When Eva woke up, the Doctor wasn't in bed with her and the water was running in the shower. She smiled to herself, thinking the Doctor had already woken up and decided to take a shower as she closed her eyes again, snuggling into the comforts of his bed.
Who knew a man who slept so little had such a nice bed?
She breathed in and out evenly, slowly lulling herself back to sleep when a voice called out in surprise.
"Eva?!"
Her eyes opened wide and she sat up, taking in the sight of the Sixth Doctor in front of her wearing nothing but a towel before quickly closing her eyes.
"Oh, god," she muttered, half to herself and half to him. "I'm sorry, I fell asleep and... I must've arrived here just minutes ago..."
"What were you doing in my bed?" the Doctor asked, sounding just as embarrassed as she felt.
"You... you were having a nightmare," she said quietly, a warm blush creeping up her throat and onto her cheeks. "I came and... we fell asleep... nothing happened," she said quickly. "It's just... you just... you had a bad dream."
"Oh," the Doctor said. "Well... ahem... perhaps we should... you should... leave?"
"I gladly would, if it weren't for the fact that you're a bit too close to being naked for my comfort and what I wear under this blanket is a bit too short for your comfort," Eva replied. "I didn't exactly plan on sharing a bed with you last night."
"Right," the Doctor said. "Then I'll go back to the bathroom so you could leave without making this situation even more embarrassing than it already is."
"Good plan," Eva nodded, waiting with her eyes still closed until she heard the bathroom door close behind the Doctor.
As soon as it did, she all but ran out of the room, heading straight to her own room to change before smoking a cigarette.
"Couldn't you warn one of us?" she asked, looking up. "I don't know... lock the door to the Doctor's bathroom so that he couldn't leave? Making sure I woke up as soon as I arrived so that I could have been gone before the Doctor realized I was there?" The TARDIS hummed softly and Eva glared at it. "Do you have any idea how embarrassing this was?"
"Eva?" a second voice said and the young woman looked up to see Mel looking at her. "When did you get here?"
"About ten minutes ago," Eva replied. "Right into the Doctor's bed."
"I... did not need to know that," Mel said, rubbing her temple.
"Nothing happened, alright?" Eva asked. "He was having a nightmare. I stayed with him. Travelled in my sleep and woke up to a different Doctor coming out of the shower."
"Right," Mel nodded, though it was clear she didn't believe the time traveller. "If you say so."
"Shut up," Eva muttered, slapping her playfully on the arm. "Let's go to the Console Room," she added, putting off her cigarette in the ash tray.
"What's in the Console Room?" Mel questioned.
"I dunno," Eva shrugged. "But the Doctor always ends up there right before interesting things happen."
"Fair point," Mel laughed, and he two walked to the Console Room where, unsurprisingly, they found the Doctor.
"Hey," Eva said, deciding to act as if she didn't simply appear in his bed just minutes ago. "What's up?"
"I've just been trying to understand exactly that," the Doctor said, pressing buttons as he looked at the scanner. "There's an energy heading our way, and I can't understand if it's friendly or not..."
The beam of energy hit the TARDIS, making them all fall to the ground and Eva called out as she hit her head at the console.
"Just guessing here, but I don't think it's friendly," she said, rubbing her forehead and trying to ignore the fact that she was seeing double.
"Don't stand up," the Doctor ordered, his voice weak. "I'll fix this in a second..."
"Doctor?" Eva asked. "Is this what I think this is?"
The Doctor followed her gaze to the scanner, where a planet could be clearly seen.
"Lakertya..." he muttered, before wincing. "Where's Mel?"
"Passed out," Eva said. "Doctor, my head hurts..."
"Must be the radiation," the Doctor muttered.
"Radiation?" Eva asked, just as the TARDIS was hit again and both she and the Doctor were thrown around again. "Doctor?" Eva asked, slowly nearing him to see him lying unconscious. "Doctor!"
The TARDIS landed roughly, making Eva wince again at the impact. She looked up to see a woman she couldn't place in her mind entering the TARDIS, a creature following her.
"Leave the girls," she ordered. "It's the man I want. Take him to my laboratory."
She walked out and the creature neared the Doctor and Eva, forcing the first out of the latter's grip and turning him around just in time to see him regenerating into the Seventh Doctor.
