Last of Their Kind

by ThyWanderer

Worn down from years of strife as the last of her kind, Madison once believed happiness was far from reach. Everything begins to change when she meets a man called the Doctor. As secrets and sorrows are shared between them, the pair finds comfort together amidst the stars. Madison can only hope that this time things will be different, even if the universe has other plans for her.

31. Chapter 31

Welcome back! Sorry for not updating last week. Had a bit of a writer's block. But back at it again with a new chapter!

Please, enjoy!

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Chapter 31

When they had finally reached the cafe, the Doctor had Madison and Mickey help with getting K9 into the shop. Once the robot was settled down onto a tabletop, then the Doctor started to repair the metal dog. Lucky for them the cafe worker didn't seem to care much about anything as they barely gave any of them a glance when coming in. Madison wondered if they thought K9 was nothing more than a toy of some sort. If she had never met the Doctor, she might have thought similar. Glancing towards him then, she watched as Sarah Jane sat close to him now. Both of them were sitting at the round table closest to the cafe's large front-store windows and were giving one another smiles as they laughed and spoke quietly. Their smiles spoke of fondness and light-hearted humour. It was good seeing the Doctor so happy. It was great. Yes, definitely. It was wonderful. He should always be this happy. Yep. Always. Peachy keen.

Madison's stomach twisted again and she quickly looked away. She tried ignoring it. Pushing back every thought in her mind as she simply focused on the positive. This was good for the Doctor. This was him getting another chance with a past lover and getting closure. There was nothing wrong with that. Of course, there wasn't. Why would there be? Nothing wrong with that at all. She was happy for him. Of course, she was . . . Then why was it that she felt so wrong about this? She knew she was happy for him, yet there was just that gut-twisting feeling that would not go away. That nagging voice in her head kept trying to speak, but she repeatedly shushed it and pushed it away. She wasn't going to ruin this moment for the Doctor and Sarah Jane. She couldn't live with herself if she did something stupid because of some silly notion that he . . . She felt nauseous again and swallowed down the feeling of bile in the back of her throat.

"You see, what's impressive is that it's been nearly an hour since we met her and I still haven't said 'I told you so'," she heard Mickey whispering to Rose.

"Mickey, shut it," Rose retorted hastily, sending him this sharp look of a warning. Currently, the three of them stood by the counter of the cafe, waiting on the food they had ordered. Madison hadn't eaten all day and she knew she needed to get something on her stomach. It might finally settle it if she did.

"Though I have prepared a little 'I was right' dance that I can show you later," Mickey continued, pretending like he hadn't heard his friend. Their food arrived and they paid for it, going over to a table to eat. Madison sat down with her basket of chips. She found herself just staring at the food, unable to bring herself to pick up the first piece.

"All this time you said he's different. That he could never do that to anyone, let alone Maddie. But the truth is he's just like any other bloke," Mickey went on as he munched away at his food.

"Mickey," Rose hissed, looking towards Madison now in concern. Concern? Why was she concerned? Why was Mickey saying and acting like this? Things were fine. Everything was fine. Rose looked back at Mickey, saying, "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Maybe not. But don't think I've ever seen him as lovey-dovey before. Bet he does that with all the girls he meets. Gets all cosy up with them, takes them out for chips, shows them all these bright and colourful things, then, when he gets bored of them, he just dumps them right back on Earth and takes off again. Oh, I tell you, I called it. Didn't I say just the other day I bet Maddie was falling for the biggest—"

The table rocked and silverware clattered to the floor as the top of it was slammed upon. Madison's hands shook after slapping on the table in an almighty bang. Everyone jumped. She even startled herself in doing such a thing as she sat there frozen in place. The entire cafe went dead silent as everyone looked in her direction. She could feel their eyes boring down on her and the room tilted. Her breath hitched as everything in her started screaming conflicting things. She was confused. She couldn't grasp anything properly. It was like a storm had hit her and she couldn't see through the thick clouds. Rose's eyes were wide with worriment. Mickey and Sarah Jane seemed bewildered. The Doctor gazed at her with a furrowed brow, his eyes searching her carefully.

"Sorry, I had a twitch. I'm fine," she spoke quickly after sucking in a breath. She stood up then, heading for the door. "I think I need some fresh air. Don't mind me." The cafe door gave a small twinkle of a bell as she made her way out into the chilly night. She turned to her left, heading away from the window of the cafe so no one could see her. She leaned against a dark and empty shop, breathing heavily, trying to compose herself as her breath began to hitch with every intake.

What Mickey had said . . . was exactly what her nagging voice had been throwing at her. Of course, she thought the same thing. It was hard not to given the situation before her. She had just been trying to avoid thinking about it and step around the thoughts altogether. And that just made her even more upset about this entire event. Upset with herself. Upset with what was happening. She was unnerved and off-kilter and simply . . . unsteady with how she was feeling. Her thoughts were a jumbled mess and she couldn't think straight.

When she was finally able to grasp onto her thoughts and steady herself, she allowed herself to contemplate the situation at hand. No, this wasn't about Sarah Jane herself. No, this wasn't about the Doctor having someone he loved back around in his life. And no, this wasn't her being jealous about seeing an 'ex' around like Mickey had been trying to goad her into saying or feeling. This . . . was about the absence. About the departure between the Doctor and his past. About the past not being the past. For all this time, she had believed the Doctor, this man who had lost everything; this man who had seen everyone around him wither and die as she had. They were both kindred spirits, lost in the wake of all those who had perished around them. Yet here was Sarah Jane, alive and well. Someone who the Doctor had just . . . abandoned like she was nothing. It was obvious they had been so close. Maybe even closer. And yet, she was left behind. Yes, Madison knew she didn't know the full story, but it was obvious that the Doctor could have returned to her. But he never had. He stayed away and left Sarah Jane always hoping and praying for his return.

How many others out there were like Sarah Jane? How many times did the Doctor leave people behind? Were there dozens? Hundreds? Were they all as close as Sarah Jane had been? Did he do that with everyone eventually? Was it . . . was it because of the lifespan difference? Was she to expect the same to happen to her eventually? But she had thought . . . she thought she had explained it to him. Mer were together with their partners for life. Rarely was there ever another that came around for them to love. That's why intimacy was handled with such caution when getting close to someone. For sometimes, mostly with humans, the Mer would give away their heart and think it would last with their partner only for that partner to find someone else they loved even more and move on. It usually destroyed the Mer and left them feeling hollow for the rest of their life. For her to have found the Doctor after David . . . had been nothing short of a miracle.

She thought the Doctor understood this. She had given herself to him fully, after all. In every aspect, mentally and physically. She had never done that with anyone before. She had given him her heart and soul. Yet . . . was it just a fleeting thing for the Doctor? He had such a long lifespan . . . How long would it take until he grew tired of her? A few decades? A hundred years? A thousand? It broke her heart even thinking about it. She did not want him to feel as if he always had to be with her if he truly did not wish to be. But . . . she didn't want to be left on the side of the road one day, never to see him again without a goodbye, either. And he seemed to be genuinely happy with Sarah Jane now. Did Madison even make him happy? Was . . . was he never truly happy with her? Her eyes began to burn as tears sprang forth. She sucked in a shaky breath, trying to keep herself from crying. It was all too much. It was just all too much.

"Maddie?"

Madison looked over with a start, tensing as she saw Rose standing there looking deeply concerned. Madison straightened herself, hurriedly wiping away her tears. "Sorry. I'm fine. Everything's fine," she said, trying to assure the girl nothing was wrong. Her voice gave her away as it quaked with every word.

"No, it's not," Rose said quietly in comfort, walking over and pulling Madison in for a tight hug. Madison felt her lips quiver as more tears came forth. She buried her head into Rose's shoulder, trying her best to keep it together. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No," Madison replied, hiccuping as the tears just kept coming. "But I know you won't give up til I do."

"Damn right I won't."

Madison couldn't help but laugh a little, so glad to have a friend like Rose. Pulling away from the hug, she looked towards the cafe. A part of her was worried that the Doctor would come out to check on her, forcing her to confess what she was feeling to him and making him upset somehow, ruining his moment with Sarah Jane. But another part of her was saddened to see that he wasn't coming out to check up on her. Which was a selfish thought, but . . . it was there nonetheless.

