The Doctor wiped the sweat off his brow as he fiddled with the tiny wires under the console. He could feel his oversized goggles slipping off his face from the perspiration. Clara had kindly asked him to "sleep somewhere else" since she couldn't seem to get comfortable enough to sleep with her ever-growing belly. It wasn't his fault that he would inevitably flail out like a starfish on the occasions he did actually sleep!

The sofa back in John's flat was open now that Citana had officially moved into Clara's old room as Clara had already moved all of her belongings into the TARDIS. The only problem was that ever since John found out about his "parents" existence, things between the Doctor and his ganger were a bit…awkward. They were both perfectly pleasant with each other and didn't talk about Strakh, which…was the problem. Now it was like they were two strangers exchanging small talk and useless pleasantries. Just terrible.

So, when the Doctor couldn't or wouldn't sleep, he chose to fiddle with the TARDIS. Which meant he was messing with the TARDIS nearly every night. Unfortunately, this also meant that the TARDIS was now grounded for the past 4 months. Either from the Doctor poking about her systems causing the Old Girl to not work or from, well, from the Doctor poking about her designs causing the Old Girl to choose to not work. Either way, the time travellers were taking the long way round.

John kept busy with medical school, Citana kept busy with her new job as a barista, and Clara was busy teaching (and napping). Which left the Doctor twiddling his thumbs.

"Dammit!" he cried out as he got shocked by a purple wire. "And to think the purple wire used to be my favourite one!" he sighed. Too distracted by his "pain," the Time Lord didn't hear John entering the ship.

"Hello?" called John.

"Gah!" the Doctor shrieked with a flinch, causing him to hit his head on the apparatus above him. Then, after a second of rubbing his noggin, he shimmied his way out from under the controls and took off the goggles.

"Ah! John. Sorry about that. I didn't hear you come in. Everything alright?"

John slowly walked towards the console then leaned on the railing.

"Yeah, of course. I'm always alright," he said with a crooked smile that sent a sharp pain through both of the Doctor's hearts. "It's just, I have a huge test coming up, and I…well, I wondered if I could use the TARDIS library to study for it. I can't seem to concentrate anywhere else."

"Oh, right. Well, of course! You didn't need to ask, John."

John simply made a face and shrugged his shoulders. The Doctor flipped his wrist to look at the time. His eyes went wide when he saw it was nearly noon.

"Doctor, are you okay?" asked John.

The Doctor looked back toward the TARDIS corridors in time to see Clara emerge, dressed and ready to go. He gave her a small smile.

"I am now."

"Doctor, you do realise you're going with me to this appointment?" asked Clara.

"Yes!" he said as he clapped his hands together.

"Good, because I have no idea where your friend Martha works," Clara grinned.

Since the TARDIS wasn't going to be taking them to Victorian London anytime soon, the Doctor helped set up a prenatal appointment with his old friend Martha Jones.

"...and as much as I miss the gang, it will be nice not having Strax around during my exams," she said with a laugh.

Both the Doctor and John made faces before the three began to laugh.

"Well, we shouldn't be gone long," said the Doctor as he and Clara exited the TARDIS. John slowly followed behind and saw them to the door of the flat. "Be back in a mo!" said the Doctor. As soon as John was sure they were on the lift, he ran to Citana's room and banged on the door.

"It's time!" he yelled. The door swung open, and Citana stepped out with a massive grin.

"What the fuck are you wearing?" he asked. Citana was wearing an outfit that resembled Princess Leia (minus the hair buns).

"What?" she chuckled. "We're going to some planet in the future, so I figured Star Wars themed clothing might be appropriate."

John just shook his head with a laugh.

…

"So, tell me how this all works one more time?" asked Citana. John was fiddling with the console and undoing everything the Doctor had been working on.

"I've been messing with all the Doctor's configurations to make him think the TARDIS is not working properly. But…" he trailed off as he connected the last wire. "...in reality, she works fine. I've just been muddling it up. Building his trust that there's no way I can take her anywhere. And now," he pulled his hand back with a spark. "And now he's left us alone with the Old Girl and has no thought of me taking her to Strakh," John said with a smile.

