A/N: Sorry for the long wait, busy over the holidays and working on my Uni assignment. Anyway, here we go, the next chapter you have all waited so patiently for.
Kari opened her eyes to see that she was still in the same corridor in the TARDIS. Her door was right in front of her but she knew the TARDIS was different, the corridor looked different. She knew that she was no long with her bow tie wearing Doctor, and she was terrified that she was with the big-eared one in the leather jacket.
"I don't want to be here." She whispered before pulling her knees to her chest and resting her head against them, letting more tears fall.
She felt the TARDIS engines start, but she didn't move. Kari stayed exactly where she was, silently crying. She hadn't wanted to leave him, she had been happy there and would have done anything to stay that little bit longer.
"Kari?" A woman's voice called, causing her to look up. "Kari, what's happened?" She said, rushing to her side and kneeling down beside her.
"I don't want to be here, Rose. Not after what happened with Jack. I can't be here." Kari mumbled, trying to hold back her sobs.
"Is that where you've just come from?" Rose ask, putting and arm around her friend.
Kari nodded slightly. "After you all left, I contacted a friend. She picked me up and took me to a future Doctor."
"Kari, he went back for you. We were only gone for a few minutes and he couldn't find you. We all looked everywhere for you but none of us could find you. The Doctor was in a state. I've never seen him look so scared before." Rose told her, trying to comfort her as best she could.
"It was his own fault. He shouldn't have been such an idiot about me saving Jack. He should remember that I know a lot more about the future than he does, Rose." Kari told her, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.
"Yeah, well you make sure he knows that." Kari jut looked at her, wondering what she meant. "Want to know a spoiler?" Kari shrugged at her, she didn't really care at the moment. "The next time he see's you, after what happened, you really put him in his place. I was standing there looking like a goldfish."
Kari just nodded at her. She had already been told that, and already a plan had been forming in her head. "So, where are you guys up to then? What's been going on?" She asked, still not feeling too happy about being there since she didn't know who she was going to see.
"Well… we just spent Christmas with my mum and Mickey." Rose told her. Kari's head instantly shot up.
"The Christmas Invasion." She whispered to herself. Then her eyes grew wide as she leapt off the floor and began running along the corridor, completely forgetting that she was leaving Rose behind.
She ran as fast as she could to the console room, glad that she was in her comfy jeans and trainers. She knew exactly where they were up to now, and Kari couldn't help but feel a relieved to know who would be surprised to see her.
"You took long enough, Rose. Everything alright?" The man in the suit asked as Kari skidded to a halt entering the console room. He wasn't paying attention to her, he was looking at something on the scanner. Before he had the chance to turn around, Kari sprang forward and threw herself at him, latching onto him tightly.
It took him a few seconds to realise that someone was holding onto him for dear life. When he looked down he saw that it wasn't Rose, the hair wasn't blonde enough to be her. "Kari?" He asked, a very surprised look on his face.
"How many other woman throw themselves at you?" She mumbled into his jacket.
The Doctor didn't know how to answer her at first. "Usually, it's only you." He told her, kissing the top of her head as he continued to embrace her. Usually she would have let him go by now, but she was still clinging onto him tightly. "Kari, what's wrong?" He asked, gently pushing her away slightly and moving a stray piece of hair from her face.
"Nothing. I'm just… happy to see you, that's all." She told him, putting on her best fake smile.
"Liar. Come on, tell me what's the matter?" He asked her again, pulling her over to the double chair and sitting down with her.
"Nothing, really. I've just had a bit of a bad few days, that's all. I went to sleep in my bed and ended up here. I panicked a little at first, that's all." She told him, trying to stay calm and make herself sound believable.
"Kari, I've known you my entire life, so that's a pretty long time. I know when you're lying and I know when something is wrong." He told her, keeping a tight grip on her hand.
"It's what happened with Jack. It's still pretty raw for me, but I know you're sorry and I know that you understand now why I had to do it." She told him, keeping her gaze firmly on the grilled floor of the TARDIS.
She felt a hand under her chin and her eyes were pulled up to meet the Doctor's. "Kari, I am so sorry for what happened."
"I know." She whispered. "Come on, let's take Rose somewhere fun. It's been a tough Christmas." A real smile finally managed to take over her face.
The Doctor smiled back at her before leaning in and giving her a quick peck on the lips. "Aww, look at the pair of you. Kissed and made up now have you?" Rose called, coming into the room.
Kari rolled her eyes. "We weren't kissing, Rose. We were deciding where to take you." She told her, getting out of the seat and running around the console.
"You know, I still can't believe he actually let's you fly the TARDIS now." Rose said, coming and standing by the console with her.
