"I'm quite sure she's all right."
Tegan knew that voice and felt it reverberate through her body. He's arrogant even when I'm unconscious. That's a relief, at least he doesn't just do it to get my hackles up. She blinked her eyes open expecting to feel the harsh pavement at her back, but was rather surprised to be in the Doctor's arms. The jarring she felt wasn't her falling to the pavement repeatedly; it was the Doctor's footsteps. He turned sideways, shouldering through the crowd.
"Yes, she's all right, but I do rather think we should find her somewhere less crowded to regain her breath."
He's talking to someone, she moaned. I wonder who. As he turned again, she was brought back up close to his chest to protect her from the throng. "Doctor? Who are you talking to?"
He smiled and lowered his gaze to her. "Ah, Tegan, so glad you could join us. I'm talking to your savior, apparently. A nice woman named Illiana. She has a car nearby, closer than the inn. I'm taking you there."
Tegan raised her hand to her head and felt back around her crown with a wince. "What happened?"
His smile dimmed and he frowned. "Yes, I had rather thought you could tell what happened, Tegan. We'll discuss that when we're in a less crowded place, shall we? Since you're awake, if you could put your arms on my shoulders it would be a little easier to carry you through this bunch."
"Can't I walk?"
"You were unconscious, Tegan. It's rather hard for a person in that state to walk, don't you think?"
She winced as he jarred her through the crowd. "My head hurts like I've been crowned with a bat."
His frown became more pronounced and he quickened his steps. She glanced over his shoulder, holding onto his neck as they pushed through the crowd. The floats and dancers were passing where they had danced. "Did we finish the dance?" she asked, tightening her hands on his shoulders. The world was still a sea of blue and purple and green. She felt his shoulders tense and then relax.
"We'll finish it another time, Tegan," he reassured. He turned again and stepped to a curb. "Thank you, Illiana."
Tegan twisted her head as the Doctor gently eased her into a seat. She saw a medium tall, slender woman of indeterminate age holding the door open. If she concentrated, she could say that Illiana's hair was blond, but now it looked silver or white. It was impossible to tell the color of her eyes; she wore a beautiful pantsuit of bright blue.
"I'm glad to see you're awake, Tegan," Illiana said quietly, her voice lilting with a strange accent.
"So am I," she replied. She winced as the Doctor crouched in front of her, straddling her legs. He widened her eyes with his fingers and searched them for a moment and then felt for her pulse.
"Hmm," he commented and felt around the back of her head.
"What's wrong?" she asked, frowning. "Did I fall on the road?"
"No, no," Illiana interjected before the Doctor could answer. "The Doctor caught you before you fell to the ground, darling. Does she need liquids, Doctor?"
"It wouldn't harm her," the Doctor replied kindly. "Could I"
"trouble my son and I to get her some? Of course you may," she answered. "Victor? Come along. We shall have to find some water or fruit juice. We shall return in a moment."
Illiana held out her hand to a boy of maybe ten years of age. It was clear he was her son; they looked exactly alike. With a final nod of thanks, the Doctor let them go. "That's unlike you," Tegan muttered as the Doctor's hands gently held her brow.
"How so?" he pressed, feeling about her neck. "Do you feel dizzy, Tegan, sick to your stomach?"
"No. I mean you let her go off with almost nary a thank you or a glance."
"Yes, well," he muttered lowering his hands to slap them against his thighs. "I thought you might tell me more of what just happened without an audience. There's nothing physically wrong with you that I can see. What happened out there?"
Tegan frowned and adjusted her skirt to cover her legs. With a shake of her head, she began to recall. "I was dancing with you, talking and then everything went silent. But everything kept moving; I could tell- No that's not right; I could sense everything was still going on. And then there was this man."
"Man? What man?"
"He stood across from us. He just stared at me. I could hear a voice in my head. It made me remember things," she replied, closing her eyes. She could picture the man on the inside of her eyelids.
"Tegan, what things did he make you remember?" the Doctor pressed, pushing to his feet. He slid around and sat on the running board of the vehicle.
"No, that's not what's important, Doc," she whispered. Then her eyes opened and she fixed him with a stare. "He knew you were a Time Lord. He knew I had traveled with you a long time. He said he could just sense it."
"Did he?" the Doctor muttered, sighing. "Interesting."
"And then I turned back around and the sound came crashing in," she stated, rubbing her temples. "It was the sound that"
"It was more than the sound that caused you to faint, Tegan," the Doctor responded. "You were shivering and gasped a great deal as you turned to me. You were having a physiological reaction to something." He centered his gaze on her. "I don't think there is any lasting effect, but I do wonder what caused it. The memories perhaps"
She shook her head forcefully. "They weren't upsetting memories, Doc. He gave me the creeps and showed me really outrageous things that were pure fiction, if you ask me. Why the bloody hell everyone thinks there's a party in my mind and everyone's invited all the time is beyond me."
The Doctor frowned and searched her eyes. She steeled her gaze under his onslaught. "If it were something, Tegan, you do trust me enough to tell me wouldn't you?"
"Don't be silly," she chided. "Of course. I might be angry at you; I'm not stupid."
"Yes, well" he sighed, lowering his eyes finally. She felt like she could take a deep breath. "I don't think there's anything wrong, Tegan. What did this man look like?"
"Tall, I think" she replied, folding her arms over her chest. "Dark. Dark hair that isI couldn't see his eyes. And he woredark clothing. Didn't you see him?"
"No," he sighed. His gaze was clouded with something she couldn't really sense, but found warm. "I was concentrating on dancing with you. Ah, Illianathank you."
