Doctor's Wolf

by NicholasFlamelFan

Kaya Black is Jacob's older sister. What would happen if she was somehow thrown into the Whoniverse? She meets her imprint and gets used to the differences between the two universes. The Doctor, on the other hand, finds out that there's more to the universe than he knew and even if it didn't seem that way, he wouldn't have to be alone forever.

3. Shakespeare Code

Since most of you seem to prefer full Episodes per chapter, here is the full chapter of Shakespeare Code. The first part is the one you know along with the rest of the Episode.

I hope you'll like it...

Enjoy,

Nick

Kaya was standing in the console room with the Doctor and Martha. She wasn't sure when the Doctor had picked the medical student up but she knew that he would. They talked after she woke up again and the Time Lord mentioned the bond. The fact that he felt the Imprint, to begin with, was a bit startling for the Shifter but she made a deal with him.

Flashback

"So, I take it you know what that bond is?" the Doctor spoke up after settling Kaya on one of the beds in the medbay.

Kaya bit her lip uncertainly "Maybe."

The Time Lord looked at her seriously "But you're not going to tell me."

"I just… I don't want you to hate me," the Shifter murmured "I only just met you and… I don't want this to…"

"Relax," the Doctor soothed, placing his hand on the girl's shoulder "Just tell me one thing… Is it dangerous?"

Kaya's head snapped up immediately "No," she exclaimed, shaking her head harshly "No. It's not."

"Good," the Doctor nodded "I thought so but I needed to be sure. This is something I have never seen or heard about before, so I hope you forgive me for being a bit… wary."

The eighteen-year-old nodded "I…" She didn't know what to do. She knew that she should tell him but so far it had never done anything good for her. Her pack hated her, her brother just threw her away for the most part and not even her sisters cared for her anymore. This was easily the best thing that happened to her in ages and she didn't want to lose it just because she was a Shapeshifter.

"Hm," the Doctor tilted his head, sending the girl a small smile. He could sense that she was being truthful and her posture practically screamed that she was scared. The Time Lord would give her the benefit of a doubt for the time being but maybe they could… "I'll just have to keep guessing then, won't I?"

Kaya blinked at him "What are you trying to say?" she questioned quietly.

"A game," the Time Lord shrugged "How about we make this a game. A bet, if you will. If I can find out what the bond is I get a prize. And you're not allowed to tell me until I get it right."

"So that's it?" the Shifter frowned. It couldn't be this simple, could it? The Doctor couldn't really be this nice and let her tell him at her own pace? After all, she knew that it was unfair… The bond had something to do with him after all "You're not going to demand that I tell you why there is a bond between us?"

The Doctor shrugged "Come on," he grinned "It'll be fun."

"O – Okay?" Kaya nodded "If – If you're sure."

"I am."

End Flashback

The Shifter tightened her grip on the railing, trying not to fall. Martha was looking around in amazement, ignoring the other girl. The medical student was a little annoyed that Kaya didn't get a limitation. What was so special about her? The Doctor kissed Martha, not the other girl… That had to count for something, right? "But how do you travel in time? What makes it go?"

"Oh, let's take the fun and mystery out of everything. Martha, you don't want to know," the Doctor told her knowingly "It just does. Hold on tight."

The Tardis came to a halt and the shaking stopped. Kaya cautiously straightened up, looking up at the Doctor "So, where are we?"

Before he could answer, Martha groaned from the floor "Blimey. Do you have to pass a test to fly this thing?"

"Yes," the Time Lord shot back, sighing at the older of the two girls "And I failed. Now, make the most of it. I promised you one trip and one trip only." He turned to Kaya "Outside this door, brave new world." Kaya grinned, trying to hide her excitement. She was in a different time… Honestly, it was everything that a Sci-fi fan could wish for and more. It was crazy to think that time travel was actually real but to experience first hand? It held something forbidden, something dangerous but at the same time exciting. Then again… Kaya didn't know whether it actually worked but a part of her knew it did. After the knowledge, the Doctor had shown when dealing with the… the vampire thingy and the Judoon, she could believe that the Tardis really was a spaceship.

"Where are we?" Martha questioned excitedly.

The Doctor stood in front of the door "Take a look," he smiled, opening the door "After you."

Outside really was a whole new world. Kaya looked around with interest shining in her expression. It sort of looked like one of those fairs that are set during the middle ages… Not that she had ever been to one but she heard some of her classmates talk about them. There was washing hanging on lines below the overhanging eaves and straw littering the ground everywhere.

Martha gasped in shock and surprise "Oh, you are kidding me. You are so kidding me. Oh, my God, we did it. We travelled in time. Where are we?" The older girl stopped herself, shaking her head "No, sorry. I got to get used to this whole new language. When are we?"

"Mind out," the Doctor called, pulling both girls back against the Tardis as a man emptied out his slop bucket from one of the upstairs windows. He grimaced sheepishly "Somewhere before the invention of the toilet… Are you alright?" The last part was directed to Kaya who had started sneezing almost as soon as the man emptied the bucket.

The Shifter held a hand to her nose in annoyance, trying to get rid of the burning smell that tickled her nostrils "I –" The rest of her sentence was once again lost to sneezing.

"Come on," the Doctor grinned, holding out his hand to Kaya. He had no idea what caused her to start sneezing but he couldn't help but find it somewhat amusing… Amusing and endearing at the same time "Better?"

Kaya rubbed at her nose when the tingling finally stopped. She hadn't even been able to enjoy her Imprint's touch. No, she just had to sneeze out her brains… "Sorry," she muttered in embarrassment "I'm – My nose is kinda sensitive."

The Time Lord shook his head "Don't worry. I expected some form of awe… Didn't quite expect you to have a sneezing fit."

"Wait," Martha cut in. She was staring at the younger girl in slight annoyance. Kaya had stopped her from asking the Doctor more questions with what she had mentally classed as attention seeking. A sensitive nose wouldn't cause that much of a scene… Of that Martha was sure "Are we safe?" she asked the Doctor "I mean, can we move around and stuff?"

"Of course we can," the Time Lord shrugged "Why do you ask?"

The medical student shifted with a sheepish shrug "It's like in the films. You step on a butterfly, you change the future of the human race."

Kaya raised her eyebrow at the other girl the same time the Doctor did "Tell you what then. Don't step on any butterflied." He whirled around and started walking "What have butterflies ever done to you?"

"What if – I don't know – what if I kill my grandfather?" Martha asked.

"Are you… Are you planning on killing anyone?" Kaya frowned in confusion "Because if you're not… Why ask?"

The Doctor clapped his hands "Well, then."

Martha looked around "And this is London?"

"I think so," the Time Lord shifted uncertainly "Round about 1599."

He was about to lead us further through the crowd of people when Martha stopped him once again "Oh, but hold on. Am I alright? I'm not going to get carted off as a slave, am I?"

"Why would they do that?" the Doctor blinked, completely flabbergasted.

The medical student pointed to her face "Not exactly white, in case you haven't noticed."

"Neither am I," Kaya spoke up "And… neither is that woman." She pointed to a pair of women walking next to each other with baskets "She seems to be doing alright."