"No," Eva muttered as the creature took the Doctor away, right before black clouded her vision. "Doctor..."
She could vaguely register the TARDIS door closing behind them, before the world turned black.
She was brought back at the sound of the TARDIS door opening again, and a figure walking in.
"Doctor?" she muttered, blinking her eyes open to see... a green man?
A Lakertyan, she realized, starting to pinpoint what episode she arrived into. The Doctor had just regenerated and taken into... someone's laboratory to fix... something, and this was a rebel Lakertyan... who was just looking at her helpless form, thinking she was working with... with whom?
"Who are you?" he asked, his eyes darting to the still unconscious Mel for a moment before returning to her.
"I'm Eva," she said, making a move to stand up but stopping at the sight of him tensing. "I'm not an enemy of yours..."
"I'll be the judge of that," he said, taking out a piece of rope and quickly tying Eva's hand together before raising Mel and putting her over his shoulder. "Come," he said, roughly pulling the rope.
"You could've asked nicely," Eva muttered as she was dragged forwards. "I would have come."
"And be quiet."
Eva rolled her eyes but complied, walking after the Lakertyan for a couple of minutes obediently. She used the time to look around, taking in the landmark she was certain could have been beautiful if only someone paid the time to do so, before being torn out of her thoughts as Mel woke up, kicking and twisting in the Lakertyan's arms until he fell to the ground, taking Eva with him.
They looked, seeing Mel run away until she was met with another Lakertyan, this time a girl who seemed to be just as scared as Mel was. The girl looked at her for less than a moment before changing course of her escape, which led her right into a trip wire.
Eva looked up at the sound of a scream, to see the girl trapped inside a spinning bubble, flying through the air and bouncing off a cliff before crushing into another and exploding. Mel, who followed the sight, looked at Eva worriedly before glancing at the other Lakertyan.
Slowly, Eva shook her head.
The Lakertyan kneeled next to the body of his fellow, before looking up at Mel with anger.
"Go on," he said, "Run. Run! The area's full of traps, as well you know."
"Me?" Mel asked. "Why should I? This is insane."
"Don't play the innocent," he snarled at her. "Your friends set this trap."
"Look, it's all very well being upset –"
"Upset? Another of your obscene murders takes place –"
"Stop it, both of you!" Eva said. "I told you already, we are not enemies."
"Lies!" the Lakertyan said. "If I didn't need you as a hostage, you'd be dead."
"A hostage?" Mel asked. "For what?"
"To exchange for our leader," he replied. "Your friends took him prisoner."
"Why do you keep calling them friends of ours?" Mel questioned.
"You arrived from outer space, as they did," he said as he grabbed Eva's rope and used it to tie Mel, as well. "Now they can have you back. On my terms."
EMH
"Will you listen?" Mel asked for the umpteenth time as they moved down a slippery hill. "How many more times do I have to tell you I'm not your enemy. Look, can we start from scratch? My name's Mel and this is Eva. We come from Earth. Your turn."
"This is no game," the Lakertyan said.
"I know it's something with an 'I'," Eva muttered to herself, trying to remember his name. "Ir... Iv..."
"All right, let's try another tack," Mel said. "You claim Eva and I were alone when you found us."
"Oh, don't go on about this Doctor again," he said, rolling his eyes.
"I have to."
"In... Ik..."
"There was no one else in the strange box" the Lakertyan said. "If he exists, he must have left you."
"No way," Mel said determinedly. "Even if he did leave me – which he wouldn't have – The Doctor would never leave Eva."
"If he has any sense he would," he muttered.
"It's not even up for discussion," Mel exclaimed.
"Good," he said. "I shall enjoy the silence."
"Ikona!" Eva called out. "That's your name!"
Ikona turned to look at her, shocked, and nearly tripped on a trip wire in the process.
"Watch out!" Mel called out, pulling him back just in time to stop him from getting trapped in the bubble, which flew away and exploded on a cliff side.
Ikona swallowed hard, looking between the two women worriedly.
"Now will you accept that we're not your enemies?" Mel asked desperately and Ikona nodded shakily.
"We must hurry," he said, untying their wrists. "The Tetraps will come to investigate."
"What made you think we were in league with them?" Mel asked.
"You're not Lakertyan," Ikona said. "You don't belong on this planet."
