Within the Mirage Part Seven

Notes: Well, I'm back. I update quick when I'm ill cos I have nothing else to do! So I'm sat here with a large bowl of tinned pineapple, keen to get going. I need to dig them out of a HUGE hole I put them in…don't worry. I have pineapple. We'll work something out. I'm going to play around with the POV in this chapter too…I hope it works out. Wish me cookies!

Tai: Reading your reviews made me so happy in my poor ill state. I like being mean to characters because then it makes me seem all the nicer when I'm nice to them! You didn't get the Chubby Award but I'm glad you liked my ninth in this…I thought it was terrifically funny to have him acting all squiffy. I TOLD you it was a good cliffie! Ahh, you see, they're not really evil…we'll go a bit deeper into that in this chappie or the next, but I promise you they're not ruthless and horrid, like my last baddie. As ever I feel so honoured by your reviews I want to skip around happily picking flowers…and you wonder why I wanted to help you get your muse back! And…who said the bomb would be disabled?

Becsy: Translating your reviews is the most fun anyone can have. You are almost certainly insane and I love it. I can't guess your quote…(smeg)…but I'm glad no one believed my little red herring. I wouldn't make Stella evil…she's too…well…NICE. She couldn't ever be evil! Yes I was very hyper…and now I have PINEAPPLE. Just think what that could do to my writing.

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Jack's POV

It's at a time like this that I'm glad I know how to swear in sixteen different languages.

I watched the numbers ticking down and knew I had to act quickly.

My first thought was for Rose and Stella. The Doctor would have to make his own way out of this one.

But then I felt an arm around my waist, yanking me back towards the cave's mouth. Damn it was strong. I figured it was the Doctor, but I looked down and saw it was…blue.

Crag had grabbed both of us, me and the Doctor, and left our girls behind.

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Rose's POV

It's at a time like this that I wish I'd listened when we did circuits at school.

I watched the numbers ticking down and found I couldn't move.

It's not that I didn't want to. My mind was screaming at my legs to move, but I just couldn't. I stayed still, numb, frozen.

I heard the Doctor crying out behind me and turned my head. He was being dragged away.

Is this how I die?

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Stella's POV

7…

6…

I've never been one for heroics, so don't ask me why I did it. I just knew I had to get out of the way, get both of us out of the way. It was too late to run for the entrance. I had to use what was available.

One of the most important things I've ever learnt is that you always have assets, no matter how dire the situation.

I flung myself at Rose, forcing us both into an alcove. It was the only chance we had.

2…

1…

0…

It meant I ended up as the human shield.

I could feel Rose screaming. It was incredibly creepy.

Heat and noise roared against us, singing my clothes, which by the way were expensive! If that hadn't pissed me off enough, I could smell my hair singing too. But that wasn't the worst of it of course.

My granddad couldn't walk. He'd been injured in the war, got something in his leg. He called it shrapnel.

I guess that's what buried itself in my back. I've never been stabbed, so I can't make a comparison. I just know it was a thousand times more painful than breaking my nose. But then again…

I'd always thought it would hurt…more. Sure, I screamed. I cried. But I think I was in shock so I didn't feel the worst of it just then.

My skin was hot with blood but the sound had stopped and I knew we'd made it.

I would have slumped to the ground just then but I felt Rose grab my hand and pull me away.

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"Rose?" The Doctor broke free of Crag's grasp at last and rushed towards her. There was blood on her clothes. She shook her head.

"Not me," she said grimly as Stella crumbled to the ground. The Doctor looked at her properly and recoiled.

"She…what?" He looked utterly confused and for the first time, helpless.

"Later," said Rose. "Get her to an infirmary." Nobody moved. "Go on, NOW!" Crag strode towards the girl and hoisted her gently over his shoulder.

"Shall I take her back to the fortress?" he asked. "Our medics can—"

"Yes, take her there," said the Doctor.

"But Doctor, they just tried to kill us," Jack pointed out.

"She needs care urgently," said the Doctor. "I can't give it to her. Besides…I think I should have a little chat with Esprit, don't you?"

Without waiting for an answer, he ran determinedly for the fortress.

"Are you OK?" Jack asked Rose.

"Just…shock," she said. "But I'm fine."

"What exactly happened in there?" he persisted.

"Stella saved my life," she said. Jack stopped and watched her as she kept walking, dumbfounded.

"Stella?"

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"Stella?"

She opened her eyes.

"Ow," she complained. "Where am I? Another hospital?"

"Another hospital," said the Doctor, smiling at her from the end of her bed. Stella was irresistibly reminded of nearly every Harry Potter film, where Harry would wake up after having his bones removed or his head cracked open to find the kindly Dumbledore sat next to him eating a Chocolate Frog . "You're at the fortress."