Tegan glanced up to see the woman in whose vehicle she sat coming back across the clearing with quick, barely measured steps. Her son, Victor, was carrying two cups of liquid. The Doctor immediately noticed the change in the woman's demeanor. He rose to take the cups from the boy. "Thank you, Victor. Illiana?"
"Tegan is recovered?" Illiana asked, quietly.
"I'm fine," Tegan reassured. "Thank you for the use ofwhatever this is and the drinks"
"Then I must ask to leave you," she said quietly, glancing over her shoulder. "Victor, dear, into the car."
The boy nodded and ran around to the other side of the car and clambered into the interior. Tegan rose to join the Doctor, a frown on her face. The Doctor shook his head quickly to answer her unasked question. "Is there a problem, Illiana?"
Tegan glanced behind Illiana. She had a feeling that they were being watched. The woman turned and scanned the crowd as if she were looking for something or someone she knew. Suddenly Tegan saw a dark shadow in the crowd and felt a tickling in the back of her mind. Illiana met Tegan's eyes, her own wide with fear. "You feel him," she said quietly as if only for Tegan to hear.
The Doctor glanced at Tegan and frowned as his companion nodded. She ignored him, though and approached Illiana. "He knows you? He's after you?" She reached out to hold Illiana's arm. "Who is he? What is he?"
Illiana shook her head and grasped Tegan's forearms. The girl nearly moaned at the strength of the grip but kept her fearful gaze locked onto Illiana's. The piercing, yet clear blue eyes that stared back at her mirrored her terror. "He's touched your mind? Tegan?"
Tegan looked past Illiana's face to the crowd. A lone man stood in the mill of the crowd, his dark gaze trained on her and on Illiana. She could see that he wore dark clothing, a dark rich blue and his hair was both gray and black. She couldn't tell what he was doing or exactly where he was looking; everything seemed to be fuzzy around him. "Yes," she breathed. "He's in the crowd."
"He's after Victor and I," Illiana choked out quickly. "If he's touched you, Tegan, he'll take you as well." The woman reached for Tegan's hand and whipped her around. Her white blond hair flew about her head like a fluttering cloak as she pulled and coaxed Tegan toward the vehicle. "You have to come with me. We have to hide. Now. Hurry! There are only a few places safe from him. He walks in darkness."
Tegan's eyes centered on the man once more. His lips were wide in the grin. It was all that she could see, could concentrate on in his face. She felt cold prickling at the back of her mind, like icicles forming on a roof. It seemed like a shadow had come over the sun in her mind. Even as those around her frolicked and played, danced and sang, engaged in erotic play, she felt still, surrounded, closed in. The red of her dress seemed dimmed to her. She felt lost.
"Tegan!"
The Doctor grabbed her shoulders, standing behind her. The world solidified for her again and she turned to him. He stood a stark contrast of white in the sea of color that surrounded them. "Tegan?"
"He's here, Doctor," Tegan whispered. "He's trying to get into my mind."
The Doctor turned still holding her shoulders and faced the crowd. His head reared as he searched for the man. Tegan closed her eyes, pressing hard against the dark in her mind. She felt the Doctor's back against her cheek and reached to hold his arms in her hand. He wore white. He was her friend. She needed the grounding, and light that she felt tickling at her mind. She numbly but tightly held to him.
"She must leave this place. He has found her," Illiana yelled, nearing the vehicle. The Doctor turned, reaching down to steady Tegan as he did so. "He's trying to minimize you, Lord of Time. He knows what she means to you. He knows what you can do to his plans, to him. She must leave, Doctor."
Tegan's eyes opened as she felt the Doctor inhale sharply and then she was pulled, kept in the nook of his arm. He began to walk quickly towards the vehicle, bringing Tegan with him. She was barely able to keep on her feet with his fast pace. She felt him nudge her to climb into the vehicle and she did. "Get in, Tegan."
"Are you sure" she breathed, her eyes barely focusing. "I can't"
The Doctor grunted, agitated, and climbed into the vehicle. He pulled her down and nodded to Illiana. "Get us away from here, Illiana."
The woman smiled gratefully and fell into the driver's seat. The vehicle lifted slightly off the ground and turned. The Doctor frowned and settled into the seat next to Tegan, grabbing her head and cradling it between his palms. "Open your eyes, Tegan. Now."
She blinked open her eyes and tried to look at him. All she could see was his wide blue eyes with gold and ice hidden in their depths. He cupped her chin and she felt wrapped in warm, familiar warmth. "Concentrate on my eyes, Tegan. Trust me. I'll take care of you."
Tegan searched them as the vehicle tilted and turned, rose and accelerated. His gaze was all she could see and feelher mind swam against a tide. She felt the shadow lift slowly and she squinted to keep her gaze on his. After a few moments, he nodded and rubbed her cheek with his thumb.
Voices echoed in her mind:
"He knows what she means to you." "Don't leave, Tegan!" "It's what could happen, if you let it." "You're distraught" "It's what he wants: you." "Stay, Tegan. Please." The words swirled around her mind as she watched emotions swirl in his eyes.
Quietly, barely over the sound of rushing wind in her ears, she heard him reassure her: "He's not in your mind now, Tegan. He's gone." She drew more strength from his gaze; she saw her friend of years staring at her with strength and caring. She touched at the back of his hand.
"You know who he is," she croaked.
"Correction, Tegan; I know who they are," the Doctor sighed. She shivered from the look in his eyes as he stared at Illiana. The woman twitched. "They're Joiba."