"Then they're human, like me?" Mel asked.
"No, not like you," Ikona replied, looking the two up and down. "Although almost as hideous."
"Aren't you a charmer?" Eva muttered, though there was a smile on her face as they started heading forwards.
They walked for a couple of minutes, close to no words exchanged between the trio before Mel stopped, leaning on a rock for support.
"Hold on," she said. "I need a breather."
"We must keep moving," Ikona told her, but the human didn't move.
"What happened to the rest of your people?" she asked instead. "Won't they help?"
"No, they've been completely subdued," Ikona waved the suggestion away.
"We could at least try."
"The only one they listen to is Beyus, our leader," Ikona informed them.
"And I understand going to him isn't an option?" Eva asked.
"He's the hostage I wanted to exchange you for," Ikona admitted, before pausing at the sound of rocks falling nearby. "Shush. Listen."
The two humans strained their ears, managing to hear movement not far from them.
"Quickly!"
"We can't go that way," Mel protested. "It's completely exposed."
"For once, don't argue," Ikona told her before running away once more.
"Come on," Eva sighed, taking Mel's hand in hers and running after him, until they reached something that looked like a sewer pipe and hid inside.
"Hopefully they'll think we doubled back to stay undercover," Ikona said, coming to a halt.
Mel looked around distastefully. "Always providing they don't flush us out first."
"We need to get to the Doctor," Eva said, looking at her companions.
"Again with this Doctor?" Ikona asked.
"He's in trouble," Eva said. "He's been captured by... someone," she said, rubbing her eyes. "Damn it, I can't remember."
"You did hit your head on the console when we landed," Mel said. "I'm sure everything will come back to you soon."
"I don't have time for that," Eva said. "He's regenerated and he's alone. I need to find him."
Mel nodded, looking out of the pipe. "No one about," she said, nodding to the other two. "Come on."
"No!" Ikona said, stopping her. "It's too soon."
"Not for us," Eva said. "We're going to find the Doctor."
"If he's been captured, he's as good as dead," Ikona told them.
"All right," Eva said. "We'll find him without you."
Mel nodded. "One thing about the Doctor, you can't miss him in that outfit," she said.
The two walked out of the pipe, heading towards the big building they saw. Even though her back was turned to him, Eva could still hear Ikona's sigh and all but see him roll his eyes before the sound of him following behind them were heard, though from a distance.
Eva led the way, climbing up and down the hill side in order to get to the Doctor. Mel followed behind, not a single sound of complain leaving her mouth, though Eva supposed she must have many. The two were so engrossed in their journey that neither of them saw the trip wire until it was too late.
Eva understood what was happening a moment before Mel, pushing the other woman aside and ending up trapped in the bubble alone. Fear filled every single one of her features as she flew up in the air and the bubble bounced off a cliff.
"Help!" she called out. "Help!"
The bubble bounced again, this time landing in a nearby lake. It didn't explode, but Eva was still trapped and screaming.
"Help! Help me!"
"Be quiet and don't move," she heard Ikona say, and looked up to see him approaching the bubble carefully, with Mel following close behind.
"Have you..." Mel started, "Have you done this before?"
"No, this is the first time," Ikona admitted. "But if you don't stop interrupting me and she won't stop squawking, it'll be the last."
Eva took a couple of deep breaths as Ikona started tinkering with the base of the bubble – where she knew the explosives were – and slowly twisted something. She closed her eyes, hoping he would succeed and trying to calm herself down from the knowledge that if he didn't, the three of them would be dead.
She wasn't a stranger to death, of course. She had died more times than she could count, and that was only less than a year after she discovered that newfound ability. It still didn't make life or death situations seem not as bad, and the whole process of dying and being brought back to life hurt enough so that she'd do her best to avoid it.
Not to mention the fact that there were two other lives on the line other than her, and she was never blown up before and didn't know if she'd come back.
She wasn't overly keen on finding out.
Ikona made a sharp movement that made Eva's breath catch in her throat before she noticed there was a piece in his hand and that the bubble was no longer trapping her. He threw the piece to the lake where it blew up, sending water everywhere.
"Eva!" Mel called out, pulling the other woman into a hug. "Oh, thank god you're okay!"
Eva nodded, still too shaken with fear to do anything as she hugged her friend back. When the human let go, Eva turned to look at Ikona.
