It wasn't long afterwards that Aries, Vera and the Doctor had returned to the TARDIS; Rose, Jackie and Mickey having returned to the Tyler's flat.

Aries sat in the jump seat as she watched Vera pace around the console. The Doctor had left them to go find a change of clothes, though he was adamant that Vera not leave until he got back. His tone had somewhat intrigued Aries, but her mind was currently a mess as she tried to sort through everything that had happened since she had been woken up by the TARDIS the day before.

As the red head watched Vera with unfocused eyes, checking her vortex manipulator for what felt like the hundredth time, her mind, and gaze, drifted to the console. She couldn't believe how much had happened since the ship had alerted her to what Rose had been doing; to what the Doctor had done. Aries knew that his decision to send the TARDIS away had been the right thing to do, knowing that if the Dalek's had ever gotten their hands, er...suckers on the ship, that it would have resulted in a catastrophe. But she couldn't deny that it had hurt her to know that she could, no, would have never known what had happened to the Doctor. She wasn't stupid to think that Rose would have ever told her.

But what hurt Aries more was that he had regenerated; that she would never see that big-eared, grinning, leather jacket wearing version of him again. It had been just over a week ago that she was afraid to see him, and now she would have given anything to have him back; to find a different way to save him. She knew that it had been his choice, but it had been her selfishness that had forced him to have to make that decision.

No matter what led to him changing, my Wolf, the TARDIS cut gently through Aries' turbulent thoughts, The choice would have always been the same.

Aries blinked as she looked at the time rotor. What do you mean? she asked, frowning slightly in concentration as she spoke to the ship.

My Thief would have changed, no matter what had caused me to return; whether it had been you...or Rose.

Rose? She...

An low hum rung in Aries' mind as the TARDIS replied, I may be sentient, my dear Wolf, but I am still a ship. She would have managed to open my Heart in the end. I am just grateful that it had been you that had done so.

So, Aries swallowed, He still would have...?

Yes, my Wolf. My Thief still would have had to choose.

There was a hum that sounded through the room and Vera looked up from her manipulator, frowning as she noticed Aries staring at the time rotor. Her eyebrows creased as she looked between the two before something caught her eye and she grinned. "Ha! I knew you had it, Sexy!" she exclaimed as she moved around the console and picked up what the TARDIS had left for her.

"Wha-?" Aries startled, quickly getting up from the jump seat, wondering what had the brunette so...animated. She swore that Vera had been pacing back and forth not moments ago and was concerned that something was wrong.

"I knew you wouldn't let me leave without it," Vera continued as she tucked her dagger back into her boot; Aries just managing to glimpse a polished, ice-blue hilt of what she assumed was a knife before it disappeared from sight. There was something familiar about it, but the red head wasn't able to place where she could have seen it before.

"Why do you have a knife?" the red head questioned, causing Vera to turn to her with a grin.

"Why don't you?" she retorted, raising a challenging eyebrow.

Aries paused, frowning when she thought back to why she never carried her daggers. The last time she had touched them was when Alistair had given them back to her after what had happened with Luka, and she had immediately put them back in their case; only having shown them to Mickey when he had showed up at her door in March. Her frown deepened and she turned her gaze away from Vera, who's grin had fallen at her expression, and looked to the entrance that led to the rest of the TARDIS as she dragged her thoughts from her past and wondered what was taking the Doctor so long.

Shaking her head, Aries turned back to Vera. "Who are you?" she asked, wanting something else to think about. It really hadn't been hard to piece together that the brunette was from the future; her vortex manipulator being the dead give away. But it was also Vera's familiarity with not only the TARDIS and the Doctor, but herself as well.

"I told you," Vera replied with a small smile.

"No, that's not what I mean," Aries shook her head once more, though this time it was in slight annoyance. "Who are you, exactly? To the Doctor and I? You know us both. You even knew that tea would help him after his regeneration."

Vera just raised an eyebrow, internally amused at the fact, that for once, she actually knew more about the woman before her than Aries herself did. "That's an adventure you'll just have to live through," she said.

Aries frowned, her eyebrows creasing slightly. If Vera was a time traveller from her future, she knew that she couldn't say anything. It didn't stop her curiosity from burning away inside her, however.

"I'll tell you one thing, thought," Vera added after a moment, deciding to let the red head know something, even if she may not realise what it means. She was drawn to her vortex manipulator when it started beeping and she grinned, realising that it was time for her to leave. "Remember, not everything is as it seems. And we will see each other again at the beginning and the end."

Before Aries could even process the words Vera had just said, the brunette disappeared with a flash the moment she activated her manipulator.

"The beginning and the end?" Aries muttered, utterly bewildered as she sunk further into the jump seat, rather unsure what to make of Vera's obscure words. "What does that even mean?"

