Woo and I'm back with another chapter!! :D Ya all should love this one *is smacked by Loki* oi! I'm not gonna spoil it for them! Please continue reviewing, I like to know people are still reading and enjoying this....plus if I could get to 100 reviews before this story ends I will kiss you all!!!! Well....maybe I'll let the Doctor kiss you all XD

Disclaimer: Why do I still need this thing?!?! If I really owned Doctor Who I wouldn't be writing these....I'd be making them into TV episodes!!!!! But at least I own Loki and all my other creations...and stuff

Time Leap

Short Reprieve for Tired Souls

Waving goodbye to Jack Harkness as he headed towards Torchwood base, Loki returned back inside the TARDIS, stretching her arms over her head. Things had definitely started to pick up despite losing an hour of their memories. She couldn't remember why but she was no longer angry at the Doctor for ignoring her and seemed to be looking at her like he used to, his eyes glittering not only when he looked at River but at her too. She had missed the old Doctor. However Jack hadn't been the only one to notice the difference before he left. River too had begun to notice the closeness that Jack had hinted at in conversations. To her the two seemed so similar and yet different in ways that complimented the other. While the Doctor would mope about the TARDIS ignoring him, Loki would tease him but not in a way to mock him, but in fact cheer him up. Could she really compare?

This only seemed to grow as several more weeks of travelling occurred and oddly...River was living with it. Just seeing the two sharing laughs, tears and comfort was enough to make her feel as if she was intruding until Loki pulled her into their mess or the Doctor continued to keep her close. As the three traipsed back into the TARDIS, all three wearing flowers around their necks after a trip to Hawaii where they had ended up solving a mystery around the Tiki statues which had turned out to be giant alien heads that liked to tell riddles. Strange huh?

"For being a Time Lady, you sure get tired a lot," River chuckled as Loki collapsed onto the Captain's seat with a yawn.

"I can't help it, I like sleeping," she whined before yawning again.

"Yes, you always were one of the laziest Gallifreyans," the Doctor chuckled as he tried to fix another problem with the TARDIS, only to narrowly miss a flying shoe his way, "what was that for?!"

"I did more work than you ever did!" she grumbled as she reclaimed her shoe, "now please say we can have a night off, I want to sleep and I bet even River's tired."
Ever though she'd rather continue with the adventures, River had to admit she was feeling somewhat tired. It wasn't as if they were lacking in time anyway. The Doctor nodded absentmindedly, clearly more interested in fixing the TARDIS than sleeping like the other two.

Bidding them goodnight, the two headed to their rooms. Loki slumped onto her bed with a tired sigh, running her hands over her face. Was she getting sick again? She had to agree with River, it was odd for her to be so tired as often as she was. However no matter how much the Time Lady tried she couldn't fall asleep. Instead she continuously tossed and turned before she finally gave up and stalked out of the bedroom, grumbling darkly as she took up a seat in the console room, watching the Doctor work under the gratings of the floor before popping up, looking at her with an arched eyebrow.

"I thought you were going to sleep?"

"Can't sleep," she admitted with a sigh, "It's like my body wants to sleep but my mind refuses to shut off for me."

For a while she just sat there watching him fix something or other before he finally sighed and dusted off his hands.

"Alright then, if you're not going to sleep I might as well get her going," he began flipped levers and turning dials.

Loki leapt up with a stretch, "I'll go get River then."

However she didn't get far when he called her back, "let her sleep, there's something I want to show you," she arched an eyebrow at him, not missing how he wasn't looking her in the eye.

With curiosity as her guide, Loki peered over his shoulders in an attempt to figure out where they were going however the TARDIS had already landed somewhere and she was being dragged out.

Loki's eyes widened at the surrounding forest of lilac leaved trees, their trunks a deeper purple. Even the grass was a strange indigo, contrasting against the almost crystal like waterfall before them, the light blue water glittering in the golden light as the two suns set on the horizon. Her eyes burned slightly as the Doctor turned to her with a soft smile, his arms out either side of him. This had been the first place he had taken her when they had started seeing each other on Gallifrey. The beautiful waterfall and forest had immediately stuck in her heart and mind forever. However despite being overjoyed at returning here she couldn't help but wonder why. Judging by the look on the Doctor's face he could see her silent question.

Licking his lips lightly, the Time Lord took a deep breath, his hands behind his back.

"There's been something I've been meaning to tell you for a long time, Loki. You know about the bond we created on Earth those many years ago," he smiled warmly as she blushed slightly at the memory, "we both know that those bonds never vanish even after regeneration, and to try and break them is both painful and heartbreaking."

Oh she knew that. Several times she had tried to break the invisible bond with him after she had found out he was married and had a daughter, however it had been too painful to give up. Her eyes met his once again as one of his hands cupped her cheek gently.

"I don't know about you but I've grown tired of trying to run from our bond."