"Thank you," she said, knowing that her words would never explain just how grateful she was.
Ikona nodded at her, before starting to make his way forwards once more, with the two women quickly following behind.
None of them saw the creature following them from up the hills.
EMH
The trio kept walking for hours upon hours, yet only small pieces of Eva's memory returned.
She knew they were dealing with the Rani, but she didn't remember what the Time Lady was trying to do. She also remembered something about the Rani pretending to be Mel so she could fool the Doctor into doing what he wanted, but she didn't remember why she couldn't do it on her own, or what did the Doctor do to help.
It wasn't uncommon, that she forgot small details about stories – after all, it's been over a year since she last saw most of the episodes – but she always remembered the important things, and she had a feeling there was something very, very important she was forgetting.
They were just climbing down another hillside, moving from behind one rock to another, when Mel spoke.
"Any sign of the, what did you call it?" she asked.
"Tetraps," Ikona replied before adding, "No. Come, keep moving."
"Look," Mel started once more. "Look, I'm grateful for your help, of course, but gratitude isn't going to turn me into a puppet."
"I've already come to that painful conclusion," Ikona muttered.
"Well then, tell me, are we just running scared or are we heading for somewhere in particular?"
"Mel," Eva said, wishing they could stop so that she could have the cigarette she's been craving ever since she stepped on the trip wore. "In case you somehow failed to notice, the answer to both questions is yes."
"She's right," Ikona said. "Now can we go?" he pointed to an opening near the top of one of the cliffs around them. "Wait here," he ordered before rushing forwards.
Eva sighed, pulling a pack of cigarettes from her pocket before lighting one.
"You know, I read an article that said these things will kill you," Mel told her knowingly.
"Yeah?" Eva asked, taking a long drag into her lungs. "Well, I'm not that easy to kill."
She looked up at the cliff, where they could barely see Ikona's figure anymore.
"Oh, I wish he would hurry," Mel sighed.
"I can't help but feel I'm forgetting something," Eva muttered. "Something important..."
She finished off her cigarette and just turned around to put it out when she saw the same creature that dragged the Doctor away earlier heading their way.
"Mel!" she called out, just in time for the other woman to turn around and see the creature.
She let out a scream and Eva used the moment of distraction to pull her out of the way, just as a noise could be heard from above them and Eva looked up. It seemed like Ikona found what he was looking for – a gun of some kind – and was now using it to shoot metal fragments at the creature.
"Come," Eva said sharply, pulling Mel after her as she started climbing the cliff to where Ikona was.
"What was that thing?" Mel asked.
"I'm guessing that was a Tetrap," Eva replied. "It must have been following us for a while. Damn it, I can't believe I forgot."
"Eva, you've got to stop beating yourself up over this," Mel said. "This isn't helping anybody, and it's only making you feel worse. You're under a lot of stress and you want to find the Doctor – I understand. But you need to give yourself a break."
"Right," Eva said, taking a breath as she reached the top of the cliff. "I just... he's with the Rani, and I hate the thought of him being helpless against her."
"Everything will be okay," Mel said, putting a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder. "We'll fix this."
EMH
"That's where they've set up headquarters," Ikona said some time later, as they reached the entrance of a building built into the mountain.
"Well then," Mel said. "That's where the Doctor must be."
"You can't be sure," Ikona warned.
"I can," Eva said, not looking away from the entrance. "That's where he is."
"Look, you don't know the Doctor," Mel told him.
"If he's in there, I probably never will," Ikona commented.
"There's no if about it," Eva said. "He's in there, and he needs us."
"Any idea what the central ramp's for?" Mel asked, looking at some sort of construction above the main entrance.
"No," Ikona replied. "All I know is that building it cost the lives of many Lakertyans."
"Something must have gone terribly wrong," Mel muttered, half to herself.
"The logic of that escapes me," Ikona said, confused.
"They kidnapped the Doctor," Eva said. "I don't believe I've ever met anyone quite as unpredictable as him, they must be desperate to try and use him."
"That, and everybody knows Eva and him will do anything to get back to each other," Mel commented. "Separating them is never a good idea."
"Come on," Ikona said, nodding his head to mark the two women they were moving closer.
Eva grabbed Mel's hand in one of hers, and Ikona's in the other.
