Sour Times

by Greensleeves89

AU & eventual SPN crossover - Rose in series 8. They knew things were not the same. How could they be? When the Doctor makes the decision to keep Rose safe from her enemies following a near death experience it sends them both on a journey they didn't think they'd ever face: life without one another. The Doctor and Rose Tyler - that's how it's supposed to be...isn't it?

3. Into the Dalek

Something rustling in here. Oh wait that's her, she's in her bed. Oh, how'd that happen? What happened and when? Why can't she remember what's happened? She remembered not sleeping well for a while after that brush with the ghosts in Rochester and the imagery she had been subjected to. She had been tired but unable to close her eyes without seeing her life flash before her, her wants and desires but also the scariest thing of all to her. Whatever that spirit saw, it worried her enough that it impacted her sleep and made her question all she knew. That's what happened, right?

Rose drapes her arm across her face as she rolls over from her side to her back. She still feels in some sort of daze, groggy and confused. Where does skating on the Rideau Canal fit in to all of this? How long has she been sleeping for? Everything is all jumbled up. All she does know is that she's hungry and thirsty but at the same time she doesn't want to get up and move. Her bed is entirely more comfortable and the only safe haven she's got. That and the fact that even though she's been asleep for who knows how long, she is still drained enough that she does want to sleep a little bit more. So she draws the covers tighter to her and yawns, absently trying to recall a good chunk of time that's gone missing from her memories. It only comes in bursts to her, many links of the chain have been cut forcibly from her mind. Perhaps her way of lulling her into security so she can slip effortlessly into a dreamless sleep to recover from her ordeal. Wouldn't that be nice…?

XxX

She gasps and sits up immediately. She pants and wipes the sweat from her brow and exhales her nerves. What a weird dream. She falls back against her pillow and exhales. Here come the incoherent thoughts again. They're all running together as she struggles to remember anything tangible from what she just saw. She's so disorientated. She groans and rubs her face. Her mind is still in a daze but she feels as though she's in a better spot than she was the first time she woke up, maybe now will be the time to go ahead and piece together what's happened.

She does remember being in Rochester. Why she had gone there, well that escapes her now. Oh no wait, maybe not. Yes, she had gone to see some spiritualists, hadn't she? Huh, okay. She went with the Doctor. Of course. He had wanted to go on an adventure after he'd caught wind of a display in a shop window that had been connected to the infamous Fox Sisters. They had gone to ensure that it was nothing more than parlour tricks used to entertain their sitting guests. Well, that hadn't been the case. No, because she recalled having to search for one of the girls and she had managed to get herself pulled in to some sort of realm between realms. Not of the living and not of the dead, limbo. Purgatory? Oh…that's unsettling if it is at all true. She feels groggy and wipes the fine layer of perspiration off of her forehead. She dreamed about the visions she had seen while in Purgatory – if that is what it is to be named. And how twisted they could have become. She wanted to know why they attacked her so personally and whether it was just the woman that dominated that space or if it was that place that dominated her head. It saw such tragedies in her life and saw how it could manipulate them once again. Maybe there was no end goal in sight. Maybe it just wanted to break her. Just because that place could. However instead she survived. She always does. And then the aftermath strikes. So this is the result. Her dreams. The dreams. The ones she didn't want to have. Aside from the one about Nicholas in Yekaterinburg – which to be honest, terrified her. How close to the line she had teetered and what would have happened if a round had been loaded into the chamber. Inside she grows livid with herself at her inability to recognise the now obvious and glaring mistakes she had made the grievous error of ignoring.

It took his image and distorted it. Surely it must have known how important he was to her and that perverting his image…well, she hated herself for allowing it a spot in her mind and heart. Seeing Nicholas in any sort of capacity makes her nostalgic about a time she doesn't get to see often enough. It had been wonderful to see Nicholas in his prime at the coronation that the Doctor had taken her to when they first reconnected. She relished in his happiness and carefree attitude, how expressive his eyes were. The ravages of the War hadn't affected him, the constant worry for his son hadn't happened nor had the disappointed nation fallen on his shoulders after four consecutive daughters. Youthfulness exuberated off of him when they danced together, the fine lines in which she had memorised on his face had yet to be etched into his youth. He was just a young man taking over the reign of his beloved father whom his country loved so dearly – ready to make his mark on his country that he treasured, willing to marry a German woman whom his people disliked immensely but whom he loved and cherished so deeply.

Sadly, a mix of bad timing and circumstances created hell for him and his family and cumulated with his death and the death of his family, well most of it. She saved two of his five children. How desperately she wanted to save them all and whisk them away to live with Maria. It could not be. She should visit Ana and Alexey again. She desperately misses them.

As she did John and how she hated that whatever controlled that Purgatory realm whether it was Delilah or her troubled mind resolved him to be seen in his dying state. Stuck to the hallway of their home, nothing more. Though he held onto his humour and love of her, which she needed to keep her strong and in control. To be comforted by his touch made her so relieved to have had him there as his level head walked her through the loss of their child, together this time and not alone as she had been. His brown eyes – so vivid and as she remembered them – held hers so tenderly, so lovingly as they guided her. An anchor to hold her in place.

She never told him her desires as there had been too much going on, but she so desperately wished that he had been able to follow her here to their proper time and universe. Maybe then she'd have stayed out of trouble, maybe then she wouldn't be so jaded and bitter. Rose clutches the covers to her and glares angrily at the ceiling. It was supposed to be the two of them through thick and thin, for forever. She was robbed of it. And when she has the ability to see John, it only serves to incense her further, even though not much can be done about it now. However, she supposes that anger will always dwell within her at some capacity. Holding onto that anger does nothing for her and yet she feels that if she were to let it go she'd be letting a piece of herself go. That anger defined her. It shouldn't but it does. Even though she's forgiven those responsible for the events that transpired she has never forgotten, whether that makes her petty she truly doesn't care. That anger and resentment at the loss of John turned her into what she is today.

How would she define that? Who is she now? A weapon? A shell of her former self – not in any way the same girl she was when she first started on that path, nor should she be. People are expected to grow or else become stagnant. Then again maybe she's grown too much, is there such a thing? On the flip side can she truly say she's grown in a positive light? She has spent so much of her time dedicated to eradicating what made her truly her as told in the old days. She spent so much energy dedicated to moulding herself into what she believed would make her successful at anything she did, be it in her life or her job. She became proficient in weapons, hand to hand combat and tactical training. She perfected her poise and grew tactful in her languages and accents. She learned to control men with nothing but their desires, as they are so easily manipulated when it comes to a woman's sex appeal. She mastered in it. Took control and harnessed her physical beauty to turn it into a weapon. A femme fatale. No man says no to a beautiful woman, all they want is to be by the side of a stunning woman who reflects their wealth and power. What they didn't know is while she played the part of a vapid woman who was attracted to nothing but wealth, she was learning who her targets were. When they invited to their garden parties, she learned the landscapes, the home and its weaknesses, which could be said of her targets too. She appeared to be having fun, flirting and laughing however she was cold in her calculations. Which is why when she went in, she went straight for the weak spot.

She sighs and hugs her pillow to her chest. There are too many layers of insulation that she keeps herself protected behind. And seeing John…always makes her crumble down into what she was before she stepped foot into this universe without looking back. Rose Tyler. Nothing more and nothing less. Rose and John. When life was simple. John and Rose. When she was simple and there was nothing there to complicate her life. Carry him with you in your heart, sweetheart. That's what her mum said before she left there for good. She did but she wished she could go back to see him. How desperately she wanted to.

That wasn't what she dreamt of though. Not at all. It was the other man in her life. The one who made her feel things again. The one who made her question if she was that morally depraved to be involved with him. He who had managed to tear her walls down and rebuild them with windows. To let the light in. She has never been in a relationship like that before. One that evolved purely from lust. She can almost hear his voice in her mind. Never had he exchanged a look like that before with a woman. She hadn't either. It still makes her smile that it took a criminal to put her on the right track. Perhaps that's why she dreamt of him. Maybe that's why she saw her future with him in Rochester. That scared the hell out of her. That she let herself get that…well, that she allowed herself to let her guard down like that.

In her dream…it combined so many elements of her life. She questioned why she did things in that dream. She wondered if it was just her mind being stupid, or if it was a vision. Oh god, she hoped not. She buries her face into the pillow. It was a dream about a meeting. Well, that is what it was supposed to be. She had taken Jack with her. And a little boy. It was almost as though she was an intruder in her own dream the way she dreamt about it. She was her own third wheel.

It began with a meeting. A colleague who also happened to have a manipulator, and who had chosen to live in the past, only coming to future when necessary. She hadn't given it another thought when they landed in Naples in 1953. She had Jack and her little boy. It was stupid to pretend he wasn't hers. It was obvious. He belonged to her and her lover. A little boy no older than three. He was riding on Jack's shoulders, she could tell Jack was crazy about him, he had been asking Jack all sorts of questions while they were looking for their meeting spot with her colleague in the centre of the Piazza. They spotted her colleague sitting outside a café, waving them over so they had walked towards him. Well it was more like Jack and her little boy went over to see…Liam! That's her colleague's name. She heard her name called and so had turned around. She had seen her own stunned reaction as he had come towards her, shocked at who he was looking at and she had seen the anger within her own eyes for getting careless. And then the panic, because she wasn't able to go anywhere. He had seen her.

And then he had been in front of her. He had hugged her tightly. The love for him within her had made her cling to him. Look at you, you look beautiful. He said to her as he had brushed the hair and tears from her face. She watched herself nod stupidly, and then she had embraced him again. Why was she here? She had shaken her head into his neck, it made her want to cry. And she was on the side-lines, but she had felt her own emotions. She had smiled when she saw herself studying him, placing her hand on his cheek. He had kissed her. She had kissed him. She watched and wished she could do the same. He attempted again to inquire about her life and why she was in Naples at this very moment. Rose watched the crowds move around them.

Why did she look the same as she had the last time he saw her, it had been twenty years? Rose saw she wanted to answer him but things changed when they had looked down at the little boy who called her mummy. Rose watched herself scoop him up. She watched as her lover regarded this child carefully. She studied herself as she had carefully shifted him in her arms and turned him so that he could see the little boy while she had avoided her lover's gaze. Rose had seen the surprise in his eyes. Most likely because he looked like him. Except for their little boy's eyes. They were not the dark brown that his father had, nor the hazel colour of his mother. They seemed to be a perfect blend of the two. Light. As though whiskey in a glass had been dotted with bursts of sunlight.

Cute kid, he had told her. She had thanked him. Rose had seen the look in his eyes as he had continuously watched the little boy as he had played with her hair and watched the people over her shoulder. Mummy, everyone is waiting. He had informed her seriously. It had peaked his attention because he had directed his gaze to where the two men waited for her. People to see, he assumed to her. She had shrugged, did you want me to go? Or stay? He had smirked at her. Rose had waved Jack on. So they had gone to another little café not far from Jack just in case they needed one another. Her little boy sat on her lap while they had done nothing more but study one another. She could tell he wanted to hold him, to talk to him…he's already utterly enamoured with him. She wanted to run up to their table and tell him how sorry she was.

She had assumed that she had seen him multiple times as Ruby, however this was the first time that he was seeing her as Rose. Bittersweet. She hadn't a clue where or when the little boy was conceived in all this, it had to have been a Ruby visit. What else made sense? Obviously nothing. But Rose had lingered close to their table and ached for the accident she had created. She had robbed a man of a chance he was never supposed to get. And she scolded herself as the tears fell from her eyes, this is what happens when you get complacent, stupid. Look at what you've done. Even though you haven't done it yet.

She begged herself not to let this happen. It couldn't. She didn't want it to. Don't let this be a vision. Her heart breaks when she watches her lover study her little boy. The emotion in his eyes breaks her heart into smaller pieces. His little boy. Their son. The conversation they had in that 50s hospital rings in her mind. How desperately he clawed at her resolve to let him in, to let him be a part of his life. But no. She had stuck to her guns. This was an accident. To meddle with history was one thing, but to meddle and create consequences. Dire mistake. She hated herself for it.

Rose sits up and wipes the tears from her eyes. Please. She begs, please never let her get into circumstances that result in that. Let her be cold and calculating. Let her break hearts and have enough strength to say no. She will let her walk become whiskey in a teacup. A clear shot. It will be strong and full of purpose. So many will underestimate her punch. Ha, let them.

Give her the strength to leave those behind when she needs to and not let her love of whoever - but especially Charlie - cloud her judgement. She has to be fiercely fragile. Her glass heart behind a stony stare. One of them has to be the strongest out of the pair of them. They cannot have a child together. It isn't right. Isn't fair. And no good will come of it. He would never know but she always would. She cannot do that to herself either. To look in those little boy's whiskey coloured eyes and see her lover there as well. She cries. She cries that she wants that and cries because she can't. Happiness is not meant for those who walk the path she does. And what path is that? She doesn't know anymore. All she does know is that happiness is fleeting. She cannot get what she wants. She eats the lies because her heart is hungry.

Brusquely, she wipes her face with the back of her hand and clear her throat. It's time to stop the pity party for one. Once and awhile these little break downs are okay, but she can't do this all the time. She has to stop thinking about things like this or she'll just head down some kind of shame spiral until she's consumed by nothingness. She needs to clear her mind. There are so many intrusive thoughts. They make her depressed and melancholy. Something she doesn't want to feel. Now isn't the time for that. How can she make them go away? Perhaps they will fade away on their own. Little thoughts that will evaporate into nothing when she finally finds herself in some kind of routine. Remember, she tells herself as she slides off her bed and stretches. She's tired and wants to sleep but fears she'll want to do nothing more while she catches up on the much needed rest. There'll be time for that later. What can she do to relax, unwind and get back into the swing of things? You have an entire plethora of new interests to busy yourself with, yeah? What makes her feel so good that she forgets her worries for a while? Running. Sparring. Yoga. Surfing and skating. Anything. She can do it. Truthfully a run does sound the most mind numbing at this point, requires little thinking and nothing but her and nature. She begins to dig through the piles of clothing to find her running gear. A good long run followed by a long hot shower. That'll straighten her out in no time.

She throws her hair up into a ponytail and glances to the ceiling.

'Where's your favourite place at the moment?' Rose questions the TARDIS. A light hum makes her smile. 'Okay, but that's a little humid, isn't it? Do you have a backup? Now we're talking. Would you be so kind…? Ah, you're the best.'

Rose walks into the halls and listens to the TARDIS quietly chattering away around her. She smiles. She seems to be so glad that things are beginning to shape up again. Small moments like this make her glad she's come back along. It's the bond she shares with this ship. Not that she's had a chance to truly connect with the TARDIS as she had when she housed the Vortex, though she believes she's close to the ship for that very reason. That kind of bond can't be swept away, at least not in her eyes. She has a feeling the TARDIS feels the same way she does. Thankfully. She walks down the hall until she gets to the room she's been waiting for.

'Don't wait up, yeah? Oh, and keep an eye on him for me, will you? Thanks. See you on the other side!'

Rose walks through the door and switches to her running playlist. Here we go…

---

Besides returning from her two hour plus run absolutely ravenous and entirely drenched in a fine layer of hard earned sweat, a hot shower with a soothing Epsom salt pre-soak left her feeling entirely too relaxed. Burning a pair of bread slices left her with smelling burnt toast half way down hallway towards the heart of the TARDIS, the console room. Rose runs her hand through her still damp locks as she takes a large bite of toast slathered in peanut butter. She has a feeling she's gonna regret drinking that protein shake as quickly as she did, however there isn't much that can be done now. She asked for a status report from the TARDIS on how the Doctor managed to fair in her absence, but strangely she has been silent. Unlike her. A little concerning.

So was the tension she felt herself walk into when she entered the console room. Even more so was the sight of the Doctor staring at something she couldn't see from her vantage point but she did catch the Doctor holding a tray that has three coffees in it. How's he going to explain that to Clara? She's in the middle of chewing and smiles the Doctor when he turns over to her.

'Hey, what's going-…'

'You! Hands where I can see them!' Someone interrupts her hastily.

Rose blinks and side steps a bit to the right to see who had been yelling that command. A desperately fearful woman is standing the room aiming a gun at her. That explains the Doctor's silence and obvious tension. She isn't going to settle for this. Whether she's walked into something or not – the Doctor evidently has a reason for bringing this stranger on board – and judging by the woman's quick trigger finger, she didn't ask for this. Oh, and the fact that she doesn't respond well to having a gun aimed in her chest.

'Listen, I'm starving, so I'm gonna keep eating here. I'm not armed and I'll let you two finish your standoff.' Rose tells the woman and she walks down the stairs and towards the Doctor who has been quiet. Rose hears the gun get cocked.

'I said put your hands up!' The woman demands once again. Rose ignores her.

'One of those for me?' Rose points to the coffee and the Doctor nods. He points and she takes the cup, inhaling the calming aroma. 'So, why don't you tell me what's been going on?'

'Do you always ignore someone with a gun telling you what to do?' The woman questions and Rose peers around the console. The woman's rigid body and fearful eyes tell her to be careful, even though the gun is squarely aimed at them, she's lowered it slightly.

Rose smiles at the woman. 'I do. Mostly because I don't care. I'm tired. And hungry.'

The woman grips the railing. She frowns and blinks. The Doctor shakes his head as Rose offers him a piece of her toast, frowning.

