The group made it back to the TARDIS and got out of their finery. As much fun as it had been to dress up, they would feel much more comfortable in their normal gear. The Doctor had insisted they all move into the kitchen, so they could end their adventure with a cup of tea. So there they were, all sat down with their steaming cups, nothing out of the ordinary.

Except there was. Part of the Doctor's history had been revealed tonight, and Yaz had so many questions. The Doctor had already said that she would answer any of the questions Yaz had, but Yaz was nervous of asking the wrong thing. There was no easy way to bring up someone's past, especially when you knew it wasn't all good. She didn't know whether to bring it up in front of the boys, or whether they knew already (although she was sure Ryan would have told her if she had). Part of her wanted to keep the Doctor's past to herself, but she also knew Ryan and Graham had a right to know.

Luckily, the Doctor didn't keep her waiting for much longer. Over their evening tea, the Doctor finally decided to be more open with her new team.

'Listen gang, there's some things that have come to light today, and I thought it would be a good idea to get them cleared up.' Ryan and Graham looked at her in confusion, but Yaz knew exactly what she was referring to. The Doctor glanced up at her for a moment, before turning to the boys.

'When Yaz found me earlier, a journalist who I met ages ago started blurting out stuff about my past. Stuff that Yaz didn't know and it left her in an awkward position. I don't want this to happen again.' She chanced a quick look at Yaz, before reverting back to the boys. 'To any of you.' She finished.

'What sort of stuff?' Ryan asked, looking at Yaz for more information, a little confused as to why she hadn't said anything earlier. The Doctor cut in.

'More specifically, about my past companions.'

'So there have been people before us? Travelling with you I mean?' Ryan asked. Graham nudged him, urging him to quieten.

'Well of course we're not the first!'

'No, no it's okay Graham. It's understandable that Ryan has that opinion. I've not exactly been open with you about my past. Like when we dealt with that dalek. You guys couldn't understand why I was so terrified.'

'We get it now. It was a monster.' Yaz summed up quietly. Her thoughts flashed back to that day, not too long ago, when the Earth had nearly been destroyed by that one dalek.

'You seemed to have some history with it Doc. You've clearly dealt with them before?' Graham knew she had, but he wanted to hear it from her. The Doctor nodded.

'The daleks and I go way back.'

'What did they do?' Ryan asked. The Doctor took a deep breath, swallowing hard. She hated opening up, but she had promised she would.

'So many atrocities. So many deaths. They have taken so many people I love, and they just keep coming back.' She paused, realising that her voice had become louder, the more her anger increased, thinking about her past. She could tell the group didn't want to press much further, but she owed them an explanation. 'The worst thing they were involved with was something called The Time War. The daleks were destroying civilisations. They would have destroyed the entire universe if I hadn't stopped them. But in doing so, my own people were taken with them. All of them.' From the shocked expressions on her friends' faces, she could tell this is not where they thought the conversation was going to go.

'Doctor, I'm so sorry.' Yaz looked up at her with shining eyes, reaching across the table to clasp at her hand. She didn't even notice the look Ryan and Graham shared; she was just focused on giving the Doctor some sort of comfort. The Doctor watched as Yaz's hand clasped hers, and she squeezed back, thanking her for the support. But she pressed on.

'Long story short, there was a long time when I thought the daleks had taken everything, but then it turned out Gallifrey wasn't gone and my people were safe in a time bubble, but that's a story for another day.'

'So your planet is still out there? The daleks didn't destroy them?' Graham asked.

'Not all of them, no. The thing is, I know they're safe. But I lived for centuries not knowing that they were alive. Thinking that I'd let them die. I was a broken man after the Time War, and those memories are still in my head. They won't ever go away.' There was a silence that captured the entire room. No one knew how to respond to the Doctor's revelations.

'I can't picture you in a war.' Ryan commented, looking up at his friend with regret. He'd seen flashes of the soldier the Doctor could be in battle situations, but those had been out of necessity. He couldn't imagine the Doctor signing up for any kind of war.

'There wasn't any choice. The daleks would have destroyed everything.' She paused for a moment. 'Thing is, you lot, the human race, have met daleks before. Many times.' They looked up at her in surprise.

'What? I think I'd remember a ruddy dalek shooting at me!' Graham burst out.

'Do you remember the Battle of Canary Wharf?' Yaz and Ryan shook their heads, but Graham nodded.

'Yeah, those robot men took control of the tower, and went global. Started marching into people's homes. I was alright, they didn't touch my street, but we still had to hide.' He glanced at Ryan and Yaz. 'You two would have had to hide too. Maybe your parents were very good at keeping it away from you.' He looked at the Doctor. 'The news said it was some new invention malfunction. Not alien.'