"We should probably stay close together," she said as an explanation and Mel smiled softly, squeezing her hand before worry took over once more.
They started heading forwards once more, slowly and carefully, until a figure approached and Ikona freed his hand from Eva's grasp, ordering the two girls to wait before heading to speak with the other Lakertyan.
"Who's that?" Mel asked quietly.
"I..." Eva looked around, trying to remember when her eyes fell on the remains of the Lakertyan girl that was killed earlier from one of the wire traps.
Could they really have been walking in circles for so long? Were they really so close to the TARDIS, to Rani's Headquarters and, most importantly, to the Doctor, only to turn away and walk the other direction?
"If I'm not wrong," she said slowly, marking at the remains sadly, "I think they're somehow related."
The two girls watched as Ikona spoke to the woman, though they were too far away to hear what was being said. It wasn't until the woman started heading away from Ikona and towards them that they started hearing parts of the conversation.
"I can't accept he's right to collaborate," Ikona told the woman.
"He is being held hostage," the woman replied sternly. "He has no choice. It's the only way that Beyus can save the rest of us from destruction."
"He didn't save her, did he?" Mel asked, jumping out of where they were hiding and making the woman take a hesitant step back.
"It's all right, Faroon," Ikona said. "She's not with the Tetraps."
"You said her?" Faroon asked Mel, and Eva pulled her friend back, knowing what news were coming next.
"Yes," Mel said, though her voice was less accusing. "Well, she was running away from something."
"You saw what happened too, Ikona?" Faroon asked, turning to look at him. "You're not usually so reluctant to air your thoughts. From which direction did she come?"
"I'm sorry," Eva said, making Faroon turn and look at her for the first time. "She was trying to run away from the Tetrap headquarters."
Faroon turned her gaze back to Ikona, who reluctantly answered the question that hung in the air.
"It was Sarn," he said.
Faroon's eyes widened, as she slowly turned to look at the skeleton. She neared it, looking at the remains sadly.
"Who was Sarn?" Mel asked quietly.
"The daughter of Faroon and Beyus," Ikona replied quietly.
Mel's hand fell from Eva's as she stepped forward, nearing the grieving mother.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't realise."
"I..." Faroon started, though the words stuck in her throat. "I had to be told."
"There was nothing to be done," Ikona said as he and Eva stepped closer. "She stepped on a trap."
"Yet another victim," Faroon snarled, tears streaming on her face. "I must go to Beyus."
She turned away, starting to walk towards the Headquarters with Eva and Mel in tow.
"Where are the two of you going?" Ikona asked them.
"If Beyus is collaborating then he must be in the Tetrap headquarters," Mel said.
"That's where the Doctor is," Eva added. "We must get to him."
They turned around and resumed their walking, and Eva could, once again, hear Ikona's sigh before he started walking as well.
EMH
Eva, Mel and Ikona hid behind one of the rocks as they watched Faroon walking up to the entrance, the Tetrap guarding the doors letting her in easily.
"You're still determined to get in?" Ikona asked.
"No matter what the risk," Mel said and Eva nodded.
"The Doctor is worth it," she stated.
"Madness," Ikona muttered before a small smile rose on his face. "It must be contagious. I'll draw him off."
Eva and Mel exchanged looks of equal surprise as the Lakertyan ran out of their hiding spot, effectively distracting the Tetrap. Not wasting a single moment, Eva and Mel broke into a run as soon as the entrance was clear, managing to enter the building without being spotted.
"What now?" Mel asked.
"Now, we find the Doctor," Eva said, starting to lead her friend through a corridor until she found a door that was unlocked. "Ready?"
"As I'll ever be," Mel replied, and the two walked into the room.
It was an odd looking room, big and wide with two sets of doors to enter from – the one the two came from and another, with a keypad, right across from them. There were stairs leading to another door with a keypad, and a big, rectangle table in the middle. There were also four pyramids, one at each side of the room, and tinkering noises could be heard from one of them.
The two carefully neared it, spotting a man working on the machine.
Eva couldn't help but smile at the sight of the Doctor. Newly regenerated and already in his signature suit, the Seventh Doctor wore his hat and coat with an ease that could only be attributed to him.
Mel, on the other hand, wasn't so relaxed.
"Who are you?" she asked, making the Doctor turn around. He smiled at her for a moment before his eyes fell on Eva, who was still smiling at him.