She was startled when Vera reappeared, though noticed the brunette was wearing a different set of clothes, along with what looked to be colourful party hat.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you that you need to call Sarah," the brunette said before disappearing once more.

The red head sat there dumbfounded for a moment before her eyes widened. "Shit!" she exclaimed as she hopped off the seat and dashed out of the console room, heading towards the med bay; hoping that was where her phone was. Aries couldn't believe that she had completely forgotten about Sarah and knew that the brunette would be worried sick about her.

She turned down a corridor and collided with a very surprised Doctor, who was quick to steady her; stopping the red head from falling backwards.

"What's the rush?" the Time Lord asked with a raised eyebrow, a little confused and alarmed at the panicked look he could see in her eyes.

"Sorry," Aries said, sounding out of breath, "I for..." She trailed off when she noticed what the Doctor was wearing. He had changed from the pyjamas and gown into a brown pinstripe suit; complimented with a long brown coat and Aries found that it suited him quite well. That thought, however, only caused her cheeks to warm.

The Doctor had been grinning from the moment he had noticed Aries taking in what he was wearing, though his grin was quick to work itself into a smirk when he watched her cheeks flush a lovely pink. "See something you like?" he asked a little cheekily, his eyes sparkling with amusement, and just a touch of smugness.

Aries' gaze snapped to the Doctor's, and seeing his amused expression, her face only flushed further. She ducked her head, using her hair to hide her reaction as she quietly murmured, "I-it suits you."

The Time Lord raised an eyebrow at his Nesdra, finding her reactions around him were rather endearing and couldn't help but find that she looked rather beautiful when she blushed. He tucked some of her hair behind her ear, revealing her face and caused Aries to look up at him from under her lashes. Suddenly, he was hit with the sudden urge to kiss her once more.

"Why were you running?" he questioned as he squashed the urge. Though he was finding that it was very difficult to ignore his instincts to complete the bond between them that fateful day in March; not when every fibre of his being wanted to connect with his Nesdra...actually incontrovertibly bond with her and ensure that their bond was strong enough that it would never be broken. But the Doctor knew that he couldn't. It wouldn't be right, especially when Aries didn't even know about it.

Managing to gather her thoughts, focusing on what she had been doing and not what she was feeling, Aries explained, "I was looking for my phone. Vera reminded me that I forgot to call Sarah and I know that she would be going crazy not hearing from me for so long."

The Time Lord frowned in thought for a moment. He had been invited to go have dinner with the Tyler's, even though he wasn't too keen, knowing that it would most likely include a flirtatious Rose that didn't seem to understand the simple word of 'no'. And it appeared that he had taken too long to question Vera about her dagger, but he still had that on board and was hopeful the TARDIS would help him figure out what the ruins were on the sides of the blade and what they meant.

But aside from all of that, all the Doctor wanted to do was spend some quality time with Aries. No interruptions, no Rose, no one but just the two of them. But the idea of seeing Sarah, knowing that his Nesdra and old companion were close...the Time Lord grinned as he came to a decision. "Come on," he said as he grabbed Aries hand and led her back to the console room.

He had an idea that would help him spend some more time with his Nesdra, and to help calm a former companion. And if he was truly honest with himself, the Time Lord did actually want to see Sarah Jane again; especially after hearing about her from Aries the week before.

Aries frowned in confusion as she allowed the Doctor to lead her back the way she had just ran, though she was intrigued to figure out what he was up to. She held onto the console as he started to pilot the TARDIS and tried to get a glimpse of the scanner as it slowly moved towards her. "Where are we going?" she questioned.

The Doctor was on to her though, and was quick to grab the scanner and moved it away so she couldn't see it; smirking when he noticed her pout.

"It's a surprise," he told her as the TARDIS landed.

The Doctor smiled as he and Aries stepped back inside the TARDIS. They had just finished dinner with Sarah Jane and he was glad he had thought of taking his Nesdra to see his former companion and Aries' friend. And while he was never one to actually do dinner with his companions, seeing the delight that had lit up his Nesdra's face when she realised where he had taken her had warmed his hearts. Moreover, Aries was far more than any companion and he knew that he would do anything to see her as happy as she had been tonight.

His smile widened as he thought about Sarah's reaction after they had stepped out of the TARDIS and into her attic.

"We're...this is Sarah's attic," Aries stated in surprise as she stepped out of the TARDIS and took in her surroundings, recognising the space immediately.

As the Doctor followed her out and closed the TARDIS door behind him, they were both startled when another door was thrown open.

"Aries!" Sarah breathed from the doorway across from them, her eyes wide when she spotted the red head. The brunette was quick to rush forwards and pull Aries into a hug. "I've been so worried. I tried to call you, but you phone always went straight to voice mail. It was only thanks to Alistair that stopped me from storming over to your house and figuring out where you were," she continued as she pulled away, just catching the red head wince at her words.

