A/N: I think a bit of Sam and Dean Winchester rubbed off on Di in the beginning of this chapter… Oh well. And thanks to grapejuice101 for reminding me that Di has kids. The life of an author can be confusing sometimes.

I woke up to the faint sounds of arguing. Confused and still a little sleepy, I rubbed my eyes and sat up in bed. Everything that had happened between the Doctor, Susan, and I suddenly came rushing back to me. I realized then that I had practically passed out after Susan helped me to my room. The stress of learning about Josephine and Hope's identities plus Susan mental bond with me must have completely exhausted me, I considered.

The TARDIS whirred softly overhead and I glanced up at the ceiling with a half smile. "Hiya, Sexy," I sighed as I dangled my legs over the side of the bed.

I knew I had to go back out there and face the Doctor again, try again to explain that I could be trusted, but I didn't want to. I wanted to leave my room and find myself with a Doctor who knew me, who trusted me and cared about me the same way that I did for him. I wanted a Doctor who would hold me and kiss me on the cheek and remind me that everything would turn out okay. For once, I didn't want my life to be complicated.

I sighed again and pushed myself out of bed, running my hands through my hair to make sure I didn't have a bedhead. Once I opened the door, I could hear the arguing a little better and just managed to recognize the voices as Susan and the Doctor.

"Ooh, are they arguing about me?" I asked sarcastically. "Goody."

The Doctor and Susan were, in fact, arguing about me, as I discovered when I waked into the kitchen with the intention of getting a snack. "You," the Doctor snapped as soon as he spotted me.

"No," I grumbled before he could continue. "I am not in the mood. Do not yell at me, do not argue with me, just let me eat in peace."

"How did you do this?" he demanded.

I yawned and looked blearily at him. "Do what?"

"This," he said as he gestured to the kitchen. "This… room. How did you do it?"

"I didn't do anything, Theta," I said as I stepped past him.

"Do not call me that," he snapped.

I turned my back on him so he wouldn't see how my face contorted painfully at his remark. My eyes fluttered shut for a moment as I tried to compose myself. He doesn't know you, I reminded myself. He doesn't know that you're telling the truth. He's doesn't know how much he's hurting you. It's okay.

"Grandfather," Susan began gently, "maybe you should-"

"I do not trust her," he told his granddaughter.

"Yeah, still here," I reminded them as I opened the refrigerator door. "I can actually hear everything you're saying."

The Doctor turned around to face me again as I pulled out the milk carton. "Then perhaps you would be so good as to tell us how you created this room, hm? Because this room never existed before you appeared in my ship, young lady."

"You know, if we're going off of what happened before I passed out, you should probably be calling me ma'am or something seeing as I'm apparently sixty-something." I set the milk on the counter and reached into the overhead cupboard to grab a box of cereal. "And honestly, a kitchen is way better than that electronic food maker you were using."

"We hadn't even used it yet," the Doctor informed me grumpily. "We've barely been on this ship for one of your Earth weeks before you invaded our privacy!"

I sighed heavily and turned around so my lower back was pressed against the counter. "Look, Th- Doctor, I'm sorry you don't trust me. I'm sorry that I just appeared and messed everything up, okay? But right now… I've been through a lot of stuff the last few weeks and I'm tired. I don't want to be here right now because I'd rather be with a version of you that trusts me and isn't yelling at me. But I'm stuck with you until the vortex decides to rip me away and send me somewhere else. So for five minutes, can you just leave me alone so I can eat and pretend that everything's okay for once?"

The Doctor pursed his lips and for a moment, I thought he might actually leave me alone. But he shook his head and stepped closer to me with his hand waving in my face. "No. I don't believe you. I think you've tricked my ship somehow. You're working for the Time Lords. You're trying to bring us back to Gallifrey."

With a very uncharacteristic growl, I reached out and grabbed the Doctor by the wrist. In a flash, I pulled him closer to me and pressed his palm flat against my chest right over my heart. I looked up into his eyes and leaned in so he couldn't look anywhere but at me.

"Do you feel that?" I asked. "One heart. One heart, Theta. I'm not a Time Lord."

The Doctor's cheeks flushed light pink and he tried to look away and avoid my gaze. "You could easily have used a Chameleon Arch to rewrite your biology," he countered weakly, obviously embarrassed by his hand pressing against my chest.