'You'll probably feel a bit sick. Please, don't be,' The Doctor tells the woman. He watches Rose set down her remaining toast on the controls. 'Don't get crumbs in the wires or controls.'

'I won't,' Rose replies with a small glare. 'How long was I asleep for?'

'Where's my brother?' The woman questions desperately when the wave of sickness passes her and she straightens up. She looks up to see the blonde woman and the man standing shoulder to shoulder.

'You were asleep for nearly thirty-six straight hours. I was concerned. I checked on you, multiple times but I just let you sleep. You're grumpy in the morning,' The Doctor informs her and Rose arches her eyebrow at him. She opens her mouth to say something but the Doctor interrupts her. 'Hello, I'm the Doctor. This is Rose.'

He doesn't miss the look Rose gives him, an impatient look. She'll do her own introductions when the time is right. Oh well, it's too late to dwell on that now. The woman seems to ignore that. Instead she looks around the console room once more, Rose watches her as she finishes her toast. Not the greatest, but it hit the spot.

'He was right beside me. Where's Kai? How did I get here?' She demands and Rose sees her eyes become glassy. She looks up to the Doctor because hell, she'd like an explanation too. Tears slide down the woman's face and she hastily wipes them away while aiming her gun at both of them.

'I materialised a time capsule exactly round you and saved your life, one second before your ship exploded, but do please keep crying.' The Doctor tells her impatiently and Rose throws her hand into his chest. What was that for? She glares up at him. Tact, her looks tells him. He shakes his head, what's the point? Why beat around the obvious?

That comment about crying obviously irked the woman enough, Rose truly can't blame her. But it seems that the comment has made the woman furiously wipe away her tears and grit her teeth.

'My brother's just died.' The woman seethes and the Doctor takes a light drink from the coffee and looks at her that wonders what the point is.

'But his sister didn't. You're very welcome. Put the gun down.' He demands and Rose takes a seat on the console chair, making herself comfortable as she continues to watch the power struggle between the two of them play out.

'Or what?' The woman sneers and the Doctor points to Rose.

'I'll unleash her on you,' He replies and Rose sighs. 'I'm only kidding. I'm asking you because you might shoot us. Then where will you be?'

'In charge of your vessel.' The woman replies confidently and the Doctor shakes his head at her.

'You'd starve to death trying to find the light switch.' The Doctor states equally as confident. Rose rolls her eyes as she gets up from the seat and places her arm on the Doctor's shoulder, attempting a different angle.

'What's your name?'

'What business is it of yours?'

Rose pinches the bridge of her nose. Get that anger in check. 'I only ask because you know ours. I was hoping you'd extend the same courtesy.'

The woman debates Rose's request a little bit longer before seemingly making up her mind. 'I'm Lieutenant Journey Blue of the Combined Galactic Resistance. I demand you take me back to my command ship, the Aristotle, which is currently located-…'

The Doctor throws his hand up and cuts Journey off. 'No. Hey, not like that.'

Journey narrows her eyes. 'You will take me back to my command ship, which is currently located-…'

'No, no. Come on. Not like that. Not like that. Get it right.' The Doctor chides and Rose finishes off her coffee, closing her eyes and stretching. Rose locks eyes with Journey and she nods her head. Journey slowly and maybe reluctantly lowers her gun. Rose flashes her an appreciative smile.

'Things will go smoother if you just do as he says. And mind your manners.' Rose informs her and Journey sighs audibly. Impatiently. She doesn't like being told what to do. Rose doesn't blame her, she understands it.

'Will you take my back to my ship?' Journey begins and remembers the look Rose gave her. 'Please.'

The Doctor nods his head and passes Rose his coffee and the tray. She accepts both and steals another sip from his. She's so thirsty all of a sudden. 'The Aristotle's the big fella parked in the asteroid belt, yeah?' He wonders rhetorically as he sets the TARDIS in motion and scolds Rose with a look as he catches her taking a sip.

'What? I'm sorry. I'm hungry and thirsty.' Rose frowns when he takes his coffee away from her.

'Then don't forget to sleep for days on end.' The Doctor reminds her and grips the console as the TARDIS lurches slightly and Journey loses her balance and hits the railing. She looks around and wonders where they're going.

'It's shielded.' Journey interjects into their petty argument. The Doctor looks over to her with a sly shrug. Rose uses the monitor to zoom in on the ship. It doesn't look heavily armed in her opinion. She narrows her eyes to get a better look.

'More or less,' The Doctor replies and Rose grips the console tighter as the TARDIS swings around the asteroid belt to find the Aristotle hiding by one edge of a lone, thin asteroid. 'Dry your eyes, Journey Blue. Crying's for civilians. It's how we communication with you lot.'

Journey turns to the TARDIS doors and Rose tugs the Doctor's sleeve. He turns to her and she motions to the monitor. Frowning he takes a better look at the ship they've just boarded.

'It doesn't look like a war ship, does it?' Rose wonders and the Doctor shakes his head. 'Very lean. Also, why'd you get us mixed up in the Combined Galactic Resistance?'

'I assure you it was only me trying to do a good thing. Though I botched it. I only saved one. I tried for two.' The Doctor confesses and Rose can see the defeat flash in his eyes. He looks forlorn and away from her. She covers his hand with her own. It forces him to shift his gaze back to her.

'You still saved one person. It's better than none.' Rose reminds him and he nods appreciatively. They look over to where Journey has opened the door and Rose watches her instantly relax, comforted by her surroundings that she knows so well. A time to grieve will soon overcome her.

'Well then, Rose Tyler, are you ready to face the unknown?'

'Sure, I don't think we have much of a choice.'

Together they walk towards where Journey has taken a step out into the interior of the Aristotle. The TARDIS has managed to park herself in a corner of larger section of the Aristotle. Rose peers over the shoulder of the Doctor just in time to see a man dressed in soldier's attire driving by on a small buggy. Journey walks a few steps out of the TARDIS and turns around to survey it. She widens her eyes before she leans to the left and right trying to see around the TARDIS entirely.

She waits until the Doctor and Rose have stepped out and the door shuts behind them. Journey folds her arms and motions to the TARDIS. 'It's smaller on the outside.'

The Doctor sighs and shrugs in agreement. 'It's a bit more exciting when you go the other way,' He pauses and notices things that strike him as odd. This is supposed to be a battleship. Rose was right, it's too lean. This is something masking as something else. 'This isn't a battleship. Medical insignia. It's a hospital.' He points out and Rose nudges him, watching an approaching collection of men that centre around an older man with greying hair. Every single one of them are armed to the teeth.

'We don't need hospitals now. The Daleks don't leave any wounded, and we don't take any prisoners.' The older man explains and Rose groans. She and the Doctor exchange looks. He appears apologetic.

'Daleks. It had to be Daleks.' Rose grumbles. The Doctor points to Journey.

'I saved your little friend here, if that's in any way relevant to mention.' He attempts and Journey nods her head. Rose is watching the men behind them. Some of them have an itchy trigger finger. Other appear afraid and tired of the constant death. It'd be hard to charge into battle when you're consistently out ranked.

'It's true sir, he did.'

'Thank you.' The man replies and the Doctor smiles.

'You're welcome. I wish I could have done more.' The Doctor admits and the man's eyes narrow, almost in a mocking way. His next words are cruel and to Rose unnecessary.

'Then you should have.'

The Doctor eyes him. 'Okay.'

The man relents and Rose continues to get an uneasy feeling around him. She watches his goons carefully. 'But you did save Journey, and for that I am personally grateful.'

'You're so welcome.' Rose interjects to gauge his reaction. The man turns to her with a frown and a disgusted look. A mischievous look flashes in his eyes. It's gone. Rose braces herself.

'Be that as it may. The security of this base is absolute. So we're still going to kill you both.' The man informs them casually. Rose sighs impatiently and the Doctor frowns in confusion.

'Oh, it's a roller coaster with you, isn't it?' He wonders rhetorically and the man glances back to his men and most of them nod at the man. Rose readies herself for a fight to the death and mentally begins to count the number of men and guns that each one has. Including hand guns.

The older man has already walked a few paces. 'Shoot them, bag them and throw them outside.'

'No! Stop!' Journey cries amidst the cocking of all the weapons and Rose eyes the Doctor wondering what they've gotten themselves into.

'Hang on a second, hot shot, what gives you the right?' Rose calls to the older man, he pauses and turns around, marching towards Rose who watches his hand gun holstered by his hip in her peripheral vision.

'You and your friend, may be duplicates.' The man replies assuredly and Rose walks into his face, she steadies herself and defaults to her training. She wants that gun.

'Do I look like a copy?' Rose wonders, batting her eyelashes. The man hesitates, lost in those hazel eyes, the flecks of gold draw him in further. 'C'mon. Copies usually lack something, what am I lacking that you don't believe I can be real?' Rose keeps her hands at her side, the tension is too thick. Not yet.

'You make good points, sweetheart. But I need to keep my crew safe. You understand, don't you? We'll even spare a thought for you and your friend. No hard feelings?' The man wonders and swallows a lump in his throat when he feels the barrel of a gun at his chest.

'No hard feelings, mate. And don't call me sweetheart.' Rose replies and the rest of the man's crew members aim at Rose. She doesn't flinch and the Doctor shakes his head at her impulsiveness. Journey gapes. No one takes on the Captain.

He chuckles. 'What are you going to do, shoot me? You'll be dead before you pull that trigger.'

'Then we've reached an impasse, haven't we?' Rose replies and the captain watches her carefully to see if there's a hint of fear in her that he can use, manipulate her with it. But she's colder than the ship when it passes through the Ice Belts of Yumurri.

The captain gives the men behind them a curt nod and they lower their weapons. Rose waits until the men over his shoulder direct the barrels of the weapons to the ground. She slowly retracts her hand and empties the cartridge of bullets before passing the weapon back to the captain's hands. The bullets still clink on the ground and he looks at them briefly before he holsters the weapon.

'You know I can reload.'

Rose folds her arms. 'Gives me a bit of time to prep before you shoot me the moment my back's turned.'

'Guilty.'

'Uncle, don't you see?' Journey begins and trots to catch up to the captain as he's marching away, he turns his head towards her but then shift his gaze back to glaring ahead of him. 'Uncle stop. Didn't you hear the man? He's a doctor, we've a patient, don't we?'

He stops. Journey is right. Damn, he hates when she's right. He turns around to see her smiling at him. She knows he knows she's right. He looks over her shoulder to where the man, still stoic in his appearance motions to the blonde woman beside him. She smiles at waves at him. This is going to be a nightmare he can feel it.

He motions them to come forward. The Doctor moves first and gives a look at Rose to let the animosity go and fall in line. Well, she'll let the confrontation go but she never falls into anyone's line. She'll be cautious enough for the both of them. The gap slowly closes between them. The Doctor can see the men behind the captain of this ship eyeing them carefully. He looks down to Rose.

'Do you usually make friends so easily wherever you go?' He whispers and Rose eyes him up. How much of his memories of her have begun to trickle through is still up in the air, she can't tell. He's so difficult to read now. That has yet to get any easier for her.

When she looks over to him, or his cold eyes hold her warm ones…that's all it is. A glare or stare. They're strangers to each other. An ember smoulders between them. But she thinks it's dying. And if they don't start fighting to keep it burning, it may just go out forever. She doesn't want that to happen, but she also doesn't want to be the only one who's fighting. That'd be long and drawn out. They'd part ways then. They'd have to.

'I do. Personal space and safety are a must for me. You remember how I dislike weapons aimed in my face.' Rose reminds him and she sees just a light smirk flash across his face.

The Doctor nods lightly. 'I do now.'

'Stick around. It only gets more fascinating the longer I'm around.'

He doesn't reply to that comment. He doesn't think it needs one. The stop in front of the captain. His boys are gripping their weapons tighter, trigger finger poised. Rose shouldn't be causing problems for them like this. No matter if it's in the best intention. It has ramifications. She's too impulsive. Has she always been like that? There was a time when she wasn't. How long ago was that.

The captain continues to eye them carefully. The blonde puts her hands on her hips as she waits for their conversation to begin. He has a bad feeling about this.

'The only reason I'm even considering this is because Journey is right. I'm putting aside my discomforts of you two being duplicates to look outside the box. We have a problem.'

'What kind of problem?' Rose inquires and the captain turns around and begins to march down the corridor. Journey follows and the men that flanked him fall into line as well. Rose takes that cue as they too must begin marching.

'Follow me and I'll show you,' The captain replies and glances over his shoulder. 'I'm Morgan, by the way.'

'I'm Rose. You've already been introduced to the Doctor.' Rose tells him and Journey can see that the Doctor is taking periodic looks at the weapons and those that holster them. She nearly offered Rose one of her guns but was stopped when Rose had dumped the ammo. She'll wish she hadn't done that if they are attacked by the Daleks once again. She also can't help but notice that they lack fear at the mention of the word Dalek.

That word is cursed. It promised nothing but death and destruction if uttered. It is a cloud that constantly hangs over them, oppressive and thick. It is a virus. The Daleks are a virus, a contagion that is constantly spreading. How do they stop something that is stronger than they are?

She stops herself from those depressing thoughts. Think too hard on those and they'll consume her. God, she hasn't been this bad since that one week a year ago that saw one of their entire platoons eradicated, she lost five friends in the matter of five minutes. And now she's lost her brother. Keep on keeping on. But when will the destruction end? Will it ever? Or will this be their legacy, passed down from the next generation to the next? Until no one can remember how the war started. Sometimes even she doesn't remember. They turn left down the next corridor.

'This problem you have? Will you elaborate?' The Doctor wonders and Rose ensures to keep her eyes forward, always moving, never lingering. Who knows what could potentially be lurking around the corners. They swing around another hall. They pass by two sliding doors. Lab 02 is marked in black bold lettering above the door. Rose attempts to peer in through the slits on the door but she can see nothing but a sterile room. That doesn't comfort her. She trots to catch up the group.

'Not yet. You gotta meet our problem first. Then you can ask questions.' Morgan replies firmly and the Doctor takes a sideways glance at Rose. She shrugs.

'Be nice.' She whispers and he frowns at that assessment.

'Be nice? What does that mean, be nice? What will that get me?' The Doctor laments and Rose turns her gaze forward. 'I am nice. Oi, Uncle Captain, why does a hospital need a doctor?'

Morgan glances over his shoulder and eyes the Doctor. He sighs. 'The Aristotle wasn't always hidden. The Daleks got here before us.' He explains and Rose feels her eyes widen at the mention of those evil creatures. Ugh, why did it have to be them? She rolls her neck from side to side. A part of her wonders if this will trigger the power within her to begin to awaken. She feels the same. However, she makes a mental note to start getting more in tune with herself.

Someone greets Journey as they pass by and she smiles and holds her hand up. In the process her gun touches the Doctor and he recoils from in. Moving to the other side of Rose so that he now walks on the outside left, isn't lost on Journey. Journey looks over to him and frowns, not sure of what had happened until she notices her gun. She doesn't get him.

'You don't like soldiers much, do you?' Journey comments and the Doctor leans forward to look at her. He straightens up and says nothing. After a couple of seconds pass he comments. What he says comes off as a personal attack.

'You don't need to be liked. You've got all the guns.'

Journey frowns. 'What about your girlfriend?'

'What girlfriend?' The Doctor asks alarmed and Rose sighs.

'She was referring to me.' Rose explains and that nearly makes him blush. How he manages to keep it together he doesn't know. He switches hands so that the tray he's carrying is now in his right. He shoves his left hand into his pocket. Mentioning Rose as his girlfriend sparked a weird reaction from him. Nervousness. Sweaty palms. It's been awhile.

'She's not my girlfriend. Why would you ever think that?' The Doctor wonders and Journey shrugs her shoulders.

'Why are you two travelling together?'

'I like the company.' The Doctor replies and Rose masks her own disappointment. Whether to throw them off their trail, who knows. Still hurts a bit – the being rejected in front of everyone.

'She's a soldier.' Journey states and Rose rolls her eyes with a little disgust.

'I'm not, actually.'

'Yeah. She just pretends.' The Doctor adds and Rose eyes him.

Journey doesn't buy it however she decides not to pursuit it any longer, they have their reasons for not wanting to tell her. Probably because she's a stranger. 'Well, she pretends well enough. Very believable.'

'Thanks.'

'If you three are done gabbing like girls, try and keep up, we're almost there.' Morgan calls to them and Rose feels herself wondering who this patient could be. Daleks - when they attack, they do not leave people alive. They just don't. Who is it?

Rose and the Doctor gather outside a pair of sliding doors with Lab 01 stamped boldly above their heads. They enter the lab and continue to walk through a long corridor. They continue walking until a room marked 078 catches the Doctor's attention. He pauses and glances up to the two guards standing alert.

The Doctor grabs Rose's arm and yanks her towards the window, pointing excitedly at the piece of equipment. 'Wow! A moleculon nanoscaler.'

Rose eyes the equipment carefully. There is a large clear tube with bench seats down the inside. To her it resembles a decompression chamber for divers. Oh, why doesn't she have a good feeling about that now too?

Journey doubles back to join them and she motions to the nanoscaler. 'You know what it does, then?'