"They're not killing us now?" she asked.

"Not at the moment," he replied. "How are you feeling?"

"Funnily enough, like I've had shrapnel in my back," she said dryly. "I presume that's what it was?" He nodded.

"Glass and metal from the generator," he explained. "You were lucky."

"Guess so," she said. She felt tired, and was having a little difficulty breathing due to the tight bandages wound around her torso. She clutched her hand to hr heart dramatically. "Tell me Doctor. Will I ever rollerblade again?"

"You'll be fine," he said, grinning at her. He didn't say anything for a moment, but he looked like he was going to. Stella kept quiet and listened.

"Rose and Jack seem to think…" He struggled to say what was on his mind. "They think that you think…you don't fit in? Is that right?" When Stella didn't answer, he continued. "So I thought I'd tell you you're wrong."

"Oh good," said Stella, trying to squirm into a more upright position and finding it very painful. She slumped back into the pillow again. "You're not spoiling your perfect record of doing so then."

"Just shut up for a second," he said. "When I was asleep, I dreamt I lost all three of you. And thinking of you leaving the team…it hurt quite a bit more than I would have thought."

"The key word there Doc is 'dreamt'," quipped Stella. "So you're having a guilt trip, huh? Is that why you're going all Dumbledore on me? Next you'll tell me I have to save the world."

"You know as well as I do how realistic those fantasies were," he said, trying to keep his temper.

"Look, it doesn't matter," said Stella, playing the part of 'bored teenager' very convincingly. "You don't have to explain yourself to me."

"Obviously I do, because you're not getting it yet!" said the Doctor. "Stella, I don't just take anyone. I only take the best."

"And you have Rose and Jack," she said, turning her face away. "I'm just the whiny ordinary teenager you felt sorry for."

"I know what you did today," said the Doctor. "I know you saved Rose's life. If you wanted to save the world, congratulations, because you saved the most important part of mine." Stella let lose a little gasp. He got up and started pacing. "You think travelling with me means we have to be best of friends all the time? You're wrong, and yes I'll keep telling you that, because you know what, Strawberry?"

He moved around the bed so he could look at her properly. "You ARE just the whiny ordinary Stella Brinley I took pity on, but I chose to take you with me. Esprit seems to think I'm a hero, the great Doctor." He crouched down to her level. "At the moment, the only hero here is you."

Stella felt her eyes burning and knew she was crying, but for once she didn't care. She gave him a watery smile and he returned it with one of his mad grins.

"I've spoken to Esprit."

"What did you say?" she asked, clambering out of the bed and reaching for her trainers.

"I persuaded him it would be best if he stood down as leader of Tranquillity," he said vaguely. "Crag's in charge now."

"What did you really say?" she asked, laughing at him. He just smiled and wouldn't say. He offered his arm to her.

"Ready to go?" he asked. But Stella had found something interesting in her fleece pocket.

"Almost," she said. "There's just one thing I have to do."

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"You're in big trouble Esprit," the Doctor had announced just ten minutes ago. He charged into his office. Esprit looked up, an expression of mild confusion on his face.

"Did you get rid of the generator Doctor?" he asked. "I told you there would be no need to visit us again."

The Doctor slammed something down on his desk. It was a jagged piece of metal, stained with something that looked like dried blood.

"I got rid of the generator alright," he said venomously. "You complete idiot! You knew the generator had a timer on it and you used us to save your own precious skin!" Esprit looked at the metal through his glasses with interest.

"So it is gone?" he asked. The Doctor turned a very intriguing shade of red.

"You miscalculated Esprit," he said quietly, so quietly that the little man had to lean forwards to hear him. He surprised him with sadistic enjoyment by yelling when he next spoke. "That bloody thing exploded while we were still in the cave!" Esprit jumped and scowled at him.

"I assure you, that was never my intention," he said irritably. "I wanted to get rid of the generator. I knew it would detonate soon and I wasn't sure how widely the explosion would reach. I just wanted to be sure my people would be safe."

"They're not your people anymore Esprit," said the Doctor calmly. "I organised quite an interesting little ballot. It seems the large majority would like a new leader."

"Impossible!" cried Esprit.

"Crag is in charge now, he'll be collecting your little jewel some time soon," continued the Doctor, who was now ignoring him. "It's also been decided to use the planet's original name again, the one it had before the Time War. Your little French connection was cute, but not cute enough."

Esprit bristled. "You cannot—"

"Oh I can," said the Doctor, slamming his fist down on the table so that the piece of shrapnel jumped. "I'll be visiting again Esprit, very soon in fact. And if things haven't changed around here…" He let the sentence hang in the air impressively as he left, calling after him, "Next time, pick on someone your own size!"

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Ta da! Hope you liked it! Review now please.