"You!" he said accusingly. "Where's Eva?"
"Where's the Doctor?" Mel questioned.
"Step away from her, Mel, she's not who you think she is," the Doctor said, and the smile dropped from Eva's face as he pushed Mel behind him. "What have you done with her?"
"Stay away from me!" Mel called out. "What have you done with the Doctor?"
She grabbed his arm and threw him at the floor, holding his arm behind his back.
"Now we'll get to the truth," she said. "What have you done with him, you brute?"
"Mel, stop it!" Eva called.
"He's here!" the Doctor called out.
"Where?" Mel asked mockingly. "Under the carpet?"
"It's me, you washer woman! Me!"
"Never!" Mel called out. "You're nothing like him. He would have never thought Eva to be anybody else!"
"Stop it, the both of you!" Eva called out, nearing them only for the Doctor to free himself from Mel's grip and grasp her instead.
"Doctor, stop!" she called out. "It's me!"
"Stay away, Mel, she's nothing but a liar!" the Doctor called out, carrying Eva as far away from his companion as he could.
"Put me down, now!" Eva called out and the Doctor complied, though the look of hatred didn't leave his eyes.
"Drop the melodramatics," he said. "Your pathetic impersonation doesn't fool me at all. Incidentally, that wig's not you," he added, pulling some of Eva's hairs and making her cry out.
"Stop it, you idiot!" she called out. "I'm just as much Eva as you are the Doctor!"
"As if!" the Doctor called out. "I knew you weren't finished, Rani. I told Eva as much."
"You told her?" Mel asked, marking at Eva.
"No, I told Eva!" the Doctor said.
"I am Eva!" Eva called out, getting angrier and angrier as the conversation went on. How dare the Rani pretend to be her? How dare she make the Doctor think she was a fake?
"Who's the Rani?" Mel asked.
"Look right there," the Doctor said, pointing at Eva, "At the face of evil."
"I've had enough of it!" Eva called out. "Check my pulse, and she'll check yours."
"What?" Mel asked, confused.
"Time Lords have two heartbeats," Eva said. "If I am Eva, then I'll only have one, and if he's the Doctor, he'll have two."
"Offering yourself up?" the Doctor asked. "Your fraud will be revealed soon, Rani!"
"He doesn't even talk like the Doctor, the miserable fraud," Mel bit out.
"Feel his pulse!" Eva said. "And he'll feel mine!"
"That I will," the Doctor said. "Pulses, I should say. Two of them. One for each heart."
"You're a raving lunatic," Mel accused.
"Yes, perhaps I am," the Doctor agreed, "Because if she's the Rani, I'm dicing with destruction."
"And if I'm Eva?" Eva asked.
"Well, then I'm in for a lot worse than some destruction," the Doctor muttered. "Eva will kill both me and the Rani if she thought I believed someone else when they pretended to be her." He paused for a second. "How did I know that?"
"Well, perhaps the real Doctor told you," Mel said. "He knows not to mess with Eva!"
"Oh will you stop running in circles already?" Eva yelled. "He regenerated, Mel! New looks, new personality, new everything! And as for you," she said, turning to the Doctor, "You're damn right you're in trouble for believing the Rani when she pretending to be me, and the only thing that might save you right now is the fact that you're suffering from post-regenerative amnesia. So just check the bloody pulses so we can all move on already!"
"Fine," the Doctor said, turning to Mel. "You feel my pulses, I'll feel hers." He reached out his hand from where he was standing on the opposite side of the table. "I'll lean across here with my arm behind my back, if you want proof I'm a Time Lord."
"Come on already," Eva prompted impatiently and Mel carefully did as they told her, before her eyes widened.
"A double pulse," she whispered. "Then you really are the Doctor."
"Cause why listen to me when I said it?" Eva muttered angrily.
"Don't think you're getting away so quickly," the Doctor said. "Your turn."
Eva reached out both her wrists for the Doctor to check so quickly she almost hit him with them. He checked one, frowning before turning to the other only for the same result.
"Done yet?" Eva asked, making the Doctor swallow as he looked up.
"Evie?"
Her hand collided with his cheek so fast the look of shock was still on his face after he recovered from the blow.
"Took you long enough!" she yelled at him. "The Rani? Really?"