"I'm just . . . It's probably all just me being overly worried again, but I can't stop thinking about it. Him abandoning me, leaving me behind as he did to Sarah Jane. That's what has been bothering me so much about this situation. Not Sarah Jane being here and him being so happy seeing her again. I'm glad he's happy and I wish there could be more moments like this for him. More times he can be with people from his past and enjoy their company. But it was obvious that Sarah Jane and he were something . . . more. I think at least. I don't know. He doesn't tell me these things. Maybe that is troubling me as well, but I can't think of that right now because I don't want to be selfish or petty and force him to talk. He should tell me things on his own time," Madison spoke in a rush, confessing everything now. She knew she was rambling again because she was upset, but she didn't try to stop herself this time.

"So . . . you're not upset with meeting Sarah Jane?" Rose asked her, seeming somewhat sceptical.

"No. Why should I be?" Madison sighed, seeing now that Rose was like Mickey and thought it was over some petty thing such as meeting an 'ex' and whatnot. "I've met David's past lover before. He and I got along great. In fact, Flynn helped us through much of our own relationship at times."

Now, this really appeared to throw Rose for a loop as she blinked at Madison in shock. ". . . Wait, you got along with David's ex? David's ex was a 'he'?"

Madison raised a brow. "Yes. And?"

Rose shook her head, seeming to snap herself out of it. "Right. Sorry. Nevermind."

Madison leaned against the wall behind her heavily, sighing as she stared at the ground. "I thought . . . maybe I knew the Doctor. Not entirely, no. But at least enough to know that he wouldn't just . . . leave people behind. Suppose I don't know him as much as I thought, which was rather egotistical of me now that I think about it."

"No, it wasn't. You expect to know your boyfriend pretty well and that he'd tell ya everything. It's normal."

"It's not normal for him and I should have known that." Madison shook her head, lifting her eyes to gaze at Rose, her eyes misting over again. "But that's not what hurts. What hurts is knowing that one day he'll leave me behind and there's nothing I can do about it. I thought maybe after what we shared . . . he and I could be together forever." She let out a shaky breath, lowering her gaze. "But I suppose that was nothing more than a fantasy I'd imagined for myself."

Rose kept staring at Madison in concern, walking over to rub her shoulder. "No, it's not. Maddie, quit putting yourself down. The Doctor is the one at fault here. Not you. He should have told you these things and warned ya. Before he went and—well, I know about you and him, you know, the other day." Madison blushed heavily while Rose rolled her eyes. "Stop blushing. It's fine. It didn't take a genius to know that. Anyway, that's not my point. What I'm trying to say is that he shouldn't toy around with someone's feelings if he's just gonna leave you in the end. That isn't right. He's better than that." Rose let out a puff of breath, crossing her arms and leaning against the wall beside Madison. "At least, I thought he was better than that. All this time I kept telling Mickey how great he was, and here I am now, completely wrong. But even if he was gonna dump me off one day, which I sort of thought would happen anyway since Jack left, I never would have thought he'd do that to you. He loves you to pieces! He'd do anything for you. Why the hell would he ever let you go, especially knowing what that would do to you if he did?"

Madison stared sadly at the ground, feeling her heart sink. "But he's never said that he loves me. I thought maybe he did. I thought . . . maybe he'd tell me one day in his own time. I wanted to give him space with that." She let out another long breath. "Maybe I pushed him into this."

"Trust me, you didn't push him into anything. He loves you. It's so obvious anyone can see that. So why would he go and push you away?"

Madison shook her head. "This might have been the reason why he tried pushing me away in the beginning. He mentioned the long lifespan."

"But that never stopped you from loving David. You stuck around with him until the end. Why can't the Doctor do the same for you?"

". . . Probably because it hurts too much. Watching someone you love wither away before you while you don't age at all. It's beyond heartbreaking." Madison sighed, nodding to herself. "Right. I get it now. I should have realised . . . Oh, I'm such a fool. Of course, he'd leave me behind. It'd be the only way to keep himself sane. It's wrong of me to think otherwise."

"What? Oh, no, Maddie, now don't think like that," Rose scolded suddenly. She turned to face Madison fully, grabbing the woman by the arms and keeping her stern eyes on the redhead. "Don't think about how that helps him. 'Cause, it won't. It'll just tear yourselves both to pieces. I know he's a Time Lord and all, but even he should realise how stupid that is to think it'll be best for you both somehow or whatever. 'Cause, it won't be."

"Oh, Rose," Madison tried to say.

"Don't 'oh, Rose' me. I may be stupid when it comes to my own relationships and whatever the hell I get myself into sometimes, but I know when a man is being an idiot and the Doctor is mad if he thinks leaving you behind will solve any problems for either of ya. So, ya can't give up on him yet. You have to fight for him and make him realise that. Okay? And if you don't fight for each other, then I'll be the first one in line to kick you both straight. Got it?" Rose gave her a crooked smile then, making Madison feel a little less miserable.

Giving the girl a soft smile, she nodded in agreement. "Okay."

"Promise me you'll talk to him when this is all over?"

"I'll certainly try. And Rose . . . thank you."

Rose shrugged as if it were no big deal as she let go of Madison's arms. "It's what best mates are for, right? Give each other a pep talk when the situation calls for it." She held onto Madison's hand then in a strong grip, giving it a squeeze. "Come on. Let's get back in there before our chips get eaten up by Mickey." Rose led her back towards the cafe. "I swear, I don't know what to do with you both sometimes. If it's not the Doctor being all broody, it's you being all hard on yourself too much. It's like you both want to put yourselves down for no reason sometimes."

"Maybe that comes with getting too old," Madison tried joking, wincing as she felt this was mostly true. Old age did put a hamper on things at times.

"Couple of old hats you two are. No wonder you're both made for each other." Rose bumped Madison lightly with her hip, giving a playful smile.

They walked back into the cafe together, seeing the Doctor was still working on fixing up K9 with Sarah Jane beside him. Madison could see that the woman did not appear as happy as before, staring off into space with a forlorn expression. Mickey looked over at the two arriving into the shop, seeming worried about something. Rose let go of Madison's hand, going over to Mickey first and seeming to say something strictly to him. Mickey was then seen nodding and Madison could see him mouthing 'sorry'. Wondering what that was about, Madison took a step toward the two when she felt the Doctor's presence in her mind suddenly.

"Everything all right?" he asked her quietly in her mind. She looked over, seeing him glancing at her briefly. There was a look of concern from him as he gazed at her. "Anything you need to talk about?"

She hesitated to answer him at first, a part of her nervous to bother him while he was working and with Sarah Jane being around. But she made a promise to Rose and planned on keeping it. "I think we do need to talk. But it can wait until we're done at the school. Just . . . promise me that we will?" she spoke quietly into his mind.

"Of course. Anything you need to talk about, I'm here for you." The Doctor gave her a kind smile before looking back at K9 and concentrating once more.

Feeling more at peace, Madison started to walk away to go over to Rose and Mickey but was halted when she heard the Doctor give a sound of delight. She watched as he got up from his seat, quickly situating himself and K9. She heard the machinery on K9 whirling and starting to power up.

"Now we're in business!" the Doctor said excitedly, looking absolutely thrilled for K9 to be working again. It must be nice for him to have another companion coming back into his life.

"Master?" K9 spoke then in an extremely grainy, robotic voice. His red vision visor lit up red as he spoke and his rubber tail began to wag.

"He recognises me!" the Doctor said to them all, beaming away at them briefly as the group gathered around him and K9.

"Affirmative," spoke K9 proudly, the disks of ears on his head moving now. Sarah Jane was positively beaming as well, seeming so happy with her eyes looking tearful. Madison smiled at the woman, glad to see Sarah Jane happy.

"Rose, give us the oil," the Doctor said, waving out a hand towards Rose. Moving closer, Rose gave him a jar of the oil sample she had collected from the school. The Doctor immediately popped it open, going to get a swab of it onto his finger.

"I wouldn't touch it, though. That dinner lady got all scorched," Rose warned him quickly.

"I'm no dinner lady. And I don't often say that," the Doctor countered easily, getting a dab of the yellow oil onto his finger and pushing it to a small suction-like port on K9's vision visor that extended out for him. Once the oil was applied, the suction port went back into place and the Doctor sealed the jar again before setting it aside. "Here we go. Come on, boy, here we go."

"Oil ex-ex-extract . . . an-an-analysing," K9 said, stuttering as he spoke. It almost sounded to Madison as if the robot was having issues simply functioning. Truly K9 had seen better days it seems.

"Listen to him, man! That's a voice," laughed Mickey.

"Careful. That's my dog," Sarah Jane said sternly, sending Mickey a gaze of warning.

