She moved closer to him, and he reached for her, enfolding her in his arms as she rested her head on his shoulder. They sat motionless, watching the setting sun, until the guards said it was time to go inside.

As a guard unlocked their door the Doctor said: "I want to speak to Halda."

One guard snorted.

"Tell her the Doctor wants to speak to her."

The guards shrugged, waving them in. As the door closed behind them, Tegan stared at him quizzically. "Doc?"

"Come on, let's get ready for her majesty's visit."

Tegan raised her eyebrows, but said no more, knowing he would make it clear to her soon. Not long after they showered Halda arrived.

"What do you want?" she asked without preamble.

"I want you to stop drugging my food."

"That is necessary."

"Not anymore it isn't. Tegan and I will continue mating. I am causing her pain from this, and I want it to stop." Halda made no reply, just looked at him.

"Please," the Doctor said. His tone was as close to pleading as Tegan had ever heard.

"Very well. But I need not tell you what will happen if you do not mate." She turned to go, then paused. "Since you will no longer be drugged, you and Tegan may return to work tomorrow."

As she left, Tegan breathed a sigh of relief. Then she turned to look at him. "Doc?"

"Yes, Tegan?"

"You really, I mean..."

He moved beside her and took her hands in his. "I'm not good with guilt, Tegan. If there's always been one emotion I've rather understood, it's that one. Part of the burden of being a renegade Time Lord, I imagine. I'm starting to... accept the idea that right now I can't change this, and that it isn't my fault. But I will not keep taking you like an animal in heat. And starting tomorrow when we go back to work, we'll renew our efforts to find a way out of here."

She smiled her delight. He shook his head. "But let me make this clear, Tegan: if we try again and fail, there will not be a third time. I would rather us spend our lives here than see you die."

"Doctor," she started.

"What if it was reversed, Tegan? Would you want to see me die?"

"I have before," she murmured.

"And is that something you want to go through again?"

She sighed in frustration. "You know it isn't."

"Then you understand."

"Hell's teeth, yes, I understand!" He subsided. I'm sorry."

"No, don't be sorry, I'm being defensive," she answered. "I know you're right, you usually are. I just don't want you to be."

"That makes two of us."

Two days later at work, Rina cornered the Doctor as far away from the guards as possible. "Doctor," she whispered.

"What, Rina?"

"You know Lals works in the laundry section."

The Doctor nodded.

"The Azim always go through prisoner belongings that they keep in storage, use their old clothing and other things they had with them when they were brought here. Evidently, it was just found out yesterday that yours and Tegan's things had been mislabeled. Before they could get a look, Lals dropped the box. While he was putting everything back in, some prisoners started fighting, the guards got distracted, and he was able to take something without being seen. I don't even know what it is, but we thought you might like to have it."

The Doctor was shaking inside, but forced himself to appear calm. "Where is it?"

Rina glanced around, making sure they weren't being watched, then quickly drew something out of her shirt. He casually moved closer to her and she pressed something hard and cool into his palm. He drew a quick, ragged breath, not needing to look to know that she had just given him his sonic screwdriver.

He quickly slipped it into his own shirt, thankful he was in the habit of keeping it tightly tucked in. When he looked at her Rina was startled by the depth of emotion she saw in his eyes. "Thank you, Rina, and thank Lals for me, too," he whispered.

She nodded. "Doctor... is it something important?"

He grinned. "You might say that. You might indeed."