Of Beating Hearts: First in the Bonded Souls Saga

by frosty600

Soul Bonds. They were rare among Time Lords it was rarer still for a Time Lord's Bonded to be a different species. So, the last thing the Doctor expected was to find his own. But things rarely went as the Doctor expected. So, on the Christmas Eve he took Rose home and he laid eyes on Rose's second cousin Ivy for the first time and sensed the Bond all he could do really was smile...

3. Chapter 3 New Earth

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who. Just Ivy my o/c.

A/N: Big thank you to everyone who followed/favourited and reviewed the first chapter. Another one goes to Maethoriel Artemis and Saberbladeprime for pre-reading for me and giving feedback.

Also, major apologies for how long it took me to get this chapter our RL got in the way a fair bit as well as a couple of other things that made writing for a week there near impossible. Hopefully though, you guys enjoy this chapter as much as the previous two!

CHAPTER 3

New Earth

The Doctor, dressed in his brown pinstripe suit and long brown coat, bounded energetically down the stairs and into the Tardis console room, shrugging off his coat, he tossed it over one of the supportive 'Y' beams. He beamed a wide giddy grin. They'd be off soon, any moment Ivy and Rose would be joining him and they'd be off! Off on his Soul-Bonded's very first trip through time and space! His first time seeing it with these new eyes of his and this time he'd have his Soul-Bond with him. Him, Ivy and Rose. The three of them off seeing the universe together! His expression fell slightly, his giddy excitement dimming. Of course, Ivy had only agreed to one trip so far. His brow furrowed minutely, before he shook the concern off, smiling again. It was all so easy for one trip to become two and for that to become three and then four… the wonders of the universe were hard to resist and he couldn't wait to show them to her.

His Soul-Bonded.

His smile fell and his brow furrowed a little further, speaking of which… he still hadn't told her. Still wasn't entirely sure how! He wanted too! He did! But, he didn't want to scare her off either… being human he was sure it'd come as a shock and there was a fair bit he'd have to explain… and what if she flat out said 'no'? Rejected him… the bond… their bond…! He flinched from the thought of the possibility and let out a low sighing breath, his furrowed brow troubled now. There wasn't any harm in waiting a bit, right? Not for too long. He tugged at his ear. Just until they knew each other a bit more…

The Tardis hummed reassuringly and the Doctor smiled gratefully, his furrowed brow clearing and he rested a hand against the 'Y' beam he was still standing beside, stroking the surface fondly, "Thanks, Old Girl."

The Tardis hummed again and the Doctor gave the 'Y' beam a last pat before he shifted turning towards the console, starting towards it only for one of the Tardis doors to open and his gaze shot towards it, his hearts warming and picking up a little speed in his chest as his eyes landed on Ivy as she poked her head inside, loose locks of her pink hair lightly framing her face, the bulk of the length gathered loosely at the back securely held in place by a thick light brown hairclip. Her green eyes glancing around the large console room, finding him almost immediately and he grinned at her widely, "Hi!"

"Hi!" Ivy exclaimed, stepping inside, her cheeks dimpling at him as she returned his wide grin with one of her own.

"You ready to go?" he asked as Ivy reached behind her pushing the door shut as she glanced around the console room again.

"Uh-huh!" she nodded, patting the small 'overnight' bag she'd decided to pack for just in case she ended up needing a change of clothes and other things she thought she might end up needing and a couple of other small things that she just couldn't bring herself to leave behind and she'd already said her 'goodbyes' to her cousin Jackie and Mickey. So, yeah. She was ready to go, "Rose'll be a little longer, she's just gotta finish packing…" she added in explanation, starting to bounce up and down on the balls of her feet energetically as she darted her gaze about the console room curiously taking the massive room in once more.

The Doctor grinned at her warmly as he observed her light energetic bouncing as she glanced about the large space, "Excited?"

Ivy nodded, "So much so that I couldn't really sleep last night," she admitted before moving to take off her bag, unslinging it from across her shoulders, "Um… am I right to just…?" she gestured around the large space a bit vaguely unsure where he wanted things like bags put.

"Oh!" he blinked, starting towards her, grinning again. She had a bag, perhaps she'd already changed her mind about 'just one trip'! "Any where's fine," he assured taking it from her and then blinked again, glancing down at it, "It's light," he commented as he strolled back across the console room with it.

"Yeah well," Ivy shrugged slightly, "One trip," unseen by her, his back to her, the Doctor's expression fell and he grimaced at the reminder. So, she hadn't changed her mind after all, but that was ok. He told himself as he set her bag down by the rounded wall. There was plenty of time for that, "Didn't think I'd need much," she continued as she started towards the console, following the Doctor over to it, "Wasn't gonna pack one at all," she admitted, "But then I got to thinking last night that I might need a change of clothes and a couple of other things so, I got up and packed," she shrugged, "Wasn't like I was having any luck sleeping…" she trailed, scratching at her cheek as she realised that she was rambling on a bit.

The Doctor frowned slightly as he eyed her, "If you were having that much trouble sleeping, you could've joined me in here. I'd have given you a tour of the place," he told her, pouting slightly at the lost opportunity to spend time with her. To get to know her. If he'd known she was awake, he'd have returned to flat.

Ivy blinked at him, "Thought you'd be sleeping," she replied, "Or," her lips quirked up into a small lightly teasing smile, "Where you having trouble sleeping too?"

"Nope. Neither," he shook his head, returning her smile as he continued, "I'm a Time Lord. We don't need as much sleep as you humans do."

Her brows quirked upwards slightly, "Time Lord?"

He nodded, "That's my species."

"Ah," Ivy hummed, nodding as she processed that, recalling that he'd mentioned something on the Sycorax's ship about being a 'Time Lord' when he'd regrown his hand, before she eyed him curiously again, "Are there many Time Lord's and Lady's?" she blinked, her gaze drifting to the side thoughtfully as she wondered aloud, "Are female Time Lord's called Time Lady's," whilst the Doctor swallowed heavily and turned to face the console, staring down at it pained.

"They are," the Doctor murmured, answering her second question heavily as he flicked a switch on the console. He should have been expecting the question. Humans were always curious about that. And generally he enjoyed and adored that trait, but he definitely didn't want this to be one of the first things that his Soul-Bonded learned about him… about what he'd done, "And, there were," he muttered lowly, swallowing heavily, his throat tightening and his hearts sinking in his chest, as he twisted a knob, keeping his eyes focused on the console as he felt her eyes return to him, "But not anymore."

Ivy stared at him, silence stretching between them as she took in his expression. It wasn't obvious, not really, but it was one she was able to recognise. It was an expression, emotion, that she'd seen on her own face when she looked in the reflective surface of a mirror. The pain and grief of loss, "Oh…" she breathed, her eyes turning sad as she went over his words. There had been many, but not… not anymore. She swallowed, regretting asking… she couldn't even begin to imagine… losing her parents had been… was still so incredibly painful… but the way he'd said it… it made her believe that he'd lost so much more…

Whilst the Doctor braced himself for the next question that he was anticipating to fall from her lips at any moment now.

"I-" Ivy swallowed again and reached out a little tentatively touching his arm, feeling the tenseness of his muscles beneath his suit jacket, "I'm sorry," she murmured. She felt his already tense muscles stiffen further under her hand and she shifted, moving to pull away only for the hand of his opposite arm to shoot up from the console to rest over hers and squeezing. She lifted her gaze, looking up at his face to see him looking at her again. His eyes a little wide with surprise, but pained. Filled with so much pain, that the need to apologise rose in her again.

"Thank you," he murmured quietly, before she could speak. He lowered his gaze back down to the console as he swallowed heavily again as tears threatened to well in his eyes, pricking against the backs of them painfully. He blinked them back, his hand squeezing about hers once more, grateful that she hadn't pushed for more. His hand lingered over hers for a moment, before he slid his hand from over hers bringing it back down to rest on the console, pressing a button as he felt her small warm hand slide from atop his arm.

Ivy glanced around the console room, toying with the long thin silver chain of her locket as the Doctor swallowed again, neither wanting the heavy silence between them to continue. He turned from the console as she turned back to him, "So…" they spoke at the same time, "Uh…" they tried again and Ivy let out a soft slightly awkward laugh that he joined her in, the two smiling, the heavy silence and tension lifting.

"Go on," the Doctor gestured for her to continue, lips still quirked up in a smile as he tugged at his ear, eyeing her curiously, "What were you gonna say?"

"Oh! Uh!" Ivy scrambled to gather her thoughts, her fingers continuing to toy with the chain of her locket, the Doctor silently noting the action, "I was just gonna ask, if you didn't sleep. What did you get up too last night?"

"Oh!" he grinned, gladly falling into the topic, "Did some repair work on the Old Girl," he patted the console fondly, "Just some general maintenance."

"So, she's good to go then?" Ivy half asked half stated.

He grinned at her widely, and pushed another button, making it light up underneath his hand, "Oh, yes!" and the engines hummed to life, "Didn't take long," he added, keeping the conversation going as he shifted about the console a little, "Would've had plenty of time to give you a bit of a tour," he muttered still a bit disappointed about the lost opportunity.

"Well, I'm sure there will be time for you to give me one a bit later," she offered, picking up on his disappointment, and it'd be nice to see more of the bigger on the inside ship before her one trip was over.

He shot her a grin, "Course there will be!" they'd have all the time in the world for a tour if things went the way that he wanted them too. Ivy returned his grin, her cheeks dimpling at him and his own grin widened, growing warmer… he liked her dimples.

*O*O*O*

"Mum…" Rose sighed, a tinge of irritation entering her tone as she stuffed another shirt into her large rucksack, "We've been over this," she grabbed another shirt that she'd laid out on her bed and stuffed it into her rucksack too, "I'll be fine! The Doctor will look after me. He always does. And," Rose turned back to her back quickly stuffing some more things into her bag, "He'll make sure nothing happens to Ivy on this trip either."

"Oh, I know he'll see you both safely home back to me," Jackie stated, still eyeing her daughter with concern as she stuffed things into her already heavy rucksack.

Rose frowned a bit as she turned her head to look at her mum as she came to sit on the end of her bed beside where she was standing, "Then, what are you worried about?" she asked with a bit of frustration, the conversation was slowing her down and the Doctor and Ivy where waiting on her now. Her cousin having already left the flat for the Tardis.

"Your heart," Jackie replied.

Rose stilled, her heart clenching in her chest and the bottom of her stomach dropping out as nagging concerns that she'd been trying so hard not to think about rose to the surface once again. She took a steadying breath and tried to smile, managing to give her mum a strained one as she turned her head to look at her again, "My heart will be fine."

Jackie stared at her daughter, taking in her expression, the pain behind the rather strained smile and her own heart hurt for her, "Rose…" she murmured with concern.

"And we'll be back before you know it," Rose cut in brightly, determinedly shoving her concerns away, not wanting to think about it as she finally started to close up her large rucksack, "Dropping Ivy off safe and sound."

Jackie gave her daughter a look, her eyes as troubled as they were concerned, "Do you really believe that?" she asked and watched as Rose froze again.

"Yeah, course!" Rose nodded vehemently, "Why wouldn't I? It's what Ivy wants…" silence came from her mum and Rose found herself faltering in her movements, her voice trailing off and she turned her head to look at her mum again and swallowed heavily at the look on her face, a look that had the younger blonde's lower lip wanting to tremble and the backs of her eyes want to prick painfully with tears she didn't want to shed. Rose turned away again, lips pursing against the intrusive painful thoughts of how the Doctor looked at Ivy, "I've gotta go," she muttered and hefted her heavy rucksack up onto her shoulders, "They're waiting for me."

"Rose…" Jackie tried again.

"I've gotta go, mum!" Rose cut in sharply not wanting to hear any more of what her mum had to say to her. With her jaw set at a stubborn angle and her rucksack settled on her back, she started for the door shouldering her way out of it. Her heart heavy and aching in her chest and her lower lip caught between her teeth.

Jackie sighed heavily, staring after her daughter with concern. She'd seen the look on the Doctor's face when Ivy had said 'one trip' the disappointment there, a disappointment that had turned into hope and determination… no she didn't think Ivy would be being dropped back home to her anytime soon. And that was fine, she could deal with it. She hoped that it helped, that when she did see Ivy again she'd be smiling and laughing like she used too… maybe even with her real hair colour… God, she could only hope. But, her daughter… her Rose was setting herself up for heartbreak right before her eyes and she felt powerless to do anything. Her child sure wasn't willing to listen to her! And, as much as she'd like too, she couldn't blame the Doctor, couldn't blame anyone really. One couldn't help who they fell in love with and from what she'd seen, he was rather smitten by her Ivy, had seemed to have fallen at first sight. And, that was sweet… she just wished that her Rose wasn't caught in the middle…

And then there was Mickey… Jackie bit her lower lip, the poor boy loved her daughter to pieces and she adored him for that, and always would. But he wouldn't wait for Rose forever… no man did. If her daughter wasn't careful… she'd lose both the Doctor and Mickey and be completely heartbroken twice over. She let out a frustrated breath and got up off the end of the bed following her child out of the bedroom.

Why couldn't life ever be simple?!

*O*O*O*

"So, what do you think of her?" the Doctor asked Ivy eagerly, throwing his hands out to the side, gesturing around at his brilliant ship.

"So far…" Ivy began glancing around at the interior of the console room, before returning her eyes to the Doctor, smiling, "I think she's brilliant," she told him, before glancing around the ship again as a pleased hum seemed to emanate from it over the low humming of the engines whilst the Doctor grinned thrilled and pleased.

"Yeah, she is!" the Doctor agreed patting the console fondly, "And you've barely seen anything yet!" he enthused brightly, grinning as he turned his head to look at Ivy again, "Just wait till you see her in action!" he boasted and Ivy glanced at him giving him an answering smile before she was gazing about the console room again, with her brow furrowed a bit perplexedly. The Doctor arched a questioning, curious brow at her, "What?"

"Ok," Ivy turned back to him, "This is probably gonna sound completely daft, but I swear your ship is reacting to things… even might have quite possibly answered a question," she rambled, "Shifted the floor under my feet…"

"Ah! Yes!" the Doctor nodded, "She does that. She's a sentient spaceship," he explained, "The best in the universe," he patted the console again, "And she's got a little bit of a cheeky streak my old ship."

"Oh…" Ivy mumbled and blinked, looking around the interior of the console with wide eyes now, "She's… alive…" the ship hummed again and her jaw dropped open slightly… stunned and awed and a few other things in between.

"Yep!" the Doctor grinned.

Ivy shook her head and then grinned, laughter bubbling up inside her, "Completely and utterly alien!" she couldn't help but exclaimed as she turned back to him, her light laughter escaping her as she shook her head again.

"Yep!" the Doctor answered her grin with another wide beaming one of his own, "That sums the Tardis and I up nicely! Oh!" he exclaimed, "Speaking of the Tardis. I should probably mention. She uh, she does this thing," he tugged at his ear, frowning slightly as he recalled Rose's less than thrilled reaction as he eyed Ivy, "Has a telepathic field that gets inside your mind and translates languages for you."

"Rose mentioned something about that," Ivy nodded.

"Is it a problem?" the Doctor asked.

Ivy blinked and quirked her brows quizzically at him, "Is it harmful to me in anyway?"

"No!" the Doctor assured, "It's not harmful! It's a gift from the Tardis," he added hastily, "And, she wouldn't hurt you!" he exclaimed the Tardis letting out a sound of agreement, that had Ivy glancing around at the interior of the console room again.

"Then," Ivy smiled, her eyes meeting his as her gaze returned to him, "That's your answer," and the Doctor grinned warmly, rather pleased at that and Ivy felt a small pleasurable tingling shiver run up her spine and she looked away, her lower lip caught between her teeth, a light blush threatening to heat her cheeks. He really did have a nice pair of eyes and a nice smile.

The Doctor stared at her for another moment, his eyes going to her lower lip as she worried it between her pearly whites and he swallowed and turned his gaze to the Tardis console, before he glanced at her again out of the corner of his eye and reached for a lever. He closed his hand around it and pulled it down, the rota starting to rise and fall in response. He glanced at Ivy again out of the corner of his eye and grinned warmly at her reaction as she stared up at the rota. He turned his own gaze to it and his warm grin widened further as he watched it. Impatience to be off and on their way already starting to stir… what was taking Rose so long to finish packing. He wanted to head off… take Ivy on her first trip.

Whilst Ivy grimaced slightly and her brow furrowing lightly as that itch that had been bothering her off and on flared over the back of her right shoulder again, still watching the rota with the Doctor, she scratched it, nails digging into the dark brown cloth of her jacket she was wearing over her green shirt to reach it, soothing it away.

*O*O*O*

"Mum, please…!" Rose sighed as they walked towards the gate of the Powell Estate together, fast approaching it. She didn't want to think about this anymore. She just wanted to go… to be with the Doctor… see the universe with him.

"Alright," Jackie sighed heavily, feeling utterly defeated as she took in her daughter's stubborn and defiant expression. Heartily wishing in that moment that her child hadn't taken so much after her, that her Rose had a bit more of Pete. This was all her… this type of wilful stubbornness, "Yes, I know…"

Rose pulled open the gate and the two stepped outside walking towards the Tardis and Mickey who was waiting outside of it.

"Just…" Jackie continued and stared at her daughter meaningfully as they came to a stop beside Mickey, "Look after yourself."

"I will," Rose nodded and gave her mum a smile, "I always do."

"And, look after Ivy," Jackie added.

"Of course I will," Rose nodded, "She's my cousin!" she exclaimed, and it was just one trip. One little trip with the three of them. She reminded herself as her heart ached painfully once again, and it'd be fun and then things could go back to being just her and the Doctor in the Tardis. She told herself, stubbornly ignoring her concerns that perhaps her mum was right and it would end up being more than just one trip.

Jackie eyed her daughters expression and sighed again, reluctantly deciding to let it go… she'd done all she could all she could do now was just be there for her daughter in any way that Rose needed her to be. Jackie's gaze went to the heavy rucksack slung over her daughters back, "You got everything?"

"I've got everything," Rose assured and then paused taking in her mum's expression, "Mum, I'll be fine!" she smiled, "Stop worrying!"

Jackie stared at her, wishing that she could be so sure in that moment. She sighed out another breath, "Be careful," she murmured before hugging Rose to her tightly.

Rose hugged her back just as tightly before, pulling away, "You'll have to call Mo about that…" she started to remind her mum.

"Oh," Jackie cut in, "Never mind Mo…" behind them they heard the Tardis engines get a little bit louder.

Rose glanced back at the big blue box, before turning back to her mum and Mickey, "Ok, I'm going now," she stated and Jackie sighed with concern and Rose kissed her affectionately on the cheek, "I love you!"

"I love you," Jackie returned the sentiment, her heart heavy in her chest as she watched her daughter turn from her to Mickey.

"Love you, love you…" Rose murmured quickly to him and giving him a quick kiss on the lips, impatient and eager to be off.

"Love you," Mickey murmured in return and tucked his hands into his pockets as Rose stepped away from them.

"Bye!" Rose grinned at them and then turned and hurried for the Tardis, opening the door and swiftly disappearing inside.

"Ha! Brilliant!" the Doctor cheered at her entrance, finally! He slammed his hand down enthusiastically on another button on the console and Rose's grin widened as the hum of the engines got louder. The Doctor returned the blonde's grin for a moment before he turned his gaze to Ivy and the blonde's grin faltered slightly at how much brighter, warmer, it seemed to get, but she could have been imagining it… her view was bit obscured and, she swallowed, he was excited. He was practically radiating with it… radiating with it as he stared rather intently at her cousin, "You ready?" he asked her.

Ivy bit her lower lip a little nervously, but nodded with enthusiastic excitement all the same as she grinned back at him brightly, "Yeah!"

The Doctor positively beamed at her response, "Let's go!" he cheered, slamming his hand down on a button on the console before throwing another lever with extra vigour and the Tardis started to wheeze.

Outside the Tardis, Jackie sighed heavily and turned away as the Tardis started to wheeze as it dematerialise taking her daughter and Ivy away with it, heading back towards her flat with a heavy heart, just hoping that her daughter came home still able to smile…

Whilst Mickey stared at it, watching sadly, heartsore, as it disappeared with the woman he loved, wishing that she'd stayed... he waited until the wheezing sound had faded entirely before he turned and started after Jackie, scuffing his shoes over the asphalt.

*O*O*O*

"So," Rose began as she started towards the console, bounding up to it and coming to a stop on the other side of the Doctor, determinedly choosing to focus on her eager excitement, rather than the pain in her heart as it sank in her chest. She grinned at Ivy and the Time Lord as she braced herself against the console, "Where are we going?"

"On the very best first trip ever!" the Doctor exclaimed brightly in response as he flicked a switch with an exaggerated motion.

'Her only trip,' Rose couldn't help but think, whilst Ivy grinned bouncing again with excitement her hands resting on the rim of the console.

