Yaz was growing understandably impatient as the minutes ticked by. Sure, it was to be expected that this was going to take a sizable amount of time, but that didn't stop her from being grumpy. She had taken the seat nearest to the television whilst they stuck the news on. It had taken a lot of persuading of one of the trainees at Kamar Taj to forge a portal back to the Sanctum, since it transpired that the temple in Nepal didn't own a single tv screen. It should have been a crime in the modern age. Yaz had considered asking the sorcerer to take her directly to San Francisco, but they'd quickly shut that idea down. It turned out that they were risking annoying Wong just by doing this for them, and putting her right in the line of fire would be a step too far. Yaz doubted that Dan would allow her to go, regardless of whether it was possible or not.

He was keeping an exceptionally close eye on her, she knew that. Even as they huddled into Wong's private quarters, Dan was watching her, making sure that she was coping as well as could be expected. It probably wasn't helping that the live cameras on the scene were unable to show much detail. It seemed that the abundance of magic was interfering with the technical equipment, which meant that none of them could really tell what was going on. It was possible to see that as a good thing, since it allowed them to believe that no one had been harmed and nothing had gone wrong. Surely the cameras would cut away if people were dying. The issue was that Yaz had never been very positive as a person, especially when it came to the Doctor's wellbeing.

Frustrated, Yaz stood up from the sofa, allowing Katy to quickly take her spot. She'd been hovering awkwardly to one side, waiting for her moment to pounce. Layla pulled a face at how heavily she landed on the cushions, whereas Madisynn (who had chosen to stick around the Sanctum despite Wong's pleas with her to go home) giggled at the way she bounced. Dan was no longer focused on the television, looking at his friend as she paced around. She was moving so furiously that she was likely to wear down the wooden panels underfoot, which wouldn't have been a good thing since they weren't on the ground floor.

"She wouldn't want you to stress like this," Dan commented, knowing it was a risk to even test her ire.

"I can't believe that you're not panicking!" Yaz countered heatedly. "You're supposed to be her friend!"

"I am her friend, which means that I have to respect her decisions at times, including choosing to go off and do something really dangerous. As much as I might not like it."

"The way I see it, being a friend is standing in their way and preventing them from doing something stupid."

"What do you think I've been doing with you?" Dan asked with a smirk. "I've always been closer to you. I can't help it. We had all those years together away from her, before I really knew who she was. I'm always going to be more protective over you."

It was a comment that had the desired effect of dampening her anxiety somewhat, only because it gave her something else to focus on. "You're not going mushy on me, Scouse, are you?"

"Only if it distracts you for long enough."

"I understand what you're going through," Madisynn added to the conversation, turning to lean against the back of the sofa.

Yaz didn't know if that was really the case, but she was grateful for the sentiment all the same. "Thank…you?"

"Yeah, I wouldn't Wongers there just as much as you don't want your girlfriend there. I mean, look at it! It's really dangerous! The news reporter is even refusing to get out of the van. I've never seen anything like it, and I've been to hell…"

Dan snorted in laughter. Yaz's eyes went wide. "Oh…um…me and the Doctor…we're not…girlfriends." Even saying the word sent a tingle down her spine. She'd thought about it, yes, but she'd never uttered that word before in the context of the Doctor. She didn't think she'd said it yet in the context of herself either.

Madisynn scrunched up her nose. "What are you playing at, then? Because it's pretty obvious that you both want it."

Yaz was doing well to ignore Dan's increasing enjoyment of the path the conversation has taken. "It…is?" It was suddenly really easy to ignore everything else that was going on, with the intense thundering of blood pounding around her ears.

"Trust me, I know a thing or two when it comes to this sort of thing. I've barely spent any time with you, and yet I've seen you both giving each other the look."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Dan simply huffed. "I wouldn't waste your breath, Madisynn. I've tried on multiple occasions to speak some sense into her and it never works. She won't see what's right in front of her! That the Doc likes her just as much as she does!"