'Well, the news would say that. But no, the daleks were involved then too.' She didn't elaborate further on that particular event.

'Remember when Earth was pulled half way across the universe?'

'I thought that was a hoax?' Ryan asked innocently. The Doctor shook her head.

'Very much not a hoax. My friends and I were the ones who brought you all home…'

'With the TARDIS!' Yaz finished, remembering what the Doctor had said when defeating Tim Shaw. The Doctor gave her a small smile.

'Well, the daleks were the ones who moved you. They live to destroy. That's why they cry exterminate.'

'How come we don't remember this stuff?' Graham asked, hating that he couldn't remember things that had happened in the past decade.

'I'm guessing your governments must be selective in what information the public remember. It's easy enough. People like to pretend that monsters like the daleks don't exist. So it makes it easier to dismiss things like aliens as hoaxes.'

Ryan was trying to rack his brains for memories of extra-terrestrial visits in his childhood, aware that his world had expanded before he'd even met the Doctor. He remembered being in the playground in primary school, playing football with his friends, when all the children had stopped. Just frozen. Suddenly a very vivid, terrifying memory came to the forefront of his mind.

We. We are. We are coming. We are. Here.

'Oh my god!' He yelped, hand covering his mouth in shock. He leapt up from his seat, the horror flooding his mind. The group looked up at him in alarm.

'Ryan, what is it son?' Graham asked anxiously. However, instead of turning to Graham, Ryan turned to Yaz.

'Yaz, do you remember that week in primary? When the teachers were really freaked out because we were speaking in unison?' Yaz looked at him in confusion.

'What year?' She asked, scouring through her own mind. It definitely rang a bell. She could feel a dull image of something lurking in the back of her memory, but she hadn't recalled it yet. She felt suddenly on edge, like the image would launch itself in attack at any moment. Except she didn't know what it was. It lurked like a shark, waiting in the watery shadows.

'Year 5 or 6. It was near the summer holidays!' Giving her the time frame suddenly sparked her memory and the horror returned for her.

We. We are. We are coming. We are. Here.

Yaz's hands came up to her own face, the fear and uncertainty of that horrible week spilling out. Her eyes widened in terror.

'Oh my god, I remember!' Yaz jumped up too, and went to grab Ryan into a huge hug. He immediately returned her embrace, terror building between them. The Doctor looked between them, extremely worried.

'Yaz, Ryan, what is it?'

Graham suddenly jolted, his memory returning too.

'Oh my god, no! Not that, please no!' Graham stood up now, and tried to gather the two younger companions in his arms. He could feel them trembling beneath him, the memories too real. 'It's alright you two, it's alright. It's gone. Whatever was in your heads, is gone. It's been gone for years.'

The Doctor jumped up from her seat, and came to examine the group. She didn't touch them, but she skirted around them, trying to catch a glimpse of their faces.

'Yaz, Ryan, please, tell me what you remember!' They stayed clinging to each other, too horrified to move. Graham looked at her over Yaz's shoulder, alarm growing on his face.

'Doc, what do we do?'

'What are they remembering?' She asked him, trying desperately to work it out, but not getting anywhere. Graham didn't want to add more trauma by saying the name out loud. He moved away from Yaz and Ryan, and held up both his hands to the Doctor. He held up his fingers in stages, allowing the Doctor to count them. First he held up four. Then five. Then six. She looked at him in confusion, so he repeated. Four fingers. Five fingers. Six fingers. The Doctor's mouth fell open in shock. She knew immediately what he was referring to.

'And they were involved?' She gestured to her friends, and Graham nodded.

'Yeah, they were the right age at the wrong time.' He shuddered thinking about it. The Doctor ran her hands through her hair. She looked as if she were about to be sick.

'Oh my god,' she whispered to herself, before recovering. She removed her hands from her hair and approached her friends. She put one hand on Ryan's shoulder, and the other on Yaz's.

'Ryan, Yaz, whatever it is, we can fight your memories. It's over. There's no need to be afraid. You're safe.' Under her touch, she felt Yaz start to move back, and she finally let go of Ryan. He was reluctant, reaching for her momentarily, but then retreated back. Yaz looked up the Doctor, the terror in her eyes still there. Her pupils were dilated, her eyes blackened. The Doctor encouraged her to sit down.

'That's it Yaz, just take a seat' She turned to Ryan, easing him down. 'Sit down slowly, there's a good lad.' She gestured to Graham to come and help Ryan, whose legs were shaking so much he was having trouble balancing without Yaz propping him up. Graham was immediately at this side, gently lowering him into his seat. The Doctor turned her attention back to Yaz. The Doctor wrapped an arm around her shoulders, lowering her into the chair. The Doctor could feel Yaz's shallow breaths coming out far too quickly.

