A/N: Hello again, I'm sorry this one took so long, but I had a serious writers block, I still don't think it's the best chapter ever, but I havn't been able to get hold of Briar who normally acts as my beta. Anyways hope you like it. Pretty please tell me what you think, I've had loads of hits but the reviews aren't as forthcoming. It doesn't take long.

Disclaimer: Much as I would like to own the entire rights to Doctor Who, I don't. However, Bria is mine.

The Doctor led the others into the library on the TARDIS. Armed with nothing more than a sketch of the alien as reference, each of them settled down with a large pile of books.

The Doctor noticed that, although Jack appeared to be focused on his research, he kept on stealing glances at Bria. He remembered Rose's words of the previous night; maybe they did have some merit after all.

After what seemed like hours of scanning the pages for a hint of information, Jack slammed the book he had been looking at closed. "Hey, mind my books." Came the reprimand from the Doctor.

"I'm sorry, Doctor. This is driving me crazy, and I'm starving. I think it's time for a break, or at least some food."

"Now that was one of the few very good ideas you occasionally come up with."

"Hey!"

"I think that was a sort of compliment." Rose could not help smiling as she said it.

The Doctor gave one of his huge grins. "Right then, food time. C'mon." As they stood up to leave, the Doctor turned to Bria. "Are you coming or shall we bring it back?"

"Bring it back; I think I'm on the verge of finding something."

Bria waited until they had been gone a few minutes before closing her eyes and using her link to the Doctor to connect her mind to the TARDIS.

TARDIS?

Yes, Bria? The TARDIS responded, to Bria's relief, which meant she would co-operate.

Will you hide this from the Doctor?

Why don't you tell him?

He'll never let me do it. Then I can't keep my promise.

I will hide it.

Thank you.

Bria grasped the page of the book on her lap and tore it out. The TARDIS altered the book, making it look as though the page had never existed.

Rose came back first, bearing a tray with four mugs of tea. Carefully she put it on the table before turning to Bria. "They won't be back for a while yet, they're arguing over the food."

"They always do that?"

"Only if they reach the kitchen at the same time." They both laughed before Rose became more serious. What she was about to ask had been bothering her; she had finally decided to broach the subject with an open mind.

"So… what happened between you and the Doctor?"

Bria gave a small smile. "I was wondering when you would ask that." She sat forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "The Doctor crash landed in Roman Britain about nine years before the Romans left. I found him near the TARDIS, he had collapsed. I managed to get him back to the relative safety of the village where he eventually grew stronger."

"What was wrong with him?"

"I don't know what was physically wrong with him, but I do know that when he regained consciousness he was in the most fragile emotional state I have ever seen."

"Because of his planet."

"That's what I eventually found out, yes. Although it took me weeks to get him to tell me much at all. Over time he began to accept what had happened to his planet and his character came through."

"And you two…?" Rose trailed off.

"Yes, once. Although our connection was more through mind than body." When Rose said nothing, she continued. "He left shortly after words, having done all the healing he was going to. It was only after he left that I found out I was carrying his child."

"He never mentions any of this, absolutely nothing."

"I'm not surprised, he moves on, he can't linger. It's not his way."

"Doesn't that upset you?"

"I had just under two thousand years to get over it. Time is a healer, Rose."

"You were still angry though. You hit him hard."

"You tell me truthfully, Rose. If he left you, what is the first thing you would do if he came back?"

"Slap him." Rose grinned sheepishly.

"I rest my case. Even though that's something I don't think you'll have to worry about."

"Why not?"

"Have you really not noticed? The Doctor is in love with you."

"You what?" Rose dropped the sugar spoon she was holding. "What makes you think that?"

Bria smiled. "Blocking his mind off was something the Doctor was never very good at. In fact, he's terrible at it. All the time there's an overwhelming love for you in his mind, even if he's thinking about something else. It's one of the strongest feelings I get from him."

"I wouldn't think falling in love is something he'd do."

"Anyone can fall in love, Rose." She paused. "Especially if the person they're in love with loves them back."

Rose looked up sharply. "Now I know you can't read my mind so how the heck…" she trailed off at the thought of the Doctor's past lover knowing something she tried to hide.

Bria merely smiled. "I don't need to be able to read your mind to see you love the Doctor."

Rose blushed. "Is it that obvious?"

"Yup."

Rose shook her head. "Well I s'pose it is obvious when people have feelings sometimes." When Bria looked up questioningly Rose continued. "Like I can see that Jack has feelings for you."

"But I thought Jack is one of those people who…"

"Yeah I know he normally goes for anything. But this is different; I think he really likes you."

Bria's reply was cut off when the two men came into the room, Jack bearing a tray of bacon sandwiches and the doctor cradling several different bottles of sauce. "It doesn't matter if frying the bacon makes it worse for you." The Doctor was saying. "The unhealthiness is part of what makes it so good."

"I dunno about you Doctor but I like to keep healthy, and frying the bacon isn't the best way to go about it."

"Bet that won't stop you eating it though." Rose said with a grin.

"Fair point." Jack admitted.

As he pulled a sandwich of the tray the Doctor turned to Bria. "So did you find anything while I was teaching flyboy how to make a proper bacon sandwich?"

Jack's indignation was cut off by both his mouthful of food and Bria's reply. "Yes, I did find a reference to them. Here it is." She passed the book over to the Doctor, who began to read with Rose and Jack peering over his shoulder. The entry in the large leather bound book showed a picture very similar to that which Bria had drawn as a reference.

The picture showed a beast, its red-brown skin stretched tightly over muscle and bone. It walked on two legs, although hunched over so that its long arms nearly touched the ground. The reptilian head was crowned with shining black spikes that ran down in a ridge along the curved back. Matching claws were at the ends of the hands and feet. More spikes jutted from the elbows and knees. Another cruel looking spike jutted from one forearm, this one slightly paler.

"Yikes." Breathed Jack. "That is one nasty looking beastie." He looked at the writing below the picture. The Correllix, from the dark realms of many planets in several galaxies. These creatures kill needlessly much of the time, until they find a race which they feel must be wiped out. They will then sacrifice themselves to complete the destruction of said race. As all Correllix in one clan are connected through life force, if one dies, a certain amount of time must be taken by the others in the clan to recover. However, if the ruler of the clan is killed, all die. When they have succeeded in wiping out all but one of the race they are hunting, they will hunt down that individual and kill them by means of a ritual which takes place the night after capture. Main weapons of the Correllix are the claws, teeth and spikes, however another bone spike concealed in the right forearm can be extended at will.

The Doctor had finished reading and now looked up at Bria. "So all we have to do is kill the main one then that's it."

"Looks like that's about it."

"Although can we figure out a plan later, pretty please?" asked Rose. "I mean, we've been researching and that for ages. My brain's frazzled."

"Well we do have 'till tomorrow night." Bria said. " So I don't see why not. Anyway, I need to do something active, sitting down for hours on end doesn't agree with me."

"What did you have in mind?" Jack asked.

"How good are your combat skills, Captain?"

"Pretty good, why?"

Bria looked at the Doctor and they grinned at each other as the Doctor realized what she was thinking. "How would you like to get some practice in?"

A/N: Well there we go, now all you have to do is push the little purple button that leads to the review box, even one liners are fine.