Reinette walks back through the tapestry into her world.

The Doctor works frantically as Rose and I join him and Mickey at the time window.

"You found it, then?" I ask

"They knew I was coming. They blocked it off." The Doctor says

One of the droids has Reinette by the arm as it leads her roughly away. "Where are we going?" she demands

"The teleport has limited range. We must have proximity to the time portal." The droid answers

"Your words mean nothing. You are nothing." Snarls Reinette

Behind her, two more droids have King Louis between them.

"I don't get it. How come they got in there?" Asks Rose, watching through the portal.

"They teleported - you saw them. As long as the ship and the ballroom are linked, their short-range teleports will do the trick." Answers The Doctor.

"Well, we'll go in the Tardis!" Rose says

"We can't use the TARDIS, we're part of events now." Explains The Doctor.

"Well, can't we just smash through it?" Mickey asks

"Hyperplex this side, plate glass the other. We need a truck." The Doctor informs him

"We don't have a truck." Mickey says

"I know we don't have a truck!" He yells at Mickey

"Well, we've gotta try something!" yells Rose

"No, smash the glass, smash the time window, they'd be no way back." The Doctor explains.

Rose stares at him. I turn to watch Reinette through the portal.

"Can everyone just calm down? Please. Such a commotion. Such distressing noise. Kindly remember that is Versailles. This is the Royal Court. And we are French." She turns to the droids. "I have made a decision. And my decision is "no", I shall not be going with you today. I have seen your world, and I have no desire to set foot there again."

"We do not require your feet." The droid answers

Two droids come up on either side of Reinette and push her to her knees. They point their maiming instruments at her neck. The 'chief' droid approaches her and also points his weapon at her. Reinette looks up at him.
"You think I fear you. But I do not fear you, even now. You are merely the nightmare of my childhood. The monster from under my bed. And if my nightmare can return to plague me, then rest assured," she lowers her voice to a whisper "so will yours."

"DOCTOR NO!" I hear Rose shriek, and above me, Arthur's hooves go flying and the Doctor crashes into the mirror riding Arthur. A concrete wall replaces the mirror and silence is heard.

Rose stands before it.

"What happened? Where did the time window go? How's he gonna get back?" Mickey asks

Rose is still. She does not answer. She's just staring at the remains of the time window. A single tear runs down her cheek.

It's been an hour and Rose has not moved.

Now Mickey is talking to himself as he paces

"We can't fly the Tardis without him. How's he gonna get back?"

Rose raises her head and looks up at the stars overhead. Then she silently turns and walks away, back through the halls of the ship.

"Rose?" Mickey calls after her, but she doesn't respond. She just keeps walking. I follow her and she silently enters the Tardis, shutting the door behind her.

I can hear her broken sobs from outside, and I hear the sound of her back sliding down the door and crumpling inside the Tardis.

I lean my back against the Tardis door, and place my face in my hands, tears brimming in my eyes.

Please let him come home.

I look up when I hear a familiar whoop of excitement. I leap to my feet as the Doctor comes into view. The Tardis door opens and Rose flies out, throwing herself at the Doctor. The Doctor and Rose hug tightly.

"How long did you wait?" he asks

"Five and a half hours!" Rose answers, giddy with relief

"Right, always wait five and a half hours." He releases Rose and he makes to hug Mickey, changes his mind and shakes his hand instead. Then he kneels and scoops me into a tight hug.

"Where've you been?" I demand

"Explain later. Into the TARDIS, be with you in a sec." He rushes away. Mickey goes into the TARDIS without hesitation, but Rose and I watch the Doctor go back. We hear the sound of the Doctor's voice calling again "Reinette?"

I hear the sound of the fireplace revolving and we wait, and a few minutes later, it turns again. I wait with dread as the Doctor returns, only to return alone. We follow The Doctor into the Tardis. The Doctor closes the door of the Tardis wearily behind him and walks slowly up to the console.

"Why her?" Rose asks. She and Mickey are standing by the console.
"Why did they think they could fix the ship with the head of Madame de Pompadour?"

"We'll probably never know. There was massive damage in the computer memory base. Probably got confused." He goes to the controls. "The Tardis can close down the time windows now the droids are gone. Should stop it causing any more trouble." He taps on the computer, acting for the world as if everything is okay. But we know there's something wrong. After a moment of watching him I ask "Are you all right?"

The Doctor looks up at me "I'm always all right." He smiles briefly, and fiddles with the controls again. We still watch him, aware that he's keeping something to himself.

"Fine. Keep it to yourself then." Rose snarls, and storms away.

The Doctor looks up in surprise as the Tardis begins to dematerialize with its familiar wheezing noise.

"You can be oblivious." Mickey shakes his head and follows her.