'I've got you Yaz, you're safe. I promise.' Yaz sat down on the edge of her seat, her posture ram-rod straight.

'Doctor!' She barked out, trying to gain some control over her breathing. She could feel her chest burning at the lack of oxygen. She felt so cold, her body trembling from the fear running through her veins. The Doctor could hear Ryan's reaction behind her; could hear the same reaction to the memories. She glanced at him, seeing Graham trying to comfort him quietly. She quickly turned her attention back to Yaz. 'I'm…I'm so cold.' The Doctor instantly felt for Yaz's forehead. Yaz was cool but clammy, and her trembling seemed to get more violent.

'Shh, shh, it's alright Yaz.' The Doctor whipped off her coat, and set it across Yaz's shoulders, in an attempt to keep her warm. Yaz tugged it tight around her, seeking comfort from the Doctor's favourite item of clothing. The Doctor knelt down in front of Yaz, leaning on Yaz's knees. 'Yaz, focus on my voice, alright? Try to drown out everything else, and zone in on me.' Yaz bent down slightly, hunching over. The Doctor reached up and took one of Yaz's hands in hers. 'You're in the TARDIS. You're safe. You're with me. I'll never let that thing get you. I promise Yaz. I promise you.' She felt Yaz squeeze her hand, hard and anxious, and she closed her eyes in response.

'Doc, I think it's getting worse!' Graham yelled out. The Doctor turned her head to see Ryan completely bent over, the shaking going beyond violent into a new realm. Her mouth dropped, but then a plan came to her.

'I've got an idea,' she told Graham, before turning back to Yaz. She stood up so she was in line with Yaz's face, and held out her hands to either side of Yaz's temples. At her touch, Yaz opened her eyes, blinking urgently at the Doctor. She recoiled slightly.

'No, no, absolutely not. Not after last time!' Yaz argued, still shaking, but the new situation gave her a purpose. There was no way she was going to expose the Doctor to these memories, especially after what had happened the last time the Doctor got into her head. The Doctor protested, desperately.

'It's alright, different mechanism from last time. This is just a simple mind wipe. I can take away the bad memories.' She moved forward again but Yaz moved her head back.

'I'm not gonna expose you to…' She was cut off by a cry from Ryan. The Doctor jolted away from Yaz, and swung round to find Ryan screaming into his hands.

'Please, please Doctor, take them away! Take all the memories away!' He yelled hysterically. 'I can't take it anymore!'

Graham urged her forward.

'Doc, please, it's tormenting him!' The Doctor was with Ryan in less than a heartbeat. She placed both her hands to the sides of his face, and closed her eyes. Ryan trembled under her touch, but his breathing began to even out as the Doctor lulled him into some kind of trance. Graham moved over to Yaz, putting an arm around her shoulders while they watched the Doctor… wipe Ryan's mind? Graham glanced down at Yaz and saw she was watching the Doctor intensely, the worry clear all over her face. After a few moments, the Doctor opened her eyes. She moved her hands away from Ryan's face and moved to catch him as he passed out under her. He slumped forwards in his chair. Worry rising, Graham moved away from Yaz and rushed towards his grandson.

'Is he alright Doc? What happened?' He asked urgently, as the Doctor propped Ryan back up. She gently placed his upper body and head on the table, so that he was half laying on the surface. His eyes were closed, but the trembling had stopped. Graham kneeled down in front of Ryan, gently nudging him.

'Ryan?' The young man didn't stir, now heavily sedated on the table. The Doctor took a step back, breathing in deeply.

'He'll be fine, Graham. That always happens after a mind wipe.' She looked down at the pair. 'I only erased the memories from that event. He'll remember everything else.'

'How can you be sure?' Graham asked, turning slightly to look at her. He looked up at her, half grateful, half confused.

'Trust me Graham, I'm very good with mind wipes. One of my secret talents.'

'Yeah, you certainly kept that one quiet!' Graham uttered. He glanced up at Yaz, who was still hunched over, trembling and looking as pale as a ghost. The Doctor still had one more patient. She turned away from the boys and crouched down in front of the young woman, trying to get into her eye line.

'Yaz? The offer still stands.' She whispered softly. 'I can make it all go away.' She brought her hands to cup Yaz's shaking ones. Yaz gulped, taking a deep breath. She was still trembling, but the tremors were starting to even out. She shook her head at the Doctor's suggestion.