The Doctor looks at her rather insulted that she questioned his brilliance. Rose braces herself for a long and drawn out explanation. 'It miniaturises living matter. What's the medical application, though? Do you use it to shrink the surgeons so they can climb inside the patients?'

'Exactly.' Morgan tells them and claps the Doctor on the shoulder. The Doctor pushes Morgan's lingering hand off his shoulder and brushes off his jacket.

'Fantastic idea for a movie. Terrible idea for a proctologist. Are you going to miniaturise me?' He wonders and Morgan sobers up.

'You're a doctor, aren't you?' He questions and walks down the corridor to another set of doors not far from the equipment. Rose and the Doctor share a concerned look but follow Morgan nonetheless. He pauses and waits for them only opening a pair of secured doors. A million and one thoughts pass through Rose's mind as the doors slowly slide apart from one another. She holds her breath and grabs the Doctor's hand. 'And here is your patient.' He sweeps his arm out to the side revealing their patient.

Rose gasps and instinctively the Doctor grips her hand tighter. A scratched eye piece glows blue as life awakens within it, there are wires and various cables that are disappearing into its dome. Rose doesn't what to know what for, but it's undeniable. It is an older Dalek. One not seen by her eyes since 2005. When she showed one mercy before she came back to utterly annihilate them all. Together they exchange sheer looks of panic between them. She increasingly grows scared this will trigger the power within her, clamouring for an excuse to be awakened. The Doctor turns back to Morgan and is shaking his head before he says anything.

'No, you don't understand. You can't put me in there.'

'…Doctor…?' The Dalek questions and Rose finds herself unable to look away. Where on earth did they find one? How did they manage to capture it alive? These are all the questions she wants to ask but her voice becomes lost in her throat. All she can do is stare stupidly at the Dalek, the eyestalk's blue light fades and comes back, it does that repeatedly. It must be dying.

'Doctor, you said to me that you wiped out their memory banks. That they aren't supposed to know you,' Rose whispers and the Doctor is not sure how this thing knows who he is. Because she's right. He did do that. 'Do you think because this one is older that it might not have gotten the message? Oh but they share a memory or something, don't they? I'm sorry…I'm rambling.'

Truthfully, he doesn't mind. Her scattered thoughts speak for his as well. She makes good points. That's why he likes having her around - amongst others. Gripping Rose's hand tighter, the Doctor takes a careful step forward. 'How do you know who I am?'

Morgan scoffs. 'He doesn't. We promised him medical assistance.'

'Are you my…doctor?' The Dalek wonders and Journey motions to the Dalek with a cold tone.

'We found it floating in space.' She explains, wondering if that was something that the pair of them were going to ask. Might as well fill in the blanks, it'll save time.

'We thought it was deactivated, so we tried to disassemble it.' Morgan adds and Rose smirks, she can't help it, they are ignorant when it comes to Daleks. Then again so is she. However, she'll take the slight interactions she's had with them over the last decade as being a tad more experienced.

'Bet all that screaming gave you lot a fright.' Rose comments and Morgan flings her a patronising smirk.

'Help me.' The Dalek breaks in and the Doctor is stunned by that omission and cry for help. Then it angers him. This Dalek demands, asks, implores, whatever, for help? A being that does nothing but cause pain and bring death and hatred wherever it goes. No.

He releases Rose's hand and stands in front of the eyestalk. 'Why would I do that?' He balks at the request. 'Why would any living creature help you?'

'Daleks will die.' It tells them and the Doctor folds his arms.

'Die all you like. Not my problem,' He retorts and turns his back to the Dalek. He walks towards Rose, fully intent on leaving this place and looks forward to making it a distant memory. 'Come on, Rose. We're leaving. This is not our problem.'

She begins to follow him. Something in her tells her to turn around, so she does. How can it be that she feels pity for this creature?! Could it be the same Dalek that she showed mercy to all those years ago? Impossible. She knows it isn't. So what in her is making her want to help this thing? When she knows it doesn't deserve anything. But at the same time she's curious. How did it come to this? Daleks never ask for help, nor do they believe in their own destruction and death.

'Daleks must be destroyed.' The Dalek states assuredly and Rose widens her eyes. Staring as the Doctor continues to leave until he hears that statement as well. He turns over his shoulder to her. They share an incredulous look, wondering if they both misheard it.

'Daleks must be de…what did you just say?' The Doctor dares to wonder if it was what he thought had been said. He finds himself wondering the possibilities of what had just been uttered. A part of him dared to dream of the reality where harmony existed. It's only when Rose grips his arm that he's jostled back to the circumstances before him.

'That can't be right…' She breathes. She's holding his harm tightly. None of this makes sense to her and even less to him. Theirs is a rich history with Daleks. His is more saturated than hers.

'All Daleks must die. I will destroy the Daleks. Destroy the Daleks. Destroy the Daleks.' It declares in that voice, usually so filled with hatred for anything else living. To hear it declare a war against its own kind sends chills down Rose's spine. For reasons she isn't entirely sure. Then again maybe she just doesn't want to admit them to herself.

She catches the Doctor's eye. She can see the uneasiness that is churning within him. This is not the enemy he knows. This is not a familiar territory. Together they walk in the shadows of a new enemy. However, can this Dalek truly be an enemy when they in apparent truths have a commonality in their immense dislike of other Daleks. Morals. This Dalek has them. They should be jumping for joy the day they discovered a Dalek that was willing to go against its own kind. Instead it's met with hesitation and more questions than answers.

She looks at him. Where do they go from here? His most hated enemy has asked for help. Does he do what he does best and help those that ask for it? Or does he disregard this plea because of who it's coming from? Even if this Dalek truly does hate its own kind, to believe that should it return to its home and convert the others is a pipedream. It would be destroyed at the mere mention of going forward in peace.

'What do you want to do?' Rose wonders quietly and runs her opposite hand up his arm. How can her touch be so comforting to him? He knows she'd follow him anywhere, wouldn't she?

'What should I do? What would the Doctor do?' He replies and Rose shrugs as if he should know the answer to his question. She isn't sure if he's inquired sarcastically or he is genuinely unsure.

'The Doctor helps people.'

'But not a creature that hates so violently.'

'But you do. This is a moral creature. Reformed. How can you deny it a chance at redemption?' Rose wonders and folds her arms.

'How do you know it has truly gained morals?' He counters and Rose shakes her head.

'I am willing to take a chance. It's what good people do.'

'Am I good man?'

'Depends.'

'On what?'

'On what you choose to do at this very moment,' Rose tilts her chin away from him and he can sense the dynamic shifting between them. His sweet, trusting Rose has already declared that she will go along with this Dalek. 'Everyone deserves a chance. What do you say?'

He ponders her statement. He watches her. She didn't come out and say it but she clearly could have called him a hypocrite or that he's prejudice. She doesn't, though. She lets him make his own conclusions. But he doesn't know what to think. She guides him through uncertainty, doesn't she?

'I say…I want Clara here, too.' He decides and Rose nods her head, approving the way things are going. She's curious. She wants to see the ending of how this dramatic play will conclude.

Will this hard nose enemy finally see the light and capture a chance at redemption or will this play go from dramatic to tragedy? Something tells her that it'll be the latter. Nothing good will come of this and the conclusion will be sad and reek of disappointment and failure.

The Doctor watches emotions flash between her eyes. This little adventure will test them. Their morals and beliefs. He's quick to write of this encounter. She's curious about it. She wants to know why while he prefers to let things lie. They can be on the same page for so many other things but every once and awhile…they're so far apart it amazes him how they can come back together.

'All right. I'll help you with your problem. But first, I want to go back and pick up someone who will help,' The Doctor informs Morgan, Journey and the others. He doesn't wait for them to respond, he merely walks back through the halls and corridors towards the TARDIS. 'I'll return momentarily.' He calls to them. Rose trots to catch up to him. She can hear the soft murmur of their disapproval behind her.

She can see that he's now tense. Changed from moments ago. She cuts in front of him. He stops. She folds her arms and carefully regards him - he mimics her. Then he studies her. They battle for dominance. Who will speak first. She stuns him by embracing him fiercely. That puzzles him.

'Why is there fear in your eyes, Doctor?' She wonders, and sighs as he wraps his arms around her. He rests his chin on her head.

'Because I am fearful.'

'For what reason?'

'My question. You answered it. And yet…I don't know if I believe that. I don't know…'

Rose smiles into his chest and pulls away. She taps him on the nose.

'It seems as though that'll be a journey of self-discovery. I can help with that if you want me to.'

'I want you to. You seem to know me…better than I know myself.'

'And yet I can't tell you who you are.' Rose reminds him and he holds her close before release her and together they walk hand in hand to the TARDIS.

'No, but you can offer sage advice.'

'Isn't that your job?' She teases and he smiles straight on.

Is he a good man? He doesn't know. He believes Rose knows, but she's staying silent on the matter. He is the one that has the burning question, because she knows the answer. He'll have to answer it on his own. However, he does have this feeling that should he ever need a gentle nudge in the right direction she'd already be there to help him out.

'Well, Rose. Into darkness, we descend.'

'Clara's gonna love this one.'

They enter the TARDIS together and as it's set into motion Rose meanders around the console before sitting on the steps. A good Dalek? Who'd have thought she'd be around to see that? Deep within her however, something tells her that this is a superficial act, the deeper they descend into this madness, they will uncover the root cause of this Dalek turning against its own kind. Will they fix this or make it worse?

Can it get worse?

---

The Doctor steps out of the TARDIS and into a rather cramped supply cupboard of Clara's school. Rose isn't sure if it's a Preparatory school as Clara has never told them the name of the school – which makes her feel awful again for not making an effort to befriend Clara. However, Rose is banking that this is an expensive private school. All of these supplies looks expensive. And much more engaging than when she went to school. Which has years ago displayed in her mind. How old is she again…? She watches Clara walk into the supply cupboard with a silly grin on her face. She finds herself grinning also. She knows that look. That's the look of a woman who's smitten with someone. She's dying of curiosity. But Clara jumps when she notices the Doctor standing in front of her with a tray and a solitary coffee still there. His peace offering for what had happened all those weeks ago. Clara glares at him.

'Where the hell have you two been?!' She demands in a loud whisper and the Doctor motions to the coffee tray.

'You sent me for coffee.' He replies innocently and Clara holds back her anger and exhales.

'No. The agreement was we would go get coffee together. Three weeks ago. You both just disappeared and left me alone. In Glasgow. Without a mobile, money…anything!' Clara tells them flatly; she finds herself raising her voice a notch higher than a whisper. Something she's not proud of, so she attempts to reign herself in.

'Three weeks is that all? No, that's a long time, you're right.' He concedes and Clara nods her head, proud to hear him tell her she's right.

'In Glasgow,' Clara reminds them and Rose offers a meek smile of apology. 'That's dead in a ditch.'

'It's not my fault, I got distracted.' The Doctor replies seriously, a touch of innocence to his voice. Rose shakes her head. Clara plants her fists on her hips.

'By what?' She demands and the Doctor looks over to Rose.

'I saw a confessional letter by a Spiritualist. We went to check them out…well, I convinced Rose to come with me to check things out. No, that's not true…together we asked questions that needed answers.' He explains and Rose again can't help notice the anger give way to a dreamy look in Clara's eyes. Ooh…something good has happened to her. Usually she's all over the Doctor when he does things like that to her…but not this time. Rose watches her, what's going on…? Instantly she knows what it is. Good for her!

'That's what distracted you?' Clara repeats with a hint of disbelief in her voice.

'If you look hard enough, you can find something,' The Doctor states and pushes a few levers. He watches out of the corner of his eye as Clara absently twists the end of her hair and a faint whisper of a smile touches the corner of her mouth. 'Why were you smiling?'

Clara widens her eyes before frowning. She looks over to Rose who is sitting on the railing with a crooked grin plastered to her face. She may be able to talk her way out of the Doctor's suspicions, but Rose is another problem all together. That just the connection women have with one another. They can tell the moment a secret like hers ebbs to the surface. She's certain Rose knows the reason she's walking around with a stupid grin plastered on her. A crush. She's got a little crush.

When Clara looks away from Rose to the Doctor who is waiting for a response, back to Rose again, her confident grin tells Clara that she's excited to hear all about it. 'Was I? No, I wasn't.'

The Doctor eyes her and her pathetic attempt to lie to him. 'You were smiling at nothing. I'd almost say you were in love, but to be honest…' The Doctor trails off when he catches a glimpse of Rose's glaring gaze at him. She's reminded him before about tact, hasn't she?

'Honest?' Clara repeats and the Doctor shrugs his shoulders. Tact. How does one be tactful?

'You're not a young woman anymore.' He informs her and Clara shakes her head, he can hear Rose sighing audibly from her spot on the railing.

'Yes, I am.' Clara counters and takes the tray of coffee he hasn't realised he's still holding. She sets them down on the console, studying him. Something…is off.

'Well, you don't look it.' He tries another angle but the words come out wrong too. At least that's what Rose's slap to his arm meant when he had gone to stand beside her. He thinks. To be honest…the words sounded fine to him. All his words are right.

Clara doesn't mind. She's grown used to it, of course. However…there's more to his careless observation of her looks. He's rambling in a sense. What's happened between him and Rose, if that's the issue. No, no that's not it. What is?

'I do look it.'

Again he smiles at her, briefly. Fleeting. It dissolves so quickly. 'Oh, that's right, keep your spirits up, Clara, Clara, Clara, Clara. Clara, Clara. Clara, Clara. I need something from you. I need the truth…'

Clara watches him sit on the console steps for seconds before he's up again and wandered back over to Rose. That's…not usually like him. She glances over to Rose who gives her a little nod. Oh, Rose has already tried. It didn't work. That's shocking to her because usually Rose can make him feel better than all right. She's obviously tried. It wouldn't be like her to not try. If she wasn't successful, what makes Rose think that she would be.

Clara observes the closeness between them. While she sits on the rails, he stands beside her, leaning on them, but also touching her. He's always ensured that if they stand side by side, he has to have his body in contact with hers. That's the bond they share – envious as it is. Rose is his voice of reason, yeah? Why doesn't he believe her then? Does he need to hear it from another source to ensure it isn't just her saying that to him? He knows that she's typically right, he doesn't want to admit it.

It's up to her to bridge the gap. She doesn't know what Rose and the Doctor talked about before she arrived, all she can do is offer her best advice. Honest and unrestrained, even if it isn't what he wants to hear. So she goes to the steps and sits. There is silence. For a brief moment. Then Clara hears footsteps and the Doctor lowers himself to sit beside her.

'Right. So the truth. What is it? What's…?' Clara trails off when the Doctor turns to look at her. There is fear. So much. It takes her off guard and she struggles with what to say. What scares the Doctor? She stumbles on her response. So she defaults to the obvious. 'You're scared.'

He looks away. 'Terrified.'

'Of what?' Clara breathes at his confirmation. He looks back to her. His expression becomes unreadable.

'The answer to my next question, which must be honest and cold and considered, without kindness or restraint.' The Doctor explains and Clara frowns.

'So you came to me for that answer?' She nearly adds the question of why. Does he view her as cold and unkind? No, of course not. He relies on her to tell him the truth. She knows this. Not that Rose wouldn't, of course.

'Yes. Clara, be my pal and tell me, am I a good man?' He wonders but the way he's phrased his question it's almost as though he's expecting a terrible answer and he's steeling himself for the response.

Instead Clara takes her time. She picks it apart. She doesn't know this man, no matter what Rose or Vastra or Jenny may state. He's different. He'd colder than the man she knew earlier. He lacks patience and restraint. But he's just as passionate as before. But he so cold. Would he do the right thing? Can she trust him? Yes of course. So why did she hesitate? He's look at her for an answer. And she can't give him one. Because she doesn't know. Is this the next part of the journey – they are to discover this the three of them?

'I don't know…' Clara finally answers and the Doctor is quiet as he mulls her answer to him.

What had he expected her to say? He doesn't know anymore. 'Me either.'

He finally replies and gets up to meet Rose who is working the controls on the console. Clara lingers, turning over her shoulder to watch them.

Rose takes a step out of the way while he rather shortly presses the controls. Her hand appears and covers his, forcing him to stop. They stare at one another, another one of their infamous mental conversations. She arches her eyebrow at him and Clara is surprised to see him relax, ever so slightly. The tension he carries is still visible, but it seems he's let something go. Or repressed it. Truly she wished she had a better answer for him. Time will tell, she supposes. Or it may help define him, mould him into the person he wishes to be, or is unsure of.

The TARDIS lurches and Clara is shaken from her morose thoughts. What a depressing way to start her date. Her date! Oh no, Danny! Oh, she had worked so hard to convince him to go with her, her finest flirting for naught. Clara jumps to her feet and rushes to the console just in time to see the Doctor removing his arm from around Rose. He frowns at her hastiness.

'Hey, no offence, but I've got plans. Can you take me back, please?' Clara wonders and Rose smirks at her. Damn, has she already figured it out? Women just know, don't they? One stupid grin plastered on her face and she's just announced to the world she's in love.

The Doctor either chooses to ignore her desperate tone or doesn't comment on it, but he gives her a pleading look in her eyes which he seems to disregard.

'But I need you too.' He replies and Clara grapples with the decision of what to do. He has Rose, why does he need her there too? He's staring at her and her resolve wavers. She wants to believe that he'll drop her off at the right time so she can meet with Danny, at the same time her interest is wondering where they're going. And why. What's gotten them both so spooked. Whether they want to admit it there is something heavy that lingers in the air. It isn't the question of who he is. It's something else.