Martha raised her eyebrow "How are you not white?"

"Really?" the Shifter frowned, not understanding the other girl's problem. She's been trying to get the attention off of the eighteen-year-old for the whole time she had been with them "I'm Native American."

The Doctor looked from one girl to the other, already apprehensive about them fighting. He really didn't need another Rose, Sarah Jane situation. Especially not with the people actually travelling with him "I'm not even human," he pointed out with a crooked grin "Just walk about like you own the place. Works for me." It was funny how the Time Lord hadn't even noticed that he thought about Rose without it hurting him. He still missed her a lot but his mind was focussed on the riddle that was Kaya and the bond that was humming in the back of his head "Besides, you'd be surprised. Elizabethan England, not so different from your time. Look over there." He pointed to a man shovelling horse manure into a bucket "They've got recycling." To two men talking at a water barrel "Water cooler moment."

"And the world will be consumed by flame," a preacher was crying out, his hands held out at his sides.

When the three travellers walked past him, the Doctor grinned "Global warming." He looked around, trying to figure out where they were exactly "Oh, yes, and entertainment. Popular entertainment for the masses. If I'm right, we're just down the river by Southwark, right next to…" The Doctor grabbed Kaya's hand and pulled her along, getting Martha to run after them past Southwark Cathedral to a view of… "Oh, yes. The Globe Theatre. Brand new. Just opened. Though, strictly speaking, it's not a globe, it's a tetradecagon. Fourteen sides. Containing the man himself."

"Whoa," Martha breathed, her wide eyes focussed on the building "You don't mean… Is Shakespeare in there?"

"Oh, yes. Miss Black, Miss Jones, will you accompany me to the theatre?" the Time Lord asked, holding out his arms for both girls to take.

Martha grabbed a hold immediately, leaning against his side "Mister Smith, I will."

Kaya hesitated for a moment, not really sure whether she should say something about her lack of understanding concerning Shakespeare's works but in the end, she just took his arm, happy to be here to see a different time from her own. It didn't really matter who they were going to see. She was just excited to see someone who had died long before she was even born.

"When you get home, you can tell everyone you've seen Shakespeare," the Doctor pointed out with a grin. The small smile that had been on Kaya's face fell as she thought about her family. She would have to talk to the Doctor later to find out his viewpoint on her theory. It was ludicrous to some extent but the limited research she had been able to do proved her idea of the multiverse theory. She didn't really have a chance to mention it earlier.

Martha shot the Time Lord a deadpan look "Then I could get sanctioned."

About two and a half hours later, the performance had just finished and while Kaya had somewhat understood what was going on, she barely understood anything they were saying. Not that it wasn't normal for her. Her English teacher was the worst, so it was no real surprise that she never really got into reading classic literature. The Shifter had always been good at everything to do with Maths and Science, so choosing her majors had been relatively easy.

"That's amazing," Martha laughed happily "Just amazing. It's worth putting up with the smell." While Kaya didn't think so, she kept quiet. Not everyone had better senses than normal humans. Especially in this time "And those are men dressed as women, yeah?"

The Doctor snorted "London never changes."

"It's not just London," Kaya pointed out "LA is worse. I think all bigger cities are like that."

"Where's Shakespeare?" the medical student frowned, craning her neck "I want to see Shakespeare. Author! Author! Do people shout that? Do they shout Author?"

Behind us, one of the men started shouting "Author! Author!"

The Doctor tugged at his ear as the whole crowd took up the chant "Well," he sighed "They do now."

On stage, the door opened and a relatively young Shakespeare came out, obviously very full of himself. Martha let out a low whistle "He's a bit different from his portraits."

"Genius," the Doctor shook his head in amazement "He's a genius. The Genius. The most human human there's ever been. Now we're going to hear him speak. Always chooses the best words. New, beautiful, brilliant words."

Shakespeare threw out his arm, silencing the crowd for a moment "Ah, shut your big fat mouths." The people roared with laughter as Kaya flinched a little at the sheer volume of them.

"Oh, well," the Time Lord hung his head.

Kaya tilted her head up "Never meet your heroes. Meeting your heroes is setting yourself up for…"

The Doctor raised an eyebrow "Are you always that pessimistic?"

"It's not pessimism," the Shifter mumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You've got excellent taste," Shakespeare called loudly "I'll give you that." He pointed to a man in the front row "Oh, that's a wig. I know what you're all saying. Loves Labour's Lost, that's a funny ending, isn't it? It just stops. Will the boys get the girls? Well, don't get your hose in a tangle, you'll find out soon. Yeah, yeah. All in good time. You don't rush a genius." The man on stage suddenly stiffened and his face went blank "When? Tomorrow night. The premiere of my bran new play. A sequel, no less, and I call it Loves Labour's Won."

A short while later, everyone is filling out of the theatre. Kaya tried to stay as close to the Doctor as possible, hopeful that she wouldn't lose him in the crowd. The Time Lord wrapped an arm around Kaya's shoulders "So, what did you think?"

"I – I don't like Shakespeare much," the eighteen-year-old mumbled.

"You don't?" the Doctor questioned, his expression falling.

Kaya shrugged "My English teacher was an ass. He made me hate most of the classical literature just because of the way he was teaching."

"You say classical literature," the Time Lord realized "Who is your favourite author?"

"When I was in school I had the biggest crush on Jonathan Stroud," the Shifter admitted with a small blush "His stories are amazing and so – so real." She tilted her head "Can we go and see him some time?"

The Doctor had stiffened as soon as he heard the word crush. He had no idea why he was reacting the way he was… But somehow the thought of Kaya having a crush on anyone made his insides bubble with jealousy. The Time Lord huffed internally. He really had to find out what that bond was and whether it was worth getting his hopes up "Sorry, no," he shook his head "You can't visit the same place twice and I already met Stroud." He was lying through his teeth but he didn't want her to know his real reasons.

"Oh. Alright," Kaya smiled, hiding her disappointment. This wasn't necessarily the most important wish to her but it would have been nice to meet her childhood favourite.

Martha looked over her shoulder, noticing that the other two had stopped walking "I'm not an expert… But I've never heard of Lover Labour's Won."

"Exactly," the Doctor nodded, shoving the thoughts of jealousy out of his mind "The lost play. It doesn't exist, only in rumours. It's mentioned in lists of his plays but never ever turns up. And no one knows why."

The medical student grinned "Have you got a mini-disc or something? We can tape it. We can flog it. Sell it when we get home and make a mint."

"No," the Doctor snapped.

Martha winced at the tone of his voice, realizing her mistake immediately. Even if she didn't actually mean it "That would be bad."

"Yeah… Yeah."

Kaya looked at the Doctor "Hey, do you know how it disappeared in the first place? I mean… A whole play doesn't just vanish, does it?"

"Well," the Time Lord drawled and looked down to Martha "I was just going to give you a quick little trip in the Tardis but I suppose we could stay a bit longer." He lead the two girls to where he knew Shakespeare was staying, at The Elephant. When he asked where he could find the Bard, he was directed upstairs "Hello," the Doctor smiled, sticking his head through the door "Excuse me, not interrupting, am I? Mister Shakespeare, isn't it?"