The Doctor cleared his throat, drawing his former companion attention to him. "I believe that was my fault, Sarah Jane," he said, trying to make certain that the blame would solely land on him and not his Nesdra. And he knew it hadn't been Aries' fault, considering that it really had been nothing but a week since they had left in September; most of which Aries had been unconscious.

Sarah froze in place, just realising that there was someone behind Aries, and just who the man was. Her eyes were once again wide and the Doctor felt a little guilty about the surprise and relief that appeared on her face. "Oh, it's you. Oh, Doctor," she looked between Aries and the Time Lord, and much to their surprise, her eyes lit up. "Oh, this explains so much," she added before moving to hug the Doctor. She quickly pulled away when she realised something and held the Doctor at arms length. "You've regenerated," she stated as she stepped back.

"Mmm, half a dozen times since we last met," the Doctor confirmed as he moved to Aries' side and wrapped an arm around her shoulders when she looked away. As he felt her tense at his contact, he trailed his fingers up and down her arm, knowing that she was still blaming herself for what happened. But he would do it over and over again if it meant that she was safe. And although it might seem cold and heartless of him to admit, though he would never say it out loud, the Doctor was glad that the TARDIS had chosen Rose to take in the Time Vortex and not Aries. He really didn't know what he would have done if it had been his Nesdra.

Sarah raised an eyebrow at their interaction, rather surprised by the affection the Doctor was showing Aries, and even more surprised when her friend looked to be actually relaxing in his embrace. This is new, she thought, though she was happy for the pair. "You look incredible," she told the Doctor before looking at Aries, "And I gather that this means they you're travelling with the Doctor now?" she asked.

"Oh, I, um..." Aries glanced up to the Doctor when he squeezed her shoulders.

"Since September," the Time Lord confirmed, smiling softly at Aries' surprised expression. It was true that he had never actually asked her, more so since she had been rendered unconscious after linking with his ship, but he rather hoped that she would still like to travel with him, without a limit.

Aries looked back to Sarah, feeling her face warm slightly from the Doctor's smile. She nodded in response to the brunette's questions gaze, though she snuck another glance to the Doctor, wondering if he was being serious. She didn't know if what he had said was to placate Sarah, or if he really meant that he wanted her to travel with him. Shaking away that train of thought, Aries looked back to Sarah and frowned. "I-I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I...everything's just been so busy lately," she tried to explain. The red head hated lying to the brunette, but she really didn't want to tell the woman who was almost like a mother to her that she had spent the last week unconscious; only waking up the day prior just long enough to save the Doctor before passing back out again.

Sarah smiled, "Its not a problem, Aries. I understand how hectic travelling with the Doctor can be," she remarked, glancing at the Time Lord in question. There were so many things she wanted to say, so many questions she wanted to ask, but something was telling her that it wasn't the time. "Come downstairs," she changed the subject, "I have Christmas dinner all ready and no one to share it with."

"No, that's okay, Sarah. We wouldn't want to impose on you dinner," Aries quickly replied, shaking her head.

"Nonsense," Sarah retorted as she grabbed Aries wrist and started to lead the pair out of the attic. Aries looked back to the Doctor, her expression both unsure and startled and he just grinned at her. "I had a friend that was going to come around, but he had to cancel at the last minute," Sarah continued. It hadn't been quite a lie, but the brunette knew that if Aries was here, Nick wasn't going to be turning up. How that man knows that she's coming around is somewhat unsettling at times, Sarah mused with a smile.

"If you're certain," Aries said slowly as she looked back to Sarah, missing the Doctor's smile widen at the pairs interactions. It was nice to see both Aries and Sarah so close, and the Doctor found it quite amusing how Sarah could get his Nesdra so...flustered, when even a ship full of Sycorax warriors couldn't. The Time Lord could tell that the pair were close and it warmed his hearts. And hearing that Aries also knew Alistair was another surprise, though after learning everything he had today, it wasn't shocking. He hoped that dinner tonight would give him a bit more insight into Aries' life, and he was willing to put up with some domestics if it meant that she was enjoying herself.

"I'm certain," Sarah confirmed, breaking the Doctor from his thoughts as the trio entered the kitchen, "And if I'm correct about what I've seen today," she continued as she moved to grab an extra plate from one of the cupboards, "It wouldn't be so far to guess that the two of you had been in the middle of what happened earlier, would it?"

The Doctor grinned at Aries, who's expression was that of a child who had been caught with their hand in a cookie jar. He shook his head with a small chuckle as he pulled out a chair for his Nesdra, explaining to Sarah what had happened, all the while ignoring his former companions questioning gaze at his actions as he did so.

"Thank you," Aries' soft voice brought the Doctor from his thoughts as the pair approached the console.

"It was my pleasure," he replied with a warm smile before moving around the console to set his ship into the vortex. His smile widened when he noticed a flat, rectangular box sitting on the jump seat and quickly moved to retrieve it. Turning to a confused Aries, he held the box out to her. "I have something for you," he told her.