"Tell her as soon as you next see her," Madisynn suggested excitedly, jumping up and down, much to Layla's continuing discomfort. "That'd be so romantic! Her, just coming back from a death-defying ordeal, falling into your arms, the two of you locking eyes, leaning ever closer…"

"Alright!" Yaz interrupted before more was said. She could barely cope with the current level of detail. "I really don't want to be having this conversation right now."

"If it's any comfort, I'm in the same boat," Layla contributed to the conversation. "Me and Marc…we've got a fairly complicated history. Not only because I think I might be falling for Steven too, who's technically the same person…but also couldn't be further away from who Marc is. I've been avoiding thinking about it…but I'm sure I've just seen him get thrown across the street…and I'm worried I'm not going to get the chance to ever talk to him about it, to explore what might be." It was as if she suddenly realised where she was and who she was speaking to, because she quickly gave them an apologetic smile. "Sorry…I don't know where that came from. I guess I must have really needed to unload. It's not something I do very often. Let me assure you, I'm not normally like this."

Madisynn wrapped an arm around her. "No! This is good. I could sense a bit of a barrier between us two but this is exactly the sort of thing we can bond ever!"

"...great." Layla wasn't too successful at showing a genuine smile.

"What about you, Katy? Anything to add? I saw how close you were standing to Shang…"

Katy looked very alarmed about being the current centre of attention. "Nope. Not in the slightest. Sorry. We're just friends. Of course, I'm worried about him right now. He's the only person who truly understands me. It's not as if my family does. If I were to lose that…" She stopped herself. "...can we go back to talking about Yaz and the Doctor?"

"You've been talking about us?"

Yaz didn't know what to think when she heard that voice. There was an overriding sense of relief as she spun around to see the Doctor standing there as if nothing had happened, Wong coming up behind her with a few tendrils of golden energy betraying how they'd gotten there. Then again, there was also a massive swelling of fear as she wondered just how long the Doctor had been standing there. Even if she'd only gotten the trail end of the conversation, putting the context together would have easily pieced why the Doctor had been brought up. She was suddenly very eager to take on a rampaging witch rather than contend with the potential embarrassment.

"You're okay…" she whispered in relief.

"I can't believe you ever doubted me, Yaz. I'm just relieved that we found you. I started to panic when you weren't at Kamar Taj. I thought you might have done something reckless, or something that I might have done."

"I'll be having strong words with the sorcerer that allowed you to come here," Wong said, folding his arms. "Although it was a good sign of the progression of his training."

Yaz wasn't at all fussed about what Wong was saying. Despite the concerns plaguing her, she was unable to contain her happiness at seeing the Doctor, quickly closing the distance and wrapping the Time Lord in a tight hug. It seemed to take the other woman by surprise - this was something they didn't do very often. There had been the time that the Doctor had initiated a similar embrace after they'd been separated during the Flux. But this was the first time that Yaz was the instigator, and it felt right . There were no thoughts about the others or what they must have been thinking; this was just for them. What pleased her the most was the way that the Doctor appeared to be melting into it too, when she was usually so touch averse. If they could do this more often, then neither of them were going to complain.

"I didn't think I was gone that long," the Doctor murmured, before pulling back and looking at Yaz in concern. "It hasn't been long, has it? Has something gone wrong with time? Oh, Yaz…I'm tired of losing time with you…"

Yaz hadn't expected her to go off the rails so suddenly, placing a hand on her arm to slow her down. "Woah! It's barely been an hour. I was just…really worried about you."

"Oh…good. Not good because you were worried, but good because…well…we've got a lot of things to occupy ourselves with without time also breaking down."

"And Yaz doesn't think that the Doctor likes her back?" Madisynn asked as quietly as she could to the people closest to her, which wasn't as subtle as Yaz might have liked. "Look at the way they're clinging onto each other…"

Yaz chose to ignore her. It was an entire can of worms that would be best avoided. She focused instead on the woman standing in front of her, some of the residual anger still remaining. "What have I told you about leaving me behind?"