Clara closes her eyes and nods her head, mostly to convince herself. 'Right. Where are we going?'

'Into darkness,' The Doctor responds and Clara frowns. 'Sorry, I was trying to build up the moment. Rose and I stumbled upon the most interesting thing earlier.'

'Besides the Spiritualist incident? What else could you possibly find?' Clara wonders, mostly to herself.

'That's what I mean. You can always find something. You save someone's life and they point a gun at you, the next thing you know you're being asked-…'

'Rather volun-told.' Rose interjects and the Doctor nods his head.

'Yes, that odd combination of words. We're told we're helping a good Dalek.' The Doctor finishes and Clara stares at him stunned, leaving the coffee cup she's just raised to her lips there as she digests his words.

'I'm sorry, a good Dalek?' She repeats and the Doctor nods his head, his eyes show his reservations about that statement. Okay, so he's curious but also apprehensive. However, his next comment to her leaves her rather stunned. It's that or the fact she's just burnt her tongue on the coffee.

'There's no such thing.' He answers assuredly. Rose gapes at him.

'Doctor, what the hell?'

Clara takes another thoughtful sip, ignoring the burning sensation on her tongue. 'That's a bit inflexible. Not like you,' She decides and then eyes Rose with a smirk. 'I'd almost say prejudiced.'

As the TARDIS rumbles to announce their landing, the Doctor sighs heavily and glances to Rose before settling his stare on Clara. 'Do I pay either of you? I should give you both a raise.'

Clara throws her hand into his arm as he passes by her towards the door. 'You're not my boss, you're one of my hobbies.'

The Doctor smirks at her and reaches back for Rose's hand. 'Let's go.' He all but drags Rose along with him as he leads them back through the corridors.

Clara studies the sterility of the ship, not equipped for battle, so why are there so many soldiers in uniform? She nearly inquires but figures the Doctor would only tell her to keep up or quit wasting his time. She stays silent, trotting to catch up to close the gap Rose and the Doctor have put between them. They walk like they're on a mission. Maybe they are.

There is a little group of people waiting by a door marked Lab 01, hushed voices surround her. What are they plotting. A stern looking man – which Clara assumes to be the leader – glances up to her, his tired eyes coupled with the lines etched into his face tell her that he's been at this, whatever this is, for a long time.

Next to the man a woman also acknowledges their presence, she's younger but there are cuts that litter her dark skin and face. She's been in some kind of accident or battle. That's a massive gun in her hands. So a battle. But what is this in her eyes? Grief? She's lost something near and dear to her. Although she does look pleasantly surprised when she catches sight of the Doctor and Rose.

'That was quick.' She remarks. The Doctor seemingly ignores her and turns over to Clara.

'This is gun girl,' The Doctor introduces the woman who frowns at the lack of proper pleasantries. 'She's got a gun, and she's a girl. That one there, he's a sort of a boss one.'

'Yes.' The man confirms and Clara wonders how many times he and the Doctor have clashed over egos.

'I think he's probably her uncle, but I may have made that up to pass the time while they were talking,' He admits and there is a small silence. The Doctor eyes everyone. He suddenly remembers. 'This is Clara, not my assistant. She's, er, some other word.'

'I'm his…carer.' Clara decides and the Doctor nods his head at her.

'Yeah, my carer,' The Doctor agrees and Rose shakes her head. 'She cares so I don't have to.' He stops abruptly as Rose throws her hand into his chest, eyeing him.

'Right. Well, now that these introductions are done, let's get moving.' Morgan informs them and leads them through the doors into the lab.

The Doctor carefully studies the molecular nanoscaler while he faintly hears the others yammering away. He is trying to think of an appropriate way to quell his own reservations about doing this little excursion. Clara's words also bother him. She just doesn't understand is all. She doesn't have the history with the Daleks like he does, or to a lesser extent, Rose. Clara doesn't understand the ironic nature of the Dalek's words. It is a creature bred for pure hatred of any other creature that exists in the universes. Daleks do not just…hate their own kind, it's not possible. At least…not that he's ever experienced. Prejudiced. Him?! Ha, unlikely. He's the least judgemental person in the universe, according to himself. Prejudice…what a laugh.

Then…why can't he go into this with a completely open mind? Part of him holds back. The defences are up; they have been since he set eyes on that thing in there. The worst part is that he can't entirely read Rose either. She's shut herself off completely. That isn't fair. They're supposed to be partners on things like this. Well, at least he has Clara with him. That's comfort enough.

The doors to the room where the Dalek is held slide open almost painfully slow. He feels the eyestalk on him before the Dalek is entirely revealed. The Doctor exchanges a look with Rose. She nods at him. He nearly reaches for her hand but stops himself, however he doesn't miss how Rose tenses when the Dalek eyes the little group before him.

Rose turns up to the Doctor. 'Do you think we can do this?'

He looks down to her. Her voice is soft, so is her touch. He hadn't realised she'd grabbed his hand. That's the thing with her…she can read him to incredibly well. He doesn't want to do this and she knows that there is something within him that makes him hesitate, that he looks at this and doesn't want to push forward, but does because of the curiosity. The mystery calls to him.

'A moral Dalek? Aren't you the least bit curious? Don't you want to find out what makes it tick?' The Doctor replies and Rose eyes him with a little smirk.

'Are you asking me or telling yourself?' Rose wonders and the Doctor returns her smirk. He's about to respond to her when the Dalek's voice rings out.

'Doctor.'

'Hello again.' He responds, looking over his shoulder to the eye stalk that studies the group. Rose can't help but notice that there is no hint of pleasantness in his voice. It is devoid of emotion. And so unlike him.

'Will you help me?' The Dalek questions, its raspy voice is almost pleading with him. In the only way a Dalek can. Though it comes off as cold and emotionless. It does get pity from Rose. As it had done the first time she met them. Creatures that had been shunned by its own kind. It's never fun to be alone.

Clara notices the Doctor has yet to respond to it. She doesn't like that. His own worst enemy is reaching out for help, this could be the start of something small, yes, but it may lead to something bigger. Maybe they could finally bridge the gap and end this feud that seems to follow the Doctor everywhere.

'Well, Doctor, will you?' Clara pries when he has yet to issue a response. He looks down to Clara who is crossing her arms and glaring at him, intentional or not, he isn't sure. Is she always like this? She pesters him until she gets what she wants, doesn't she? Rose, though, not her. She expects, no demands he do the right thing without uttering a word. Great. He's getting it from all sides.

He meets Rose's gaze and her unreadable expression tells him nothing but he can gather what she's thinking. He puts aside his discomfort. 'A Dalek so damaged, it's turned good. Morality as malfunction? How do I resist?'

'Are you being spurious?' Rose wonders and the Doctor looks over to her. Somehow what he's said and her comment back to him makes her smirk. The Dalek interrupts him as he begins to answer Rose.

'Daleks must die. Daleks must die.' It drones on and Rose isn't inspired to believe those words. Paint her as a pessimist or cautious optimist. No, somethings change only to quickly change back.

Clara continues to watch this Dalek with candid fascination. She turns up to the Doctor. 'So, what do we do with a moral Dalek, then?'

'We get into its head.' The Doctor replies and Clara shrugs at his simply complex answer.

'Mmm, how do you get into a Dalek's head?' She muses and then catches Rose shaking her head as a response.

'No, no. Literally.' Rose replies and Clara widens her eyes. Oh no…no, no. That's not good. Oh no, what has she signed up for. She has a date…what if they run a bit late? Oh but then her curiosity is peaked by the goodness in this Dalek. Can they sway him to the side of good?

'Well, let's get this started, shall we?' Morgan states loudly and motions them over to the moleculon nanoscaler. Rose has noticed that the Doctor is still enamoured with the device so she takes it upon herself to be the one to listen to the safety talk. Who knows it may just come in handy. Clara comes up beside Rose and she looks over to her.

'What do you think we'll find when we're in there?' Clara wonders. Rose is quiet, debating what they just may find. Honestly she doesn't know. Something simple or something more complex.

'I think the outcome of this situation won't be what we want it to be.' Rose finally answers and Clara frowns.

'Debbie Downer.'

Rose laughs. 'Sorry. My mind goes right for the bad to plan for it.'

'Ladies!' Journey calls to them and they direct their attention back to Journey. 'Now, as I was saying. These are nanocontrollers. Once we're miniaturised, they take over the molecular compression. When the mission's over, hit the button.' Journey finishes explaining, handing one to Rose as she slips it on, Journey puts the bracelet on Clara's wrist. 'Are you sure you both understand.'

Rose flings Journey a look and doesn't answer her, so Journey directs her attention to Clara who frowns. She can see why Rose takes offence to this. She doesn't, though she also doesn't appreciate the implication that she wouldn't. It's simple instructions. She gives those all day…not that anyone pays attention to them.

'Yes, I understand. I mean, why wouldn't I?' Clara replies impatiently and Journey eyes her.

'Because this is a dangerous mission, and unlike your friends, you look like a school teacher.' Journey tells her and Clara feels her mouth drop open from her correct assumptions.

'I am a school teacher,' Clara responds haughtily. 'Still didn't catch your name.'

'Journey Blue.'

'Blue?' Clara repeats and finds herself smiling at the quirkiness of colours suddenly being affixed to people as surnames. What are the chances?

'Blue, yes. Problem?'

'No!' Clara hastily gathers her thoughts. 'Er, I just met a soldier called Pink.'

Journey's harsh features soften. 'Lucky fella.'

'Lucky?' Clara repeats and notices that Rose is smiling devilishly at her. Women always know! How?

'From the way you smile.'

Clara feels her cheeks redden and attempts to divert the conversation away from her personal life. Getting a wee bit close for comfort, she already knows Rose is going want to hear all about it. Well, there's nothing to tell. Nothing's happened. Yet. 'So, er who makes you smile or is nobody up to the job?'

Journey eyes her. She appreciates that it was a mere shift in focus, to move the spotlight however those wounds are too fresh and raw. 'My brother. But he burned to death a couple of hours ago, so he's really letting me down today. Excuse me.'

Clara stares stunned. She feels horrible. How could have goofed like that? Why hadn't anyone said anything? Rose walks towards her and shakes her head. What does that mean?

'You couldn't have known.' Rose tells her. Clara doesn't feel comforted by that. She shakes her head. Rose can see that what she's said doesn't do anything.

'Not the point. She just lost family and there I was trying to be smart.' Clara reminds her and Rose can see her point. She is about to attempt another angle when the Doctor joins them and notices something rather alarming.

'Hang on, hang on,' The Doctor interjects and points to two more soldiers Rose hadn't noticed joined them. They are in full tactical gear. Tag alongs. Why? 'What are those ones for? I don't need armed babysitters.'

The woman in the gear doesn't appreciate the comment. 'We are not babysitters!' She fires back and the Doctor immediately looks relieved.

'We're here to shoot you dead if you turn out to be a Dalek spy.' The man adds and Rose gapes at them. Clara clears her throat at the admission.

'You know I've been called a lot of things over the years. Commie spy, Luthlow spy, Royalist spy, Russian spy, the list goes on – but I don't know whether to be insulted at that comment or not.' Rose folds her arms and tilts her head. Both the new soldiers avert their gaze. Did she just win that ego battle?

'Not worth it, Rose,' The Doctor tells her. 'Didn't you hear them? They're not baby sitters, that's relief enough. Luthlow spy? How did you get mixed up in that tense situation?'

'Long story, maybe I'll tell you some time.' Rose winks as she puts on the bracelet Journey had passed to her on her way to the front of the group on the Doctor's wrist. Journey whistles to gather the attention at a focal point. Everyone turns back to her and she clears her throat.

'Okay, listen up. Now, remember, do not hold your breath when the nanoscaler engages. You'll feel like you want to, but you must keep breathing normally during the miniaturisation process.'

Clara looks up to the Doctor, how can holding your breath be bad? 'Why?'

The Doctor lowers his voice. 'Ever microwaved a lasagne without pricking the film on top?'

She nods her head. 'Sure. Loads of times. It explodes.'

The Doctor straightens up as she realised the gravity of her words and her eyes gradually widen. 'Yes. Don't be lasagne.'

'Fun analogy. So accurate.' Rose comments and Clara doesn't miss the grin on her face. Is she truly enjoying this? How does she manage the stress from one job to the next? She makes it look easy. Then again she's had a lot of practice, Clara's decided.

Everyone steps into a small chamber and the doors shut. From the outside Morgan makes his way to the controls and pushes a few buttons and the control panel springs to life. After a few preliminary inspections all levels appear normal and he takes a quick look at Journey. He hopes this mission goes well, they're due for a little streak of luck. He wants her to come back safe and in one piece. He's lost so many people in just the last few weeks, but to lose Journey would devastate him. If he has to triple check things every second he will do that, to make sure she gets home.

'All right you lot, nanoscaler engaging in five, four, three, two…nanoscaler engaging now.'

Above their heads in the chamber a dull computer voice rings out, Nanoscaling in progress.

All they can see is a crossbeam that passes back and forth over the camber until the jostling being which they assume means the shrinking is in progress. Rose suddenly understands what Journey meant about maintaining a steady breath. The pressure above them does make her want to hold her air in until the oppressive mass passes them however her mind wanders to a microwave with burnt on sauce and bits of pasta noodles caked onto the sides. Huh. Boom. Morbid.

Nanoscaling complete.

Rose looks up. In all her mind wanderings she didn't notice that they managed to finish being shrunk. Look at that, everyone's intact. That's a bit of a relief.

'Nanoscaling successful. Everyone okay in there?' Morgan's voice echoes above them and they see an enormous pair of tweezers heading towards them. The chamber shakes as they are picked up, they know it's as carefully as possible…

'We made it. Nobody popped.' Journey informs Morgan relieved and she double checks all the passengers once again. She's grinning and closes her eyes. Good luck stroke one. One of three? Only one way to find out.

Clara watches the world in front of the little chambers' glass with amazement at the distorted view before her. It's incredible, she's amazed. The detail in people's clothing – the fibres she can see; how large the room is. Everything.

She turns over to the Doctor. 'Whoa. Ha. I can't believe this.'

'No, neither can I.' The Doctor states seriously and watches as the chamber is carefully injected into the Dalek's eyestalk. The blue washes over them, not a calming blue no, a harsh one. A cold one. Rose shifts her gaze to the Doctor however he doesn't acknowledge her gaze and she can't decipher his deadpan look. When he holds his hand out to the surface, it quivers. It nearly makes Rose doubt this entire ordeal. What have they signed up for?

'We'll be following you all the way, Rescue One. Good luck to all of you.' Morgan states dryly and the Doctor is the first to test their limits as his arm begins to distort when he begins to reach into the blue 'eye' so to speak of the end of the stalk.

Rose is next and she feels as though she's passed through a waterfall as she stands next to the Doctor and they study their surroundings. Clara and Journey are next while the two armed soldiers bring up the rear. Their guns are tight to their chests as their skilled eyes carefully roam around…wherever they are in the Dalek.

Rose turns up to the Doctor and nudges him gently. 'Ever thought you'd be here?'

'Not in my lifetimes.'

'You look extremely tense.' She observes and the Doctor stares at her incredulously.

'You're not?'

'I try not to think about it.' Rose admits and he smiles lightly at her.

'Integration complete. Dalek levels steady.' The robotic voice announces. Clara rubs her arms and studies their new surroundings. Bland and cold. Just like a Dalek. Pure on the inside as the outside. Devoid of anything but steel.

'That was weird.' Clara declares and the Doctor gives her a sideways glance. He wants to laugh at her naivety. However, he restrains himself as he catches Rose taking a few tentative steps forward, ascertaining the situation.

'You've seen nothing yet.' The Doctor promises her and Clara's eye catches the twinkling lights above them. She becomes mesmerised by them. The Doctor notices that they all have as well. Not Rose…no, she's uncomfortable. So is he. Every single voice in his head is telling him to run. Get out. Why are you helping the enemy? He can't answer that. All because a Dalek asked? Is it that easy, they can just wipe out millennia of conflict because of a broken plea? What was he thinking?

'Doctor?' Clara's meek voice shakes him from his thoughts. Rose has re-joined them. 'What are all those lights?'

He glances up. 'Visual impulses travelling towards the brain.'

Clara smiles. 'Beautiful.'

'Welcome to the most dangerous place in the universe.' The Doctor comments and Rose tilts her head.

'And yet…there are similarities – biologic – in nature. We are the same in some respects.' Rose replies and doesn't miss the eyes of the entire group on her. She stands by that comment.

The Doctor feels himself glaring at Rose for her comment. Which of course she flings right back at him. 'There isn't enough time in the world to talk about how wrong you are.'

Rose squares herself against him. 'There is not enough time in the world to tell you how remarkably close minded you're being. Don't talk to me like that.' Rose adds and they glare at one another more before Journey clears her throat.

Journey rolls her eyes, surprised she finds herself agreeing with the Doctor. 'If you two are done arguing, let's go. We have a mission to complete.'