Shakespeare groaned "Oh, no. No, no, no. Who let you in?" he demanded "No autographs. No, you can't have yourself sketched with me and please don't ask where I get my ideas from." Kaya scoffed at his ego, her mind flashing to Paul who acted in a very similar way. The thought of her fellow shifter caused the girl to wince internally "Thanks for the interest. Now be a good boy and shove…" His gaze caught both girls behind the Doctor and he blinked. The dark-skinned girl was good looking but the other one? She was a rare, quiet beauty. It was obvious to him on the first glance "Hey, nonny nonny. Sit down here next to me." Shakespeare looked to his two actors "You two, get sewing on them costumes. Off you go."

Dolly shook her head with a grin, patting the men's shoulders "Come on, lads. I think our William's found his new muses."

Shakespeare smiled at Kaya charmingly "Sweet lady." As Dolly left with both Burbage and Kempe, the three travellers sat down "Such unusual clothes. So fitted." Kaya shifted uncomfortably, really not used to anyone flirting with her. She didn't like the man's attention and while it had been great to see such a famous author alive, she didn't enjoy being treated like a piece of meat. Especially not since she found her Imprint…

The Doctor noticed her uneasiness and pulled out his psychic paper "I'm Sir Doctor of Tardis and these are my Companions, Miss Kaya Black and Miss Martha Jones."

"Interesting," Shakespeare mused, turning his attention away from the girl to the Doctor's right. He had seen that his comments made her uncomfortable, so he decided that it was good to leave her alone. After all, she seemed to have a protector in the Sir Doctor "That bit of paper… It's blank."

"Oh, that's very clever," the Doctor grinned "That proves it. Absolute genius."

Martha frowned at the piece of paper in confusion "No, it says so right there. Sir Doctor, Kaya Black, Martha Jones. It says so."

"And I say it's blank," Shakespeare shrugged.

The Doctor scratched his head "Psychic paper. Er… Long story. Oh, I hate starting from scratch." He glanced to Kaya, tilting his head "What do you see?"

Kaya furrowed her forehead, looking at the paper in the Doctor's hand "Is it supposed to be this blurry?" she asked, rubbing at her eyes.

"Can you read it?"

"No," the Shifter shook her head "It's kinda… Too faded, I guess?"

The Doctor looked at the younger girl curiously "You seem to have some psychic abilities," he mused, thinking about whether that might actually be the reason for the bond. But that wouldn't be able to explain it either. Or at least it shouldn't…

"Psychic?" Shakespeare spoke up, his head tilted to the side "Never head that before and words are my trade. Who are you exactly? More's the point… Who is your delicious blackamoor lady?" The last question caused a wink in Martha's direction.

Martha gaped "What did you say?"

The Bard shrugged with a small grin "Oops? Isn't that a word we use nowadays? An Ethiop girl? A swarth? A Queen of Afric?"

"I can't believe I'm hearing this," the medical student shook her head. While she was slightly insulted by what the Bard called her, she was quite happy that he chose her over Kaya. It was petty, Martha knew that, but she couldn't help but be jealous of the girl who held the Doctor's attention. And she didn't even know why he was so fascinated with her.

The Doctor waved his hand in her direction, putting the psychic paper back into his pocket "It's political correctness gone mad." He turned to look at Shakespeare "Er, Martha and Kaya are from a far-off land. Freedonia."

As soon as the words left his mouth, a man in expensive clothing stormed into the room. Kaya tilted her head, studying the golden chain he was wearing. What did that say on it? Something about office? She wasn't too sure but maybe it would be revealed "Excuse me," the man demanded "Hold hard a moment. This is abominable behaviour. A new play with no warning? I demand to see a script, Mister Shakespeare. As Master of the Revels, every new script must be registered at my office and examined by me before it can be performed."

Shakespeare sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose "Tomorrow morning, first thing, I'll send it round."

"I don't work to your schedule," Lynley narrowed his eyes "You work to mine. The script. Now!"

"I can't," the Bard pointed out.

"Then tomorrow's performance is cancelled," the man shot back. He turned around, barely missing the maid that left the room "I'm returning to my office for a banning order. If it's the last thing I do, Love's Labour's Won will never be played." He left immediately.

Kaya shook her head and scoffed "Well, he was full of himself." When every eye in the room turned to her, she lowered her head with a blush "Sorry."

"No, no," Shakespeare shook his head dismissively "He rather is, isn't he? Men in a position of power always seem to turn out arrogant."

The Shifter tilted her head. She was getting more confident just by being accepted but even then, Kaya was sure that she would regret speaking so freely. No one had appreciated her sharp tongue before. That was the reason why she didn't like being around people much anymore. She had gotten in so much trouble with Sam for the fights that Paul had started and it had been just so unfair "Like you, you mean?"

Shakespeare leaned his head back, letting out an amused laugh "Oh, I do like you."

"Thank you," Kaya murmured, looking down at her lap. The Doctor looked like he was trying to think of something to say to get Shakespeare to stop but the Bard's next words made him stop short. He had pecked the Native American girl after only speaking with the three for fifteen minutes.

The Bard shook his head "No, no, no. Don't look down. A woman such as you should never look down."

"Well then," Martha spoke up, shaking her head "That's Love's Labour's Won over and done with. Thought it might be something more – you know – more mysterious."

A man's scream came from the street, followed closely by a woman's. The Doctor pulled up Kaya with him, tugging her out of the door and outside "Help me," a woman cried out helplessly.

When the group of four saw Lynley staggering around, spewing copious amounts of water out of his mouth they stopped short. Martha blinked "It's that Lynley bloke…"

"What's wrong with him?" the Doctor tilted his head in confusion "Leave it to me. I'm a doctor."

Martha shoved forward "So am I," she proclaimed proudly "Near enough." She leapt a step back when the expensively dressed man collapsed. Martha fell to her knees next to him, quickly checking him over "Got to get the heart going. Mister Lynley, come on. Can you hear me? You're going to be alright." The medical student started to clear the man's airways but paused when water started gushing out "What the hell is that?"

"I've never seen a death like it," the Doctor remarked quietly "His lungs are full of water. He drowned and then, I don't know, like a blow to the heart, an invisible blow." The Time Lord grabbed a hold of Dolly's shoulders "Good mistress, this poor fellow has died from a sudden imbalance of the humours. A natural if unfortunate demise. Call a constable and have him taken away."

Dolly glanced at the dead body uncomfortably "Yes, sir," she nodded.

"I'll do it, ma'am," the maid from earlier nodded, turning around to walk away.

Martha straightened and stared at the Doctor incredulously "And why are you telling them that?"

"This lot still have got one foot in the Dark Ages," the Time Lord gestured "If I tell them the truth, they'll panic and think it was witchcraft."

"If it's not… What is it then?" Kaya frowned up at him.

The Doctor sent her a huge grin "Witchcraft."

