brannigan says to the two, "You think you know us so well, Doctor and Rachel. But we're not abandoned. Not while we have each other."

"This is for all of you out there on the roads. We're so sorry. Drive safe." and the two travelers hear everyone in the motorway sing.

When the songs stops the Doctor takes Rachel's hand and says to the couple, "If you won't take us, we'll go down on our own."

Brannigan asks, "What do you think you're doing?"

"Finding our own way. We usually do."

The Doctor sonics open a trapdoor in the floor of the car.

The Doctor smiles, "Here we go." He takes his trench coat off himself, then takes off the cardigan that was on Rachel and throws it to Valerie and says, "Look after them. I love that coat and jacket. Janis Joplin gave me those."

Valerie argued a bit worried, "But you can't jump."

"If it's any consolation, Valerie, right now, I'm having kittens."

Brannigan said to both of them, "This Martha. She must mean an awful lot to you two."

"Hardly know her. I was too busy showing off. And I lied to her. Couldn't help it, just lied. Bye then."

And the two brunettes jump onto the roof of the car below. The Doctor sonics the roof hatch and drops in on a man with very pale skin, wearing a white suit.

The man says, "Who the hell are you?"

The Doctor says, "Sorry, Motorway Foot Patrols. We're doing a survey. How are you enjoying your motorway?"

"Well, not very much. Junction Five's been closed for three years."

"Thank you. Your comments have been noted. Have a nice day!"

He opens the floor hatch and hangs there until the next car stops underneath him. The two jump in a car with two girls in it.

Rachel says, "Thank you for your cooperation. Your comments have been noted. Do you mind if we borrow this?" and she picks up a blue and purple bandana and gives the blue one to the Doctor.

Rachel says, "Not our colors, but thanks a lot!"

They jump in the next car and it has two naked people inside and Rachel shouts, "Ooo! Don't mind us!"

And the Doctor quickly opens the hatch and jumps in the next car. And this goes on for a long time.

Finally they reach a car with a city gent dressed in a bowler hat and a pinstripe suit. The gent looks at the two and asks, "Excuse me, is that legal?"

The Doctor replies, "Sorry, Motorway Foot Patrol. Whatever."

Rachel asks the gent desperately, "Have you got any water?"

The gent answers, "Certainly. Never let it be said I've lost my manners." and the gent give Rachel and the Doctor each a tiny come of water and they both drink it in one gulp.

"Is this the last layer?"

"We're right at the bottom. Nothing below us but the fast lane."

"Can we drive down?"

"Just because there's three of us doesn't mean I'll go down."

"Please?"

"I'd love to, but I'm not risking myself down there."

"Then excuse us." and Rachel takes the sonic screwdriver from the Doctor's pocket and sonics open the floor hatch.

"You two can't jump. It's a thousand feet down."

The Doctor replies, "No, we just want to look." then they hear a growl.

Rachel asks, "What's that noise?"

The gent replies nervously, "I try not to think about it."

The Doctor asks, "What are those lights? What's down there? We just need to see."

The Doctor goes to the car computer and sonics it. Then he says, "There must be some sort of ventilation. If I could just transmit a pulse through this thing, maybe I could trip the system, give us a bit of a breeze." and he starts connecting wires.

After a few seconds the Doctor says, "That's it! Might shift the fumes a bit, give us a good look."

And the three look down. The gent asks the two, "What are those shapes?"

"They're alive."

"What the hell are they?"

"Macra. The Macra used to be the scourge of this galaxy. Gas. They fed off gas, the filthier the better. They built up a small empire using humans as slaves and mining gas for food."

"They don't look like empire builders to me."

"Well, that was billions of years ago. Billions. They must have devolved down the years. Now they're just beasts. But they're still hungry and my friend's down there." and then they hear a clang on the roof.

"Oh, it's like New Times Square in here, for goodness's sake!" and a cat-woman drop in.

"I've invented a sport."

The woman says, "Doctor, you're a hard man to find."

Rachel just smiled and said, "Hello! I'm Rachel Parker."

"Hello, Rachel Parker."

The gent said, "No guns. I'm not having guns."

