A/N: Did anyone get notified when I posted chapter 9? I was having some problems uploading, and I didn't get my usual E-Mail telling me I'd updated.
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Emzy2k11: I'm glad you like it!
-8-
The Doctor had Isla and Martha in a tight grip, keeping them crouched out of sight as another slab stalked passed, clearly looking for them.
"That's the thing about slabs," the Doctor murmured, "they always travel in pairs."
"What about you?" Martha asked, looking at the Doctor.
"What about me, what?" The Doctor was still watching the slab walk off.
"Haven't you got back-up? You must have a partner or something."
The Doctor turned to look at her, mouth dropped open in slight disbelief. He scoffed, "Humans. We're stuck on the moon, running out of air, with Judoon and a blood-sucking criminal, and you're asking personal questions?" He rolled his eyes and stood up, "Come on."
Martha stared after him, annoyed. Isla shook her head.
"Rude!" She hissed at him.
"I know."
"Humans," Martha growled, "funny. I'm still not convinced you're alien."
The Doctor turned to snark at her again, but came face-to-face with a Judoon soldier, who shined his scanner at his face.
"Non-Human," it growled.
"Oh my God, you really are!" Martha gasped.
"And again! Isla!" The Doctor grabbed her hand and dragged her down the hall, Martha following quickly. Behind them, they heard the charging of weapons. A tingle went down Isla's spine.
"Duck!" she cried, just in time. The lasers hit the wall where their head's would have been had they not taken cover. Martha cried out, and Isla's hand closed about her wrist. The stomping of feet followed after them as the Judoon gave chase. Quickly, the Doctor pulled them into the stairwell and down a couple floors. He locked the door once they were safe.
"They've checked this floor," the Doctor explained, as he walked through the halls. "The Judoon are logical, and just a little bit thick. They won't come back to a floor they've checked already."
"Doctor..." Isla cut him off, looking around the halls. The Doctor turned to acknowledge her. She was looking around the people in the halls, many of whom were passed out, or getting to that point. "The air is running out. This is bad."
"Swales," Martha spoke gently, spotting her Indian friend holding a mask to a patient's face. The woman seemed to have calmed down, now that she had something to do. "How much oxygen have we got?"
"Not enough for all these people," Swales replied weakly, "We're gonna run out."
The Doctor looked to his girls, "How are you feeling? Alright?"
"I'm running on adrenaline," Martha admitted.
"Welcome to my world," The Doctor placed a hand on Isla's forearm, "and you?"
"Fine," she replied, speaking honestly, "I can hardly feel it. I can taste the thinness of the air, and I know it's running out, but-"
"Must be another one of those perks we talked about," the Doctor, on instinct, reached for his sonic before recalling it wasn't there. He seemed to be feeling the effects of the lack of oxygen as well, panting just the slightest bit. "Maybe your lung reserves were altered? We'll check in the TARDIS."
"What about the Judoon?" Martha wondered.
"Ah, their lung reserves are absolutely massive. A little oxygen deprivation won't slow them down. Where's Mr. Stoker's office?"
"It's this way," Martha murmured, pushing herself out of her crouch to lead the Doctor and Isla to the office. The Door was busted from when the slab had chased Martha, but the inside of the office appeared still as the night. It was empty except for Mr. Stoker's body. "She's gone! She was here!"
"Ah, she drained him dry," the Doctor muttered, needlessly taking Mr. Stoker's pulse. "Every last drop. I was right, she's a plasmavore."
"Is that what they call them, now?" Isla asked, placing her hands on her hips. "And she's hiding on Earth?"
"Hmm," the Doctor agreed, distracted. "She must be on the run. Like Ronnie Biggs at Rio de Janeiro." His face crumpled in confused frustration, "What's she doing now, she's still not safe! The Judoon could execute us all," he was up again, rushing from the office. "Come on!"
"Wait!" Martha called. The Doctor paused at the door, as Isla reached him. Both looked back at Martha curiously. The young woman leaned forward and shut Mr. Stoker's eyes. A small smile formed on Isla's lips.
"You're a good person, Martha Jones," she murmured. The Doctor's face remained impassive, but he jerked his head towards the door. He rubbed the back of his head as he thought of where the plasmavore would be.
"Think, think, think! If I were a plasmavore surrounded by police, what would I do?" He looked up and saw a sign for the MRI machine. "MRI! Oh, she's as clever as me," he realized, then shrugged. "Almost."
The door at the end of the hall burst open, and the Judoon stormed in.