Kaya snorted, shaking her head "Of course… But seriously." Her toned quieted down some more "Do you think it's actually witchcraft?"

"What's magic but science," the Time Lord shrugged "I think they might use science like magic… You're an engineer. You should know that some of the things you can do seem like magic."

"So, you think it's… What? Aliens?"

The Doctor shrugged "Most likely but to be completely honest? I'm a little out of my depth here."

Kaya smiled teasingly "I have a feeling that you don't say that often."

"I don't," the Time Lord shook his head mournfully "I actually like this you. Why are you hiding yourself so much?"

"I – I'm not," the Shifter shrugged, looking to the side.

The Doctor sighed before tugging at her arm "Come on. Let's get back inside."

"I got a room for you, Sir Doctor," Dolly spoke up, blocking them from entering Shakespeare's room for a moment "You, Miss Jones and Miss Black are just across the landing."

"Thank you," Kaya smiled when the Doctor just nodded.

Shakespeare sighed as soon as the two joined him, Martha already back to sitting in the chair she had occupied earlier. She rather enjoyed being wooed by the playwright. It made her feel special in a way… Even if he seemed like a playboy "Poor Lynley," the Bard mumbled "So many strange events. Not least of all, this land of Freedonia where a woman can be a doctor? What do you do, Miss Black?"

Kaya shot a panicked look to the Doctor who smiled lightly "Kaya is training to become an inventor."

"Where a woman can do whatever she likes," Shakespeare mused "And you, Sir Doctor. How can a man so young have eyes so old?"

The Time Lord shot him a look "I do a lot of reading."

"A trite reply," Shakespeare laughed "Yeah, that's what I'd do." He turned his eyes to Martha once again "And you look at him like you're surprised he exists. He's as much of a puzzle to you as he is to me."

Martha looked uncomfortable with the assessment "I think we should say goodnight," she muttered, walking out of the room without looking at anyone else.

"It's interesting because you…" The brown eyes locked Kaya in her place "You just accept him. It is almost like something is binding you together. You two are always close… What can cause such a thing?"

The Shifter swallowed uncomfortably "I…"

Shakespeare shook his head "I must work. I have a play to complete. But I'll get my answers tomorrow, Doctor. And I'll discover more about you and this constant performance of yours, Kaya."

"All the world's a stage," the Doctor muttered.

"Hmm," Shakespeare hummed "I might use that. Goodnight, Doctor, Kaya."

The Time Lord nodded, lost in thoughts "Nighty night, Shakespeare."

"Night," Kaya mumbled, escaping the room as quickly as she could. She entered the room that Dolly had given them to see Martha standing in the middle with a candle in hand. The eighteen-year-old skirted past the medical student, sitting down on the window sill.

Martha looked at the girl for a moment before she shook her head "It's not exactly five stars, is it?"

"Oh, it'll do," the Doctor shrugged, his gaze on the curled up form by the window. He didn't know how much impact the Bard's words had on the Shifter but he knew how he was feeling and if that was any indication, he would leave her to her thoughts for as long as she needed "I've seen worse."

"I haven't even got a toothbrush," the medical student complained.

"Oh… Er…" the Doctor patted his pockets before pulling one out of his pocket "Contains Venusian spearmint."

Martha took it gingerly "So, who's going where? I mean, there's only one bed."

"Kaya?" the Time Lord asked.

"Hm? Oh, I'm not tired," the Shifter said without turning around. She was staring out into the quiet street, her mind wandering.

"We'll manage, then," the Time Lord shrugged, throwing himself onto one side of the bed "Come on."

Martha looked from the man on the bed to the girl and back. She was getting a lot of mixed signals here but… Better for her, eh? Maybe that meant that she still had a chance "So, magic and stuff?" the medical student spoke up "That's a surprise. It's all a bit Harry Potter."

"Wait till you read book seven," the Doctor gushed "Oh, I cried."

"But is it real, though?" Martha asked "I mean, witches, black magic and all that, it's real?"

The Time Lord rolled his eyes "Course it isn't."

Martha huffed "Well, how am I supposed to know? I've only just started believing in time travel. Give me a break."

"Looks like witchcraft but it isn't," the Doctor mused thoughtfully, his face scrunching up "Can't be." He looked up at Martha with a raised eyebrow "Are you going to stand there all night?"

"Budge up a bit, then," the medical student pointed out, a biting tone to her voice that made Kaya look over to them with narrowed eyes "Sorry, there's not much room. Us two here… Same bed…" She shot a winning look at the Shifter by the window who just rolled her eyes, turning back to the street below.

The Doctor didn't notice the exchange between his two Companions since he was staring at the ceiling "There's such a thing as psychic energy but a human couldn't channel it like that. Not without a generator the size of Taunton and I think we'd have spotted that." He shook his head with a sigh "No, there's something I'm missing. Something really close, staring me right in the face and I can't see it." A thought entered his mind and he couldn't help but voice it "Rose would know. A friend of mine, Rose. Right now, she's say exactly the right thing." The Doctor looked over his shoulder at Kaya. The bond had spiked for a moment but settled just as quickly. He couldn't see her face but she seemed sad. Something was going on with the younger girl and he would be damned if he didn't find out "You're a novice, never mind. I'll take you back home tomorrow, Martha."

Martha turned to her other side, back facing the Doctor angrily "Great." She blew out the candle, settling down on the uncomfortable mattress.

The Doctor waited until Martha's breathing slowed down and she was asleep before turning to look at Kaya "Are you sure that you don't want the bed?" he asked.

"Yeah. It's fine," the Shifter mumbled "I'm used to sleeping rough."

"What do you mean?" the Time Lord asked, his face set in a frown.

Kaya shrugged "Nothing. Forget I said anything." She closed her eyes, curling up into a tighter ball. She was used to sleeping rough thanks to Sam making her go on patrols sometimes for days on end. The eighteen-year-old had taken to come back to the Rez on weekends and was often out from the time she came home to the time she had to leave again. She was sure that it had been Paul's idea. The other wolf had probably complained to their alpha until he agreed.

Kaya was almost asleep when a scream ripped through the silence. She jerked up, almost falling from the window sill at the movement. She ran after the Doctor, Martha following behind quickly. As soon as they entered Shakespeare's room, the Doctor fell to his knees next to the body on the ground "Her heart gave out," he breathed "She died of fright."

Martha ran to the window, gaping at the figure of a witch flying away "Doctor?"

"What did you see?" the Time Lord questioned, looking up at her shocked expression.

"A witch," the medical student murmured.

Kaya tilted her head at the other girl. A witch? Oh well, who was she to deny the existence of anything? As a Shapeshifter, you really weren't able to deny a lot of things anymore. No matter how unbelievable it actually was… After all, the eighteen-year-old was able to turn into a huge wolf… Not quite as huge as the others but compared to her normal height, the wolf was bigger. Kaya guessed that if she stood beside her wolf, he would just about reach her upper chest, a little shy of her shoulders.

A little while later, a cockerel crowed outside and dogs barked as the sun started rising. Shakespeare had buried his head in his hands "Oh, sweet Dolly Bailey," he sighed "She sat out three bouts of plague in this place when we all ran like rats. But what could have scared her so? She had such enormous spirit…"

The Doctor sighed, his elbows resting on the table "Rage, rage against the dying of the light."

