Chapter 10

I'd spent about forty minutes in the TARDIS deciding how best to handle this. All in all, I decided I needed to protect myself somehow; and that was because they would want me dead for the best chances of success.

Using basic components that the TARDIS had automatically produced, and some blueprints for things that I had no clue what to do with. One seemed useful –a sonic blaster – it seemed appropriate and sneaky given the size of this particular model.

Though I hoped never to have to use it, it was a necessary precaution.

When I'd finished, I saw it was small enough to be hidden; but it was more that powerful enough to do any job that I could use it for.

I shoved it in the waistband of my jeans, hoping for it not to be seen.

Then I searched for odds and ends that may help me. Dad had once used this place to chuck his gadgets into. Most of them still worked –at least that was what I believed.

I managed to re-find my vortex manipulator –though a few wires needed to be attached – but that only took a few seconds really. Of course though; it was only to be used in the direst cases as I was needed here right now.

Unfortunately nothing else I found would ever help me.

Realising the time I felt I should leave before they came searching for me.

I took a long look at the console which was still glowing a red-orange colour; wondering what had happened to Gallifrey by this point. It brought a tear to my eye just thinking about it.

I stroked one of the coral struts, hearing the console purr in acknowledgement.

"It's just me and you, isn't it girl?" I asked feeling somewhat stupid.

In an answer that would normally make both of my hearts plunge; the TARDIS became silent from all noise. The once red central orb, faded until no colour remained but a streak of the saddest blue in the middle, a blue of sorrow. The whole room as a result became very dark.

Gallifrey had fallen, one way or another.

A great gaping chasm filled me, from the inside out making me a hollow case of emptiness.

A feeling inside me told me that Gallifrey had taken its last breath.

The TARDIS didn't even speak to me; that am if it were even possible; so the silence became deathly, so much so that I could bear it no longer.

I gently shut the door behind me, and locked it behind me; then I trudged back worse than before I came.

Even if I didn't belong there before, I did now more than ever.

I shut all unnecessary emotions away, and locked them deep in the far reaches of my mind. Barriers were placed so that I didn't hurt anyone, but also so that no one could harm me either. But despite my best efforts, a human mind could only do so much, so it wouldn't take much to break them.

I was alone in the world. Alone in any and every world, and no one could help the pain that it caused me.

Time lords had been wiped out by an unknown entity. I didn't know everything about this matter; I wasn't truly myself –not yet. My pocket watch contained the gaps that still remained in my mind, and my true immortality along with its regenerations.

Though deep down, I knew I couldn't just become who I was before. Not yet. Not until the task at hand was complete.

The wolf within me was making me immortal to a certain extent; at least as much as not being able to age.

I was greeted by the smell of roast chicken –or a couple knowing how many would be eating – seasoned delicately with a little sage, and a little lemon juice.

"Wow" said Karen "you're literally just on time. Come on let's go sit down before the chicken gets gobbled up"

She sat me where I had before, and I reckoned that i would be sitting here permanently now.

"hey. Where have you been, i couldn't find you anywhere?" Melody demanded.

"just went for a walk, that's all" i said monotonously.

"well you could have told me" she said not noticing my tone.

"it was something i had to do on my own, nothing personal"

"hmmmpf" she mumbled, turning her attention to her chicken.

I helped myself to a couple of slice of chicken, and some of the sides –earning myself a couple of glares from Rose and Karen.

"Remedy, as soon as your done you can go upstairs if you like. That John Smith from the government or whatever is coming over for the check up again, so just chill until then, ok?" Rose said to me.

"oh, ok. Thanks" i false smiled; although i didnt fool them for one moment.

So just as advised, i went upstairs after lunch to my bedroom. I made sure my door was closed shut.

I got my sonic pen from my bed side table and switched the settings to scan.

Mimicking the Doctor's movements from yesterday, i slid the sonic up and down the crack in the wall.

I assessed the reading that had been taken from it , and unfortunately the Doctor had been spot on with his assumptions. It was in fact a crack in time leading to the parallel version of this planet.

It didn't appear to be overly active, but based on the readings i was picking up, it was slowly becoming more and more problematic. Though on what scale, i had no idea.

Remembering the pens other functions, i set it to another setting and put it to the bite scar on my neck; the whirring sound filled my ears again, and when i looked in the mirror and the scar was only just visible to me. I rolled down my turtleneck, now feeling quite warm.

For safe keeping i placed the pocket watch in one of my drawers, and my sonic pen in my bigger-on-the-inside-bag as well as my emergency vortex manipulator, that way, i would definitely never forget it.

Just as i heard the doorbell, i double checked that my sonic blaster was concealed. With the Doctors apparent knowledge of the alien, i couldn't be sure of anything around him. If he knew i was alien, he would flip, or tip area 51 of my whereabouts; so i wasn't taking any chances.

I flopped back on my bed just in time to hear the Doctors footsteps coming up the stairs.