"Neither can I. This is only my second time." She said with a grin. The Doctor quickly jumped up behind her and tried to pull her away from the console. "Not going to work, Doctor." She said, giggling away as he tugged hard around her waist. "Off we go!" She shouted, pulling the leaver down and falling back against the Doctor.
"Kari!" The Doctor shouted in annoyance.
"What? I left the breaks on for you. I know how much you love that sound." She told him, trying to contain her giggles as he wrapped his arms tighter around her waist. She tried to wiggle out of his grip on the floor of the ship, only for him to hold onto her more.
Kari felt something burning in the back pocket of her jeans. "Wait! Stop, stop!" She shouted, trying to get the Doctor to let her go. "Doctor, if you don't let me go in three seconds I am going to scream right in your ear." She said, starting to count down. As soon as she hit three, a hand flew over her mouth just as she took a deep breath.
"Please, no screaming." He whispered, both of them lying incredibly still. "I will let you go if you promise not to scream." Kari nodded her head at him and he let her go.
Once she was standing up she reached into her pocket and pulled out the black leather wallet that was Jack's psychic paper. She looked down at the paper and smiled, she knew where they were going, and who was waiting for them.
"Kari? Everything okay?" The Doctor asked, frowning at her as he stood up behind her.
"Yup, just a message from a friend. Nothing important." She told him, putting the wallet back in her pocket.
"Anyone I know?" Kari could see that he was more than a little curious, he was a little worried as well.
There was only one word Kari could think of to keep him quiet. "Spoilers."
There was a thump and the engines came to a halt. Kari let her smile turn into a huge grin as she ran for the door. The Doctor just shook his head and grabbed his coat while Rose laughed and followed Kari out.
"It's the year five billion and twenty three. We're in the galaxy M87, and this…"
"This is New Earth." Kari and the Doctor said together, both of them grinning madly.
"It's just… that's just…" It was clear that Rose didn't know what to say as she watched the cars flying overhead.
"Not bad. Not bad at all." The Doctor said, squeezing Kari's hand as he held it.
"That's amazing. I'll never get used to this. Never. Different ground beneath my feet, different sky." Rose said happily. "What's that smell?"
Kari bent down and picked some of the grass before holding it out in front of Rose. "Apple grass." She told her, knowing that the Doctor was beaming away at her.
"Apple grass." Rose laughed a little. "It's beautiful. Oh, I love this. Can I just say, travelling with you two, I love it." Rose said, pulling the Doctor and Kari in for a group hug.
"Us too." Kari said at the same time as the Doctor, making them both laugh a little. "Come on." She said, grabbing Rose's hand as well and pulling her down the hill they were on a little.
The Doctor took off his long brown trench coat and laid it down on the grass. He plonked himself down in the middle and pulled Kari down with him. Rose laughed at the pair as she sat herself down next to them.
The Doctor wrapped an arm around Kari, letting a smile take over his face. "So, the year five billion, the sun expands, the Earth gets roasted." He said, playing with Kari's hair a little.
"That was where you guys first took me." Rose said, looking at the sky.
"We had chips." Neither of them realised what they were saying.
"Spoilers." Kari sung, causing Rose to roll her eyes and the Doctor to swat her on the top of the head.
"So anyway, planet gone, all rocks and dust, but the human race lives on, spread out across the stars. Soon as the Earth burns up, oh they get all nostalgic, big revival movement, but then find this place. Same size as the Earth, same air, same orbit. Lovely. Call goes out, the humans move in." The Doctor told them, although Kari already knew.
"What's the city called?" Rose asked, looking over towards the city before them across the water.
"New New York." Kari said, glancing over at the building to the side of them.
"Oh, come on." Rose protested, giving Kari a look that said she didn't believe her.
"It is. It's the city of New New York." The Doctor told her.
"Strictly speaking it's the fifteenth New York since the original." Kari said. "So that makes it New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York."
Rose looked at the Doctor. "You're so different." She said, watching the way he was absentmindedly playing with Kari's hair still.
"New New Doctor." He said, beaming away still.
"Can we go and visit New New York, so good they named it twice?" Rose asked, as the Doctor helped Kari get to her feet.
"Well, I thought we might go there first." The Doctor said, getting his coat on and pointing towards the building Kari had been glancing at earlier.
"Why, what is it?" Rose asked, looking at the building as well.
"A hospital." Kari told her. "Green moon on the side, that's the universal symbol for hospitals. Plus, the Doctor got…" She reaching into his inside pocket and pulled out his wallet. "This. A message on the psychic paper."
Rose looked down at the paper that said 'Ward 26 Please Come.'
"Someone wants to see me." He said, taking it back from Kari.
"Hmm. And I thought we were just sightseeing. Come on, then. Let's go and buy some grapes." Rose said, linking an arm through Kari's as the Doctor took Kari's other arm.
