A/N: Hola gente! How goes it? You're all worried for Ondine... and so you should be. Mwahaha... ;)

padmay97 - An excellent decision :P

MandaPanda89 - cheers m'dear!

XxxWeepingAngelsxxX - awww *hugs* :)

MissCaityGrace - here we go!

BeatnikFreak - ow! Why would you do that? Meanie. :P

Snowy702 - heheheheheheheh...

i-is-monstarr-RAWR - coma not comma. But otherwise you're good :D

Jo Brookes - Rage averted! For now... or am I lying? *evil grin*

Tsukiko13 - I love the love birds too! xD

SuperFunkyGirl1 - yay! Me gusta su review! :)

kie1993 - you'll see... ;)

californiablonde - heh heh no, not really :P Hope you liked THTR! :)

On with the drama... *grins*...

"Her body's struggling. Something's… infected it."

He was utterly bemused. Time Lords rarely fell ill, and when he scanned her body, he could find nothing.

"The baby is fine. A little stressed, but otherwise perfectly healthy."

Gently, he placed his hand on her stomach.

"What's wrong, little one?" he murmured. "What is it, hmm? Why isn't your mother waking up?"

Frowning, he moved his hand to cup Ondine's cheek. Her skin was still icy, and he bit his lip.

If you can hear me love… please. Please wake up. I don't even know why you're comatose. And it's scaring me. Just please. Wake up.

Nothing. Nothing except the steady rise and fall of her chest.

He pulled up a chair and sat upon it, his eyes focusing on her ashen face.

"Doctor," Amy spoke up, her voice unusually hesitant, "what do we do?"

"We wait," he said softly. "We can do nothing else."

Perceiving that the Doctor was perilously close to losing it, Rory took Amy's hand, and silently nodded to the door. Together they left, and it was then the Doctor closed his eyes.

He did not move for several minutes, wordlessly contemplating possibilities.

It had been an age, and yet he had come up with nothing.

"For all I've lived, and I have no idea," he muttered angrily.

A hideous echo of a memory tore through him then.

"Then what is the point of you?"

He inhaled, burying the pain.

His fingers caressed the back of Ondine's hand.

He glanced up at the ceiling.

Tell me if her condition changes.

The TARDIS murmured assent, and he rose, pausing to kiss his beloved's forehead.

"I will fix this," he whispered. "I promise you."

He walked away, and headed for the library.

A minute later, he was flicking through books, and the frenzy which gripped him increased as the chances of a solution grew slimmer with each discarded volume.

"There has to be something," he cried. "Something, anything!"

Three hours later, and he was growing desperate. His hair was wild from the fingers that had run through it, and his blue jacket was slung carelessly over the back of a chair.

"Doctor?"

"I'm a little busy, Amy," he said impatiently. "Can't talk right now."

"There's someone for you."

"Well, tell them I'll get back to them!"

"Doctor, I really don't think –"

"Not now!"

"Sit down, stop shrieking and tell me what happened," came a soft, resonant voice.

The Doctor froze, and slowly he turned around, his green eyes accusatory.

"How did you get in?" he asked quietly.

Deorsa smiled.

"I knocked, of course. Your TARDIS was generous enough to give me entry, and here I am."

"It's not even been two weeks and you're back. You're supposed to go away for at least half a year before making a reappearance! That's always the way!" the Doctor cried in annoyance, throwing up his hands. "Why aren't you off doing mysterious, unspeakable things?"

Deorsa watched this with amusement plain on his face.

"Can I help it if my former Mate is in distress?" he reasoned calmly. "I may no longer be married to her, but I can still sense if she's hurt."

Amy spoke then, her thoughts whirling as she drank the tall, dark stranger in.

"Sorry, but who are you?"

With a rueful smile, Deorsa bowed to her.

"I am known as Deorsa. My apologies, I did not think to introduce myself. Forgive me."

"You're not human," Rory mused, his gaze assessing. Deorsa laughed softly, his amber eyes sparkling.

"No, I am not. I am of the same species as your dear Doctor – a Time Lord."

"So there are three of you now?" Amy raised an eyebrow. "Two weeks ago there was only one."