Silently they all fall into line behind Journey. She leads them through the eye stalk of the Dalek, the two soldiers who quietly introduce themselves as Gretchen and Ross bring up the rear. Rose feels the constant need to check over her shoulder to make sure nothing is sneaking up behind them. These people are tense, she can sense it. A quick trigger finger, ask question after shooting type deal. These people don't respect the prowess of a Dalek. And now that they're inside – internally – who's to say that they won't use this opportunity to do something…sinister? That what's makes her uneasy. Amongst other things of course.

They emerge from the corridor like eyestalk into a large circular, open area. Rose can only assume that this is some kind of cranial area. It's incredibly vast, it's a long way up and a long way down. She takes a step back, feeling her slight fear of heights get triggered. Clara takes her place with wide eyes as she absorbs all of the depth around her. She finds herself smiling. She doesn't know why. Is it because she'll never experience this again or the fact that the Dalek is essentially harmless to them at this moment. That if they wanted to, they could destroy it?

'Oh, my god…' Clara breathes when she looks down from the ledge. They can literally see the red tentacle blob of the Dalek that is the only true organic part left. A vast among of cables continually twist themselves around down into it.

The Doctor motions to the blob. 'Behold, the belly of the beast.'

'It's amazing.' Clara remarks and Rose pushes his helmet up above his eyes.

'It's huge…' He remarks and Gretchen rolls her eyes at him.

'No, Ross, we're tiny.' Gretchen corrects and he clears his throat in acknowledgement. He looks back up to the Dalek. Clara points to it as well and the Doctor follows her arm.

'So how big is it, that living part, compared to you and me, right now?' Clara wonders and the Doctor direct her gaze to the cables.

'Do you see all those cables?' The Doctor wonders and Clara nods her head.

'Yeah.'

'They're not all cables.' He tells her and Clara widens her eyes. Ross turns over his shoulder, convinced he saw something pass behind them. It makes him a little bit nervous. He does a headcount. Everyone is here…so what was it that moved when they weren't looking? What else is…lurking in here.

'Does it…know we're here?' He wonders and Journey glances over to him and nods her head, though not entirely sure herself. Still, this is her mission and she will get everyone out alive. She can do this.

'It's what invited us in.' Journey replies and Ross nods his head.

The Doctor notices that Rose has been a little silent in this ordeal. He motions her over for help when he begins to study the banks of vertical lights around the inside of the part of the ledge. She seems a little pale. Maybe it's just the lighting.

'Are you going to give me the silent treatment this whole messy adventure?' He wonders and pretends to drag out his observation so she'll talk to him. Rose presses her hand to her head and shakes her head.

'Yes, I mean no. No,' Rose pauses and the Doctor turns to face her fully, blocking everyone else's view of her. 'This Dalek. Did you happen to notice that it of the same variety that you and I faced years ago?'

'Yes, I did notice that.' How can he not? Those memories still come to him when he least expects them to. Upon setting eyes on that Dalek, this was one of those times. It's hard to think of Rose in that sense. But he admires her no less. He was immensely proud of her determination, however so scared that he'd lose her. And to know that his removal of Bad Wolf was in a sense a failure…irks him. She's not truly free of her other. What consequences will it hold in the future? Only Bad Wolf knows that.

Rose listens to the eeriness that makes her wonder if she's hearing voices or the white noise is deafening. 'I don't know if I'm hearing voices…but…' She trails off and the Doctor frowns. 'Never mind. It's in my head.' She states. He can tell it's mostly to convince herself.

'What are you hearing?' He prods and Rose stares at the ground while frowning before lifting her head up.

'Memories,' Rose tells him firmly in denial. What's stirring within her? 'It's…only memories. Now…I'm sorry. Shall we?'

He hates that she wishes to drop the subject but agrees that they can't stand around waiting, no more hesitation. Things must get done, so he nods his head silently pointing to vertical lights. 'Now, this is the cortex vault, a supplementary electronic brain. Memory banks, but more than that. This is what keeps the Dalek pure.'

Gretchen walks a bit closer and studies the lights. Frowning she turns to the Doctor since his explanation makes no sense. 'How are Daleks pure?'

'Daleks are born hating. This right here. This aids in that hatred. It eradicates goodness.' Rose replies and the Doctor points to the cortex.

'This is what stokes the fire, extinguishes even the tiniest glimmer of kindness or compassion. Imagine the worst possible thing in the universe, then don't bother, because you're looking at it right now. This is evil refined as engineering.' He tells them and Gretchen swallows an uncomfortable lump in her throat. As each second passes, she wonders what she's signed up for.

'Doctor…?' A gravelly voice erupts above them.

'Oh, hello, Rusty. You don't mind if I call you Rusty?' The Doctor pauses briefly not truly waiting for a response before moving on. 'We're going to need to come down there with you. Medical examination, and all that.'

Gretchen frowns and motions below them. 'What, with those tentacles and things?'

Journey turns to the Doctor. She's so apprehensive about this. Getting close is one thing, but how far do they have to go in order to get closer? She wants to keep everyone safe by staying at a safer distance. 'How close do we have to get?'

The Doctor smiles a bit. 'Well, you know, we're never going insert a thermometer from up here.'

Rose rolls her eyes and Journey nods at Ross. He immediately fires a harpoon into the ledge and a loud groan erupts above their heads. Rose gasps.

'No! Stop it, you moron! Stop and bloody well think about what you've done!' Rose shouts at him, Ross gapes at her, and just as she finishes lambasting him another harpoon drives itself into the ledge. She gasps.

The Doctor turns to Journey who doesn't understand the ramifications of her actions. 'No, no, no no! Stop, stop! You idiot!' The Doctor yells at her. Journey gawks at him in confusion.

Journey shrugs her shoulders at him, not getting his or the girl's sudden rage. 'We need a way down. The only way.'

The Doctor motions around them. 'This is a Dalek, not a machine. It's a perfect analogue of a living being, and you just hurt it. So what's going to happen now?' The Doctor goads and Journey frowns at him, picking apart his words. What's the big deal? It asked for them to come in here, some things may happen, it may get bruised in the process. Things will be fine.

'Oh, god.' Clara realises what the Doctor meant. She swallows nervously and begins to look around for the unseen culprit that she knows is heading towards them.

'Everyone, be on guard. They're coming.' Rose warns and Gretchen stares at her, unsure of what they're facing. Everything looks normal. So why is there dread building within her?

'What? What is it?' Gretchen questions desperately and finds herself steadying her own breathing as the seconds tick by and no one provides an answer.

Clara stares at her with panic in her eyes. 'Antibodies?' She wonders and watches Rose and the Doctor nod their heads.

'Dalek antibodies.' He corrects, and Clara instantly foresees more doom coming their way with that correction.

Rose isn't sure what will help them. These antibodies can't be shot at; they'd all be dead before anyone pulls a trigger. So they have to escape. But where? Where's the safest place for them to hide so that they won't be traced? The antibodies will find them and they won't be satisfied till the threat's been eradicated.

Something fast approaches them. They can hear it drawing closer, the air becomes disturbed. Abruptly little spherical objects fly into their view. The air becomes thick with tension. They've been found. Now what? Ross has his gun raised to them, which promptly tells the antibodies that he is a threat. However, nothing happens, though it is quite obvious that those antibodies are assessing the situation. Ross is their only target at the moment. Journey doesn't like that. She lowers her weapon and before she can move, the Doctor grips her arm and shakes his head.

'Nobody move,' The Doctor instructs and Clara feels her heart rate quicken. She can't stop watching the spheres. Journey looks at him helpless, begging for an answer. 'Any attempt to help him, or attack those things, they will identify you as a secondary source of infection. Stay still!' He orders Gretchen who had made a small effort to help get Ross out of harm's way.

Ross slowly lowers his gun which prompts the antibodies to open, revealing a massive piercing blue eye. Seeing Ross now weak, the antibodies swarm him – utterly surrounding him in seconds. Clara turns desperately to the Doctor.

'But the Dalek wants us in here. Why is it attacking?'

'Can you control your antibodies?' He questions rhetorically. Clara relents, seeing his point. Journey's eyes dart from the antibodies to Ross to the Doctor, she grows angry that no one is helping him. Ross looks to be growing more scared by the minute. Who can blame him.

'Ross, stay calm. We're going to get you out of this.' Journey tells him firmly, trying so desperately to believe her own words. Clara knows there will be no good outcome of this. It's plainly obvious. She wants to believe it will be okay, so she turns to Rose.

'Can we save him, Rose?' Clara widens her eyes when Rose closes hers. The Doctor has the same look in his eyes. Why have they just sentenced a man to his death – what gave them that right?

'Ross, swallow that.' The Doctor calls to him and lobs something small that no one else can see. Ross catches it and studies it carefully. He frowns and looks up to the Doctor.

'What is it?'

'Trust me.' The Doctor tells him and Ross blindly swallows whatever it was that the Doctor gave him. Ross frowns. Nothing's happened. Not that he knows what will happen, maybe it takes a while to go into effect. He tries to keep calm. But it isn't working. Those antibodies are swarming him, circling him…waiting for the right moment to strike.

Everyone collective holds their breath, unsure of what the Doctor passed to Ross however they choose to believe it will save him. They believe that right up until the moment those antibodies fire a bright beam right at him. It engulfs him and he burns brighter until there is nothing left. He has been disintegrated.

'Ross!' Journey screams and vainly looks at the seared marks on the floor of where he stood. His boot soles have been etched into the ground.

'What the hell is it doing?!' Clara gasps as the antibodies slowly begin to absorb the remains of Ross, without much haste as though to taunt them of the latest meal. Clara covers her mouth to stop from retching.

'The hoovering.' The Doctor explains and Rose looks away just as the blue eye turns an almost satisfied red, though the antibodies clearly know that there are more of them here. Question is, if they stop from any more destruction, will the antibodies allow them to pass?

Rose finds herself smiling as the antibody begins to fly away. How…relieving. The Doctor raises the sonic and leans forward. She hopes that he isn't trying to antagonise it. No he seems to be trying to lock onto something.

'What are you trying to-…' Rose begins but he immediately cuts her off as he's made a discovery.

'Gotcha!'

Clara folds her arms briefly before her irritation sets in and she motions to the spot where Ross once stood. 'What did you give him?'

The Doctor turns to her and doesn't miss her demanding tone. 'Oh, just a spare power cell, but I can track the radiation signature. I need to know where they dump the bodies.' He informs them. Clara finds her mouth drop open at the casualness of his answer to them. When did he get so…callous?

'How far are we from the…disposal…er, can we make it without being spotted?' Rose questions and studies their surroundings to see if more of those antibodies are on their way. She doesn't want to linger for any length of time.

Journey is unable to move past the fact that she was under the impression that Ross would be saved. The more she replays that scene in her head the angrier she becomes. How dare that man make phony promises to Ross, to lull him into a false sense of security. That death was painful no doubt. She balls her fists.

'I thought you were saving him.' Journey is unable to keep her voice from rising as she finishes up her sentence. The Doctor turns over to her and shakes his head.

'He was dead already. I was saving us,' The Doctor informs her coldly and Journey smiles at her own frustration. If she doesn't smile she will yell. 'Follow me and run.'

Clara is stunned when no makes an effort to move. 'Run!' She shouts and her desperate tone springs the others into action.

They take off running down the ledge with the antibodies not far behind them, their distance is closing in fast. Rose looks over her shoulder and blinks away the voices she's hearing. Not voices, more like whispers. Will it always be like this when she encounters Daleks? She turns her attention forward and gasps, stopping abruptly, she didn't realise that the rest of the group has gathered around the Doctor who is pointing to a hold in the ledge.

'They've dumped him in here. Organic refuse disposal. We need to get in there.'

Clara's mind is still stuck on the organic disposal part of the Doctor's sentence. She feels herself getting goosebumps. Dead things are in there. She feels a little sick. 'Why…?'

As Gretchen and Journey begin to shoot at the antibodies, the Doctor motions to them casually. 'Those antibodies won't give up until we're inside there. I'd rather go in alive than dead.'

Journey turns over her should briefly before she squeezes off another round of shots. 'You don't know where it goes.'

The Doctor rolls his eyes. 'Yes I do.'

Rose stands beside Journey and she holds Journey's angry gaze, her eyes are glassy and red. She's seen so much loss today, Rose feels for her. 'Trust him. We need to get in there. Now.'

'Trust him?! Like Ross did?! He sentenced Ross to his death because Ross trusted him.' Journey reminds her and Rose steps in front of the gun. Journey attempts to aim around Rose but finds herself unable to.

'There was nothing we could do. But right now, we need to escape to fight another day. So move it.' Rose points to the hole. Clara jumps into it and Journey reluctantly lowers her gun and retreats, pausing at the hole before she inhales and jumps through it. Rose follows her but notices that Gretchen is staying behind.

'Gretchen! Now!' The Doctor shouts and Rose pauses by his side. Gretchen looks over to them and shakes her head.

'I can hold them off!' She fires another round and the Doctor shouts back to her.

'No, you can't!' He even attempts to use the sonic on the antibodies but it has no effect on them. Rose motions for her to join them. 'Pull back. Down. Jump, everyone, jump!'

Gretchen nods and hurries to the hole, climbing through and descending out of view. 'You're next, Ms Tyler!'

Rose looks down the hole and back up to him. 'You're sure about this?'

'I'm never sure, only faintly, somewhat sure.' The Doctor replies and Rose smirks at him. She takes his hand and they disappear down the hole together. The Doctor enjoys it more than Rose does. There is a faint light that comes up quick. She braces herself for what comes next.

---

They drop into a thick, liquid gunk. It's got a green tint to it and is sticky. Rose gasps for air and wipes it from her face, flinging the goo from her hands. It coats the opposite wall. Clara tumbles down after her and rises from the liquid with a disgusted sound. Rose gets eyes on the Doctor and then Journey and her friend. Her mind also wanders to that one Star Wars movie, episode four – maybe. She smiles to herself. At least the walls won't close in. She sobers up. She thinks the walls won't close in on them.

Clara flails her hands a bit and the gunk is deposited over the walls. She crinkles her nose. 'Ugh, what is this stuff?'

The Doctor turns over his shoulder and shrugs absently. 'People. The Daleks need protein. Occasionally, they harvest from their victims. This is a feeding tube.'

Rose makes a disgusted face and shivers. 'Delightful.'

Journey looks around the gunk that engulfs them. She turns to the Doctor. 'Is Ross here?' She is hopeful that perhaps, some part of him survived, or is viable that she can take back to Aristotle and give him a proper burial.

'Yeah. Top layer, if you want to say a few words.' He replies absently, looking for a way out and Rose closes her eyes and shakes her head.

'Doctor, there's a more -…' Rose begins but widens her eyes when Journey angrily shoves him against the wall and begins to yell in his face. She wades through the gunk to get towards them.

'A man has just died. You will not talk like that!' She shouts at the Doctor and Rose pushes her way between them, shoving Journey back, however she keeps her hand on the Doctor's chest just in case. Rose and Journey furiously hold one another stares and Clara finds herself holding her breath as she watches the debate within Journey's head to raise her weapon, and Rose's tense posture, prepping for a potential fight.

'Back the hell off!'

'Did you hear what he just said?! He has no remorse! He sentenced that man to his death!' Journey yells and Rose takes a few steps closer. The Doctor reaches for her arm however Rose shakes him off. He doesn't need her to defend him. But sometimes…she can speak more eloquently than he can, she can relate to these soldiers. He doesn't want to.

'You know as well as I do that he was doomed the moment those things surrounded him. Accept it. In battle, you lose people. You lose friends. I know, I get it. But I promise you; there will be a time to mourn him. But it will not be now, do you hear me? Focus on the mission at hand. Once it's completed and you are safe, then and only then can you mourn for the loss of your comrade and friend.' Rose tells her and Journey continues to glare defiantly at Rose and then the Doctor. Eventually Rose can see the anger subside and Journey exhales. She nods her head as logic swings into her favour again.

'You're right. You speak from experience.' Journey sighs. And Rose begins to follow the Doctor towards the exit but she pauses and turns over her shoulder.

'I have. I do. I got used to it. A lot of people have died that I was once proud to consider my friends. It happens.'

The Doctor peers around Rose and points to the gunk they still wade in. 'You know why that's good?'

Journey feels the rage begin to boil but she heeds Rose's advice and gains quick control of it. 'There is nothing good about that.' She seethes and Rose squares her body and folds her arms, just in case Journey goes to lunge at the Doctor.

'Nothing is alive in here, so logically this is the weakest spot in the Dalek's internal security. Nobody guards the dead. Mortuaries and larders, always the easiest to break out of. Oh, I've lived a life. Tell Uncle Stupid that we're in,' The Doctor pauses and points excitedly at something. 'Ah ha! A bolt hole.' The Doctor begins to unscrew the large bolt with the sonic.

Rose hops over the lip in the gunk and Journey, her friend and Clara watch them continue to work together. Sensing that Journey is still immensely annoyed Clara turns to her and offers an apologetic smile.

'He'll get us out of here. The difficult part is not killing him before he can.' Clara explains and the Doctor grins. He motions them over.

'Bolt hole. Actually, a hole for a bolt. Does nobody get that?' He wonders and Rose shoves him lightly.

'Oh, we get it. Go on.' Rose shakes her head and the Doctor climbs through the hole. Rose follows. Clara and the others begin to make their way over to them.

'Also, there's the puns.' Clara sighs.