"Why would I do that?" I asked. "Hm? Why would I go to such extreme lengths to trick you, Susan, the ship? It doesn't make sense.

"I don't know," he snapped as he looked back at me. "But I do not trust you, my dear, no matter what anyone or anything says to the contrary."

"What do I have to do, then? Do I need to pilot the ship somewhere? Do I need to save your life? Susan's life? What do I need to do?" When I realized how loud and forceful my voice had become, I pulled back and dropped the Doctor's hand. Tears had started to form in my eyes as I questioned him and I knew he had seen them because he was avoiding my gaze again. "Do you have any idea how much it hurts to see you and for you to not even recognize me? Theta, I would do anything to make you trust me. Just tell me what I need to do. Please."

"There is nothing you can do," he said after a moment.

"There has to be something," I pleaded. "Look, why don't you have Susan show you what she saw in my mind? You'll trust Susan, won't you?"

"Her name is Arkytior."

I swallowed and nodded once. "Right. I-I'm sorry. I keep forgetting."

"And I'm afraid I can't trust anything Arkytior will say or show me because you could have easily tricked her. She was never trained at the Academy like I was."

"How? How could I have tricked her? I'm not a Time Lord, I'm not a Gallifreyan. I wouldn't even know where to begin if I wanted to trick her." When the Doctor only shook his head and turned away from me, I grabbed onto his upper arm and forced him to look at me again. "Look into my mind, then. Do it yourself and you'll see that I'm telling the truth. Please."

"Grandfather, won't you at least listen to her?" Susan asked.

"Don't you see, Arkytior? She could have tricked you, she could have shown you false memories. Rassilon only knows what she did to our ship," he said as he glanced at me. "This is all an elaborate plot to somehow take us back to Gallifrey."

"It's not, though! Look, just let me fly the ship somewhere. I can fly it to Earth. You've always wanted to go there, haven't you? I can do it," I assured him. "I know how to fly the ship."

"No. I will not let you put your hands anywhere near that console if I can help it. And neither will I look into your mind just to have you trick me."

Desperate for the Time Lord to trust me, I grabbed both of his hands and pressed them against my temples. "Do it," I said firmly. "Alright? Just do it. Just look into my mind. I won't hide anything, you'll be able to see every single thing I've experienced. Just please do it."

The Doctor looked like he was about to refuse again, so I rested my hands over his to keep him for tugging them away. I looked into his eyes and leaned my head forward so our foreheads touched. "Please," I whispered.

I slowly moved my hands from his to rest against his temples, then let my eyes close. I gently called out for him in my mind, using his nickname that I had grown so found of, and waited. I didn't know if he would be able to hear me since I had no telepathic abilities, but I hoped that if he could hear me he would use it as an entrance into my mind.

Please, Theta, I need you to do this. I won't trick you, I won't lie to you. Just one look, please, and you'll see I'm telling the truth.

Seconds stretched on like an eternity and then a door suddenly opened, letting the Doctor's consciousness stream inside my brain. I had been pushing so desperately at that door, however, that when it opened I stumbled right into his mind. Most of what happened after that was a blur; his mind was so overwhelming that all I could comprehend were feelings and shadows and thoughts, but nothing as concrete as a memory or an image.

Almost immediately after, I felt someone pushing against me and my head snapped back. The loss of contact between the Doctor and I broke our mental connection and I felt as if I was on a rollercoaster, shooting from the Doctor's mind back into mine. My legs wobbled and nearly fell out from beneath me. I grabbed the counter and threw myself against it to keep from falling over as the room spun around me.

"Grandfather?" I heard Susan cry worriedly. "What happened?"

"She- Our minds-… She stumbled into my mind by mistake. It was too much for her," I heard the Doctor say. "I only saw a glimpse, but…"

My knees were shaking and after a moment, they gave out completely and I slumped against the counter. There was a heavy pounding in my head and the same burning ache from when I linked with Susan was back, eating away at the base of my skull. Although my mind felt foggy and I was confused, I sensed that something wasn't right.

Weakly, I leaned my forehead against the cupboard and called for the Doctor. "Theta?"