"And," Ivy stared at him as she asked, "Where's that?"

"Oh…" the Doctor trailed, grinning as he took in the look of excited anticipation on her face, her cheeks dimpling at him as she grinned, "Somewhere further than I've ever taken Rose before…" he stated evasively, determined to impress her. Impress his Soul-Bonded so much that she'd want to stay with him, keep travelling in the Tardis with him and Rose. He darted about the console pressing buttons , turning knobs and throwing levers energetically, absolutely giddy with excitement, "Somewhere absolutely brilliant!" he cheered, the Tardis starting to shake as he sent them hurtling through the time vortex.

Ivy's grip on the console tightened as she looked around with a bit of alarm as the shaking of the ship increased, "Is she supposed to shake like this?"

"It's just a bit of turbulence in the time vortex," the Doctor replied, "Nothing to worry about," he assured.

"Nah!" Rose shook her head as the Tardis almost knocked her off her feet with its next sudden jolting shake, "It's not the vortex at all!" she declared, drawing their gazes.

"What is it then?" Ivy asked, staring at Rose a bit wide eyed, her knuckles turning a bit white as she almost lost her footing.

Rose smirked teasingly, "It's his driving!" she exclaimed and jerked her head in the Doctor's direction as best she could with the shaking of the ship.

"Oi!" the Doctor cried a bit indignantly as he frowned a bit at Rose, "Don't tell her that!" he exclaimed, "She might get the wrong impression!"

The teasing smirk slowly faded from Rose's face as she took in the Time Lord's expression and the distance still in his eyes as he stared at her with his brow slightly furrowed, before his eyes went back to Ivy the furrow to his brow clearing and she frowned, "Or she might get the right one," the blond grumbled.

The Doctor shot Rose a bit of an irritated look, rolling his eyes at her as she raised her brows at him before he turned to Ivy, "Don't listen to her," he told her as he twisted a knob, grinning at her as her wide alarmed green eyes returned to him, "I know exactly what I'm doing!" he assured as he flicked one of the many switches on the console.

"That's good!" Ivy exclaimed, "I'm glad you know what you're doing!" she swallowed a bit heavily unable to help but feel anxious as the ship continued to shake, "It'd be kinda scary if you didn't, considering you're the one flying her!" she swallowed again as the shaking seemed to increase and the ship groaned, "We're not gonna crash, right?"

"No, we're not gonna crash," the Doctor assured her, eyeing her paling face and the fear in her eyes with concern, "I've got everything under control," he smiled and shifted closer to her, lifting a hand from the console and placing it firmly and reassuringly on her lower back helping to keep her steady and on her feet, "Promise."

Rose's frown deepened, her heart sinking in her chest, hurting as she stared at the Doctor as he stood so close to Ivy, even as her eyes turned concern as she eyed her cousin pale face, the fear she could see on it now, the bitter stinging clawing lance of jealousy warring with her rising concern for her cousin. Ivy had loved things like rollercoasters at the amusement parks they'd visited together as a family as they were growing up, and this shaking wasn't that much different… in fact this flight so far was rather tame… so why…?

Ivy glanced up at him and her lips quirked up in a small returning smile, her cheeks dimpling at him, causing his reassuring smile to widen into a grin, "Ok," she murmured and took a steadying breath, choosing to trust him as she felt a tingling warmth spread through her from where she could feel his steadying hand splayed on her lower back.

The Doctor kept his hand splayed across Ivy's back over the material of her jacket whilst he continued to work the controls with his other hand. A short moment later, he yanked on another lever and the wheezing he loved so much started and the shaking of the Tardis stopped as she started to materialise, "There!" he grinned, "Perfect landing!" he declared and reluctantly slid his hand from Ivy's lower back as he stepped away from the console and over to the 'Y' beam he'd tossed his coat over, "Told you I had everything under control."

"So you did," Ivy murmured softly, toying with the slender chain of her locket, her muscles slowly loosing as she glanced around the now calm console room.

"This time," Rose muttered.

"The way you talk, anyone would think that I was a bad driver," the Doctor grumbled as he grabbed his coat from the 'Y' beam.

"You are a bad driver," Rose retorted as she rounded the console over to Ivy, ignoring the somewhat grumpy look the Doctor shot her for that, "You ok?" she asked her cousin, still eyeing her pale face with concern.

"Yeah!" Ivy exclaimed as her fingers drifted down from the chain of her locket to grasp the oval shape itself as it lay hidden beneath her green shirt, "Just glad we didn't crash…" she murmured, her hand tightening about it, before releasing it, "So," she turned to the Doctor, determinedly turning her mind from thoughts of accidents and crashes, focusing instead on her curiosity as he finished shrugging on his coat, "Where are we?"

"Go look!" the Doctor urged gesturing towards the closed Tardis doors, "This ones all yours!" he grinned at her encouragingly.

Ivy returned his smile before glancing at Rose who returned it and nodded at the Tardis doors encouragingly. Ivy bit her lower lip as she turned her own gaze towards the doors and started towards it, hurrying across the console room to them. She paused in front of it, taking a steadying breath, limbs trembling a little with her excitement as she wondered just what was waiting for her beyond them, "Brave new world," she murmured and pulled the door open and stepped out of it, her eyes widening as she gaped with awe as she took in the place she'd stepped out into, a gusting wind blowing the hair framing her face about, "Oh my God..." she breathed with awe as she stared with wide eyes, hover cars zooming towards a large city with spiral towers across a large body of water, that was rippling with the gusting wind.

Rose followed her out eagerly a second later, too impatient to see for herself to wait any longer. Her own mouth dropping open in awe as she held her hair, that she'd left loose, out of her face, taking it in.

The Doctor stepped out after the blond, pulling the door shut behind them, glancing at them as he stepped up in between them, grinning at their awed expressions.

"Where are we?" Ivy asked, "And, when are we?" she added as she glanced up at the hover cars that were zooming over head of them and across the body of water and towards the massive city in the distance.

"It's the year five billion and twenty three…" the Doctor replied drawing their gazes to him, "We're in the galaxy M87, and this… this is New Earth."

"So…" Ivy blinked, her mind racing as she tried to process what it was she'd heard, "You've taken me from Earth to… New Earth?"

"Yes," the Doctor nodded, eyeing her, his eyes going to her lips as her teeth clamped her lower lip between them, abusing it lightly.

"I'm on another planet," Ivy breathed with awe, before she turned to him, "I'm on another planet!" she exclaimed, grinning with excitement, "In another galaxy in the year five billion and twenty three!"

"Yes!" the Doctor laughed, returning her grin as he nodded, "Yes! You are! Ivy Prentice, say hello to the universe!"

Ivy turned back to the planet, "Hello!" she called to it, getting another laugh from the Doctor and an amused grin from her cousin. She turned back to him, "This is amazing!" she exclaimed, "Thank you!"

"Ah, well…" the Doctor murmured tugging at his ear, a light pleased flush wanting to dust his cheeks at the sheer delight on Ivy's face, "It's not bad," he glanced around, nodding, "Not bad at all!" he grinned as he glanced back at her.

"Not bad?!" Ivy stared at him a moment longer before she turned back to the view, "This place is beautiful!"

"I'll never get used to this," Rose breathed, staring out at the city, "Never," she vowed, before she jumped up and down with excitement, all thoughts of jealousy forgotten with the thrill and delight of being somewhere entirely new and amazing, "Different ground beneath my feet!" she grinned looking up, "Different sky…!" she sucked in a deep breath and blinked, "What's that smell?" she turned to look at the Doctor.

The Doctor tore his gaze from Ivy's delighted expression, having found himself rather caught in it and took a sniff.

"Smells like…" Ivy blinked, her brows quirking a bit quizzically as she sniffed at the air herself, "Smells like apples," she murmured.

"That's cos it is apples… sort of," the Doctor answered as he bent and plucked a couple of blades of grass from the ground, "Apple grass," he stated showing the blades to them.

Ivy blinked again a little incredulous, "Apple grass?"

"Apple grass," the Doctor agreed.

"Apple grass…!" Rose laughed.

"Yeah, yeah!" the Doctor agreed with a grin as he dusted off his fingers, letting the blades of grass fall back to the ground.

"That's beautiful!" Rose sighed, before she grinned as she stared out at the beautiful city that was in the distance again.

"Yeah, it is," Ivy murmured staring at the apple scented grass beneath their feet for a moment, before her gaze went back to the city across the water, "Really beautiful…" she murmured, tucking the locks of her hair framing her face back behind her ears again as the gusting wind blew them across her face.

"Oh, I love this," Rose murmured and turned her head to look at the Doctor again, "Can I just say… travelling with you… I love it."

"Me too," the Doctor agreed with a bit of a grin and Rose laughed her gaze going back to the city as the Time Lord's gaze drifted to Ivy. It was even better now that he'd found her… or had she found him? He supposed it didn't matter really, either or both was brilliant. He let out a soft breath as he eyed her, taking in her face again with warm eyes, his lips starting to quirk up into another happy smile. He just had to convince her to stay… make her want to stay with him, and if the awe and excitement on her face was anything to go by. He was off to a good start, which was absolutely brilliant! Feeling his eyes on her, Ivy's gaze turned from the large city across the water she'd been staring at to look at him. He grinned at her brightly, his brown eyes alight with giddy hope and excitement. He grasped her hand in his, "Come on!" he exclaimed and broke into a run, dashing off across the grass with Ivy.

Rose stared after them a moment, swallowing heavily past the lump that had suddenly lodged in her throat as she watched them, dash off together, the pair's laughter filling the air, the joyous and delighted sound whipping about her with the gusting wind. Her empty fingers twitched… he'd always used to grab her hand… always… and now, he hadn't even checked to see if she was with them, yet. She sucked in a shaky but steadying breath as her heart clenched painfully in her chest and she started to run after them as Ivy's head turned, looking for her… and her cousin grinned at her brightly, all excitement. Rose grinned back at her, as best she could, past the pain in her heart and the harsh painful lump in her throat, reminding herself that it was just this one trip… just one and then Ivy would be returning home and things could go back to how they had been… her insides trembled as doubts clawed even before her hopeful thought was even fully formed… she ran all the harder, her feet pounding heavily over the scented grass, crossing the distance that had been put between them, racing to catch the two of them up, to flee from her gnawing doubts. Desperately wanting to outrun them, and leave them so far behind that they were never able to catch up to her again.

*O*O*O*

Chips eyes widened as he peered into a red tinted glass orb, staring at two people, a man and a woman as a blond woman ran into view, the three running across the grass together now, "Human!" he breathed, "Those two young women! They're pure-blood human! Closer!" he ordered twisting a control, "Closer!" he repeated and a small metal spider with a single red eye scuttled across the grass towards the three, obeying the command.

*O*O*O*

The Doctor lay in between Ivy and Rose on his coat, that he'd elongated for the three of them to fit on it, "So, the year five billion… the sun expands, the Earth gets roasted," the Doctor began to explain as the small metal three-legged spider with its single red eye quietly scurried through the grass, getting closer to them.

Ivy blinked, startled and awed, as she stared a little wide eyed at the Doctor and Rose, "You saw the sun expand?!"

Rose who was propped up on her elbows on the Doctor left, smiled brightly, "Yep!" she exclaimed turning her head from their view of the city to look at Ivy, before her gaze focused on the Doctor, and her bright smile turned into a grin, "That was our first date."

The Doctor who'd been in process of nodding along in agreement, stilled, "It wasn't a date," he exclaimed, his eyes widening with surprise and perhaps a little alarm and Rose's smile froze and then fell away entirely, her heart plummeting in her chest once more as he turned his head to look at Ivy who was looking at them, her brows slightly quirked as her gaze went from the Doctor to Rose and back again, "It wasn't!" he insisted adamantly, completely serious, needing her, needing Ivy to know that.

"Right…" Rose murmured clearly her throat a bit awkwardly, looking away as she shifted uncomfortably, "No," she swallowed heavily, her heart clenching painfully in her chest, "Course it wasn't…" she brushed some of her blond hair out of her face as she bit her lower lip, staring out over the city again as she tried to steady herself against the hurt, that had the backs of her eyes stinging with unshed tears.

Ivy, whose gaze had gone back to Rose, turned her eyes away looking back over to the city. Her green eyes dimming with sympathy for her cousin. She may not agree with how Rose was treating Mickey… but unrequited love… well, it sucked.

"So anyway," the Doctor continued, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had fallen over them, turning the subject away as he continued on with what he'd been going to say before Rose had interrupted. Ivy's eyes returning to him, whilst Rose continued to stare at the city just quietly listening in that moment, "Planet gone, all rocks and dust, but the human race lives on, spread out across the stars," he explained enthusiastically, "Soon as the Earth burns up… oh yeah, they get all nostalgic… big revival movement… but find this place!" he sat up so that he could get a better look at the view, "Same size as the Earth… same air… same orbit... lovely!" he exclaimed with a grin, "Call goes out, the humans move in."

"So…" Ivy murmured, glancing about them with interest, her eyes locking on the city, "Where in New Earth are we?"

"Right now," the Doctor glanced about them, "Grassy knoll," he shrugged.

"Thanks," Ivy replied dryly, eyeing him a touch incredulously as she stated with continued sarcasm, "Never woulda guessed that."

Rose rolled her eyes, swallowing heavily past the lump that was still in her throat, "She means the city," she explained, gesturing at it, rather curious herself.

"Oh!" the Doctor exclaimed, tugging at his ear, "Right! Sure! I knew that!" he assured and earned two humoured and disbelieving looks. He cleared his throat, "I was just… being witty…" Ivy and Rose arched their brows at him in continued disbelief, "Geez, tough crowd you are," he muttered, tugging at his ear again, before gesturing at the city, "It's New New York."

"Oh, come on!" Rose exclaimed sceptically.

"It is!" the Doctor insisted, "It's the city of New New York!" his expression turned pensive, "Strictly speaking, it's the fifteenth New York since the original, so that makes it New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York," Ivy laughed lightly and he grinned at her, it faded as he glanced at Rose, blinking instead at the quietly troubled look she was giving him. He frowned slightly as he eyed Rose with a bit of concern, "What?"

Rose shook her head, biting her lower lip, "Nothin'," she mumbled and the Doctor arched his brows at her with disbelief, "You're just…" she swallowed against the lump in her throat, missing her big eared and blue eyed Doctor as her eyes met his concerned brown, "…so different," she murmured heavily.

"Well, yeah," the Doctor nodded, eyeing her still with concern, his hearts sinking as he wondered in that moment if she still didn't quite believe that he was still him, "But I'm still me, Rose… Just a…" he trailed briefly, thinking, "New New Doctor."

"Yeah! I know!" Rose exclaimed, her eyes widening a little, "I know you are. I'm just..." she attempted to smile, the action slightly strained even as she tried to play it off, not wanting to hurt him again, "Missing old you I guess."

"Ah!" the Doctor nodded in understanding as Rose looked away, tucking some of her hair behind her ears as she let out a low heavy breath as she stared at the city across the water that she now knew was New New York.

"Was 'old' you really so different?" Ivy asked curiously.

"Oh, definitely," the Doctor replied as he turned his attention to her, "Had a daft old mug last time," he divulged, "Huge ears!" he gestured, before he ran a hand over his cheeks and chin, "Got a much better one this time round. Don't ya think?"

"Well, I can't really comment," Ivy replied shrugging with as much nonchalance as she could muster as her cheeks wanted to flush, looking out over at the city herself, "I never saw your old one. Just had a description from Jackie."

"Ah," the Doctor grimaced and frowned, his lower lip jutting out in a slight pout, "I'm sure that was flattering," he grumbled with sarcasm.

"Definitely," Ivy nodded, a teasing smile quirking up her lips.

"Oh…" the Doctor groaned as he eyed her expression, blanching internally as he wondered just what kind of impression Jackie Tyler had given Ivy of himself… his previous self, "What did she say?" Ivy shook her head, her shoulders shaking lightly as she laughed, "Hey, come on!" he wheedled, shifting on his coat so that he was turned more towards Ivy, "You gotta give me a chance to defend myself here! It's only fair!" he pouted more pronouncedly as Ivy just shook her head again, still chuckling with amusement, her green eyes shining with mirth as she stared at him and his pout turned into a grin as he stared back, unable to help himself as he took in her eyes that were alight with her mirth and her dimples as she smiled.

Rose sighed out a heavy breath as she couldn't help but stare at them, her brown eyes pained, hating the way he was looking at her. Looking at Ivy as she laughed. Rose swallowed heavily her heart aching in her chest. She looked away again her teeth worrying her lower lip harshly as she stared out towards the city. God, she really didn't want Mickey and her mum to be right… she really didn't!

Whilst through the grass the metal spider continued to scurry closer and came to a stop, it's red eye focused on the trio…

*O*O*O*

"Impossible!" Cassandra gasped as she stared at the image in the red tinted orb, "I recognize that child…" her eyes narrowed on the image of the young blond woman, "Her face! Show me her face!" she demanded.

"Closer, closer," Chip ordered the spider, hand twisting the control again as he chanted, "Face! Face! Face!"

*O*O*O*

Rose sighed out a heavy breath, drawing the Doctor's and Ivy's gazes, the blond plastered a bright smile on her face, "Can we go and visit New New York…" she got to her feet, a bit impatient for the welcome distraction exploring and sighting seeing the city would give her, "So good they named it twice?"

The Doctor got to his feet, "Well…" he began as he shifted extending a hand to Ivy who'd started to get up as well, the pinkette took it and he helped her to her feet as he continued, "I thought we might go there first," he turned and gestured at a pair of elegant curved skyscrapers that were standing apart from the city and where on their side of the river. He bent to grab his coat that obligingly shrunk down again for him.

Ivy blinked at it as bemused as she'd been when she'd watched it grow… Time Lord science he'd called it… before she turned her gaze to the elegant curved skyscrapers that he'd gestured at, eyeing the building.

"Why, what is it?" Rose asked.

"Some sort of hospital," the Doctor replied as he began to fight with his coat the wind making it difficult to pull it on.

Ivy stiffened, swallowed heavily as her curious eyes turned a little wary, "Hospital…?" she questioned. She hadn't been in one since…

"Yeah," the Doctor nodded, still struggling to get his coat on all the way, "Green moon on the side…" Ivy, who'd turned her eyes from the hospital grabbed the side the wind kept catching and blowing out of his reach and held it so he could get his arm into it, her eyes troubled as the Doctor continued to explain, "That's the universal symbol for hospitals," he dug a hand into his pocket to pull out a little black wallet, "I got this," he flipped it open showing them the paper inside, "A message on the psychic paper."

Ivy quirked her brows at the little wallet that was displaying the words 'Ward 26 please come', trying not to think of the hospital, "Psychic paper?"

"Yeah, it uh, it shows people whatever I want them to see," the Doctor explained, "And gets the occasional message," he added as Ivy turned her gaze back down to the paper in his hands. He flipped it closed again with a smart movement, tucking it back into his pocket, "And it seems that someone wants to see me."

"Hmm," Rose hummed thoughtfully, a bit of a teasing smile quirking her lips as she looked at the Doctor, her brows quirked "And I thought we were just sight-seeing."

"We are!" the Doctor insisted, "We can… we're definitely sight-seeing," he declared, "We're just getting the business stuff out of the way, that way we can focus on the fun!" he grinned brightly at the two of them.

"Come on, then!" Rose smiled, fingers twitching to link her arm through the Doctor's, but changed her mind, his rebuffed still fresh in her mind. Instead she turned towards the hospital building, "Let's go buy some grapes so that we can then go exploring!" she declared and started for it Ivy blew out a low breath as she followed with a little reluctance, her eyes going to the hospital building they were walking towards. The Doctor glanced at her again at the sound, taking in her slightly troubled expression with concern, before following her gaze to the hospital as the two of them fell into step with the blond. The Time Lord wondering if he was missing something as he glanced at Ivy again, brow slightly furrowed… he had the feeling that he was missing something.

The small metal spider scuttled quickly and quietly through the grass after them it's single red eye trained on them.

*O*O*O*

Cassandra gasped again, her skin that was once again lashed-up to a frame, trembling with agitation as she stared at the image in the orb, "Rose Tyler! I knew it! That dirty blond assassin!" she gritted still rather sore over their first and last encounter. She'd been so close to getting away with it… to walking away with all those credits! She would have gotten away it too if it hadn't of been for that blasted Doctor and that meddlesome kid.

"She's coming here, Mistress!" Chip informed her as he turned away from the crystal to stare at Cassandra.