Loki's eyes widened a fraction before she shook her head lightly, "if this is going somewhere..."

Running was an understatement, she didn't know about him but several times she had practically thrown it away. Thrown it away for Rose. Thrown it away for River. Thrown it away for Cassa. She didn't miss his eyes softening. Was he really admitting it? Really admitting he still had feelings for her after all they had been through? Shaking her head once again, Loki took a step back, feeling her back brush against one of the beautiful trees.

"Loki...I've lost so many people I loved," his eyes darkened with age-old sorrow that only made her want to embrace him, "after I lost everything in the Time War...after I thought I had lost you in the Time War it left a gaping hole in my hearts that nearly killed me. I never thought I could find it again but I did...in Rose...and then I lost her like everyone else," his eyes turned back up to her as Loki blinked back tears of her own, "and she's gone again only this time I've got to learn to move on like her."

"But River...she even said so herself..." Loki muttered, wondering why her voice seemed to have dropped.

He smiled slightly with a shake of his head, a breeze rustling through his messily styled hair, "River never admitted how she knew my name, just that she knew it, which could mean a number of things. Time is in flux and can change."

"But you've still grown to love her," Loki reminded.

Why was she all of a sudden all for the Doctor loving someone else but her? Simple. She was afraid of what it could mean, of what could happen.

"I care about her but for a while now my hearts have been with only one person," Loki's eyes widened as he tilted her chin lightly to him, "a beautiful, smart, silly woman who means the Universe to me. You have no idea how many times I wanted to ask you but never had the courage to but.....in true human style," he lowered to one knee only making the Time Lady's eyes widen further, "will you marry me?"

Loki was silent for a long moment.

And in true Loki style she hit him round the head, "you stupid, stupid, stupid Time Lord! How many times you've wanted to ask me to marry you...how long have I been waiting for you to bloody ask me?!"

The Doctor blinked both a little confused and elated, "is that a yes?"

She pounced on him, her arms wrapping round his neck as they fell back onto the dark purple grass.

"Of course it is you bloody idiot," she sniffed from his chest, her shoulders shaking as tears finally fell down her cheeks, "never make me wait this long again..."

The Doctor smiled warmly down at his love, wrapping his arms around her tenderly, "I promise."

At that moment in her life Loki for once felt quite alive. She would have never gone begging to the Doctor and admitting her feelings. All this time she had waited for him only to shy away when he became involved with others. Always thinking of others before herself, Loki saw that as her curse of being a Time Lady, ignoring her own sadness. But he had admitted to her finally. And above all he had asked her to marry him! Chosen her over all others. She could have died happy at that moment. Who would have thought that the daughter of the Master would end up marrying the Doctor? It really had been a long time for her to wait. She could have laughed; she was engaged!

A thought struck her as she finally brushed away her tears, glancing back at the TARDIS before at her....fiancé. Loki barely held back the slightly hysterical giggle.

"Should we tell River?" she asked, not wanting to spoil the moment too much.

Feeling his shoulder shrug slightly under her, Loki couldn't help but chuckle.

"I think we should...I want her to be there."

The Doctor looked a little surprised at this gesture. In Gallifreyan weddings it was only close family who attended due to the unveiling of their names that they kept close at heart. Not only would it be an honour for a friend to be present, but for a human too would have been frowned upon. He loved the idea. With a smile on his face he kissed Loki gently, practically sighing as she melted in his arms.

"Whatever you want, love."

He chuckled as she giggled madly before he groaned.

"Oh god, that means Jack's gonna be my best man."

Now she did burst out into full out laughter.

The circular room was silent despite the ten people stood all around the perimeter, the dull lighting almost making the cloaked people invisible. The most visible was the one stood in the centre, hands over an oddly shaped basin filled with clear water. Hushed muttering started to echo through the room, almost churning the water in the basin before it stilled. Blue light glowed lightly from the water as ripples crossed its surface beneath the man's hands. Those around the room continued to mutter their incantation. Reflected in the water was the image of the TARDIS, the two Gallifreyan people sat outside it, enjoying themselves as they held each other close. The cloaked man smirked beneath his hood.

"Found you, Lords of Time."

As the glowing water stilled and the light faded, so did the muttering until a question was put forward.

"Are the preparations complete?"

"Yes, as you instructed, they have been detained and one brought here."

"Excellent, bring the Anglexon in."

The sound of rattling chains soon became obvious before a man was roughly pushed inside, falling to his knees with a wince of pain. His long golden hair and golden eyes dulled, his pale skin covered in bruises and wounds inflicted from his capture. Even his once magnificent white wings were a dull grey now, some feathers missing while blood covered parts of them. Raxon knelt, a broken man in front of his captors, with nought but worry in his heart for his people that had been attacked by these cloaked people.

"You will tell us all about this Zera character who bares a resemblance to the known Time Lady, Loki."

'Please be safe,' was all he thought as he offered not a word to them.

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