'Watch it, decontamination tubes are hot.' The Doctor's voice echoes back to them. Journey closes her eyes and looks over her shoulder to the gunk once she's cleared it and silently apologises to Ross for her failure to keep him safe. She takes a vow to not lose anyone else. She gets down to her hands and knees and begins to crawl after the group.

Journey reaches for her communication device to rely the news about Ross to Morgan. She inhales deeply and presses the button. 'Rescue One of Mission Control.'

'This Blue, Rescue One. Report.' Hearing Morgan's voice is slightly comforting to her.

'We've lost Ross. Some kind of internal defence mechanism.' The words get stuck in her throat and she swallows a lump.

'What kind of defence mechanism?' Morgan wonders and Journey glances around the decontamination tube. 'That thing knows you're in there to help it.' Morgan reminds her and Journey absently nods her head. The tube seems to her as though it's getting narrower.

'Yeah, well, who knows? It's a Dalek. We're going to continue the mission.' Journey advises and she lifts her gaze from directly in front of her so she can attempt to see the Doctor as his voice calls out to them.

'Are you all all right back there? It's a bit narrow, isn't it?' He wonders rhetorically and Clara feels her expression go neutral.

'Any remarks about my hips will not be appreciated.' Clara informs him and Rose can't help but smile at Clara's comment. However, it seems to go over the Doctor's head. He meant to be nice, Rose is sure, only it didn't come across that way.

'Ach, your hips are fine. You're built like a man.' He assures her and Rose groans.

'Thanks.' Clara's sotto response nearly makes him question what he said.

'I know you meant well, but that's not a compliment.' Rose chides and the Doctor frowns.

'It is a compliment. Women don't like being told they have big hips, isn't that right? Or…do you? I'm afraid I'm mixed up now. You're sending mixed signals.' The Doctor accuses her and Rose sighs.

'No, no more. Forget it. Just…yeah, never mind. Sorry, Clara.'

'You tried.' Comes Clara's sullen response.

'You two are completely vexing.' The Doctor tells them as he slowly climbs out of the decontamination tube and into Rusty's power unit. He holds his hand out for Clara and she takes it as he helps her down from the tube.

When Rose emerges, he holds her hand tighter than he had Clara's and she smiles at him. She is rather pale to him again he chalks it up to the poor lighting and badly cast shadows.

'Thanks.' Rose whispers and attempts to get her bearings in this new room.

As Gretchen emerges the Doctor fixates on a noise that seemed to reveal itself the moment Gretchen placed her feet on the ground. He points to her.

'What's that noise? Are you wearing a Geiger counter?'

Gretchen nods and reveals the device. 'Standard battle equipment. That's just low level radiation.'

Rose notices that in this room there are large printed circuit boards here. Low level radiation. Low level means somewhere there are higher counts. What's around to protect them from it?

'Doctor, why is it stronger here?' Rose wonders and the Doctor already has his hand out for the Geiger counter. Gretchen looks down to the device and frowns.

'There has to be a logical reason, gimme.' He insists and Gretchen hands over the device. Journey has been lingering off to the side allowing Morgan to hear part of their conversation.

'Was that him? How's he working out?' Morgan questions and Journey is silent while she debates her answer. He got a man killed, lied to him before he died and is incredibly callous in his comments about the situation.

'Hard to say. He's-…' Journey pauses as she watches the Doctor sweep the circuit boards with the Geiger counter. Rose stands beside him and the lock eyes when they realise what the issue is.

'Is it really that simple?' She questions and the Doctor shrugs a bit.

'Aren't we about due?' He turns over his shoulder when Rose also absently shrugs her shoulders at him. 'I know what's wrong with Rusty.'

Clara smiles tightly. 'Okay, that's good. Is that good?' She adds when she notices that neither the Doctor or Rose are elated with his discovery. No instead they keep exchanging nervous glances. 'Tell me why this isn't good.'

'Well, you know how I said this was the most dangerous place in the universe?' The Doctor answers her and Clara frowns.

'Yes…'

'Well, I was wrong. It's way more dangerous than that.' He turns to Rose to make sure she won't make a comment about him being wrong. It does happen. On occasion. Rarely. Sometimes.

Journey becomes uneasy at the Doctor's comment and studies their surroundings once more. Something is making her uneasy. She doesn't know what it is. 'Colonel, we have radiation indicators red-lining in here. Could be that the Dalek is more badly damaged than we thought.'

But no, it isn't the radiation that is worrying her. At least it isn't taking the forefront. Morgan's voice echoes in her ear.

'Copy that.'

The Doctor turns to the group and motions around him. 'Old Rusty here is suffering from a trionic radiation leak. It's poisoning the Dalek and us. Just as well we're here.'

'Really? Perhaps we should get out while we can. Why should we trust a Dalek? Why would it change.' Journey wonders bitterly and nods to Gretchen. It's time to go. They tried and failed. What more could they do? And deep within…a part of her doesn't care. Which she's just communicated with them. And the Dalek. She needs a damn good reason to continue to risk her life for the life of one sick Dalek.

The Doctor notices her hesitation and honestly he couldn't blame her. She's being poisoned by radiation and for what? Journey's right. They need a reason. What converted a Dalek to turn on its own kind? What did it see? What did it experience?

'Rusty? Help us help you. You say you've changed, but how? Tell us, Rusty.' Rose implores and there is silence. She doesn't think they'll get an answer but after what seems like eternity, Rusty answers her.

'I saw…beauty.'

The Doctor and Rose gape at each other. He blinks a few times. Struggling to comprehend how a Dalek would understand the concept of beauty. He's stunned to hear that word is even in its vocabulary.

'You saw what?'

'In the silence and the cold, I saw worlds burning.' Rusty explains and Rose sighs in defeat. She hugs the Doctor's arm to her chest and rests her head on his shoulder. They allow the defeat to wash over them. Rose turns up to him.

'Beauty is different to everyone.' She whispers and the Doctor shakes his head.

'I really thought we had something here.' He keeps his voice low and she gives him a sad smile that reflects in her eyes.

'I'm sorry.'

'Rusty, that's not beauty. That's destruction.' The Doctor explains and there is another pause. Rusty answers them again.

'I saw…more.' He says simply. Their curiosity is renewed. They wait in anticipation but Rusty falls silent.

'What? What did you see?' The Doctor pries and Rose finds herself holding her breath. The others in the room are just as curious to know what possibilities are out there for a Dalek questioning his identity. This could be the tipping point.

'The birth of a star.' Rusty announces and the Doctor shakes his head at Rose's enthusiasm. She frowns. How is that not good? She wonders silently at him. He is failed to be impressed.

'Stars are born every day,' The Doctor explains and Rose understands his points. Again she becomes defeated. Though it wasn't an angle she had considered at first. 'You've seen a million stars born. So what?'

'Daleks have destroyed a million stars.' Rusty counters and the Doctor nods his head in agreement.

'Oh, millions and millions. Trust me, I keep count.'

'And yet, new stars are born.' Rusty reminds him and the Doctor smiles slightly.

'Every time.'

'Resistance is futile.' Rusty declares and everyone exchanges nervous looks. Journey is about to warn her crew that the Dalek has double crossed them when the Doctor holds out his hand to her and she pauses.

'Resistance to what?' He wonders and Journey holds her breath, her finger is on the button. All she has to do is warn them. Given the Dalek's weakened state, it'd be easily destroyed. Whether or not they're inside still, at least those on the ship would be safe. It's a sacrifice that she'd make without hesitation.

'Life returns. Life prevails. Resistance is futile.' Rusty announces and the Doctor feels a small spark of hope renewed within him. He glances down to Rose who seems to have a reserved expression on her face. As though she wants to believe it…but she's stuck in her old ways. Deception can be strong within her and others.

'Is it that easy?' She wonders softly and he puts his arm around her shoulders and attempts once more to move past his own prejudices.

'I hope it is,' He answers and rubs his hands together. 'So you saw a star being born, and you learned something. Oh, Dalek, do not be lying to me. Come on.' The Doctor takes Rose's hand and in a flourish turns her around and they begin to dash towards another room. The others follow him quickly, not wanting to be left behind in this cold and foreign object. Couple with the fact that those antibodies could show up at any moment, best they stick close to one another.

'Heading for the Trionic power cells, Colonel.' Journey informs the crew and she hears some rustling in her hear. She presses her fingers to the ear piece and frowns, hoping that with the descent down, they aren't going to lose the connection.

'Radiation approximately two hundred Rads. Danger levels.' Morgan informs her and Journey swallows. No need to tell her, she can hear the Geiger counter whining angrily at her.

They descend another flight of stairs until they reach the power cells. It seems that they've reappeared directly under Rusty. Rose covers her head as energy arcs above them. They all turn in small circles as they marvel in the odd beauty of being directly underneath Rusty. It's eerie. Definitely not something Rose aims to revisit. She had met a Dalek dying before, showed mercy when the Doctor told her not to, because she was naïve and believed that nothing in the universe could be filled with that much hate. How wrong she was. She destroyed them twice now. It makes her wonder if the power within her; still simmering below the surface is trigged by meeting the Daleks. But maybe not. She feels perfectly fine now, even the whispers have grown faint. So she walks beside the Doctor as he turns to her with a blank look.

'We're at the heart of the Dalek.' The Doctor explains to those behind him and Clara trots to catch up but at the same time doesn't want to miss anything that happens in this room.

'It's incredible.' Clara breathes and another blast of energy arcs above their heads. Journey pulls a device from her hip and holds her arm out so that device can get a proper scan. She widens her eyes.

'Geiger counter's off the scale. Looks like it's about to blow.' Journey calls to them and the Doctor shrugs absently, moving around to look for the problem.

'Good.'

Journey gapes at him. 'How is that good?'

'Well, I like a bit of pressure,' The Doctor replies and Rose points to a thin, scraggly wound pouring steam through it. That has to be what is damaging this Dalek. They rush towards it and the Doctor smiles at Rose. 'Good eyes. Rusty, can you hear me?'

'Doctor…?'

'Rusty, we've found the damage. I'm sealing up the breach in your power cell.' The Doctor calls and just as he is about to use the sonic as a welder, Rose puts her hand on his arm and he stops, staring at her.

'I've got a bad feeling about this.' Rose informs him and the Doctor lowers his hand and waits for her to explain herself but she remains silent and he ends up having to coax it from her.

'Well? We all have bad feelings about things. Like this entire ordeal. I try to ignore them. You should try it. It could help.'

Rose glares at him. 'No, I'm just thinking…this Dalek is talking about the beauty of stars being born. You and I have been around Daleks for a long time, and you and I had the same reaction to that sentence. It was weird. Why would a Dalek suddenly turn on its own kind? Never happens.'

'First time for everything, I guess. Never thought I'd be around to see it.' The Doctor replies and lifts his hand to begin to weld the wound but Rose puts her hand on his arm and once again he pauses and stares at her. He's getting impatient.

'I agree. So what if this sudden change in behaviour is simply because of this leak? The Dalek is being poisoned by radiation. We seal up the wound the poison stops. Things go back to normal. What if the only thing stopping the Dalek from reverting back to its chipper, destructive self is us and this leak?' Rose wonders and the Doctor glances from the wound to Rose several times before he realises that she does have a very good point.

'We won't know unless we try. I want to believe that it is reformed. Changed.'

'There are innocent people out there.' Rose reminds him of Journey's crew as the Doctor lifts his hand once again to begin to repair the wound.

'I know, and there are people in here that are safest here,' The Doctor tells her and Rose closes her eyes as the Doctor begins to weld the gap shut. Slowly the leak is repaired, nothing ebbs out from the crack any more. 'No more radiation poisoning. Good as new. There. Job done.'

Clara blinks in surprise. She didn't hear the majority of the conversation that Rose and the Doctor just had, but it seems that she attempted to delay him for some reason. It hadn't worked, obviously and now the gaping tear that had seen only moments ago has been repaired. That easy?

'That's it? Just like that?' Clara calls and the Doctor spins the sonic in his fingers.

'An anti-climax once in a while is good for my hearts. Rusty? How do you feel?' The Doctor questions but receives no reply. He frowns and looks up to the vastness of the Dalek. 'Rusty? Rusty? Rusty.'

They are lightly jostled. Rose throws her hands out the wall, however it ceases in seconds and there is nothing but silence. Rose feels her heart rate quickening. Calm before the storm? Please let her be wrong. Please let this silence only be systems restarting or rebooting. She exchanges looks with the Doctor, she can tell this is something that he hadn't wanted to happen. Even if they aren't entirely sure what's going on…her mind is sadly going to one place.

'The malfunction is corrected.' Rusty announces. Rose widens her eyes and the jostling resumes. She wonders if it was just her that heard some of the oldness to Rusty's voice. Journey looks around.

'What's happened?'

'Not entirely sure…' The Doctor admits and they are surprised to see that a lighting system has become activated.

'It's like it's waking up.' Journey observes and the Doctor paces back and forth a few times, struggling to comprehend that he might have failed. He desperately tries not to succumb to that notion.

'Rusty, come on, talk to me. What's going on?' The Doctor calls loudly. This time there is little delay in Rusty's response.

'The malfunction is corrected. All systems are functioning. Weapons charged.'

'Oh, no. No, no…' The Doctor turns to Rose and widens her eyes.

'The crew! Journey! Tell your men to take cover!' Rose cries and Journey nods her head.

'Exterminate. Exterminate.'

'Colonel! Can you hear me?! Fall back! Fall back!' Journey shouts but there is only cackling on the line. 'Can you hear me?! What's happening out there?'

'We can't let Rusty get to the communication console, or line or whatever. If it does…the whole Dalek fleet will know where we are…' Rose tells Journey and she nods frantically. She again relays her message to Morgan. Static on the line. They must be too late. Morgan is already engaged in battle. She bites her lip and presses the communication line to her mouth as she thinks. Which means that the Dalek must have reached the communication lines. Now they need to prep for more Daleks to come on board.

Clara watches helplessly as Journey and Rose attempt to plan an angle to keep Journey's crew safe. Strangely the Doctor is silent. He's merely standing there in defeat. She goes to stand by his side. He remains quiet. Clara glances over her shoulder to Journey as she argues with Rose about the best solution to their problem.

'Doctor? Are you okay? What's happening?' Clara questions softly and the Doctor lightly laughs. But it's an ironic laugh. He doesn't look at her.

'Do you see?' He wonders, tone embittered.

'Do I see what?'

The Doctor motions to their surroundings. 'Daleks don't turn good. It was just radiation affecting its brain chemistry. Like Rose surmised. I should have listened to her. But I wanted to believe…in the end. It was just that. Radiation poisoning. No miracle.'

Journey marches over to the Doctor and Rose closes the gap, not entirely trusting her. 'Let me get this straight. We had a good Dalek, and we made it bad again? That's all we've done?' Journey wonders, she shakes her head at the end of her sentence, not believing her own words. This mission has been a colossal failure. From start to finish. Now, they're losing more good men and women on the outside of this shell. For what? Their own greediness? To make a good Dalek?

'There was never a good Dalek. There was a broke Dalek and we repaired it.' The Doctor corrects and Journey laces her fingers behind her head and paces around a few times, obviously trying to gain control of her anger. Rose narrows her eyes and carefully watches her.

Journey stops in front of the Doctor and inhales deeply. 'You were supposed to be helping us.'

'I have it a shot. It didn't work out. It was a Dalek, what did you expect?' The Doctor wonders rhetorically. Journey smiles at him in disbelief, shaking her head. She points her finger at him.

'No more talking. You are done! Okay, new objective. We are taking this Dalek down. Rose, can I count on you, or are you flinging your support behind the man that got us into this mess?'

'Exterminate. Exterminate.' Rusty's voice echoes above them. So do the cries of its victims. Rose folds her arms.

'Listen, because I am only going to say this once: my support is always behind that man right there. And he knows it. So should you. I will help you to the best of my ability.' Rose informs her and Journey nods her head, not expecting any less. She's trusted Rose more than the Doctor since they met. Maybe it's just a soldier's mentality.

The Doctor is glad Rose threw her support behind him, what else did he expect? However, when he turns to Clara he sees her glaring at him. He looks around the room again hoping that when he lands his gaze on her, she'll be looking somewhere else. He waits a few seconds and when he does set his eyes on her…she's glaring at him. Nothing's changed.

'What's that look for?' He wonders innocently and Clara folds her arms.

'It's the look you get when I'm about to slap you.' She declares and then in a swift motion, she has reached across the gap and her palm connects with his face. Hard.

The Doctor recoils and presses his hand to his cheek, hot from her slap. She continues to glare at him. He stares at her in shock. 'Ow. Clara.'

'Are we going to die in here? I mean, there's a little bit of you that's pleased. The Daleks are evil after all. Everything makes sense. The Doctor is right.' Clara waves her arms sarcastically and Rose looks up from her planning session with Gretchen and Journey.

'Okay, you two, you lot can argue about this mess once we're out.' Rose calls to them and her voice falls on deaf ears.

'Daleks are evil. Irreversibly so. That's what we've just learned.' The Doctor points out and Clara folds her arms shaking her head.

'No, Doctor, that's not what we just learned.'

'Exterminate. Exterminate.'

'We need to place these charges for maximum effect. I'm going to scan the rest of the architecture for weaknesses.' Journey announces and Rose nods.

