John was now walking in stride with Citana along the streets of New York City. It was nearing 3 in the morning, but Citana wasn't showing any signs of fatigue.

"How do you have so much energy at this hour?" questioned John. It was one thing for him. He didn't need much sleep. But Citana was human, and her pace was beginning to tire the young Time Lord out.

"Well, seeing as I usually sleep during the day, given my job, I find that walking around is better than sitting my ass on some random park bench with the other homeless people."

John stopped. He'd completely forgotten about her comment on not having a home.

"Wait, so you really are homeless? Like, properly homeless?"

Citana turned to face him. "Yeah, so? Homeless people are like any other people. I'm not like some kind of alien. I just haven't found the right place." She began her quick pace again. John jogged a bit to catch up with her.

"I wasn't implying that you were alien. I was just surprised. You don't look…" he trailed off his sentence as she was now glaring at him.

"Don't look what? Dirty? On drugs? Missing teeth?" she said harshly. "Go on. Say it. I know what you're thinking. Just like everyone else."

"I…I didn't mean anything. I'm sorry."

They fell into an uncomfortable silence as they walked briskly through the night.

"It's fine. I wouldn't expect anything else. I'm used to it," she said softly.

John was silent. Figuring it was best to leave it at that. But once his calves started to burn, he couldn't help but speak up.

"I get the walking bit. But, why so urgent? You said so yourself you're not going anywhere."

She stopped again, so abruptly that John crashed into her back.

"Sorry."

Once again, she turned to face him.

"John, I don't know what it's like where you're from, but around here, as a woman walking around at this hour isn't very safe. I've learned that if I walk fast and at least look like I know where I'm going, I won't run into any trouble."

John nodded, trying to convey he understood.

"I get that you're a guy and probably have never had to think about these things but, I've come dangerously close to some pretty terrible situations, and I've learned how to survive. And if that means aimlessly walking around looking like I'm late for some important meeting, then so be it. I know it's silly, but it's worked for me." She paused, then added softly, "well, mostly."

"I'm sorry," was all he could think to say.

"You don't have to apologise. It's just the way it is. I don't blame you for being ignorant…well, I mean I did, but not anymore."

Before John had a chance to respond, two men abruptly approached them.

"Bit late for an evening stroll, don't you think?" said one of the men.

Citana didn't even give them the time of day as she grabbed John's hand and began to pick up her pace.

"Just keep walking," she whispered.

"Hey! I was talking to you!" they heard from behind.

Suddenly John felt someone grab his arm. The man yanked him hard and shoved him against a building. The other man then grabbed Citana only to do the same.

"Look, mate, we don't have anything. Just let us go," said John calmly.

"Your funny little accent isn't going to charm me, boy. Now, give me your wallet."

John looked to Citana, who simply nodded her head and said, "just give it to them, John."

He hated the idea of giving up the psychic paper. Unfortunately, his hesitation didn't work in his favour. The man holding Citana pulled a knife on her.

"Do as the lady says before I do something I might regret," sneered the man.

John quickly pulled out his wallet and handed it to the man. The man opened it and snorted. "What the fuck? This is just some blank piece of paper? Do you think I'm stupid?"

The man sucker-punched John right in the gut. Hunching over, John heard Citana yelling and then the sound of a struggle as she broke from the other man's grasp and came over to him. Before John could even retaliate, the man with the knife grabbed Citana's wrist and spun her around. John watched helplessly as she struggled, kicking at him.

When she finally struck him, the man lurched forward into her. Citana gasped.

"What the fuck did you do!" yelled the man holding John. The man with the knife slowly backed away from Citana as she slumped against the wall before falling to the ground. John's eyes went wide when he saw the blood on the man's knife.

"NO!"

"I...she…she kicked me! I didn't mean to!" yelled the man. Sounding much less threatening than moments before.

"This is why I told you to bring an unloaded gun! Not a fucking knife!"

The other man let go of John as he watched the two men dash away. John moved quickly over to Citana and rolled her over onto her back. The blade had struck her in the abdomen, and blood was quickly soaking her shirt.

"Oh shit, oh god," cried John as he placed his hands over her wound, trying to stem the bleeding. "Citana, stay with me. Fuck. Citana?"

Her eyes were closed, and her breathing was nonexistent.

"No, please, no," John sobbed. He tried to feel for a pulse and thankfully found one, albeit very faint. "Please don't die, please don't die," he begged. "Oh god, this is all my fault." John didn't know what to do except to control the bleeding. He lifted her shirt to expose the wound then placed his hands right over it. Blood was now oozing out.

"Somebody help me!" he yelled. Unfortunately, there was no one around, and he didn't have time to move her.

By now, John felt like he was going into shock when he watched as she gave a strangled cough/gurgle as blood began to trickle out of her mouth.

"Please don't die, please don't die," he was practically praying. No longer seeing her breathing or feeling a pulse, John closed his eyes as more tears rolled down his cheeks. Suddenly, his hands started to burn. He opened his eyes to see them glowing with a strange golden light. He continued to hold her wound as the gold light began to envelop the spot where the knife had entered her.

John watched as it began to close up on its own. He didn't understand what was happening other than that somehow, whatever was emanating from his hands was healing the wound. The wound was closed now, but he was afraid to take his hands off her. He closed his eyes again and, this time, felt his entire body begin to burn.

