The Trip of a Lifetime
The Unquiet Dead
It was mayhem inside the TARDIS. Alarms were blaring and the whole box was shaking. "Hold that one down!" the Doctor ordered Rose, pointing to a button
"I'm holding this one down!" Rose called from the other side of the console, where she was currently occupied holding another button down
"Well, hold them both down!" the Doctor retorted
"Hang on, I'll get it." Gazelle said, moving round the console and pressing the offending button, while the Doctor began typing in co-ordinates
"Right, yer've seen the future, let's 'ave a look at the past." he said to Rose "1860. How does 1860 sound?"
"What 'appens in 1860?" Rose asked
"Dunno, let's find out." the Doctor answered "Hold on, 'ere we go!" he pulled a lever and the TARDIS shot off through the Time Vortex.
After a few moments of this wild ride, the box came to a sudden stop, sending the trio tumbling to the floor "Blimey!" Rose laughed
"You can say that again." Gazelle remarked, picking herself up and dusting her jeans off "You alright?" she asked Rose, holding a hand out to help the Human up
"Yeah, I fink so." Rose replied as the Time Lady helped her to stand "Nothing broken... did we make it? Where are we?" she asked the Doctor, who had picked himself up and moved to the monitor
"I did it!" he cheered, studying the screen "Give the man a medal. Earth, Naples, December 24th 1860."
"That's so weird." Rose commented "It's Christmas."
"All yours." the Doctor said, gesturing to the doors, while Gazelle went to the monitor to check it
"But, it's like... fink about it, though." Rose mused "Christmas, 1860. 'appens once. Just once an' it's gone. It's finished. It'll never 'appen again. Except for you two. You two can go back an' see days that're dead an' gone an' a thousand sunsets ago... no wonder ya never stay still."
"Not a bad life." the Doctor smiled
"Better wiv three." Rose grinned and bounced over towards the doors "C'mon, then!"
"Oi, oi, oi! Where d'yer think you're going?" the Doctor called after her
"1860." Rose replied as if it was obvious
"Go out there dressed like that, you'll start a riot, Barbarella!" the Doctor said rudely, gesturing to Rose's hoodie and jeans "There's a wardrobe through there. First left, second right, third on the left, go straight ahead, under the stairs, past the bins, it's the fifth door on yer left. Hurry up!"
Rose stared at him, wandering how the heck she was supposed to remember all that. Gazelle seemed to realise this "C'mon, Rose. I'll show ya the way." she said "Think I'll get changed myself."
"What, you're dressing up?" the Doctor raised a brow
"Yes, I am." Gazelle replied "What's wrong with that?"
"We've been travellin' together for years an' you never dress up. Yer just use yer perception filter. What's changed?"
"Well, I don't see the point in dressing up, given how 9 times out of 10 we end up running for our lives." Gazelle explained "But since ya making Rose suffer Victorian fashion, it's only fair that I share that suffering. So, shall we?" she said to Rose, and led the Human through a door in the far corner of the console room.
Gazelle led Rose through a series of corridors lined with doors. Some were open and Rose could glimpse a model railway layout in one room, a vast library in another, while another room appeared to contain an Olympic-sized swimming pool "Blimey, 'ow big is this thing?" she asked
"To be honest, no one really knows for sure." Gazelle replied "Our people were good with dimensions, that's why the TARDIS is bigger on the inside, she's got an entire dimension inside her. In theory, a TARDIS could be infinite."
"Right." Rose said slowly, processing this information. It seemed that the two Time Lords were full of surprises "Um, Gazelle, can I ask ya somefink personal?"
"Depends on how personal it is."
"You an' the Doctor, what's the real story between you two?"
"I told ya before, Rose, we just travel together. We're the last of our species, so we've gotta stick together."
"Just how together are ya both?" Rose pushed
"We're just friends, Rose. That's it. Friends." Gazelle insisted
Soon, they reached a pair of double doors "Right, here we are." the Time Lady said, throwing the doors open, and Rose stepped through to find herself in what was pretty much a super deluxe Primark
Half-an-hour later, the Doctor was under the flooring in the console room, repairing some bits of the TARDIS that had been damaged during the rough flight. He heard footsteps and looked up to see Rose enter the room, dressed in a red and black Victorian gown and a black cloak, her hair done up in a neat bun, held up by a pink flower clip "You look nice." the Doctor remarked "Considering."
"Considering what?"
"That yer Human." the Doctor said, finishing up his work
"I fink that's a compliment." an amused Rose shrugged
"Where's Gazelle?" the Doctor asked, climbing out of the hole he'd been working in
"She's just comin'." Rose replied "Took me ages to get 'er to wear the dress I picked out for 'er." then, footsteps sounded from behind her "Ah, 'ere she is."
Gazelle entered the console room, wearing a deep blue velvet and silk gown with off-white lace accents, white gloves and a black cloak like the one Rose was wearing, while her hair was pulled into a neat updo, held up by a brown butterfly-shaped clip.
The Doctor stared at her "Blimey!" was all he could say
"I know, I know." Gazelle mumbled, looking at the floor and fisting her skirts "I did tell Rose this was too much, but she insisted. I look ridiculous, don't I?"
"You look beautiful." the Doctor blurted out, causing Gazelle to lift her head, her cheeks going bright red. The Doctor swiftly looked away, his own face blushing with embarrassment at his slip
Rose watched this with amusement. "Just friends my arse!" she thought to herself "Aren't you going to change?" she asked the Doctor, deciding to spare the two Time Lords from their embarrassment
"I've changed me jumper." the Doctor shrugged, gesturing to the navy blue V-neck jumper he'd changed into while he'd been waiting "Come on!" he began to move towards the doors
"You two stay there!" Rose said, running to the doors "You've done this before. This is mine!" she opened the door to see that the TARDIS had landed in a snow-covered alleyway. She made a footprint in the untouched snow then withdrew her foot again, before stepping out altogether and looked around in wonder.
The Doctor and Gazelle stepped out behind her, their arms linked "You ready for this?" Gazelle asked Rose, who grinned and nodded
"Here we go." the Doctor said, linking his other arm with Rose's "History." and the trio walked off together
They were soon wandering through snow-covered streets. Rose looked around in awe. It was like a scene from a Christmas card, with people in Victorian dress walking around, horses and carts going along the road, which was illuminated by gas lamps, and somewhere in the distance, they could hear carollers singing God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. Presently, the Doctor broke off to get a newspaper from a vendor, looking to see if there was anything interesting happening
The Doctor's smile faded when he saw the paper "I got the flight a bit wrong." he said, disappointed
"I don't care." Rose replied
"It's not 1860, it's 1869."