Aries blinked at the box in surprise before looking to the Doctor, "Y-you shouldn't have, I...I didn't even get you anything," she muttered, looking back down to the box with a small frown. Except from Sarah and Alistair, the red head never really got anything for Christmas, though she didn't really celebrate it in the first place. The last couple of years had been nothing more than a simple lunch with Sarah, or the occasional, days late dinner with Alistair.

The Doctor just smiled and shook his head as he guided her over to the jump seat. "You didn't have to. You being here is more than enough for me," he admitted softly as he got her to sit down and placed the box carefully in her lap.

Silver-grey eyes shot up to look at the Doctor, wide with surprise before dropping back down to the box. Aries could feel another blush working its way up her face at his words and silently cursed herself for how easily he seemed to affect her. Over a hundred years of having control over her emotions, but with the Doctor, it was like she was one of those girls that fell over themselves while in the presence of Krum in her fourth year. But the feelings she got around the Doctor were something she had never experienced before; so new and somewhat unsettling at times, and her inexperience with these emotions, the feelings she got around the Doctor...sometimes they scared her.

Shaking his head, the Doctor turned serious as he gently tilted Aries' head up with a few fingers on her chin so she was looking at him. When she finally met his gaze, he spoke, needing her to understand that he'd never blame her for what happened on the Game Station. "What happened yesterday," he kept his fingers on her chin, stopping her from turning away, "It wasn't you fault," he told her firmly. His voice softened as he continued, "I would do it a thousand times over if it meant that you were safe," he shifted his fingers, tucking some of her hair behind her ear before cupping her face, "And this is something I want you to have."

Aries swallowed as she continued to hold the Doctor's gaze before lowering her own onto the box in her lap. Her eyebrows furrowed as she tried to get her mind to process his words. She didn't understand why she seemed to mean so much to the Doctor; that he had just admitted that he would go through everything that had happened again for her to be safe. The Time Lord barely knew her. Well, he knows more after seeing Sarah, Aries corrected, remembering the stories that the brunette had shared. Though Aries was quite thankful that Sarah had the mind not to mention any of her abilities, still unsure as to how the Doctor would react to her...other life. The red head knew, from both what she had seen and read, that magic didn't appear to exist in this universe.

Mentally shaking her head, getting her mind back on the present and not the past, Aries slowly opened the box.

The Doctor took a step back to give her some room. He smiled a small, warm smile as he watched Aries eyes widened in surprise before looking to him. Inside the box was his old leather jacket, though the TARDIS had helped to resize and change it slightly into something he hoped Aries liked. It felt right to give it to her. Even if he had changed, he wanted her to have a reminder of who he use to be; of the man she had first met.

Aries looked back down to the familiar leather and carefully pulled it out, moving the box out of the way as she did so. It was the same colour as the Doctor's old jacket; black with a slight weathered look to it, but the coat was longer. More feminine. She held the coat tenderly before her, only to get a slight whiff of the Doctor's old scent as it moved and her eyes watered when she smelt the familiar leather that she had come to associate with the Time Lord mixed with old books, motor oil, and time. It was the scent of the man she had met all those decades ago; the man she had come to care for more than a friend; the man she had tried and failed to save.

Her eyes shot back to the Doctor when she realised that he hadn't just given her a coat that looked similar to his old one, but he had actually given her his old jacket; somehow having managed to turn it into something more suited for her. "It's-" her voice cracked, overwhelmed with a rush of emotions she had no chance to try and render under control. "Th-thank you," she managed to get out before surprising the Doctor with a hug, her arms wrapping around him tightly. Her eyes were clenched closed as tears fell, finding herself both sad at the loss of who he was, but also engulfed by an emotion she couldn't name at how thoughtful he had been in giving her such a gift.

The Doctor returned her hug just as tightly. "You're welcome, Aries," he murmured softly into her red hair as he felt her tears against his neck. He knew right then that giving her his old jacket had been the right thing to do and sent out a mental thank you to his ship as he adjusted his hold on his Nesdra and sat down on the jump seat, Aries sitting on his lap. "Anything for you, my Aries," he whispered before placing a gentle kiss on her temple. He held her close as her tears continued to fall, allowing her to grieve who he had once been, understand more than before how much she needed this.

"Oh, come on!" the Doctor grumbled under his breath as he stared at the console, though made no move to approach it. He shook his head, "You're a Time Lord," he told himself, forcing his legs to move towards the controls and piloting his ship back to Powell Estate, aiming for the morning after they had left. Though he was feeling rather hesitant, not wanting to return. He had everything he wanted in his ship right at that moment...

"Bloody conscience," he snapped as he pulled the lever that set the ship flying through the vortex.