"I might use that," Will blinked, liking the small phrases he was getting from the Doctor occasionally.

"You can't," the Time Lord shook his head "It's someone else's."

Martha rolled her eyes at the two men, turning her eyes to Shakespeare "But the thing is, Lynley drowned on dry land, Dolly died of fright and they were both connected to you."

"You're accusing me?" Will questioned, his eyebrows raised.

"I don't think she is," Kaya spoke up, biting her lip when all eyes turned to her. The Doctor's eyes darted down to the eighteen-year-old's lips before forcing them back up to her eyes. He really had to find out about this bond. It was driving him crazy but he enjoyed the challenge of trying to find out what it was "There was something in the room – whether it was an actual witch or not – and it was after you…"

Martha nodded "Yes. And you've written about witches before…"

"I have?" Will frowned in confusion, his mind putting one more piece to the puzzle that the group of three proved to be "When was that?"

The Doctor winced "Not… Not quite yet."

"Peter Street spoke of witches," the Bard pointed out.

"Who's Peter Street?" the medical student blinked.

Will shrugged "Our builder. He sketched the plans to the Globe."

"The architect," the Doctor mumbled, his head snapping up "Hold on. The architect. The architect. The Globe. Come on." He ran out of the room excitedly. This was exactly what he had been missing. The architect…

It took them very little time to reach the theatre since not a lot of people were around yet. Inside, the Doctor jumped onto the stage, critically mustering the walls "The columns there, right? Fourteen sides. I've always wondered but I never asked. Tell me, Will. Why fourteen sides?"

The Bard looked up at the curious man and shrugged "It was the shape Peter Streete thought best, that's all." He sat down on the edge of the stage, leaning back onto his hands "Said it carried the sound well."

"Fourteen," the Time Lord frowned "Why does that ring a bell? Fourteen?"

Martha glanced over at him "There's fourteen lines in a sonnet."

"So there is," he hummed "Good point." With that, Martha shot Kaya a triumphant look. This was a competition and so far, the medical student was definitely winning. At least, in her eyes she was. The younger girl didn't even like Shakespeare… Martha really didn't understand why the Doctor took her along. Maybe it was pity? She looked back at the Time Lord when he continued talking "Words and shapes, following the same design. Fourteen lines, fourteen sides, fourteen facets. Oh, my head." He was hitting himself repeatedly, pacing up and down "Tetradecagon. Think, think, think. Words, letters, numbers, lines."

Shakespeare blinked "This is just a theatre," he pointed out.

"Oh yeah," the Doctor challenged "But a theatre's magic, isn't it? You should know. Stand on this stage, say the right words with the right emphasis at the right time. Oh, you can make men weep or cry with joy. Change them." He inhaled sharply "You can change people's minds just with words in this place… But if you exaggerate that."

Kaya hummed "A bit like the Tardis, no? She's so small on the outside with everything else just… inside."

"Oh," the Doctor murmured "Oh, I like you. Tell you what, though. Peter Streete would know. Can I talk to him?"

Will shifted a little "You won't get an answer. A month after finishing this place, lost his mind."

"Why?" Martha questioned "What happened?"

"Started raving about witches, hearing voice, babbling," the Bard explained "His mind was addled."

The Doctor narrowed his eyes "Where is he now?"

"Bedlam," Will answered.

Martha tilted her head "What's Bedlam?"

"Bethlem Hospital," the Bard explained "The madhouse."

"We're going there," the Doctor said in a strong voice. He didn't care that he had to go to a madhouse or anything. It was the fact that Will would do something like this to a friend. While he had never been to Bedlam before, he could guess how people were treated there "Right now. Come on."

"Wait," Will called out when the Time Lord walked away with the two girls following behind "I'm coming with you. I want to witness this first hand." As he walked out, two of his actors entered "Ralph, the last scene as promised. Copy it, hand it round, learn it, speak it. Back before curtain up. And remember, kid, project. Eyes and teeth. You never know, the Queen might turn up." Will walked away, shaking his head "As if… She never does."

Kaya walked along next to the Doctor, trying and failing to muffled her yawns. The Time Lord glanced down at her "Are you alright?"

"Fine," the Shifter nodded "Again. I'm used to going without sleep for a while. The life of a college student, I guess."

The Doctor hummed "You didn't choose easy subjects either. How did you manage?"

"It wasn't that bad. I like Engineering… I've always liked it, so classes aren't that hard," Kaya shrugged.

"Well, you seem like you're smart enough to get it," the Time Lord pointed out "I would love to see what you can do some time."

Kaya looked at her feet "I'm not that good…"

He was about to respond, when they heard Martha behind them "Woah, Nelly. I know for a fact you've got a wife in the country."

"But Martha," Will whined playfully "This is Town."

The Doctor snorted, rolling his eyes "Come on. We can all have a good flirt later."

"Is that a promise, Doctor?" Shakespeare smirked, trailing his eyes over the other man's body.

Kaya raised her eyebrow in surprise and her lips twitched when the Doctor opened and closed his mouth a few times, trying to find words to say "Oh, fifty-seven academics just punched the air." He shook his head "Now move."

The group of four reached Bedlam Hospital in no time at all. Kaya shuddered as the Keeper sent them a malicious grin "Does my Lord Doctor wish some entertainment while he waits? I'd whip these madmen. They'll put on a good show for you. Mad dog in Bedlam."

"No," the Doctor snapped "I don't."

The Keeper scoffed at the pretentiousness of the man. He was probably just trying to impress one or – God forbid – both of them with his refusal "Well," the Keeper huffed "Wait here, my lords, while I make him decent for the ladies." He walked off, towards the cell that held Peter Streete.

"So this is what you call a hospital?" Martha sneered "Where the patients are whipped to entertain the gentry? And you put your friend in here?"

"Oh, it's all so different in Freedonia," Will rolled his eyes.

Martha took a deep breath and gritted her teeth "But you're clever. Do you honestly think this place is any good?"

"I've been mad," the Bard told her quietly "I've lost my mind. Fear of this place set me right again. It serves its purpose."

Kaya looked up at the playwright worriedly. She might not like his flirting with her but he was a nice guy and didn't deserve whatever happened to him "What happened?"

"You lost your son," the Doctor murmured. Kaya winced. The Shifter knew what it was like to lose someone close to you. When her mother had died, Kaya hadn't known what to do. Rachel and Rebecca had been too busy with helping Jacob and their own pain to see Kaya's struggle. The eighteen-year-old had helped her father as much as she could, ultimately trying to help him through the pain of losing his wife. After she turned a few years later, Rachel and Rebecca long gone, everything hit her again. For some reason, her wolf was a lot more emotional than her…

Will swallowed heavily "My only boy. The Black Death took him. I wasn't even there."

"I didn't know," Martha breathed, reaching out her hand.

Shakespeare avoided her hand, shaking his head "It made me question everything. The futility of this fleeting existence. To be or not to be… Oh, that's quite good."