There was silence and then Susan and the Doctor were kneeling beside me, their faces creased with worry. Susan leaned forward and gently moved me so I was sitting more comfortably against the cupboard. The Doctor remained silent and stared at a spot on my shoulder, never once looking near my face.

"My head," I moaned.

The Doctor sighed and ducked his head. "Your consciousness fell into my mind by mistake," he said simply. "You weren't prepared. Your human brain isn't meant to support that amount of telepathic energy."

"Will she be alright?" Susan asked.

I reached out for the Doctor's coat, my fingers curling around the hem and tugging weakly. He suddenly looked up at me and stared at me for a minute. "Like dropping a piano," he muttered. He fell silent again as his eyes dropped to my hand clutched around his jacket. His left hand very gently came to rest on top of mine and his thumb traced over my fingers. "H-Hope…"

Through my confused haze, I was able to understand what the Doctor was saying. He seemed to be remembering whatever he had glimpsed in my mind, things like his future daughter Hope and his twelfth incarnation mentally linking with Vastra. I smiled hopefully and loosened my grip on his jacket, but the Time Lord didn't release my hand.

"Grandfather?"

The Doctor was brought out of his thoughts when Susan spoke to him. He shook his head slightly and dropped my hand as though I had burned him. He cleared his throat and gestured to me as he stood up. "She needs the vortex," he said simply.

Susan's brows furrowed together. "What?"

"I, erm, saw it… in her mind. Just a flash of a memory, but the vortex is able to heal her. If we let her out of the ship and into the vortex, then she will heal much faster than if we let her stay and do nothing."

"Grandfather, you can't just throw her out! I know you don't believe her, but-"

The Doctor interjected and mumbled something under his breath, but neither Susan or I could understand what he said. Susan shook her head in confusion and asked him to repeat himself. He said it again, only a fraction louder, but we still couldn't hear him very well.

"I said I was wrong," he snapped in frustration after Susan asked him to say it again. He looked down at his shoes as if embarrassed and started for the door. "I saw enough in her mind."

Overhead, the TARDIS whirred happily and the lights flashed once. The two Time Lords looked up at the ceiling in confusion, but I smiled knowingly and leaned my head back against the cupboard. The ship seemed as pleased as I was that the Doctor had realized I was telling the truth.

"That an apology?" I grunted as I slowly opened my eyes again. "Careful. You might hurt yourself."

Susan rested a hand on my forearm and shook her head. "No, you shouldn't speak too much. Your mind is still trying to recover," she said.

"From what? It wasn't that bad," I slurred.

"Human and Time Lord brains are not compatible for telepathic connections. Without the chronon particles rewritten into your DNA, the effect would have been much worse," the young Time Lady explained. "You weren't prepared properly, so your mind was overwhelmed with even a fraction of Grandfather's mind."

My mouth fell open and I let out a long yawn, my eyes and nose scrunched up. When I recovered from the yawn, I saw that both Susan and the Doctor were looking worriedly at me. My vision was starting to go hazy, which I knew was definitely a bad sign.

"A strong mental link can often cause both recipients to become weary," Susan told me. "Although Grandfather doesn't seem to be as affected as you are. Perhaps because he was prepared to enter your mind while you were not."

I closed my eyes again and settled back against the cupboard with a tiny exhalation. "Mm, sounds good," I mumbled before drifting off to sleep.

I woke up in my bed, my head aching faintly and my glasses missing. I grunted uncomfortably as I turned over onto my side and buried my head further into my pillow. A light snore from somewhere to my right startled me and I jerked into a halfway sitting position. Darling Susan was sitting passed out in a chair a few paces away from my bed.

A light buzzing from my bedside table startled me again and I turned to see that my phone was sitting there next to my glasses. I leaned over and grabbed both objects, slipping my glasses on so I could read better. The TARDIS had sent me a text message, which I quickly opened and glanced over.

I refused to let the Doctor throw you out again.

I smiled slightly and tucked some hair behind my ear as I sat up a little more. I don't remember a whole lot. But didn't he say something like putting me in the vortex would heal me? I asked the ship.