Just as i heard he footsteps pause to knock on the door, i said "come in"

He stepped in, and again was wearing his pinstripe suit; only this time minus his trench coat.

"hello Remedy" he greeted.

"hello Doctor" i replied trying to mimic his tone.

"How are you feeling today?" he asked.

"had better days" yeah any days that i haven't been bitten by a werewolf counts as a good one these days.

"you look upset, whats the matter, are you ok?"

"i guess it's just realisation i suppose" well they do say honesty is the best policy.

"and what have you realised that makes you so unhappy?" he asked tugging his ear slightly before amending " i mean, if you're comfortable telling me anyway"

"well, i guess your as good a person as any to tell. Well... it's complicated really. But in short, yesterday i had no clue who i was, now i have a little more sense and most is clear. Only i wished i didn't know now. Im alone in the universe. Not just the planet, but the whole universe. This care home is all i have now, and it's not even permanent or certain" i confessed sitting back up so i could glance at his reaction. "i mean you have presumably a family, and you have Rose. Speaking of which, where is she this time?"

"oh, umm... i'm sorry. But your wrong, i have only Rose; Her and her alone. I told her the scenario and so she has taken the opportunity to... shop, and some more sightseeing" he said "my family and my people perished a long time ago now, and whats worse is that i feel responsible for their death..." he came and sat next to me.

"you shouldn't feel responsible of the death of them. The death of innocents is unstoppable and happens each and every day, to blame yourself for those deaths would put you as lower than everybody else. But something; something tells me that you're higher than everybody else, and i can predict a person very well within five minutes"

"you're sweet to say that" he said, wrapping one of his arms around me in an awkward hug.

A tear spilled over onto my cheek, which i swiftly and hopefully unnoticeably wiped away.

Weakness wasn't going to help me right now.

"right anyway!" he said abruptly jumping up. The Doctor started to rummage through his pockets.

When he had ultimately found what he was looking for, he turned round beaming like a child. In his hands he held a sort of scanning device.

"what is that?" i asked, realising he wanted to ask it regardless.

"this; Remedy, will determine how harmless the crack in your wall is. And whether or not it will stay that way" he answered triumphantly.

He waved the machinery around, frowning as he did so. He put it a pair of thick, black-rimmed glasses on. Continuing to flail the machinery around, he appeared to be getting nowhere so i flopped back on my bed.

About three minutes later, the Doctor cheered triumphantly, having actually got somewhere.

"fixed it then?" I asked sarcastically.

"yes. and quite fantastically if i do say so myself. now just what is this exactly... hmmmm, odd" he said reading the scanner "it's getting bigger, but it's smaller than yesterday, and the process will take forever. Unnoticeable to the human eye..."

"so go on then. what is it?" a crack in time perhaps... to be sealed when the correct life forms are on the correct sides perhaps... i thought.

"Well, it's –sort of – perhaps..." he tugged his ear assessing me " it's a crack in time, something or things have seeped through the void. They are damaging space and time itself, this shouldn't have happened..." correctamundo! I thought, though i mentally grimaced. Ok, then. I'm never going to say that ever again.

"why shouldn't this have happened then?" i asked, hopefully sounding innocent.

"i... um. When certain people... died; it made it impossible for travel to parallel worlds, therefore making the crack physically impossible. Still, it doesn't seem harmful, and it shouldn't be for another... 10,000 years i would guess. Anyway, if there's no obvious cause how can there be a solution?"

"right so you're saying that the crack in my wall which leads to another planet, and something from there has come through to here?" i summed up, knowing fully what it actually meant, but instead choosing to act dumb.

"sort of, yes. But its more of a duplicate of this planet than another entirely" he said.

"cool" i said unenthusiastically "and im involved in this how exactly?"

"um, thats a good question actually. And i have no clue. But i think its all a coincidence that you're here when it happened"

After that there was nothing but silence. Very awkward silence.

In the end it was the Doctor who broke the silence.

"riiiight then, nothing of consequential problem here. So i guess i'll be off. I don't think i'll ever see you again; but then again i do end up in some random places and times, so maybe i will at some point... see i promised Rose we would go see some singing mountains..." he trailed off, while i looked at him slightly worried.

"oh,ok then. Bye Doctor, safe... um travels, or whatever it is you do anyway" i said waving him goodbye.

"Remedy" he said in the doorway turning back to face me sorrow deep in his eyes.

"yeah?"

"you are never alone, no matter how empty your life may seem. Never blame yourself for the loss of your loved ones, I've been there and can't go back. It doesn't help" he said softly, giving me a piteous look, that was also reassuring before closing the door and bolting down the stairs.

I pulled down the collar of my turtle neck and looked at the scar again, it was burning, itchy and sore.

But when i looked at the scar, it had healed more on its own, and was practically gone.

All that remained on it was some gold like dust which i brushed off. I thanked Rassilon for this miracle.

It meant i could get off this god awful jumper.