It had been just over six hours since he and Aries had returned from Sarah's. Six hours of just him, his ship and his Nesdra. Five hours and fifty-five minutes since he had given Aries his old jacket. Five hours and forty minutes since she had cried herself to sleep in his arms, though he couldn't blame her.

After everything his Nesdra had gone through in the last week, he had been quite surprised that she had managed to hold herself together for so long. Any other human would have buckled long before she had, but he also knew that Aries' wasn't just any other human.

Somehow, she was also part Time Lady. But even then she wasn't the daughter of any Time Lady. Aries Prince, however possible, was the daughter of the one Time Lady he had once searched for; had come to learn about the atrocities the Alchemist had caused and had not wanted to learn any more about. But after hearing story after story from Sarah Jane the night before, the Doctor could admit that Vera had been right. Aries had people that cared for her, that loved her; the complete opposite to what the Alchemist had.

The Doctor could also admit that he had come to realise that the front Aries put up around people was more of a facades that helped protect herself from those around her, and that he was slowly being shown her more softer, caring and happy side the more time they spent around each other. It had warmed his hearts tremendously when he realised just how much she was beginning to trust him, and a few times during dinner, he had caught himself staring at her; finding that, in those moments where she smiled or blushed in embarrassment from something he or Sarah had said, he thought he saw glimpses of the young woman he had met during the Blitz.

He had been surprised, and a little hurt, that Aries had never mentioned to Sarah about meeting him throughout the years. But as he had watched Aries telling his former companion about their last couple of adventures; the Slitheen at Downing Street and at Cardiff, the Sycorax not hours before; the Doctor found that he understood why. The look that had been on Sarah Jane's face had been one of interest, shock, longing, and sadness.

But it was even more surprising to the Doctor to hear that Aries had told both Alistair and Sarah about her long lifespan, and her sudden arrival in 1898. He wanted to tell them what he had found, that he had a theory of how she had arrived, but had held his tongue. He didn't know if Aries learning who her mother could be would put her in danger, especially if it ever got out and others learnt just who she was possibly related to.

The Doctor glanced to the entrance to the rest of the TARDIS before shaking his head. He knew it had been the right thing to do, withholding the possible connection between the Alchemist and his Nesdra from her. He moved around the console, checking the scanner to make certain that he had gotten the date right, not wanting a repeat of last time. Once he was certain that the date was indeed the 26th of December and the year was 2006, the Doctor's thoughts drifted back to his Nesdra and how she had felt in his arms.

As much as he shouldn't have been, the Time Lord was rather grateful that Aries had fallen asleep in his arms. It had helped quell the need to start their bond, being overruled by the greater need to comfort her. He had sat there for probably close to an hour after she had drifted off, feeling the urge slowly fade to the back of his mind. Then he had held her for a little longer, just because he wanted to before he had carefully carried her to a spare bedroom in the TARDIS.

Glancing at the scanner once more, and seeing that everything was indeed correct, the Doctor hesitated barely for a second before pulling the lever again, not really wanting to deal with Rose Tyler at that current moment. He had overly enjoyed the night spent with his former companion and his Nesdra and wasn't really ready for his current companion to disrupt the peace he had been feeling.

Wonder if I could get Mickey to come along? he thought with a small grin as he once again looked towards the doorway to the rest of his ship. The young man had surprised the Doctor with how well he had reacted, and had accepted the Time Lord's regeneration rather quickly. And he knew that both Aries and Mickey saw each other as family, however that seemed to work. Though, the Doctor once again had a selfish thought flash across his mind; that having Mickey on board would help keep Rose away from him, and more importantly, Aries.

The TARDIS landed with a gentle thud, alerting the Doctor that they had arrived and he moved around the console and towards the jump seat; which he promptly sank into, trying not to fidget and resist the urge to fly the TARDIS away. He really didn't want to deal with his companion, knowing that she would be both angry and jealous that he had disappeared on her. But he also didn't care. His Nesdra would always come first and the moment it managed to sink into the blonde's thick head and she realised that, he was rather hopeful that it would stop her jealousy spats. He was getting quite fed up with them.

The Doctor frowned as he pulled out his sonic and Aries' phone from one of his pockets, having picked the mobile up from the med bay a few hours earlier. He pulled the back off the communications device and blinked. "Oh, you clever girl," he remarked, smiling at the slight changes that Aries had done with the battery. Removing it carefully, he ran his sonic over the device and his eyebrows raised, "Just what did you do to this phone," he muttered as his sonic gave him the alterations his Nesdra had done to her device, "You'd have cover anywhere on Earth with these upgrades, but let's see if I can make it universal."

It took him a few minutes, but eventually the Doctor managed to set Aries' mobile up for Universal Roaming. He had to be careful with some of the settings, not wanting to accidently ruin any of the changes his brilliant Nesdra had already done, but he was rather happy with his work as he placed the backing back on the device. After he had heard that Sarah had tried and failed to get into contact with Aries, it had made him feel a little guilty about causing his former companion to worry and knew that now Sarah would be able to call her at anytime.

