A/N: Got a whole bunch written, so keep an eye out for these updates! Sorry they've been coming far between lately! With the summer, I should be able to pick the pace back up. Enjoy!


chapter fifty four – midnight

Tardis

Just like that, of course, Rose was gone. The room was gone. The tv was gone. And Rixel was alone again. Expect this time, she was in the Tardis.

She decided not to think too hard about that one.

"Doctor?" Rixel looked around the empty control panel room. It was the coral Tardis. So no luck for it to be the bowtie Doctor. Too bad. She was feeling a bit overwhelmed at the moment and sure could use him.

Maybe she was teleported back to where she was before the weird Rose dream? Rixel shuddered. She hoped not. The Master had been there. Her jaw hardened at the thought of him. That jerk. And she thought he was her friend! She told him about her life! Her travels with the Doctor! She almost even told him about C-14!

Rixel pushed open the door to the Tardis and walked outside. Thinking about the Master would only make things worse. Outside, the Tardis seemed to be in a giant glass stadium. It was incredibly well decorated, and many people we milling about, though most in attire more suited for a beach. She was about to turn around and go back in the Tardis when she heard Donna's voice.

"I said no!"

Rixel looked around the room for the source, but she couldn't see Donna. At least, not at first.

"I bet you say that to all the girls."

Rixel grinned as she spotted Donna across the room. She started walking over there. It surprised her that no one seemed to notice just how loud Donna was talking.

"Oh, I'm safe! It says in the brochure that – oh! Guess who's here!" Donna looked up and smiled as Rixel crossed over towards her.

Rixel waved lightly at her, and looked around for the Doctor. Donna appeared to be alone.

"It's Rixel, you moron. Who else would it be?" She covered her hand over the phone. "The Doctor's about to take off some silly boat ride so it's just you and me."

Rixel smiled. "That works." She could use a moment to gather her thoughts before dealing with this Doctor. After all, her brief encounter with him still wasn't enough to make up for the years she'd been without him.

"No, no, she'll stay with me...No one cares about silly cliffs or...I'm just sayin that she...oh, fine. I'll ask." Donna lowered the phone once more. "He wants to know if you wanna join him."

Not even half a second ago she wanted to stay away from him, but the moment Donna suggested that she could go, a strange electric buzz raced through her. Rixel wanted to see the Doctor. More than anything.

Rixel bit her lip and nodded slowly.

"You sure? A boring sightseeing tour?" Donna raised an eyebrow.

Rixel nodded again.

The woman put the phone to her ear. "Yeah. She'll go." She paused for a moment, then glanced over Rixel. "No, she seems fine. Why?"

Rixel frowned. Great. What was he asking about her? She looked down at herself. Her attire was less than appeasing, that was for sure. She hadn't had a chance to change from the lab. Wow. Had she really been working there just minutes before?

Donna placed the phone down and looked up at Rixel. "Better go meet him. Ships leaving soon." She pointed behind Rixel. "Down that hall, port 42. You can't miss it."

Rixel smiled at Donna. After a short hesitation, she reached forward and hugged her. "I missed you!"

"I just barely saw you!" Donna laughed. "Though I suppose you were a big younger."

Rixel sighed and straightened back up. "Sorry."

Donna rolled her eyes. "Get going you crazy girl or he'll leave without you!"


Rixel was nervous. She wanted to see the Doctor again, but she didn't. Especially this Doctor. He was the one that always seemed to get upset with her, didn't he? She took in a deep breath. It didn't matter. He was the closest thing she had to family left. She wanted to see him and there was nothing wrong with that.

She saw him standing at the entrance to the ship. He waved her over with a smile. That was a good sign. Rixel smiled back and jogged over towards him.

"Rixel! Nice to see you!" He gave her a one armed hug then ushered her towards the ship.

"What is this place?" Rixel asked, taking one last look out the door before it closed behind them.

"Planet called Midnight. Wonderful planet. Deadly to anything living, but guaranteed one of the most beautiful things you've ever seen." He winked at her.

Rixel couldn't help but giggle. He seemed nice to her. She liked it. This was the Doctor she missed. The fun, loving, happy Doctor that wanted to show off the universe to her. She liked that.

They were lead to their seats and after a few warnings and saftey procedures, and the Doctor messing with the tech so they'd have a long quiet shuttle ride, Rixel finally found herself actually relaxing. This was a big deal, she realized. How long had it been since she didn't live each moment terrified of an oncoming threat? The Requiem was a constant nightmare. The Futurekind was better, but not much. So many years where she lived in fear every waking moment, and now she was back with the Doctor in the safest place possible. Well, the Tardis was probably – Rixel shuddered. Yeah. She wasn't ready to think about that yet.