"Right," said Citana as she stood next to him.

John began punching in the coordinates. "I've been studying the planet…well, Cliff's Noting the planet. But! I think I know enough to get us around, say hi to the folks, and then get out of there before the Doctor can even say, 'what the hell do you think you're doing!"

Citana chuckled. John smiled as he flipped the lever sending them flying. There was a harsh jolt before silence. Without a word from either of them, John pulled up the view screen and checked the coordinates.

"Looks…good!" he said as he clapped his hands together.

Citana ran up to the doors. "Introducing me to your parents, and you haven't even asked me out yet!" joked Citana.

John cringed on the inside but just laughed. "Want to go out with me?" he asked. Citana made a face.

"I meant, out there," John corrected as he pointed to the TARDIS door.

"Oh!" she laughed. "Yes. Let's go out there and see what's up with this place."

…

4 Months Prior

John slowly made his way to his room. He knew the Doctor was probably right. His so-called "parents" weren't the people who raised him. But the Doctor hadn't raised him either. The thought sat like a rock in the pit of his stomach. His pathetic existence was only because someone was doing a strange and highly unethical science experiment.

"Fuck," he whispered as he flopped onto his bed. John put his noise-cancelling headphones on and began scrolling through his music playlist, trying to find anything to calm his anxious mind. But, before he had the chance to select anything, he watched as his bedroom door slowly opened, and Citana walked in. John quickly took off the headphones.

"Sorry," she said softly. "I tried knocking, but I don't think you heard me. Is it okay if I come in?"

John simply shrugged. "Sure, I mean. You kinda already are in," he chuckled. Citana smiled and sat next to him on the bed.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Well, normally I'd lie and say yes, but I feel you'd see right through that, so, no. I'm not okay. I'm..." he looked around. "…blah."

Citana nodded her head. "You know, I know exactly what you mean," she said as she put her arm around his shoulder and brought him in for a side hug. "Blah is a perfectly adequate word to convey the mess of emotions here," she pointed to his temple. "…and in here." Citana placed her hand on his chest.

"It's as if you are literally inside my head," John laughed.

Citana sighed. "I know hurt when I see it. It's hard to explain without sounding like you're whining. At least to people who don't understand."

They sat in silence for a few moments.

"Citana?"

"Hmm?"

"Why are you so…" John awkwardly gestured at nothing, indicating he didn't really know what word to use. "Why are you so amazing?"

John cringed when he heard her scoff and then sit up straight, no longer touching him.

"I'm really not."

"But you…" Citana cut him off by placing her hand over his mouth. John furrowed his brow in confusion as she slowly lowered her hand.

"John, whatever feelings you think are here aren't real. I mean, we're good friends. Sometimes friendship can be confusing, and you think it's more but… it's not. So please. Don't say anything else. Let's just simply be friends."

"I… I'm sorry," said John softly.

"Don't apologise! It's my fault, really. Of course, I could blame my upbringing, but I think it may be something deeper," she laughed.

"Right," said John as he cleared his throat. "Um, well, I think then I'd like to be alone and decompress. I usually just listen to some music or something."

Citana gave a tight smile as she got off the bed. "Maybe we can watch a movie later?"

"Sure," replied John, trying to sound like Citana hadn't just taken a sledgehammer to his already fragile hearts.

After the door shut, John took his headphones and threw them across the room. He then grabbed a pillow off his bed and gave a muffled curse into the void.

It hurt to think that Citana's feelings for him were just superficial attraction. Here one day, gone the next. If it weren't for the fact that he was pretty sure his own feelings were growing every day, he'd just move on. But Citana managed to grip both of his hearts so firmly that even as he denied it, the truth was simple. He loved her.

...

Citana leaned against the wall after shutting John's door. Her own single heart shattered on the floor beneath her. She hated being right. If John's feelings for her weren't so superficial, he would have said something, right? Challenged her on it. Isn't that how this works?