The Doctor gave her an awkward grimace, having hoped the worst of her fury would have been diluted by now. "These were…extreme circumstances."

"No kidding," Katy commented. "We've had the news on. It still looks fairly serious."

"It begs the question as to why you're even here," Layla added. "Because it doesn't like you've sorted anything out. In fact, I'd say you've probably made things worse."

Wong grumbled under his breath. "We're trying to find the Scarlet Witch."

It was a point that served to confuse everyone there, with Dan gesturing towards the tv screen. "Hold on…I thought you were fighting her already. Have you banged your heads? She's still tearing up Lombard Street by the looks of things."

"The Scarlet Witch you're seeing is a multiversal entity. Just as powerful, but not the woman I know. Our task is to find the one from our universe since she's our best shot at taking down this threat."

"Didn't you say that you thought she'd died recently?" Yaz sagely pointed out.

"We'll clear that hurdle when we get to it. I think I'd know if Wanda had truly died. I'd feel the disturbance in the metaphysical realm."

The Doctor was starting to pull Yaz by the arm. "That's why we're here. We can help with locating her, if she's still alive. The Tardis will be able to pick up any traces of her unique energy."

"I thought the Tardis was completely out of juice," Dan reminded her. "That's why we left her behind at Kamala's house. I dread to think what people must be thinking about it. It's probably taking up someone's parking space."

"Have some faith, Dan! You're right that the Tardis' energy stores have been severely depleted, but only for the engines. We were able to keep the shield up, remember? There's still a spark somewhere in the systems, and that's all we need. We just have to get back to her, which is why I'm really glad we're friends with Wong, here."

The Sorcerer Supreme bowed his head, preparing to create the portal to their required destination, when Layla stood up. She looked determined about something, though Wong wasn't too happy about the delay. The last thing he wanted was another discussion about who needed to stay behind for their own safety.

"Before you go," she began, "could you create another portal for me? There's a way that I can help in the fight."

xxxxxxxxxx

In a world of chaos, it was a tender moment to watch as the Doctor was reunited with her Tardis. The Khan household stood behind them, the family inside oblivious to the fact that they were there. They were potentially oblivious to the fact that their daughter was involved in the fight they were likely watching on the news, though Yaz wasn't going to tell them that. Instead, she put all her effort into focusing on the subtle ways the Doctor was interacting with her ship. The way she stroked the outside wood, the way a smile lit up her face as she opened the doors, the way she looked at Yaz because it didn't feel right to be inside without her.

"Hi, old girl," she whispered as they all entered.

For a change, Wong was the most uncertain out of their group. Dan had to basically shove him through the doors after growing sufficiently impatient. The console room was darker than it usually was, just the way they'd left it. They could tell that it was trying to return to its former glory at their arrival, but the Doctor stroked one of the crystalline columns and shushed it softly, reassuring the ship that it was okay. There was no need to strain herself when they had a limited amount of energy as it was.

"How…how have you created this place?" Wong asked slowly, taking it all in. It was still a magnificent sight, no matter how sick the Tardis was. "It's…"

"Bigger on the inside, yes," the Doctor finished for him abruptly, already busying herself with the consoles. "Sorry. Normally I really like hearing people say that for the first time…but I'm a bit…preoccupied…" She was reaching under the console, evidently trying to find something.

"I wasn't aware that you had access to such a magical marvel."

Yaz laughed. "This is all science, mate. There are some things that even your spells can't match, and the Tardis is certainly in that category."

"Found it!" the Doctor explained triumphantly. She appeared once more holding a metal headpiece that was vaguely familiar to Yaz. She remembered Graham being forced to wear it at one point. The Doctor thrust it in Wong's direction. "Here you go!"

The sorcerer looked at it warily. "What do you want me to do with it?"

She rolled her eyes dramatically. "What do you think? You're not exactly going to eat it, are you?" She puffed out her cheeks, playfully nudging Yaz. "I didn't expect him to be this slow."