Kaya licked her lips nervously "I'm sorry," she told Will quietly, looking down at her feet to avoid meeting any eyes "I know you're probably sick of hearing that but… I know how it feels to lose someone important to you."

"Who?" the playwright questioned.

"My mother," Kaya murmured "I was twelve – almost thirteen when she had an accident."

Will placed his hand on the Shifter's shoulder, squeezing lightly. When he was about to open his mouth to talk to her some more, the Keeper of the hospital returned "This way, my lord." The playwright shot the man a dirty look. He rather liked the younger of the two girls and was happy that she had spoken up, even if the topic wasn't the best. Now that she had said something, he wanted to talk to her more, get to know her. The Doctor and Martha were talking more than Kaya, so he thought he had them more or less figured out already. The eighteen-year-old, on the other hand, still was a bit of a mystery apart from the bond she seemed to have with the Time Lord. There was something between them but Will couldn't put his hand on it. Maybe the girl in question could shed some light on the situation.

Stopping in front of the cell, the Keeper turned around to look at the Doctor "They can be dangerous, my lord. Don't know their own strength."

"I think it helps if you don't whip them," the Doctor bit out "Now get out." The man left immediately, so the Time Lord turned to the hunched figure in the cell "Peter? Peter Streete?"

Will sighed, seeing his old friend's unmoving figure "He's the same as he was. You'll get nothing from him."

The Doctor moved towards the man on the ground carefully "Peter?" He touched his shoulder, causing Peter to raise his head, staring at the Time Lord silently. The Doctor raised his hands to Peter's temples, getting ready to enter the other man's mind "Peter, I'm the Doctor. Go into the past. One year ago. Let your mind go back. Back to when everything was fine and sharing. Everything that happened in this year since happened to somebody else. It was just a story. A Winter's Tale. Let go." When the man relaxed slowly, the Doctor smiled "That's it. That's it, just let go." He laid Peter back down on his cot "Tell me the story, Peter. Tell me about the witches."

"Witches spoke to Peter," Peter breathed, his eyes wide and unseeing "In the night, they whispered. They whispered. Got Peter to build the Globe to their design. Their design. The fourteen wall. Always fourteen. When the work was done they snapped poor Peter's wits."

The Doctor tilted his head "Where did Peter see the witches? Where in the city? Peter, tell me. You've got to tell me where were they?" he demanded urgently.

"All Hallows Street."

A witch appeared across the cell from the Doctor, close to Peter, causing Kaya to jump in surprise "Too many words," she cackled.

"What the hell?" Martha demanded.

Doomfinger smirked at the group of people "Just one touch of the heart."

She reached out for Peter, causing the Doctor to jump forward "No," he exclaimed. Kaya stiffened, clenching her fists, trying to stop them from trembling as the Time Lord got too close to the unknown variable in the cell.

"Witch," Will gasped out, his wide eyes glued to the ugly woman "I'm seeing a witch."

Doomfinger looked up from stopping Peter's heart, looking at each of the group in turn "Now, who would be next, hmm? Just one touch. Oh, oh, I'll stop your frantic hearts. Poor, fragile mortals."

"Let us out," Martha screamed, rattling at the bars "Let us out."

The witch stared "Who will die first, hmm?"

"Well, if you're looking for volunteers," the Doctor shrugged, going to step forward.

Kaya reached out to grip his arm "Don't," she pleaded

"Doctor, can you stop her?" Shakespeare questioned.

The witch laughed "No mortal has power over me."

"Oh, but there's power in words," the Time Lord told her, taking a step back and closer to Kaya. He could feel her panicking in the back of his mind and for some reason, it made his stomach clench "If I can find the right one. If I can just know you…"

"None on Earth has knowledge of us," the witch pointed out.

The Doctor hummed "Then it's a good thing I'm here. Now think, think, think," he squinted at the figure "Humanoid female, uses shapes and words to channel energy. Ah!" He let out a victorious sound "Fourteen. That's it… Fourteen. The fourteen stars of the Rexel planetary configuration." The witch's smile fell from her face, shock colouring her features. The Doctor pointed at her "Creature, I name you Carrionite."

The witch screamed, vanishing in a slow flash of light. Martha walked forward hesitantly "What did you do?"

"I named her," the Doctor explained "The power of a name. That's old magic."

"I thought…"

The Time Lord shook his head, knowing what she was about to say "Well, it's just a different sort of science. You lot, you chose mathematics. Given the right string of numbers, the right equation, you can split the atom. Carrionites use words instead."

"Use them for what?" Will asked. Kaya glanced down at her hands that were still shaking a little, her wolf howling, demanding to be let out to defend its Imprint against a threat that had been taken care of for now.

"The end of the world," the Doctor stated grimly. The walk back to the Inn was quiet with the Doctor more or less sticking to Kaya's side the entire way. He could feel her calming down at his closeness and made another mental note about that. As soon as they were back in Shakespeare's room, the Time Lord started pacing up and down, pushing the thoughts of the Bond to the back of his mind "The Carrionites disappeared way back at the dawn of the universe. Nobody was sure if they were real or legend."

Shakespeare gave a weak grin "Well, I'm going for real."

"But what do they want?" Martha questioned.

"A new empire on Earth," the Time Lord shrugged "A world of bones and blood and witchcraft."

The medical student shook her head "But how?"

The Doctor's gaze caught Shakespeare's "I'm looking at the man with the words."

"Me?" Will asked "But I've done nothing."

"Hold on, though," Martha murmured "What were you doing last night when that Carrionite was in the room?"

Will furrowed his brow "Finishing the play."

The Doctor leaned forward, glancing at the pages "What happens on the last page?"

"The boys get the girls. They have a bit of a dance," the playwright explained, glancing down "It's all as funny and thought-provoking as usual. Except for those last few lines. Funny thing is, I don't actually remember writing them."

"That's it," the Doctor exclaimed "They used you. They gave you the final words like a spell, like a code. Love's Labour's Won. It's a weapon." He ran a hand through his hair in agitation "The right combination of words, spoke at the right place, with the shake of the Globe as an energy converter. The play's the thing." Will opened his mouth but the Time Lord cut him off "And yes, you can have that." He turned to look at a map of the area, frowning in agitation when he could barely make out anything. His expression changed though when he found what he was looking for "All Hallow's Street. There it is. Kaya, Martha, we'll track them down. Will, you get to the Globe. Whatever you do, stop that play."

"I'll do it," the playwright stated firmly "All these years I've been the cleverest man around. Next to you, I know nothing."

Martha rolled her eyes with a snort "Oh, don't complain."

Will laughed "I'm not. It's marvellous. Good luck, Doctor."

"Good luck, Shakespeare," the Doctor said, walking out of the room "Once more onto the breach."

Will hummed as we left the room "I like that. Wait a minute, that's one of mine."

"Oh, just shift," the Doctor huffed with a smile, poking his head back into Will's room.

The three time travellers moved through the streets quickly, trying to find the house as fast as they could "All Hallows Street," the Time Lord exclaimed, stopping to look around "But which house?"