The trio made their way across the fields of apple grass and towards the hospital. "So, Doctor, any idea who could possibly want to see you then?" Kari asked with a cheeky smile.
"No, but I'm guessing you know?" He asked her. Kari just carried on smiling at him at the got ever closer to the building. "You're in on all this aren't you? You planned on bringing us here didn't you?"
"Nope. I had no idea where the TARDIS was taking us. I didn't set anywhere in particular, I let her take us where she wanted to." Kari told him, not letting her grin falter.
The Doctor just shook his head at has as they carried on walking. The closer they got to the hospital, the more anxious both the Doctor and Kari got.
"Bit rich coming from you." Rose called to the Doctor as they stepped into the hospital.
"I can't help it. I don't like hospitals, they give me the creeps." The Doctor told her, giving Kari a concerned look.
"I just don't particularly like this hospital. I mean, a few hospital trips have been fun, but I don't think this is going to be one of them." She told him, eyeing up the hospital workers.
"Very smart. Not exactly NHS." Rose pointed out as she looked around.
"No shop. I like the little shop." The Doctor announced.
Kari rolled her eyes at him. "You and your little shop. That is the only thing you think of when ever you are in a hospital." She moaned.
"I thought this far in the future, they'd have cured everything." Rose spoke, looking around the reception area still.
"The human race moves on, but so do the viruses. It's an on going war." Kari informed her, keeping an eye on Rose and the lifts. She knew what was going to happen, and she was going to do something about it.
"They're cats." Rose said in shock after finally noticing that the nun like nurses had the face of a cat.
"Now, don't stare." The Doctor warned her. "Think what you look like to them, all pink and yellow. That's where I'd put the shop. Right there." He said, pointing to a corner and heading to the lift. "Ward 26, thanks."
Kari took her chance, grabbed Rose by the hand and threw her into the lift with the Doctor just before the doors closed. "Oh dear, looks like I'll have to get the next one." She mumbled.
"Watch out for the…"
"Disinfectant. Yeah I know Doctor. See you in a bit." Kari called back to him as she stepped into the lift. "Ward 26, please and thank you." She said. "Not that you're going to take me there. Thank you, you human trampoline."
"Commence stage one disinfection." The computer called. Kari just stood there, letting the water drip all over her. She wondered if Rose was screaming her head off, and if the Doctor had actually warned her. "Commence stage two disinfection." The hot air dryer started and Kari began to run her hand through her hair as it dried.
"The human child is clean." A weird man, covered in doodles said as Kari stepped out of the lift. Kari didn't say anything, she just folded her arms across her chest and looked at him. "This way, Kari Conner."
"Be careful, Princess." A voice rang through Kari's head as she walked.
She let herself smile. "Oh, you know me, where's the fun in being careful? I'll be up in a bit, I know what's going to happen next." She called back to the voice.
"Thing's will change. You're stronger than you know, you need to keep some secrets hidden." That didn't really make much sense to her, but she thought it over as she carried on following the doodle man.
They entered a room and Kari looked up at the screen that was playing on old film. "I mean, you never know what your life is going to be like, ever. I'm bored with this drink. Anyway. Oh, hello darling. Now, don't. Stop it." The woman in the film said.
"Looks like you had a good night, Cassandra." Kari said, turning to look at the piece of skin pegged to a frame. "How long ago was that then?"
"Oh, so brave, and so many questions." Cassandra said.
"Who's your new friend?" Kari asked, nodding to the doodle man. Okay, so she already knew the answer, but she didn't want Cassandra to know that she knew what was going on.
"Oh, that's just Chip. He's my pet." The piece of skin answered.
"I worship the mistress." Chip told her.
"Moisturise me, moisturise me." Cassandra called, feeling her skin drying out. Chip sprayed her with what Kari could only assume was her moisturiser. "He's not even a proper life form. He's a force grown clone. I modelled him on my favourite pattern. But he's so faithful. Chip sees to my physical needs."
Kari pulled a slightly disgusted face. "I hope that means food. So come on, how are you still alive? I distinctly remember your skin cracking and, well, exploding." She already knew the answer, but she was going to have a little fun while she could.
"The brain of my mistress survived. And her pretty blue eyes were salvaged from the bin." Chip answered for her.
"So come on, where'd you get the skin from?" Kari asked, trying not to laugh yet.
"That piece of skin was taken from the front of my body. This piece is the back."
Kari started to giggle now. "Right, so you're talking out of your a…"
"Ask not." Cassandra demanded. Clearly she was not happy.
"Okay, so let me ask something else then." Kari said, walking closer to Cassandra. She wasn't scared of her in the slightest. "You, Chip, hid your mistress away in the hospital. You steal medicine for her and take care of."