"Confirmation of analysis," K9 said brightly then, his tag wailing as he spoke. "Substance is Krillitane oil."

The Doctor's eyes went wide as he slowly stared out the cafe window. There was a look of dread then that crossed his face. "They're Krillitanes," he breathed.

"Is that bad?" Rose asked, appearing worried then by the Doctor's expression alone.

"Very. Think how bad things could possibly be and add another suitcase full of bad," the Doctor told her grimly. He crossed his arms, glaring at nothing in particular now.

"And what are Krillitanes?" Sarah Jane questioned him.

"They're a composite race. Just like your culture is a mixture of traditions from all sorts of countries, people you've invaded or been invaded by, you've got bits of Viking, bits of France, bits of whatever. The Krillitanes are the same, an amalgam of the races they've conquered. But they take physical aspects as well. They cherry-pick the best bits from the people they destroy," explained the Doctor, making his point quickly.

"That's horrible," Madison breathed, feeling sickened by the thought of it. "How fast do they evolve to be able to do such things? It can't be an overnight thing, can it?"

"Might take a few generations. They evolve fast . . . but not as fast as what you're probably thinking," the Doctor told her, nodding as he knew she was thinking of Mers. "That's why I didn't recognise them. The last time I saw Krillitanes they looked just like us, except they had really long necks."

"What are they doing here?" asked Rose.

"It's not to conquer Earth, is it?" questioned Madison.

"Doubt it. There's not much to be desired when it comes to human biology. Nothing to cherry-pick there," the Doctor answered off-handedly, uncaring of how rude his words sounded towards the humans around them. He then had a dark glare as he stared out the window again. "It's the children. They're doing something to the children."

Madison's stomach dropped as her earlier fears came true. She had been hoping against such an aspect, but she knew she had been in denial. Why else take over a school? Of course, they were doing something to the children. At this thought, anger began to boil forth. She gritted her teeth, ready to storm back to the school right now and demand answers from these Krillitanes. "Those bastards," she growled, her hands forming into fists.

"We need to get going," the Doctor said, nodding in agreement with her. He too appeared ready to let his anger go in a furious wave at the Krillitanes.

"We can't do anything tonight. We should come up with a plan first and get back at that school tomorrow," Sarah Jane suggested quickly, seeming worried by the anger she saw from the two. "The Krillitanes are less likely to attack us if there are children around."

"If they're using the children I very much doubt they'll care if they hurt them," Madison argued quietly, shaking her head.

"Not if these children are being used for something important that the Krillitanes need," Sarah Jane countered. Madison nodded, seeing what the woman was saying. Madison only hoped this was the case. She didn't want their plans getting in the way of the children's safety.

Sarah Jane had Mickey help her get K9 outside and back into her vehicle. Watching the two shuffle out of the cafe carefully, Madison stood there by the table, arms crossed and contemplating this Krillitane mess. Something caught her eye then and she looked up to see Rose giving her a pointed look. The girl pointed at Madison, then the Doctor, and then made a motion of talking before quickly leaving the cafe. It was just them left then. Only the cafe worker remained in the shop, playing on their mobile and not paying either of the other two any attention. Madison glanced over, seeing the Doctor getting his tan overcoat on. He looked at her as he adjusted the coat on himself.

"So . . . are we talking now?" he asked curiously. "Rose seems to be keen on it." He smiled lightly, seeming humoured by this.

"I don't . . . think now is the best time. I'd prefer if we waited until after we've dealt with the Krillitanes," Madison told him quietly, feeling flustered in being pushed to talk. "Children's lives are on the line, after all. We need to be focused."

"We can be focused and talk," the Doctor said, coming over to stand by her then. He gazed at her in concern, seeming troubled now. "What's wrong? Anything I can help you with?"

Madison smiled lightly, shaking her head. "That's normally my line."

"Well, you help me so much as it is." He smiled warmly, grabbing her hand and giving it a squeeze. "Now it's time for me to return the favour."

She felt conflicted. She wanted to talk to him now and get what she was feeling off of her chest. It was always the best policy to get it over with as soon as possible, leaving no chance of any miscommunication or misunderstandings later down the road. But at the same time, this cafe didn't feel like a very decent place for such a thing. Then there was still Sarah Jane around and Madison still did not wish to ruin his reunion with an old friend. Then, as she mentioned, the Krillitanes were still a prompt problem for them. If she made the Doctor upset, it might keep his focus off what needed to be done to save the children. She wasn't going to put the lives of children on the line over some silly emotional turmoil she was experiencing.

"No, really, this can wait. I'd rather we discuss this back in the TARDIS. Somewhere private with just the two of us," Madison finally said, sticking firmly to her decision.

"Are you sure?" he asked, seeming worried now.

"I'm positive." She lifted his hand holding hers, giving the back of his hand a quick kiss as she smiled at him. "Just knowing that you want to speak with me is more than enough in reassuring me that things will be fine."

Now he looked confused. "You're worried things won't be fine?"

"About a few things, but don't worry. It's nothing serious that we can't figure out together."

"Well . . . if you're sure." He rubbed at the back of his neck, seeming uncertain now, but also not wanting to pressure her. His grip tightened around her hand, pulling her towards the door. "We'll have to think of somewhere to go tonight since we can't go back to the TARDIS."

"We could always get a hotel room for the night."

"Ugh. I hate hotels. Well, not all hotels. Just the ones in the city. Never clean enough," he complained, frowning somewhat now. "You wouldn't believe what sort of things you'd find—"

It happened then. Just as the two stepped out of the cafe, there came a loud screeching through the air. Madison didn't even have time to look to see where it was coming from as the Doctor grabbed her and pushed her down to the ground. His body covered hers as he hovered over her in protection. She could feel the rush of air sweep over them as if something massive were flying right over their heads. The screeching screamed at them as she felt it passing by and growing distant once again. The Doctor got up first, helping her up next as both stared towards the sky, seeing one of the Krillitanes from the school flying away and screaming into the night.

"Did it hurt you?" Madison asked him immediately, worried that it had scratched at him or something.

"No," he muttered as he narrowed his eyes and stared into the night sky with steely eyes.

"Was that a Krillitane?" Sarah Jane asked as she, Mickey, and Rose came over to the two.

"It didn't even touch you, it just flew off. What did it do that for?" Rose wondered aloud, looking towards the distant bat flying away.

"I think that was a warning. Possibly telling us to stay back and mind our own business," Madison muttered, narrowing her eyes angrily. "Well, they have another thing coming if they think we'll ever back down."

"We need to get out of here. It's not safe," the Doctor said in a low tone, slowly walking towards Sarah Jane's vehicle. "Sarah Jane, where's the nearest hotel?"

"You don't have to stay in a hotel. You all can come to my house," Sarah Jane suggested then. "There's plenty of room."

"They've already followed us here. I don't want them following us to your home," the Doctor swiftly said, shaking his head. "A hotel is fine. You might want to stay the night there, too, Sarah. It'll be safer than leading them to your home."

"You're probably right," Sarah Jane sighed, nodding in agreement. She pulled out her keys from her purse, marching towards her car. "Come on. I know a place nearby where we can stay."

XxXxXxXxXx

Sleep was restless for almost everyone that night. Madison could tell by the sleepy-eyed expressions on everyone's faces when she and the Doctor greeted everyone in the hotel lobby the next morning. Madison didn't blame them for being uncomfortable in the lodging. It was rather small. Not at all the comfiest out there. Especially as they had to all share a cramped room together that night. Rose and Madison slept together in one bed while Sarah Jane got the other to herself. Mickey slept on the floor while the Doctor sat in a chair, keeping watch for any more Krillitanes. It was hard getting any sleep at all. But it was decent enough for a quick night's rest before the sun started to rise. And with that, they started their plan. The Doctor told them all quickly what he had in mind while Sarah Jane drove them back to the school. The building had just opened up for students and they could see the children making their way into the building at a quick pace.

"Maddie, Rose, and Sarah, you go to the maths room. Crack open those computers," the Doctor instructed them the moment they set foot out of Sarah Jane's vehicle. "I need to see the hardware inside. Here, you might need this." He handed Sarah Jane his sonic screwdriver. "Mickey, surveillance. I want you outside."

"Just stand outside?" Mickey questioned, looking disgruntled to be made to stay behind.

"Here, take these. You can keep K9 company," Sarah Jane said to the man, handing Mickey her car keys.