'Won't let you. Don't want you to see that.' The Doctor's hearts stopped in her chest. Here was Yasmin Khan, shaking in terror at horrific memories from her past, yet she was trying to protect the Doctor from the hell raging inside her mind. This young woman was beyond incredible. And infuriating.

'Yaz…'

'I said no, Doctor.' Yaz said, bluntly. She hadn't meant for it to come out so angry. The Doctor nodded at her, accepting defeat.

'Okay Yaz.' She brought her forehead to lean against Yaz's knees, exhausted by everything. The one thing she could do to stop her friend suffering, and she wouldn't let her do it. But she had to accept Yaz's decision. Suddenly, she felt a hand on top of her head. Gentle fingers ran through her hair, running from her scalp to strands at the ends. She didn't move. She just let Yaz run her shaky hand through her hair, soothing them both.

Xxx

After setting Ryan to lie down in a more comfortable place, the Doctor asked Graham to keep an eye on him, whilst she tended to Yaz.

'Of course I will. But he'll be okay, right?' The Doctor nodded emphatically.

'He'll be much better. He won't remember any of the fear or what happened when he was a child. If someone brings it up, it'll just be a story to him.' Graham blew out a sigh of relief, but then remembered.

'But what about Yaz?' He asked quietly, keeping an eye on the girl who was still wrapped up in the Doctor's coat. He didn't think she would be taking it off anytime soon. The Doctor glanced at Yaz briefly, worry all over her face.

'I don't know. She won't let me help her.'

'I guess she's worried about what happened last time.'

'But it's different!'

'You say that Doc, but to her it isn't. To her, it's you putting yourself at risk. Again.'

The Doctor nodded at that. She couldn't really argue with that logic.

'I'll stay with her.' The Doctor told him. Graham nodded in acknowledgement, before turning back to Ryan.

She came back to Yaz, who was sat down, watching Graham attend to Ryan. As the Doctor approached, Yaz glanced up, giving her a small smile. The trembling had nearly stopped, but Yaz could still feel her heart pumping away hard in her chest. The Doctor smiled softly at her, before taking a seat next to her. Yaz could feel the warmth radiating off her friend, wanting nothing more than to just sink into it. The Doctor must have read her mind, because she brought her arm around Yaz's waist, pulling her comfortingly closer to her side. Yaz didn't recoil; she just let herself be lulled and protected. She leant her head against the Doctor's shoulder, exhausted by the evening's events. The memories were still there, but they seemed more distant, now that the Doctor was much, much closer. She felt the Doctor lean against her in response, the arm around her tightening.

'I think my coat suits you. You should wear it more often.' The Doctor whispered into her hair, causing thrills to run down Yaz's body. Yaz nodded, not trusting herself to speak, but letting the Doctor know that she appreciated the comment. She felt the Doctor squeeze back gently in response. They sat in silence, watching Graham and Ryan for a few moments. Finally, the Doctor asked what she needed to know.

'Why won't you let me get rid of them?' She asked gently. Yaz pulled the coat around her tighter, almost like a protection blanket.

'Memories define us. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.' She said. That wasn't the full truth, and the Doctor knew it.

'You don't have to protect me, Yaz.'

'I know.'

'So…?'

'I'm not putting you at risk.'

'But I'm fine. Ryan's fine. It's not like last time. I've already seen what you've seen.'

'And I don't want to put you through it a second time.'

'Yaz, please, I'll be fine…'

Yaz lifted her head up off the Doctor's shoulder, and turned to look the Doctor in the eyes.

'Who takes away your bad memories, Doctor? Of the daleks? Of the time war?' The Doctor looked at her, really looked at her. Yaz could feel the Doctor reading deep into her soul.

'Yaz…' she started, but Yaz shushed her.

'I can't do that for you. I wish I could.' She paused, before softly saying 'so let me do the closest thing I can to it.' The Doctor's mouth kept opening and closing. Yaz could tell she would argue her way out, but Yaz was not backing down on this. She would do everything she could to protect her friend. Yaz, exhausted by strain of the day, turned her head back and resumed her position on the Doctor's shoulder. The Doctor was frozen for a moment, torn between respecting Yaz's wishes and disregarding them, but the feel of Yaz against her shoulder brought her back to reality. She glanced down at the human in her arms, feeling the warmth seep into her hearts. Gently, oh so gently, she leaned down and pressed her lips against Yaz's forehead. She pressed them there for a few, long seconds.

At the gentle touch, Yaz's heart started hammering away. At least this time it was with a different kind of fear. The Doctor then pulled her lips away, and resumed her position from before, her head leaning against Yaz's. The Doctor held Yaz tighter around her waist, not willing to let go for a long time.