"Ah, well, at least it's the right decade." Gazelle shrugged
"And it's not Naples." the Doctor continued
"I don't care." Rose said
"It's Cardiff."
That wiped the smile off Rose's face "Right." she said slowly
"Nothing wrong with Cardiff, Rose." Gazelle told her "It may not be Naples, but it's still a nice city."
The trio continued walking and presently, they came to a theatre called the Taliesin Lodge. Just as they were walking past, they heard screaming coming from inside "That's more like it!" the Doctor grinned and he and Gazelle took off running towards the scene, Rose tagging along behind them.
The Time Lords entered the theatre and weaved their way through the panicking crowds until they reached the stage and saw the cause of the commotion. A blue vapour was pouring out of the mouth of an elderly woman and swirling around the room, while a well-dressed bearded gentleman was trying to pacify the fleeing crowds to no avail "Fantastic." the Doctor breathed as the last of the vapour left the woman's mouth and she slumped back into a seat. The Doctor turned to the gentleman "Did yer see where it came from?" he asked
"Ah. The wag reveals himself, does he?" the man scowled "I trust you're satisfied, sir?!"
The Doctor looked slightly taken aback at that. "Oi! Leave 'er alone!" Rose's voice called out, and the Time Lords turned to see an old man and a young woman making off with the old woman's body "I'll get 'em." Rose said to the Time Lords and went off after the two body-snatchers
"Be careful!" Gazelle called after her. She wanted to go with Rose, but she couldn't get near due to the stampede of people in the way, so she turned back to the Doctor, who had climbed onto the stage and approached the gentleman
"Did it say anything? Could it speak?" he asked enthusiastically "I'm the Doctor, by the way, an' this is Gazelle." he gestured to the Time Lady, who had joined them
"Doctor? You look more like a navvy." the gentleman commented
The Doctor turned to Gazelle "What's wrong with this jumper?" he asked her indignantly. Gazelle just rolled her eyes and turned her attention to the vapour creature
Rose got outside the theatre and found that the man and woman had bundled the old woman into the back of a horse-drawn hearse "What're ya doing?!" Rose demanded as she caught up with them
"Oh, it's such a tragedy, miss." the woman tried to wave her off "Don't worry yourself, me and the master will deal with it. The fact is, this poor lady's been with the brain fever and we have to get her to the infirmary."
But Rose wasn't convinced and she pushed past the woman and placed a hand on the old woman's forehead "She's cold." she noted "She's dead! My God, what did you do to 'er?"
Suddenly, the old man snuck up behind Rose and clamped a chloroform-soaked rag in the blonde's face. Rose struggled for a few seconds and went limp.
Inside the theatre, the Doctor, Gazelle and the gentleman watched as the blue vapour dived into a gas light and disappeared "Gas?" the Doctor mused "It's made of gas."
"Come on, let's find Rose." Gazelle said and the two Time Lords ran back outside
They got out just in time to see the young woman finish bundling an unconscious Rose into the back of the hearse "ROSE!" the Time Lords yelled, running towards the hearse, but it sped off before they could get near
"You're not escaping me!" the gentleman said, sprinting after them "What do you two know about that hobgoblin, hm? Projection on glass, I suppose. Who put you up to it?"
"Yeah, mate. Not now, thanks." the Doctor fobbed him off, then he and Gazelle scrambled into a coach parked nearby "Oi, you! Follow that hearse!" he ordered the driver
"You can't do that, sir!" the driver said
"Why not?"
"Why not?!" the gentleman glared, poking his head through the door "I'll give you a very good reason why not! This is my coach!"
"Well, come on, then!" Gazelle said, grabbing the man by his lapels and pulling him inside the coach too
"Move!" the Doctor ordered the driver, and the coach rumbled off in pursuit of the hearse
"Hurry up, ya loosing 'em!" Gazelle urged
"Everything in order, Mr Dickens?" the driver called down to the gentleman
"No! It is not!" the gentleman moaned
The Time Lords' attention was caught by the name the driver had used "What did 'e say?" the Doctor questioned
"Let me say this first. I'm not without a sense of humour..." the gentleman began
"Dickens?" the Doctor interrupted
"Yes."
"Charles Dickens?" the Doctor reiterated
"Yes." he confirmed
"The Charles Dickens?" Gazelle asked
"Shall I remove the lady and gentleman, sir?" the driver asked, but before Dickens could answer, the Doctor spoke again
"Charles Dickens! You're brilliant, you are! Completely 100% brilliant! I've read 'em all! Great Expectations, Oliver Twist, and what's the other one, the one with the ghosts?" he asked Gazelle
"A Christmas Carol?" she offered
"No, no. The one with the trains." the Doctor replied
"Ah, The Signalman." Gazelle remembered
"That's it." the Doctor confirmed "Terrifying! The best short story ever written! Yer a genius!" he told Dickens, who looked pleased
"You want me to get rid of 'em, sir?" the driver offered again
"Er, no, I think they can stay." Dickens replied, flattered at the compliments
"Honestly, Charles, can I call yer Charles? I'm such a big fan." the Doctor gushed
"Me too." Gazelle added
"What?" a puzzled Dickens asked "You're both what's?"
"Fans!" the Doctor replied "Number one fans, that's us."
"How exactly are you fans?" Dickens questioned "In what way do you resemble a means of keeping oneself cool?"
"He means fanatic." Gazelle explained "Admirers, devoted to you."
"Mind you, I've gotta say, that American bit in Martin Chuzzlewit, what was that about?" the Doctor questioned "Was that just paddin' or what? I mean, it's rubbish, that bit."
"I thought you said you were my fan." a disgruntled Dickens said
"Ah, well, if yer can't take criticism." the Doctor shrugged "Go on, do the death of Little Nell, it cracks me up." Gazelle cleared her throat and pointed to the hearse in front, reminding the Doctor of why they were here in the first place "No, sorry, come on, faster!" he ordered the driver, who urged the horses on
"Who exactly is in this hearse? Dickens questioned
"Our friend." Gazelle replied "She's only 19. She's in our care and she's been kidnapped, and it's my fault."
"It's our fault." the Doctor corrected her. He wasn't going to let her blame herself for something she couldn't help.