Martha just looked at the Doctor in confusion "The thing is, though am I missing something here? The world didn't end in 1599. It just didn't. Look at me. I'm living proof."

The Doctor turned to look at the medical student "Oh, how to explain the mechanics of the infinite temporal flux? I know." He snapped his fingers "Back to the Future. It's like Back to the Future."

"The film?"

The Doctor rolled his eyes in exasperation "No, the novelisation. Yes, the film. Marty McFly goes back and changes history."

Martha gasped "And he starts fading away. Oh, my God, am I going to fade?"

"You and the entire future of the human race. It ends right now in 1599 if we don't stop it. But which house?" The Time Lord looked around again, freezing when a door creaked open invitingly "Make that witch house…"

Kaya looked at the door uncertainly "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

The Doctor smiled at the Shifter a little "Not at all… Unfortunately, we don't have a choice." With that, the three made their way into the house where another witch was already waiting for them "I take it we're expected."

"Oh, I think Death has been waiting for you for a long time," Lilith pointed out, glaring at the Doctor.

Martha stepped forward "Right then, it's my turn," she spoke up, trying to impress the Doctor "I know how to do this." She pointed at the witch "I name thee Carrionite." When nothing happened, the medical student turned to the Doctor "What did I do wrong? Was it the finger?"

Lilith laughed "The power of a name works only once. Observe." She leaned forward "I gaze upon this bag of bones and now I name thee Martha Jones." Martha fell back, barely getting caught by Kaya who lowered her to the floor quickly.

"What have you done?" the Doctor demanded.

"Only sleeping, alas," the witch remarked "It's curious. The name has less impact. She somehow out of her time. And as for you, Sir Doctor." Lilith stopped, watching him curiously "Fascinating. There is no name. Not for you or your little friend here. How fascinating. You, on the other hand, don't have a name… Why would a man hide his title in such despair? Oh, but look. There's still one word with the power that aches."

The Doctor shook his head "The naming won't work on me," he pointed out. He had heard what the witch said about Kaya but it wasn't the moment to talk about it. From the eighteen-year-old's expression, she knew what this was about. They would talk about this later when the situation was taken care of.

"But your heart grows cold," the witch taunted "The north wind blows and carried down the distant… Rose."

"Oh, big mistake," the Time Lord snapped, a hurt to his voice that almost caused the Shifter to flinch. There was so much pain in his voice and coming through the bond that it was starting to hurt Kaya physically "Because that name keeps me fighting. The Carrionites vanished. Where did you go?"

Lilith turned away from him "The Eternals found the right word to banish us into deep darkness."

The Doctor raised his eyebrow "And how did you escape?"

"New words," the witch waved off "New and glittering, from a mind like no other."

"Will," Kaya breathed.

Lilith nodded with a smirk "His son perished. The grief of a genius. Grief without measure. Madness enough to allow us entrance."

"How many of you?" the Doctor questioned, fishing for information. The more Carrionites there were, the more complicated this would get.

"Just the three," the Carrionite said "But the play tonight shall restore the rest. Then the human race will be purged as pestilence. And from this world, we will lead the universe back into the old ways of blood and magic."

The Doctor rolled his eyes "Hmm. Busy schedule. But first, you've got to get past me." Kaya let out a strangled noise but fell silent when the Time Lord shot her a warning glance, willing her to keep quiet.

"Oh, that should be a pleasure, considering my enemy has such a handsome shape." The witch caressed the Doctor's face. Kaya gritted her teeth, uncomfortable with the whole situation.

The Time Lord snorted "Now, that's one form of magic that's definitely not going to work on me."

Lilith smiled "Oh, we'll see." She moved quickly, pulling some hairs from the man's head before withdrawing further away from the two awake people in the room.

"What did you do?" the Doctor breathed with his hand on his neck.

"Souvenir," the witch pointed out with a grin.

"Well, give it back," the Time Lord demanded. He shot forward, trying to grab the woman but Lilith just flew backwards and out of the window. The Doctor huffed "Well, that's just cheating."

Lilith started wrapping the hair around a wooden doll "Behold, Doctor. Men to Carrionites are nothing but puppets." As she watched, the Shifter couldn't hold back the low growl that escaped her throat at the witch who was playing with her Imprint. Her muscles were starting to ache, getting ready to shift but she pushed the wolf back.

The Doctor glared at the witch hovering outside the window "Now, you might call that magic. I'd call that a DNA replication module."

"What use is your science now?" Lilith challenged, stabbing the doll right in the heart. The Doctor screamed and fell to the ground as the witch flew away.

A roar echoed through Kaya's head as Martha jumped up, running over to the Doctor "Oh, my God, Doctor. Don't worry. I've got you." Seeing that the Time Lord was taken care of, the Shifter practically stumbled out of the door, trying to keep her trembling at bay. Her whole body was shaking so badly that the eighteen-year-old's legs were close to giving out. She was holding onto the corner of a house, her knuckles turning white.

Behind her, the Doctor and Martha burst out of the house. The medical student looked ready to just run off, the Time Lord's gaze caught Kaya's hunched over form "Are you alright?" he demanded, his hands lifting the eighteen-year-old's face.

"Yes," Kaya nodded. As soon as she saw that he was alright, she relaxed. Her wolf stopped fighting her and she breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't that she didn't like being in her wolf form but the fact that the Doctor didn't know about her, made her reluctant to change. That and the fact that she would be without clothes.

The Doctor held out his hand for her to take "Come on. We have to hurry."

The closer they were getting to the Globe, the stronger the wind around the time travellers got. A bad storm was raging over the building as the audience panicked, trampling each other in their quest to get out of the theatre. They didn't have much luck though because just after Kaya pushed through the stage door after the Doctor and Martha, the witches magicked the doors close.

"Stop the play," the Doctor ranted, seeing Shakespeare waking up backstage "I think that was it. Yeah, I said, stop the play."

Will rubbed at his head in pain "I hit my head."

"Yeah, don't rub it," the Time Lord commented "You'll go bald." The screaming outside picked up and the Doctor straightened "I think that's my cue." He ran out onto the stage with the others following behind.

Lilith gasped, her eyes widening from her place in the private box "The Doctor. He lives… Then watch this world become a blasted heath. They come. They come." She held the crystal out into the red light, causing several bat-like creatures to fly into the theatre. They circled around, scaring the humans even more before flying up into the sky.

The Doctor whirled around and grabbed Will's arm "Come on, Will. History needs you."

"But what can I do?" the playwright cried over the wind.

"Reverse it."

Shakespeare looked at him with a deadpan stare "How am I supposed to do that?"

"The Shape of the Globe," the Time Lord explained "Gives words power but you're the wordsmith, the one true genius. The only man clever enough to do it."

"But what words?" Will demanded "I have none ready."

The Time Lord grabbed his shoulders "You're William Shakespeare. If anyone can do it, it's you." Will still didn't look convinced, so the Doctor continued "Trust yourself, Will. When you're locked away in your room, the words just come, don't they, like magic. Words of the right sound, the right shape, the right rhythm. Words that last forever. That's what you do, Will. You choose perfect words."