The TARDIS whirred gently, not loud enough to wake Susan, as my phone buzzed in my hands. It would, but it is important that you stay with him as long as possible. He saw enough in your mind to know that his future selves are incredibly devoted to you. His pride will not allow him to admit it, but he is both terrified and confused.

I hummed thoughtfully for a second before typing out a quick response: Does he still not trust me or did that change at all?

Another pause before the TARDIS replied to me again. I do not know, my Wolf. He does not fully trust you, but my information about you sided with what he saw glimpses of in your mind have started to change his opinion of you. Our Thief is not one to discount scientific evidence of any kind, no matter how stubborn he is.

The ship's last comment made me laugh out loud, before I quickly smothered it to avoid waking Susan. The young Time Lady furrowed her brows and turned her head to the side before slipping into a deep sleep again. I smiled fondly at the girl's sleeping figure for a moment or two.

Do you know what Susan saw in my mind? I asked the ship after a minute.

Perhaps she saw everything. I cannot know for sure. It might be best if you suggest she erase some of the more detail specific memories so as not to spoil anything in her future.

Why does she trust me so much? Is it just because of what she saw in my head?

The TARDIS whirred again before my phone buzzed again. I looked down and read over the message. Arkytior is more open minded and understanding than our Thief. I suspect that she saw your love for her grandfather in your mind, much like he did. She has and always will be overly trusting in others.

I smiled and nodded in agreement as I read the text. I recalled how trusting Susan had always been when I would watch the show back home. It was a trait of hers that I had always admired and part of what made me like her so much. She was kind and caring and understanding as well as trusting. I realized then that without her help, earning the Doctor's trust would be incredibly difficult.

The door to my bedroom suddenly opened and the Doctor stepped inside. We looked at each other, wide eyed, for a few long moments before the Time Lord finally lowered his gaze. He spotted Susan passed out in the chair by my bed and the worried expression on his face lessened significantly.

"I can help her to her bedroom," I offered a little shyly. "She should rest somewhere more comfortable."

He shook his head wordlessly and stepped further into the room, closing the door behind him. I watched as he slowly approached his granddaughter and gently rested a hand on her shoulder. Susan didn't wake up, only mumbled incoherently in her sleep and readjusted herself in her seat.

"I'm sorry," I stammered, "i-if I made you worry about her. I didn't know she stayed with me."

The Doctor's eyes flickered up to meet mine for a moment. His gaze wasn't cruel or nearly as mistrusting as it had been before, but I could see was still unsure of me. I knew it would take time for him to learn to trust me like his future selves did, but I trusted the fact that he would indeed come to trust me.

"I know you still don't trust me," I said after a second. "And I know it'll take a long time for you to trust me. Really, I get it. And… I know you're confused about what you saw. I'll give you space if that's what you need. I'll try not to bother you. Unless I end up randomly appearing in your bedroom or something, I'll stay completely out of your way."

I watched the Doctor's Adam apple bob up and down as he swallowed. "I would appreciate that," he said slowly.

"You saw Hope, didn't you?" I asked.

The Doctor nodded in response, but remained silent. I could see confusion and just a little bit of fear written across his face. It reminded me of the moments over the last few months as I discovered more and more about my relationship with the Doctor.

"I know how you feel. I was confused and pretty scared when I found out, too."

"I-I don't think I know how to feel," the Time Lord admitted. "I hardly know you and yet we have children together in the future? How can that be?"

"You learn to trust me, I guess," I replied lightly, hoping to ease the tension in the room.

"No, you misunderstand, my dear. How is that possible? Hm? Gallifreyan reproduction is not the same as human reproduction."

"Oh." Well, that could definitely make us having children a little confusing, I mused.

The Doctor nodded. "Yes. Precisely."

Before he could properly explain what he meant, Susan woke up with a gasp. She glanced up at the Doctor in confusion and then looked back at me. Her eyes were glassy with sleep and only open halfway.

"Grandfather?" she asked groggily.

"Yes, child?"

Susan grumbled and rubbed her eyes with the backs of her hands. "What's going on?"

"Nothing, my dear, nothing. It's time you went to your room and slept properly."

The Doctor helped his granddaughter out of the chair and put an arm around her shoulders as he guided her towards the door. "Theta, wait," I called. "Um, we can- we can talk about it later if you want. Whenever you're ready."

