"Doctor, wait."

The Doctor looked up from the travel pack that had been put together for him. "Yes, Trinia?"

"I was thinking..."

Here it comes, the Doctor thought. He turned to face her, prepared to give a kind but firm response to the inevitable question.

"You shouldn't go by yourself to Salamandastron, you know? I mean, I have no doubt that you can take care of yourself, but..." She sighed. "I'd really love to come along with you, if you'll have me."

"I know." Better than you probably realize. How many times have I heard some variation of those same words? He bent down so that he was at eye level with her. "But Trinia, I've been through a lot and I know now that it's better for me to travel alone."

"Why?"

"It's dangerous. It's always dangerous. Something might happen to you, or..." He bit his lip, fighting back tears as the memories came flooding back. "Something might happen to make it so that I can never see you again."

Trinia hadn't expected this reaction, and it alarmed her. But she still wasn't convinced that she should let the Doctor go alone. On the contrary, she felt now more than ever that he needed to have someone at his side.

A companion.

"Well," she said carefully, "if the Abbey really is about to be attacked by vermin, isn't it safer..." But an Abbey under attack almost didn't bear thinking about. "Isn't it safer to be as far away from here as possible?"

"Erm," the Doctor began. How could he make her understand?

"Anyway, I was thinking..." She glanced down, embarrassed.

"What?"

"Well, when Martin the Warrior journeyed to Salamandastron for the first time, he went with two companions, a mouse called Gonff and a mole called Dinny. So..." She looked up at the Doctor and smiled. "I guess you could say it's tradition that you don't go to Salamandastron alone."

Right, and it's my tradition that I always have someone.

"All right." The Doctor stood up straight, trying not to let his face show that, in spite of himself, he was actually pleased that Trinia would be coming with him. "But on one condition, and this is very important."

"What?"

"After we get back, if we even do get back...promise me you'll stay here. Don't try and get me to take you anywhere else. Don't even ask."

"Okay," Trinia said, feeling slightly hurt.

"Really, Trinia, it's for your own good." And probably mine as well, he thought. "Just one trip. You'll be safer, and..." He took a deep breath. "You won't get attached."

"How is getting attached a problem?"

Come along, Pond, please!

Raggedy man...goodbye!

"It's a problem when you have to leave."