"I only brought this in case of pirates. Doctor, you've got to come with me."

The Doctor asked, "Do I know you?"

"You haven't aged at all. Time has been less kind to me."

"Novice Hame! No, hold on, get off. Last time we met, you were breeding humans for experimentation."

"I've sought forgiveness, Doctor, for so many years, under his guidance. And if you come with me, I might finally be able to redeem myself."

The Doctor put and arm around Rachel's waist and said, "We're not going anywhere. You've got Macra living underneath this city. Macra! And if our friend's still alive, she's stuck down there."

"You've got to come with me right now."

"No, no, no, you're coming with us. We've got four passengers, that's more than what we need."

"I'm sorry, Doctor. But the situation is even worse than you can imagine."

Then Hame grab's the Doctor's wrist and says, "Transport."

Rachel shouts, "Don't you dare! Don't you dare!" but the three beam away.

The three pick themselves up from the rubbish-strewn floor. The Doctor says, "Oh! Rough teleport. Ow. You can go straight back down and teleport people out, starting with Martha."

Hame replied, "I had the power for only one trip."

"Then get some more! Where are we?"

"High above, in the over-city."

"Good. Because you can tell the Senate of New, New York I'd like a word. They have got thousands of people trapped on the motorway. Millions!"

"But you're inside the Senate, right now. May the goddess Santori bless them."

Hame uses her teleport bracelet to turn on the lights. The senate is populated by skeletons.

Then she said, "They died, Doctor. The city died."

The Doctor asked, "How long's it been like this?"

"Twenty four years"

"All of them? Everyone? What happened?"

"A new chemical. A new mood. They called it Bliss. Everyone tried it. They couldn't stop. A virus mutated inside the compound and became airborne. Everything perished. Even the virus, in the end. It killed the world in seven minutes flat. There was just enough time to close down the walkways and the flyovers, sealing off the under-city. Those people on the motorway aren't lost, Doctor. They were saved."

"So the whole thing down there is running on automatic."

"There's not enough power to get them out. We did all we could to stop the system from choking."

"Who's we? How did you survive?"

"He protected me. And he has waited for you, these long years."

And the three heard a low, deep voice say, "Doctor."

The Doctor ran to a tank with a face in it, and exclaimed, "The Face of Boe!"

"I knew you would come."

Hame explained, "Back in the old days, I was made his nurse as penance for my sin."

The Doctor asked Boe, "Old friend, what happened to you?"

Boe simply answered, "Failing."

"He protected me from the virus by shrouding me in his smoke. But with no one to maintain it, the City's power died. The under-city would have fallen into the sea."

The Doctor said, "So he saved them."

"The Face of Boe wired himself into the mainframe. He's giving his life force just to keep things running."

"But there are planets out there. You could have called for help."

"The last act of the Senate was to declare New Earth unsafe. The automatic quarantine lasts for one hundred years."

"So the two of you stayed here, on your own for all these years."

"We had no choice."

"Yes, you did."

Boe spoke, "Save them, Doctor. Save them."

The Doctor has got a computer working, and he says, "Car four six five diamond six. It still registers! That's Martha. I knew she was good. Novice Hame, hold that in place. Think, think, think, think. Take the residual energy, invert it, feed it through the electricity grid."

Hame argued, "There isn't enough power."

Rachel replied, "Oh, you've got power. You've got him. He's brilliant with computers, just you watch. Hame, every switch on that bank up to maximum. He can't power up the city, but all the city needs is people."

"So what is he going to do?"

The Doctor shouts, "This!" And he throws a big switch and the lights go out.

And then the Doctor says, "No, no, no, no, no, no, no. The transformers are blocked. The signal can't get through."

Boe says, "Doctor."

"Yeah, hold on, not now." "I give you my last…" and Boe closes his eyes and the power come back to the computer.

"Hame, look after him. Don't you go dying on me, you big old face. You've got to see this. The open road. Ha!"