"Why are we wasting time talking about dry old books?" Dickens said "This is much more important. Driver! Be swift! The chase is on!" he ordered the driver
"Yes, sir!" the driver replied, and urged the horses faster
"Attaboy, Charlie!" the Doctor grinned
"Nobody calls me Charlie." Dickens huffed
"The ladies do." the Doctor smirked
"How do you know that?"
"I told you. we're your number one..."
"Number one fans, yes, I know." Dickens rolled his eyes.
They found the hearse parked outside Sneed's funeral parlour in the Llandaff area of the city. The Time Lords agreed to let Dickens do the talking. He knocked on the door, which was answered by a young woman in a maid's uniform, the same woman who Rose had been talking to before she was kidnapped "I'm sorry, sir. We're closed." she said
"Nonsense! Since when did undertakers keep office hours?" Dickens scoffed "The dead don't die on schedule. I demand to see your master."
"He's not in, sir." the maid replied and made to shut the door, but Dickens forced it open again
"Don't lie to me, child!" he scolded "Summon him at once."
"I'm awfully sorry, sir." the maid persisted "But the master's indisposed."
Just then, the Time Lords noticed the gas lamp behind the maid flare up in the same way the one in the theatre did "Having trouble with yer gas?" the Doctor commented
"What the Shakespeare is going on?" Dickens muttered
Rose awoke to find herself in a chapel of rest. She sat up and let her senses come back to her. She supposed that being chloroformed wasn't as painful as being coshed on the head, but it did leave a nasty taste in the mouth. In her groggy state, she didn't notice a blue vapour stream out of a gas lamp and into the dead body of a young man in a nearby coffin who sat up suddenly.
Rose turned when she heard a zombie-like noises from behind her "You're kiddin' me, yeah?" she groaned "Ya just kiddin'?" the man's body began to climb out of the coffin "You are, you're kiddin' me aren't ya?" the body took staggering steps towards her "Ok, not kidding." Rose breathed, getting to her feet and running to the door.
In the hallway, the Doctor and Gazelle slipped past the maid and pressed their ears to the wall by the gas lamp, ignoring the maid's protests "There's something inside the walls." Gazelle observed
"The gas pipes." the Doctor agreed "Something's living inside the gas."
In the chapel of rest, Rose tried in vain to open the locked door, then she heard a noise from behind and turned to see that the old woman's body had come to life too. She picked up a vase from the table by the door and threw it at the man's body, but all it did was make him stumble slightly "LET ME OUT!" Rose shrieked, rattling the door knob frantically "OPEN THE DOOR!"
In the hallway, the others heard her shouts "That's her!" the Doctor realised and he and Gazelle sped off in the direction Rose's voice had come from, Dickens right behind them
"PLEASE, LET ME OUT!" Rose yelled as the bodies continued to advance on her
As they ran towards her location, the Time Lords passed the old man "How dare you!" he protested as they charged past "This is my house!"
"Shut up!" Dickens snapped as he passed
Rose was still hammering on the door as the bodies came closer and close "LET ME OUT!" she yelled at the top of her lungs "SOMEBODY, OPEN THE DOOR! OPEN THE DOOR!"
The man's body clamped a hand over her mouth, muffling her screams and began to drag her back. At that moment, the Doctor booted the door in and Gazelle backhanded the body, causing it to let go of Rose "I think this is our dance." the Doctor quipped as Dickens, the old man and the maid arrived
"It's a prank, it must be." Dickens stammered, trying to make sense of the walking bodies "We're under some mesmeric influence."
"No, we're not." the Doctor replied grimly "The dead are walking."
Gazelle, meanwhile, focussed on Rose "Are you alright?" she asked her
"Yeah." she replied "Who's ya friend?"
"Charles Dickens."
"Oh, ok."
"My name's the Doctor." the Time Lord said to the bodies "Who are you, then? What d'yer want?"
"Failing." the bodies replied in a shared, female voice "Open the rift, we're dying. Trapped in this form, cannot sustain, help us." they opened their mouths and the blue gas left them with a wailing sound, then both bodies fell to the floor, once again dead and unmoving.
Presently, the group were all gathered in the living room. The maid, who was named Gwyneth, was pouring everyone tea, Dickens was sat at a table, the Time Lords standing near the fireplace and Rose was giving the old man, Gabriel Sneed the undertaker, a piece of her mind "First of all ya drug me." she fumed "Then you kidnap me, an' don't fink I didn't feel ya 'ands 'aving a quick wander, you dirty old man!"
"I won't be spoken to like this." Sneed protested
"Then ya stuck me in a room full of zombies!" Rose continued to rant "An' if that ain't enough, you swan off an' leave me to die! So come on, talk!"
"It's not my fault, it's this house!" Sneed blustered "It always had a reputation. Haunted. But I never had much bother until a few months back. And then the stiffs..." Dickens shot him a disapproving look "The, er, dearly departed started getting restless."
"Tommyrot." Dickens scoffed
"You witnessed it!" Sneed pointed out "Can't keep the beggars down, sir! They walk. And it's the querist thing that they cling onto scraps..."
Just then, the Time Lords' attention was caught by Gwyneth giving them their cups of tea "There you go, ma'am." she said to Gazelle "No sugar, as you like." then she gave the Doctor his cup "Two sugars, sir. Just how you like it." she walked away, the Time Lords watching her curiously. Neither of them had told Gwyneth their tea preferences. They both began to suspect that there was something different about this woman.
"One old fella who used to be a sexton almost walked into his own memorial service!" Sneed continued "Just like that old lady going to your performance, sir. Just as she planned."
"Morbid fancy." Dickens dismissed
"You were there, Charles." Gazelle pointed out "You saw it too."
"I saw nothing but an illusion." Dickens stubbornly insisted
"If yer going to deny it, don't waste our time. Just shut up!" the Doctor said rudely, earning him a whack on the shoulder from Gazelle. The Doctor ignored it and turned to Sneed "What about the gas?"
"That's new, sir. Never seen anything like that." Sneed replied
"Means it's gettin' stronger." the Doctor mused "The rift's gettin' wider and something's sneaking through."
"What's a rift?" Rose asked
"A weak point in time and space." the Doctor explained "A connection between this place and another."
"They're the cause of ghost stories most of the time." Gazelle added
"That's how I got the house so cheap." Sneed realised "Stories going back generations; echoes in the dark, queer songs in the air and this feeling like a... shadow passing over your soul. Mind you, truth be told, it's been good for business. Just what people expect from a gloomy old trade like mine."
