A/N: So, I actually found time today to write, so that's good. I didn't have time to update until now, but whatever. I hope you like this next bit :) I will try to find more time to write so I don't go bonkers.
"What the hell is a Caxtarid?" Andrea demanded as the Doctor ran a hand through his hair. Thor sighed and shook his head, letting the Doctor answer this question.
"A Caxtarid is an alien from Laland 21185, but that isn't possible. That planet was destroyed decades ago!" the Doctor assured as Thor turned to Andrea.
"Andrea, how old are you?" Thor asked as she gave him a puzzled look. The Doctor turned to her, wondering if it really ways possible.
"I'm thirty two," Andrea answered as the Doctor covered his face.
"You look like you're eighteen, Andrea. How are you thirty two?" he whispered, rubbing his face.
"You should talk, Doctor. Being over 900 years old. You look like you could be my age," Andrea retorted, slightly offended.
"Andrea is of Asgardian blood, Doctor. She will look eighteen for another few centuries. You should know this, Doctor," Thor reminded as the Doctor started to panic.
"Doctor, what's so bad about the Caxtarid?" Andrea demanded, staring at the Doctor.
"A Caxtarid is a creature that loves to fight and torture other beings. They have red hair and eyes, which doesn't seem to be the dominant trait in your case. They conquered entire worlds several times. However, they developed a virus roughly twenty eight years ago that killed off their entire planet. They are now extinct and their planet has been quarantined," the Doctor answered as Thor pursed his lips. Andre slowly nodded, suddenly frightened.
"Do you think that's where I get my power, Doctor?" she whispered as he shook his head.
"I don't know, but we will find out," he promised, squeezing her hand.
"Are you going to drop me back off at home after we find out?" she asked, looking away. He gave her a confused look and shook his head.
"No. Why?"
"Because I was the backup plan for the Silence. What if they programmed me at an early age or something? That would make me dangerous to be around, wouldn't it?" Andrea clarified as the Doctor laughed under his breath.
"Of course not. You were cast out as an infant. It took years for River to become who the Silence wanted her to be. You've been Silence free for years. You are completely safe to travel with, Andrea," he reassured as she smiled.
"Okay," she murmured, relaxing. The Doctor shook his head and laughed.
"You are ridiculous," he smiled as she rolled her eyes.
"When can we go?" Andrea implored as the Doctor shrugged.
"Whenever you're ready. You do have a rather painful injury, and I don't want to push you too hard," he answered as she started to stand up.
"The pain now is actually bearable," she informed as she started to sway on her feet. The Doctor stood next to her and held her good arm to make sure that she didn't fall over.
"That's because you've been given painkillers."
"Meh, I'll be fine. I don't want to stay longer than I have to. I don't trust Odin, and I don't want to be alone around him," Andrea explained as the Doctor helped her leave the room with Thor close behind them.
"You won't have to," the Doctor promised, not trusting Odin either. Andrea smiled as they made it out of the dungeon. She squinted in the new light and found that they had managed to get outside in the gardens. Thor bade his farewells before leaving them on their own. "Back to the TARDIS?"
"Please," she answered immediately with a grin to follow. The Doctor nodded and led her into the main hallway again.
As they walked down, Andrea stopped and faced the dark hallway. The Doctor tilted his head to the side before looking where she was staring.
"Loki's down there," she mumbled as the Doctor gave her a shocked look.
"You went down there?!" he hissed, standing in front of her. She shrugged and nodded. "Why would you go down there? This isn't your place to roam where you please."
"I know," Andrea answered, learning that lesson and paying it with her arm. "It was calling to me when I passed it. I couldn't resist, you know that. My sense of curiosity will be the end of me."
"Don't get smart with me," the Doctor whispered, not wanting to hear her pretend to apologize. She smiled and shook her head.
"Alright. I won't go down dark, mysterious hallways anymore. I promise," Andrea informed seriously as the Doctor nodded.
"Good, now let's go," he urged, walking away. Andrea's gaze lingered in the hallway, wondering if Loki had been pushed to this point by his father, before following the Doctor back to the TARDIS.
~~T~~
"Where are we going?" Andrea asked as she sat on the bench next to the console. The Doctor pressed some buttons and turned to her.
"I was thinking that we could go somewhere to get your DNA tested. Just to make sure that you are half Caxtarid," the Doctor informed, folding his hands. Andrea nodded slowly, wondering what that would entitle.
