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Time Leap

Chapter Four

Once again the TARDIS stopped but this time the Doctor took us to an 'old' destination that he had been to before. New New York. Martha looked annoyed that he had taken us to a place he'd already been to. Walking out, we ended up in the rain and I just laughed.

"Can't go wrong with rain!"

Walking towards a terminal, the Doctor used his sonic screwdriver on the screen and found we were in the slums of the city. Of course this only fuelled Martha's annoyance. Looking around myself, my vortex manipulator started beeping and I looked at it curiously.

"Hello, hello, what's set this off...." I muttered while the Doctor and Martha peered over my shoulders.

Pressing a few buttons, my eyes widened at the signal I was picking up, before wheeling round to the Doctor, "do you mind if I go wandering for a little bit? You can send me a message to get back with your sonic screwdriver to my manipulator, please?"

He blinked, momentarily taken-aback before slowly nodding. I grinned and tapped the watch only to be swallowed by the vortex.

Appearing in a run down building, I made a face at the dead skeletons laying around.

"Nice decor..."

"Stop right there!" a voice hissed behind me.

Slowly holding up my hands, I turned round, "wait a second, I just picked up a familiar signal from here and wanted to check it out."

In front of me was one of the cat people dressed in a white habit, gun aimed at me.

"Who? There is no one here?"

"He goes by the Face of Boe," I looked round.

She looked shocked before lowering her gun with a small gasp, "you must be the one he spoke of frequently."
I smiled slightly and nodded. The cat woman led me through the rubble and wires until we came into a room where a large tank was wired up to the huge system, powering the city. In the tank was none other than the Face of Boe.

Smiling, I walked over and sat down in front of the tank, legs crossed in front of me.

"How you been my friend?" I asked.

"Living..." he breathed, "you still look beautiful...Zera."

Smiling sadly, I put a hand on the tank screen and his large, warm eyes seemed to soften further at the gesture.

"How long has it been?" I asked quietly while Novice Hame watched the scene warmly, "it feels like a millennia."

"It has...." he answered back, "have you told the Doctor?"

I looked away for a moment, shaking my head, "too soon....he's still getting over Rose."

The Face of Boe was silent for a moment, the sound of his life system hissing lightly.

"My time will come soon...."
"Don't talk like that," I scolded lightly.

"...and the Doctor will know he isn't alone.....but you will have to tell him sometime."

Lying down, I slipped into sleep, my eyes dimming but not leaving the Face of Boe's warm eyes as he watched me with all the strength he had. Closing my eyes slowly, I fell into the darkness while my hand still rested against his tank.


"Daddy!"

The young raven haired girl ran across the crimson grass under the orange burning sky. Silver leaved trees glistened around her as she dashed here and there towards the tall, waiting man. He turned back to her, smile lighting up his face. Not his usual, dark smile that had been steadily becoming more common, but a warm, heartfelt smile.

"There's my little princess!" he laughed, picking her up and spinning her around.

The little girl squealed with delight, holding onto her father tightly until he placed her on his shoulders behind his head, holding her legs while her short arms wrapped round his neck.

"How was Academy?" he asked, heading back home.

The little girl made a face, glaring at two boys from her class as they passed and they pointed at her with grins.

"They still pick on me," she mumbled dejectedly, her cheek resting on the top of her father's head, "call me weird because I can hear it too."

He stopped for a moment before swinging her round into his arms while she squealed in delight. He chuckled and looked down at her warmly.

"Don't listen to any of them, I can hear them too, the......"

Duh. Duh. Duh. Dum.


Hands gripped my shoulders and shook me awake. It was the fur on them that startled me for a moment before I remembered Novice Hame. As predicted, I opened my eyes to see the cat woman kneeling in front of me.

"It is time to wake, the Face of Boe has his last words."

Immediately leaping up, I noticed the Doctor and Martha now there with the Face of Boe, out of his broken tank. Just how long had I slept?! Seriously, I seemed to sleep through everything. I'd even slept through a nearby supernova before. Scrabbling over to the motionless face, those deep brown eyes roamed over to me slowly as if smiling before back to the Doctor.

"You are not alone," then his eyes fell back on me, "don't stop loving."

His eyes closed and he passed away slowly. My eyes widened as another life passed away right in front of my eyes. Curling my hands into fists, I relaxed and sighed silently. Martha glanced over at me from the Doctor, walking over to me quietly.

"Did he.....mean something to you?" she asked gently.

"The world," I smiled softly, "Every man dies...Not really every man lives." [1. William Ross Wallace.]


Heading back to the TARDIS sullenly, Martha suddenly stopped in the alley before it. Grabbing a chair she sat down and refused to move until the Doctor told her what the Face of Boe meant.

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

I felt sadness grip my two hearts and was torn between keeping my secret or telling him everything. I yearned to reach for him like I used to. To tell him that everything would be alright and that he was never alone.

"What happened?" asked Martha enthralled.

The Doctor paused before grabbing another chair and sitting down, a distant look swimming through his eyes.

"There was a war, a time war. The Last Great Time War. My people fought a race called the Daleks for the sake of all creation, and they lost. We lost. Everyone lost. They're all gone now, my family, my friends, even that sky," his voice became thick with emotion, "Oh, you should have seen it, that old planet. The second sun would rise in the south and the mountains would shine. The leaves on the trees were silver and when they caught the light every morning, it looked like a forest on fire..."