Just then, Gazelle noticed that there was no sign of Dickens and realised that he must have slipped out while they'd been listening to Sneed, so she set off to find him. She found the famous author in the chapel of rest, examining one of the bodies. "Checking for strings?" she asked him
"Wires, perhaps." he replied "There must be some mechanism behind this fraud."
Gazelle came further into the room "Charles, I'm sorry about how the Doctor spoke to you, but you have one of the best minds of anyone in this world. You saw those gas creatures with ya own eyes."
"I cannot accept that." Dickens denied
"And when a Human body decomposes, it breaks down and produces gas. The perfect home for these creatures. They can slip in and use 'em as a vehicle for themselves, like your driver and his coach."
"Stop it." Dickens insisted "Can it be that I have the world all wrong?"
"Not wrong." Gazelle assured him "There's just more to it than meets the eye."
"I've always rallied against the fantasists. Oh, I loved an illusion as much as the next man, revelled in them, but that's exactly what they were, illusions! The real world is something else. I dedicated myself to that. Injustices, the great social causes, I hoped that I was a cause for good. Now you and your friend tell me that the real world is a realm of spectres and jack 'o' lanterns. In which case, have I wasted my brief span here, madam?" Dickens pleaded "Has it all been for nothing?"
Meanwhile, Gwyneth was in the kitchen, lighting the gas lamp. She turned round to see Rose doing the washing up "Please, miss, you shouldn't be helping. It isn't right!" she fussed
"Don't be daft. Sneed works ya to death." Rose replied "How much d'ya get paid?"
"£8 pound a year, miss."
"How much?!" Rose stared
"I know. I would've been happy with six." Gwyneth grinned.
Rose nodded, remembering her grandparents telling her that the money system was different in bygone days "So, did ya go to school or what?" she asked
"Of course I did. What do you think I am? An urchin? I went every Sunday. Nice and proper."
"What, once a week?"
"We did sums and everything. To be honest, I hated every second."
"Me too." Rose laughed, remembering her own time at school
"Don't tell anyone, but one week, I didn't go and ran on the heath on my own." Gwyneth smiled quietly
"I did plenty of that." Rose laughed "I used to go down the shops wiv my mate Shareen. An' we used to go an' look at boys!"
Gwyneth sobered up "Well, I don't know much about that, miss." she turned to go back to her work
"Come on." Rose pushed "Times 'aven't changed that much. I bet you've done the same."
"I don't think so, miss."
"Gwyneth, you can tell me. I bet you've got ya eye on someone."
Gwyneth turned back round with a small smile "I suppose so. There is one lad... the butcher's boy. He comes by every Tuesday. Such a lovely smile on him!"
"Oh, I like a nice smile." Rose agreed "Good smile, nice bum."
Gwyneth sobered up again "Well, I never heard the like." she said primly
"Ask 'im out." Rose encouraged "Give 'im a cup or tea or somefink, that's a start."
Gwyneth studied Rose for a moment "I swear, it is the strangest thing, miss. You've got all the clothes and the breeding but you talk like some sort of wild thing."
Now it was Rose's turn to sober up "Maybe I am. Maybe that's a good thing. You need a bit more in ya life than Mr Sneed."
"Ah, now, that's not fair." Gwyneth said "He's not so bad, old Sneed. He was very kind to take me in. Because I lost my mom and dad to the flu when I was 12."
"Oh, I'm sorry." Rose said sympathetically
"Thank you, miss. But I'll be with them again, one day. Sitting with them in paradise. I should be so blessed. They're waiting for me. Maybe your dad's up there waiting you too, miss."
"Maybe." Rose nodded, then realised what Gwyneth had just said "Um, who told ya 'e was dead?"
Gwyneth realised what she'd just said and turned back to the washing up "I don't know, must've been the Doctor or Miss Gazelle." she said lightly
"My father died years back." Rose said suspiciously. She hadn't told either Time Lord about her dad, so they couldn't have told Gwyneth about him
"But you've been thinking about him lately, more than ever." Gwyneth stated
"I s'pose so... How d'ya know all this?" Rose questioned. It was uncanny how Gwyneth knew these things.
"Mr Sneed says I think too much." the maid sighed "I'm all alone down here. I bet you've got dozens of servants, haven't you, miss?"
"No, no servants where I'm from." Rose laughed, though she certainly felt like a servant back at Henriks
"And you've come such a long way." Gwyneth stated, looking at Rose intently
"What makes ya fink so?"
Gwyneth looked Rose straight in the eye "You're from London. I've seen London in drawings, but never like that. All those people rushing about. Half naked, for shame. And the noise... and all the metal boxes racing past... and the birds in the sky... they're metal as well. Metal birds with people in them. And you, you've flown so far, further than anyone! The things you've seen... the darkness... the big bad wolf." she staggered back, frightened "I'm sorry! I'm sorry, miss."
"S'alright." Rose reassured her, though she was baffled as to what had just happened
"I can't help it, ever since I was a little girl." Gwyneth said "My mum said I had the sight. She told me to hide it."
"But it's getting stronger. More powerful, is that right?" a familiar, Northern-accented voice said from behind them, and they turned to see the Doctor standing in the doorway
"All the time, sir." Gwyneth nodded "Every night, voices in my head."
"You grew up on top of the rift." the Doctor said "Yer part of it, you're the key."
"I've tried to make sense of it, sir. I've consulted with spiritualists, table rappers, all sorts."
"Well, that should 'elp. You can show us what to do." the Doctor said
"What to do where, sir?" Gwyneth asked
"We're gonna have a séance." the Time Lord stated
20 minutes later, everyone was gathered in the living room, ready for the séance. The Doctor, Rose, Dickens, Sneed and Gwyneth were all sat round the table, while Gazelle sat in an armchair nearby, ready to keep a look out in case anything went wrong
"This is how Madame Mortlock summons those from the land of mists down in mid-town." Gwyneth said "Come. We must all join hands."
"I can't take part in this." Dickens said, standing up
"Humbug? Come on, open mind." the Doctor encouraged
"This is precisely the sort of cheap mummery I strive to unmask." Dickens told him "Seances? Nothing but luminous tambourines and a squeeze box concealed between the knees. This girl knows nothing." he sneered
"Now, don't antagonise her." the Doctor reprimanded him "I love a happy medium." he said to Rose
"I can't believe you just said." Rose smirked
"Go on, Charles." Gazelle encouraged Dickens "We might need you."