"This is beyond coincidence. This is destiny!" Cassandra declared, smirking at the image of the blond in the orb, "At last I can be revenged on that little…"

*O*O*O*

Ivy bit her lower lip as they approached the front doors of the hospital, falling behind the Doctor and Rose as her steps slowed and then stopped unable to bring herself to keep moving in that moment as she stared up at the building that was looming over her, swallowing heavily as a memory of the last time she'd entered through hospitals doors flashed before her minds eye painfully. She'd been running then, frantic, her coat ripped cos she'd slammed her car door on it and she'd darted off before she'd realised… hurt her shoulder in the process, she hadn't cared, had barely noticed, her only thought of getting inside… getting to her parents… she flinched, one of her hands coming up to grasp the oval locket under her green shirt tightly.

The Doctor looked to his right expecting to see Ivy only for the smile to fall from his face at seeing her gone, "Hold on," he called to Rose making the blond pause and turn to look at him with confusion, "Where's…?" he spun and felt a wave of relief at seeing her standing a short distance away, having been scared that she'd wandered off on him already and they hadn't even been on her first planet that long, "What is it?" he asked as he started back towards her, his relief turning to concern as he took in the way she was staring at the hospital… almost like it was her worst enemy in the entire universe.

Rose blew out a low irritated breath as she followed him over, her arms crossing, annoyance stirring at the hold up.

The Doctor glanced back at the building and then back to Ivy who was still staring at it, "Don't like hospitals?" he hazarded a guess.

Ivy swallowed thickly, tearing her gaze away from the building to glance at him, "…hate them," she murmured heavily.

"Ah," the Doctor murmured in response, whilst Rose stiffened, her eyes slowly widening as her gaze shot to her cousins face for the first time since she'd started for the hospital, her annoyance swiftly being replaced by guilt as she realised, recalling what her mum had said about Malcom and Gale's deaths… that they'd died in an accident. Her mum hadn't said what type of accident or how bad, but chances where they'd been rushed to hospital where they'd…

Rose swallowed and moved closer, wishing that she'd thought of it earlier… but she'd been so busy trying to focus on not feeling upset and jealous, "We can wait out here together, whilst the Doctor goes in if you like?" she offered.

The Doctor's concerned furrowed brow deepened as his gaze darted from Ivy to Rose and back again, he was definitely missing something… and he didn't like it!

Ivy bit her lower lip again, God, that was tempting! But, slowly she shook her head, "No… I mean," her gaze darted to the hospital again, "I've got to go in one again eventually. I can't avoid 'em forever," she glanced at Rose, "Right?"

"No," Rose agreed softly.

"Might as well be now…" Ivy eyed the hospital dubiously, "Get it over with…" she sighed shifting uncomfortably at the idea of going in.

The Doctor eyed them, frown growing more pronounced, feeling rather put out. It was like they were both being deliberately and annoyingly vague… and he didn't like it. He didn't like not knowing what was bothering his Soul-Bonded… especially when it seemed like now he was the only one who didn't know!

"I think now is a great time," Rose murmured and Ivy nodded as she glanced at her, the two sharing small smiles.

The Doctor shifted a bit in irritation, they had to be being annoyingly vague on purpose! He eyed Ivy's dubious and reluctant expression as she stared at the building still not moving and he relaxed his posture and smiled reassuringly at her, "Well, if we're going in, let's…" he swept his arms towards the doors, before he reached down and took one of Ivy's hands in his, squeezing, "We'll be quick," he promised, "Just see who it is, find out what they want and then go explore the city of New New York," he assured as he started for the doors, his hand shifted, twitching about hers before he gave into the urge to interlace their fingers as she walked with him, "Not overly fond of them myself," he admitted glancing at Ivy as he pushed them open strolling through the small entryway towards the doors into the reception area, "In fact, I quite dislike them," he continued as he felt her hand tighten about his.

"Really?" Ivy asked, focusing her attention on him, trying to ignore the doors that they were approaching and the reception area that lay beyond.

"Oh, yes, completely," the Doctor nodded, pushing one of the doors open for them with his free hand, squeezing his hand about hers reassuringly in return.

"That's a bit rich coming from you," Rose commented, eyeing him with bemusement as the three of them stepped into the reception area.

"I can't help it," the Doctor insisted a little defensively, "I just don't like them…" he glanced at Ivy and smiled a little, "They give me the creeps," he expounded, hoping that she'd say at least a little about why she didn't like them.

"All the more reason to make this visit a quick one then," Ivy murmured as she glanced about the reception area and let out a slow breath some of the tension leaving her slowly, it looked nothing like 'the hospital'.

And the Doctor near pouted, that wasn't the response he was hoping for… he just… he wanted to know what was troubling her!

"The Pleasure Gardens will now take visitors carrying green or blue identification cards for the next fifteen minutes," a female voice announced through a speaker system, "Visitors are reminded that cuttings from the gardens are not permitted."

"Very smart," Rose commented, glancing about the reception area herself, "Not exactly NHS," she mused.

"No shop," the Doctor bemoaned as he cast his gaze about the reception area once again, "I like the little shop!" he definitely didn't like this hospital, it was creepy, it didn't have a little shop and… his gaze went to Ivy taking in her still somewhat troubled and dubious expression, it was troubling his Soul-Bonded and frustratingly he still didn't know why?!

Rose glanced over at the Doctor curiously, "I thought this far in the future, they'd have cured everything."

"The human race moves on, but so do the viruses. It's an ongoing war," the Doctor explained moments before one of the nurses wearing a wimple walked past them, giving them a polite nod… and for the first time Rose caught sight of their faces.

"They're cats…" Rose murmured, staring after the nurse wide-eyed.

"What?" Ivy asked, glancing at her.

"They're big cats," the blond pointed after the wimple wearing cat-nurse.

Ivy followed the direction of her cousins finger and her own eyes widened with surprise and awe, rather diverted in that moment, "Oh…!"

"Now, don't stare…" the Doctor chastised lightly, "Think what you look like to them, all…" he eyed Rose up and down, "Pink and yellow," he glanced at Ivy, looking her up and down too, "And… all pink and pink."

Ivy touched the fingers of her free hand to the ends of her hair, looking at the pink strands, missing her natural colour again, before she shook it off and let go of her hair, "Fair point," she nodded as the Doctor tore his gaze from her, looking around again.

"That's where I'd put the shop," he gestured over Rose's shoulder, the blond and pinkette turning their heads to look, "Right there!" Ivy looked away as she was tugged into motion by her hand that was still grasped in the Doctor's, the Time Lord having started walking again, "So…" he glanced at Ivy again, giving into his burning curiosity and desire to learn more about her as he asked, "Why don't you like hospitals?"

Ivy's eyes darted to him, before looking away, brow furrowing as she bit her lower lip again as she tried to think of how to put it into words without going into too many details.

The Doctor tugged at his ear with his free hand, eyeing her, "I don't like 'em cos they're creepy and you…" he prompted.

"I…" Ivy sighed out a low breath and looked at him, "I don't like… the waiting," she settled on and looked away again, her eyes going to the lift they were walking towards, swallowing heavily as she tried not to think about the waiting…

"Oh…" the Doctor murmured and nodded slightly, tugging at his ear again as he pondered over that answer with a slight frown. Whilst behind them Rose stared after them, her heart sinking heavily in her chest again as she watched the two of them walk away from her, hand in hand. Her earlier doubts catching up to her once more, making her heart ache painfully. The Doctor and Ivy stepped into the lift, "Ward 26, thanks!"

Rose blinked at that and started forward, hurrying after them, realising that she was about to let herself get left behind.

*O*O*O*

"Override controls," Chip commanded.

*O*O*O*

"Hold on! Hold on!" Rose called to them as she ran towards the lift, picking up speed in an attempt to catch them as the doors suddenly started to close, only for them to snap shut a fraction of a moment before she reached them.

"Oh, too late…" the Doctor said with a mild frown as the lift began moving, "We're going up," he called down to her as the lift started moving.

"We can come back down and get you," Ivy called, peering down at her cousin as she peered up at them.

Rose glanced around, "No!" she called back as she turned her gaze back up to them, "It's alright! There's another lift!" she rushed over to it and jabbed the button to call it.

"Ward 26," the Doctor called to remind her, "And watch out for the disinfectant," he warned.

Rose frowned straining to hear as the lift took the Doctor and Ivy higher, "Watch out for what?" she called back.

"The Disinfectant!" the Doctor shouted.

"The what?!" he and Ivy heard Rose's faint voice shout back.

"The disin…" the Doctor trailed and shook his head, giving up on trying to warn her, "Oh, you'll find out," he muttered and turned to Ivy, "Brace yourself."

*O*O*O*

The doors to the lift Rose had called opened and she stepped inside, "Uh…" she glanced about awkwardly, "Ward 26, thanks…" the doors slid shut and the lift started moving…

*O*O*O*

"For what?" Ivy eyed him with a slight frown.

"The disinfectant," the Doctor replied simply.

Ivy glanced about the lift dubiously, "Why?" she looked at him again, "What's it gonna do?"

"It's gonna disinfect us," the Doctor stated.

"Yes, thanks, I figured that much," Ivy huffed, eyeing him, "You said 'brace yourself' like it's gonna attack us or something."

"Commence stage one…" a voice came over the internal speaker in the lift and the Doctor and Ivy looked towards it.

"More of a shower…" the Doctor commented and Ivy turned her head to look at him, her eyes widening a bit in shock.

"A what…?" she exclaimed.

"Disinfection."

Ivy's wide eyes darted back in the direction of the voice in time to see green lights flashing on and Ivy barely had a chance to brace herself at all before a shower of disinfectant drenched the both of them. Ivy let out an involuntary squeak as she gasped in shock, whilst the Doctor let out a low amused chuckle as he calmly worked the spray through his hair.

*O*O*O*

Rose let out a shrill shocked scream as her own disinfectant shower drenched her, her eyes screwing shut against the sudden deluge. She smacked at the walls frantically, trying to find some kind of button to turn the shower off.

*O*O*O*

The spray finally finished and Ivy let out a relieved breath, before she stiffened again as a white powder was suddenly puffed over them. She spluttered as she accidentally inhaled, whilst the Doctor merely blinked, glancing at her and grinned.

*O*O*O*

Rose grimaced, her eyes screwing shut again as the white powder hit her, feeling vaguely disgusted by the whole experience in that moment.

*O*O*O*

"Oh…" Ivy sighed with relief as hot air hit them next as a blow dryer engaged, "This bit isn't so bad," she commented as she reached up pulling the clip from her hair, and stuffing it into her jacket pocket as she used her hands to help the hot air dry her thick hair.

"Hmm," the Doctor grinned, his hands splaying out his coat, "Love a good blow dry," he glanced at her, his eyes catching on her poor abused lower lip as it was once again caught between her teeth this time in concentration. He shifted stifling the urge to free it from between her teeth instead he lifted his gaze to her hair, watching her fingers as she nimbly threaded them through the pink strands of her drying hair, finding himself curious about the colour all over again.

Ivy, feeling his eyes on her, glanced at him and blinked, her fingers stilling in her hair as she quirked her brows at him, "What?"

"Hmm," the Doctor hummed, "Pink…" he trailed, smiling encouragingly as he looked at her hopefully.

Ivy shook her head and looked away, "Yeah, pink…" she trailed her fingers starting to move in her hair again as she muttered, "It's a colour."

"A very nice colour," the Doctor nodded, still a bit hopeful that he could prompt even just a small explanation from her.

Ivy glanced at him again, eyeing him quizzically… not entirely sure if he was teasing her or being serious, "…Thanks."

"You're welcome…" he replied, nodding again, trying hard not to pout in disappointment at learning… not much of anything despite his efforts. It seemed she still didn't want to talk about her hair… or her dislike of hospitals… but at least she'd given him a bit of an answer, an incomplete answer but it was something… he tugged at his ear, glancing at her again as he shifted with a bit of impatience. There was just so much that he didn't know about her but wanted too. And he wanted to start… he supposed he'd have to try and be patient… he grimaced slightly… he'd never really been very good at being patient.

*O*O*O*

Rose ran her fingers through her own hair, attempting to tidy it as it dried in the gusts of wind provided by the blow drying system, actually starting to enjoy the experience herself now that the initial shock and mild disgust had worn off.

*O*O*O*

The doors to the lift opened and Ivy strolled out after the Doctor, hands lowering from her hair as she finished securing the hairclip back into place, "Are we not gonna wait for Rose?" Ivy asked as she followed him away from the lift.

"Nah, she'll catch up," the Doctor glanced at her and grinned, "It's not like she can miss it," he gestured towards the sign that read 'Ward 26'.

Ivy looked at the sign and nodded, "True," and then grimaced reaching a hand up to scratch at the itch that had flared up over her right shoulder again.

The Doctor's stride paused as he eyed the action and the discomfort on Ivy's face as she scratched over the material of her jacket, "What's the matter?"

"Nothing," Ivy lowered her hand and smiled, "Just an itchy bite," she hypothesised, she still hadn't checked, she'd forgotten to with all the excitement of coming with the Doctor and Rose on a trip through time and space.

The Doctor turned to her, "Did you want me to have a look?"

Ivy blinked at him, "At an itchy bite?" she smiled and shook her head, "Nah, it'll heal. You know, once I stop giving in to the urge to scratch it."

"Right… course it will," the Doctor nodded slowly and started walking again, eyeing Ivy out of the corner of his eye as they continued along towards the doors of the Ward, a pensive and slightly troubled frown furrowing his brow as he couldn't help but wonder if perhaps… but it usually took longer… but then… they'd met when he was still within the first fifteen hours of his regeneration cycle… and she'd come into direct contact with his regeneration energy so he supposed it was possible… but if it had… well, he'd really have to try and speak to her about the possibility of Soul-Bonding with her sooner than he'd intended, lest she get a nasty shock. He eyed Ivy out of the corner of his eye again.

He'd keep an eye on it… after all, she could be right and it could very well just be a bug bite, but over the back of her right shoulder… he couldn't help but think it was a little bit of a coincidence, considering…

Ivy, feeling his gaze, glanced at him again and frowned, he was making a habit of staring at her it seemed, "What is it?"

The Doctor gave himself a shake, "Nothing!" he exclaimed and Ivy eyed him, not at all convinced, "Just let me know if that bug bite gets any worse, itchier, and I'll have a look," he stated, before picking up his pace.

Ivy blinked after him, brows quirked in bemusement, before she shook her head and picked up her own pace, falling into step with him once more.

*O*O*O*

Rose stepped out of the lift she'd taken, patting her hair into place, her steps faltering slightly as she glanced about the corridor that appeared to belong to a derelict cellar of some sort rather than a hospital grade Ward. Her eyes landed on a pale man in white with markings on his face as he stood a ways down the corridor from her and she paused completely.

"The Human child is clean," he spoke, his hands clasped together in front of him.

"Um…" Rose took a step forward, kicking her foot free of some of the rubbish strewn over the floor, eyeing the man who looked sort of harmless in her opinion, despite the creepy corridor, "I'm looking for Ward 26…"

"This way, Rose Tyler," the man told her and turned from her starting down the corridor, expecting her to follow. Rose stared after him apprehensively swallowing as she cautiously moved down the corridor after him, picking a metal bar up off the floor as she passed it, just in case he wasn't as harmless as he appeared to be.

*O*O*O*

"Please report to reception," a voice came over the speakers in Ward 26 as the Doctor and Ivy where escorted in by one of the veiled nurses.

"Nice place," the Doctor complemented as he glanced about them, "No shop, downstairs," he continued and Ivy glanced at him, a brow quirking upwards, "I'd have a shop. Not a big one, just a shop. So, people can… shop."

The nurse paused and turned to the two she was escorting and removed her veil, levelling an unimpressed look at the visitors, "The hospital is a place of healing," she informed them rather shocked at the mere suggestion of a shop.

"A shop does some people the world of good," the Doctor commented with a small shrug, "Not me," he tacked on, "Other people…"

"You've really got your heart set on a shop, don't ya," Ivy murmured as the nurse turned and started walking again.

The Doctor glanced at her and smiled, "Got my hearts set on a lot of things," he murmured almost nonchalantly.

Ivy's eyes still shot to him, taking in his smile and intense eyes, her heart skipping a beat in her chest as butterflies fluttered to life in her stomach, was he… was he flirting with her…? She looked away with a slight frown, shaking it off as her imagination, though the butterflies in her stomach were a bit harder to convince.

"The Sisters of Plentitude take a lifelong vow to help, and to mend…" the nurse informed them as they continued on, the Sister leading them passed a patient whose skin was completely red.

Ivy glanced away from the man, shifting a little uncomfortably as she tried to avoid looking at the hospital beds, trying hard to avoid thinking about the last time she'd been led through a hospital towards a couple of beds tucked into a room. She turned her gaze to the Doctor again, "See anyone you recognise yet?"

"Hmm," the Doctor glanced around, "Not just yet," he spoke just as they started past a bed with an extremely obese man whose skin had become a sickly grey atop it and a primly dressed woman with a stern appearance about her stood by his bedside.

"Excuse me!" the woman bristled as she noticed the Doctor glancing at the man on the bed and hastily moved around the bed towards them, "Members of the public may only gaze upon the Duke of Manhattan with written permission from the Senate of New New York."

"That's Petrifold Regression, right?" the Doctor asked with a nod at the Duke, his hands in his pockets.

"I'm dying, sir," the Duke replied and Ivy flinched as a memory stirred all so easily to the surface, the doctors who'd worked to try and save her parents stood in front of her apologises on their lips, "A lifetime of charity and abstinence, and it ends like this."

"Any statements made by the Duke of Manhattan may not be made public without official clearance," the woman jumped in, eyeing the two like a hawk.

"Frau Clovis!" the Duke exclaimed with a pained wheeze and the woman was immediately back at his side grasping his hand, "I'm so weak."

Clovis turned to the nurse that was escorting them, "Sister Jatt!" she exclaimed outraged, "A little privacy, please."

Sister Jatt led them away from the ailing Dukes bedside, "He'll be up and about in no time," she assured.

Ivy nodded swallowing heavily, forcibly trying to turn her mind away, to focus on the catlike features of Sister Jatt, "That's good."

"I doubt it," the Doctor scoffed glancing at Ivy whose gaze had shot to him, "Petrifold Regression? He's turning to stone," he explained, "There won't be a cure for…" he's gaze turned pensive as he thought about it, missing Ivy's flinch as another memory of that day surfaced despite her best efforts to keep it stuffed down tight.

'I'm sorry, there isn't anything else we can do, there isn't a cure for…' Ivy ripped herself away from the memory. She didn't want to… the backs of her eyes pricked harshly as her heart clenched painfully and she sucked in a deep breath. She didn't want to think about it… her parents lying on their hospital beds… tubes and wires… the beeping of the machines… no!

"Oh… a thousand years?" the Doctor estimated fairly accurately, "He might be up and about, but only as a statue…" he trailed as his gaze focused back on Ivy as she suddenly turned and stumbled away, a ragged wounded breath escaping her.

"Have faith in the Sisterhood," Sister Jatt started to reply, her gaze flicking from the Doctor to Ivy as she started away.

"Uh, excuse us," the Doctor cut her off, not waiting for her reply as he started after Ivy as she moved through the Ward towards a set of windows.

"Of course," Jatt murmured, staring after the two visitors, her sensitive nose picking up the scent of salty water.

The Doctor followed her, his eyes locked on the back of her pink head, his steps only slowing when she came to a stop in front of a set of windows. He came up beside her, eyes full of concern as he caught sight of her face, her eyes squeezed shut, a couple of tears making tracks down her cheeks as she clutched her hand around something he couldn't see beneath her shirt… the end of her necklace? In one hand, her other arm wrapped about her middle protectively, "Ivy…" he murmured and her eyes snapped opened.

Ivy sucked in a shuddering breath and lifted her arm from about her middle to wipe at her eyes and cheeks, "Sorry," she mumbled, "I'll be alright in a minute."

"It's alright," the Doctor murmured, allowing his concerned gaze to drift out the window, "Take your time."

"Thanks," Ivy mumbled, her nose feeling a little stuffy.

He glanced at her again as he heard her sniffle and delved a hand into one of his bigger on the inside coat pockets, feeling about until he found what he was searching for, "Here," he held out a large hanky to her.

"Thanks," Ivy mumbled again, gratefully, "I always forget tissues," she murmured as she took it from him and started dabbing at her cheeks.

"Your welcome," the Doctor replied, his concerned gaze going to her hand that was still fisted about something he couldn't see as a beat of silence descended upon them as she cleaned her face of tears, "What've you got there?" he broke the silence glancing up at her face again as he gestured to her fisted hand.

Ivy paused, hesitating briefly, not needing to look to know what he was referring too. She pocketed the hanky fully intending to clean and return it later as she took a steadying breath and released the locket she'd been grasping through the material of her shirt to grasp the slender chain lifting it out to reveal the oval shaped locket beneath. She extended the end of the chain still about her neck out to him.