The Doctor looks at me, confused

"Doctor." I sigh "You may pride yourself on your knowledge, and your energy, and talent, but you are truly terrible at understanding humans and their emotions." I stay silent for a moment before I whisper "You should never have kissed her." Then I turn and walk away, leaving the Doctor alone in the console room.

I am sitting in my room, trying to convince the Tardis to make my window bigger so I can see more out of it, when the door opens.

I turn and to my surprise it's Mickey.

"Hey." He says, awkwardly

"Hey." I respond, a little surprised.

"Listen." He swallows, "I need you to talk to Rose. I know what you showed me and all, and I trust you, but I still love her, and I am still friends with her and she's so mad at the Doctor and I don't want her to do anything she'll regret. I'm gonna talk to the Doctor but Rose refuses to come out of her room and I can hear her crying." He winces

"Alright." I answer, getting off my bed and following Mickey down the hallway to Rose's room.

Mickey leaves and I knock on her door.

"Go away!" Rose's voice yells

"Rose? It's me." I say, gently, and there is a pause, before the door unlocks.

Before I know what's happening, Rose yanks me in by my skirt and slams the door behind me.

She holds onto me like a lifeline, in silence. I shift my weight slightly and my hand accidentally brushes her wrist. I am bombarded with so much pain and hurt it takes my breath away.

I can feel the loss of trust, which makes my head spin and stomach ache.

"Rose." I whisper, but she cuts me off

"You were watching him. Every time he went into the bloody otherworld. You were watching him. Am I just another? Am I just another stupid hapless girl who fell for his looks and charm and adventure and he's going to leave me like all the rest? Like his beloved Cleo and Sarah and Reinette?" she sobs into my shoulder and I wince, replaying The Doctor's kiss with Reinette in my head.

I forgot that I was sharing a link with her when this thought passed through my head.

Her body went ridged and I quickly pulled away from her, but the damage had been done.

I scramble from her lap as she collapses in sobs, heartbroken.

Rushing from the room, I run to find the only other person who could possibly help her.

I burst into the console room, mid fight between The Doctor and Mickey

"Listen, Rickey, I am never going to leave Rose behind, not her, never her. You though I could dump from this ship right now and never think twice! Or I-"

"Doctor!" I yell, and he freezes, looking at me. I walk over to him and motion like I want to whisper something in his ear. When he kneels in front of me, I slap him as hard as I can.

He reels back, holding his cheek in shock and surprise.

"She knows Doctor." I tell him and he looks at me, bewildered. "She knows now that she's expendable. And so do I." I place my hand on his forehead and show him his kiss with Reinette, and the way he treated her, and his affection for Sarah Jane. I showed him all of the sad, lonely looks Rose has been giving him and finally, I showed him the images of Rose in her room, just now. I pull away, and he looks drained.

"She's not expendable." He whispers to me, looking lost

"Then prove it." I hiss in his face.

He gets up and runs down the hall, with Mickey and I trailing to Rose's room.

I left the door open when I left and he enters it, swiftly. Mickey and I watch from the doorway.

He kneels beside Rose and gently picks her up. She fights him as soon as she realizes who it is.

"Rose, please Rose. Rose please." The Doctor says and she continues struggling in his grip.

"Why should I? Just get on with it and dump me back on my mother's doorstep yeah? I thought you and me and Wolfe were something bigger like- I don't know- a family or something- a really distorted family that gets in too much danger with a nutty Uncle and I don't know what else but you…you just can't let yourself care for more than a moment because you're a coward! I hate you!" she punctuates this remark with a slap to his face that causes him to recoil slightly "You're too afraid to believe that I might really want to give up everything to stay with you because one day I'm gonna die! Everyone dies Doctor! You of all people should know that! Now look at what you've done! You've stolen Sarah Jane's chance at a husband and kids, you've ruined Madame De Pompadour's life and you've crushed my trust in you, all because you are afraid to get to close. Too afraid to let anyone see inside your heart of stone and mind of ice." She continues to fight him, her hands flying in all directions, with her tears.

Finally, she relaxes, exhausted from her speech and fighting him.

"Rose, I'm sorry." He says, lamely.

"Go away. Take me home." She says, avoiding his gaze.

"Rose." He says her name almost reverently.

Kiss her you idiot I think to myself, but instead, he says "I want you to put your hands on either side of my head."

"Why should I?" she demands

He takes her hands and puts them on either side of his face and he shuts his eyes.

Her eyes widen at something I can't see.

"Doctor." She whispers, "I see in your head."

I smile.

"Yes, Rose. I have never let anyone do this before. I am putting more trust in you than anyone else I've ever met. This is the best way I can think to say I'm sorry." The Doctor answers.