He thought for a moment and then nodded before guiding Susan out of my bedroom. As the door shut behind him, I leaned back in bed and let out a heavy sigh. I dropped my phone beside me on the mattress and covered my face with my hands.

Tears of pent up frustration, confusion, and worry gathered behind my closed eyelids and I let out a choked sob. I felt like I was going to burst if I didn't cry, or scream, or do something to relieve the panic rising quickly in my chest. I rolled over onto my side and buried my face in my pillow with another sob as my kneels curled up against my chest. I grasped firmly at my pillow and sobbed quietly into the material.

The Doctor and Susan both told me about these chronon particles and how they had affected my body already. I hadn't aged a day since I left home, which I hadn't even thought about until they told me how old I really was. What would these chronon particles do to my children? Would it hurt them? How could the Doctor and I even have children if our species didn't reproduce the same way? Did that mean our children were really ours or somebody (something?) else's? And what about Josephine? She had said she was a Time Agent, a Time Lord, given up by her parents to a foster family. She had been swept away by a time storm like Ace was. How much damage had that done to my child, if she was even mine at all?

"I can't do it," I whispered into my pillow, tears streaming continuously down my face. My entire body was shaking with each sob that fell past my lips. "I can't."

On top of all these problems I faced about my children, there was still the fact that the Doctor didn't even know who I was. He didn't trust me and likely wouldn't for a long time. Knowing that the man I had grown to love, the man who had become my family, didn't even believe a single word I said tore at my heart. The Doctor was my rock in this universe, he was my support and I felt lost without his guidance.

My world felt like it was falling apart piece by piece. Everything I thought I knew as fact was turning out to be wrong or skewed just enough to change things. How was I supposed to fix it all?

"I-I can't," I breathed as my body was racked with another sob.

A hand landed on my shoulder and I let out a half sob, half gasp as I was pushed onto my back. The Doctor, wearing a jumper decorated with question marks, loomed over me with a worried expression. I felt a wave of embarrassment wash over me as his eyes ran over my tear stained face.

"What's wrong?" he asked softly in his familiar Scottish brogue.

I turned my face away from him and tried to swallow my tears. He reached out and cupped my face in his hand, gently guiding my face back so I could look up at him again.

"Diana," he urged, "what happened?"

I sniffled as my bottom lip trembled. "I-I don't know what to do," I whispered, my voice thick with tears.

"About what, love?"

"Anything." I shook my head and closed my eyes as a few more tears slipped out. "A-About Josephine, about Hope, about you… About me…"

While my eyes were still closed, the Doctor began to wrap his arms around me and pull up. He braced my torso against his with one hand splayed across my back and the other gently holding my cheek. My eyes fluttered open and I stared right into his worried, yet loving gaze.

"Where were you?" he asked.

My bottom lip began to tremble again as I answered, "You didn't know me. You thought I was… working for the Time Lords. And I tried to explain but you didn't believe me. A-And then you said I was in the vortex for fifty years and I had these chronon particles a-and-"

"Oh, Diana," he sighed, his thumb running lightly over my cheekbone. "Sh. It's alright."

"What if our babies are hurt because of me? What if these chronons hurt them? What-"

"Diana, our children are fine. I promise you. Nothing you do could ever hurt them."

"But-"

"No," he said with a shake of his head. "All of our children are fine because you are such an incredible mother. Do you understand?"

I sniffled again and wiped away a few tears with the back of my hand. The Doctor's gaze was firm, but honest as he watched me in silence. I glanced down at his chest and finally nodded in understanding.

"Good."

I leaned forward and buried my head in the Doctor's neck. He moved his hand from my cheek to the back of my neck and gently held me against him as a few more weak cries escaped me. I felt so embarrassed to be falling apart in front of him, but at the same time I felt so overwhelmed that I almost wanted to keep crying.

"I know," the Time Lord whispered into my hair. "And I'm sorry."

My crying lessened significantly as I felt the Doctor press a kiss to the top of my head. The feeling of his arms around me and his Gallifreyan hearts thudding through his jumper was familiar and comforting. This time around, the Doctor trusted me and cared for me. That was what I knew for sure. I might be around sixty-eight years old, a crying mess, overly emotional, but I knew that I was back with the man that mattered more to me than almost anything else.

