YEEHAW, WE'RE IN THE DOUBLE DIGITS NOW!

Beatrice followed Audrey down the dimly lit hallway with no small amount of trepidation.

Nothing about the situation seemed like it would go well. Beatrice could see it in her mind's eye: the part of the plot where everything crashed together for one final conflict. Afterwards, the Doctor would make everything right, but would Beatrice be okay in the end? She had no way of knowing for sure. Was she a long-term companion here, or just a brief, exciting, two episode plotline?

Beatrice figured that she should say something. She licked her lips before finally speaking up, "Um, where did you—"

"I didn't get a good look at their face. They looked shady, though." Aubrey interrupted her.

"Okay. Where did you see them?" Beatrice asked, squashing down annoyance.

"This way, I think? By a loading dock." Aubrey responded without looking back.

It doesn't have to be said aloud that everything about this sounded like a spectacularly bad idea.

Where was the Doctor? He needs to hurry up!

The hallway was too dim. Beatrice flashed back to the hospital briefly, to dark hallways only lit by small blue LED lights and gnashing teeth.

I don't like this, I don't like this, turn back, you should just fucking turn back, it doesn't matter what they say, just— just turn back!

"Did you hear that?" Aubrey said.

"Hear what?" Beatrice squeaked.

"Over here!" Aubrey responded nervously, and ran off around a corner. It was entirely on reflex that Beatrice ran after them, intending to keep an eye on the anthropomorphic cat.

But she was too slow.

Beatrice crossed under some kind of broad doorway. Quickly, as fast as a real cat, Aubrey darted past her, going back the way they had come. Beatrice skidded to a halt, but was unable to do anything as a door slammed shut behind her. Aubrey was on the other side of it.

Beatrice was effectively trapped. Aubrey had trapped her.

What?

"Wh— Aubrey?" Beatrice said, "What the fuck?"

Aubrey, visible through a small window, was focused on a wall-panel. They didn't look up when Beatrice called their name.

The lights turned on abruptly, bathing the room in neon orange. Beatrice noticed the walls were lined with industrial-looking space-suits.

At this point in time I'm sure that you, beloved readers, have realized what's going on. Unfortunately, Beatrice was under quite a lot of stress, and had been off of her anxiety medication for a little over two days, so she wasn't quite thinking clearly, and only just realized that she was in an air lock, and that Aubrey was a murderer.

"Sorry." Aubrey said, voice muffled from the glass.

"What?" Beatrice repeated, a broken record. Her brain was short circuiting trying to come up with a logical response; she hadn't exactly had prior experience in this department.

Another door opened behind Beatrice. She snapped her head around to look at it so quickly her neck hurt. There was another door after that, thankfully, but after that there was nothing but space space space space.

Just space.

"Fuck!" Beatrice shrieked, and began to slam on the door with both hands, "Let me out! Let me out!"

She looked around for another wall panel, but there wasn't one, only smooth, smooth walls, so she went to grab a suit, could she grab a suit, she needed to get a suit, she went to grab a suit and her fingers nearly made contact with the grey fabric of the one nearest, but—

The last door opened and Beatrice was sucked out and away.

She couldn't breathe. She couldn't think. She tumbled head over heels, how many seconds before you die there was darkness everywhere and she couldn't focus I just want my mom please and it was cold I don't want to die—

She can't breathe.

I know, and I'm sure that many of you know, that if you hold your breath in the void of space, you will explode. You don't want to do that. But- Beatrice didn't know that. Maybe she had heard it at least once before in her life, but by the time she was sucked into another universe and sucked out of an airlock, she'd forgotten. So it's a miracle that she didn't hold her breath.

Or, maybe not a miracle. Maybe just luck. I'm not sure how long she was out there, really.

Longer than I would ever wish on any of you.

Beatrice slammed into a hard surface. Firm, warm arms were wrapped around her. Everything was vibrating. First, Beatrice just thought that it was her going losing her mind, but she slowly realized it wasn't that; it was the Doctor, speaking nonstop in an attempt to soothe her.

"You're okay! You're okay, you're alright." He repeated, holding Beatrice tight. They were both sitting on the floor of the TARDIS. Everything was bright and safe and normal. Beatrice registered this, distantly, but she was still so terrified of space.

I want to go home.

She was so relieved she started to sob.

The Doctor sat there with her for a little while to let her get her bearings. After her breathing evened out a little more and her tears slowed, he helped her move to sit on one of the captain's chairs.

"Th—" Beatrice cleared her throat, "Aubrey, they—"

"Shh, I know." the Doctor said. He draped a thick blanket over her shoulders. He added, "I'm sorry, I should have seen it before." Stopping by the TARDIS wasn't supposed to take so long, he thought, but he didn't say that.

Beatrice couldn't help it. She laughed. "Um, me too."

Me too bitch, me fuckin' too, she thought, borderline hysterical.

The Doctor squatted before her and took one of her hands in his, frowned when he realized they were still cold. "Hm."

He stood and started to pilot at the console, beginning with a sharp tug of a lever that made the whole room whir with power. A few moments later they landed with a thump. The Doctor paused to look at Beatrice.

"You can wait here," he said, "I need to settle this." He strode out the doors.

Beatrice sat there and tried to stop shaking.

if i could redo this part i would probably have aubrey poison beatrice or the doctor, buttttt it's too late for that anyway. that might come in rewrites (in LOOONG WHILE).

ALSO shorter parts = more frequent updates yes?

Reviews:

TacoXI - omg, that's one of the best compliments i've ever gotten! I love rick riordan, he's one of my childhood role models. I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far!

Alikai - your reviews r so positive! The one for this chapter & the one before made my day :))))

That's Balderdash - thank u so much!

Pfannkuchen07 - aww thank u so much! I'm glad you're enjoying the point of view changes :))) also, did u mean beatrice, not aubrey? Because aubrey is uh… lmao. If you really meant aubrey, i have bad news for you hahah.