The Doctor looked at her for another moment, his brown meeting her green that were still a bit shiny from tears, before he reached out and took the locket, studying the outside of it for a moment whilst she watched. He shifted his grasp on it so that he could open the catch, revealing the two tiny pictures inside. He stared at the smiling faces of a man and a woman before looking back up at Ivy and then back down, mind working, "Your parents?" he guessed as he looked back up from the locket again.

"Yeah…" Ivy murmured, staring at the tiny pictures of her parents herself, swallowing heavily before continuing, "They died in a freak car accident, three months back."

"I'm sorry," the Doctor murmured, his eyes going back down to the face of her parents, before he gently clicked the locket closed and Ivy slipped it from his grasp and back out of sight beneath her shirt, "Were you…?"

"No… I wasn't there," Ivy guessed his question as he trailed off, "The police at the hospital told me the other drivers breaks just… failed. Out of nowhere," she shook her head, "I was at a small little café, we were supposed to be doing lunch, me and my parents. Instead I get a phone call… and I'm rushing to the hospital like a mad thing. Only to be told that they'd already both been taken in for emergency surgery… so all I could do was wait…" she frowned trying not to focus to much on the memory of the those horrid hours, "Waited for hours."

"You hate the waiting…" the Doctor muttered, her earlier answer making complete sense to him now.

"Yeah… hate the waiting," Ivy agreed, "And not knowing… I had Jackie with me though," she smiled, "She only ever left my side long enough to get us food, tea… prompt me to get some sleep," she let out a low laugh, "She wouldn't even let me go home," she wiped under her eyes as she felt tears start to well again, "That's how I ended up living with her, a couple of days turned into a week, and a week turned into weeks, to a couple of months until one day she just handed me the phone and told me to cancel my lease."

"Good," the Doctor murmured, relieved, "I'm glad you weren't on your own."

"Me too," Ivy nodded, "I imagine it would have been a lot harder to cope with on my own, especially in the beginning."

"Oh, yes," the Doctor murmured lowly, his gaze drifting from her to look out the window brown eyes pained with memories of his own that he rather not think about, "Much harder to cope with when one is on their own."

Ivy swallowed, her brow furrowed slightly in concern as she eyed him, noting how solemn his expression had become, "Doctor…?"

He was silent for a moment, thinking, "Earlier, you asked about my people," he broke the silence still looking out the window.

Ivy nodded, "You said there weren't many left."

"Yes," the Doctor nodded, "I did, but what I should have said," he murmured as he turned his head to look at her, "Was that I'm the last…" he swallowed, "There's just me," his gaze met Ivy's wide ones seeing the silent question in their green depths, "There was a war. Time War…" he swallowed heavily again and looked away from her, "And, we lost. I travelled on my own for a long time after that…" he trailed and looked back at her, "So yeah, being on your own makes it… harder," and he was glad… glad she'd had someone to help her from the beginning. He'd hate to think of her, his Soul-Bonded having to cope on her own with the death of two of the most important people in her life… he grimaced internally, it seemed he owed Jackie Tyler one.

Ivy swallowed heavily, that was horrible, a war that had ended the lives of so many, "I'm sorry," she murmured and reached out to take his hand as he'd taken hers earlier and squeezing… she couldn't even begin to imagine that kind of pain.

The Doctor squeezed her hand back, but shook his head as he stared out the window again, unlike her, he'd deserved to be on his own after what he'd done. All the voices young and old... the voices of his people that he'd silenced to end the war. He took a breath and turned back to Ivy with a smile, "Right, well, what do you say? Ready to get back to it? Find the sender of the message so we can head on out of here, eh?"

Ivy nodded and smiled back, "Sounds good," she glanced around as they started back across the Ward, "Uh…" she frowned as she didn't see her cousin anywhere, "Shouldn't Rose have joined us by now?"

The Doctor blinked and looked about himself, "You'd think so, wouldn't you," he sighed, "She probably wandered off," he grumbled, "I've lost count of how many times I've told her not to do that…" he shook his head and pinned Ivy with a serious look, "I haven't told you that yet, have I?"

Ivy arched a brow at him, "Told me what?"

"Not to wander off," the Doctor clarified.

"Nope," Ivy replied.

"Right," the Doctor nodded and then pointed a finger at her, "Don't go wandering off," he stated seriously, before his gaze landed on Sister Jatt who'd approached them, "Ah, Sister Jatt," he smiled as they stopped to speak to her.

"Have you found someone you recognise?" Jatt questioned.

"Ah, not yet, no," the Doctor murmured and started looking around the space again, he'd yet to put much effort into actually searching.

"It's rather unusual to visit without knowing the patient," Jatt observed, eyeing the two before her a bit quizzically.

"No," the Doctor murmured as his gaze caught on a familiar face… a large familiar face, "I think I found him."

Ivy swallowed, her eyes widening with surprise as her own gaze landed on the large head in a large glass container as they started over and her hand tightened about the Doctor's with her shock, "That's a head in a… a jar!" she gasped.

"Yes, it is," the Doctor replied, his hand tightening about hers in turn, "It's the Face of Boe," he told her.

"Ok," Ivy nodded, swallowing down her initial shock at the sight, staring at the face in its large container… he looked pained… ill… gravely ill.

"Novice Hame…" Jatt addressed the Novice assigned to the care of the Face of Boe, "If I can leave our visitors in your care?"

"Oh," the Doctor turned to Sister Jatt before she could leave, "I think our friend got lost. Uh, Rose Tyler. Could you ask at reception?"

"Certainly, sir," Sister Jatt turned to leave.

"Thank you," Ivy called after her, making Jatt pause.

"It is no trouble, miss," Jatt inclined her head and turned from them again and walked away across the Ward.

"I'm afraid the Face of Boe's asleep," Novice Hame told them as the two moved a bit closer to the patient entrusted to her care. Ivy a step or two behind the Doctor, "That's all he tends to do these days. Are you friends, or…"

"The Face of Boe and I met just once before, on Platform One," the Doctor murmured in reply, shifting his gaze from Boe to look at Hame as he asked, "What's wrong with him?"

"I'm so sorry," Novice Hame murmured gently and Ivy turned her gaze from Boe to look at her, "I thought you knew. The Face of Boe is dying."

"Of what?" the Doctor asked.

"Old age," Novice Hame sighed sadly, "The one thing we can't cure. He's thousands of years old. Some say millions, although that's impossible."

"Oh… I don't know," the Doctor murmured with a smile that was tinged with sadness as he released Ivy's hand so that he could move closer to the Face of Boe, "I like impossible," he murmured as he knelt down in front of the large glass container, "I'm here. I look a bit different, but it's me… it's the Doctor," he rested a hand against the tank and Boe let out a tired groaning sigh, "And, this is Ivy," he glanced back at her and gestured for her to come closer.

Ivy stepped forward, "Hello," she murmured as she crouched down beside the Doctor, staring at the large old face sadly, his eyes closed in what looked to be a restless and pained sleep, "It's nice to meet you."

The Face of Boe let out another tired groaning sigh, but showed no signs of waking from his restless slumber.

*O*O*O*

Rose stepped out from the corridor, she'd been cautiously moving down, the metal rod still grasped in her hand. She glanced about the room, her ears picking up the sound of laughter and she shifted towards it, her gaze going to the flickering film being projected onto a screen. She peered at it curiously, taking in the glamorous party, her eyes focusing on a beautiful woman who was clutching a flute glass of champagne as she spoke.

"I mean, you never know what your life is going to be like! Ever!" the woman exclaimed, "I'm bored with this drink," she stated and handed it off to a waiter as they passed by her, "Anyway… oh, hello darling!" she greeted a man, "Now, don't!" she chided lightly, "Stop it!" she pushed him playfully in the chest.

"Wait a minute…" Rose breathed her eyes widening as the voice she'd thought familiar clicked, "That's…" she spun about, her gaze landing on the skin stretched out of a vertical frame that Cassandra had become after 700 plus surgeries, the man that had led her down here, cowering behind her.

"Peekaboo!" Cassandra smirked.

"Don't you come anywhere near me, Cassandra," Rose warned, holding her metal rod out in front of her defensively.

"Why?" Cassandra rolled her eyes at the girls dramatics, "What do you think I'm going to do? Flap you to death?"

"Yeah, but…" Rose gestured towards the man cowering behind Cassandra's skin, "What about Gollum?"

"Oh… that's just Chip," Cassandra replied dismissively, "He's my pet."

"I worship the mistress!" Chip exclaimed.

"Moisturise me, moisturise me…" Cassandra demanded and Chip immediately picked up a canister and squirted it the substance inside over his mistress's skin, "He's not even a proper lifeform," Cassandra continued, "He's a force grown clone. I modelled him on my favourite pattern," she divulged, "But he's so faithful. Chip see to my physical needs."

Rose blanched, "I hope that means food," she muttered, before eyeing Cassandra suspiciously again, "How come you're still alive?"

Cassandra's eyes narrowed on her, "After you murdered me…"

"That was your own fault," Rose cut in and Cassandra rolled her eyes.

"The brain of my mistress survived," Chip explained, "And her pretty blue eyes were salvaged from the bin."

Cassandra glanced at Chip, flattered by the complement.

"What about the skin?" Rose asked, "I saw it, you…" she laughed in disbelief, "You got ripped apart."

"That piece of skin was taken from the front of my body," Cassandra explained, "This piece is the back."

"Right!" Rose couldn't help but laugh again, "So, you're talking out of your a…"

"Ask not," Cassandra cut in.

"The mistress was lucky to survive. Chip, secreted m'lady into the hospital," Chip murmured, gazing at Cassandra adoringly.

Rose frowned, "So, they don't know you're here," she muttered.

"Chip steals medicine," Chip nodded, "Helps m'lady. Soothes her. Strokes her…" he lifted a hand to gently touch it to his mistress's skin.

Rose blanched again, "You can stop right there, Chip."

"But I'm so alone down, hidden down here…" Cassandra sadly bemoaned, "The Last Human in existence…"

Rose rolled her eyes in annoyance, "Don't start that again… they've called this planet New Earth!" she exclaimed.

"A vegetable patch," Cassandra sniffed dismissively.

"And there's millions of Humans out there…" Rose asserted confidently, "Millions of them."

"Mutant stock!" Cassandra hissed, her blue eyes narrowing on the blond in front of her, irritation with the conversation growing.

"They evolved, Cassandra. They just evolved, like they should," Rose shook her head, "You stayed still. You got yourself all pickled and preserved, and what good did it do you?"

"Oh," Cassandra sighed, her eyes going to the flickering film that was still being projected onto the screen behind Rose, "I remember that night. Drinks for the Ambassador of Thrace. That was the last time anyone told me I was beautiful. After that it all became…" Cassandra's eyes narrowed, "Such hard work."

"Well," Rose shook her head again, "You've got a knack for survival… I'll give you that."

"But I've not been idle, Rose…" Cassandra focused on the blond again, "Tucked away underneath this hospital… I've been listening. The Sisters are hiding something."

"What d'you mean?" Rose questioned.

"Oh… these cats have secrets. Hush," Cassandra cooed, "Let me whisper. Come close."

"You must be joking if you think I'm coming anywhere near you!" Rose scoffed with a derisive laugh and took a few steps backwards only for her laughter to cut off and her eyes widened in fear as a machine caught her in a bind light, freezing her in place.

"Chip!" Cassandra exclaimed, "Activate the psychograft!" she ordered and Chip happily bounded over to the controls.

"I can't move!" Rose exclaimed with fright, "Cassandra, let me go!" she demanded, her heart hammering, wishing that she'd just gotten back into the lift to try and find the Doctor and Ivy as Chip pulled down a lever and bars of light descended from ceiling to surround her like a cage, "What're you doing?!"

"The lady's moving on," Cassandra smirked at her, "It's goodbye trampoline, and hello blondie!" she exclaimed a few seconds before the psychograft activated completely and with a whoosh of air, she was expelled from her skin trampoline and into the air, moving directly across the room and into the terrified Rose.

Chip released the lever and the system switched off allowing Rose's body to crumple to the ground. Chip peered down at her with concern, "Mistress…?"

"Moisture me…" Cassandra murmured as she started to stir and Chip hurried to grab the canister, whilst Cassandra shifted, "How bizarre…" she breathed, "Arms, fingers," she stared at them, it'd been so long since she'd had any, "Hair!" she exclaimed, "Let me see! Let me see!" she leapt up to her feet and dashed to a mirror and her eyes widened in horror as she peered at the reflection staring back at her, "Oh my God! I'm a chav!" she exclaimed horrified.

*O*O*O*

"Hope, harmony and health. Hope, harmony and health," came over the speaker system as the Doctor strolled back across the Ward, a cup of water in each hand. He smiled at Ivy as she glanced up at his approach.

"Here," he held out one of the cups to her, "Thought you might like some water."

"Oh, thanks…" Ivy murmured as she accepted the cup from him, "My mouth is a little dry," she murmured.

"Thought it might be," the Doctor nodded and then turned to Novice Hame, stepping over to her and holding the second cup out to her.

Novice Hame accepted it gratefully, though with slight surprise, "That's very kind," she murmured as Ivy took a drink from her own cup, "There's no need."

"You're the one working," the Doctor replied with a light shrug as he strolled back over to Ivy and the window.

"There's not much to do," Novice Hame admitted, "Just maintain his smoke. And I suppose I'm company," she murmured thoughtfully, "I can hear him singing, sometimes, in my mind… such ancient songs…"

"Are we the only visitors?" the Doctor asked.

Novice Hame nodded, "The rest of Boe-kind became extinct, long ago. He's the only one left. Legend says that the Face of Boe has watched the universe grow old," the Doctor's lips quirked into a small smile.

"So, maybe millions of years old isn't so impossible after all," Ivy murmured thoughtfully, her gaze going to the tired sleeping face, "He'd have to be if he's watched the universe grow old."

"Millions and Millions," the Doctor agreed softly.

"It's just a legend," Novice Hame murmured, "And there's all sorts of superstitions around him," she divulged, "One story says that just before his death, the Face of Boe will impart his great secret, that he will speak those words only to those who are like himself."

The Doctor frowned slightly, eyeing Hame quizzically, "What does that mean?"

Novice Hame shook her head, shifting a little self-consciously as the two visitors to the Ward stared at her, "It's just a story."

"No harm in telling a story," Ivy encouraged and Novice Hame shifted again, still slightly self-conscious at having let herself admit to being interested in such nonsensical tales.

"Go on," the Doctor encouraged with a smile, "Tell us the rest."

Novice Hame stared at them a moment longer before she relented at seeing the open curiosity on their faces, "It's said he'll talk to a pair of wanderers," she murmured leaning in towards them as she continued, "To the man without a home and the woman he holds dearest to him," the Doctor swallowed at that recognising himself and found his gaze drifting helplessly to Ivy as she stared at Hame with her green eyes alight with interest as she continued, "The Lonely God and His Improbable Girl."

*O*O*O*

Cassandra stood in front of a mirror examining herself with something akin to horror, "Look at me!" she cried, "From class to brass… Although," she pulled down the zipper of the shirt a little more and felt along her new curves, "Oh… curves… oh, baby," she hopped up and down, Chip copying her, "It's like living inside a bouncy castle!"

"Mistress is beautiful," Chip told her with an ecstatic grin.

Cassandra winked at him, "Absolutement!" she turned her gaze back to her old skin that was now faded and cracking, "Oh, but look…"

"Oh…" Chip frowned as he examined it, "The brain lead expired… my old Mistress is gone," he murmured sadly.

"But safe and sound in here," Cassandra reassured him tapping her head…gosh it felt weird to have fingers again.

Chip turned back to his Mistress, "But what of the Rose child's mind?"

"Oh… tucked away…" Cassandra replied, "I can just access the surface memory," she paused again, her expression a little thoughtful as she gleaned what she could of Rose's surface memory, "She's… she's with that girl with the horrific pink hair. She's her cousin oh…" she grimaced at what she was gleaning from the blond in relation to one of her travelling companions, "And… that man… gosh!" her eyes widened, "He's the Doctor! The same Doctor with a new face!" Cassandra scowled with indigence , "That hypocrite!" she groused and turned back to the mirror she'd been examining her new face in, "I must get the name of his surgeon. I could do with a little work. Although," she murmured thoughtfully as she ran hands of her new bum turning herself so that she could check it out in the mirror, "Nice rear bumper… hmmm."

*O*O*O*

The Doctor glanced about the Ward with a slight frown before he turned to Ivy, her back to him as she looked out the window in the Face of Boe's section of the Ward, staring out towards the city of New New York.

"Ivy?"

"Hmm?" Ivy hummed in response, turning from the window to look at him.

"Do you have a phone?" he asked hopefully.

"Yeah, course," Ivy nodded, eyeing him a bit quizzically, "Don't you?"

"Not on me," the Doctor shrugged, "Would you mind?"

"Oh, sure," Ivy murmured, "Don't see why you'd want to though, doubtful that there'd be any reception," she continued as she slid her hand into jeans pocket and pulled out her phone. She peered at it, "Yeah, out of range."

"Oh, I'll soon fix that," the Doctor stated slipping Ivy's mobile from her grasp and started to fiddle, pulling the back of it off.

Ivy watched as he fiddled, her brows quirking in curiosity as he pulled the battery out of it, slipping it into one of his pockets and pulling out a completely different one from inside it. She blinked, "You carry spare phone batteries about in your pockets?"

"Hmm," the Doctor hummed in agreement, "Carry a lot of things about in my pockets. Never know what I might end up needing."

Ivy shifted, leaning slightly to peer at the pocket he'd pulled the new phone battery out of, "Doesn't look like it," she observed, there wasn't any pooching or anything that'd indicate it was stuffed full of things.

"Yes, well, they're bigger on the inside," the Doctor replied, still fiddling with her phone.

"Oh," Ivy blinked and looked up at him again, "Really?"

"Yep," the Doctor gave her a smile, "Much more convenient than carrying a bag about. Leaves your hands free for more important things," he looked back down at the phone, fiddling for a brief moment longer, before grinning, "Ah, there we are," he closed it back up and turned it over so that they could look at the screen.

"Universal roaming?" Ivy read the words that were on the screen of her phone.

"Yep told you I'd fix it," the Doctor grinned brightly, "Just let me get a hold of Rose and then you can give it a go."

"Give it a go?" Ivy blinked, "Who would I call?"

The Doctor paused, fingers poised over the buttons of her phones keypad, "What do you mean who? Friends. You do have friends, yeah?"

"Of course I've got friends… but they're all…" Ivy trailed swallowing heavily, "Shouldn't they all be… we'll, long gone by now…?"

"Humans," the Doctor sighed musingly, giving his head a light shake, "You lot all think time's so linear."

Ivy blinked and then frowned slightly, "Isn't it?"

"Nope. Not even a little," the Doctor stated, "It's more a, um…" he paused thinking of a good way to explain it, "A big ball of wibbliness."

"Wibbliness?" Ivy parroted with a bemused stare.

The Doctor grimaced lightly, it really wasn't his best, but nodded, deciding to stick with what he'd said. It was good enough, "Yes, wibbliness! It's wibbly and wobbly," he started moving his fingers over the keypad again, "Just let me call, Rose," he murmured again, "And you can find out for yourself."

Ivy bit her lower lip as he hit the call button and she heard the faint sound of it ringing out as he brought it up to his ear, waiting for her cousin to pick up.

*O*O*O*

"Oh…" Cassandra blinked as a ringing sound came from her back pocket, "It seems to be ringing…" she observed, "Is it meant to ring?" she felt her back pocket and pulled out the small strange device inside it. She peered at it, 'Ivy calling' written on the lit up screen… 'Ivy' that was Rose's cousins name… the one with the tacky pink hair…

"A primitive communications device," Chip stated and Cassandra pressed a button and a man's voice came through it.

"Rose, where are you?"

Cassandra glanced at Chip, "How does she speak?" she whispered as she brought the phone up to her ear.

"Old Earth Cockney," Chip replied.

"Uhm…" Cassandra hesitated trying to think, "Wotcha…"

"Where've you been?" the Doctor asked and Cassandra frowned slightly, "How long does it take to get to Ward 26?"

"I'm on my way, governor," Cassandra attempted, trying to sound like Old Earth Cockney even as she internally grimaced at having to do so, "I shall proceed up the Apples and Pears."

"You'll never guess," the Doctor exclaimed with excitement, not really listening all that closely to what she was saying, "Ivy and I are with the Face of Boe," he divulged enthusiastically, "Remember him?"

"Of course, I do…" Cassandra exclaimed through gritted teeth, really having no idea who the man was talking about, "That… big old boat… race…" she trailed off, floundering over her words a little, not wanting to say the wrong thing.

*O*O*O*

The Doctor frowned at that, before he was distracted by excited exclamations coming from another part of the Ward, "I'd better go…" he muttered staring curiously in the direction of the Duke of Manhattan's sick bed, "We'll see you in a minute," he hung up and passed the phone almost absently back to Ivy so that she could try it out if she wanted.