"Find the non-human, execute!" The leader announced, as screaming people fled from them.
"Girls, stay here. I need time, so you've got to hold them up."
"How are we going to do that?" Martha cried, panicked.
"Just, forgive me for this. It could save a thousand lives, it means nothing. Honestly, nothing."
The Doctor hesitated for a moment, then grabbed the sides of Martha's face, and pressed his lips to hers for a full five seconds. He pulled away and looked to Isla, who was smirking at him with eyebrows waggling suggestively.
"Where's my kiss, Rocket Man?"
"Maybe later," his reply was swift, "Remember, do not, under any circumstances attack the Judoon. They will execute you on the spot."
"Okay," Isla agreed, reaching out and grabbing his hands, "Careful, Doctor."
He gave her hands a gentle squeeze.
"Aren't I always?"
And then he was gone, racing off down the halls again. Isla turned to Martha, who had a dreamy look upon her face.
"That was nothing?" Martha breathed. Isla snorted.
"Nine hundred years of practice," she said, "but yeah, it was nothing." She prepared herself for the Judoon, widening her stance and putting her hands on her hips. "The girl that was with the Doctor before me, Rose, her name was, they fell for each other, and hard. He just lost her, not too long ago. He's not ready for another girl."
"What are you, then?" Martha hid behind Isla slightly, as the Judoon approached rapidly.
"An enigma he needs to crack, a pleasant reminder of the woman he loves. Either way, I'm going to help him when he needs it. Oi!" Isla jerked her chin towards the Judoon, "Hello, big boy!"
The scanner was shined in her face. "Anomalous genes detected. Broad spectrum scan required." Isla was grabbed by another Judoon and shoved against the wall, the scanner brightening in intensity.
"Listen," Martha's voice wavered as she was scanned as well. "I know who you're looking for. She calls herself Florence."
"Human. Wait- traces of non-human suspected. Non-human element confirmed. Authorize full scan."
Martha, too, was shoved up against the wall.
"So," Isla winced away from the brightness of the scanner, "You do this often? Hold defenseless little girls up against walls? You know, I would have gone against the wall willingly, all you gotta do is ask."
"Isla?" Martha called over, voice panicked.
"You're fine, Martha."
"Human," the Judoon in front of Isla finally decided, and the brunette was released. "Man-Made mutant genes."
"Human," Martha's Judoon announced moments later, "traces of facial contact with non-human. Continue the search!" Plastic cards with Judoon language written on it were handed to both girls. "You will need this."
"What's that for?"
"Compensation!" Isla mused, the TARDIS translating for her, even from Earth. A shiver went up her spine. "Oh, no."
"What?" Martha looked over at her.
"You can't feel it?" Isla's hair was beginning to stand on end. "It's like the air is supercharged. Something's not right. Hey, fellas!" She bounded after the the Judoon pushing her way through to walk with the Chief. "Have you checked the MRI room, yet? You should check the MRI room."
"Affirmative, we shall check the Magnetic Resonance Imaging room." The Judoon pushed their way through the crowd of people. Isla reached back and gripped Martha's arm so she wouldn't get left behind. They pushed through into the MRI room, and Isla saw an old woman jump back from the Doctor so quickly that the Judoon missed it. The Doctor fell to the ground with a heavy thud.
"Oh, now look what you've done! This poor man has died of fright!" The woman quickly grabbed up her purse, shoving something inside and snapping it closed. Behind her, the MRI was sparking with electricity.
"Bullshit!" Isla cried, attempting to go to the Doctor's side, but being stopped by the iron grip of the Judoon Chief. Isla fought half-heartedly, the Doctor's warning against attacking them sounding in the back of her mind.
"Scan him!" He ordered. Another of the Judoon shined his scanner on the Doctor's prone form.
"Confirmation, deceased."
"No, he can't be!" Martha cried, "Let me through! Let me see him!"
She, too was stopped by one of the Judoon.
"Stop! Case closed."
"But it was her!" Martha's protests were getting more and more desperate. "She did it, she murdered him!"
"The Judoon have no authority over human crime."
"Listen, Chief," Isla turned her deep brown eyes on the Judoon, who still had a hand clamped over her shoulder as he argued with Martha. "You've got to let me go to him. Please. Please. Common courtesy is to let loved ones of the deceased say goodbye, right?"
"This is not a Judoon practice."
"Well, luckily enough, I'm human, mostly. Come on, have a little decency?"
