Within the Mirage Part Eight

Notes: Well, unless I'm very mistaken this shall be the last chapter! Everything seems to have more or less sorted itself out now, just a few loose ends and we'll be done! No individual notes, but I would like to say a massive LOL to both Becsy and Tai, both of who's review made me laugh. Becsy's because it was completely spazzoid as usual, and Tai's because she referred to me as god! ;) Thanks guys. Enjoy!

I'm also offering the Chubby Award...of course, you'll have to read my next fic as well to find out if you've won it! Happy searching!

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"Hey! You two!" Stella was trying her best to run but ended up limping enthusiastically. The two children she was trying to reach looked very alarmed, but didn't run away. They just gazed at her with their big violet eyes.

"Hi!" said Stella, beaming down at them as they fiddled with the grass underneath them. They were still a little uncertain of grass, and Elka was positive that, when they appeared, she would be very scared of clouds. The older girl sat down next to them heavily, clutching her back. "I'm Stella."

"You're the one who got beat up," said Elka, slipping her thumb into her mouth.

"Oh good, you've heard of me," said Stella happily. "I haven't got very much time, but I wanted to ask you a question."

Elka and Telson looked very puzzled. Unless it was 'Have you tidied your room?', grown ups didn't usually ask them questions.

Stella took their silence as a sign to carry on, so she did. "Do you two like growing things?"

"M-Mummy says we've grown lots," stammered Telson, who was very confused. He tried not to look at the strange girl who was wrapped in bandages. She had strange eyes. They were blue. And her skin was almost pink.

"No, I meant plants. Do you like growing plants?" asked Stella brightly.

"We've never tried," announced the twins in stereo. Stella beamed as if Christmas had come early. She rummaged in the pocket of her trousers and presented them with a strange brown nut.

"This is a horse chestnut," she said slowly, pushing it into Elka's hand. "On Earth, children call them conkers. If you're really good, p'raps your Mummy and Daddy will show you how to grow it, hmm?"

Elka turned the nut over in her little blue hand, feeling the smoothness of its shell. "Thank you," she said in awe.

"Let me see!" demanded Telson, snatching it from his sister. He inspected it closely. "Wow…"

Stella laughed and got up. "Have fun," she said, waving as she left them.

"Come on Stella!" yelled Jack's head from around the door of the TARDIS.

"Coming!" she replied. She paused to look at the landscape in front of her. Everywhere she looked, there were people, Crag's people. The people of Farfalla.

It looked right and natural.

For the first time that day, she felt glad the generator had blown up, regardless of her back. They'd restored a whole generation's freedom; that was enough.

She laughed. Maybe they'll tell stories about us one day. We'll be the stuff of legend.

"The Doctor says he's going to fly away without you!" warned Jack. Stella grinned and stepped into the TARDIS.

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Stella heard a tap at her door. "Come in. Hi Rose," she said in greeting. Rose looked bemused.

"What are you doing?" she asked. Stella was sat cross legged on her bed with her hands on her knees.

"I was reminded of a Buffy episode," she admitted. "Willow gets her skin eaten and then…grows it back again. I was amusing myself by seeing if I could repair the shredded stuff on my back." She smiled.

"Weird," laughed Rose.

"I didn't think it would work, I was just bored," she said defensively.

"About that…"

"This is the part where you pour out your thanks, promise to be my slavey girl for the rest of your days, love me forever, do anything you can to repay me…" Stella arched an eyebrow.

"My version was shorter than that," said Rose. "I just wanted to say thanks, because what you did probably saved my life."

"I know," said Stella happily. "I think I've passed my initiation test now, right?"

"There is no initiation test," said Rose. "Except that one where you are the slavey girl…anyway, we'll be landing soon."

"Where are we going now?" asked Stella with interest. Rose just tapped her nose and left.

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"How is she?" asked Jack, glancing up from his mug of coffee as Rose entered the control room.

"Bored," she said. "She's trying to regrow her skin using the power of her mind and a Buffy episode."

"Course she is," replied Jack, giving her a lopsided smile. There was a pause for a moment.

"What is with you two?" Rose burst out suddenly.

"Who two?" asked the Doctor, from his position at the console.

"Stella and Jack. They've been acting…" Rose couldn't quite put her finger on it. "There's something strange going on. Stella won't tell me what she dreamt about either."

"Proves nothing," said Jack quickly. The Doctor looked up.

"There is something going on, isn't there?" he teased.

"No! Me and Stella? Ridiculous," said Jack overconfidently, burning his mouth on his coffee. "Can I help it if I'm the most attractive person on this ship?"

"Oh come on," said the Doctor. "I'm way prettier than you." They laughed, and he pretended to be insulted. "If you're going to go and see Stella, go now. We'll be stopping soon." Jack fidgeted, then finally decided to go.

"I'm only going because she's bored," he insisted. Rose just laughed.

"You don't really think…?"

"Those two?" Rose bit her lip. "I don't think so."

"Pity," said the Doctor. "If they were they'd probably spend less time bugging us."

"Somebody's feeling sour," teased Rose, sitting in one of the beaten up chairs.

"How can I with you around?" he said in possibly the most charming voice Rose had ever heard him use. She coloured quickly, and looked away to disguise it. "Ahaha, now who's acting strange?" The glint in his eye told her that was exactly the response he wanted. She thumped him.

"That was underhanded," she protested.

"Seemed to work though, didn't it?" he pointed out mischievously. He sighed. "This is useless. The TARDIS won't budge; she's being stubborn for some reason."

"Maybe because Stella needs some time off?" asked Rose.

"If she's bored, she can't possibly feel that bad," said the Doctor. He swore quietly. "She won't be moved. Ah well, we should be safe in this boring little patch of empty space."

"After boring old Tranquillity? I doubt it," said Rose. "I'm going to bed, you wanna come?" She said it so naturally it took a while to process. The Doctor's head jerked in response. He looked completely flustered.

"I…" He gaped at her. "What did you say?" Rose tried to look nonchalant, but couldn't help smiling. He relaxed as she went into gales of laughter at his expense. "It wasn't that funny."

"Your…face!" gasped Rose. "Oh that was priceless, priceless…"

"Go to bed," said the Doctor grumpily.

"Oh come on, don't sulk, you know it only turns me on," said Rose between laughter. The Doctor ignored her and went back to his work and gradually her giggles subsided. He thought she'd finally gone but was extremely surprised to find she was very much still in the room. She pressed her lips against his cheek softly and walked away without another word.

He gulped. This was new territory. "Sweet dreams Rose!" he called after her. She turned in the doorway and smiled in the transfixing way only she could.

"Sweet dreams Doctor."

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Heehee! I hope you liked that my dears, because I so enjoyed writing it! I think I've tied everything up, drop me a line if I haven't. Thanks to everyone who's taken the time to review…now press that button one last time!

Eevee

Note to Roy: For the love of all things cheesy Roy, review the damn fic! Crawdie will be in the Nile with anger if you don't.