"Don't forget to leave the window open a crack," the Doctor said absently.

"What? He's metal," scoffed Mickey.

"I didn't mean for him," countered the Doctor. While Mickey huffed and seemed agitated, Madison fell back a step to look back at him.

"We really do need you, Mickey. You're our secret weapon if anything should go wrong," she said, trying to be encouraging to the man. She could tell it was getting to him constantly being left behind and dismissed all the time. This seemed to make him rethink the surveillance duty as he smiled and seemed more proud about being outside.

"'Secret weapon'. Heh. I like the sound of that," Mickey said before walking back towards Sarah Jane's car. Seeing that he was feeling better about his assignment, Madison hurried off to catch up with the others.

"So, what's the plan for yourself?" Madison asked the Doctor as she walked beside him. Rose and Sarah Jane were already entering the building, getting ready to go to work on the task the Doctor gave them.

"It's time I had a word with Mister Finch," the Doctor grumbled, eyes flashing as she could see the storm beginning to brew.

"Just be careful. He's a very arrogant man, so he'll be hard to convince to listen to reason," she warned him, feeling dread in the pit of her stomach.

"I'll be careful. Promise," the Doctor assured her, nodding firmly. "Just get to the maths room. I need you to do that for me."

Nodding, she leaned up and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before rushing off. Moving amongst the crowded halls, she made her way quickly towards the maths department. She found Sarah Jane and Rose in one of the computer classrooms. One where the students would work on their maths through different computer programs and games. It was an interesting way to learn, to say the least. She closed the door behind her as she saw Sarah Jane looking frustrated as it seemed the sonic screwdriver wasn't working for her. The woman stood up from where she had been kneeled on the floor, frowning at the blue-tipped tool in her hand.

"It's not working," Sarah Jane said in her frustration.

"Give it to me," Rose sighed, taking the tool and kneeling on the floor where Sarah Jane had been. She began sonicking the wires sticking out from the computer under the desk.

"Used to work first time in my day," Sarah Jane complained.

"Well, things were a lot simpler back then," Rose muttered in response, sounding awfully rude. Sarah Jane narrowed her eyes at Rose. Madison sighed internally. Oh, dear. It seemed the two were about to go at it if this kept up.

"Look, please, both of you, don't start," Madison told them, shaking her head as she saw Sarah Jane about to say something crossly. "It doesn't help to argue all the time. We've got bigger problems to worry about than who's younger or older, or who's travelling with the Doctor now or not."

"Yeah. We're not threatened by you," Rose added, throwing Sarah Jane a look. "And you can stop with the big sad eyes and the robot dog. The Doctor's moved on from you. End of story."

"Excuse me. I don't like what you're implying. I'm not trying to pick up with where we left off," Sarah Jane replied crossly, hands on her hips now.

"Then what'd you call last night? Don't think no one noticed," Rose retorted, standing up then.

"I was just saying how hard it was adjusting to life back on Earth."

"Maybe that's just you. Thing is, when you two met, they'd only just got rid of rationing. No wonder all that space stuff was a bit too much for you."

"Oh, like it's not hard for you? You're barely out of high school. Hardly capable of dealing with the things you'll find travelling alongside the Doctor."

"I'm capable of more than you!"

"Rose, Sarah, that's enough!" Madison barked, stopping Sarah Jane from opening her mouth in an argument with Rose. Both of them froze, looking to Madison then as she marched over towards them. "I am not having either of you go acting like children because you think you need to prove the Doctor cares for one over the other. That is not how this works. The Doctor does not have favourites like that, we all know this." Madison pointed a stern finger at Rose. "Rose, simply because the Doctor did not wish to discuss old companions does not imply that one day you will be left behind and forgotten. Simply because he does not wish to discuss such things from his past doesn't mean that he forgets them entirely. I highly doubt he ever forgets his loved ones as he loves them to pieces and I am positive that he merely doesn't wish to disclose such things because it hurts him to talk about it."

Madison turned to Sarah Jane then, being a bit softer now when speaking. "And Sarah Jane, I know it's hard seeing him with new people. I can only imagine what sort of pain you went through when he left you behind and never came back. For what he did was indeed terrible and it should have never happened. But that does not give you the right to take out your resentment towards the situation you've been dealt on us. Surely even you can agree that isn't appropriate."

Rose and Sarah Jane both glanced at each other sheepishly then. Seeming to see where they had been going in their resentment, both appeared to deflate then in their anger. Rose sighed while Sarah Jane nodded.

"We are acting like children," Sarah Jane laughed then, shaking her head. "Oh, I'm sorry."

"No, it was me. I started it," Rose mumbled, looking embarrassed now.

"Well, I didn't help any," Sarah Jane said kindly, smiling at Rose. The woman looked to Madison then. "I wasn't fair to you, either. I've been giving you the cold shoulder this entire time."

"It's fine. I knew you were upset. I just didn't want to get in the way of your and the Doctor's reunion. I know what it's like running into a past lover. It's never easy," Madison said gently.

Sarah Jane blushed lightly then, staring at Madison in shock. "Oh, you thought . . . The Doctor and I never were together like that. I was just his assistant."

"Oh." Madison blinked, her turn to be surprised now. "I just assumed . . . He certainly looked at you like he and you had been . . . I mean, all those fond smiles last night certainly indicated that he—"

"No, nothing of the sort. It had been strictly professional." Sarah Jane smiled wistfully then. "Though, mind you, there had been times I wished it had been more. Times I thought, maybe, he did, too." Her smile grew sad, shaking her head as she sighed softly. "But he always kept his distance. Up until the time he left me." She stared at Madison carefully. "But you're different, aren't you? You're closer to him."

Madison felt uncomfortable then, nervous about upsetting Sarah Jane with the truth. If Sarah Jane had really never gotten the chance to be with the Doctor when she had wanted to . . . "Yes. We are closer than just companionship." She winced when seeing Sarah Jane's sad smile. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I'm happy for him. He finally found himself someone. And I think it's a good match." Sarah Jane gave her a brighter smile, nodding.

Glad to see the woman wasn't upset, Madison smiled as well. Now that this was settled, she felt truly excited about meeting Sarah Jane. There were just so many questions Madison had on her mind. "I hope you don't mind, but I have quite a number of questions. I'd love to know what he was like before I met him."

"Me, too, actually," Rose agreed, grinning eagerly now. "With you, did he do that thing where he'd explain something at like ninety miles per hour, and you'd go 'what?' and he'd look at you like you'd just dribbled on your shirt?"

"All the time," said Sarah Jane, seeming almost strangely relieved that it wasn't just her the Doctor had done that with. She chuckled fondly for a moment before seeming to remember something. "Does he still stroke bits of the TARDIS?"

"Yeah! Yeah, he does!" Rose laughed, giggling away. "I'm like, 'do you two want to be alone?'"

Madison laughed quietly, smiling as she watched the other two laughing together. She was glad the two were finally easing up in their tension and simply allowing the enjoyment of new company. She turned to Sarah Jane as the laughter trailed off. "Come on, I'm sure there's plenty of stories you have. Any funny ones?" Madison asked eagerly.

"More than I can count. The Doctor always had been such a funny man," Sarah Jane laughed, shaking her head fondly.

Madison listened eagerly, happy for Sarah Jane's stories as the woman told them about the time the Doctor had regenerated for her. Then a few more about the adventures she had gone on. After a moment Rose jumped in to tell her own funny story, going into the meeting of the Doctor and how he got them trapped at Downing Street. Madison was laughing alongside the other two when she noticed the Doctor coming into the room. He had a look of urgency on his face as he faced them. Though this was soon replaced with an expression of confusion at them laughing.

"What? Why are you all laughing? Listen, I need to find out what's programmed inside these," the Doctor said to them, frowning in bewilderment. Madison settled herself in her laughter, though it appeared as though Rose and Sarah Jane were both going into hysterics as they pointed and laughed at the Doctor. "What? Stop it."

"Sorry, Doctor, we were just reminiscing over funny stories," Madison told him.

"Well, stop it. We need to hurry," he said, marching forward and taking the sonic away from Rose. "You were right, Maddie. Talking to Finch led me nowhere, so if I'm going to stop him I need to find out what they're doing to the children first." He kneeled and crouched by the floor where Sarah Jane and Rose had been trying to access earlier, buzzing the sonic to begin his work. "Rose, see if you can get into one of the computers. Sarah, help me rip into the wires here. Maddie, I need you to—"

It was at this moment an announcement came over the intercom. They listened as the students were instructed to return to their classrooms and all staff to meet in the staff room. Madison tensed as she knew this could only mean one thing. Finch's plan was being initiated. Whatever he was planning, he was doing it now, leaving all of the children at risk. She got up from where she had been sitting on an edge of one of the desks, marching towards the door.