The Judoon grumbled for a moment, before snorting. "Permission granted. The mutant female will say goodbye."
Isla was on her knees next to the Doctor before the Judoon had even finished speaking. Her fingers danced along his pulsepoint, trying in vain to find his four count heartbeat. Instead, they ran over what felt like a small puncture. With a frown, Isla loosened his tie and unbuttoned his collar, examining the wound.
"She's not human!"
"Oh, but I am, I've been catalogued!" The plasmavore held up her hand smugly.
As Isla examined his neck, she felt it. Four beats, so slow they were one at a time. "Martha?"
"I swear, she's not! Scan her again!"
"Martha..." Isla started doing chest compressions on each side of the doctor's chest.
"She's assim-"
"Martha!" The med student's eyes shot to Isla, who leaned down to breathe air (precious little as there was) into the Doctor's lungs. When Isla leaned back up, her eyes were serious. "She drank his blood. The Doctor's blood. Scan her yourself!"
Martha paused, then laughed in disbelief. "Of course!" Martha snatched the scanner from the Judoon to her left and scanned it at the woman, who sneered.
"Go on, scan all you like! I have nothing to hide!"
"Non-human," the Judoon announced, reading the results from the scanner over Martha's shoulder.
"What?" Plasmavore's face fell.
"Confirm analysis."
More scanners were aimed at her, and she backpedaled. "W-well, it's a mistake, surely. I'm human, I'm as human as they come."
"He gave his life so they'd find you." Martha realized. Behind her, the MRI began sparking, a loud noise coming from it. Isla winced.
"Confirmation: Plasmavore. You are charged with the crime of murdering the child princess of Patrival Regency Nine."
The plasmavore scoffed. "She deserved it! Those pink cheeks and blonde curls, and that simpering voice. She was begging for the bite of a plasmavore."
"Do you confess?"
"Confess? I'm proud of it! Slab, stop them!" She pushed the slab forward, and retreated into the control booth, messing with the controls. She plugged an orange cable in with a noise of triumph, then turned to watch the machine
Isla was on her feet in an instant, as the leather man advanced upon them. With a hard punch, she cracked the glass of the helmet, revealing nothing underneath. Just solid leather, like the Doctor said. Pain coursed up and down her arm, and she knew she had broken her hand. By the time Isla had moved to the side, the Judoon had taken out their blasters and fired upon the Slab. It disintegrated into ash at Isla's feet.
"Verdict: guilty, sentence: execution."
"Enjoy your victory, Judoon, because you're going to burn with me. Burn in hell!" The Judoon executed her there and then, and all that was left of her was the mess she'd made of the MRI.
"I can't believe he's dead," Martha breathed, sitting down by the Doctor.
"Yeah, hi, he's not dead!" Isla cut in, standing over the controls, where 'Magnetic Overload' was flashing on the screen. Her face was more panicked than Martha had ever seen. "Martha! Wake him up! She's done something to the MRI, I don't think I can fix it- Oi! " Isla leaned back from the controls, seeing the Judoon leaving. "Where are you lot goin'?"
"Case closed. Scans detect lethal acceleration of monomagnetic pulse. The Judoon will retreat."
"You can't just leave it! What's it going to do?!"
The Chief didn't answer Martha's question. He pulled his communicator up to his mouth and spoke into it, instead, "All units, withdraw."
"Ah, fine," Isla waved her hand dismissively, going to find the machine's manual, "I don't need your help, anyway."
"You can't go!" Martha cried, following them into the hallway, "That thing's going to explode, and it's your fault!"
"Martha!" Isla shouted after, dropping the manual and going back to the Doctor's side. She shook him harshly. "Come on, Doctor, I need you to wake up. God, you're always sleeping when I need you most. Wake up! Help me!"
"Move! The MRI, see what you can do!" Martha cried, panting, now, as the lack of air was getting to her. Isla moved quickly, as Martha took up the chest compressions on both sides of the Doctor's chest. Isla took up the manual again and knelt on the floor, flipping through it.
Behind her, she heard Martha weakly counting out her compressions and breathing for the Doctor. Tears of frustration were pricking in her eyes; there was nothing in the manual, she didn't know how to fix the machine, the Doctor wasn't waking up, and they were officially out of air. Isla closed her eyes and let out a scream, slamming her fists into the ground beside the manual, doing more damage to her already wounded hand. Gentle hands came up to grip her face, and she opened them, meeting ancient, brown eyes full of concern.
Martha had done it. He was awake.