Ivy stared down at the phone in her hand for a moment, all so tempted to try and call, someone, see if it really would connect to her present… as in her present back home on Earth in the 20th century. Her gaze flicked back in the direction of the commotion and instead pocketed her phone as she followed the Doctor over to the bed, she could always try it later.

"Didn't think I was going to make it," the Duke was saying, before he caught sight of the two approaching, "It's those two again! My lucky charms. Come in," he beckoned them with an enthusiastic gesture as the Doctor scratched at his ear absentmindedly and smiled slightly, "Don't be shy."

"Any friendship expressed by the Duke of Manhattan does not constitute a form of legal contract," Clovis a flute of champagne clutched in one hand, quickly informed them, eyeing them like a hawk despite the obvious joy of the moment.

"Winch me up. Up!" the Duke ordered merrily giving his guests a thumbs up as Clovis pressed a button that had the bed beginning to tilt up, "Look at me," he exclaimed jovially, "No sign of infection."

A waiter approached the Doctor and Ivy as they stared at him with surprise, "Champagne, sir? Miss?"

"No, thanks," the Doctor declined, barely glancing at him.

"Uh, no thank you," Ivy shook her head and the waiter, his tray in hand, moved along to continue serving.

"Uh… You had Petrifold Regression, right?" the Doctor asked the Duke as he took in the man's sudden state of health with surprise… it shouldn't have been possible… not for another thousand years at least…

"'Had' being the operative word!" the Duke declared gleefully grinning broadly at his guests, "Past tense. Completely cured."

"But," the Doctor frowned disquietedly, "That's impossible…"

"Primitive species would accuse us of magic," An older nurse said as she approached them, having caught the end of the conversation. Ivy and the Doctor turning their heads to look at her, "But it is merely the tender application of science."

"How on Earth did you cure him?" the Doctor asked, eyeing the nurse, curiosity burning… how in the world had they managed it.

"How on New Earth, you might say," the nurse responded evasively, hoping to end the matter without further questioning.

"What's in the solution?" the Doctor pressed her, unwilling to be dissuaded as he continued to eye her.

"A simple remedy," the nurse replied as Ivy looked from one to the other and back again as the Doctor's somewhat perplexedly furrowed brow deepened as the conversation continued.

"Then tell me what it is," the Doctor insisted.

"I'm sorry. Patient confidentiality," the nurse stated succinctly as she eyed him, "I don't believe we've met. My name is Matron Casp."

"I'm the Doctor," the Time Lord replied.

"I think you'll find that we're the Doctors here," she turned her gaze to the young woman with pink hair beside him, "And you?" she eyed her, "I haven't seen you here before either."

"Ivy," she introduced herself.

"I see," Casp muttered, eyeing the girls strange hair for a moment before she was distracted by a call from one of Sisters.

"Matron Casp," Sister Jatt called as she approached, "You're needed in Intensive Care."

Matron Casp turned back to the visitors in the Ward, "If you would excuse me," she said to them before she turned and walked away with Sister Jatt.

Ivy turned her gaze from the retreating Matron Casp and Sister Jatt the two murmuring quietly together, to look at the Doctor again, taking in his mildly troubled expression as he stared after the two healers, "The Duke's cured," she murmured and the Doctor pulled his gaze from them to look at her, "That's a good thing, right?"

"Well yes…" the Doctor sighed, "But, how, Ivy? It shouldn't have been possible… it should have been completely impossible. So, how'd they do it?"

Ivy frowned, disquieted herself by what the Doctor was implying, "You think the Sister's aren't quite on the up and up?" she murmured softly.

"I dunno, but I intend to find out," the Doctor stated before proffering his arm to her, "Would you care to join me in perusing the 'good' Sister's medical solutions?" he asked and grinned as she smiled back, cheeks dimpling at him. He really liked her dimples. He really did. They were rather cute.

Ivy took his arm, her hand resting in the crook of his elbow, "Sure," she agreed and the Doctor started to led her across the Ward.

*O*O*O*

"This Doctor man is dangerous," Chip warned his Mistress as she fixed herself up in the mirror.

"Dangerous and clever," Cassandra glanced over at Chip briefly before going back to her reflection, "I might need a mind like his. The Sisterhood is up to something. Remember that Old Earth saying, never trust a nun? Never trust a nurse. And never trust a cat," she turned to Chip, "Perfume?"

Chip pulled a small bottle of the perfume out of his pocket and handed it over. Cassandra tucked the vial down her cleavage, before she gave herself a last once over and strode out of the room with purpose.

She could fool the Doctor and the tacky pink little thing that was tagging along for a trip. It would be no trouble at all…

*O*O*O*

"It was a perfectly normal blood wash," Sister Jatt informed Matron Casp as they walked through a dimly lit area approaching one of the many green-lit bulkhead doors, "And all of a sudden it started crying. It's this one," she opened the door so that they could peer inside, eyes immediately going to the male patient within as he reached out to them.

"Please, help me," he begged weakly.

"Look at the eyes," Sister Jatt urged Matron Casp ignoring the patients plea entirely, "So, alive."

"Positively sparkling!" Matron Casp agreed.

"Please, where am I?" the patient asked once again going ignored.

"Speech!" Matron Casp exclaimed with surprise, "How can it even have a vocabulary?" she wondered.

Sister Jatt shrugged, "Sister Corvin's written a thesis on the migration of sentience. She calls it 'The Echo of Life'. It's well worth a read."

"Help me," the patient pleaded again staring up at the two cat nurses.

"I've seen enough, thank you," Matron Casp remarked with a disgusted grimace at the diseased ridden patient. Sister Jatt promptly closed the door on the pleading patient leaving him in the dark once again, "If this happens again, we might have to review our brain stem policy," Matron Casp commented as she started off back down the rows luminous green bulkhead doors they'd passed previously.

"And what should we do with the patient?" Sister Jatt asked.

"Standard procedure. Incinerate," Matron Casp ordered dismissively.

Sister Jatt nodded and at the end of the row she reached out and grasped a handle and pulled it and the pod-like-cell the male patient was in lit up, both cat nurses ignored the terrible agonized scream that came from the pod as they continued on their way.

*O*O*O*

"Ambient temperatures stands at fourteen degrees," the female voice came over the speakers again as Ivy stood beside the Doctor as he stood, his spectacles on his nose, as he examined various IV drips, "This temperature is designed to promote healing and well-being."

Ivy turned her head looking away from the drips the Doctor was inspecting to glance towards the doors of the Ward to see if her cousin had arrived yet. She smiled with relief as one of the doors to the Ward opened and Rose stepped in, her hands fiddling with her hair, trying to pat the blond strands back into place. Ivy's smile widened as the blonde's gaze fell on her, even as her cousin seemed to pause, hesitating almost for a brief moment, before returning her smile and continuing towards them.

"You made it!" Ivy called, drawing the Doctor's attention from the IV drips he'd been examining, glancing first at Ivy then further down the Ward to his approaching companion.

"Bout time!" he exclaimed with light exasperation, beckoning her over to them with an enthusiastic wave.

"I was starting to think you'd gotten lost again," Ivy exclaimed with a teasing smile.

"Lost?" Cassandra blinked, tearing her eyes from the horribly primitive spectacles adoring the Doctor new face to look at Ivy, trying not to outwardly cringe at the tacky pink hair she was sporting, "I wasn't lost, merely… distracted."

"Right, well, whilst you were off being all distracted Ivy and I discovered something prettying interesting."

"Oh?!" Cassandra exclaimed and turned to him eyes alight with intense interest, smirking almost triumphantly, "Do tell!"

"According to the Doctor," Ivy began to explain, her cousins suddenly intently interested gaze returning to her as she continued, "The Sisterhood are curing diseases much faster than they should be able too."

"Well, it's not just me saying that," the Doctor scratched at his ear whilst Cassandra's interest flagged slightly this wasn't what she'd been hoping for. Curing things was what the Sisterhood did, it was hardly what they were hiding, "It's history. They've got medicines far beyond what they should have available to them," he explained, "Come and look at this patient!" he exclaimed as he guided Soul-Bonded and his companion over to the patient with red skin, "It's Marconi's Disease," he explained as he pulled off his glasses and tucked them away, "Should take years to recover," he continued, "Two days. I've never seen anything like it. They've invented a cell washing cascade! Their medical science is way advanced. And this one…" he led them over to another patient this one as white as his hospital gown.

"Pallidome Pancrosis. Kills you in ten minutes, and he's fine," the Doctor waved cheerily at the patient who turned his head to look at them at the sound of his voice. The Doctor turned to his companions as they began walking, "I need to find a terminal. I've got to see how they do this," the Doctor continued.

Ivy glanced at her cousin and frowned with concern, "You alright?" she murmured, drawing the blonde's gaze, her eyes a little wide, almost startled, the two pausing in their stride as the blond turned to the pinkette.

"Yes. Of course I am!" Cassandra exclaimed with a tinge of alarm entering her tone, wondering how in the world she'd managed to mess up already. Honestly the little chav shouldn't be hard to impersonate! "Why do you ask?"

Ivy blinked a little taken aback by the vehement response, "Uh, not sure," she muttered, scratching at her cheek as she eyed the blond, "Your walk seems a little different, that's all."

"Are you two even listening to me?" the Doctor huffed as he strode a few steps back over to them having belatedly realised that he'd been talking to thin air. Interrupting before Cassandra needed to try and formulate an answer.

"Yeah," Ivy nodded and the Doctor arched a brow as he levelled a sceptical look on her, "You were saying something about 'why if they've got the best medicine in the world are they keeping it such a secret'."

The Doctor beamed a grin as he nodded, "Exactly!"

Cassandra rolled her eyes, "I can't Adam and Eve it."

"Uh," Ivy blinked at her in confusion as she turned back to her cousin, "What?"

"I'm sorry?" Cassandra blinked innocently at Ivy, whilst biting back an irritated grimace, couldn't the girl just leave her alone?! Honestly?! What could she have gotten wrong now?!

"What's… what's with the voice?" the Doctor asked with confusion as he eyed the blond, he'd never heard her talk like that before, not ever.

"Oh…" Cassandra hedged, thinking rapidly, trying to head off her tiny mistake, "I don't know," she waved off airily, "Just larking about. New Earth… new me," she breathed staring at the Doctor intently as she looked him up and down with appreciation.

The Doctor blinked and his gaze lowered, landing on her shirt, the buttons that had been buttoned up before now undone, showing off more of her curves. He looked away, his gaze landing on another part of the Ward, his brow furrowing slightly, "Well, uh," he quirked his lips into a slight smile, "I can't talk. New New Doctor."

"Mmm…" Cassandra hummed with appreciation, "Aren't you just…" she all but purred and reached for him.

The Doctor let out a surprised sound as hands grabbed his face turning it so that he was facing Rose once more. His hands shot up at seeing her leaning in closer towards him, lips puckered for a kiss. His hands closed about her wrists firmly, pulling them from his face as he jerked back on instinct, staring at Rose with wide eyes, "What…?" he almost squeaked, his voice that high pitched in his alarm and shock. He cleared his throat and tried again, "What're you doing?"

"Oh…" Cassandra shrugged almost carelessly, slipping her hands from his grip, "Just test driving the new me."

"Right…" the Doctor murmured, his expression a little dubious as he eyed his blond companion, "Just keep your lips to yourself, yeah?" he grumbled, his gaze sliding helplessly to Ivy who was staring at her cousin with a mix of disbelief and concern.

"Hmm," Cassandra hummed musingly as she followed the Doctor's gaze to Ivy. It seemed that Rose had a reason to be jealous after all and the Doctor's interest in Ivy wasn't all in her head like she'd been hoping, "Suit yourself," she turned her gaze back to the Doctor, "It's your loss. I'm a class act," she winked and looked away as she thought for a moment, missing the increasingly strange looks Ivy and the Doctor where giving her as she tried to recall where the closest terminal to Ward 26 was located, "Terminal's this way," she informed them as she sauntered away, leaving the two of them to stare after her.

The Doctor sighed out a low breath and turned to Ivy, "Come on," he grasped one of her hands in his as he started after the blond.

Ivy nodded, falling into step with him, "I wonder what's gotten into Rose?" she murmured with concern as she stared at Rose's retreating back. Her cousin really was acting more than little odd since she'd joined them.

The Doctor shook his head, "I dunno," he muttered, his eyes on the blonde's back but he had a bad feeling.

*O*O*O*

Out in the waiting room of Ward 26, the Doctor stood in front of the terminal Rose had led them to, the blond and Ivy on either side of him, peering at the screen that was displaying the information he'd brought up, "Nope…" he declared, "Nothing odd… surgery… post-op… nano-dentistry… no sign of a shop… they should have a little shop."

"No, no little shop," Ivy muttered, eyes still trained on the screen, "I doubt that's what the nurses are hiding, though."

"No," Cassandra agreed as she shifted, the Doctor and Ivy glancing at her as she walked around behind them, "It's missing something else. When I was downstairs, those nurse cat nuns were talking about Intensive Care. Where is it…?"

The Doctor turned his gaze back to the screen, "You're right. Well done."

Cassandra frowned heavily as she thought, "Why would they hide a whole department?" she muttered.

"Well," Ivy murmured, "Generally people only hide what they don't want others to know. So whatever secrets the Sisterhood have… I'd bet the answers are in there."

"Well, it's got to be there somewhere," Cassandra nodded, before continuing with impatience as the Doctor did nothing to try and find it, "Search the sub-frame," she demanded.

The Doctor blinked and fought the urge to raise his brows at his blond companion, even as he eyed her contemplatively his mind working as his suspicions that something was seriously wrong with his friend deepened worrisomely, "What if the sub-frame's locked?"

Cassandra gave him a look that spoke volumes about how stupid she though the question was, "Try the installation protocol," she stated impatiently.

Ivy eyed her cousin with surprise whilst the Doctor turned back to the screen and pulled out his sonic screwdriver aiming it at the interface, "Yeah, course," he pressed a button and the sonic whirred to life, "Sorry. Hold on."

"Since when did you get so good with computers?" Ivy asked, still eyeing her cousin a bit strangely, Rose had known how to use a computers fairly competently back home, but here in the year five billion? How had she known all that?

"Oh, I just picked up a few things here and there…" Cassandra tried to wave off grimacing internally, at evidentially having slipped a little again, how was she supposed to know that 'Rose' wouldn't know that about computers? "You know, travelling about with…" she gestured at the Doctor as the sonic had the whole wall sliding down to reveal a dark corridor beyond it.

The Doctor and Ivy watched as 'Rose' smiled and walked right into the revealed passageway without hesitation.

"Did she pick up that stuff about computers whilst she was off with you?" Ivy murmured quietly her eyes on Rose's back.

"Not that I was aware of," the Doctor sighed, tucking away his sonic, "But it's possible," he admitted dubiously, before he grasped Ivy's hand and started after the blond, "Intensive Care. Certainly looks intensive," he remarked as he glanced about the corridor they'd entered.

Behind them, Novice Hame hesitated briefly as she watched the three disappear into the corridor that would take them down to Intensive Care, cautiously she followed after them, not wanting any of the three to come to harm.

*O*O*O*

The three headed down a staircase, Ivy behind the Doctor as the two of them continued to follow the blond. They descended off the last stair and into a huge cavernous room that was lined with cells with green luminous bulkhead doors… hundreds if not thousands of them… row after row after row… just going on and on… or at least it seemed to too Ivy's eyes as she peered about the large dimly lit room they'd entered.

"What are they?" Ivy murmured lowly and the Doctor came to a stop by one and opened it, "Oh my God!" she breathed horrified as their eyes landed on a man who was covered in boil-like pustules his skin a sickly colour and surrounded by a strange smoke – just staring at them with eyes that were dull and almost lifeless and yet filled with pain and endless suffering.

Cassandra made a disgusted face at the sight of him, "That's disgusting," she remarked, her tone echoing the disgust on her face her lips twitching down into a sneer.

"It's horrible," Ivy murmured sadly, fingers pressed to her lips, staring at the man who barely seemed to register their presence, or maybe he didn't at all. She couldn't tell just how aware he was beyond his suffering.

"What's wrong with him?" Cassandra demanded to know taking a small step back from the man in the cell.

"I'm sorry," the Doctor murmured, "I'm so sorry," he apologized horrified, a simmer of anger beginning to simmer as things started to click into place. He closed the door of the cell-like pod and shifted over to the next one. Opening it to reveal a very ill young woman, as ill as the man in the first cell-like pod had been.

"She's the same," Ivy murmured dubiously, her eyes troubled as she peered at the woman, that seemed as unware of them as the man had been, "She's got the exact same symptoms," the Doctor nodded grimly, jaw clenching as his anger simmered to a bubble

"What disease is that?!" Cassandra demanded to know eyeing the revealed woman who looked no better than the man, two fingers pinching her nose as she stared with equal disgust, not noticing the unimpressed look Ivy gave her for her tone, the pinkette's brow furrowed, honestly this wasn't like Rose at all.

"All of them," the Doctor replied solemnly drawing Ivy's attention again, her eyes widening with increasing horror as the Time Lord continued, "Every single disease in the galaxy. They've been infected with everything."

"Everything?!" Ivy exclaimed with horror, her gaze going to long seemingly endless row of pods they were standing by, "So, every one of these pods has…" she trailed swallowing heavily at the horror of it.

"Oh yes," the Doctor agreed darkly, his brown eyes hardening with his disgusted horrified anger at what was being done to these people, "Every single one."

"What about us?" Cassandra demanded again, eyeing the person in the pod like it was her worst enemy, backing up another step from the open pod, "Are we safe?"

"The airs sterile," the Doctor replied, "Just don't touch them," he warned before he closed the lid of the pod and moved to look over the railing, Ivy and Rose following him.

Ivy's green eyes widened, "Oh…" she swallowed heavily as her horror grew, "Oh my God… there's so many…!" she trailed as she felt the Doctor's hand touch hers and she grasped it gladly as she stared with continued horror as the seemingly endless rows of green lit closed doors of pods, the Doctor's hand squeezed about her own, wanting nothing more than to offer her comfort as he tore his gaze from the pods to glance at his Soul-Bonded's horror stricken face.

"How many patients are there?" Cassandra wondered aloud.

"They're not patients," the Doctor responded his voice cool with his simmering anger.

"But they're sick," Cassandra pointed out.

"And hidden away in the dark," Ivy murmured with a horrified shake of her head.

"They were born sick," the Doctor stated angrily, his hand tightening about Ivy's again, feeling her warm hand tremble slightly in his own, "They're meant to be sick. They exist to be sick. Lab rats. No wonder the Sisters have got a cure for everything. They've built the ultimate research laboratory. A human farm."

"Why don't they just die?" Cassandra asked with a mildly perturbed shake of her head.

"Plague carriers," the Doctor replied, "The last to go."

"It's for the greater cause," the voice of Novice Hame came from down the corridor and the three turned to look at her.

"Novice Hame, when you took your vows, did you agree to this?" the Doctor asked as he eyed her coldly.

"The Sisterhood has sworn to help," Novice Hame replied simply, standing calmly under the cold eyes of the Doctor and the incredulous one of Ivy, whilst the blond who's name she was unsure of merely stared at her almost calculative.

"What, by killing?!" the Doctor couldn't help but shout incredulously.

"This isn't helping," Ivy murmured, shaking her head, frowning heavily at Novice Hame, "It's torture. You're torturing these people!"

"But they're not real people," Novice Hame responded her voice gentle.

Ivy eyebrows shot up as her incredulousness grew, "Not real?!" she exclaimed.

"They're specially grown," Novice Hame attempted to explain, her voice still gentle in an attempt to be soothing, "They have no proper existence."

"Because you haven't allowed them one!" Ivy exclaimed, "You made them and you've just left them to suffer! Alone in the dark!"

"What's the turnover, hmm?" the Doctor demanded to know as he advanced on the calm Novice Hame dangerously, his brown eyes flinty in his disgusted fury, "Thousand a day?" he postulated angrily, "Thousand the next? Thousand the next? How many thousands? For how many years? How many?!"

"Mankind needed us," Novice Hame replied sidestepping the question, knowing that whatever answer she gave, the angry man before her wouldn't be appeased… so it would be better to say nothing on it… for there had been many and for so long… "They came to this planet with so many illnesses. We couldn't cope. We did try," she attempted to assure, "We tried everything. We tried using clone-meat and bio-cattle… but the results were too slow, so the Sisterhood grew its own flesh. That's all they are. Flesh."

Ivy shook her head, heart heavy in her chest and her stomach churning sickeningly as she thought of all the people suffering alone, deadly ill with no reprieve or comfort from a loved one… not having known any all their lives, and worse they'd all been infected deliberately, "No," she murmured firmly, her green eyes hardening as her gaze met Novice Hame's all so calm eyes, "They're more than that."

The Doctor nodded adamantly, eyeing Hame with increasing disgust, "These people are alive!" he stated firmly.

