A/N: Hello all and thank you to you who have been sticking with me (which I assume you are if you're on this chapter. If you're here on accident then go back to the beginning *puts finger to mouth* spoilers) I'd like to take the time to thank Mikkifavo, my awesome beta. Also Emo Naom, for being such a consistent reviewer. You guys have no idea how much reviews mean to me.

Time Guardian

Chapter Seven: Ward 31

The Doctor leads Mae and Amy to the lifts. "Ward 31." The lift moves upwards and the Doctor remembers something, "I should probably warn you about the…"

"Commencing stage one of disinfection," the robotic voice of the lift says.

The Doctor grins nervously. "Too late"

A liquid disinfectant begins to pour out of a spout.

Amy and Mae both jump back in surprise then look at each other. Amy's mascara is running down her cheeks and Mae's hair is a tangling mess and is just flying everywhere. They crack up laughing.

Mae clutches her sides. "You look ridiculous. There's black stuff running down like…" She drags her fingers down each side of her face, demonstrating.

Amy laughs. "I'll bet. But have you seen yourself?" Amy holds her hands at the sides of her head.

Mae brushes the hair out of her face with a little bit of effort. "So Doctor, who's the old friend we're visiting?"

The Doctor smiles fondly, "You'll see. He's a really old friend – and I don't mean that metaphorically. He's rumored to be millions of years old."

Mae looks shocked.

Amy is busy wiping mascara from her face but is still paying attention. "But isn't that impossible? I mean – isn't it?"

The Doctor smirks, "Isn't it just." The blow-drying begins and the Doctor holds his arms out to dry. "But he is at least thousands of years old," he speaks loudly to be heard over the noise.

"Well I guess I should be getting used to that now, the impossible, with the things I've seen lately."

"Nah" the Doctor ruffles his hair a bit. "Where would the fun be in that, Pond? It would lack excitement."

The lift stops and the three exit. The Doctor walks just barely ahead of the girls, seemingly wandering until he finds what he's looking for.

In a big tank is the Face of Boe. The Doctor walks up beside it. "Hello old friend," he smiles, "It's a new face again, but it's me."

"Doctor," Boe thinks out loud.

"Boe, I'd like you to meet Amelia Pond, and Mae…" the Doctor pauses, trying to remember if Mae had a last name or not. "Uh… Mae."

"Hello," Amy and Mae say almost in unison.

The Face of Boe looks intently at the Doctor.

Mae tilts her head, confused. "What's happening now?"

"He's talking to the Doctor."

Mae's expression doesn't change. "How?"

"Telepathy would be my best guess," Amy then smiles thinking of a joke, "Unless he's speaking in a pitch so low or so high only Time Lords can hear it."

Mae laughs.

The Doctor gives Amy a look.

"What? It was funny…" the Doctor gives into a brief smile at Amy's comment.

The Doctor suddenly looks forlorn. "Come on now, answer me!"

Mae looks worried, "Doctor, is something wrong?"

There is silence as the Doctor and Boe finish their conversation.

The Doctor turns to Mae, "Mae, will you keep Boe company for a bit? I have to go show Amy something."

"What did Boe say?"

The Doctor ignores Mae's question, "Amy and I will be right back."

Mae sits down, defeated, in front of the Face of Boe.

"Amy I need you to be completely honest with me," the Doctor says once they're far enough not to be overheard, "What do you think?" He puts a large emphasis on the word you.

"About what, Doctor?"

The Doctor sighs, "About Mae. Amy I trust you, what do you think?"

"You trust me?" Amy is surprised.

"With my life, Pond."

"Then why would you answer her and not-?"

"I only told Mae because she asked. You know you can ask me things too. Some things I may not answer, but you can always ask."

"So when you say 900 years… how long has it been since you've…"

The Doctor gives her a look.

Amy holds up her hands. "Sorry, serious now. My opinion depends on what Boe told you. He must have said something to make you go all… weird."

"He told me to be careful with Mae. I asked him to tell me what he meant, but he…" the Doctor trails off, looking concerned.

Amy looks back at Mae, who is sitting on the ground talking to Boe, "I think we should give her the benefit of the doubt. I mean, she hasn't done anything bad yet."

"Positive?"

Amy bites her lip. "Well what exactly were you planning on doing if I'd said 'I think she's dangerous. We definitely shouldn't keep her with us?'" Amy asks. "We can't leave her here, that wouldn't work. And there's no way we can take her back to her time – she'd be burned."

"But what if-"

"We'll deal with it as it happens, roll with the punches."

"So for now we're keeping her?"

Amy nods and the two begin heading back towards Mae who is still talking to Boe.

Mae places a hand on the glass of Boe's casing, "Can't you just tell me something, or give me a hint maybe?"

Boe speaks for the first time, "You'll know soon enough."

"I just don't understand what the Doctor's all upset about. I haven't done anything yet," She looks away and then back at Boe. "Am I…" she hesitates. "Am I evil?"

Boe is silent.

Mae feels a tap on the shoulder and jumps up wondering how much of the conversation the Doctor had heard. The Doctor, looking just a little bit calmer then before, "Come on Mae. It's time to let Boe rest."

Mae rises and leaves with Amy and the Doctor giving only one glance back at the Face of Boe as she gets back into the lift.

A/N: So I hope you guys liked the chapter and pretty please review. Hopefully I will have another chapter up sometime soon. :)