"No, Madison, stop, you can't—," the Doctor started to order her quickly.

"He's leading the children into his trap. I can't just stand by and let it happen!" Madison argued swiftly. "And what of the staff? What if it's a trap for them as well? What if the Krillitanes plan on killing them?"

"There's nothing we can do. There are thirteen of them. You won't be able to stop them," the Doctor said in a rush, going over and dragging her back into the classroom as she had been about to leave. He held hands onto her shoulders, looking grim. "I'm sorry. We can't think of that right now. We need to focus on stopping them from here. It's the only way."

Reluctantly, Madison nodded, knowing he was right. There wasn't much she could do. Even if she got to the staff in time, how was she supposed to save them? She had no weapons to deter the Krillitanes from acting in their cruel plans. No grand plan like what the Doctor could come up with. All she could do was to help him and hope for the best. So, she got to work. Alongside Rose and Sarah Jane, Madison worked on following the Doctor's instructions in dismantling different computers throughout the lab and getting together everything he needed. By the end of it all, the Doctor had multiple long cords and wires wrapped around him. He had the sonic in his teeth as he gritted in frustration at the systems he was working on. Nothing seemed to be working for him.

"I can't shift it," the Doctor finally said after taking the sonic out of his mouth, waving the screwdriver over one of the computer consoles he had in his hand.

"I thought the sonic screwdriver could open anything," said Sarah Jane, clearly worried now about their plans of stopping the Krillitanes.

"Anything except a deadlock seal," he said grimly, growling in frustration then. "There's got to be something inside here. What are they teaching those kids?" He sat down the computer he carried, untangling himself from the cords as he walked over to another computer, crouching down to get under the desk.

As he began to work faster, it was then that all the screens around them shifted and changed. Madison blinked as she saw the green images appear on all the monitors, seeing a strange green cube with symbols that she didn't recognise twist and turn on screen. Beside the cube were lines of computer code and equations that flew right over her head. She had never seen such maths before and it made her wonder if it was some sort of alien mathematics.

"Doctor," she said quietly, feeling a strange sense of unease as she stared at the screens. "Doctor, look."

"You wanted the programme. There it is," added Sarah Jane. The Doctor slowly stood up, turning to face the screens and gaze at them all. The one large screen ahead of them could be seen broadcasting the images, filling up the room in a sinister green light.

"Some sort of code," the Doctor muttered. He stepped up closer to it before slowly growing rigid. Madison glanced at the Doctor, seeing the wide-eye expression of disbelief and horror on his face. The colour had drained from his face somewhat as well, making Madison's heart pick up in beat as her fear grew. If the Doctor was that alarmed, then she knew it could be nothing good.

"No," he breathed. "No, they can't be."

"What is it? What are they doing to the children?" she whispered, fearing the worst.

"The Skasas Paradigm. They're trying to crack the Skasas Paradigm," he responded, still appearing to be in a state of horrified awe.

"The Skasas what?" asked Sarah Jane.

"The god-maker. The universal theory," the Doctor explained, speaking a bit quicker now. His expression shifted then to show his growing anger. "Crack that equation and you've got control of the building blocks of the universe. Time and space and matter, yours to control."

"What, and the kids are like a giant computer?" Rose wondered, blinking in shock.

"Yes," the Doctor said, quietly simmering now. "And their learning power is being accelerated by the oil." He started walking away, pacing while thinking out loud. "That oil from the kitchens, it works as a–a conducting agent, makes the kids cleverer." Placing his hands on a desk, he leaned against it.

"But that oil's on the chips. I've been eating them," Rose said, looking stunned by this news.

"What's fifty-nine times thirty-five?"

"Two thousand sixty-five," Rose answered him swiftly as if the reply was out of her control. The blonde's eyes went wide then. "Oh, my god."

"But why use children? Can't they use adults?" Sarah Jane asked him then.

"No, it's got to be children. The god-maker needs imagination to crack it," the Doctor explained, shaking his head. He moved away from the table he leaned on, walking around to stare at the large screen on the wall again. "They're not just using the children's brains to break the code, they're using their souls."

"No," Madison gasped softly, feeling her heart drop. Dread and revulsion coursed through her as she thought of the implications. All those children, made to be wasted away into nothing just so these Krillitanes could become gods. Using innocent lives to gain power was beyond sickening. It was horrific.

"Let the lesson begin," came a slick voice then. They all turned, seeing Finch standing there in the open doorway then. His teeth showed as he gave them all an oily smile. His eyes gleamed in victory as he proudly stood there. "Think of it, Doctor. With the paradigm solved, reality becomes clay in our hands. We can shape the universe and improve it."

The Doctor could be seen sending the other man a cold stare, retorting, "Oh, yeah, the whole of creation with the face of Mister Finch. Call me old-fashioned, I like things as they are."

"You act like such a radical and yet all you want to do is preserve the old order," Finch countered, tilting his head slightly. "Think of the changes that could be made if this power was used for good."

"What, by someone like you?"

"No. Someone like you. The paradigm gives us power, but you could give us wisdom. Become a god at my side."

This statement shocked everyone. Madison was taken aback, not seeing this coming. What? They were just . . . offering the power of a god to the Doctor? Why? Finch did not seem to be the kind to share such a thing with anyone. Let alone another species outside his own. Something else was there, just behind the curtain of Finch's plan. What did he have in mind? She narrowed her eyes, daring the man to make a move toward the Doctor. If Finch so much as tries to lay a finger on her Doctor . . . She blinked for a second, surprised by this train of thought. Well . . . it was sort of true. The Doctor was her partner. They were together. So . . . yes, she could say he was her Doctor, in a way.

"Imagine what you could do. Think of the civilisations you could save. Perganon, Ascinta, your own people, Doctor. Standing tall. The Time Lords . . . reborn," Fine went on, smiling wickedly as he got closer to the Doctor.

Seeing the man get so close to the Doctor made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Madison gritted her teeth, not liking this man anywhere near the Doctor. From the way he spoke to his mannerisms, it was all just so wrong. Especially with what was being said. She went over quickly, pushing him back from the Doctor. Finch hissed at her as he stumbled back while the Doctor blinked out of the daze he had been in.

"Shut up. I've had enough out of you for one day," Madison said angrily, pointing a shaking finger at Finch. "No one deserves that kind of power. No matter how much they think they've earned it. Power like that only corrupts and turns people into monsters. And yes, it's hard dealing with the tragedies of life. It's devasting losing your people and never being able to see them again. But that's just how life must be, because nothing is supposed to last. Things are supposed to move forward and grow. People move through the hardships and become the person they're meant to be through that pain."

"She's right. Pain and loss, they define us as much as happiness or love," Sarah Jane spoke up, nodding firmly and standing tall. "Whether it's a world or a relationship. Everything has its time. And everything ends." The Doctor's shoulders sagged a bit, but he nodded all the same as he stared at the two. Just as Finch hissed and opened his mouth to speak, Madison got up close to him, glaring at him darkly.

"I want to know just one more thing. Just one. What did you do to Paige McVey?" she said carefully, trying her best to stay calm.

Finch blinked, frowning at her in confusion. "Who?"

"Paige McVey. She'd just turned fourteen. She was the little girl from the children's home. Four days ago she got sick and was sent by the nurse to your office," Madison spoke then curtly. "Tell me—and be very careful with your next words—tell me what you did to her."

Finch chuckled then, replying, "Ah. The little thin girl. Well, despite her lack of meat, I did find her to be a nice treat that day."

Rage built up within her then, making her vision grow red as she gnashed her teeth together. Before she even realised it herself, her fist flew forward and smashed right into his nose. As Finch yelled and backed away, going to shout at her, her fist came up again and under his chin, sending his head snapping back as he was flung into the desks behind him and onto the floor in a heap. The next moment she felt someone grabbing her arm, yanking her back and away from the room.

"Everyone out!" she heard the Doctor shout as he dragged her along. Eventually, she was able to focus and get herself to run beside him as they rushed through the empty halls of the school. "Now you've gone and done it," the Doctor then said to her.

"Oh, like it matters. The bastard deserved it," Madison growled, still seething from what Finch had said. But she got herself back into focus as she heard the ear-piercing screech echoing around the entire school.