But he wasn't steady on his feet, his breathing was harsh, and Isla could feel him shaking violently. The lack of oxygen certainly wasn't helping. He was in no condition to save the day.
"I can't. I'm sorry," he panted, moving his hands to her shoulders. "The air- your lung reserves-it needs to be you."
"Doctor," Isla pleaded, "I don't know how to fix this!"
"Yes, you do." He fell to the ground and slowly turned over to face the ceiling. "You were here when she finished setting up the machine. Martha is unconscious. Isla Nicole Pierce. My little mutant, my wonderful enigma. You can do this."
With a frown, Isla watched the Doctor in his discomfort for a moment, before hauling herself to her feet and into the control booth. The MRI was sparking, sending waves of lightning everywhere around the hospital. It would blow any second; If Isla was going to do something, she had to do it now. She gripped the controls, running her fingers over the wires. Which ones had the Plasmavore hooked to activate the MRI?
Isla picked up the blue wire, then frowned. That isn't right. She dropped the blue and grabbed the orange, quickly unhooking the two ends. The MRI's whirring slowly died down, the lightning stopping instantly.
"Isla," the Doctor reached up to her, before coughing loudly. "The window..."
"The Judoon," Isla replied, making her way over to the window, "they're taking off!" She looked at the Doctor over her shoulder. "They have to reverse it, right?" He didn't reply, closing his eyes slowly. "Doctor!" He jerked back awake.
She jumped as rain started pelting the windows, then let out a relieved chuckle.
"It's raining!"
A smile spread across the Doctor's face, "Raining on the moon, eh?"
There was a bright flash of light, and the hospital was filled with a surge of oxygen. Isla and the Doctor were gone by the time Martha Jones woke up.
-8-
As the Jones family scattered, all shouting, Martha closed her eyes in frustration. A soft snort of amusement made her jump and turn. Isla stood beside her, having appeared from seemingly nowhere. She had changed out of her heels, polka dot skirt and crop top, and was now looking quite comfy in a hoodie, black jeans and purple high-top trainers.
"That was quite the show," she teased, before walking off towards an alley, where the Doctor was leaning against the wall. Martha grinned and followed at a jog as they disappeared into the alley. When she found them, they were looking at each other, standing outside of a Police Public Call Box.
"I went to the moon today," Martha said, interrupting their hushed conversation.
"Bit more peaceful than down here," the Doctor mumbled, eyes shooting to the mouth of the alley, indicating the fight they'd just witnessed.
"You're going to tease me, too?" Martha asked, then shook her head. "You didn't even tell me who you are!"
"Yes, we did. That's the Doctor, I'm Isla Pierce."
"What sort of species? Not every day I get to ask that..."
"Isla is a Man-Made mutant. Not entirely sure how to handle that, but, as for me, I'm a Time Lord."
"Right," Martha snorted, "Not pompous at all."
"Oh, I like her." Isla expressed. The Doctor looked down at her with a tiny smile. Then he turned his gaze up towards Martha. He reached into his vest pocket and started talking.
"I thought," he said, pulling out the sonic, "to say thank you, since you saved my life, and I have a brand new sonic screwdriver which needs road testing, that you might fancy a trip?"
"What, into space?"
"Well..." the Doctor shrugged, grinning.
"But I can't, I've got exams. I've got things to do; I've got to go into town first thing and pay rent, I've got my family going mad." A loud thump interrupted Martha's rant, and she looked up to see that Isla had hit the Doctor in the chest with the back of her hand, which was wrapped in a bandage.
"Somehow, he always manages to forget to mention, it's a time machine."
"Get out of here," Martha rolled her eyes. Isla's eyebrows shot up expectantly. "Come on, now, that is going too far!"
"We can prove it."
"Go on, then," Martha smirked, expecting Isla to admit it was a joke. But the dark haired girl simply grabbed the Doctor by the tie, opened the door to the box and walked in, the Doctor following with a noise of protest, hand coming up to grab her wrist. The box began groaning, and suddenly, it was gone, fading out of existence like it hadn't even been there. Martha walked up and ran her hand through the air in disbelief; there was nothing left! The noise started up again and Martha jumped back with a gasp. The box faded back into existence, right in the same spot.
Isla and the Doctor stepped out, hand in hand, with Isla holding his tie in her free hand.
"Told you," Isla grinned, holding up the tie. The Doctor took the tie back and started to put it back on.
"No, but...that was this morning! Did you- Oh, my God, you can travel in time!" The Doctor's smile was rather smug as he leaned against the box.