'Be careful not to harm it. Those antibodies will come up fast.' Rose reminds her and they are about to break when Clara holds up her hand.

'One question.'

Journey winces. 'No time.'

Clara ignores her. Journey and Gretchen begin to place explosives around surfaces they believe would be best suited to cause maximum damage. 'Why did we come here today? What was the point? You. You thought there was a good Dalek. What difference would one good Dalek make?'

The Doctor and Rose catch ones another looks. She smirks and raises an eyebrow. 'All the difference in the universe, but it's impossible.'

Clara frowns and tilts her chin away from him. 'Is that a fact? Is that really what we've learned today? Think about it. Is that what we've learned?'

'Journey, what the hell's happening? That thing's set the Daleks on us. Not to mention it's locked us out of our defences. Journey, you're the Aristotle's only hope, I need you to destroy that Dalek. Whatever it takes.' Morgan's voice echoes in Journey's ear and she's elated, so much so that she nearly responds to him. And then more of his sentence registers in her mind. There is no use trying to talk him out of anything. They both know what they need to do.

'Understood, Uncle.'

'I'm sorry…' Morgan replies and Journey smiles bitterly.

'Yeah, me too…' Journey sighs and nods at Gretchen. They resume their task of attempting to place the explosives. Journey fingers the grenade in her pocket before withdrawing her hand.

'Clara Oswald, do I really not pay you?' The Doctor wonders and Clara smirks at him.

'You couldn't afford me.'

The Doctor calls Journey and Gretchen's names and they pause in their work to turn to him. 'Whatever you're going to do, don't do it. This Dalek must not be destroyed. We can do better.'

'Are you out of your mind?!' Journey answers and Rose places her hand on Journey's shoulder, she squeezes it gently. Listen, that's what Rose's touch meant. She must have known he'd do this all along. Whatever this is.

'No, I'm inside a Dalek. I'm standing where I've never been. We cannot waste this chance. It won't come again.' The Doctor informs her and Journey squares herself against him.

'What chance?' She wonders desperately but doesn't wait around to hear the Doctor's reply. 'I have my orders.'

'Soldiers take orders.' The Doctor counters and Journey shakes her head.

'And I'm soldier.'

The Doctor scoffs and motions to the Dalek's interior. 'A Dalek is a better soldier than you will ever be. You can't win this way.'

Journey holds up the grenade, her finger on the pin. One swift movement the pin will be removed and they will be blown to pieces. So will the Dalek. Lives will be saved. But she will lose hers. So will other innocent people in this room. Then again she'd be hopefully reunited with her brother, their long battle days behind them. Nothing but glorious peace. What to do? Go against everything that makes a soldier or listen to a man who has been wrong, he's lied to them. They made a broken Dalek stand again. Made it fight again.

The Doctor watches the internal conflict rage on within Journey. It's hard to talk someone down from the ledge. To make them go against everything they are taught to believe in. He hopes it goes in his favour. He'd hate to be blown up without a chance to put his plan into action.

Journey drops her hand to her side and groans angrily. 'Damnit! So what do we do?'

The Doctor smiles at her. 'Something better! Follow me!'

Again he takes them through the inner casing of the Dalek into another stairwell to a recess. Journey is sceptical. Who wouldn't be? They are inside the Dalek, it is killing folks out there, how can they possibly make it to…where the hell are they even going?! Journey looks up to the Doctor as he calls down to them. He's skipping stairs. Wherever they're going, it must be good.

'The Dalek isn't just some angry blob in a Dalekanium tank. If it was, the radiation would have turned it into a raging lunatic.' The Doctor explains and Journey gapes at him, she nearly misses a step thanks to him.

'It is a raging lunatic, it's a Dalek!' She calls back to him and the Doctor pauses for the slightest of moments and points to her.

'But for a moment, it wasn't. The radiation allowed it to expand its consciousness, to consider things beyond its natural terms of reference. It became good. That means a good Dalek is possible. That's what we learned today. Am I right, teach?' The Doctor wonders, looking down to Clara and she gives him a thumbs up and a big smile.

'Top of the class.'

'But now it's back to how it was.' Journey reminds him and the Doctor can't argue with that logic, so he nods his head.

'Yes. But what it saw, what it felt, is still there.' The Doctor replies and Journey shakes her head. She doesn't want to believe that tripe, yet he's still so compelling. Sensibility takes over.

'What we are hearing out there right now…I'm not seeing it.' Journey remarks quietly, thinking that she won't be heard but the Doctor shakes his head and points to something beyond her vision. When she gets to the ledge she looks up and widens her eyes.

'Not here. There.'

Journey follows his hand and feels her mouth drop open. 'You mean in the cortex vault?'

The Doctor nods and everyone gathers around him. 'Every memory recorded. Some suppressed, but all still intact. We need to show the Dalek that star being born again. Recreate the moment,' He explains and his gaze drops on Clara who hasn't quite noticed it yet. Rose smiles. 'You need to get up there, find that moment and reawaken it.'

There is quietness around them. No one has refuted his plan. No one has said anything. Clara debates it in her own mind. Then she frowns. Rose hasn't countered with her own thoughts, neither Journey nor Gretchen have told him what a bad idea it is…Clara glances up to him and widens her eyes.

'Me?' She wonders stunned and the Doctor nods his head.

'Yes, you. Good idea!'

'How?' Clara begs and the Doctor shrugs at her, smiling.

'Haven't the foggiest. Do a clever thing. And then once you've done it, the Dalek will be suggestible to new ideas. It will be open again. And I will show it something that will change its mind forever.' The Doctor explains and Clara stares past him with wide eyes.

'No pressure…' She answers softly and the Doctor throws his arm around her shoulders.

'None at all!'

'This is crazy. There is no way that we can get back up there in time.' Journey reminds them and Gretchen studies their surroundings. She swallows. Self-sacrifice for the better good. That's what they've been trained to do. She readies the wires.

'Yes there is.' Gretchen informs them and Journey widens her eyes.

'No, Gretchen, it will bring the antibodies back down on us.'

Clara turns up to Rose hoping that she will be coming with her so that they have as many heads together in this mess as can be, ignoring the senseless fighting Gretchen and Journey dissolve into.

'Rose, what are we looking for?'

Rose tilts her head, staring up at the cortex. 'Hm, it's hard to say without seeing it. I'd imagine that it's like a house. Not all the lights are on. After all, lights reveal things that we hide in the darkness.'

'You think the Dalek hides the birth of a star in the dark?'

'Why wouldn't it? If it didn't it would question its entire genetic makeup. Its personal history. It'd be isolated from its own kind. Better to blend in than stand apart in this case.' Rose explains and Clara nods her head. Their thoughts are interrupted by a gun getting cocked. They turn to look at Gretchen. Clara widens her eyes and shakes her head in a vain attempt to stop her. Rose mouths her thanks to Gretchen.

'Ladies…please tell me the truth. Is he mad, or is he right? I've come this far. I was probably going to die anyway. Wouldn't mind something to do for the rest of my life. Is he mad, or is he right?' Gretchen begs and attempts to keep her voice steady. No one likes to stare down their own death, especially if it is involuntarily chosen.

'Both.' Rose replies simply and Gretchen smiles ironically at Rose, suppressing a bitter laugh.

'That doesn't help…one or the other…' Gretchen begs and Clara bites the corner of her lip.

'Hand on my heart? Most days he's both.'

Two vastly different people wouldn't have said the same thing if it weren't true. It makes it just a tiny bit easier. Gretchen turns to the Doctor, who has neither pushed her nor told her that this is what would happen. No, he knew that someone else was going to die, but he didn't pick. Instead he waited for them to figure it out amongst themselves. Though to him he would not pick his two girls, even if they tried to nominate themselves – he'd simply veto it. It would have come down to Journey and herself. She doesn't regret her decision. It just makes her sad that she wasn't coming out. But that's war. Small sacrifices for the larger victories.

'One question, then,' Gretchen swallows a lump in her throat and the Doctor nods at her to continue. 'Is this worth it?'

The Doctor takes a small step towards her. 'If I can turn one Dalek, then I can turn them all. I can save the future.'

His voice rings with conviction. He believes it. Then she must be content with that. She pushes her helmet up out of her eyes and nods her head. A little easier. 'Gretchen Alison Carlisle. Do something good and name it after me.'

The Doctor nods his head at her simple demand. 'I will do something amazing. I promise.'

Gretchen absently nods her head and turns to the opposite wall. 'You just damn well better.'

Journey blinks away the tears and shakes her head feebly. 'Gretchen, no…'

Two wires are fired up into the cranial ledge. The air being sliced by the oncoming antibodies causes Gretchen to look over her shoulder, eyes skilfully scanning the room. 'Go.'

'They're coming. They're coming.' Clara points out and Journey hastily fastens a pulley onto the zip wire. Journey points to the wire and spins Clara around to face it.

'Grab hold of the rope. Don't look down.' Journey instructs and Clara does as she's told. Journey comes up behind her and Gretchen fires one shot at the antibodies so they know to come solely after her.

'Good luck.' She whispers and watches as Journey and Clara fly upward. Clara looks behind her.

'Journey! Rose! We forgot Rose!'

'Relax Clara! Look!' Journey shouts and sure enough Rose and the Doctor are leaving together, where no one knows. Gretchen continues to fire at the antibodies until she is killed, screaming – it engulfs them as the sound reverberates off the walls. They can't even cover their ears.

---

The Doctor puts his arm around Rose and she turns into him as they stride from the cranial ledge. Death is never something one gets used to. And yet they will look death in its eyestalk. They faced Daleks before together. After their paths parted. And will continue to do so…simply put…they are a team. She and him. She was there when he faced the Daleks for the first time in the Time War, and she'll be there time and time again.

Rose slows her pace down as they approach the organic compartment. She hopes Clara listened to her clues. Those visions and voices she heard…she wondered if it was Bad Wolf guiding her to say the right things. She wraps her arms around herself as the Doctor strides towards Rusty in no mood for semantics. She truly hopes this will be successful.

'Well, Rusty, here we are. Eye to eye.'

'You cannot save the humans. They will be exterminated. I shall join the Dalek units in the final attack.' Rusty declares and Rose stands beside the Doctor.

'A part of me…is crying for justice.' Rose whispers and the Doctor looks down at her. She runs her fingers over his hand and he can feel the energy of the Vortex bubbling away at the surface. Golden trails leave an impression on his hand where she had just run her fingers down.

'You just keep her locked away. There will be no more fighting today.'

Rose nods her head and silently watches Rusty. Part of her wants to wave her hand once more and have them dissolve like they were never there to begin with. Part of her wants to show mercy. Since that is all she can do at the moment. She clings to mercy.

'I saved your life, Rusty. Now I'm going to go one better. I'm going to save your soul.'

'Daleks do not have souls.'

'Oh, no? Imagine if you did. What then, Rusty? What would happen then?' The Doctor questions however he receives no reply from Rusty. Rose looks up to him with a hopeful smile.

'Do you remember a star, Rusty? One little star that was born. The beauty in it?' Rose tries and closes her eyes as the silence surrounds them.

'There is no beauty in the birth of a star. Daleks destroy many stars. And Daleks will burn many more.'

The Doctor sighs. 'Without the memory of it, Rusty has nothing to go on.'

'Hopefully Clara and Journey have found something to help.'

---

When Clara and Journey manage to pull themselves onto the ledge of the cranial portion of the Dalek, Clara's mind has been racing. How can she think up some elaborate plan on the fly? Okay, okay no problem, the Doctor does this all the time. How hard can it be? Clara looks at what she's got to work with. Nothing helpful. A hallway with panels. Incredible. She wonders how she can jumpstart memories. Surely it isn't like boosting a car battery, is it? Journey watches Clara stand in one spot for a moment. Then move a few paces. Then stop.

'So what do we do?' Journey interrupts and Clara is shaken from her thoughts. She absently points at nothing.

'Er, a clever thing, quickly. Think, think, think, think…' Clara squeezes her eyes shut. Clever and quick. She suddenly snaps her eyes open. Rose! Her words. Clara slowly turns her head to some of the panels. Like a house…not all the lights on. Light shines on the dark…that brilliant, cheeky girl! How did she know? 'Look! Some of the lights are out!'

Journey frowns. 'Yeah, we've got a damaged Dalek. You want to complain to someone?'

'But it's not damaged, look at them.' Clara insistently points to them and Journey rolls her eyes, sighing as she looks at the panels that are illuminated and others that are not.

'So?'

'So, the Doctor said that this was a memory bank and some of the memories were suppressed. Rose told me she imagined this area like a house. Not all the lights are on. What if…what if the dark spots are hidden memories? What if one of those is the Dalek seeing a star?' Clara surmises and Journey folds her arms impatiently.

'Seriously?'

Clara nods her head eagerly. Though the more Journey questions her the more Clara begins to doubt herself. 'Yeah. Well, maybe. It's either that or the bulbs need changing.'

'It really could be the bulbs.' Journey agrees and Clara huffs.

'Got a better idea?' Clara snaps and begins to feel around the lip of the panel, trying to see if there is a way that it will simply pop off. She tugs lightly on different spots.

'Really wish I had.' Journey sighs and watches Clara continue to yank on the panel. She nearly tells Clara to stop wasting her time when they hear something click.

'Ah ha!' Clara pulls one of the panels off and peers into it. She gingerly sets the panel down and leans herself in deeper. She turns over her shoulder. 'Watch out for antibodies. Let's see if there's an on switch…'

Journey watches Clara disappear behind and into the memory banks. The seconds that tick by feel like hours. All is quiet around them which she takes to be a good sign. However, it does nothing to stop the knot twisting in her stomach. They must be near the end of this mess…how much longer can it go on?

'Clara…you all right?' Journey calls softly, worrying that she hears no noise from her.

'I'm in the cortex…' Clara trails off and Journey smiles a bit.

'If there's a pack of spare bulbs, break it to me gently.' Journey tells her and there is a bit of rustling before Clara lets out a little cry of triumph. The dark panel she's hit creates a flash. After a flicker some lights spring to life.

'Huh…' Clara looks around her and spies the next panel.

'Clara, you okay?'

'Yeah, I think there was some sort of energy charge.'

'You got the first lights on.' Journey commends and Clara nods her head.

'Of course, it's a brain. Brains work with electrical pathways linking up memories. It's working! It's working, we're turning the memories back on.' Clara is elated. She's done a quick thing. Now all she has to do is keep hustling along, so she attempts to pick up the pace of her crawling over this flexible tubing. Their presence won't go unnoticed for ever.

Journey turns her head towards the cranial entrance. She can hear them. Trouble is coming. She crouches down to the cortex vault. She doesn't want to die and leave Clara unprotected.

'You'd better get a move on. There's company coming…' Journey warns and Clara widens her eyes. She grabs at another panel.

'Show me a star, Rusty…'

---

Images of dying soldiers appear on the screens before them. They had watched as a sudden flash travelled down the neurones to Rusty. The Doctor and Rose exchange a smile together. Clara and Journey are figuring it out. Only a little while longer before that star appears on the screens as well. They'll convert one of these Daleks yet.

'Your memories, Rusty. I'm about to give some back to you.'

'Way to go, Clara…' Rose breathes and watches the images shift before her eyes. The Doctor leaves her and runs it over some tubing that's closest to them.

'See, all those years ago, when I began,' He pauses and uses the sonic on the tubing that is housing a set of neurones and splits the tubing in a clean line. He pulls it apart. 'I was just running. I called myself the Doctor, but it was just a name. And then I went Skaro. And then I met you lot and I understood who I was. The Doctor was not the Daleks.'

Images and impulses are free flowing now in a rapid pace down the cables and into Rusty. The images are of Daleks flying in space, attacking the Valiant from before. Rose looks away. She remembers those memories. How painful they can be to her sometimes when she least expects it.

The Doctor notices that Rose is looking away. He notices that the images of the Valiant have appeared. That's what surprised her. Rose catches him watching her and she gives him a soft smile.

'So long ago…' She comments and the smile ran away from her eyes. She looks down to her feet. So much had changed since then. Not everything for the better.

'I'm sorry you had to see that,' The Doctor replies. She doesn't look at him. How could they have known that the Valiant would appear? They are memories. Not something easily controlled. Their attention is drawn to the impulses as they continue to fly down the cables to Rusty. 'Oh, look. It's your memories again. It's like somebody's mucking about up there. Memories, all those memories. Do you remember the star you saw being born?'

Silence before them. 'I, I remember…' Rusty states uneasily and Rose looks up to the Doctor surprised.

The Doctor takes a step forward. 'You saw the truth, Rusty. Remember how you felt. You saw a star being born. The endless rebirth of the universe.'

'No.'

Undeterred the Doctor continues. 'And you realised the truth about the Daleks.'

'Truth?' Rusty wonders, entirely unsure of the conversation. Rose thought she heard hesitation in that Dalek's monotone voice. 'What is the truth?'

The Doctor closes his eyes in relief. He feels Rose taking his hand and he nods his head. This is it. He's about to change history. 'Let me show you the truth. I've opened your mind and now I'm coming in.'

Rose releases his hand and the Doctor picks up the two cut pieces of neurone together with his bare hands and splices them. Rose doesn't realise what he's doing until she's done it. He screams as the energy surges through his body and Rose gasps, throwing her hand out and attempts to close the gap.