"That's Finch. He's calling his brethren," the Doctor told them. "We've got to move." He sped up in pace, rushing through the different stairs and halls, making it hard for Rose and Sarah Jane to keep up and Madison stumbling beside him as he continued to drag her around by hand. Eventually, they ran into a section of the school where multiple stairs and halls met. There they ran into a sprinting Mickey and a young teenage boy. Madison blinked as she stared at the boy. She recognised his short blonde hair and glasses from the cafeteria the other day, the one who wasn't allowed to eat the food. Which would explain why he might be the only one of the students still free from the Krillitanes' clutches.

"What is going on?" Mickey questioned immediately.

"They're coming for us," Madison answered him as the Doctor stared around for the danger. There were screeches coming from every direction now.

"The Krillitanes?" Mickey asked.

"Yes." Madison turned to the boy next to him then. "What's your name, sweetie?"

"Kenny," answered the boy, gulping as he heard the screeching noises of the Krillitanes.

"Kenny, I want you to stick very close to us, okay?" She gave Kenny a smile as he nodded meekly. She looked over then when she heard cries and shuffling noises coming from down a hallway. There she could see different Krillitanes in their bat-form climbing along the walls and making their way fast towards the group. She felt the Doctor grabbing her hand again, yanking her along as he took off. She glanced around to make sure the others were close by, not wanting any of them to fall behind.

Eventually, they came into the lunch room, rushing in and seeing nothing but empty tables all around. The Doctor let go of her hand as he pulled out his sonic screwdriver, ready to unlock the bolted door on the other side of the room. But he halted as the Krillitanes burst into the room then, all of them screaming and screeching. Only Finch remained in human form as he stalked into the room. Madison walked over, pushing Kenny to get under one of the tables nearby.

"Are they my teachers?" Kenny asked them all then.

"Yeah. I'm sorry," the Doctor answered him briskly.

"We need the Doctor alive. As for the others, you can feast. But leave that one for me," Finch yelled to his brethren, pointing at the end towards Madison as he glared darkly. She could see a dried trail of blood from under his nose and she had immense satisfaction in causing that. Though now she was in for it as he was out for her blood. Oh, dear. She'd really done it this time.

Everyone began ducking and shouting as the Krillitanes flew overhead and started dive bombing at them. Rose fell onto her back as she avoided one of the Krillitanes' claws swiping at her. Sarah Jane ducked under one of the tables, nearly avoiding another. Mickey kept running around dodging them, though for how long that could last was yet to be seen. The Doctor grabbed a chair, waving it through the air and batting at the Krillitanes from getting at him. It appeared as though they were trying to grab and lift him off the ground. Madison, as she avoided the onslaught herself, saw one Krillitane come from behind the Doctor. It screeched as it went to grab him as he was fighting off another. Sudden fury hit her unlike anything she had ever felt, coursing through her body in a heat that felt as though her skin was burning away. She saw a mixture of red and golden light as she ran forward.

"Get away from him!" she screamed, throwing out her hand to push the Krillitane off of him as it grabbed him. The moment she lifted her hand, however, a wave of golden light seemed to fly from her body and hit the Krillitane square in the chest. The batkind was thrown away then, across the entire room and slammed into the wall with a sickening thud. The wall around the impact cracked and dented in, leaving an imprint as the Krillitane slid to the floor, completely unconscious.

Madison stood there frozen as her vision slowly returned to normal. She looked over, seeing the Doctor had gone still as well, staring at her with wide eyes and jaw slightly gaped. The other Krillitanes seemed to back off, hovering the air away from them. She felt all eyes on her then and she knew the others from the group had seen what she had done. She had no time to think of what had happened as suddenly she felt hot liquid travelling down her lips from her nose and the room tilted around her. Her knees wobbled as her muscles felt weak and a wave of nausea hit her along with a pounding headache. She fell forward while still looking at the Doctor, falling right into his arms as he quickly caught her. He still stared at her with wide eyes, but there was a look of great concern then.

"Get them!" she heard Finch shout, making the Krillitanes all cry out in their calls for blood. She and the Doctor looked over as a Krillitane went to swoop down on them, only to be thrown back and fall to the ground as a red beam from a laser hit it.

"K9!" Sarah Jane shouted, making them all look over to see the robotic dog was now in the room with them.

"Suggest you engage running mode, mistress," K9 spoke hurriedly, moving as quickly as he could into the centre of the room to begin shooting his laser at the Krillitanes.

"Come on! K9, hold them back!" the Doctor yelled as he hoisted Madison up, putting an arm around her waist as he made both of them run for the door. She tripped a few moments, but eventually managed to keep up with him as she fought through the feeling of vertigo and fatigue. She could hear the screaming and battle cries from the Krillitanes as they ran out of the room and down the hallways again.

"What the hell did you do to that thing?" Mickey asked Madison the moment they were inside a classroom and the Doctor locked the door behind them. Everyone breathed heavily as they tried to catch their breath. Madison walked over to lean against a table, still feeling dizzy and that she could faint at any moment.

"I . . . I don't know," she answered truthfully. She didn't know what she had done. Though she had a suspicion of how she had accomplished it. The Doctor walked over to her, pulling out a handkerchief from his coat pocket and handing it over to her.

"Here. For your nose," he said quietly. Nodding, she took it from him and wiped her nose. Pulling the handkerchief away, she could see the blood stain on the cloth, obvious signs that she had gotten a nosebleed again.

"But seriously, how did you do that? That's not a thing that your species can just do, right?" Rose asked before shutting her mouth tightly as she realised her mistake.

Madison didn't even care at this point that Rose had slipped about the different species thing. All Madison cared about right now was to get everyone out of this school safe and to get painkillers for her terrible headache. "No, it's not something that's normal," she answered the blonde, sighing as she sat down on a chair.

"That looked like Time Vortex energy to me," Sarah Jane said then, staring curiously at Madison. "Have you been in the Vortex outside of safe travel recently?"

Rose gasped, saying, "Oh, my god. Is it because of the Siren?"

"Doesn't matter right now. We'll discuss this later," said the Doctor quickly, interrupting Rose, Sarah Jane, or Mickey making any more questions. He gave them all a sharp look before he leaned against a table and crossed his arms. "Right now we need to think of a way to stop the Krillitanes. Gah. Think!" He started running his hands through his hair, making it a mess. "What's their weakness? What can we use against them? What?"

"Could always have Maddie do what she did earlier. That sure stopped them," Mickey said, earning himself a hush from Rose and Sarah Jane.

"It's the oil," the Doctor said in realisation, stopping in his pacing and facing them all. "Krillitane life forms can't handle the oil! That's it! They've changed their physiology so often, even their own oil is toxic to them." He looked to Rose then urgently. "How much was there in the kitchens?"

"Barrels of it," Rose told him. They all jolted from their spots in the room when hearing the screeching and banging against the door. Large gashes were seen in the door as the Krillitanes on the other side were obviously tearing their way into the room.

"Okay, we need to get to the kitchens. Mickey—," the Doctor started to say.

"What now? Hold the coats?" Mickey replied sarcastically.

"Get all of the children unplugged and out of the school," the Doctor instructed Mickey, ignoring the sarcastic comment. The Doctor stared at the door again, muttering under his breath. "Now, then, bats, bats, bats. How do we fight bats?"

It was Kenny who answered this question as the boy went over and slammed his elbow into a fire alarm. The bell screamed through the entire building, making their ears ring from the noise. Outside the door they could hear the Krillitanes backing away, screeching in pain. Madison beamed at the child as Kenny smiled proudly.

"Good thinking, Kenny!" she praised him before hurrying off after the Doctor as he ran for the door. She stumbled somewhat, still having trouble with dizziness and her headache hurt even worse with the fire alarm blaring. It also didn't help that her ears were already sensitive to the noise. But she pressed on. Especially with the help from the Doctor as he grabbed her hand and pulled her along. She glanced behind them, seeing the others keeping up while the Krillitanes were writhing around in the hallway in agony.

They were running back towards the lunch room then, going even faster when hearing the alarm no longer sounding. K9 caught up with them at one point, keeping at a fast pace along the back of their group. Mickey turned and went down the hallway towards the classrooms with all the children while the others kept going to the kitchens. Madison only hoped that Mickey was able to get everyone out safely in time. She was certain something awful would happen the moment they finally confronted the Krilitanes.