So Dickens sat down again "Good man." the Doctor said, and he, Rose, Gwyneth, Sneed and a reluctant Dickens joined hands "Now, Gwyneth, reach out." the Doctor instructed
"Speak to us." Gwyneth said to the ceiling "Are you there? Spirits? Come. Speak to us that we may relieve your burden."
Disembodied whispers began to fill the room "Can you 'ear that?" Rose asked
"Nothing can happen. This is sheer folly." Dickens rolled his eyes
"Look at 'er." Rose countered, gesturing to Gwyneth
"I feel them." she said "I feel them!"
The gas creatures began to fill the room, the whispers getting louder, but still incomprehensible for every one to understand
"What're they sayin'?" Rose asked
"They can't get through the rift." the Doctor replied "Gwyneth, it's not controlling you, you're controlling it. Now look deep. Allow them through."
"I can't!" Gwyneth strained
"Yes, you can." Gazelle encouraged from where she was watching the proceedings "Just believe in yourself. We all have faith in you. Make the link."
Gwyneth focussed with all her might until her eyes glazed other "Yes." she murmured as three gaseous figures appeared behind, making Dickens' mouth drop open
"Great God!" Sneed gasped "Spirits from the other side!"
"The other side of the universe." the Doctor corrected, studying the creatures closely
"Pity us." the middle figure spoke "Pity the Gelth. There is so little time, help us."
"What d'yer want us to do?" the Doctor asked
"The rift. Take the girl to the rift." the Gelth leader replied "Make the bridge."
"What for?"
"We are so very few. The last of our kind. We face extinction."
"Why, what 'appened?"
"Once we had a physical form like you. But then the war came."
"War? What war?" Dickens asked, speaking for the first time since the Gelth had appeared
"The Time War." the Gelth replied. Rose glanced at the Doctor, who was looking down at the floor in guilt, then she looked to Gazelle, who bowed her head for a moment, then swallowed hard and looked at the Gelth again, trying to keep her judgement clear "The whole universe convulsed." the Gelth continued "The Time War raged, invisible to smaller species, but devastating to higher forms. Our bodies wasted away. We're trapped in this gaseous state."
"So that's why you need the corpses." the Doctor realised
"We want to stand tall. To feel the sunlight. To live again. We need a physical form, and your dead are abandoned. They're going to waste, give them to us."
"But we can't!" Rose burst out
"Why not?" the Doctor countered
"It's not... I mean, it's not..."
"Not decent? Not polite?" the Doctor interrupted "It could save their lives."
Rose looked to Gazelle to back her up, but the Time Lady was too busy subtly scanning the Gelth with her sonic screwdriver.
"Open the rift." the Gelth said "Let the Gelth through. We're dying. Help us. Pity the Gelth!" they disappeared and Gwyneth slumped forward on the table unconscious. Rose and Gazelle quickly hurried over to check on her
"All true." Dickens breathed, in shock from everything that had just transpired "It's all true."
The Doctor was silent. He sat there processing everything he'd just found out and thinking of what to do.
When Gwyneth came to, she found herself lying on the settee, with Rose holding her hand and Gazelle mopping her forehead with a damp cloth. She tried to get up, but the Time Lady stopped her "It's alright, Gwyneth. Just rest." she soothed
"But my angels, miss." Gwyneth protested "They came, didn't they? They need me."
"Yes, they do need you, Gwyneth." the Doctor called from where he was leaning against the wall "You're their only chance of survival."
Rose turned angrily to him "I told you, leave 'er alone!" she growled "She's exhausted and she's not fightin' your battles."
The Doctor just huffed and turned away, while Rose turned back to Gwyneth and offered her a glass of water
"Well, what did you say, Doctor?" Sneed spoke up "Explain it again. What are they?"
"Aliens." the Doctor said simply
"Like... foreigners, you mean?"
"Pretty foreign, yeah. From up there." the Doctor said, pointing upwards
"Brecon?" Sneed asked, still not quite getting it
"Close." the Doctor shrugged "They've been tryin' to get through from Brecon to Cardiff but the road's blocked. "Only a few can get through, an' even then they're weak. They can only test drive the bodies for so long, then they 'ave to revert to gas an' 'ide in the pipes."
"Which is why they need the girl." Dickens remarked from where he was leaning against the mantle, having a drink to calm his nerves
"They're not 'aving' 'er." Rose said defiantly
"But she can help." the Doctor protested "Living on the rift, she's become part of it, she can open it up, make a bridge an' let 'em through."
"Incredible." Dickens mused "Ghosts that are not ghosts but beings from another world, who can only exist in our world by inhabiting cadavers."
"Good system. It might work." the Doctor said nonchalantly
"You can't let 'em run around inside dead people!" Rose protested, storming over to the Doctor
"Why not?" he countered "It's like recycling."
"Seriously though, you can't!"
"Seriously though, I can!"
Rose turned to the Time Lady, hoping she would take her side "Gazelle, tell 'im."
"I'm staying out of this." Gazelle replied, putting her hands up in an 'this is nothing to do with me' gesture
Rose grunted and turned back to the Doctor "It's just... wrong. Those bodies were livin' people. We should respect 'em even in death!"
"Do you carry a donor card?" the Doctor countered
"That's different, that's..."
"It is different, yeah." the Doctor interrupted "It's a different morality. Get used to it or go 'ome." he finished rudely and arrogantly
"Oi! Don't talk to her like that!" Gazelle scolded. Although she wasn't taking sides in the argument, she wasn't going let the Doctor enforce his opinion on other people either
The Doctor realised that he'd crossed the line, so he took a breath and said to Rose in a softer tone "Look, you 'eard what they said, time's short. I can't worry about a few corpses when the last of the Gelth could be dying."
"I don't care, they're not usin' 'er." Rose retorted, not backing down easily
"Don't I get a say, miss?" Gwyneth spoke up, and the arguing time travellers turned to face her
"Look, you don't understand what's goin' on." Rose told her
"You would say that, miss. Because that's very clear inside your head, that you think I'm stupid." Gwyneth said simply
"That's not fair!" Rose tried to defend herself, but Gwyneth had made her decision
"It's true, though. Things might be very different where you're from. But here and now, I know my own mind. And my angels need me. Doctor, Miss Gazelle, what do I have to do?"