Will closed his eyes for a moment before he took a deep breath and nodded "Close up this din of hateful, dire decay, decomposition of your witches' plot. You thieve my brains, consider me your toy. My doting Doctor tells me I am not."

"No," Lilith cried in horror "Words of power."

"Foul Carrionite spectres, cease your show," the playwright continued "Between the points…" He glanced at the Doctor for the answer.

"Seven six one three nine oh."

Shakespeare repeated the numbers quickly "Banished like a tinker's cuss, I say to thee…"

He glanced back, slightly panicked as no words came to him. The Doctor frowned, trying to think of a word as well before Martha's head snapped up "Expelliarmus."

"Expelliarmus," Will finished, pointing in the direction of the whirlwind.

As the Carrionites started to get sucked into the tornado, the Doctor grinned "Good old JK…" One after the other, the other aliens were sucked back towards the crystal that Lilith was holding, pages flying into the storm along with the creatures. The backstage door opened, allowing them to be sucked in "Love's Labour's Won… There it goes."

The skies cleared with a flash and a bang. After a few moments, someone started clapping and then the whole audience joined in "They think it was all special effects?"

"Your effects are special indeed," the playwright told her with a cheesy grin, causing Kaya to turn her back to them to hide the laughter at his stupid pickup line.

The medical student shook her head "It's not your best line." Will bowed to the applauding crowd with the actors, while the Doctor wandered off and up to the private box the Carrionites had been in before, grabbing the crystal.

The next morning, the three time travellers along with Will were relaxing on the stage. Well, the Doctor was rummaging around the props store backstage, while the other three were out on the stage. Kaya was lying on her back, her eyes closed as she listened to Martha and Will's conversation "And I say," Will started "A heart for a hart and a dear for a deer."

"I don't get it," Martha shook her head.

Shakespeare sighed "Then give me a joke from Freedonia."

Martha grinned "Okay… Shakespeare walks into a pub and the landlord says 'Oi mate, you're Bard.'"

"From all the jokes you could have chosen," Kaya muttered "You choose that one?"

Will chuckled "That's brilliant. Doesn't make sense, mind you but never mind that. Now come here." He wrapped his arm around the medical student's waist, pulling her towards him.

"I've only just met you."

"The Doctor may never kiss you," the playwright pointed out, causing Kaya to open her eyes to look at them "Why not entertain a man who will?"

Martha swallowed, catching the eighteen-year-old's eyes. She turned back to Will, putting a smile on her face "I don't know how to tell you this, oh great genius but your breath doesn't half stink."

At that moment, the Doctor came out from backstage, wearing a small stiff ruff, carrying a skull. He was looking at it, slightly weirded out "Good props store back there," he remarked "I'm not sure about this though. Reminds me of a Sycorax."

"Sycorax," Shakespeare hummed "Nice word. I'll have that off you as well."

The Doctor looked at him with exasperation in his eyes "I should be on ten percent… How's your head?"

"Still aching," the Bard answered, rubbing at the back of his head.

"Here," the Time Lord took off the ruff and put it on Shakespeare "I got you this. Neck brace. Wear that for a few days till it's better, although you might want to keep it. It suits you."

Martha tilted her head "What about the play?"

"Gone," the Doctor shook his head "I looked all over. Every single copy of Love's Labours Won went up in the sky."

Shakespeare sighed sadly "My lost masterpiece."

"You could write it up again," Martha pointed out.

The Doctor grimaced "Yeah, better not, Will. There's still power in those words. Maybe it should best stay forgotten."

"Oh, but I've got new ideas," Shakespeare smiled, his eyes dragging from Kaya to the Doctor. He had noticed the Time Lord unconsciously shifting closer to the girl "Perhaps it's time I wrote about fathers and sons, in memory of my boy, my precious Hamnet."

"Hamnet?" Martha blinked in surprise.

Kaya tilted her head, equally as confused but also sort of amused at the look the Bard shot her "That's him," he nodded.

"Hamnet?"

"What's wrong with that?" Shakespeare asked, sounding slightly affronted.

The Doctor shook his head "Anyway, time we were off. I've got a nice attic in the Tardis where this lot can scream for all eternity."

Will shot him a look "You mean travel on through time and space."

"You… what?" the Time Lord gaped.

"You're from another world like the Carrionites, while Martha and Kaya are from the future. It'sn ot hard to work out," Shakespeare explained.

The Doctor grinned at the man "That's incredible. You're incredible."

Will hummed "We're alike in many ways, Doctor. Martha, let me say goodbye to you in a new verse. A sonnet for my Dark Lady. Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate…"

"Will," Burbage burst in, followed by Kempe. Both men were out of breath, looking more than a little excited.

"Will," Kempe panted "You'll never believe it. She's here. She's turned up."

Burbage nodded "We're the talk of the town. She heard about last night. She wants us to perform it again."

"Who?" Martha questioned as Kaya slowly got up from where she had still been laying. The Doctor held out his hand, pulling the other girl to her feet with barely any effort.

"Her Majesty," Burbage pointed out "She's here."

A fanfare sounded and the elderly Queen Elizabeth entered with two pikemen flanking her. The Doctor grinned in delight "Queen Elizabeth the First."

"Doctor?" the Queen breathed.

The Time Lord's smile fell in shock "What?"

"My sworn enemy," the royal continued, glaring at the man.

"What?"

The Queen gestured to her people "Off with his head."

"What?" Shakespeare laughed at the Doctor in the background. He was more than amused at the spectacle even if he wasn't necessarily surprised. The other man seemed to be a person to piss off people without meaning to… Or sometimes with meaning to as well.

Martha shoved the Doctor "Never mind what, just run. See you, Will, and thanks."

"Stop that pernicious Doctor," the Queen shouted as the pikemen chased the Doctor, Kaya and Martha out and into the streets.

The pikemen who were chasing the three time travellers down to Southwark called out for them "Stop in the name of the Queen."

"What have you done to upset her?" Martha demanded, panting heavily.

The Doctor shrugged "How should I know? Haven't even met her yet. That's time travel for you. Still, can't wait to find out." He opened the door to the Tardis, allowing both girls to enter before him. The Time Lord glanced over his shoulder at the pikemen "That's something to look forward to." His eyes widened as an arrow went flying. There had been just enough time for him to close the door behind him as the arrow thudded into the wood behind him.

When the Tardis was in the Vortex, the alien turned to the two girls. Martha was sitting on the jump seat while Kaya was leaning against a railing, looking ready to fall asleep. The medical student got up with a sigh "Is there anywhere I can shower?"

"Sure," the Doctor nodded, gesturing to the corridor up the stairs "Up there. Down the corridor… Choose one of the rooms on the right." As soon as she was gone, he turned to the Shifter "We need to talk."

Kaya glanced up at him uncomfortably "Is that where you tell me that you want me to leave?"

"What?" the Time Lord blinked before shaking his head violently "No, no. Not at all. But something the Carrionite said…"

"Oh," the eighteen-year-old nodded, relaxing again "Sure… We can talk."