But he just sat there, which she took as him agreeing that he was simply attracted to her, but eventually, it would fade. Just like all the others. Not that it was an extensive list, but still. Citana had been in too many "relationships" where her partner would inevitably tell her one day, "I just don't love you anymore." In fact, most of the time, it was followed by, "and I don't think I ever really did."

So, Citana did the only thing she knew to do. Shatter her own heart before someone else got the chance. At least then, it was on her terms.

Her control.

"Jesus, this sucks," Citana whispered as she made her way to the kitchen. "Surely there's some alcoholic beverage here strong enough to take away the sting."

…

Present Day: Planet Strakh

John and Citana stepped out of the TARDIS and scanned their surroundings.

"I'm half expecting Robin Hood to jump out of nowhere," whispered Citana. John raised an eyebrow as he smirked.

"Well, given your attire, I'd expect an Ewok to jump out of nowhere," joked John. Citana quickly elbowed him in his ribs.

"Ouch!" he yelped. "Goddamn, Citana. You didn't have to do it that hard. Jesus." John began rubbing his side as Citana rolled her eyes and started walking.

After what seemed to be a few minutes, John whipped out the sonic screwdriver he'd acquired by accident a few months ago.

"Do you even know how to use that thing?"

"Yes!" John stopped walking and waved the sonic around. "I mean, I think I do." He then slapped it into his palm before bringing it up to eye level.

"What's it say?" asked Citana.

"Well, um, I…I don't actually know how to read it. It's in Gallifreyan…I think."

"Then why are you waving it around like Voldemort casting the killing curse?"

John huffed. "I should never have introduced you to those films," he grumbled.

Before Citana could quip back, a group of men came out of the foliage with swords and bows at hand.

"Told you," whispered Citana through the side of her mouth.

"Who goes there? Why are you trespassing on Royal grounds?" yelled out the man who appeared to be the leader.

John pocketed the sonic and was about to speak when another man stepped forward. He undoubtedly was one of the "royals."

"Stand down!" the man cried. "Let me speak to this captivating creature that has graced us with their presence."

John smirked, but then the smirk fell off his face when it became evident the man was referring to Citana. The strange man knelt down before her and spoke.

"Greetings, m'lady. I apologise if my men frightened you." He lifted his head, "and yet, I doubt you were even frightened." He then looked to John. "Is this your manservant?" he asked.

John's jaw dropped, but Citana darted her eyes at him and spoke before John could inevitably put his foot in his mouth.

"Why, yes he is…uh, my manservant. I…we..."

The man stood to his feet. "No need to explain. It is clear to me what has transpired. Your manservant clearly has gotten you lost, and you've now stumbled upon Royal property. The good news is that my parents will do anything that I ask. My name is Gerek," he said as he bowed slightly.

Garek then backed up towards his men and drew out his sword. "I will slay this useless servant of yours and give you a new one. I will also help guide you to where you are trying to go. You do not need to be punished on account of his foolishness."

"Woah, there, mate…" began John.

"Silence!" yelled Citana, giving John a stern look. "There is no need to, uh, slay my manservant my good...my good sir," she paused to think. "Ah!" she exclaimed as she snapped her fingers. "It's his first time. He didn't know what he was doing, and he was trying to figure it out himself." She gave a light laugh. "Men," she chuckled but then stopped when she realised she was talking to a group of only men holding pointy objects. Citana cleared her throat. "I just mean, I'd like to give him another chance. If you are going to spare my life, you must spare his as well."

Gerek looked the pair up and down. "You vouch for him then?"

"Uh, yes. Yes, I do." Citana made her way over to John and then patted him on the head. "He's trying his best."

John held his tongue this time as he watched the tall, dark, and unfortunately handsome Garek help Citana up onto a hoarse. They followed the men further through the forest until the tree line broke, and they could see a large castle looming over an even larger village.

"Holy, shit," whispered Citana. She looked back to make sure John was okay. Sure enough, he was slowly trailing behind as the soldiers let branches slap him right in his face.

Citana shook her head and tried to hold in her laughter. "He's going to kill me."