"You don't have to do anything." Gazelle assured her
"They've been singing to me since I was a child. Sent by my mum on a holy mission. So tell me, what do I do?" Gwyneth asked determinedly
"We need to find the rift." the Doctor decided "This house is on a weak spot, so there must be a spot that's weaker than any other. Mr Sneed, what's the weakest part of this house? The place where most of the ghosts have been seen?"
Sneed thought for a moment "That would be the morgue." he answered
"No chance you were gonna say 'gazebo', was there?" a still disgruntled Rose muttered
Soon, the Humans began to make their way towards the morgue. The two Time Lords hung back for a moment "I don't trust them." Gazelle spoke up
"Who?" the Doctor enquired
"The Gelth." Gazelle replied "I'm not sure they're being entirely truthful about themselves. I mean, they actually killed someone earlier tonight."
"Who? And 'ow did yer find that out?"
"While you and Rose were talking to Gwyneth, I had a word with Mr Sneed. You know that young man who tried to attack Rose? Well, he was mourning his dead grandmother when the Gelth took over her body and snapped his neck, then the Gelth took over his body, and they would've done the same to Rose had we not found her in time."
"It was probably just a misunderstanding." the Doctor tried to reason "The Gelth are scared, they're not thinking rationally."
Gazelle wasn't buying it "I doubt it." she said "And I'm not certain that they're few in number, either. When I scanned them earlier, the life signs were off the scale. Now I'm not saying we shouldn't help them." she assured "But answer me this: have you seriously thought about all the implications and possible consequences of this plan, or are you letting your personal feelings cloud your judgement?"
"Of course I've thought about it!" the Doctor huffed, offended at the implication
"Then suit yourself." Gazelle said simply, wisely deciding to leave it at that, though she was sure that the Doctor was letting his survivors guilt affect his decision "But just think about this: would you be so caviller about giving away bodies to the Gelth if they wanted to use the bodies of our people?" and she walked away, leaving the Doctor to realise just how carelessly he was rushing into this.
When the troupe reached the morgue, they found it to be just as they expected; dark, bare and foreboding "Ugh, talk about bleak house." the Doctor commented, trying to lighten the mood
"The thing is, Doctor, the Gelth don't succeed." Rose said, trying one last time to get him to see sense "Cos' I know they don't. I know for a fact there weren't corpses walkin' about in 1869."
"Time is flux. It's changin' every second." the Doctor told her "Your cosy little world can be rewritten, just like that." he clicked his fingers to emphasise his point
"Nothing is safe, Rose." Gazelle added "Remember that, nothing."
"Doctor." Dickens interupted "I think this room is getting colder."
"Here they come." Rose muttered, and sure enough, the Gelth flooded into the room.
The leader positioned itself in an archway "You've come to help." it said in an angelic female voice "Praise the Doctor! Praise him!"
"Promise you won't 'urt 'er!" Rose pleaded, but the Gelth ignored her
"Hurry! Please. So little time. Pity the Gelth."
"I'll take yer somewhere else after the transfer." the Doctor told them, Gazelle's words resonating in him "Somewhere you can build proper bodies. This isn't a permanent solution, alright?"
"My angels." Gwyneth sighed "I can help them live."
"Ok, where's the weak point?" the Doctor asked
"Here, beneath the arch." the Gelth replied, and Gwyneth took up position
"Remember, you don't have to do this." Gazelle reminded her
"My angels." was all Gwyneth had to say
"Establish the bridge." the Gelth ordered "Reach out to the void. Let us through!"
"Yes. I can see you!" Gwyneth said "I can see you! Come!"
"Bridgehead establishing." the Gelth announced
"Come!" Gwyneth said "Come to me! Come to this world, poor lost souls."
"It has begun!" the Gelth said "The bridge is made!" Gwyneth's mouth opened and Gelth poured out of it "She has given herself to the Gelth!"
"Rather a lot of them, eh?" Dickens observed as the Gelth began to stream into the bodies in the morgue
"The bridge is open. We descend." the Gelth said triumphantly, then suddenly, the figure became demonic and the gas turned from blue to red "The Gelth will come through in force!" they said in a demonic, growling voice
"You said you were few in number!" Dickens burst out
"A few billion." the Gelth retorted "And all of us in need of bodies." the bodies came to life
Sneed stepped forward "Oh, Gwyneth... stop this!" he pleaded "Listen to your master! This has gone far enough. Stop dabbling, child, and leave these things alone, I beg of you."
Just then, Gazelle noticed a body creeping up behind him "Sneed, look out!" she warned, but it was too late. The body grabbed Sneed and snapped his neck, killing him instantly. Then, Gelth poured into his mouth and he looked up at the others with blank, dead eyes
"I think it's gone a little bit wrong." was all the Doctor could say
"Ya fink?!" Rose glowered
"I have joined the legions of the Gelth." Gelth-Sneed announced "Come, march with us."
"No!" Dickens cowered, backing up towards the exit
The bodies began to advance on everyone "We need bodies." they chanted "All of you. Dead. The Human race, dead."
"Gwyneth, stop them!" the Doctor urged "Send them back, now!"
But Gwyneth was in a trance and didn't respond. "She can't hear ya! Get back!" Gazelle urged the Doctor, pulling him and Rose back towards a dungeon door
"Four more bodies. Make them vessels for the Gelth." the Gelth leader ordered, and the bodies continued their advance
The Doctor opened the dungeon door and he and the women took refuge behind it. Dickens was backing up towards the exit "I.. I can't" I'm sorry!" he stammered "This new world, it's too much for me! I'm so..." he fled from the morgue, while the bodies clambered to try and get at the time travellers
"Give yourselves to glory!" they crowed "Sacrifice your lives for the Gelth!"
"I trusted you. I pitied you!" the Doctor glared, furious at being tricked
"We don't want your pity!" the Gelth retorted, pounding on the door "We want this world and all it's flesh."
"Not while I'm alive." the Doctor vowed
"And me!" Gazelle added defiantly "You'll have to get through us before ya get this world!"
The trio backed up against the wall "But I can't die!" Rose blustered, and looked to the Time Lords for reassurance "Tell me I can't! I 'aven't even born yet, it's impossible for me to die! Isn't it?!"
"I'm sorry." Gazelle replied sadly
Meanwhile, Dickens had made it outside the funeral parlour and leaned against the front door, panting heavily. Suddenly, a Gelth swirled out of the knocker, causing him to run again. The Gelth started to chase him, but stopped suddenly "Failing!" it wailed "Atmosphere hostile!" it promptly dived into a nearby gas lamp
"Gas..." Dickens breathed, then had a brainwave "Gas!"