"What the hell?" he said in a soft whisper. He slowly opened his eyes to see not only himself completely encased in the golden light but also Citana. John began to feel lightheaded but continued to do whatever he was doing. Not really knowing how he was doing it. His whole body began to hurt like hell, but seeing the colour returning to Citanas cheeks and the breath returning to her lungs, he endured the pain. When she finally opened her eyes with a gasp, John felt his eyes roll back in his head as he slumped over on the ground.

…

Darkness. That was all she could see. All she could feel. That and being cold. So cold that it felt like her bones were made of ice. But then, warmth. The strange warm feeling started where she'd initially felt the most pain, and then it slowly began to radiate throughout her entire body.

Citana could vaguely hear John's voice in the distance. It sounded like he was pleading with her, but she couldn't make out the words. Then there was a bright light just before everything that had happened flooded back into her mind. She'd just been stabbed.

Citana's eyes flew open as she gasped. Sitting up abruptly, she saw John kneeling next to her with a shocked expression on his face right before he passed out. Citana scrambled to stand, not realising the horrible men had already fled the scene. When she registered that they were no longer in danger, Citana went to John and began to shake him awake.

"John! Wake up!" she yelled. She wasn't one to be afraid, but after being stabbed, she wanted nothing more than to seek some sort of shelter and get the hell off the street. "John!" she yelled one more time. Nothing.

Thinking quickly, she did the only thing she knew to do.

*SLAP*

"Gahhh, owww!" John lifted a hand to his cheek as he slowly opened his eyes. "What the hell," he groaned as he slowly sat up.

"You fainted!" cried Citana as she dragged him onto his feet. His legs were shaking.

"What happened?" she asked. "I…I was stabbed, but…" she inspected her wound. "I don't even have a scratch."

John looked at her and opened his mouth as if to speak, but before any words could come out, he wretched all over her shoes.

"Jesus Christ, John!" she rolled her eyes and then dragged him a few steps until they came to a hotel. "Let's get you into a room. Also, you owe me new shoes," she chuckled.

John could barely keep his eyes open, let alone register anything happening. He just mumbled as she helped him into the building. Luckily Citana had picked John's wallet off the ground before he spewed all over her feet. The man must have dropped it in all the commotion. She wasn't entirely sure how it worked, but she saw how he'd flashed it back when he bought her some fries, so maybe it was some kind of credit card?

They clumsily made their way to the front desk. John was slumped onto Citana's shoulder as she practically carried his surprisingly heavy frame.

"Can I help you?" asked the woman behind the counter.

"Um, I'd like a room, please."

The woman eyed them up and down.

"He's had a bit too much to drink. Just needs to sleep it off. Didn't make the walk home," Citana just gave a bright smile, trying to look like she hadn't just been stabbed then somehow had no wound to show for it.

"Right," said the woman. She began to obnoxiously type on the computer.

"We've got a room available. That will be $60 for the night."

"Shit," mumbled Citana under her breath. She just hoped John wouldn't be too mad at her for spending that much of his money. She opened the wallet and flashed it to the woman. Praying that it would work.

The woman once again typed on the keyboard and then handed her a room key. "Room 412. Check out is at 11."

Citana grabbed the key and guided John to the lift…er, elevator. Once they reached the door to the room, she leant John against the wall as she tried to get the key to open the door.

"John, no!"

He was swaying and ended up falling flat on his face in the hallway.

"Shit." Citana finally got the door open, grabbed him by the ankles and dragged him into the room.

*Thud*

Citana winced, realising she had dragged him so fast that his head slammed right into the entryway.

"That's gonna hurt in the morning."

Finally, having brought his gangly body into the room, Citana gave up the notion of placing him on the bed. She was tired. Dead tired. So, instead of being the good-natured friend and tucking him into the comfy sleeping apparatus, she just left him right in front of the door to sleep off whatever happened to him.

Citana made her way to the bathroom, where she finally got a good look at herself in the mirror. Although she didn't have a wound, there was a slit in her shirt and blood all over. She slowly took off the article of clothing and inspected her abdomen.

"What the hell?" She turned her head to the door. Did John do something? Was that why he was basically dead weight right now? She turned her gaze back to the spot she could have sworn the knife had entered. "What did you do?"

Citana then brushed it off and figured she could just talk to John in the morning. Maybe he could give her some answers. She took off the rest of her clothing and took a long hot shower. It had been so long since she had been able to have a decent shower with actual hot water. Usually, she resigned to washing in public restroom sinks or in the shared shower at the club. Throwing the fluffy robe over herself, she made her way back into the room. John was still in the same spot she left him. She felt a little guilty, but her exhaustion got the best of her, and she climbed into the bed.

…

*Thud, thud, thud*

Citana opened her eyes to an odd sound. "What the?" She rolled over and saw the time on the digital clock. It was 1 in the afternoon. They'd slept past check out time. "Shit," she hissed.

*Thud, thud, thud*

"What the fuck is that noise?" Citana climbed out of bed and looked to where she'd left John. Sure enough, he was still there. Only to her horror, the hotel maid was trying to get into the room and was unceremoniously opening and closing the door right into his already bruised noggin. Trying to move the offending object out of the way.

Citana brushed her hair out of her face and sighed, "he's gonna kill me."