Rose's hands move slightly, her thumb moving just enough to caress his cheekbone slightly as she shuts her eyes.

In silence for a few more minutes I watch them, when Rose opens her eyes again, and so does the Doctor.

Her eyes are filled with tears.

"Was that too much?" he whispers, looking terrified.

"No. Thank you." She answers, wrapping her arms around him, her hands sliding from his face to around his neck and burying her face into his jacket.

He places his cheek on the top of her head, his arms sliding around her waist.

I tug Mickey's jacket and lead him away. It's better to leave them alone for a little bit.

An hour later, I remember how hungry I am and I can't remember the last time I ate. I think it was breakfast at Sarah Jane's over a day ago.

I walk to the Tardis kitchen and start making the only thing I know how- pancakes.

I make three times for batter than the original recipe called for and filled the batter with bananas. I got a chair and stood on it in order to reach the griddle. I flipped pancake after pancake after pancake until I had over 30 on various plates about the kitchen.

Then, I set the table for Mickey, Rose, the Doctor and I.
"Dinner!" I called out the door of the kitchen, and second slater Mickey appeared at the door.

"Thank God, I am bloody starving!" He smiles

"Get used to it. Missing meals is part of life with The Doctor." I smile at him

He sits down and starts piling his plates with banana pancakes.

"Wait for Rose and the Doctor." I tell him and he groans

After another moment, I walk down the hall to peek in Rose's door.

No one is there. I frown, and look in the Doctor's room, but they aren't there either.

I paused in the hall when very faintly, I heard music playing. Following the noise, I walked into a large room where the Doctor and Rose were dancing.

"Remember back when I first found out you could dance?" Laughs Rose, slightly breathless as the Doctor twirled her around

"Yes." The Doctor smiles as he pulls her back to him

"You were so jealous of Jack!" She giggles as they move around the room.

"I was not!" he responds, falsely offended as he dips her.

"Yes you were!" she chuckles as he swings her back up.

"Sorry to bother you guys but it's dinner time. I made Banana pancakes!" I yell over the music.

They turn to look at me, their gazes light with happiness "Alright!" Rose grins, while The Doctor points his sonic screwdriver at the radio and it turns off. They follow me to the kitchen.

We sit at the table and immediately start to scarf down the pancakes.

After dinner we head to the console room, where we are hanging out and Mickey, Rose and the Doctor are telling stories. The Doctor and Rose are both slumped in chairs next to each other while Mickey stands by the console. They are relating a story to Mickey.

"And that weird munchkin lady with the big eyes? Do you remember? The way she looked at you! And then she opens her mouth and fire comes out!"

"I thought I was gonna get frazzled!" Laughs Rose

"Yeah! One minute she's standing there, and the next minute, rawwwh!" He and Rose mimic fire coming out of their mouths, killing themselves laughing. Mickey nods and smiles, not really following.

"Yeah... where... where was that, then? What happened?" Mickey asks

"Oh, it was on this um... uh, this uh... planet thing, asteroid. It's a long story, you had to be there. Um... what're you doing that for?"

Mickey has his finger on a button on the console.

"'Cos you told me to..." Mickey says

"When was that...?" the Doctor asks

"About half an hour ago..." Mickey says, annoyed

"Um. You can let go now." The Doctor grins

Mickey lets go. Rose sniggers

"Well, how long's it been since I could've stopped?" demands Mickey

"Ten minutes? Twenty? ... Twenty-nine?" The Doctor laughs along with Rose and I

"You just forgot me!" cries Mickey

"No, no, no! I was just... I was just... I was calibrating. I was just... no, I know exactly what I'm doing." The Doctor informs him

And then the TARDIS console explodes. Violently. Sparks and flames fly everywhere. The Doctor scrambles to his feet and frantically tries to operate the console.

"What's happened?" Demands Rose

"The time vortex is gone! That's impossible, it's just gone!" cries The Doctor

"What?" I cry

"Brace yourself! We're gonna crash!" The Doctor yells.

I look around and grab the nearest bar. I catch sight of Mickey grabbing a chair and Rose a handle on the wall. We crash, and all of us are sent flying. As we fly across the space, my vision is taken up by the sight of fire, everywhere, and a strange man, Rose the Doctor and I are running to a ladder, hanging from a zeppelin. The man then the Doctor then me then rose climbs the ladder, but a man made of steel starts trying to attack Rose. She cuts the rope using her pocket knife and she and the metal man fall into the abyss as the Doctor and I scream.

A Gas mask hits me on the head, having fallen from the ceiling, sparks fly everywhere and we all tumble to the floor, and I am shaken from my vision. All the light in the TARDIS has gone out and it is very dark.