"Rixel!" The Doctor turned towards her with a grin. "You're much older than the last time I saw you. How are things with you?"

She raised an eyebrow at him. "How much older?"

He looked her up and down. "Oh, two or three years I'd say. Last time I saw you we were at the Library."

Rixel thought for a moment. Oh, the library. Had that really only been a couple of years ago? It felt like a lifetime ago. She nodded slowly. "River."

"Yeah." He frowned. "You never did tell me who she was."

Rixel looked up at him and grinned ever so slightly. "Spoilers."

"Somehow I knew you were going to say that."

She laughed. Next time she saw River, she had to thank that woman. Wow, she hadn't realized how much she missed everyone. Martha, River, Rose... The red headed girl looked up at the Doctor. "Last time you saw me, you were mad at me."

He nodded slowly. "I was just worried about you."

"I know." Rixel replied. "But the last time I saw you, just a few moments ago... it was the first time I'd seen you in two years."

"Really?" He tilted his head. "Where'd you pop off to?"

She laughed again. "Saving the world."

"Is that right?" He grinned. "My little Rixel's all grown up."

"Hey!" Rixel punched him in the arm. "I'm not your little anything. Especially not your daughter."

A strange flash of panic flashed through his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a small chuckle. "Yeah. Not at all."

Rixel paused. "Obviously Pennsylvania has already happened for you."

He looked away. "I try not to think about it."

She rolled her eyes. "You would-"

"Would anyone like to see slides of Midnight?" An older gentleman got up to his feet.

Rixel and the Doctor both glanced over at him. She wanted to tell him no, that she was here with the Doctor and she needed to talk with him, but the Doctor had other plans.

"Oh! That sounds brilliant!" He jumped up to his feet to help set up the projector.

Rixel watched him go with a frown on her face. So much for her one on one time with him. Oh well. She supposed that she was still here with him. That was more than she ever expected again. And she'd be with him forever. She shuddered. That still didn't sound right.

"Boring trip with your dad?"

Rixel tilted her head back to see a boy popping his head over her chair behind her. She smiled up at him. "Something like that."

He moved off to the side so she didn't have to look straight up at her. "Me, too. 'Cept I got both of them. It's a real drag."

She grinned and held her head out. "Rixel."

"Jethro." He shook her hand, snapping his fingers after he did so. "Where you from?"

She laughed. That was a far more difficult answer than he knew. She decided to not to say 'Earth' since she had no idea what year it was and if Earth even existed anymore. "Just some silly backwater planet. You?"

He shook his head. "Same." He glanced around for a moment, then got up and came around to the empty seat next to her. "Mind if I sit here?"

She shook her head. "Go ahead. I think he's going to be busy for a while. He does love chatting with strangers."

"You don't get much stranger than my parents." Jethro rolled his eyes.


After what seemed like hours, the Doctor finally came back over to Rixel. Jethro and her had a nice long conversation, but he'd since left to go bug the hostess for some snacks. She was left to curl up in her seat and attempt some sleep. It wasn't comfortable, but it was better than anything she'd had in years.

"You enjoying yourself?" The Doctor asked as she sat down next to her.

She opened one eye and looked at him. "I don't think I've ever been on a real vacation before. Without incident of course."

He grinned. "Nice, isn't it?"

She nodded and closed her eye again. "Bit odd."

"Yeah." He shrugged.

Rixel opened her eyes. "Think we can-"

The soft hum of the engine faded and the vibration of the shuttle movement stopped beneath them. Rixel glanced past the Doctor to the Hostess, but she didn't seem to notice. Or care.

"We've stopped. Have we stopped?" Someone said.

"Are we there?" Another asked.

"Crusader vehicles never stop." The older man said.

"It's alright. Just stay in your seats. It's a small delay." The Hostess said. She turned to the intercom.

"A pit stop maybe?" Someone asked.

"No, there's not pit to stop in." The older man said. "I've been on this expedition 14 times, they never stop."

The Doctor turned back to Rixel. "You alright?"

"We've only stopped." Rixel said. "If I can take on the end of the world, I think I can handle a broken down shuttle."

"We've broken down!" Jethro laughed. "In the middle of nowhere!"

"That's enough, stop it!" Someone yelled at him.

"Stay here." The Doctor patted Rixel's arm and headed off to the hostess.

Rixel sighed and closed her eyes again. Unguarded sleep was a luxury she hadn't realized she missed. A silly broken down vehicle stopped in the middle of a tourist planet wasn't going to deter her from it.