Standing up, the Doctor placed the mobile on the console so that Aries would be able to see it the moment she entered before making his way around to the scanner, unable to stay still. He had already checked over the console as he waited for Aries to awaken, making sure that nothing had gone wrong with his ship after his regeneration. And the scans he had the TARDIS doing on Vera's dagger had disappeared, along with the blade itself and that had annoyed him to no end, having wanting to question the woman about the runes he had seen on the blade.

And so now, the Doctor was growing bored. There was nothing he could really do that didn't include the unnecessary repairs, that the TARDIS had immediately shot down with a warning hum an hour ago the moment the thought had crossed his mind. It was hard for him sometimes, travelling with humans as they slept so much, though he couldn't fault his Nesdra. Not after everything she had been through. He knew that she needed her rest.

He was just about to take the TARDIS away for a quick trip somewhere when the ship let out a low hum before the door was pushed open. Holding back a frustrated groan, the Time Lord watched as Rose Tyler stormed inside.

"Where have you been?" the blonde asked him angrily as she approached the console, "I though you were coming around for dinner, but when I came down to see what was taking you too long, you were gone."

The Doctor didn't hold back the roll of his eyes as he moved back around the console and away from the blonde. "I had somewhere I needed to be," he told her flatly, "And where I go is none of your concern. You're not my keeper, you are my companion."

Whatever retort Rose had died on her tongue at his words, her eyes widening slightly as she felt as though he had physically hit her with how he had said the word 'companion'. But something caught her eye and her anger returned. "You left with Aries, didn't you?" she accused as she went to grab the red heads phone, knowing that it wasn't the Doctor's. The Time Lord was quick to move around the console and scoop the mobile up, stopping her from touching it and she scowled. "What is so special about her? Before she came along, everything was just fine. It was just you and m-"

"It was never just you and me, Rose Tyler," the Doctor said through clenched teeth, cutting her off, "And if you can't get that through your ape-sized brain, I request you put your key on the console and leave," he added coldly as he pocketed Aries' mobile, reminding himself to give it to her later. "You are my companion. I don't have to take you along and I certainly didn't have to return. And the way you are speaking about someone who has never done anything wrong towards you, I am beginning to question why I even decided to return. If you can not act cordial and treat Aries with the respect she deserves, there's the door," he gestured to the door that she had just stormed through moments earlier.

Rose gapped at the Doctor, unbelieving what she had just heard. Her hands clenched at her sides as she frowned, glaring at the floor. Her hands relaxed ever so slightly as she bit out a curt, "Fine." She had no idea why the Doctor seemed to worship the red head, but she knew that if she wanted to continue to travel with the Time Lord, she had to accept his terms. Rose knew, however, that she just needed to find a way to get rid of Aries, then she knew that everything would return back to normal. That it would return to it being just her and the Doctor travelling through time and space again.

"You're on your last warning, Rose Tyler," the Doctor warned, "If I see or hear you disrespecting Aries again, you're going home."

She didn't say anything in response, but nodded her head. Once I figure out how to get rid of Aries, she thought as she turned back to the door to get some things, Then he will see that I was always the better option.

The Doctor watched his companion leave, a frown on his face. He really hoped that giving her that warning would help her realise that there would never be anything between them; that there never could be. He had a gut feeling, though, that the blonde wasn't going to realise it anytime soon and wondered if giving her another chance was such a good idea.

The Doctor didn't even glance up from the repairs he was doing on the console as he heard the door to his ship swing open again, though he did think that Rose had been rather quick to grab whatever she thought she needed to bring. He sonicked some wires together, rather glad that the TARDIS had let him do something, even if they both knew that it didn't need repairing. It was better then brooding over the conversation he had just had with his companion.

It wasn't until someone, that sounded distinctly male and not at all like his companion, cleared their throat did the Doctor look up, startled, and accidently shocked himself on the wires. "What?!" he exclaimed, seeing Mickey Smith standing near the console. He looked the young man up and down in surprise, ignoring the unimpressed hum the TARDIS gave before he looked to the closed door. "How'd you get in?" he questioned, turning his gaze back to Mickey with a frown.

Mickey glanced back to the door he had just entered before looking back to the Doctor. "The door opened when I approached it," he told the Time Lord, suddenly wondering if that was supposed to happen.

The Doctor continued to frown at the young man for a moment longer before his gaze dropped to the console when he felt an amused hum in his mind. "What are you up to, old girl?" he muttered as he tried to work out why the she had allowed Mickey to enter his ship without a key. He shook his head, deciding to think over it later and grinned at the young man. "What can I do for you, Mickey Smith?" he asked, thinking back to his idea of asking the young man to come with them didn't seem to be such a bad idea, especially if his ship seemed to like him.