"But think of those humans out there, healthy… and happy, because of us," Novice Hame urged, her voice still gentle and soothing.

The Doctor glared at her, "If they live because of this, then life is worthless."

"But who are you to decide that?" Novice Hame questioned.

The Doctor stepped forward, "Well, I'm the Doctor," he stated more calmly then he felt as Novice Hame stared at him, "And if you don't like it, if you want to take this to a higher authority, then there isn't one. It stops with me."

"Just to confirm," Cassandra said peering over the Doctor's shoulder at Novice Hame, "None of the humans in the city actually know about this?" she enquired and Ivy turned her incredulous, but now also once again concerned gaze to her cousin. She really wasn't acting like herself… not at all.

"We thought it best not…" Novice Hame began.

"And doesn't that just speak volumes of how wrong you know this is," Ivy muttered her gaze narrowing as she returned to looking at Hame.

"Hold on," the Doctor cut in, staring with cold simmering fury as his concern for his blond companion only grew, "I can understand the bodies. I can understand your vows. One thing I can't understand, what have you done to Rose?"

Novice Hame stared at them in confusion, her gaze drifting to the young blond with the two who'd been visiting her charge in the Ward, "I don't know what you mean."

"And I'm being very, very calm," the Doctor informed her with a deadly quiet voice as he continued to stare icily, "You want to be aware of that. Very, very calm. And the only reason I'm being so very, very calm is that the brain is a delicate thing. Whatever you've done to Rose's brain, I want it reversed."

Ivy stiffened with alarm, her eyes going to Rose again, who was acting so strangely before they returned to the Doctor, "They did something to my cousins brain?!" she exclaimed, her green eyes going accusingly to Hame.

"It's the only explanation that makes sense," the Doctor murmured in reply, cold gaze still fixed on Hame.

Ivy frowned, her heart beating uncomfortably in her chest as concern for her cousin shifted to fear for her, "Why would you do that? Why would you mess around with a healthy brain?!" Ivy shook her head, "How can you call yourselves healers?! Doctors?!"

"We haven't done anything," Novice Hame attempted to assure, rather horribly confused in this instance.

"I'm perfectly fine," Cassandra attempted to wave off their assumptions.

"You're acting like you're a completely different person!" Ivy countered, turning her gaze back to her cousin.

"Nonsense," Cassandra tried, "I'm just… exploring the new me," she attempted to explain it away once again.

"These people are dying, and Rose would care," the Doctor stated, still staring coolly at Novice Hame, determined to get answers from her about what had befallen his friend inside this hospital.

"Ooh, all right, you pair of clever clogs," Cassandra huffed conceding defeat, before she smiled flirtatiously stepping towards the Doctor, "Smarty pants…" she tugged at his tie playfully and her voice turned husky, "Lady-Killer…"

The Doctor pulled his tie out of her hands, "Stop it," he demanded, eyeing his friend with concerned and troubled eyes, "What's happened to you?"

"I knew something was going on in this hospital, but I needed this body and your mind," she said with a gesture in the Doctor's direction, "To figure it out."

Ivy frowned, eyeing her cousin, "You needed a body…?" her eyes widened with alarm, "So, you're not Rose?"

Cassandra rolled her eyes, "Isn't that what I just said?"

"So," Ivy frowned deeper, "Where is Rose then?" she questioned, shifting closer as she demanded to know, "What have you done with her?"

"Oh… she's about…" Cassandra waved off airily.

The Doctor eyed the blond, "Who are you?"

Cassandra flipped some of her hair back over her shoulder. She was actually really enjoying having hair again. She'd forgotten how pleasant having hair could be, soft against fingers, even having fingers again was rather delightful, "The Last Human."

"Um… what?" Ivy blinked confused, "The Last… isn't there millions of Humans…"

"Oh, please," Cassandra huffed, "They're mutant stock," she sniffed superiorly, "I'm the only one that counts."

The Doctor's eyes widened in realization and he gaped slightly, rather unpleasantly surprised at the revelation, "Cassandra?"

Cassandra reached into her cleavage, "Wake up and smell the perfume," she stated in a bit of a rush as she quickly squirted the bottle, spraying it over the Doctor's face and then Ivy's as the girl let out a shocked exclamation of the Time Lord's name as the Doctor began to crumple to the floor. The two passing out the moment the powerful, quick working, somewhat sweet scented sedative hit their noses.

Novice Hame hurried over to the two that had fallen unconscious, "You've hurt them," she gaped as she knelt down beside them, checking them over, "I don't understand," she shook her head and looked up at the blond, "I'll have to fetch Matron."

"You do that, 'cos I want to see her," Cassandra said smirking smugly, basking in her triumph over the those that'd seen to the death of her beautiful skin all those years ago on Platform One, "Now, run along!" she pulled a power cable, ripping it out, causing an alarm to blare loudly as Hame turned and ran to do as she'd promised, "Sound the alarm!" she crowed, before she turned to the two crumpled unconscious on the floor, her gaze shrewdly contemplative as she pondered how best to deal with the two.

*O*O*O*

Novice Hame dashed to the Matron and Sister Jatt, the two entering Ward 26's waiting room, "Matron," she gasped urgently, "It's that man, and the girl and another blond girl," she hastened to try and explain.

"We heard the alarm," Matron Casp nodded, "Now get back to work," she ordered, "Tend to your patients."

Hame nodded, turning her head to watch briefly as Matron Casp and Sister Jatt started for the open hidden door into the Intensive Care Ward.

*O*O*O*

The Doctor slowly drifted back to consciousness, first becoming aware of an uncomfortable hardness at his back and a warm soft, weight on top of him, soft warm puffs of air against his throat. He blinked open his eyes and focused immediately on the pinkette lying atop of him, soundly sleeping and he could have almost smiled… if it weren't for the eerie all too familiar green glow of one the plague carrier cells that was surrounding them, "Ivy!" he exclaimed and she groaned stirring against him, "Ivy!"

"Hmm…" Ivy shifted slightly and opened her eyes, "Wha…?" she immediately frowned and stiffened at the position she was in her mind fuzzy, "Doctor…?! Ow!" she bemoaned as the back of her head hit against the tightly closed lid of the cell, "Oh my God!" she breathed with horror as she realised just where they were, "Cassandra!"

"Let us out!" the Doctor shouted as alarmed as Ivy at being trapped inside, shifting, trying to wiggle, anything, but with the both of them inside the cell built only for one, wiggle room was none existent, in fact his nose bumped against hers as she tried to shift too, "Let us out!" he shouted again as Ivy shifted again her cheeks flushing lightly as she bumped her knee against his.

"Sorry," she muttered.

"Aw, the two sleepyheads are awake are they?" Cassandra cooed as she stepped into view peering in at the two and the Doctor's gaze locked on her whilst Ivy did her best to crane her head around to glare at her, "Aren't you two lucky there was a spare?"

"Cassandra! Let us out!" Ivy demanded, shifting again, honestly she couldn't help it, it was so cramped and uncomfortable, barely felt like there was room to breathe, she could feel the Doctor's breath puffing against her face jerking a bit as she did so and her head bumped against the Doctor's and she winced at the small flare of pain, "Sorry!" she apologised again, flushing slightly as she felt the Doctor shift under her weight, one of his knees brushing against her inner thigh… reminding her that they were pressed rather intimately together in the confined space, making her want to squirm a bit self-consciously.

"Sorry and it's fine," the Doctor murmured with a mild grimace, a fine pink not really noticeable in the green hue of the cell dusting his cheeks as he shifted his leg away.

"Standing room only I'm afraid," Cassandra chortled with wicked amusement as she peered in at them, "It might be a bit cramped with two, but well," she shrugged carelessly, "I couldn't be bothered searching about for another spare. Besides I didn't think you'd mind too much. In fact," Cassandra smirked smugly as her gaze went to the Doctor, who was glaring at her harshly, "I thought you might even appreciate it," she cooed.

"Oh yeah," Ivy huffed sassily, "I feel real appreciative, right now," she wiggled a bit again, her forehead getting dangerously close to bumping into his again, the tip of her nose brushing against his cheek.

The Doctor swallowed a little thickly, his eyes narrowing further on his companions familiar face as his hearts picked up a little speed as he tried to not let his Soul-Bonded's squirming distract him to heavily, whilst his fingers twitched with the desire to be able to hold her closer to him. Hug her to his chest. To protect her, "You've stolen Rose's body."

"Over the years, I've thought of a thousand ways to kill you, Doctor," Cassandra retorted, glowering back at him through the glass, "And now, that's exactly what I've got. One thousand diseases," she crowed and the Doctor and Ivy stiffened with realisation, "They pump the patients with a top-up every ten minutes, you'll infect your little friend the moment your infected getting you both out of my way rather nicely," she sighed out a satisfied breath, "I do love it when the trash takes care of itself don't you?" she let out a small laugh, "Hmm… and by my count you've got about three minutes left. Do enjoy yourselves."

The Doctor shifted, desperation threatening to rise, fear for not just himself but for his Soul-Bonded, he had his little cheat if worse came to worse but Ivy… Ivy was so fragilely human… she'd either linger in agony or die almost immediately from the onslaught of the all the diseases attacking her system, "Cassandra, Ivy hasn't done anything to you!" he begged and Ivy blinked her wide green eyes focusing on him with no small amount of surprise at his selfless plea, "Just let her go! Let Ivy out of here! Please! Cassandra!"

"Oh, but I couldn't," Cassandra simpered, "I can't have her free to help you out of your little death chamber, Doctor. And this way," she mused almost sounding a little sympathetic for the girl that hadn't done anything to earn her displeasure aside from her tacky pink hair, "Neither of you will die alone. Isn't that sweet of me?" she simpered with a bit of a sniff, "I'm such a kind soul, really."

"Oh! The epitome of!" Ivy sassed with irritation as she felt the Doctor shift beneath her again, some of his soft hair that was in a messy disarray brushing against the side of her face, "Now prove it and let my cousin go!"

"Oh, I will," Cassandra assured, "As soon as I've found someone younger, and less common, then I'll junk her with the waste," she stated rather spitefully, still feeling rather vindictive towards the blond whose body she was inhabiting, "Now hushaby," she shushed the two in the cell before either could reply as Matron Casp and Sister Jatt approached and she turned from the cell to look at the two cat nuns, "It's showtime."

"Anything we can do to help?" Sister Jatt asked.

"Straight to the point, Whiskers. I want money," Cassandra demanded confidently as she stared them down.

Inside the cell Ivy blinked, her brows shooting upwards, "Seriously?!" she huffed a bit incredulously her gaze turning to the Doctor, "Money?!"

"Not a surprise," the Doctor muttered as he shifted, trying to wriggle his hands free, "Considering her previous track record."

"Track record?" Ivy questioned.

"Last time we met," the Doctor muttered still trying to free his hands, "She'd tried to initiate a hostage situation to claim insurance money," his expression darkened with memories, "Four people died due to her schemes."

"Oh…" Ivy murmured and swallowed a little heavily, "But you stopped her…?" she more stated than asked.

"Yeah, I did…" the Doctor muttered, his tone turning a little bitter, "Though not as permanently as I'd thought."

"The Sisterhood is a charity," Matron Casp replied calmly as she returned Cassandra's gaze, "We don't give money. We only… accept."

"The Humans across the water pay you a fortune," Cassandra refuted, "And that's exactly what I need. A one-off payment," she assured, "That's all I want… oh," she adjusted as a thought occurred to her, "And perhaps a yacht. In return for which, I shall tell the City nothing of your institutional murder."

"So…" Ivy murmured the voices of those outside the cramped little cell still reaching them as Cassandra attempted to blackmail herself a fortune from the Sisterhood, "How do we get out? – Can we get out?"

"Well…" the Doctor sighed, stilling in his wiggling, giving up on trying to get his wrists free, "The pods only open from the outside."

"Right… course," Ivy nodded her understanding, the Sisterhood wouldn't want their plague victims to be able to get free, "… What about your sonic screwdriver..." she continued a bit hopefully, "Could that maybe…?"

"I can't reach it," the Doctor admitted, trying to tug his wrists free again, "She's got me secured in here… wanted to make sure I got infected I imagine."

Ivy grimaced, "Well, she didn't exactly secure me…" she swallowed, shifting a little slowly, trying to move her arms up in the confined space, "Which pocket?"

The Doctor blinked and then grinned, "Left inside jacket pocket," he stated.

"Ok… just give me a sec…" Ivy trailed as she shifted a little more in the cramped space, wiggling her hands up towards his jacket, "Just… sorry…" she muttered as she accidently bumped his leg with her knee again, "God, these things are cramped," she huffed.

"Yes," the Doctor nodded in agreement, his eyes on her face that was set with determination, "Well, they are built for one."

"You're tellin' me," Ivy muttered with a bit of a wry smile and then blinked, "Blimey!" she exclaimed as she managed to get her hand into his left inside jacket pocket with an effort, "You weren't kidding! They are bigger on the inside!" and the Doctor couldn't help but grin a bit in amusement at the surprise on her face, "How'd you ever find anything in them?"

"They're my pockets," the Doctor said in way of explanation and Ivy shook her head a bit amused despite the rather terrifying situation they were in.

"Is it a deal?" Cassandra asked with a bit of impatience as the Matron simply stared at her still completely calm, whilst Sister Jatt calmly pressed a few buttons on a remote.

"I'm afraid not," Matron Casp broke her silence.

"I'd really advice you to think about this," Cassandra urged, her brow furrowing with displeasure at the answer.

"Oh, there's no need," Casp assured, "I have to decline."

"I'll tell them!" Cassandra exclaimed a bit desperately, "And you've no way of stopping me! You're not exactly Nuns with Guns… you're not even armed!" she scoffed.

"Oh!" Ivy exclaimed as her hand that was grasping about in his bigger on the inside pocket closed about a slender device, "I think I found it!" she cheered and she pulled it out, hissing out a pained breath as her elbow hit against the closed lid of the pod.

"Brilliant!" the Doctor nodded, "Now just point and click!" he urged wiggling his hands, greatly wanting his wrists free of the binds securing them into the pod.

Ivy shifted again, pointing the blue tipped end of the sonic screwdriver in the direction of his right wrist and clicked the button, the sonic whirring softly to life in her hand and the Doctor's wrist slid free and he pulled it away with relief.

"Who needs arms when we have claws?" Casp replied, her upper lip curling upwards as she extended her claws and hissed menacingly at the Human that had dared try and blackmail the Sisterhood.

"Well," Cassandra swallowed nervously, "Nice try. Chip?" she called as she spun around to face where he'd been waiting nearby, "Plan B!"

Chip nodded and immediately reached for the lever, grasping it firmly and yanked it.

Ivy paused the sonic screwdriver still in hand, having just freed the Doctor's left wrist, as the door to the pod they'd been shut into suddenly swung open, "That wasn't me!" she exclaimed as the Doctor was taking the sonic back from her. The two didn't hesitate as they all but leapt out of the pod-like cell.

The Doctor's hand shot to Ivy's pulling her closer to him protectively as he took in the situation they were now in as dazed infected patients stepped out of their pods, the doors to them having swung open when theirs had, "What have you done?" he shouted at Cassandra who was slowly backing away.

"Gave them a shot of adrenaline, just to wake them up," Cassandra shouted back, eyeing the freed diseased patients nervously, "See ya!" she called as she turned and fled jumping out of the way of the infected as she did so, Chip close on her heels.

"Don't touch them!" the Doctor shouted the warning urgently after the fleeing blond. He paused only a moment longer to look at the two healers of the Sisterhood, "Whatever you do, don't touch!" he warned them, before he tightened his grip on Ivy's hand determined to keep her safe and with him before he took off down the hall after Cassandra, Ivy swiftly falling into step with him, her green eyes wide.

"I think we should withdraw," Sister Jatt suggested.

"We understood what you did to us. As part of the machine, we know the machine," one of the male patients told them.

"Fascinating," Casp mused eyeing it as she backed away, "It's actually constructing an argument."

"And we… will end it," he finished and he reached over and jammed his hand forcefully into a socket, getting electrocuted and shorting out the controls and all the cell doors in Intensive Care blew, freeing the infected patients inside the pods.

*O*O*O*

Cassandra screamed shrilly as the pods opened and more and more infected patients lumbered free, dazed and sluggish, along the row she, Chip, the Doctor and Ivy were dashing down. The three of them moving as fast as they could. The Time Lord's hand tight about Ivy's, the pinkette's hand clutching his just as tightly.

*O*O*O*

"They're free!" Sister Jatt cried as she looked over the railing at all the open pods, "By the Goddess Santori, the flesh is free!"

"Stop the pain," the patients chanted in a low murmur as they shuffled forward and Sister Jatt backed away separated from Matron Casp, soon finding herself up against a wall. One of the patients, a woman reached out and touched Sister Jatt's face and she screamed in agony… as the same boils on the patients immediately broke out of her skin… her scream cut off as she crumpled to the floor dead.

*O*O*O*

"Oh my God…" Cassandra cried aghast and horrified as they jerked to a stop as more of the infected patients shambled dazedly out of their cell-like pods, all of them opening.

"What the hell have you done?" the Doctor demanded of Cassandra again as he turned to her.

"It wasn't me!" Cassandra protested.

"Well, you set some of them free," Ivy retorted, "No doubt they wanted to free their fellows…" she hypothesised, before she bit her lower lip, "I would," she mumbled and Cassandra rolled her eyes, her arms crossing over her chest, before she blinked at the feeling, it'd been so long since she'd had any sort of curves to speak of… so much she'd forgotten about having a body as Ivy continued, "I wouldn't want to leave them in there to suffer either."

"One touch and you get every disease in the world, and I want that body safe," the Doctor rounded on Cassandra.

"We want that body safe," Ivy added as she glanced about the catwalk they'd stopped on, her eyes widening with alarm, "And they're catching up!"

The Doctor looked the way they'd come, to that the infected were indeed starting to close the distance that they'd managed to put between them, "Right!" he turned back to them, "Ivy, Cassandra, we've got to go down!"

"But there's thousands of them!" Cassandra exclaimed fearfully as the infected patients shambled closer.

"Down sounds better than standing still!" Ivy rebutted, her heart pounding in her chest fearfully as the infected continued towards them.

"Run!" the Doctor urged, shifting his grip on Ivy's hand as he burst into motion, Ivy and Cassandra moving with him, the blond with a lingering dubious reluctance to comply. 'Down' just didn't seem all that smart... "Down!" the Doctor continued to urge Cassandra on as she hesitated to descend the stairs they'd come upon, "Down!" he insisted urgently, "Go down!" and Cassandra compiled with no other choice available to her as she hurriedly descended the stairs, terror coursing through her veins as her heart pounded in her chest uncomfortably.

*O*O*O*

In another part of Intensive Care Matron Casp managed to reach a telephone, she immediately picked it up and hurriedly brought it to her ear, "Quarantine the building!" she shouted the order before she dropped it and dashed away, barely managing to escape some of the infected as the hospital started to shut down, as it initiated its quarantine countermeasure protocols in response to the issued order. Shutters slamming down across the windows and the doors of the building sealing staff, patients and visitors alike inside.

"Repeat, this building is under quarantine," the announcement came over the speaker system again, "No one may leave the premises. Repeat, no one may leave the premises."

*O*O*O*

On the stairs Cassandra, the Doctor, Ivy and Chip continued to hurry down them, the infected patients following them, their legs getting a bit steadier under them now, their arms outstretched, reaching for them, fingers grasping, outstretched to touch them.

"Keep going!" the Doctor ordered, continuing to urge Ivy ahead of him on the stairs as he followed closely behind them, "Go down!"

"Alright! Alright! Stop nagging!" Cassandra grumbled, a bit breathless from the run, whilst concentrating on moving as fast as possible down the stairs without trip and tumbling down them… it'd be mortifying and not to mention painful!

"Well, move!" the Doctor insisted, scowling at the back of the blonde's head, "You're slowing down."

"Well, excuse me for not being used to legs!" Cassandra shot back with irritation.

"Yes, yes," the Doctor grumbled just as irritated with the situation, "I'm sure you're missing your skin trampoline right about now…" he huffed with agitated sarcasm and Ivy blinked with surprise and shock and bit of disquiet at the image that gave, "Here's an idea why don't you go back to it… oh wait…"

"Well," Cassandra huffed waspishly rather affronted by the reminder of what had happened to her first skin on Platform One, "There's no need to get snippy!"