I hiccuped into his chest and then smiled. I sniffled and pulled back slightly so I could look up at the Doctor. He still looked a little worried, but he visibly relaxed when he saw I was smiling. His hand came back to cup my cheek again and his fingertips danced lightly across my skin.

"So I guess that age difference between us isn't as big as I thought, huh?" I joked. "Now that I'm in my mid sixties and everything."

The Doctor chuckled and leaned in to press our foreheads together. "I suppose not," he said softly.

I closed my eyes and rested against the Doctor, letting my breath even out as I slowly started to calm down. Although I wasn't crying anymore, there were still a dozen different thoughts running through my mind. I was still worried about my children, despite what the Doctor had said about them, and I was still afraid that maybe they weren't truly mine. But the more I thought, the more I realized something.

"Did you always know?" I asked after a long silence had stretched between us. "Like when I said I was eighteen, did you know I really wasn't?"

"Yes."

I opened my eyes and saw that the Doctor's were closed. I couldn't read his expression, but his brow were drawn together and I saw a frown worrying at his lips. I reached a hand up and absently ran my forefinger along the ridge of his lower lip, making his eyes suddenly fly open.

"Spoilers?"

He nodded and his lips quirked up for a brief moment. "Spoilers," he agreed.

"So where are you? You with Ace still or…?"

The Doctor pulled away and sighed. "No. I'm not with anyone anymore. They've all gone," he told me.

It wasn't hard to hear the sadness in his voice. He never liked traveling alone, even if he managed to hide it well. I tilted my head to one side and gently grasped his upper arm.

"I'm here," I said. "And hopefully I'm not going anywhere anytime soon."

The Doctor smiled at me and leaned forward, his eyes locked on my mouth. He paused suddenly and spared me a glance that seemed to ask for permission before he did anything. I answered by placing one hand around the back of his neck and pulling him to me. It was a gentle, chaste kiss that somehow still managed to make my heart feel like it was going to beat out of my chest.

When we both pulled away, I laughed softly and drew my hand from the Doctor's neck to his chest. "I asked who you were traveling with because I wanted to apologize," I explained. "When you left me in the TARDIS, when you were going after that woman, Lady Peinforte, I, um, I overreacted. And I wanted to say sorry for getting so mad at you."

"No," he replied with a shake of his head. "No, I knew I would upset you by leaving you behind. I only wanted you to be safe."

"I know." I shrugged and thought back to the event in question; it felt like it happened a lifetime ago. "I was angry with you for not letting me get a job, which was stupid on both our parts, and then when Ace said we were married…" I shook my head in frustration and sighed. "It was just a lot to take in and I was stupid about it. You were only trying to take care of me."

"If it makes you feel any better, Ace was upset as well. She felt I didn't care as much for her as I did for you because I was willing to protect you instead of her." The Time Lord flashed an ashamed expression as he looked away. "She was right. I cared for her, of course, but I've always cared more for you than anyone else."

"Theta-"

"I mean that," he said firmly. "But I went about everything the wrong way."

"It's okay. I'm not mad anymore. And honestly, I just want to forget about it," I admitted.

"I'd like that."

"Good. Now c'mere and cuddle with me," I teased boldly.

Although I felt much better after my crying session in the Doctor's arms, the same thoughts still plagued me and flew around my mind. I needed a distraction because I knew if I focused on them too hard, I would start to cry again. So I lay back on the bed with the Doctor and curled up beside him, one of his arms wrapped around me to hold me close.

The next day was much better for both of us. My mind wasn't as occupied with the worrisome thoughts that had made me breakdown crying and the Doctor seemed glad that I was feeling better. He began telling me over lunch about his latest adventure, which had happened on Gallifrey, much to my surprise. He wouldn't tell me much, which I guessed was to avoid spoilers, but I suspected that he had been through what I knew as the events from the novel 'Lungbarrow'. I hadn't read the story before I left my home universe, but I knew the basics of what happened well enough to recognize the story. But that also meant that the Doctor would be regenerating soon. And that he would encounter the Master once again.

I had no desire to see the Master again, especially after the events of my last meeting with him. I was still recovering from the drums that echoed in my dreams every now and then. Seeing the Time Lord again would only trigger the drums and maybe even my other memories.