Soon, they were in the kitchens and the Doctor let go of Madison's hand. He rushed over to the barrels, starting to sonic them with his screwdriver. But it seemed to be no good as the tops would not come off.

"They've been deadlock sealed," he said, gritting his teeth in frustration. "Finch must have done it. I can't open them."

"The vats would not withstand a direct hit from my laser, but my batteries are failing," K9 told them then.

"Right, everyone out the back door. K9, stay with me," the Doctor told them then, looking over towards the back door behind them. Madison had Kenny rush along after Rose and Sarah Jane as they ran towards the door. Madison faltered in step, stopping as she looked behind the Doctor. She didn't want to leave him in case something happened.

"Maddie, I'll be fine. Just go," the Doctor instructed her as he crouched down in front of K9. He hadn't even looked over his shoulder to know that she was there.

"But what if—," she started to argue.

"Just go. You'll need time to run in the state you're in," he said, finally looking at her. "So run!"

Sighing, she nodded and went off to join the other two. She ran through the open doors, seeing Rose and Kenny were far across the parking lot now. She also saw other students pouring out of the school, getting a safe distance away. Madison glanced over, seeing Sarah Jane lingering by the door. "Sarah, you need to run. The Doctor said so," Madison said then to the woman.

"I'm not leaving without K9," Sarah Jane said firmly, shaking her head as she remained by the door. The Doctor came out of the building then, sealing the door with his screwdriver. "Where's K9?" Sarah Jane asked him quickly.

"We need to run," the Doctor told her, ignoring her alarmed expression.

"Where is he? What have you done?" Sarah Jane demanded, sounding stricken then as the Doctor yanked her and Madison along with him, rushing them away from the school. They were just entering the parking lot when a massive explosion rocked the ground. Glass shattered and flew around the air. Fire erupted from everywhere in the building as it exploded outwards. The biggest eruption came from the kitchens. Madison stumbled and the Doctor caught her just as she was about to fall to the ground. He held her up, staring at her in concern.

"All right?" he asked her quietly.

"Yeah," she breathed, allowing herself to lean against him. She glanced up as she saw papers fluttering down around them then. It was like the sky was snowing school assignments. She could hear the sound of all the children cheering, celebrating their school's destruction. Well . . . at least they were happy. She couldn't say the same for Sarah Jane. The woman stood there stiffly, watching the school building burn as tears came to her eyes. Madison's heart went out to the woman as it dawned on her then of what had happened to K9.

"Oh, Sarah, I'm so sorry," Madison said softly, empathetic towards the woman. Madison stood away from the Doctor then, going over to give Sarah Jane a large hug in comfort.

"It's all right. He was just a daft metal dog," Sarah Jane said, trying to sound strong. But soon she let out a small sob, leaning into the hug. The Doctor came up to them then, hugging and holding them both close to his hearts.

XxXxXxXxXx

Everyone had taken the time to leave and get rested after that day. Rose went with Mickey back home to visit her mum, wanting some time away from the TARDIS. Sarah Jane left them to go back to her own home, though not before promising to come back to the Doctor the next day after he made certain for her to know that he wasn't leaving yet. He was sticking around to clean up any more messes of the Krillitanes and the Skasas Paradigm. None of them really wanted to talk much after the rough day they all endured. Each one of them had been exhausted and just wanted to sleep. Talking could always wait for another day. So after those three left, leaving the Doctor and Madison behind at the school, the two of them had to go through the wreckage of the school to get to the TARDIS. The Time Lord was adamant about Madison getting into a bath and resting up. She didn't argue with him as her skin felt dry and hot, cracking in places as well. So, she went into her bath almost right away that night, falling asleep soon after.

When she woke up again, she felt it had been over eight hours of sleep. It had to be the next day by her guess, so as soon as she got dried and dressed, she went down through the TARDIS to see where the Doctor might be. She wanted to discuss a few things with him after all. As she walked through the corridor, she started to smell the lovely scent of pancakes. With her stomach growling, she headed into the gallery, finding the Doctor within. He had his suit jacket off, his shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and his necktie off. He just turned around from the stove with a tray in hand when he blinked in surprise.

"Oh. You're up. I was just about to come to your room," he said, smiling happily at her. He held up the tray in his hands. "I made breakfast."

"I see that. Thank you," she replied, smiling happily. She followed him over to the dining table. As she sat down he set the tray in front of her. She could see a plate of blueberry pancakes, a cup of strawberries, another cup of syrup, and a glass of orange juice. The Doctor reached over, grabbed an empty plate that was under the one which held the pancakes, and got a few of the cakes onto the plate and set it before him. He grinned eagerly.

"I haven't had these in a while," he said, getting some syrup and beginning to pour some onto his food.

"You were having a craving again, weren't you?" she teased him, smiling lightly as she watched him take the first bite.

"Was not. I just . . . thought it'd be nice." He waved a fork at her. "Go ahead. You need to eat."

She nodded, knowing he was right. She hadn't eaten in a while. Though, oddly enough, she didn't feel all that hungry. Though this changed the moment she took a bite of the delicious food. "Mmm. This is so good."

"I know. I'm the perfect cook," he boasted, smiling proudly.

She rolled her eyes, knowing her comment very much raised his ego. Not that he needed any help with that. She took a few more bites of the cakes and ate a few strawberries. She concentrated on the food, now nervous to bring up any conversations with him. She decided to bypass her fears from the night before, going more into the Vortex energy within her instead. "So . . . care to theorise what's happening to me? It's more than just side-effects by this point, isn't it?"

"Yeah." He sighed as he placed his fork down, finished with his food. "I think the energy inside of you is making you adapt to whatever it is you need at the time of great danger or if you get overemotional. Such as fear, sadness . . . anger. You weren't reading those books back in that library at Torchwood Estate, you were absorbing them because you felt desperate to read them. And now, you were enraged when I was about to be hurt and your body shot out the energy within you as a protective shield. There's probably an endless amount of things your body can do now with whatever it is you need. But it strains your body when it happens. Nosebleeds are just one sign of that." He ran a hand through his hair, staring hard at the table before him.

Seeing the expression on his face, Madison raised a brow. "Have you known this was the case for a while?"

He shifted in his seat, not meeting her eye. "I thought as much but I didn't have enough evidence to know for sure." He finally looked at her, closing his eyes and bowing his head as he sighed. "I . . . I don't know what it'll do to you. And that's what scares me."

He lifted his eyes, gazing at her with such sadness. As though she were someone with a terminal illness. And maybe she was. He told her before he had no idea what this change in her would do. She swallowed heavily, straightening in her seat. ". . . Is it killing me?"

"I don't know. It might be. Or, your body is still adjusting and it'll evolve with the changes. But nosebleeds and headaches . . . that's a sign that your mind is being torn apart. I don't know if your body can manage to adjust to that."

Madison let out a shaking breath, trying to keep herself steady. "How . . . How long do I have, then?"

"What? Oh! No, no, no, no. It's nothing like that." He hurriedly grabbed her hand that rested on the table, giving it a squeeze. "We just have to learn to adapt to the changes. Help you get control over it so it doesn't happen again." He frowned as he stared at their hands, obviously in deep thought now. "I'll have to study you more often. Maybe look more into this. There's got to be something I can use to combat the physical and mental strain." He kept muttering under his breath, firing off rapid thoughts now.

Madison gazed at him, feeling at a loss of what to think. There was so much hope in him about her being fine. But was she really going to be okay? Or was this Vortex energy going to simply kill her off little by little every time it was used? She feared the possibility, but . . . at the same time she trusted the Doctor. If he believed she would be okay . . . then she knew she had to believe it as well. She patted his hand then, trying her best to smile in reassurance. "Then, I know I'm in good hands," she spoke softly, earning herself a warm smile from him. He leaned over then, giving her a loving kiss. He cupped her face gently, holding their kiss for a moment as he moved his lips with hers. When he finally pulled away, both of their hearts drumming with happiness, he gave her such a bright smile it made her heart sing with joy.

"I'll keep you safe. Don't you worry. Nothing is going to happen to you. Not on my watch," he said confidently. He started to gather up their empty plates then, walking over to the kitchen wash basin. "Now, then, we still have to meet up with Sarah Jane today. And do I have a surprise for her." He beamed as he started washing the dishes. "I managed to find K9 in the school wreckage and I spent all night rebuilding him. He's perfect, better than before. Mark Four K9. Oh, I'm good."