I literally had to grip my chest and turn away from the onslaught of emotions as he told Martha of Gallifrey. I could still see its beautiful landscape before the war. This was becoming harder by the minute. I wanted to scream to the universe that I wasn't 'Zera', I wasn't human. I wanted to stop the perception filter that stopped the Doctor and anyone else from discovering I was from Gallifrey. I wanted to tell the Doctor he wasn't alone and it was tearing me apart not being able to. Because I was too scared. Afraid of his reaction to finding me alive. Part of me wanted to flee from the pain of the past. But the rest of me wanted, needed.....had to stay. I wanted him to know yet I didn't. Some Time Lady I was. My TARDIS and home destroyed....all I could do was watch the Doctor and keep him on the right path....no matter how much it hurt to watch him love others and lose them.

"Zera?"

"Yes?" I asked, turning back to them and letting my hand drop.

"You're crying," the Doctor commented as he stood in front of me.

"I'm not crying," I wiped my face only to find wet drops along my cheeks, "why would I be crying? I've got nothing to cry about."

"You're also rambling," he smiled slightly but the worry still remained.

I sighed, "I need shooting....again."
"Again?" Martha now joined the conversation.

"Oh yeah," I rubbed the back of my neck as I walked into the TARDIS, "I've been shot a fair few times....lucky they had bad aims....although I was lying in that ditch a few days...."

"How are you still alive?!"

I chuckled lightly, "oh its nothing, I've had worse. Nearly vaporised before, almost thrown into a sun...erm....almost hanged," I ticked off on my fingers, "almost drowned...hmm....oh! And stabbed by a sword."

Both Martha and the Doctor had their mouths wide open. I laughed although glad to have changed the subject quickly.

The Doctor shook his head before flipping a few levers on the TARDIS controls while Martha stood beside me.

"So....why were you crying? Was it about the Doctor's home planet?"

Damn.

"Why do you say that?" I asked trying to remain nonchalant but the Doctor was watching me also.

"Have you ever been there?"

Deciding best to go for a half lie I nodded, "I visited a few times....a friend brought me over to Gallifrey when my parents died and took care of me for a short time, after that I started travelling the universe."

Martha looked intrigued, keeping up the questioning while the Doctor listened silently.

"But why do you travel? All you've got is that watch."

I looked down at the vortex manipulator fondly, "it gets me where I want...but I don't actually know why I travel," that was the honest truth, "could be something as simple as wanting more in life than domestic," I made a face and shivered, "domestics scare me," the Doctor chuckled, "could be I'm looking for someone......looking for an answer," I paused, staring off although not seeing the TARDIS around me, "looking for absolution."

There was silence for a moment before the ever inquisitive Martha asked.

"What is it you are looking for?"

I snapped back and looked at her, "a memory, they're all I've got...my family and home gone..."

Martha shook her head, "it's freaky how you two are so alike."

I and the Doctor looked at each other for a moment before away, a pained look in the Doctor's eyes.

"I doubt it, our pasts are very different," he reminded her.

"Where's the shower?" I suddenly asked.

The Doctor perked up at the subject change, "first right, left, left again, third right, second right, fifth left and around the staircase, up the ladder and....." he trailed off at my dazed look, "this way!" he held out his arm.

With a grin, I hooked my arm through his and allowed him to steer me away. It took a few minutes before we arrived at the large bathroom and I paused.

"Erm...." I blushed, "how will I get out of this maze and is it possible for a change of clothes?"

The Doctor blinked then blushed lightly, looking down, "I'll get Martha to help with the clothes.....we'll be here in half an hour."

"Thanks," I smiled before slipping inside the white marble bathroom.

Everything was white but for the pale blue drapes around the shower and mat on the floor. Shedding my worn clothes, I jumped into the shower and welcomed the relaxing heat. The TARDIS hummed around me as if sensing my content.

'Thanks for not telling him,' I mentally thanked the TARDIS.

Half an hour later, there was a knock and Martha stepped in.

"I brought you some clothes!"

"Give me a second," I called back.

Turning off the water, I draped the towel round me and stepped out to see Martha holding a lump of clothes in her arms.

"Thanks," I smiled and took them gratefully.

I wasn't self-conscious at all when I dropped the towel and started dressing, aware of Martha's eyes on me....or my scars specifically.

"How did you get those scars?" she asked quietly as if afraid of shattering glass.

I glanced down to see the long scar across my flat stomach that appeared on my back also, another crossing over it making a cross shape.

"I get into a lot of fights," I answered truthfully this time, "at first it was for the thrill, then it was more like suicide attempts," I pulled on the black cargo pants and black tank top, "I got into fights, let them hurt me and just gave up only...I couldn't give up and die, too much of a coward," I snorted, tying my long hair back but for a few loose strands over my face, "so I just got back up and carried on life."

Walking out, the Doctor stood waiting before he led me to a bedroom where I could stay. It was decorated plainly with wooden drawers and a table, wardrobe and all. The bed was king size however and made up of dark blue sheets unlike the white and bronze room. Falling onto the bed gratefully, I snuggled up and squealed.

"Oh how I have missed a bed!"

The Doctor chuckled from the door, walking in and glancing round, "I hope it's alright."
"Of course it is," I grinned, sitting up in front of him, "thank you for everything."

On impulse, he reached out and tucked a strand of loose hair behind my ear and we froze at the close proximity. Only a few more centimetres and his lips would be on mine. My blue eyes searched his chocolate ones curiously, wondering what he would do.
"Goodnight, Zera," he whispered before standing and leaving quickly.

Shaking myself, wishing he had only moved a little closer, I fell into a tormented sleep.

Ooooooh, what you think? DOn't you just want to hug the Doctor when he starts telling Martha about Gallifrey? *is crying while hugging the Doctor* PLEASE REVIEW!!! ^_^