Now, light-heartedness cometh.

Sort of.

As she removed the bandage Adric flexed his left wing, besides the fact that the feathers round it were untidy and out of place you'd never have known that it had almost been sliced off.

"Dear lord, you do heal fast." Aisha said

"Alzarian bl... erm, soul." Adric commented, drawing them away, "Now I feel unbalanced without them. I'd just got used to having them out almost permanently."

"Well now you can draw them in again we can avoid more scenes like the one at the hospital." Aisha sighed, chucking the bandages in a rubbish chute

After dematerialising from the park the TARDIS had brought itself to the closest place it could. They were now parked inside a ruined building just across the street, about a year forward into the future. Grace had finally found a room in the TARDIS' sleeping quarter corridor that was to her liking (stocked with all of her favourite things) and had set about with Susan and Tegan making it as near a replica to her bedroom at home as possible. Jamie and Jack were off somewhere in a sports room, competing. Sarah and K9 were using some of the supplies Susan had bought to make a decent dinner for them all tonight. Aisha had decided it was finally safe to remove the bandages off Adric's wing, after the way the Valeyard had almost got them arrested. If the police had shot her then there would have been complications with her regenerating again, and if Tegan had been shot... well she didn't want to be responsible for anyone's death. Except the Valeyard's. She'd now trained her mind to think of the Valeyard as someone who'd taken over the Doctor's body. That she was planning to do the lesser of two evils. It helped. A very little bit.

"The atmosphere's becoming heavier now isn't it?" he asked, "Now we're getting closer to confrontation."

"Yeah." Aisha said, "I just need a break from all of this! The TARDIS can't move for now and I'm just sitting here, fretting…"

"…" Adric thought, "I'll do something. I've had an idea on how to take your mind off it."

"I don't feel like being in love tonight Addie…" Aisha muttered

"No, something else." Adric smiled, "But you have to keep out of the way of the rest of us for a while. Agreed?"

Aisha stared at him and nodded.

"Alright. I need peace and quiet anyway…"

Sarah was just bringing out some vegetables when suddenly Adric came flying out of the wall, he paused in mid-air and righted himself.

"Those walls have become more turbulent since the re-forming began…" he muttered

"Adric?" Sarah said

"Ah, just the person I came to see." Adric said, "Seems I can still steer myself through the dimension gaps in the wall…"

"Is there any reason you've come?" Sarah asked

"Well, Aisha's just pacing and going out of her mind with worry." Adric said, "You know, because the TARDIS can't move for another 24 hours and it's getting closer to the final showdown with her father…"

"And as her boyfriend you're going to suggest something that needs my help." Sarah said, reading his expression

"I'd just like to have a party." Adric said, "I know how much the music she likes calms her… at least it used to in her first incarnation. A chance to be with all of her friends, just enjoying herself… I'd love to see that."

He sighed and Sarah grinned.

"You really want to make her happy, keep her safe." She said, "That's why you chose to be her 'Guardian Angel', it just means you have a reason to interfere in her life."

"Hey!" Adric said

"I mean that in a nice way." Sarah said, "Okay. I'll help you with this party idea."

"You will?" Adric said, excitedly, then cleared his throat, "I mean, thank you Miss Smith."

"Just Sarah please." Sarah said, "Hadn't you better go tell the others?"

"You're right!" Adric said, "I also need to raid her room for the music!"

"Get going then." Sarah said, "You know, she's lucky to have a caring boyfriend. Even if you aren't strictly solid in the sense."

Adric grinned and went through the ceiling, K9 scooted into the kitchen.

"I have got more spices mistress." He said

"Change of plans K9, we're making party food!" Sarah said, "We've a lot to get done, so let's get cooking!"

"Affirmative."

"Are you sure that you want to put the bed over in that corner Grace?"

"Yes Tegan!"

"Are you sure it wouldn't…?"

"Please Tegan, just do it."

The re-decorating was starting to show patterns in the way things were done. Grace would instantly find the exact thing she needed, then Tegan would voice doubt as to Grace's choice of where to put it. An argument would be averted each time by Susan's diplomatic attitude, although by this point it was straining.

As they put the bed down Grace took in a deep, but happy breath.

"Finally! We're done!" she said

"Thank god." Tegan muttered to Susan

"That's good, you'll be able to help me now."

They all looked up, Adric was hanging from the ceiling. One of his legs appeared stuck in the dimensional gap and he looked slightly sick.

"Are you alright?" Grace asked

"Sure, I've been in worse jams." Adric said, "The TARDIS' reforming is making the dimensional gaps crazily hard to navigate and ride. And now I'm stuck. Fan-flaming-tastic."

Suddenly his leg slipped out from the ceiling and he plunged down, solidifying and landing on the large bed. He stopped mid-bounce and got himself at a comfortable angle. He shook his head.

"Next time, I'm walking." He said

"Are you sure you're alright?" Susan asked

"Psychically yes." Adric said, "I do however have a reason for coming. Basically I think it's high-time we had a party!"

"A party?" Grace asked

"Yes, to lighten the mood." Adric said, "Aisha's just so… sad. It breaks my heart. Well, it would if I had one…"

"Cute. You want to cheer up Aisha." Tegan teased, "You are in love aren't you?"

"Shut up." Adric blushed, although he was grinning too

"A party sounds like a good idea." Susan said, "Food, music… It would be fun!"

"Count me in too." Grace said

"And I'm definitely not missing out!" Tegan said

"Brilliant." Adric said, "Now for the guys…"

Jack and Jamie were now competing hard, trying their best to out-do each other. At the moment they were using the table tennis set. Jack whacked it hard, towards Jamie's head, but the Scotsman just blocked and sent it spinning back towards Jack's side of the table.

"You got to try harder than tha'!" he said

"Like this?" Jack responded, putting all of his weight behind the shot

Unfortunately he put so much force behind the shot he overbalanced, crashing onto the table. The ball shot past Jamie's head and smacked into the wall behind him. Jack pulled himself up, the net tangled around his arm.

"Now look what you did!" Jamie said, pointing at the table's snapped legs, "What do we do now?"

"…Play football?" Jack suggested

Suddenly the door flew open, and Tegan and Adric came in.

"We're thinking about having a party, to cheer everyone up…" Adric began

"…And you two are helping us set up!" Tegan finished

"Why should we?" Jack asked

"…I don't know. We never actually got that far when we planned this…" Adric muttered

"Because I say so!" Tegan said, before walking out of the room

Jamie and Jack looked at Adric, who shrugged.

"I didn't ask her to come and help me ask you!" he said, "Honestly!"

Yes. A party. In the TARDIS. Possible? Yes. Possibly chaotic? Probably.

This is leading up to an excuse to have some music and possible karaoke… before the final battle…

Trust me, I have some strange stuff planned for the final battle. Including:

- Kidnaps!

- A use for the blood of Adric's the Valeyard spilt in Chapter 7!

- Jack dying and coming to life again!

- Tegan hitting stuff!

- Jamie finally using his knife!

- Susan piloting something!

- Sarah using her sonic lipstick!

- K9 doing something silly!

- More Adsha!

- Angst and possible fluff!

- A happy ending?

- A bittersweet ending?

- Another even more bittersweet ending?

Yes. All in this story… except two of the last three possibly… depends on whether I want to write all three endings…