"But it's 1869." Rose protested "How can I die now?"
"Time isn't in a straight line. It can twist into any shape." the Doctor replied sorrowfully "You can be born in the 20th century an' die in the 19th, and it's all my fault. I brought you 'ere. I'm sorry."
"We brought Rose here." Gazelle said "It's just as much my fault too."
"It's neither of your faults." Rose reassured them "I wanted to come."
"Never thought it'd end like this." Gazelle sighed
"What about me?" the Doctor groaned "I saw the fall of Troy, World War Five. I pushed boxes at the Boston tea party... now I'm gonna die in a dungeon... in Cardiff!"
"It's not just dyin' We'll become one of them!" Rose realised
Dickens raced back into the funeral parlour and began to turn off the flames for the gas lamps, releasing gas into the air.
"Well, I'm not gonna make it easy for 'em." Gazelle vowed
"Me neither." Rose agreed "We'll go down fightin', yeah?"
"Yeah." the Doctor said
"All of us?"
"All of us." Gazelle confirmed
The trio linked hands "I'm so glad I met you two." the Doctor said to the women
"Me too." Rose smiled
"Me three." Gazelle added "For Galifrey." she said determinedly
"For Galifrey." the Doctor agreed, and they stood waiting, ready to accept their fate
Just then, Dickens burst into the room "Doctor! Turn off the flame, turn up the gas!" he urged "Now fill the room, all of it, now!"
"What're yer doing?" the Doctor questioned
"Turn it all on!" Dickens said, meddling with the gas lamps in the morgue "Flood the place!"
"Brilliant." the Doctor realised "Gas!"
"What, so we choke to death instead?" Rose questioned, not getting it
"Am I correct, Doctor, these creatures are gaseous?" Dickens questioned
"Fill the room with gas, it'll draw them out of the host." the Doctor explained to Rose "Suck them into the air like poison from a wound!"
"Charles Dickens, you're a genius!" Gazelle grinned
The Gelth, realising what Dickens was up to, turned on him "I hope... oh, Lord!" he blustered as the bodies advanced on him "I hope that this theory will be validated soon, if not immediately."
Just then, Gazelle noticed a gas pipe on the wall behind them. She tapped the Doctor on the shoulder and pointed at it "Plenty more!" the Doctor called to Dickens, then he and Gazelle wrenched the pipe from the wall, flooding the room with gas and the Gelth were sucked out of the bodies
"It's working." Dickens sighed with relief
With the bodies no longer a threat, the three time travellers were free to come out of the dungeon "Gwyneth, send them back!" the Doctor ordered "They lied, they're not angels."
"Liars?" the maid asked, coming out of her trance
"Look at them." the Doctor told her "If yer mother an' father could look down an' see this, they'd tell you the same. They'd give yer the strength. Now send them back!"
By now, the gas was pouring into the room. The Time Lords were unaffected, and Dickens was using a handkerchief to filter out the worst of it, but Rose wasn't so lucky "Can't breathe." she coughed
"Charles, get her outta here." Gazelle instructed
Dickens grabbed Rose's arm, but she shook him off "I'm not leavin' 'er!" she protested
"They're too strong." Gwyneth said weakly
"Remember that world you saw? Rose's world?" the Doctor encouraged "All those people, none of it'll exist unless you send 'em back."
"I can't send them back." Gwyneth told him "But I can hold them. Hold them in this place, hold them here. Get out." she reached into her apron pocket and produced a box of matches
"You can't!" Rose wailed, rushing forward, but Gazelle held her back
"Leave this place." Gwyneth insisted
"Rose, get out." Gazelle instructed the blonde "Go with Charles. The Doctor and I will get Gwyneth out. No go."
Dickens ushered Rose out to safety, while the Doctor approached Gwyneth "Come on, leave that to me." he said, holding his hand out for the matches
Gwyneth just looked at him, unmoving
Dickens and Rose hurried through the gas-filled funeral parlour "This way!" Dickens urged, ushering her towards the front door
A sudden realisation came across the two Time Lords. The Doctor checked Gwyneth's neck for a pulse while Gazelle checked for one on her hand. Their fears were confirmed "I'm sorry." the Doctor said sadly
"Thank you for everything, Gwyneth." Gazelle added, fighting back tears
The Doctor took her hand and they bolted out of the morgue. Gwyneth took a match out of the box, then waited for a few moments to give the Time Lords time to get clear, then she struck the match, igniting the gas.
Outside, the Doctor and Gazelle dived for cover as the funeral parlour exploded in a ball of flames, taking Gwyneth and the Gelth with it. Rose and Dickens ran over from where they'd been taking cover across the street just as the Time Lords picked themselves up. Rose stared at them sadly, realising someone was missing "She didn't make it." was all she could say
"I'm sorry." the Doctor replied solemnly "She closed the rift."
"At such a cost. The poor child." Dickens said sadly
"We tried, Rose." Gazelle sniffled "But Gwyneth was already dead. She had been for at least the last five minutes."
"What d'ya mean?" Rose asked
"I think she was dead the minute she stood under that arch." the Doctor told her
"But... she can't 'ave." Rose stared "She spoke to us, she 'elped us, she saved us. How could she 'ave done that?"
"'There are more things in heaven and Earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy.'" Dickens quoted wisely "Even for you, Doctor."
"She saved the world." Rose mused, gazing sadly at the burning building "A servant girl. No one will ever know."
"We know." Gazelle murmured quietly "And as long we always remember, then her sacrifice will never be forgotten." the Doctor put his arm around her and they led the way away from the scene of death and destruction.
Eventually, after wandering through the snow-covered streets, they reached the alleyway where the TARDIS was waiting "Right then, Charlie-boy." the Doctor said "We've just gotta go into our, um... shed. Won't be long." he slipped his key into the lock
"What're you gonna do now?" Rose asked Dickens
"I shall take the mail train back to London." he replied "Quite literally post haste. This is no time for me to be on my own. I shall spend Christmas with my family and make amends to them. After all I've learned tonight, there can be nothing vital."
"Quite right, too." Gazelle smiled "You've certainly cheered up."
"Exceedingly!" Dickens said enthusiastically "This morning, I thought I knew everything in the world and now I know I've just started! All those huge and wonderful notions! I'm inspired. I must write about them!"