"Could we perhaps focus on the 'getting out of this situation alive' thing?" Ivy huffed with exasperation, "You two can snipe and snip at each other all you like then… well," she added as she scratched at the back of her right shoulder with an agitated movement as that annoying itch flared again, "After you've given my cousins body back to her, that is. And make no mistake," Ivy narrowed her eyes on Cassandra as the other woman continued to hurry down the stairs ahead of her, "You will be giving it back…"

"Oh, keep barking, Pinkie," Cassandra huffed, "You don't scare me. I'm not giving this body up till I've found something better. Classier, less chav…"

Ivy's eyes narrowed further, affronted at the insult to her cousin, "Oh, shut up, Cassandra!" the Doctor ordered, his own eyes narrowed on the 'Last Human' rather irritated at the way she'd just spoken to his Soul-Bonded, "We're tired of listening to you!"

"I'm not!" Chip spoke up suddenly, "I never tire of listening to the Mistress," he declared, "She has such a pretty voice."

And Cassandra smiled slightly, rather flattered by the compliment, despite the fear that was compelling her to continue to bolt as fast as she could manage down the stairs far more than the irritating Doctor's instance that she keep moving. It was so nice to hear them and Chip always seemed to say the sweetest things.

*O*O*O*

The door to Intensive Care opened and the infected reached out into the hospital, whispering 'help us', 'save us' plaintively as they grasped the hand of a surprised woman who'd been standing by it when it opened.

The woman's eyes widened as pain blistered through her immediately at the skin to skin contact, terror shooting through her, "Help me!" she cried as the same pustules spotting the infected skin broke out over hers.

*O*O*O*

Cassandra, Ivy, Chip and the Doctor descended off the last flight of stairs and quickly made their way through a door into the basement. Cassandra immediately made a beeline for the lift and frantically pushed the call button.

"No," the Doctor said as he stopped, "The lifts have closed down. That's the quarantine. Nothing's moving."

"So, where do we go from here then?" Ivy asked glancing about the area they'd ran into, the sounds of the sounds of the infected patients reaching them as they began to converge on the corridor behind them.

"Uh, well…" the Doctor trailed, tugging at his ear as he too glanced about the area, not exactly all that familiar with the hospital they were in.

"This way!" Cassandra called, dashing the other way as fast as she could, eager to put more distance between herself and the infected that seemed hell bent on chasing them through the hospital basement. The Doctor and Ivy swiftly chasing after her. Chip however, who hadn't moved fast enough was cut off from being able to follow as more and more of the diseased patients spilled out of the converging corridor.

Chip's scared whimper as he cringed backwards had the Doctor and Ivy slowly, the pinkette's eyes widening in alarmed horror at seeing the pale skinned man's predicament as the patients shambled towards him, hands stretched towards him, "Oh my God!"

"Someone will touch him!" the Doctor exclaimed starting back towards him, not wanting to leave the man behind. Ivy shifting to follow him, her heart pounding against her ribcage, only for the two of them to be brought up short as Cassandra snagged them by their arms, drawing their attention back to her.

"Leave him!" Cassandra demanded shrilly, "He's just a clone thing! He's only got a half-life…" she released them, turning again to continue her sprint down the corridor, "Come on!" she called to them over her shoulder.

"Mistress!" Chip called pitifully as he watched her leave him, not even looking back as she ran for her life.

The Doctor hesitated torn, Ivy stood beside him as he looked from the running Cassandra and then back to Chip, "I'm sorry," he apologised sincerely, "I can't let her escape!" he explained his hearts heavy in his chest. He grasped Ivy's hand firmly in his to make sure she was with him as he turned and raced after Cassandra. Unwilling to let anything remotely similar happen to her... he wouldn't let it.

"Truly sorry!" Ivy called sincerely, before she ripped her eyes away from the cringing Chip as she allowed herself to be pulled into motion, her heart heavy in her chest as she fell into step with the Doctor as she ran after Cassandra, knowing that the Time Lord was right. They couldn't let Cassandra get away for her cousins sake, who knew what would happen to Rose if that body snatcher managed to escape them… she swallowed heavily, they'd probably never see Rose again… and she'd have to tell Jackie… Ivy swallowed heavily again, leaving Chip behind like that though… it felt truly awful!

The Doctor glanced at her, his own heavy hearts at having to leave the poor man behind sinking further at the look on her face and his hand tightened about her a bit more in the hopes of offering some comfort. This really wasn't the first trip he'd been envisioning for her when he'd decided on New Earth as their destination after she'd pointed in the direction she'd had. It was supposed to be fun and show her the wondrous side of travelling through time and space.

"My Mistress!" Chip cried terrified as the diseased patients closed in about him, he glanced around frantically and upon spying the waste chute, he spun towards it, bolting back the way they'd come to reach it and jumped into it without any hesitation, sliding down it and away from the advancing patients.

*O*O*O*

Clovis ran through a set of sliding doors and into the waiting area of Ward 26, "Excuse me…" she called out with irritation, "Can we get some service?" she stared in confusion at the empty room. The Intensive Care door opened and the diseased patients spilled into the room.

"Please!" one of the boil covered women cried plaintively.

Clovis screamed horrified, she hit an alarm to seal the ward and fled as fast as her legs could carry her.

*O*O*O*

Cassandra, Ivy and the Doctor burst through another door, this time into the area of the basement Cassandra had hidden herself away in during her illicit stay in the hospital. The Doctor slammed the door shut behind them, Ivy panting for breath slightly, her limbs slightly trembling from the adrenaline coursing through her after their long run. Whilst Cassandra raced over to the opposite door and pulled it open, only to slam it shut again immediately at the sight of the infected patients lumbering towards it.

"We're trapped!" Cassandra wailed rather terrified as she turned back to the two trapped with her in the large derelict part of the basement, "What am I going to do?!"

"Well, for starters," the Doctor began angrily, "You're going to leave that body," he gestured towards the shorted out psychograft as he continued vehemently, "That psychograft is banned on every civilised planet! You're compressing Rose to death!"

Ivy stiffened as her eyes widened with alarm and fear for her cousin at that, at the very real possibility of losing her, "You horrid…" she trailed before something cruel and cutting could escape her, "Get out of my cousin!"

"But," Cassandra protested eyeing the two of them, "I've got nowhere to go. My original skin's dead."

"You shouldn't have used that thing in the first place then," Ivy shook her head and pinned Cassandra with a look, "I want my cousin back."

"Not our problem," the Doctor stated coldly, "You can float as atoms in the air. Now, get out," he aimed the sonic towards her threateningly, "Give Rose back her body."

"Oh, fine!" Cassandra huffed, eyeing the two standing across from her off, "You two can't say you didn't ask for it," she grumbled at them a bit sourly, completely unamused by either choice in that moment, before she took a deep breath and expelled it.

The Doctor's eyes widened with alarm and anger as a cloud of light floated swiftly through the air from Rose to Ivy, "Cassandra!" he shouted a second before the cloud swiftly entered Ivy before the pinkette could do more than widen her eyes and stumble back a bit in protest, his hand tightening about the sonic as he aimed it at Ivy… at Cassandra as her consciousness settled over Ivy's successfully compressing it as she had Rose's earlier.

"Blimey my head," Rose groaned, feeling a little dizzy and then blinked as she straightened up with alarm as she glanced about for Cassandra, "Where'd she go?"

"Urgh!" Cassandra grimaced as she touched the soft pink strands of the hair she was now sporting as she resided in Ivy's body, "Pink! I'm tacky!" she bemoaned her fate, "First a chav," she griped and Rose scowled at her affronted, "Now I'm tacky…" she trailed blinking, ignoring the glowering Doctor and the sonic pointed at her as she skimmed Ivy's surface memories that she could reach, "Oh, it's a dye job, that's not so bad… not a mutant freak thing at least…" she trailed again, some of the wind leaving her sails as she hit on the basic reason as to why Ivy was dying her hair, "Oh…"

"Cassandra," the Doctor cut in his voice deadly quiet as fury boiled in him, his brown gaze flinty as he regarded the woman that was residing inside his Soul-Bonded's body, "Get out of her," he demanded.

"Oh, but…" Cassandra tried to protest, whilst Rose looked from her body snatched cousin to the Doctor and back again, swallowing heavily at the look on his face, the obvious fury darkening his face, a fury that only grew at Cassandra's attempt at protest.

The Doctor clenched his jaw, his hand tightening further about his sonic that he had pointed at her menacingly, "Do not make me tell you twice."

"I don't have anywhere to go," Cassandra repeated her protest to expelling herself a second time, even as she eyed the furious Time Lord in front of her a bit nervously.

"Atoms, air," the Doctor repeated tersely, "I don't care, just get out of her!" he demanded, jerking his sonic screwdriver at her menacingly, "Give her back to me."

"Oh, fine!" Cassandra huffed, shifting with irritation, "But remember you asked for it," she muttered before taking another deep breath and expelling herself into the air, Ivy stumbling slightly as Cassandra left the cloud of light swiftly gliding through the air and into the Doctor.

"Oh, boy…" Ivy groaned a hand going to her head, "Not pleasant," she muttered with a slight grimace.

"Tell me about it," Rose groused, grimacing herself.

Ivy's head shot up, her eyes wide as she focused her gaze on her cousin who sounded much like herself… "Wait…! Where'd she go…?!"

"Oh, my…" Ivy and Rose heard the Doctor say a strange tenor to his voice and the two turned their heads to look at him, "This is different…"

"Cassandra?" Ivy and Rose questioned as they eyed him.

Cassandra ignored their question as she assessed herself, "Goodness me, I'm a man… yum… so many parts. And hardly used," she exclaimed, "Oh… oh, two hearts!" Cassandra wiggled about crazily as Ivy and Rose watched her, "Oh, baby, I'm beating out a samba!"

"Get out of him," Rose demanded.

"Oo, he's slim, and a little bit foxy," Cassandra remarked running a hand down the body the Doctor's body. She smirked over at Rose, "You've thought so too. I've been inside your head," she stated and Rose stiffened slightly and bit her lower lip as Cassandra in the Doctor's body stepped a little closer to her, "You've been looking… you like it," she paused, "To bad for you he hasn't been looking back, eh?"

Rose swallowed heavily, hurting as her heart ached with renewed pain at the reminder that he hadn't been showing all that much interest in her… he'd been too busy looking at Ivy like she was fascinating instead.

Ivy scowled at Cassandra as she turned her gaze from her cousins hurt face back to the body snatcher, "Shut up!" she demanded, "And get out of him!" no sooner had the last word left her mouth then the diseased patients managed to burst through the doors and into the derelict basement room, making the three jump.

"What do we do?" Cassandra panicked, "What would he do? The Doctor, what the hell would he do?"

"Get out of him and he can tell us!" Ivy exclaimed in retort.

"Not happening," Cassandra refuted adamantly.

Rose spun around, a bit frantic herself, "Ladder…" she shouted as she spotted it near the back of the room, a ladder that went all the way up to the ceiling and into a kind of shaft, "Ivy," she immediately reached for her cousins hand taking it in hers without hesitation as she swiftly started for it, "Come on, we gotta go up!"

Ivy nodded her agreement only for Cassandra to shove the two out of the way in her frantic bid to get to the ladder herself, "Out of the way, pinkie, blondie," she demanded.

"Oh, she's really unlikable, isn't she?" Ivy muttered with a grimace as she and Rose continued to hurry to the ladder.

"Hate her," Rose agreed, scowling at the woman in the Doctor's body as they reached the bottom of the ladder, "Come on up quick!" she urged Ivy ahead of her up the ladder, "I promised mum I'd look after you."

"Anyone would think you were the older cousin," Ivy muttered, but scrambled up ahead of her cousin, they honestly didn't have time to argue about who ascended the ladder first. Rose swiftly followed her up as the diseased patients lumbered closer.

*O*O*O*

Chip whimpered in terror as the diseased closed in on him where he'd ended up after coming out of the chute in Intensive Care. He scampered back into one of the cells and closed the door to keep himself as safe as he could from them. His Mistress wouldn't want a thing to do with him if he allowed himself to get infected.

*O*O*O*

"If you get out of the Doctor's body, he can think of something," Rose exclaimed as she hurried up the ladder behind Ivy.

"Yap, yap, yap…" Cassandra complained, "God, it was tedious inside your head," she huffed irritably as she shot a look down at the blond, "Hormone City."

"No one asked you to go body snatching people, Cassandra!" Ivy huffed.

"I didn't have much of a choice," Cassandra whined, "I needed to be ambulatory, not stuck to my metal frame."

Rose scowled up at Cassandra from her place on the ladder, "We're going to die if…" Rose cut herself off as a startled scream escaped her instead as a hand seized her ankle.

"Rose?!" Ivy called her gaze darting down to see what was wrong as Rose stared down at the Matron that had grasped her ankle.

"Get off!" the blond demanded of the Matron, trying to jerk her ankle free of the cat-nun's tight grasp.

"All our good work! All that healing!" Casp exclaimed and Cassandra rolled the Doctor's eyes in exasperation, "The good name of the Sisterhood," Casp continued, "You have destroyed everything!"

"Pretty sure you did that yourself, actually," Ivy grumbled, looked past Rose to scowl at Matron Casp.

Casandra rolled the Doctor's eyes again, "Go play with a ball of string," she sniped dismissively at the Matron.

"Everywhere, disease," Matron Casp hissed angrily, "This is the human world. Sickness!" she exclaimed. She screamed as a hand suddenly grasped her ankle and her own hand released Rose's ankle as a shock of pain spread over her as boils broke out over her skin, and then screamed again in pain and fear as she fell below into the converging bodies of the infected patients.

"Move!" Rose shouted with frantic urgency and the three continued up higher on the ladder as another announcement came over the speaker system.

"Maximum quarantine. Divert all shuttles."

Cassandra reached the lift doors another whimper escaping her at finding them sealed shut, "Now what do we do?" she called down to Rose and Ivy.

"Use the sonic screwdriver!" Rose shouted up to her.

Cassandra reached into a pocket and pulled out the slender device the Doctor had been threatening her with earlier, "You mean this thing?" she showed it to them.

"Yeah, that thing," Ivy nodded.

"Well, I don't know how!" Cassandra complained again, pouting almost as she revealed, "The Doctor's hidden away all his thoughts."

"Well, if you'd just get out of him…" Ivy began only for Cassandra to cut her off as she whinged once more.

"I've got nowhere to go!" she complained.

"Cassandra," Rose hollered with annoyance, "Go back into me."

Ivy stiffened as her gaze shot to her cousin, recalling what the Doctor said Cassandra's 'possession' of a person's body did to the soul inside, not wanting harm to come to her cousin that way, "What?!"

"We don't have time, Ivy," Rose told her, not exactly looking forward to having the 'Last Human' back inside her body, "We need the Doctor, he can open it," Ivy bit her lower lip conceding that really didn't have any time… and they did need the Doctor, as Rose looked back to Cassandra, "Do it!" she ordered.

"Hold on tight," Cassandra warned, before she took a breath and expelled herself back into the air, her cloud floating through the air past Ivy and into Rose, who tightened her grip about the rungs of the ladder she was grasping. She blinked orientating herself, staring up at Ivy and the Doctor from her new position at the bottom of the ladder, "Oh, chav-tastic again," she groused, before pinning the Doctor with a look as he remained unmoving on the ladder merely glaring down at her, "Open it!"

The Doctor glared at her, "Not 'til you get out of her!" he demanded pointing the sonic at her threateningly.

Cassandra glared back, "We need the Doctor!"

"I order you to leave her!" the Doctor shouted at her angrily, "And don't even think about pulling the same trick twice!" his brown eyes narrowed on her dangerously as he pointed the sonic at her threateningly once more, "Stay out of Ivy! I mean it, Cassandra!"

Cassandra stared at him in annoyance for a moment, before she rolled her eyes and took in a deep breath expelling herself, transferring again, shooting straight back into the Doctor, "No, matter how difficult the situation, there is no need to shout," she whinged petulantly as she peered down at the two that were glowering up at her.

"You do realise that he can't open the doors for us with you stuffed inside him," Ivy pointed out, frowning.

"Cassandra, get out of him!" Rose shouted up at her with frustration, the situation having not improved in the slightest and the infected where gaining as they ascended the ladder towards them, their pained voices crying for help… for the pain to stop.

"But I can't go into either of you," Cassandra whined petulantly, "He simply refuses," she frowned, "He's so rude."

"I don't care!" Rose shouted.

"We need him, Cassandra!" Ivy exclaimed.

"Just do something!" Rose shouted up to Cassandra again and glanced down at the gaining infected whilst they remained trapped at the top of the ladder, trapped until the sealed lift doors were opened for them.

"Oh, I'm so going to regret this," she muttered with a grimace, before she expelled herself from the Doctor once again, transferring herself into the infected woman in the lead on the ladder, "Oh, sweet Lord, I look disgusting."

Satisfied that both his Soul-Bonded and his companion weren't 'possessed' by 'the Last Human' the Doctor opened the lift doors with a quick buzz of his sonic and held a hand out to Ivy, grasping her hand and helping her up through the opened lift doors, "There we are," he smiled at her, "Safe and sound."

"Yeah," Ivy nodded, gratefully and smiled back at him, cheeks dimply, relief filling her that they were finally off the ladder and out of the derelict basement, "Thanks."

The Doctor nodded as he turned and held a hand out to Rose, grasping hers, "Nice to have you back," he said with another smile for the blond as he helped through the doors.

"No, you don't!" Cassandra grumbled, just before she expelled herself from the diseased body as the doors to the lift began to close, making it through the doors and back into Rose just before they closed, making the girl stumble and fall to her knees.

"That was your last warning, Cassandra!" the Doctor growled angrily as he hurriedly sealed the lift doors once again.

"Inside her head…" Cassandra murmured quietly physically shivering a little at the strength of what she'd felt inside that poor woman's head, "They're so alone… they keep reaching out, just to hold us… all their lives they've never been touched…" she whimpered.

"The horrid things people do to each other," Ivy murmured softly, almost whispered, some of the tension leaving her body as she eyed Cassandra, her gaze softening, before she reached out a hand to her. Cassandra blinked at it for a second before she accepted the offered hand and allowed the pinkette to help her to her feet, "You ok?"

"Oh please," Cassandra murmured, her voice still slightly shaken as she slid her hand from Ivy's, "No need for faux concern is there?" she queried, smirking half-heartedly at Ivy before starting forward, trying to regain her composure.

"It wasn't 'faux'," Ivy mumbled, before she shook her head a little, her gaze sliding to the Doctor as he shifted, coming to stand beside.

He gave her a small smile, "Come on," he urged as the infected patients started to bang at the sealed lift doors and the two started after Cassandra, swiftly catching her up. The three walking through a door that led them back into Ward 26.

"We're safe! We're save!" the Doctor exclaimed as Clovis made to lunge at them with a steel chair, that she'd picked up to use as a weapon, brandishing it at them with its legs pointed out towards them menacingly, roaring out a wild battle cry as she did so, "We're clean! We're clean! Look, look…"

"Show me your skin!" Clovis demanded of them, chair still aloft, ready to swing if necessary as she eyed them with wide frightened eyes.

"Look, clean," the Doctor assured as he showed her, holding up his hand to show her, Ivy and Cassandra doing the same, "Look, if we'd been touched, we'd be dead," Clovis let out a relieved breath and lowered the chair she'd been brandishing at indeed seeing clean, boil free skin on all three of them, "So, how's it going up here? What's the status?" the Doctor asked as Clovis released the chair entirely.

"There's nothing, but silence from the other wards," Clovis explained, "I think we're the only ones left. And I've been trying to override the quarantine," she fiddled with a small communications device on her wrist as she continued, "If I can trip a signal over to New New York, they can send a private executive squad."

"You can't do that," the Doctor told her firmly, "If they forced entry," he explained, "They'd break quarantine."

"I'm not dying in here!" Clovis shouted defiantly, a hysteric note entering her voice… she wouldn't die like that she wouldn't… not trapped in here… never… no way!

"We can't let a single particle of disease get out…" the Doctor refuted, "There's ten million people in that city. They'd all be at risk. Now, turn that thing off!" he demanded.

Clovis shot him a defiant look, "Not if it gets me out."

"Alright, fine," the Doctor muttered with disgust, "So, I have to stop you lot as well. Suits me," he turned to the others, "Ivy, Rose, Novice Hame, everyone! Excuse me your Grace," he murmured as he stepped past the man, "Get me intravenous solutions for every single disease. Move it!" he demanded when seeing most them where just staring at him mutely and those who hadn't moved burst into movement.

A couple of moments later, the Doctor had silk rope tied around him, the intravenous solution bags that they'd grabbed, hanging from it, "How's that?" the Doctor asked glancing at Ivy and Cassandra as he continued, "Will that do?"

"I don't know!" Cassandra muttered eyeing him rather dubiously.

"Seems a bit mad," Ivy murmured as she and Cassandra followed the Doctor as he started for the closed lift doors, "But to be fair I've got no idea what exactly it is you're planning. You never actually got around to the explaining your plan part."

"Don't have time to stop for explanations, Ivy," the Doctor replied cheerily as he pulled out his sonic and with a quick buzz opened them.

"The lifts aren't working," Cassandra reminded him as she lingered further back in the waiting area of Ward 26.