"Your ass looks great in those trousers, too," Isla commented.
"Hold on, if you could go back and talk to me, why didn't you tell me not to go into work today?!"
"Crossing into established timelines is strictly forbidden," the Doctor explained, "except for cheap tricks."
"And this is your ship?" Martha gestured to the box, coming up beside Isla to stroke the frame.
"She's called the TARDIS, this thing," Isla said softly, and the Doctor recognized the words as the same he'd used to explain it to her. "T-A-R-D-I-S, stands for Time And Relative Dimension In Space."
"This spaceship is made of wood," Martha teased, then looked around the side of the TARDIS. "There's not much room, we'd be a bit intimate."
"Promises, promises," Isla smirked, and the Doctor grinned, pushing the door to the TARDIS open.
"Take a look," he urged, and Martha walked in, jaw dropping open in shock at the console room. The Doctor and Isla shared a knowing look, and he placed a hand on the small of her back, leading her in.
"No, no, no!" Martha muttered, running back outside. The Doctor looked down at Isla.
"Fancy Thai for dinner?"
"But it's just a box!"
"Nah, I hate Thai food. Could go for some nice Asian cuisine, though, you're right there."
"Chinese? Japanese? Vietnamese?"
"But it's huge!" Martha ran around the TARDIS's exterior. "It's just wood! It's like a box with that room crammed in!" She came back inside, oblivious to Isla and the Doctor.
"Maybe a bit of Japanese?"
"Ah, nice little hibachi grill? We'll go after we've taken Martha on her trip. Hang on, this is my favorite bit."
"It's bigger on the inside," Martha breathed, and the Doctor mouthed it with her, before immediately jumping to reply.
"Is it? I hadn't noticed!" He closed the door and threw off his trench coat. It landed on one of the coral pillars as he bounded up to the console. "Well, let's get going."
"Where's the crew?" Martha asked Isla, as the girls walked more slowly up the ramp. "Is there a navigator or something? Where is everyone?"
"No crew," Isla replied, frowning sadly, "Just him."
"All on your own?" Martha threw the question over her shoulder, at the Doctor, who was messing with the controls.
"Well, sometimes I have...Guests. Friends, like Isla, travelling alongside. There was...recently, there was a friend of mine. Rose, her name was. Rose. And she...well, we were together." The Doctor frowned, and looked away, "Anyway."
"Where is she now?" Martha asked, watching Isla cross her arms and sigh sadly.
"Gone. She's safe, with her family. Happy." He pointed at Martha, face suddenly hard, "Not that you're replacing her!"
"Never said I was." Martha shrugged.
"Just one trip, that's all. It's to say thank you. Then you're coming back here! I'm better off on my own."
"You're the one that kissed me." Martha replied, coming closer and quirking an eyebrow. The Doctor rolled his eyes.
"That was a genetic transfer."
"And if you will wear a tight suit..."
"Now-" The Doctor gave her a warning look.
"And travel all across the universe just to ask me on a date."
"Stop it."
"Our first date was just the end of the world."
"Oi!" The Doctor pointed at Isla, "That wasn't a date, and you and Rose both know it."
"Hmm," Isla smirked at him, and tapped his chin teasingly. "Felt like a date."
"For the record," Martha murmured, "I'm not remotely interested. I only go for humans."
"Ah, good news for me!" Isla turned her smirk on Martha, who shook her head.
"Of the male variety."
Isla shrugged, completely unfazed. "You're missing out." She turned to the Doctor again. "So, Rocket Man, where are we going?"
The Doctor grinned knowingly, and started dancing around the console. "Close down the gravitic anomalizer, fire up the helmic regulator, and finally," he paused to grin at the girls- Martha looking amazed, and Isla watching him fondly- and yanked down a lever. "The hand brake. Ready?"
"No," Martha admitted.
"Always," Isla replied, "Go on, then, impress me!"
The Doctor flipped another switch with a chuckle, and the TARDIS was launched into motion, knocking them about.
"It's not exactly a smooth ride, is it!?" Martha laughed.
"Welcome aboard, Miss Jones!" The Doctor cried, grin widening to impossible lengths, as he stretched his arm across the console to Martha.
"It's my pleasure, Mr. Smith!" Martha gripped his hand and they shook. Isla struggled her way around to wrap her arms around both their shoulders. The Doctor's arm came around her back, and they grinned at each other.
"Allons-y, Isla Pierce!"
"Away we go, Rocket Man!"