Madison laughed, feeling elated upon this news. "I'm so glad. Sarah was so upset, I'm sure she'll be more than happy to see K9 safe and sound." She went over to the basin, helping the Doctor by drying the dishes. "Do you think . . . do you think Sarah Jane could come with us? After being left alone for so long . . ." She bit the inside of her cheek, afraid she was overstepping in suggesting that. But she was relieved when the Doctor's eyes lit up brightly.

"That's a great idea. Sarah Jane Smith, back on the TARDIS and exploring the universe. She's gonna love it."

It took them a bit to get ready, but eventually, they were in the console room, waiting for Rose and Mickey to show up first. Madison had given them the call that they were leaving, giving directions to the park where the Doctor had parked the TARDIS. It was a halfway point between where Sarah Jane and Rose lived. The perfect meeting place again. Madison looked over as the Doctor adjusted the suit jacket on him, getting fully dressed now. She walked over to him, making him pause in his movements.

"Here," she said, reaching up and adjusting his necktie. "Your tie was crooked." She smiled as he gave her a foxy grin. Not saying a word, he grabbed her hand and gave it a tender kiss. One which lingered as he stared hungrily at her.

"Get a room you two!"

Madison jumped a little as Rose and Mickey walked into the TARDIS. The blonde was currently giving them both a cheeky smile while Mickey stood there with his arms crossed and eyebrow raised.

"I was only kissing her hand," the Doctor countered with a pout.

"Whatever," Rose replied, rolling her eyes playfully. She bounced up to the console, appearing eager to get going. "So, where to next? Any plans?"

"Oh, loads of them. But we're waiting for Sarah," the Doctor said, grinning eagerly now. He went over to the monitor on the console. Madison peeked over his shoulder, seeing Sarah Jane walking over to the TARDIS. He went swiftly to the door then, opening it up to greet her. "Cup of tea?" they heard him greeting the woman as he had the door still open. He backed up then, allowing Sarah Jane to come into view.

Madison smiled as she saw the absolute joy on Sarah Jane's face as the woman took in the sight of the TARDIS interior. It must have been a sight she had been wanting to see again for so long. Madison couldn't even imagine life without the TARDIS at this point. So to be away from the TARDIS and the Doctor, even for a day, seemed almost impossible to her. Yet Sarah Jane had to live through years of it. Madison only wished now that the Doctor could make up for lost time with his old friend. It would make them both so happy and Madison couldn't wait to see it.

"You've redecorated," Sarah Jane commented as she walked into the TARDIS, going up to the console to take in everything around her.

"Do you like it?" the Doctor asked after closing the door behind him and walking over to Sarah Jane. He seemed nervous then, apparently anxious to see the woman's reaction.

"Oh, I do. Yeah," Sarah Jane said, walking closer to the console and walking around to inspect things. "I preferred it as it was, but it'll do." She smiled warmly, making the Doctor grin brightly then.

"The console can change?" Madison wondered curiously, surprised by this thought. Then again, she shouldn't feel all that shocked. The Doctor had mentioned before he could change around how the rooms look and such. Why would the console room be any different?

"Oh, I've changed it around once or twice . . . . several times. You know, when my tastes change," the Doctor mentioned off-handedly.

"I love it," Rose commented, smiling at them all.

"Hey, you, what's forty-seven times three hundred sixty-nine?" Sarah Jane teased the girl then.

"No idea. It's gone now, the oil's faded," Rose told her.

"Which means no ill effects for the children as well," Madison said, nodding as she was glad both Rose and the children were going to be fine.

"But you're still clever," Sarah Jane complimented Rose then, smiling kindly. Sarah Jane turned to Madison then. "And you as well."

"We're a match us three," Rose agreed, giggling.

Sara Jane stared at Madison in concern then, saying, "And what about you? Are you going to be okay with the Vortex energy inside of you?"

"I think for now I'm going to be fine. I just have to be careful in the future," Madison assured her. Madison glanced over to the Doctor then, seeing how he fiddled with the console absently. She could see there was hesitation about him, apparently getting cold feet about what he wished to ask Sarah Jane. Madison went over to him, tapping him on the shoulder to earn his attention before nodding her head towards Sarah Jane in encouragement.

"Oh. Right. Um . . .," he said, glancing towards Sarah Jane. "We're about to head off, but . . . you could come with us." He gave Sarah Jane a hopeful smile. Rose seemed surprised by this comment but was soon grinning eagerly. Madison smiled warmly at Sarah Jane, seeing the look of shock on the woman's face. Sarah Jane glanced at everyone before starting to smile softly. She appeared touched that they all wished for her to be a part of their lives.

"No. I can't do this anymore," she said quietly, stunning everyone in her response. All smiles fell in disappointment. "Besides, I've got a much bigger adventure ahead. Time I stopped waiting for you and found a life of my own." Slowly, the Doctor nodded. He still looked greatly disappointed but seemed to accept this answer. Madison felt dejected as well, but she understood. Sarah Jane most likely needed time to herself to reflect and get things in order. So, Madison walked over to her, giving the woman a hug.

"I understand. I only wish you the best," Madison told her, smiling as they stepped back from one another.

"Thank you," Sarah Jane whispered.

"Can I come?" they heard Mickey suddenly ask, making everyone look at him then. He nodded his head towards the Doctor. "You offered me a trip before. I think I'm ready to take you up on that. Maybe just a couple of trips. 'Cause I'm not the tin dog and I wanna see what's out there."

"Fine by me," the Doctor shrugged, nodding as he recalled the long-ago invitation. "I could do with a laugh."

"Be nice," Madison said in a light scold.

"What? That was nice," the Doctor responded, throwing her a pout.

"About time you joined us," Rose teased Mickey then, grinning as she bumped her hip against her friend.

"I think you needed a Smith on board," Sarah Jane said to the Doctor then. She looked at them all then. "Well, I'd better go. Though, before I do, Madison, can I have a moment." Madison was surprised as Sarah Jane guided her away from the others, getting close to whisper then. "I see how close you and him are, and I'm happy for you both, really I am. But . . . I think we both know that some day, in a time far from now, you may have to part from him. Everything has its time when it comes to travelling with the Doctor. When that time does come . . . I hope you'll come find me. You and Rose. Both of you, find me, and I promise we'll all get through it together."

Feeling at a loss, Madison could only nod for a moment. So, even Sarah Jane knew the Doctor was going to leave her behind one day. Was it truly that obvious? No, Madison knew she was being foolish again. Of course, it was bound to happen. Though . . . maybe in knowing that there were others that understood, others that had gone through the same as she, then maybe it won't be so hard when that time does come. And Sarah Jane is a wonderful person to have around for when the heartbreak comes. Madison gave Sarah Jane a tentative smile then.

"Thank you. I promise we will," Madison said softly. Sarah Jane pulled her in for a hug then, patting Madison's back as she did. Madison was grateful for the hug, glad to know someone like Sarah Jane. When they pulled away, Sarah Jane started for the door, though the Doctor walked over quickly to meet her there. Madison did notice the glance he gave towards her, but his expression was unreadable to her so she had no idea what he was thinking. She wondered if he had heard what Sarah Jane had whispered to her. She knew his hearing was rather good.

She watched as the two of them walked outside, going to get in their final goodbye. Though, a part of Madison hoped that it wasn't permanent. She hoped, after running into Sarah Jane again, that maybe the Doctor would be open to meeting up with old companions once more. Maybe he wouldn't shut himself out from the rest of the world or from his happiness. Maybe . . . Then again, with two hearts, it was double the heartbreak of seeing old companions close to death. And Madison would never want that sort of heartache for the Doctor, either.

"What did Sarah Jane talk to you about?" Rose asked her then, pulling Madison out of her thoughts. It was just then as the Doctor walked back into the TARDIS.

"I'll have to tell you later," she told Rose quietly.

"So, Mickey, Rose, Maddie, ready to see something new?" the Doctor asked them all eagerly, grinning with a spark for adventure.

"You know it," Rose laughed, bouncing over to the console where the Doctor was getting them ready.

"I'm ready for anything," Mickey agreed, sitting down in the captain's chair.

"Show us what you're made of," Madison added as she went to stand beside the Doctor.

"Well, then, off we go!" the Doctor said with a flourish, throwing up a lever and sending them into the Vortex.

While the TARDIS rocked from side and side, creating its normal intense ride through the Time Vortex, the nagging voice in the back of Madison's mind returned. Along with the echoing words of Sarah Jane, reminding Madison that someday . . . all of this would come to an end.

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Be safe out there!