Rachel runs over to the mike and says into it, "Sorry, no Sally Calypso. She was just a hologram. My name's Rachel Parker and this is an order. Everyone drive up. Right now. The Doctor has opened the roof of the motorway. Come on. Throttle those engines. Drive up. All of you. The whole under-city. Drive up, drive up, drive up! Fast! We've got to clear that fast lane. Drive up and get out of the way. Oi! Car four six five diamond six. Martha! Drive up! You've got access above. Now go! You keep driving, Brannigan. All the way up. Because it's here, just waiting for you. The city of New, New York, and it's yours. And don't forget we want those coats back."

And through the radio they hear Brannigan say, "I reckon that's a fair bargain, madam."

"And Car four six five diamond six, the Doctor's sent you a flight path. Come to the senate."

And then through the radio they hear Martha say, "On my way."

"It's been quite a while since we saw you, Martha Jones." and a big crack is spreading across Boe's tank.

A little later, Martha runs in, and the Doctor shouts, "Over here."

Martha asks, "What happened out there?" and then she sees the Face of Boe, she asks, "What's that?"

The Doctor replies, "It's the Face of Boe. It's all right. Come and say hello. And this is Hame. She's a cat. Don't worry. He's the one that saved you, not me."

Hame says sadly, "My lord gave his life to save the city, and now he's dying."

"No, don't say that. Not old Boe. Plenty of life left."

Boe responds, "It's good to breathe the air once more."

Martha asked, "Who is he?"

The Doctor replies, "I don't even know. Legend says the Face of Boe has lived for billions of years. Isn't that right? And you're not about to give up now."

Boe says, "Everything has its time. You know that, old friend, better than most."

Hame explains, "The legend says more."

The Doctor says, "Don't. There's no need for that."

"It says that the Face of Boe will speak his final secret to a traveler."

Boe says, "I have seen so much. Perhaps too much. I am the last of my kind, as you are the last of yours, Doctor."

The Doctor complains, "That's why we have to survive. Both of us. Don't go."

"I must. But know this, Timelord. You are not alone."

Boe breathes out for one last time, and closes his eyes. Then Hame weeps.

They went back to Pharmacy Town and the Doctor beams, "All closed down."

Rachel asked, "Happy?"

"Happy, happy. New, New York can start again. And they've got Novice Hame. Just what every city needs. Cats in charge. Come on, time we were off."

"Wheee!" Then Rachel runs up to the Doctor from behind and jumps onto his back and they both laugh.

Martha asked, "But what did he mean, the Face of Boe? You're not alone."

The Doctor replies, "I don't know."

"You've got us. Is that what he meant?"

"I don't think so. Sorry."

"Then what?"

"Doesn't matter. Back to the TARDIS, off we go." and he walks towards the TARDIS with Rachel still on his back.

And then Martha straightens up a chair and sits down, arms and legs crossed.

The Doctor asks, "All right, are you staying?"

Martha answers, "Till you talk to me properly, yes. He said last of your kind. What does that mean?"

"It really doesn't matter."

"You don't talk. You never say. Why not?" then the three hear the city sing.

Martha says, "It's the city. They're singing."

The Doctor admitted, "I lied to you, because I liked it. I could pretend. Just for a bit, I could imagine they were still alive, underneath a burnt orange sky. I'm not just a Time Lord. I'm the last of the Time Lords. The Face of Boe was wrong. There's no one else."

"What happened?"

"There was a war. A Time War. The last Great Time War. My people fought a race called the Daleks, for the sake of all creation. And they lost. They lost. Everyone lost. They're all gone now. My family, my friends, even that sky." Rachel hugged him tightly when she saw the Doctor's sad expression. The Doctor continued, "Oh, you should have seen it, that old planet. The second sun would rise in the south, and the mountains would shine. The leaves on the trees were silver, and when they caught the light every morning, it looked like a forest on fire. When the autumn came, the breeze would blow through the branches like a song..."

SUP MAH READERS! XD I need your opinion! Should the next one be a mini-story? TELL ME IN DAH REVIEWS XD I NEED TO KNOW! So will the next one be a mini-story? When will Rachel and the Doctor find out that the other loves them back? And why is this amazingly talented and crazy author starting to sound like a TV drama hostess? Come back next time and find out!