"Play nice," Yaz said, though she was enjoying seeing this side of the Doctor. She seemed bouncier just by being back in the old blue box.

"Only 'cos I'm programmed to listen to your instructions." She turned back to Wong, shoving the strange device onto his head. " This is connected to the matrix of the Tardis and the telepathic circuits. As soon as I switch it on, I need you to concentrate on nothing else other than the Scarlet Witch. Think about what she looks like, what energy she carries, past experiences you've had with her. Normally, the Tardis would use this connection to materialise near the person or place, but she isn't in the state to do that at the moment. But she should be able to give us a precise location, which you can then take us to. Like I said, it's very handy having a sorcerer around. I wouldn't mind you staying with us once we're done with this mess."

"You're not replacing me, are you?" Dan asked worriedly.

The Doctor gave him a serious look. "You'd best get practising your magic." Her stern expression wasn't maintained for long. "Only joking! As if I could get rid of you. I'd never hear the end of it from Yaz."

She rushed back over to the console, fiddling with buttons and switches that didn't bring their usual exuberant end product. It was all a bit of a whimper but the Doctor kept moving, shifting the screen right in front of her, nodding her head in Wong's direction, and waiting for something to happen. The sorcerer closed his eyes and close to a minute passed, with Wong occasionally opening his eyes to check that he was doing the right thing. The only sign that anything had happened was a soft ding like a microwave going off, which felt rather anticlimactic given the severity of the overarching situation.

"There! Got it!" the Doctor told them giddily.

"Which means she's alive," Yaz pointed out.

"It'd be pretty awkward if she isn't. Have you ever landed on someone's grave? Let me tell you, people do not like it." She looked at Wong, who was analysing the map that had come up. "Do you think you can get us there?"

"Easily," he assured her. "And I'll come with you to find Wanda."

"You're probably more needed in the fight that's currently going on," Dan said. Maybe the sorcerer was scared about going back. Any sane person would be.

"I don't want you dealing with Wanda on your own. The way things ended the last time I saw her…I don't know what we're going to come across. And they won't be missing my presence. I've instructed every willing sorcerer from Kamar Taj to join the battle, which should give the other Scarlet Witch plenty to deal with."

Stepping through yet another portal was becoming a dizzying experience, even when they should have been used to it by now. The Doctor was sad to leave the Tardis behind yet again, but had departed with a firm promise that it wouldn't be for as long. She would find a way to restore her home to its former glory. If the Scarlet Witch was as powerful as people claimed, then maybe she would be able to lend a hand. If they caught her in a good mood. From all accounts, that wasn't set in stone.

They found themselves on the edge of a stormy coastline, the clouds grey and menacing. The sea below rolled against the cliff face violently, taking it in turns to wear away the stone. The Doctor peered over the edge slightly, careful not to get too close. She didn't have the fondest of memories of cliffs after some of the things she'd learnt about herself. The only thing of note was a small cabin, nothing more than a shack, made out of old logs and nothing much else. It looked as if it was destined to fall into the ocean one day.

"Have we got the right place?" Dan asked, not feeling confident about the answer. He was suddenly wishing that he was wearing more layers, having grown accustomed to a warmer climate. Even Kamar Taj, high up in the mountains, didn't feel this cold.

"Are you doubting the Tardis' capabilities?" the Doctor asked dangerously.

"Well, she isn't working properly so…"

"I wouldn't finish that sentence if I were you," Yaz suggested.

Wong's face was set in a steely gaze. "She's here. I can sense her powers…"

The door to the cabin opened, showing no light inside. A woman was standing in front of them, surprising them in the fact that she was wearing perfectly normal clothes. The Doctor had at least expected her to look a bit more like the powerful woman she'd caught a glimpse of in San Francisco. Then again, dealing with multiversal entities was always going to be a lottery.

"I don't know what you want with me," the woman said. "But you really shouldn't have come here."