"Not moving," the Doctor corrected as he grasped Ivy by the upper arms and shifted her a little more to the side as he continued, "Different thing," he peered down the shaft, "Here we go," he murmured as he turned back to the lift, before putting his sonic between his teeth as he backed up a bit and ran for the open doors of the lift.

"But you're not going to…" Cassandra began with a bit of alarm.

"That'd be a yeah, he is," Ivy muttered as the Doctor jumped agilely into the lift and caught the cable.

"Oh, Lord!" Cassandra groaned wide eyed with disbelief as she stared at the Time Lord, "Just what do you think you're doing?!" she gasped.

"I'm going down," the Doctor responded as he attacked a piece of equipment to the cable, before he looked back at the two, "I could use a hand."

Cassandra shook her head adamantly, "Not in a million years!" she declared, backing up a couple of steps, "I've had more than enough scurrying about today!"

"What do you need?" Ivy asked, shifting so that she was standing in front of the open lift doors, peering at him.

The Doctor grinned at her, "An extra pair of hands," he gestured encouragingly for her to get into the lift with him, "Come on!"

Ivy swallowed a little nervously, eyeing the Doctor and the lift, before she took in a slow steadying breath and started backing up.

Cassandra who'd looked away in exasperation for a moment, stared now at Ivy with incredulousness, "You're crazy!" she exclaimed with open disbelief that the other woman was willing to do so, from what little she could gather from both Rose's surface memories and the brief look she'd gotten at Ivy's during her brief stint in her head, she'd only really just met the man, "The both of you are!"

"Yeah," Ivy mumbled, "Not exactly going to argue with you there," she muttered, before she let out a slow steadying breath and ran for the lift, before she could change her mind, jumping into it and onto the Doctor's back, her arms grasping tightly about his shoulders, "Phew…" she sighed as she clung to him.

"Phew?" the Doctor asked, glancing over his shoulder at her.

"Yeah," Ivy nodded against his shoulder, "Just glad, you know, I didn't miss and go plummeting to my death or anything."

Cassandra let out a horrified cry as the infected patients broke the quarantine spilling into the waiting area, "No!" she shrieked and jumped backwards, before turning and dashing back into Ward 26.

"Seal the door!" Clovis shouted and the doors to the Ward snapped shut.

"Well, I guess we won't have to worry about Cassandra taking off with Rose's body now," Ivy murmured, staring a little dubiously at the closed doors to the Ward, worried for her cousin that was still being compressed by Cassandra's 'possession'.

The Doctor nodded in agreement, "Rose will be alright," he murmured reassuringly, before he called in warning, "Going down!" and Ivy couldn't help the scream that escaped her throat as they suddenly started whizzing down the shaft, the unsettling feeling like she'd left her stomach behind assaulting her senses.

"Ooh," Ivy moaned softly as the Doctor put on the break and the two of them came to a gentle stop on top of the lift, "Yep," she murmured as she felt the strange sensation of her stomach catching up with her body, "Mad, completely."

"But brilliant, right?" the Doctor shot her a cheeky grin.

"Well, that depends," Ivy murmured, eyeing him rather curiously, "There's still the quarantine down there," she murmured with concern, "So, just what is it you've got planned, Doctor?"

"I'm going to cook up a cocktail," the Doctor started to explain as he began to rip open the intravenous bags that were dangling from him with his teeth, "I know a bit about medicine, if I do say so myself," he couldn't help but brag a bit, hoping to impress.

"Ok," Ivy nodded, her teeth nibbling on her lower lip, "And what do you need my hands to be doing?"

"You see that lever?" the Doctor nodded over to it.

"Yeah?" Ivy murmured as she looked in the direction he'd indicated, her eyes landing on the lever.

"When I say so, I need you to take hold of it," the Doctor told her seriously as he jumped the contents of the ripped open intravenous bags into the lifts disinfectant tank, "Now, the lever's going to resist," he continued as he opened the trap door on top of the lift, peering down it whilst Ivy watched him curiously, "But keep it in position," he told her as he looked up at her again, "Hold onto it with everything you've got."

"Alright," Ivy nodded her understanding as she shifted so that she was standing closer to the lever. She swallowed eyeing the open trap door with concern, "And you're going down there?" she nodded at it.

"Yeah," the Doctor nodded, "I've got an appointment," he replied as he shifted closer to the open trap door, "The Doctor is in," he remarked as he dropped down into the lift and sonic opened the doors to the lift, seeing all the diseased patients sitting in groups. And all so slowly they started to shamble towards him as they noticed him…

Ivy swallowed, her ears pricked, listening intently, as she turned to the lever, grasping it with slightly sweaty hands as she waited for the Doctor to give the go ahead.

"I'm in here! Come on!" the Doctor called to the infected patients as they lumbered towards him, encouraging them.

"This'll work," Ivy mumbled to herself, her ears still straining and her heart beginning to pound against her ribcage with nerves, half terrified that she wouldn't hear the Doctor's go ahead, despite hearing him rather easily just then.

"Pull that lever!" the Doctor shouted up to Ivy as all the patients staggered towards him, closing in, hands outstretched towards him, to touch.

"Don't jam! Don't jam! Don't jam!" Ivy muttered to herself as she yanked down on the lever, throwing her weight against it as it resisted just as the Doctor said it would, determinedly holding it down like he'd asked of her.

"Come and get me. Come on!" the Doctor urged the infected patients, raising his voice so that it'd carry and catch the attention of those throughout the large reception area, "I'm in here!" he called to them, "Come on!"

"Commence stage one disinfection."

"Hurry up!" the Doctor called urgently beckoning them to him, "Come on!" he urged again as the medical cocktail he'd put together rained down on him, swiftly soaking him to the skin, "Come on, come on," he beckoned as the first patients joined him in the lift getting hit by the spray before they shuffled around turning to leave as their pain immediately started to ease, "All they want to do is pass it on. Pass it on!" the Doctor beamed brightly as the disinfected patients touched their still infected comrades. Their skin immediately clearing of systems as it hissed and steamed in reaction to the medications work, "Pass it on!" he cheered happily, before he turned to the trapdoor, still grinning, "Ivy?!"

"Can I let go of the lever?" he heard her call.

"Yes!" he laughed and in the next moment her head popped into view and she peered down at him hopefully.

"Did it work? Are the patients…?"

"Cured!" the Doctor cheered and Ivy grinned, her cheeks dimpling at him deeply. The Doctor raised his arms towards her and helped her down and into the lift and they stepped out of the lift together and into the reception area.

"Oh!" Ivy beamed with increasing delight as she took in the disease free patients, before she glanced at the Doctor, "Brilliant, definitely!"

The Doctor beamed back, his hearts warming, "You think?"

Ivy nodded, turning to look at the patients, "I'm a sucker for happy endings."

"I don't really like endings myself," the Doctor divulged, "But happy ones are good," he murmured and then grinned, "Who doesn't like those?" he asked a moment before a woman threw her arms about him in a hug, "That's right!" the Doctor murmured gently, "Hey, hey! There we go sweetheart! Ay? Look at him…" he gently ushered her to sit with another of the cured patients, "That it," he encouraged before he turned back to Ivy, "It's a new sub-species, Ivy!" he grinned brightly and pulled her into a wet hug, his clothes still sodden, the action startling her a little before she let out a joyous laugh and hugged him back, "New humans! Grown by cats, kept in the dark, fed by tubes, but completely, completely alive. The human race just keeps on going, keeps on changing. Life will out! Ha!" he exclaimed with enthusiastic excitement, his arms tightening about her.

"It's better than that though," Ivy exclaimed as she pulled back, the Doctor's arms loosening about her reluctantly, "They get to actually live a life now. No more being kept in the dark and being fed by tubes!"

"Oh yes!" the Doctor exclaimed and Ivy let out a light squeak of laughter as she suddenly scooped up into another hug, her feet being lifted off the ground as the Doctor spun her about and she laughed, caught up in the absolute joy of the moment.

*O*O*O*

"This is the NNYPD," a voice boomed over the loudspeaker as Cassandra stood in Ward 26, watching as the police swarmed through the hospital and into the Ward. Her gaze going to the Doctor and Ivy as they entered the Ward together, a brow arching speculatively at seeing the Time Lord drenched and in shirtsleeves, "Please step away from the shuttles!"

"All staff will present themselves to the officers for immediate arrest," the female voice came over the speaker system of the hospital as the two joined her and together the three watched for a brief moment as Novice Hame was led away by an officer. She glanced away from them shamefaced, "I repeat, immediate arrest. All new life forms will be catalogued and taken into care. All visitors to the hospital will be required to make a statement to the NNYPD."

"The Face of Boe!" the Doctor exclaimed catching sight of the old Face and dashed over to him, Ivy and Cassandra following him, the pinkette smiling as she did so whilst Cassandra rolled her eyes in mild irritation, "You were supposed to be dying," he exclaimed as he stared at the much healthier face that was staring at them.

'There are better things to be doing today. Dying can wait,' the Face of Boe responded.

Cassandra scrunched up Rose's face in distaste, "Oh, I hate telepathy. Just what I need a head full of big face."

"Shh!" the Doctor hushed her.

"And you were complaining the Doctor was rude," Ivy muttered eyeing Cassandra rather pointedly.

"He is!" Cassandra exclaimed, a bit affronted at the jab to her manners.

"Shh!" the Doctor hushed the blond again and Cassandra huffed crossing her arms with exasperation.

'I have grown tired with the universe, Doctor, but have taught me to look at it anew,' the Face of Boe continued.

The Doctor knelt before the Face of Boe, eyes curious, "There are legends, you know, saying that your millions of years old."

The Face of Boe laughed lightly, 'There are? That would be impossible.'

The Doctor smiled, "Wouldn't it just," he murmured slightly questioning still, "I got the impression there was something you wanted to tell me," he prompted.

'A great secret," Boe agreed.

"So, the legend says," the Doctor agreed, glancing only briefly over at Ivy who was standing close by, next to the still 'possessed' Rose, recalling what Novice Hame had said about the legend 'the woman he holds dearest to him' he couldn't think of anyone else that could be. His Soul-Bonded would be dearest to him without a doubt…

'It can wait,' Boe responded, drawing the Time Lord's focus back to him.

The Doctor blinked and pouted at the Face of Boe as disappointment began to sink in, "Oh, does it have to?" he asked.

'We shall meet again, Doctor, for the third time, for the last time, and the truth shall be told. Until that day…' Boe teleported away in a quick flash of light.

The Doctor pouted at the spot the Face of Boe had just been, "That is enigmatic. That… that is… that is textbook enigmatic!" he grumbled with a disappointed frown unendingly curious as to what the Face of Boe wanted to tell him.

"I think, that was kinda the point," Ivy murmured a bit musingly, glancing from the spot the Face of Boe had disappeared to the Doctor who'd turned to her when she'd started speaking, "I sorta got the feeling he was pushing your buttons a little."

"Possible," the Doctor agreed, "He does seem to know me fairly well, doesn't he…" he murmured as he pondered that, briefly before spun to face Cassandra, "And now for you."

Cassandra's eyes widened and she gave them a smile, "Oh, but… everything's happy. Everything's fine… can't you just leave me?"

"You can't stay in there," Ivy shook her head, eyeing Cassandra pointedly again, "You're compressing my cousin to death."

The Doctor shook his head as Cassandra grimaced at the pinkette's logic, "You've lived long enough. Leave that body and end it, Cassandra."

"I don't want to die!" Cassandra protested, tears welling in her eyes as she stared at the two of them.

Ivy swallowed, sympathy welling in her.

"No one does," the Doctor murmured softly.

"Help me," Cassandra pleaded, staring at them with wide watery eyes.

"I can't," the Doctor said sadly, shaking his head… it was one of the few things he couldn't do anything about.

"Mistress!" Chip cried as he ran up to them.

"Ooh – you're alive," Cassandra exclaimed with surprise as the three turned to look at him.

"I kept myself safe for you, Mistress," Chip said, rather proud of himself as he stared at her adoringly.

Cassandra stared at him contemplatively, "A body…" she mused the beginnings of a smile touching her lips, "And not just that… a volunteer."

"Don't you dare," the Doctor protested, "He's got a life of his own."

"But I worship the Mistress. I welcome her," Chip replied turning to her as Cassandra winked at him, rather delighted.

"But, what about your life?" Ivy protested.

"I live to serve the Mistress. It's all I want," Chip declared.

"You can't Cassandra, you…" the Doctor trailed off as Cassandra expelled herself from Rose without further ado and floated over to Chip.

"Rose!" Ivy exclaimed as she fell forward and she and the Doctor moved to catch her.

"Oh! You alright?" the Doctor asked as Rose pulled back from them in an attempt to stand only to stumble again, "Whoa! Ok?"

Rose blinked a moment and shook her head as things settled once again… her head throbbing a bit strangely. She pulled back more slowly this time and made her feet where under her and when her legs successfully held her, "Yeah…" she nodded, feeling much steadier this time, "Fine," she nodded again.

"Good," Ivy nodded with relief.

"Welcome back," the Doctor nodded, grinning at the blond, relieved that his companion was back unharmed.

Rose grinned back, rather relieved to be in control of herself again, being compressed by the mind of another person wasn't pleasant at all.

"Oh, sweet Lord… I'm a walking doodle!" Cassandra gasped, drawing their attention again, the three's smiles fading.

"You can't stay in there," the Doctor told her firmly, "I'm sorry, Cassandra, but that's not fair. I can take you to the city. They can build you a skin tank and you can stand trial for what you've done."

"Well, that would be rather dramatic. Possibly my finest hour, and certainly my finest hat," Cassandra remarked and the Doctor, Ivy and Rose glanced at each other, "But, I'm afraid we don't have time. Poor little Chip is only a half-life, and he's been through so much," Cassandra pressed a hand to her chest, "His heart is racing so. He's failing. I don't think he's going to last…" Cassandra gasped lightly as her knees gave way and she fell to the floor.

"Are you alright?" the Doctor asked as the three of them stared at her in concern.

"I'm fine. I'm dying, but that's fine," Cassandra murmured as she felt Chip's heart beating faster than it should… the thought of death no longer scaring her for some reason… in fact she really could almost welcome it as a type of relief… though there was regret… more than she thought she would feel after all this time…

"I can take you to the city," the Doctor offered again.

Cassandra shook her head, "No, you won't. Everything's new on this planet. There's no place for Chip and me anymore. You're right, Doctor. It's time to die, and that's good."

"Come on," the Doctor said as he moved to help her up, Ivy shifting to Cassandra's other side as she helped him, "There's one last thing I can do," and Rose swallowed watching them for a moment, hesitating briefly as she stared at Ivy and the Doctor on either side of Cassandra, before she took a steadying breath and followed them, easily catching up to the three as they headed back towards the lift.

*O*O*O*

The Tardis materialized just out of sight of an ongoing party, and the Doctor, Ivy, Rose and Cassandra stepped out and 'the Last Humans' eyes widened in recognition, her gaze landing on herself as she had been once long ago… so very human and so very beautiful… the life of the party…

She turned to the Doctor, "Thank you."

"Just go," he murmured with a nod, "And don't look back."

"Good luck," Rose bid.

"Lots of it," Ivy nodded and offered Cassandra a small smile.

Cassandra returned the smile a little tentatively before she turned away from the three, starting away from them. She watched her old-self, younger self as she conversed merrily and laughed, a feeling of nostalgia consuming her as she waited for a moment. For when she broke away, as she knew that she would… she stepped forward dressed in the black cloak styled robe to hide her appearance a bit from the very human party that was going on around her, "Excuse me… Lady Cassandra," she called out as she stepped forward.

"I'm sorry…" the younger Cassandra turned to look at her, politely aloof, "I don't need anything right now. I'm fine, thank you," she made to turn away.

"No, I just wanted to say… you look beautiful." Cassandra got out, her body feeling weaker now… her knees trembling as her legs struggled to continue holding her up.

"Well, that's very kind, you strange little thing. Thank you very much."

"I mean it," Cassandra stepped towards her younger self who was staring at her a little strangely, needing her to understand, "You look so beautiful."

"Thank you," younger Cassandra murmured touched by the sincerity she could see in the strange little mans eyes. Only for her eyes to widen in horror as he collapsed right in front of her, she dropped to her knees without hesitation and cradled him, "Oh, my Lord. Are you alright? What is it?" she cried, "What's wrong? Someone get some help! Call a medico or something, quickly!" she shouted urgently.

"Who is he?" A woman asked.

The young Cassandra shook her head, a bit frantic, "I don't know. He just came up to me. I don't even know his name. He just collapsed. I think he's dying. Someone do something! I've got you, sweetheart… it's alright. There you are… there you are… I've got you. It'll be alright. There, there, you poor little thing…"

"Come on," the Doctor murmured softly and Ivy and Rose turned from where they'd been watching with solemn eyes and slowly made their way back into the Tardis. The Doctor hesitated another moment, just watching with old eyes, before he too stepped back into the Tardis and a moment later it dematerialized with a wheeze.

*O*O*O*

"So, what now?" Rose asked as she leaned her hands against the Tardis console, trying her hardest to sound casual as she eyed the Time Lord, "Take Ivy home I suppose, right?"

Ivy nodded her agreement and Rose positively beamed a grin at her, "That was the agreement," she murmured, "One trip."

"Well," the Doctor tugged at his ear uncomfortably, his hearts picking up speed uncomfortably at the thought of taking Ivy home… the very idea a horrible one for him, "We could do that," he muttered with heavily reluctance, "But, uh, I was thinking," he hurried on unwilling to let either interrupt him in that moment, not noticing how Rose's expression fell as her heart plummeted in her chest as it beat harshly with heartbreak and disappointment that was threatening to rise up and choke her as the Doctor continued, "That uh, this first trip wasn't really the best. Hardly, what I'd want to call anyone first trip through time and space. So, I figure… I figure I should make it up to you, yeah? Another trip! A positively, brilliant trip that'll make up for…!" he trailed as he gestured, staring at Ivy hopefully as she stared at him quietly, his hearts pounding against his ribcage, why wasn't she saying anything? "So, what do you think?" he hastened to speak into the brief silence that enveloped the three of them, his gaze locked on Ivy as hers was locked on his as she stared at him quietly, "I think it's a brilliant idea to be honest. And really, I'd hate for anyone to leave the Tardis after such a poor excuse for a first trip and…" he trailed as Ivy continued to merely stare at him quietly as if waiting for something and he realised rather belatedly that he'd been talking and talking and not really giving her a chance to get a word in edgewise, "I, well," he tugged at his ear again a bit awkwardly, a slight flush dusting his cheeks, "Will you at least think about it?" he asked and gave her his best, cheery, enthusiastic and hopeful smile.

Ivy was silent a moment longer, thinking, absorbing his almost impossibly fast paced rambling speech, "Well," she murmured softly, scratching slightly at her cheek, "If you feel that strongly about it. I'll definitely think about it."

"Brilliant!" the Doctor grinned, doing a bit of an energetic spin, she hadn't said 'no'! So there was still a chance! "We could try the past this time!" he grinned ecstatically, twisting a knob on the console, "You could choose again if you like… we could… ooh…!" the Doctor exclaimed, "How about…?"

"Uh…" Rose cut in heavily, "Before you guys decide on anywhere," she murmured carefully, trying hard to keep her voice from cracking from the painful lump in her throat that felt far too tight, "I uh, actually feel a little… um, whoosy and uh headachy from the, uh, from the compression… so I think," she swallowed heavily, the backs of her eyes pricking harshly with tears that she didn't want to shed, not here, "I think I need to go rest…" she swallowed heavily again, "Sorry," she managed to get out before she turned and started for the stairs fighting the desperate urge to run from the control room as tears welled in her eyes, threatening to spill over her cheeks as she trudged up the steps and into the corridor.

Ivy stared after her with concerned eyes, whilst the Doctor blinked after his blond companion for a moment before nodding, the explanation making sense to him. Rose had been compressed by Cassandra for a while so, something like that wasn't surprising. The Time Lord turned to Ivy and then smiled a little, "She'll be fine," he assured and Ivy turned her head to look at him, her expression still mildly dubious, "She gets some sleep and she'll be good as new," he rounded the console towards her, flicking a switching and turning a knob on his way, setting his ship to drift, "So," he started more brightly, rather eager to be able to spend some time with her, "What did you feel like doing in the mean time?"

"Well," Ivy murmured a little thoughtfully, "Now seems like a good time for that bit of a tour you wanted to give me?" she suggested.

The Doctor grinned with delight, "Brilliant!" he nodded, glancing about energetically as he pondered where to begin, "Well, you've seen the console room," he rambled a little, "So let's be off," he exclaimed grabbing her hand and starting for the stairs himself Ivy falling into step with him, letting him lead as he rambled as they walked through the corridor, the Time Lord eager to start showing her around his home.