"I hid for a while. I am much older and much more powerful than he is; I did not wish to draw attention to myself. However, the universe is fully aware of my existence now, owing to the events that the Doctor, Ondine and I became tangled within."

The Doctor, and indeed Ondine, had never truly elaborated upon the happenings, desiring to put them to rest. Amy and Rory, noting the Time Lords' wariness, had accepted the facts, but had continued to feel curious.

Noticing their inquisitive expressions, Deorsa glanced at the Doctor.

"You did not tell them?"

"Ondine and I… we did not feel ready to," the Doctor confessed, looking ashamed. Deorsa's mouth curved.

"Understandable. Perhaps, in time… But no matter. Tell me: how is Ondine?"

The Doctor ran a hand through his hair, worry shaping his features.

"You had better come with me."

Together they made their way to the medical bay, where Ondine lay, pale, as if frozen in time itself.

"Oh, a ghrá," Deorsa murmured as he saw her, "what happened to you?"

The Doctor did not miss the gentle warmth that lit Deorsa's eyes, nor the tenderness with which he felt Ondine's skin.

"Coma," Deorsa mused. "The strongest I've seen for a while."

"Have you seen anything similar?" The Doctor knew that Deorsa was more medically inclined than he, and given the elder Time Lord's age, he had far more experience.

"It's a Gallifreyan coma, of course I have. As to what caused it…"

He frowned. "Tell me exactly what happened."

The Doctor, sensing his comrade's unease, hastened to explain.

When he had finished, Deorsa rubbed his jaw, tense.

"I don't like this," he admitted. "Something is wrong. Not because she is in a coma. No. It's what caused it that worries me."

"But you don't know."

Deorsa sighed. "No. I have absolutely no idea. There are no signs of poison, infection… no outward signs of injury. Nothing to suggest sickness – except for the coma."

The Doctor made a noise of frustration and passed his hand over his eyes.

"It just happened. I thought she was losing the baby. Turns out she wasn't. I just… I need to save her. I did it before. I can do it again."

Deorsa pulled up a chair, and physically forced the younger man to sit.

"Calm. You'll do nothing by panicking. And you know the only thing we can do is wait. It's too dangerous to try and bring her out of it."

The Doctor gave a wry twitch of his lips.

"Easily stressed, me."

"So I've noticed." Deorsa continued to examine his former love, his scrutiny thorough, methodical. He pulled back, and looked at the Doctor.

"If you wouldn't mind removing her clothes… I need to completely inspect her body."

A small flutter of protest arose within the Doctor, but he quelled it as soon as he saw Deorsa's expression.

No lust, no intent. A purely clinical approach, albeit one mingled with honest concern for the woman lying insentient.

Slowly he stood, and he gently lifted Ondine in his arms, deftly relinquishing her of her apparel, all except her undergarments.

He set her gently back upon the bed, and Deorsa leaned close to her, his eyes searching for something, any clue that would aid his analysis. His fingers probed the skin of her stomach, and he smiled as he sensed the child within.

It's all right, little one. I will not hurt you. I'm just ensuring your mother's safety.

Minutes later, and he withdrew, his eyebrows furrowed.

"I still cannot tell. If there is something – and which there must be – I have yet to locate it."

The Doctor wrung his hands, his eyes frantic.

"You have to stay. Please." He suddenly laughed hollowly, and ran a finger along his cheek. "Never thought I'd say that. But there you go."

Deorsa's eyes twinkled with a little amusement. "No? I see. However, I must inform you – I have no intention of leaving. Not until I determine what is it that made her lose consciousness."

"Good." The Doctor suddenly realised he was trembling, and inwardly he cursed. He despised outward appearances of weakness, especially in front of him.

"Come." Deorsa gestured, noting the Doctor's embarrassment, and wisely choosing to not openly acknowledge it. "Tea?"

The Doctor nodded, and he left the room. Deorsa followed – only pausing to glance back at Ondine. His lips thinned.

Come out, come out, whatever you are.

A/N: Okay, so our beloved Deorsa is back! I just can't keep him away, can I? ;) Hope you like!

Lightning xoxo