"D'ya fink that's wise?" Rose questioned
"I shall be subtle at first." Dickens replied "The Mystery of Edwin Drood still lacks an ending. Perhaps the killer was not the boy's uncle. Perhaps he was not of this Earth. The Mystery of Edwin Drood and the Blue Elementals. I can spread the word! Tell the truth!"
"Good luck with it. Nice to meet yer." the Doctor said, shaking the famous author's hand "Fantastic." he turned back to the TARDIS door
"It's been an honour, Charles." Gazelle said, also shaking Dickens' hand
"Bye, then." Rose said "An' thanks." she kissed him on the cheek
"Oh, my dear, how modern." Dickens blushed "Thank you, but, I don't understand, in what way is this goodbye? Where are you going?"
"You'll see. In the shed." the Doctor replied, opening the TARDIS door just a crack
"Oh, my soul, Doctor, it's one riddle after another with you." Dickens commented "But after all these revelations, there's one mystery you still haven't explained. Answer me this: who exactly are you?"
"Just a friend." the Doctor answered "Passing through."
"But you and Miss Gazelle have such knowledge of future times." Dickens pointed out "I don't wish to impose on you both, but I must ask you both. My books, do they last?"
"Oh, yes!" the Doctor beamed
"For how long?"
"Forever." Gazelle reassured him
Dickens was pleased with this news, but did his best to look modest
"Right, shed. C'mon, ladies." the Doctor said to the women
"In, in the box?" Dickens asked in disbelief "All three of you?" he raised a brow at the implication of the Doctor squeezing into a small box with two beautiful young women
"Down boy." the Doctor scolded "See yer." he went inside the TARDIS, the women following.
Once they were inside the box, the Time Lords went to the console and got ready for departure "Doesn't that change 'istory if 'e writes about blue ghosts?" Rose asked as she joined them
"In a week's time it's 1870, an' that's the year he dies." the Doctor replied "Sorry. He'll never get to tell 'is story."
"Oh, no. He was so nice." Rose sighed
"But in your time, he was already dead." the Doctor reminded her "We've brought him back to life. He's more alive now than he's ever been, old Charlie-boy." they all looked at the monitor, where they could see Dickens still standing outside.
"Let's give him one last surprise." Gazelle suggested, and the Doctor nodded his agreement.
The Time Lords fussed about the console, setting the TARDIS into motion. On the monitor, they could see Dickens goggle in surprise as the TARDIS disappeared before his eyes, then he laughed and walked away in good spirits.
A little later, the Doctor had retreated to the room with the model railway layout. He was busy running several trains when Gazelle walked in, having changed out of her dress and into a dark grey t-shirt and her usual black jeans and boots "Ah, though I'd find ya here." she said "Playing trains again?"
"Yer know me, Remii." the Doctor shrugged "Yer know, I've always wanted to drive a real steam locomotive. And even though I've got a time machine, I never seem to get round it. Funny thing that."
"Yeah, I know what ya mean." Gazelle replied "I've always wanted to visit the leisure planet on Midnight, but I've never got round to it. Guess it's just our lifestyle."
"Maybe we'll do both things one day." the Doctor mused "Who knows?"
"Maybe." Gazelle shrugged, then moved closer into the room to stand by the Doctor "No use brooding, Theta." she told him "What's done is done and we can't change it."
"I know." the Doctor sighed "Not exactly my finest hour, was it? I let the Gelth trick me an' two people lost their lives because ot it. Because of me."
"You didn't kill them, Theta. The Gelth did. And they were clever. They knew exactly how to manipulate people into helping them. They deceived Gwyneth into believing they were angels. They tricked you into thinking they were refugees, and they nearly had me believing them at times."
"But you didn't believe them."
"No, but I might've done had Sneed not told me about them killing that man. You made a mistake, Theta, a big mistake, but that's ok. No one is infallible, even us Time Lords. I've made mistakes too. We all do. It's the only way we learn."
"Well said, Remii." the Doctor smiled "I'm glad yer with me. I dunno what I'd do without you sometimes."
"Ditto." Gazelle replied
"I mean it, by the way." the Doctor continued "When I said yer looked beautiful, I meant it."
Gazelle blushed "Thanks. That's the first time I've worn a dress since before the Time War. Never really been a dress person. Gimme a good pair of trousers any day. But I might start dressing up more often if you do. There's some nice suits in that wardrobe that would suit ya."
"Not gonna 'appen." the Doctor retorted "I'm not a suit person anymore."
"We'll see about that." Gazelle smirked "But I'll say this, I can't believe you actually wore that horrible multi-coloured thing you've hanging up in there!"
"Yeah, I dunno what I was thinkin' back in those days." the Doctor muttered, embarrassed "But I grew out of it."
"Well, I'm glad of that." Gazelle smiled "I can't imagine this you wearing that thing! Anyway, since Rose is asleep, don't suppose there's room for another train driver here?
"Help yerself." the Doctor replied. And so, the two Time Lords settled down for a few hours of running trains and chatting to each other as good friends did.
Author's notes: Ok, so here's a new and improved version of The Unquiet Dead. The original chapter was fun to write, as was this version. I think you'll agree that this version is a definite improvement over the first. I can understand now why some writers go back and revisit their older works. It's good to go back and redo them to the standards of your later works. My output is gonna be a bit off for the time being, due to stuff going on at home. I was hoping to return full-time to series 5, but the stuff going on has put paid to that, so I decided to give another of my older chapters a makeover. Helps to even out the Chibnall rubbish I've reached in series 5. I quite like The Unquiet Dead. It's not one of the best series 1 episodes, but it's not the worst either. It's in the middle. Then again, series 1 had no bad episodes, just a few that were weaker than others. But this one is a nice bit of fun. An interesting thing to note is the Doctor and Rose's argument. Scenes like that are why I think Rose had a better relationship with the 9th Doctor than the 10th. 9 and Rose weren't afraid to challenge each other when they were in the wrong, as Rose does to the Doctor here, and he does to her in Father's Day. 10 and Rose got on just a bit too well. One of the things about Gazelle is that she's not afraid to challenge the Doctor or a companion when they're in the wrong. I like to think of Gazelle as being a combo of Martha and Donna. I quite like writing Gazelle, as she's essentially the companion I'd write if I was the showrunner for Doctor Who. Anyway, I hope you all like this new version and hopefully see you all soon.