Mickey blinked at the Doctor, rather surprised that the Time Lord wasn't insulting him like he usually did. He glanced towards the rest of the ship, his eyebrows creasing slightly in worry. "I was wondering how Aries was doing," he said, looking back to the Doctor.

Walking around the console until he was in front of the young man, the Doctor crossed his arms against his chest. He stared at Mickey for a moment and opened his mouth to offer the young man the chance to travel with them, but Mickey cut him off.

"I'm just worried about her," the young man said quickly, misreading the Doctor's actions; believing that he had said something wrong. He knew how protective the Doctor was over his aunty and really didn't want to deal with any more death glares. "She's like my aunty and after what occurred yesterday, not hearing from her last night. Well, I just thought that something had happened."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow at Mickey, rather amused by the young man's rambling as he cut in, "Why don't you come with us?", but Mickey carried on, seemingly as though he hadn't even heard the Doctor.

"When I couldn't find the TARDIS last night, and knowing that Aries wasn't feel well after everything that happened, I was just con-...Wait, what?!" Mickey exclaimed in surprised shock when the Doctor's words finally sunk in.

Chucking at the his expression, the Doctor repeated his offer, "Come with us. That way you can see for yourself that your aunty is fine." He paused for a moment, eyeing the young man before him as he quietly added, "And I trust you enough to know that you would look after her if I couldn't."

Mickey stared at the Doctor, his jaw slack. He was shocked by what the Time Lord had just asked and admitted. He swallowed heavily before he went to speak, but only for another voice to speak first.

"Is everything okay?" Aries asked as she stepped into the console room, her eyebrows furrowed in concern as she glanced between the pair.

The Doctor watched her approach them, unable to stop the small smile that appeared on his lips at the sight of her wearing his old jacket turned coat. Her red hair was pulled back and to one side in a loose braid. She was wearing a simple pair of dark blue jeans, a red top and her normal, black combat boots. He couldn't help but think that the coat really did suit her, especially after the changes the TARDIS had made. It was now longer, more feminine and reached just above her knees; all the while subtly accentuating her curves.

"Morning aunty," Mickey greeted with a smile before he noticed the coat as well, feeling that it looked somewhat familiar. He glanced at the Doctor and raised an eyebrow at the man's expression, really thinking he shouldn't have bet against Vera. He recognised the look on the Time Lord's face; it was one he had once freely given Rose. And despite knowing that the Doctor felt something for Aries, the young man hadn't grasped just how much the Doctor felt towards his aunty until Vera had made the bet with him yesterday.

"How are you feeling?" the Doctor questioned Aries softly as he wrapped an arm around his shoulders, once again noticing her stiffen before relaxing at his side. But he wasn't concerned, not after last night. He had realised that Aries didn't even seem to notice she did it. Though she had done it less around Sarah, the Time Lord had noticed a few times when his former companion had grabbed her arm, or hugged her when Aries wasn't expecting it, his Nesdra seemed to do it instinctively. Though she always relaxed not seconds later.

Relaxing further into the Doctor's side, Aries nodded. "Yeah, I am," she told him quietly before blushing slightly, "And I want to thank you again for the coat." She ducked her head as she felt her cheeks warm further. "I-it really means a lot to me," she murmured as she tugged on one of the sleeves.

"It looks lovely on you," the Doctor kissed her hair, "And I understand," he added more quietly, holding her a little closer. He glanced at Mickey, finding the man watching them with raised eyebrows and a small grin. "I was just asking your nephew if he'd like to come with us," he added after a moment.

Aries raised her head in surprise, looking at the Doctor. "Us?" she asked him.

The Doctor nodded, "Us," he confirmed before frowning, "Unless you don't want to. It's up to you in the end, but I've wanted you to travel with me since the museum and hated that I only offered you one trip. I should have known that you would take me seriously. But then when I saw you at the church and realised where you had gone, I knew that eve-"

He was stopped when Aries moved from beside him and placed a finger against his lips. "You're rambling, Doctor," she told him quietly, blushing red at what she was about to say, "And if you had offered another trip, and I hadn't know you were going to the church, I would have stayed for as long as you would have had me."

Pulling her back to his side, the Doctor grinned as he kissed her temple. "And what if I never want you leave?" he asked, ignoring Mickey as the young man looked between them with wide eyes, shifting on the spot while looking a little uncomfortable.

His grinned dropped a moment later when he felt Aries stiffen beside him. He was afraid he may have taken it a bit too far, though he had been quite serious. If there was anyone he never wanted to leave, one person he could never think of losing, it was her. "Aries?" he murmured in concern as he started to run soothing circles on her arm with the hand that was holding her to him.

"You..." Aries glanced at him, slowly relaxing under his touch and let out a slow breath, "You mean that, don't you?" she questioned quietly.

