This is a shift day [see above]. There will be another upload this afternoon: Steps 16-36, Time Is On Your Side, chapter 11.

"You'll Find Wonder"

6. One Team And Then Another

When Quinn had opened her eyes again it had taken her a moment to remember where she was, and that it hadn't been a dream, that it was still happening. The strange little room she had been given did have one thing going for it and it was the bed. The moment her head had hit the pillow, she'd been lulled into such comfort that before long she was sound asleep. Her dreams took her home, to so many questions left unanswered. But then she had woken, and for once her waking world was stranger than her dream one.

She had slept in the pink dress. Her new, more 'time appropriate' clothes were sitting nearby, and after she had finally wrenched herself away from the world's comfiest bed, she had hesitated and then she had started to change. New clothes, new shoes, and then her hair pulled up… There was only one way to know whether she was ready to integrate that time now…

Coming out into the corridor, she wasn't sure how she knew to go one way or the other, but then she had ended up finding him… Yes, he was still there, her alien savior, and now he stood there presenting her with breakfast. When he saw her come in, he sat back. "Now this is more like it," he complimented her new look and she smiled, taking in the spread on the table.

"You got a kitchen in here, too?" she teased.

"Somewhere, yes, although I seem to have misplaced it," he frowned to himself. "For this offering, however, I may have taken a small detour."

"A detour?"

"Paris," he shrugged. Her jaw went slack.

"We're… in Paris, now?"

"Not anymore," he shook his head, then at the disappointed frown on her face. "Sorry, was I supposed to wait for you?"

"Doesn't matter," she shook her head. "What do we do now?"

After eating, they had taken their walk toward the circus again. He could have brought them closer to it, but keeping the blue box at a distance seemed more of a sound choice. They were going to do their best to get a good look around, to see what was happening there and whether the Doctor's theory that there were more aliens there was true.

The place looked very different by daylight. Never mind the fact that there were far less people at this time, the evening gave a whole other atmosphere. "We're not going to get in trouble for going around like this?" Quinn muttered as they reached the encampment.

"The trick here is not to appear out of place," he told her.

"So long as you don't get distracted," she looked to him, remembering how he just kept running from one thing to the other.

"I will be on my best behavior," he obliged her, but then it was her who almost gave them away, when she stopped and grabbed his arm.

"Doctor, it's her…" she gasped, nodding ahead. He looked up, and she was right. Up ahead, the redhead from the previous night was walking along, on Nicholas' arm. "Should we look away?"

"Only when her eyes are open, they're shut now," he assured her. "This may be our chance to talk to her, follow me." She was apprehensive at first. She wasn't sure exactly what had happened the night before when the woman had opened her eyes, but it had been enough for the Doctor to make them leave in a haste. She still remembered the strange little pull she'd felt while seeing even just an afterglow of that light, so what happened to those who'd been right there, watching?

"Hello, Nicholas, remember us?" the Doctor addressed the boy, who looked surprised to see them.

"You're here," was all he could say. The Doctor had been about to reply, but then his eyes had met her closed ones and he saw her mouth open just barely, and he didn't know how she knew, but he was certain she had just pegged him for a Time Lord. She looked startled. She gave Nicholas' arm a tap and he nodded, looking back to the Doctor. "We have to go."

"You have a good day," he waved, smiling, though once they were gone, he frowned, looking back to Quinn. "I don't think she will…" He paused, and now it was him who saw a familiar face, but it wasn't from the night before, no… "Do you see that boy over there?" he asked Quinn discreetly. She looked.

"The kid?"

"I know him, I've met him before."

"When?"

"By his time, I'd say about two hundred years ago, give or take a decade or two," he shrugged.

"He can't be more than ten," she looked over to the Doctor, and he looked back at her.

"I'm over 900 years old," he simply replied, and she almost tripped.

"How does that work?"

"Nothing you need to worry yourself about," he guided her across the way so they could near their target. Dex was staring off in the distance at a trio standing by one of the tents, when he was yanked and pulled between the tents.

"Hey, what do you think you're…" he was this close to striking out, which with his strength could have been deadly. But the Doctor was quick to speak.

"Dex, it's alright, you know me, the Doctor, remember?" The boy froze, observing the man standing before him. After a moment he let his arm down, yanking the man to his knees so that he could stare into his eyes… and then he burst out laughing.

"Time Lord, it is you!" he declared. "You've changed your face."

"Oh, a handful of times, I'm afraid." Just as suddenly as the boy's apprehension had turned to joy, now it turned to caution.

"You need to get out of here before they get their hands on you and make you one of us."

"How many of you are there?" Quinn spoke up, and Dex looked to her.

"Hello," he threw her a smile that just had to upset her, coming from a boy who looked no more than ten years old, no matter how old he was supposed to be.

"Dex, focus, answer the question," the Doctor snapped his fingers in the boy's face.

"Six," he answered. "You can't stay here."

"Consider us gone, thank you. Stay out of trouble," the Doctor scolded, and Dex threw up his hands before marching on his way.

"We're leaving?" Quinn asked. He looked back to her, and she felt a chill… Why didn't she like the look on his face? "What are you thinking?"

"Come along," he grabbed her hand, and they were on their way. He didn't stop until they had reached the forest. "I have a plan… part of a plan… It's a start," he paused, looked to her. "You're not going to like it."

"I didn't think I would." He reached in his pocket, dug deep before producing a key which he placed in her hand.

"Do not lose this, and under no circumstance are you to bring anyone back to the TARDIS, is that clear?"

"Okay," she looked to the key, but then she had to wonder. "Why are you giving me this?"

"You'll need it to get back in," he spoke as though it was obvious.

"But where are you going to be?" she asked, and looking in his eye she had her answer. "No, hold on…" she shook her head. "That's crazy…"

"And I've never been more certain. The best way we'll have access is if I'm in there, and it just so happens I'm exactly the kind of person they're looking for. You, on the other hand, are just the kind of person who can work the other side."

"But…" she started again, and he put his hands to her shoulders.

"You can do this," he promised.

"And the time agent? You still think we'll find him in there?"

"I'm more sure of that than I've ever been." She sighed.

"I'm not going to convince you to try and think of something else, am I?"

"Lesser men have tried," he gave her a smile.

"I don't like this," she maintained.

"Everything will be fine," he nodded.

Soon she would be standing in the forest still, out of sight, and she would watch him march up toward the encampment, to the trio Dex had been spying on. She couldn't make out what the Doctor was saying or doing, but whatever it was it must have worked. One of them, the woman, struck him and he went down, startling Quinn even from far away. Then the men took hold of him and dragged him through the tents.

He was in, a new alien for them to cultivate for their show… And she was on her own.

TO BE CONTINUED (TUESDAY)