"But I read Thor's mind. He couldn't have been lying."
"Unless he was lied to in the first place. I just don't see you torturing innocent people for sport, and you should have at least received their eyes. Their metallic eyes. And yet, you still have those Asgardian blue eyes. No, I think there's something much bigger than that. Maybe the Silence would want to scare me, so I would be more vulnerable," the Doctor reasoned, partly to himself.
"Then what am I?" Andrea asked desperately. He pressed his lips and closed his eyes.
"I don't know, but we will find out. I promise. That's why we're getting the DNA test," he whispered as she nodded. She didn't want to admit, but she was starting to get scared. Why did the Silence create her? Just to kill the Doctor? Why? Or was it something more than just that? Odin seemed very frightened of her, and she didn't like that. Odin wasn't supposed to be afraid of anyone. "How's your arm?"
"It's fine. How long do I have to keep it in the sling?"
"Three weeks," he answered as she sighed. She didn't want to have the sling on for three weeks.
"I see. Well, it's better than I thought I would be. There not going to have my bone marrow tested, are they?" Andrea asked as the Doctor shook his head.
"No, we're going into the future where they just need a blood sample to check. Even if Asgard is advanced in many ways, that was one of the most primitive things I have ever seen," the Doctor informed, relieving Andrea.
"Good," she whispered as he smiled.
"I'm not going to let anyone else hurt you," he promised as he went back to the console. Andrea smiled and nodded, glad to be traveling with the Doctor.
"What species do you think my mother was?" Andrea asked after a pause. The Doctor shrugged, looking at the monitor.
"I have no idea," he informed as he flipped a switch. "Ready to go?"
"Always," she answered as she braced herself with her good arm. The Doctor grinned as he sent the TARDIS whirring through time and space. Andrea laughed and cheered, like it was a roller coaster or a carnival ride. He beamed, glad someone else enjoyed the ride as much as he did. He realized that he missed have a companion and that he really didn't like being alone. It was boring.
"Almost there!" he shouted through her laughter. Soon, the Doctor parked the TARDIS and the ride ended. Andrea stood up from her chair and held onto the banister behind her for balance.
"So, where are we?"
"New Earth, in the year five billion and nineteen. New New York City, to be precise," the Doctor answered, running to the doors. Andrea quickly followed, wanting to see the new scenery. As he opened the door, she smiled. To her surprise, the city actually looked similar to the one back on the old earth. They still had the empire state building and the Brooklyn bridge. "There's a hospital around here somewhere... Ah! There it is."
"That's a hospital?" Andrea asked as she stared at a tall building that looked like it could topple over with a gust of wind. The Doctor laughed and shook his head.
"It is a hospital. One of the most highly advanced places in the galaxy. They've learned to cure all the diseases that plagued the human race," the Doctor informed as he started walking towards it. Andrea closed the door behind her as she caught up to him.
"Are you sure they'll be able to help?" Andrea asked as he nodded.
"Of course. I've seen miracles here," he smiled, but she could feel something. Something that he was hiding from her. She missed her telepathic link with the Doctor, where nothing was a secret.
"What kind of miracles?" she pried as the sliding glass doors of the hospital opened.
"Life changing," he answered plainly, frustrating her. They walked in as catkind nurses walked about calmly. Andrea tried not to stare at them, but she found it hard. Of all the things she had seen so far, this probably had to be the strangest yet. "Andrea! Come on!"
They entered the elevator as the Doctor looked around, knowing that he had forgotten something important about the elevator. He clicked the laboratory button as the elevator doors slid shut. Andrea looked up at him, sensing that he was distracted.
"Doctor?" she whispered before he remembered as second before the sanitation cycle commenced. Andrea shouted out in surprise as the Doctor hung his head, wondering how he could have forgotten about this. "Doctor!"
"It's just like a shower. It'll be over in a moment," he informed as she sighed. As the water disappeared, the dryer came on, shocking Andrea again. The Doctor shook his head as the water in his hair flew around. Once it was over, the elevator opened again and Andrea found that both of them were nice and dry once more. "See?"
"Why didn't you warn me?" she whispered as they went down the hallway.
"Because I forgot. It's been a few years since I've been here," he answered as they walked into the waiting room. Andrea sat down in a chair as the Doctor walked up to the secretary for an appointment.