The Doctor nodded, placing a chaste kiss on her temple, "I was serious when I told you that I would go through all that again to keep you safe, and I'm serious now. You're welcome here for as long as you like."

Mickey's eyebrows shot up at the Doctor's words and he looked to his aunty who had drawn her bottom lip between her teeth, trying to process what the Time Lord had just admitted. He may never grasped just how deep the Doctor's feelings for Aries were, but to hear him state that he would die all over again for her, the young man knew that the Time Lord was possibly in love with his aunty. There was something that went much further then friends, or even close companions in the Doctor's gaze as he looked at the red head.

Aries released her bottom lip, frowning as she thought over the implications of what the Doctor was saying. The red head knew that he wasn't lying, but she also knew that what he had said could change the moment he learns who she is; where she's from. She sighed, feeling a little apprehensive of when that conversation would come about, but she really didn't know how to tell him. Shaking herself from those thoughts, Aries let herself relax in the Doctor's hold. She would tell him soon, but not now.

"I like the sound of that," she finally said and glanced at the Time Lord with a small smile, causing him to let out an almost inaudible sigh in relief. He didn't stop running circles on her arm as she looked to Mickey, raising an eyebrow at the young man. "Do you want to come with us?" she asked, hoping that he would. She was a little nervous about travelling with the Doctor and Rose, more so that she would eventually have to tell the Time Lord who she was and having Mickey there would help her tremendously.

Mickey looked between the pair, rather surprised that the Doctor did actually look like he wanted him to travel with them. But, he thought with a small frown, There's also Rose. He shook his head. "Yeah, I can't. Not now," he told them, seeing their expressions drop slightly; Aries' more than the Doctor's. "I want to," he added quickly, "But I need some time," he glanced at the door behind him, "Away from her."

"Oh," Aries breathed, wanting to slap herself. The Doctor had mentioned the night before that he had heard Mickey breaking up with Rose, and as much as the red head was glad that he had finally ended things with the blonde, she was also concerned for him. He had known Rose since the blonde had been born and knew that ending things with Rose wouldn't have been easy for Mickey to do. But Aries also knew that he had done nothing to deserve the way the blonde had been treating him. Glancing at the Doctor, she asked, "Maybe next time?" It was a question not only aimed at Mickey, but the Time Lord as well, knowing that the decision wasn't hers to make.

The Doctor turned to look at Mickey for a moment. He had actually forgotten that the young man might need some time away from Rose after their fight, and as much as it went against his nature to offer the chance to travel with him a third time; when he looked to his Nesdra, he couldn't say no. "We'll be back in a month," he finally told the young man, "But know that the offer won't come again," he added.

Mickey grinned as he asked, "You sure it'll be a month and not a year?" His question caused Aries to snort, unable to help herself and the Time Lord to pout.

"Don't push your luck, Ricky," the Doctor said firmly, shooting the man a mock glare. But he wasn't able to hold it and he ended up with a wry grin, giving away his amusement at the jab to his piloting skills.

Mickey nodded with a grin of his own before he glanced back to the door. "I better go before Rose turns up. She's been driving me nuts all night."

Aries slipped out from the Doctor's arm and gave her nephew a quick hug. "You did the right thing," she told him as she pulled away and stepped back to the Doctor's side.

"I know," Mickey agreed, "And I wanted to say I'm sorry, Aries. I shouldn't have said those things."

"You don't have to apologise, Mickey," Aries replied, shaking her head at him when he went to say something, "I know that you believed she felt the same, and I don't blame you at all."

Mickey grinned and nodded, letting the tension drop from his shoulders. He gave them one last glance before turning to the door.

"Good luck, Mickey the idiot," the Time Lord said with a smirk as he wrapped his arm back around Aries' shoulders.

"Oi!" the young man exclaimed, his grin growing as he slipped out of the door.

The moment the door closed, the Doctor glanced at Aries. He thought about what they could do while they waited for Rose and his smirk grew into a grin as an idea hit him. "So, since you're staying," he begun, causing Aries to look at him with confused curiosity, "How would you like to learn how to pilot the TARDIS?" he asked, though he already knew what her answer would be, seeing her eyes widen.

"You can't be serious?" Aries breathed.

"Of course I am," he said as he led her over to the console, his smirk returning as he begun to show her some buttons and switches, explaining to her what they did. He couldn't help but notice the way her eyes lit up in delight; as well as how that familiar look of concentration overcame her features that told him that she was absorbing everything he was showing her.

He did have to remind himself to focus on what he was teaching his Nesdra, and not on her as they moved around the console. More so since she had caught him staring at her a few times, though he really couldn't see how it was such a bad thing as it resulted in her blushing in what he thought was a very becoming shade of red.

He cleared his throat and continued on showing which dials helped set the date and time, trying to ignore the warmth he could feel on his own cheeks when he caught her staring at him.