'Doctor! Oh, god!' She cries and he shakes his head at her to leave him be. It will be all right he silently tells her. Rose can only look on in horror and she covers her mouth with her hands. Her heart is in her throat. What will happen if something goes wrong?

'I'm part of you. My mind is your mind.'

'I see your mind, Doctor. I see your universe.' Rusty replies and Rose holds her breath. The Doctor smiles at his accomplishment.

'And isn't the universe beautiful?'

'I see…beauty.' Rusty agrees and Rose throws her fist into the air in triumph. She can't believe this. She can't believe she is witnessing this.

'Yes, that's good. That is good. Hold on to that.' The Doctor instructs and creeps ever closer towards the goal.

'I see endless, divine perfection.' Rusty informs them and Rose exhales her surprise. This is going to work. They've done it. They have managed to successfully reprogram a Dalek. Who'd have thought.

'Make it a part of you. Remember how you feel right now. Put it inside you and live by it.' The Doctor informs Rusty and delves deeper into the Doctor's mind for guidance. What he discovers stuns him and yet helps him in his metamorphosis. He builds a new creed upon the final part of the soul before him.

'I see into your soul, Doctor. I see beauty. I see divinity. I see hatred.' Rusty declares and Rose widens her eyes. The Doctor stares stunned.

'Hatred?' He repeats. Rose shakes her head; how can this be possible? Hatred? Of what? How could hatred be there?!

'I see your hatred of the Daleks and it is good.' Rusty declares and Rose is gobsmacked. How could he allow his antagonistic nature for the Daleks bleed into something like this? This has now been compromised. Can they fix it? Is there even a point?

'No, no, no. You must see more than that, there must be more than that.' The Doctor begs and Rose doesn't believe that he did this with a malicious intent. Deep down within him, perhaps so far down even the Doctor didn't know, he will always harbour a resounding resentment for the Daleks. And that is something that doesn't wipe away so easily.

It fools you. Tricks you into believing you're tolerant, willing to accept change. However, the first attempt to go against the grain that part of you snaps back, makes you take a hard look at yourself, realising that there is more work to be done. Rose throws her hand up.

'Let me try! Our history is not as tainted as yours. I've shown them mercy!' Rose shouts and the Doctor shakes his head in defeat.

'Death to the Daleks.' Rusty shouts in triumph.

'You've also destroyed them as well. There is blood on your hands too.' The Doctor reminds her and Rose feels her cheeks burn with shame.

'Perhaps. But not as stained as yours. Let me try!' Rose insists and she looks over when Rusty begins to declare his intent.

'Death to the Daleks. Death to the Daleks.'

'No, there must be more than that. There must be more than that. Please.' The Doctor begs and Rose takes a few more careful steps towards him. She is unsure if he wants her comfort, perhaps misconstruing it for pity. She swallows her tears. The humans are safe. But at what cost?

She watches at the Doctor slowly comes towards her. She holds her hand out to him. He surprises her by taking it and further by pulling her into a tight embrace.

'I'm sorry…I'm so, so sorry…' Rose breathes and places her hand on his cheek when he pulls away to look at her. He closes his eyes in defeat.

'Daleks are evil. Daleks must be exterminated. Daleks are evil,' Rusty drones on and on. There are massively loud explosions erupting all around them. Rose glances up to see Rusty firing a laser beam and the opposing Daleks are torn and ripped apart. Every single one of them. 'The Daleks are destroyed.'

Rusty confidently informed them of that. Rose had just witnessed it and she feels the Doctor hold onto her tighter as Rusty's declaration echoes around them, he chuckles lightly.

'Of course they are. That's just what you do, isn't it?' He wonders sourly. Rose pulls away. She stares into those icy blue eyes and places a light kiss on his cheek.

'This wasn't your fault.'

'I had the chance to do something incredible here today, Rose. Instead I let my own buried hatred seep into my soul. I am just as damaged as they are. There is no escaping that. I foolishly thought there was. Instead we're bound by centuries old hatred for one another. Maybe that will never change.'

Rose holds his hand. 'You tried. Tired! If I had told you a year earlier that you would have had the chance to attempt this feat you'd have laughed me right out of the TARDIS. It was a result. Not the one we wanted, of course. But we discovered something.'

'What?'

'That it is possible!'

'No. This is an ending. Not the one we wanted nor deserved. We've simply come full circle. It's an ending. Let's leave it at that.'

'Doctor!' Rose hisses as he strides from the organic compartment. She's left alone for a few moments, she looks over her shoulder to Rusty and bites her lip. 'Rusty. Are you still there?'

'I can hear you.'

'Do you know who I am?'

'I have no recollection of your identity, human.'

'I had the pleasure of meeting the Daleks a long time ago,' Rose pauses however she continues when Rusty offer no reply. 'I showed mercy to a Dalek once. And then I destroyed an entire fleet.'

'Humans cannot defeat Daleks.'

'You're right. But I wasn't human at the time. I was someone else,' Rose pauses and tilts her head. 'Rusty…if you had looked into my soul and found mercy, would it have changed your mind about destroying the Daleks?'

'Daleks need to be destroyed. They are evil. Death to the Daleks.'

'Would you look, Rusty?' Rose offers but hears nothing from him she sighs, and desperately tries again. 'Please try, Rusty. Just look-…'

'Rose, come on! We need to find Clara and Journey and get out of here.' The Doctor calls to her and Rose sighs. She doesn't want to believe they have failed. It doesn't escape her mind that they just might have. Maybe that's why she doesn't pursue the matter further.

She crosses the floor and joins the Doctor who has paused to watch her and holds his hand out to her. She takes it greedily and hangs on tightly. They are silent. Lost in their own thoughts. Rose doesn't want to concede defeat. Something amazing has happened here today. Maybe it was just them coming full circle. Then again the Doctor's word plays loudly in her mind. It's an ending yes, time to leave it at that.

---

When they were reunited Morgan had come at them demanding how they had managed to turn the Dalek on his own kind. They had chosen not to answer and thankfully, Morgan had realised that there had been a problem and let the matter go. He did thank the Dalek for its help in securing their freedom. Rusty hadn't accepted the thanks, just repeated the mantra instead. Daleks are evil. Death to Daleks. It had rubbed salt on the wound for the Doctor, Rose could see it. Clara was confused about it. All Rose had said to her was the fact that the outcome hadn't gone in their favour. Clara hadn't asked twice. She had seen the detachment in the Doctor's eyes.

'I have transmitted a retreat signal. The Daleks will believe the humans have initiated the ship's self-destruct.' Rusty explains and the Doctor doesn't answer him. Clara frowns.

'What about you, Rusty?'

'I must go with them.' Rusty answers and the Doctor smirks at him.

'Of course you must. You've unfinished work, haven't you?' The Doctor taunts and Rose lightly elbows him. Rusty seems to have sensed the goading nature of the Doctor's words and turns to face him fully.

'Victory is yours, but it does not please you.' Rusty observes and the Doctor shakes his head at him. This was not a victory at all. This was him meddling around with things that shouldn't have been meddled with.

'You looked inside me and you saw hatred. That's not victory. Victory would have been a good Dalek.' The Doctor responds and Rusty looks the Doctor up and down with his eyestalk before moving towards him.

'I am not a good Dalek. You are a good Dalek.' Rusty decides and turns to leave, moving only a few feet before he turns to look back at the Doctor, who nods at him.

'Till the next time.' The Doctor whispers and nudges Rose, she turns to him and they silently make their exit. He's never wanted to be on board the TARDIS more in all his life. He needs the security and familiarity.

Rose takes his hand. 'How are you?'

'Fine,' He answers automatically. 'You?'

'Also fine.'

'But not really?'

'No. And you?'

'Also no,' The Doctor smiles at her. 'Then what are we going to do, the two of us?'

'I'll make tea. It'll be good to just…sit. Even apart if need be.' Rose offers and he looks at her and nods his head.

'You do make a good cup of tea.'

'You know my mum taught me.'

'Why'd you have to spoil it by bringing your mother into this?' The Doctor wonders and Rose clicks her tongue. Rude, her jab tells him. He reaches for the door when someone calls his name.

'Doctor!'

They both pause by the TARDIS and turn around, seeing Clara trotting to catch them and Journey behind her. Clara catches eyes with Rose and she shakes her head lightly. Oh? Things are going to get interesting?

'Yes?' The Doctor wonders and turns to face Journey. She pauses a few feet from them and watches Rose open the door to the TARDIS. Journey swallows her nervousness.

'Take me with you.' She begs and the Doctor gives her a light smile. Journey can tell that in that smile is the word no. Now he just has to articulate why.

'I think you're probably nice. Underneath it all, I think you're kind and you're definitely brave. I just wish you hadn't been a soldier.' The Doctor tells her and Journey feels a lump in her throat. She can feel the tears welling up, giving her eyes a glassy appearance. Still he does nothing but turn his back to her and step into his ship with Rose.

Journey feels like an idiot for ever asking. She had nothing here and hoped he'd let her do good things with him. Instead she has nothing here and has to stay here with nothing. Everything reminding her of her brother. She just wanted to forget. To forge a new path on her own. Why can't she do that? Why'd he deny her? Because of her military background? It's unfair. Journey catches eyes with Clara. They both exchange sheepish looks and she follows the other two into the ship.

Journey watches it evaporate into nothing. Then the tears fall. She lets them. Before she regains composure. The only thing she can do now? Keep on keeping on. There will be other battles. There are always wars that need to be fought. After all…she's just a soldier.

---

Out of breath, Clara runs up the stairs in new clothing and sighs. Rose signals her to do a little turn and Clara does so. Rose takes a deep drink from her mug of tea and holds her thumb up in an approval. The Doctor is quiet.

'Yeah, you think I look good?'

'Sure. Maybe a bit short and round-ish. But with good personality, which is the main thing.' The Doctor interjects without thinking and Clara shakes her head. Rose rolls her eyes.

'I meant my clothes. I just changed.' Clara informs him and again the Doctor doesn't look around the console to take a look at her.

'Oh, good for you, still making an effort.' He replies and Rose sets her mug of tea down.

'You went with the red pumps. Much better. I like the pop of colour.'

'Your suggestion. Brilliant.' Clara extends her left leg in front of her to show off the ruby coloured shoe on her foot.

'What can I say, I love fashion. Pity I don't get to show it off more.' Rose tells her and Clara smiles.

'Okay, right, you're back in your cupboard, thirty seconds after you left.' The Doctor explains and finally comes around the console to look at her. Clara gives him an appreciative smile.

'Okay. Right. So, when will I see you both again?' Clara wonders and Rose holds up her hands in uncertainty before pointing to the Doctor, since he does make all the choices with the TARDIS after all.

'Oh. Soon, I expect. Or later. One of those.' He replies and Clara absently nods her head as she opens the door. She's about to go when she hesitates and then squares herself to look at the Doctor. She tilts her chin away from him.

'I don't know.' Clara tells him firmly. The Doctor frowns.

'I'm sorry?'

'You asked me if you're a good man and the answer is, I don't know. But you're trying to be and I think that's probably the point.' Clara smiles at him and the Doctor returns hers. He walks the few feet till he standing in front of her and Clara places her hands on her hips.

'I think you're probably an amazing teacher.'

'I think I'd better be.' Clara embraces him tightly and they hold onto one another for a few moments before Clara pulls away and waves goodbye to them. She quietly shuts the door and Rose puts the TARDIS into motion.

The Doctor comes around to stand beside her and puts his arm around her waist, drawing her closer. Together they stand in silence. Silence is nice on the TARDIS every once and awhile. What's wrong with it? Nothing, everyone goes to a corner and has time with their thoughts. Speak of those thoughts…Rose is glad his comfort level is growing around her, relieved he's taking initiative to seek her comfort and embrace. To know that she can be his rock if he needs it. She hopes that whatever looms on the horizon for them, they will face it together.

How wrong she'd be. The sun is setting on her horizon. Quickly. And she doesn't even know it.

---

It's just a warehouse, of nondescript nature. Millions of abandoned warehouse are littered over this country. People pass them by. Without a thought. Those warehouses fall into ruin and decay, they rot until they become a hazard and are torn down, years after they are past their prime. They become tagged with imagery and words and designs. They become hangouts for people and refuges for those society has forgotten. So this particular one on this particular street, doesn't stand out to anyone. They walk on by. Listening to the music pour out into the streets. People assume it's high teenagers looking for a place to hang out in peace, whether they are trespassing on private property or not. No one calls the cops. What's the point? Those kids would be gone at first sight of the flashing lights.

Though…if someone had gotten curious enough to peer into the broken windows to see a lone light on a poor soul…well…those cops should be called. No one will. It's not their business. Besides. This is a good song.

Well I don't know why I came here tonight/ I've got a feeling that something ain't right/ I'm so scared in case I fall off my chair/ And I'm wondering how I'll get down these stairs/ Clowns to the left of me/ Jokers to the right/ Here I am…

A gunshot rings out. A man screams in pain.

'Now I'm running out of places to shoot. Tell me what I need to know.'

Panting the main tied to the chair shakes his head, sweat covering him in a fine layer from the shock and adrenaline. 'I don't know! I do not know!'

'You're lying.'

'I'm not. You know we disbanded after that debacle on Ulzar. It was a miracle we all weren't shot on the spot.' The bleeding man replies and the man holding the gun paces around the room a bit. The heel of his boots reverberating off the walls of the warehouse. The bleeding man looks at his knees, destroyed. Nothing left but splintered bones and bullets.

Well you started out with nothing/ And you're proud that you're a self-made man

The man holding the gun pauses and turns back to the man tied in the chair. 'I know. We all left after that, didn't we? But she had suspicions, didn't she? Relayed them to you. You all start digging. Each one picking up the torch when I killed the one before.'

'I don't know where she is. We haven't been in contact since that day.' The bleeding man insists and cries out as a bullet pierces him in the shoulder. He grits his teeth.

'You've solved it, though. I know you have. She planted the seed, you four harvested the crop. I bet you hoped that you'd be able to reunite with her to take me down. Instead I'm going to kill you, then I'm going to find her and kill her. Only after I'm told where the evidence is. So, please. Do tell.'

'She doesn't know anything beyond her own thoughts. Yes, I failed to get into touch with her before you found me, but I took precautions. I've scattered the evidence.'

Another shot to the other shoulder. The man leans forward. When will his brain let him pass out from the pain. Better yet, when will he die. He's been shot five times. None of them kill shots. Only shots to inflict the maximum damage on the pain factor.

'Again, you're a terrible liar, Malley. Always were. I know you've kept it all together, addressed it to her and stashed it somewhere. Question is, have you contacted her about the location? That I'm not sure yet. She hasn't called…'

Malley laughs. 'She'd never call you. She loathes you.'

'I'm so hurt you all went behind my back to implicate me in a double homicide.'

'We didn't implicate. We have hard evidence.' Malley states confidently and the man with the gun walks around in front of him and crouches down. He places his hand on Malley's shoulder and he screams in pain when the man squeezes it.

'I know. I'll find it. Before she does. And lure her here as a trap and put one right between her eyes. Like I'll do with you and like I did with Grady, Buck and Tran. That's how you get away with murder.' The man explains and Malley shakes his head, leaning forward.

'You can try. But the truth has a way of getting out. You'll be caught. And brought to justice.'

The man shakes his head. 'I don't think so. I've already killed three, about to be four. I'll get her. Trap her and kill her. Nothing more or less. And this whole thing will be like it never happened.'

'Evil will always get its comeuppance. Alwa-…' Malley is silenced by a bullet in his head, blood trickling down between this eyes and his head lolls forward. The man holding the gun reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out a pack of cigarettes. He holds one to his mouth and next reaches for a lighter. He ignites it and brings it to his mouth, inhaling deeply.

Well I don't know why I came here tonight/ I got a feeling that something ain't right

'Malley you asshole, it didn't have to be like this, if you had…wait, no, it was always going to end like this. I've just got to find that evidence. But first…a little phone call…' The man reaches for his phone and pulls up the contact information. He begins to walk towards the door of the warehouse and tosses his lighter over his shoulder into the wet floor around him. Instantly the moment the fire touches the gasoline, it ignites. Licking every surface the gasoline has touched, it's only seconds before it's reaches Malley's slumped over body. He erupts into flames.

The man smiles at her picture. Reunited and it's gonna feel so good. It'll be nice to see something so beautiful before he snuffs it out.

Stuck in the middle with you, here I am stuck in the middle with you

---

Whelp. Another one down. Geeze, the updates are taking longer and longer. It has been a crazy four months. I have two job which is taking up so much of my time, I've moved houses and it's just…life. I don't get to write as often as I want, but I hope I've made up for the lack of updates in this chapter, though I hadn't realized it was so short. Amlost 20K words short, not like me at all... Things are getting darker. Is that a storm on the horizon? I'm about to bring pain, people.

I also have a…devious thought. I thought about a crossover between DW and…Supernatural. I have a few ideas but am hesitant to start writing them as I know those who do write Supernatural FF are exceptional story tellers and do seem to be protective of their perceived pairings. I respect it. I'd like to give it a shot. I can weave a few stories into this story and in the next one too. Let me know your thoughts. I'd like to try but only if people will be receptive. I'm nervous. Never done crossover before.

Anyway as always, please let me know your thoughts on this chapter. Your support is appreciated as always