"Romana gave me a task before I left," the Doctor told me, his voice dropping slightly. He paused for a moment before he continued. "The Master. He's on Skaro, about to go on trial and then to be executed. His dying wish was to have me transfer his remains from Skaro to Gallifrey."

I nodded silently. This wasn't a surprise to me. I knew what the Master had planned and I knew that I didn't want to be around for it. The Doctor, who was watching my reaction as he spoke, seemed to understand that without me having to say anything.

"I don't know what you've experienced with him so far, but I do know that you have no desire to see him again, or to have anything to do with him. But I do have to complete this task. If his remains aren't properly taken care of, it could be disastrous."

"I know," I said softly.

"What do you want to do?" the Time Lord questioned. "Do you want to stay on the TARDIS while I go to Skaro or… would you like me to take you somewhere until I've finished the task?"

My eyes widened slightly. "You'd really take me somewhere so I wouldn't have to see him?"

The Doctor nodded and reached forward to grab my right hand where it lay on my thigh. His fingers curled around mine and he looked directly into my eyes. "I want you to be happy. And if taking you somewhere will spare you any grief or hurt, then I will do it without hesitation."

I smiled and moved my other hand so it rested on top of the Doctor's. "I'd like that."

He nodded and moved to stand, but I stopped him. He looked expectantly at me and I chewed nervously on my lip for a moment. "Do you have to go now?" I wondered. "It's just that… I haven't been with this version of you in a long time and I've only seen you like this twice before. I just thought maybe…" I trailed off mid sentence, unsure of how to finish.

The Doctor gave me a lopsided smile and nodded once. He stood and then tugged me to my feet. "How about we visit the Brigadier?" he suggested. "Or maybe Sarah Jane or-"

"Actually…" I felt my cheeks flush and I glanced away in embarrassment. "I was thinking we could spend some time together, just you and me. If that's okay?"

He hummed thoughtfully for a moment or two before grinning. "I know the perfect place," he declared before jumping up and running out of the kitchen.

"Theta, wait!" I shouted as I ran after him with a laugh.

I raced into the console room right on the Time Lord's heels and skidded to a stop when I saw him bouncing around the console. I walked towards the console and tried to catch a glimpse at the screen, hoping to find out where we were going, but the Doctor gently pushed me back.

"Ah, ah, ah," he tutted. "It's a surprise."

"And you're all about surprises, aren't you?"

He winked at me and then sent the TARDIS hurtling through the time vortex. The ride was much smoother than I had anticipated and when we landed, I bounded over to the door to have a look at where we'd landed.

"Now just a moment!" the Doctor exclaimed as he shrugged on his brown coat and paisley scarf. He grabbed his hat and umbrella, then hurried to the door. "My, aren't you eager?"

"Stop teasing, Theta, and just let me see."

He set his hat on his head and hooked the umbrella over his left arm before extending the right one to me. I gently wrapped my hand around the crook of his elbow and then looked to the door.

"So? Where are we?"

"Padelstone. It's famous for having one of the largest mazes in its planetary system."

"The largest?" I repeated. "We're not going to get stuck in there, are we?"

"No, no, of course not," he replied, waving his hand dismissively. "Now then. Shall we?"

The Doctor smiled when I nodded and pushed the TARDIS doors open with his left hand. His triumphant smile faded, however, when we looked outside to find that it was raining. With my hand still on his elbow, I stuck my head out to look around. A few hundred yards in front of the ship was the entrance to what I guessed was the maze he had mentioned. There were all kinds of aliens walking in and out of the entrance, some humanoid and some definitely not, but none of them seemed bothered by the rain.

"Slight scheduling problem?" I asked.

"It only rains once every year on this planet," the Doctor grumbled. "Of course this is the day the TARDIS decides to take us to."

I smiled and leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. "It's a good thing I like rain, then."

A/N: Okay, so I probably should have told everyone sooner… The next chapter is most likely going to be the last of the book. It's not definite and I may change my mind last minute, but I'm going to try and make the chapter 'The Angels Take Manhattan'. But don't worry, dearies, a sequel is already in the works!

Don't forget to review and let me know what you think. I always love seeing everyone's reactions.