"But I am so alone, hidden down here. The last Human in existence." Cassandra said sadly.
"Nah, you're really not the last. Trust me, I know, I've met a hell of a lot of them." Kari told her.
"Mutant stock." The skin protested.
"They evolved, Cassandra. Which is exactly what they are meant to do, just like they done in the past. They evolve and adapt. That's how the human race survives, how it has always survived. All except for you. You got yourself all pickled and preserved, and what good did it do you?" Kari asked her.
Cassandra just went back to watching the film. "Oh, I remember that night. Drinks for the Ambassador of Thrace. That was the last time anyone told me I was beautiful. After that it became such hard work."
"Well, Cassandra, you certainly have a knack for survival. Not one that I think is the best, but still." Kari said, knowing exactly what was coming next.
"But I've not been idle, Kari, tucked away underneath this hospital. I've been listening. The Sisters are hiding something." Cassandra told her.
"Oh, I know. Those cats have so many secrets. And so do you." Kari said, turning to face the psychograft in the doorway. "Nice try, Cassandra."
"You under estimate me, my dear." Cassandra said, nodding to Chip. He jumped forward and grabbed hold if Kari, pushing her forward and into the strange machine in the doorway.
"I'm warning you, Cassandra, you are making a very big mistake." Kari told her, a very big grin on her face.
"This lady's moving on. It's goodbye trampoline and hello blondie." Cassandra said, before a strange cloud of energy floated through the air and into Kari.
"Mistress?" Chip asked, as Kari's body fell to the floor.
"Moisturise me." She said in a panic. "How bizarre. Arms, fingers, hair! Let me see! Let me see!" She cried, looking in a mirror. "Hmm, not bad, I suppose." She turned around and inspected herself from every angle.
"The mistress is beautiful." Chip said as he watched Cassandra control Kari's body.
"Absolutement! Oh, but look." She looked over to where the brain had been preserved in a jar.
"Oh, the brain lead expired. My old mistress is gone." Chip said sadly.
"But safe and sound in here." Cassandra said in Kari's body, tapping her head, reassuring her pet.
"But what of the Kari child's mind?" Chip asked in amazement. He was still finding it difficult to see his mistress in someone else's body.
"Oh, tucked away." She told him.
"You think so, Cassandra?" Kari's voice rang out through her own mind. "You have just made the biggest mistake of your miserable life."
"What? I… I don't understand? How can she still be there?" There was panic coming from Cassandra now.
"You should have done your homework better, Cassandra. I'm not human." There was a hint of satisfaction in Kari's voice. "Note the hearts." She said, forcing Cassandra to pay attention to the two hearts beating in her chest.
"Oh, my word. What are you?" She screeched. Cassandra was starting to regret taking over Kari's body now. She should have worked harder to get Rose Tyler.
"Are you scared, Cassandra?" Kari asked with a lot of smugness. "Because you really should be."
A small whimper came out of her mouth, just as Kari's mobile phone started ringing. "Answer it. It will be the Doctor. Oh, he looks a bit different now. And please, do not put on any stupid voice."
"And why should I listen to you?" Cassandra asked the voice in Kari's head.
"Well, if you want, I can just push you out of this body right now. Want me to do it?" Kari asked her, knowing that she probably could do it. There was something so much more to her than anyone could see, especially when she could jump through time and space.
Kari's hand reached into her pocket and pulled out the phone. "Hello?" Cassandra said, making Kari snigger a little at the nervousness of the silly woman who thought she could just take over her body.
"Where've you been? How long does it take to get to Ward 26?" The Doctor called down the phone.
Cassandra felt herself being pushed into a corner. "Sorry, I took a little detour. I'll be there as soon as I can." Kari told him. She was grinning away, she had managed to push Cassandra to one side and take control.
"You'll never guess. I'm with the Face of Boe. Remember him?" The Doctor called.
"Doctor, I know more about him than you do. Of course I remember him." Kari said, still keeping in control.
"How are you doing this?" Cassandra demanded to know from somewhere in Kari's head.
"Anyway, I'll see you and Rose in a bit." Kari said, before ending the call and putting the phone back in her pocket. "Okay, Cassandra, you can come out now." Kari said, allowing the other woman to take control of her body again.
"You better be careful, Cassandra. Next time I might not let you back. Now come on, Ward 26. We both want to find out what the Sisterhood are up to so let's move it." Kari said, taking a back seat and waiting for Cassandra to process everything she had just said.
"You're something different. There's something about you." She said to Kari. "You shouldn't be able to even register what is going on."
"And yet here I am, taking control when I want. Now, move it. I could cause you a lot of pain if I wanted to." Kari warned her.
She seemed a little nervous, but eventually made her way over to the lift and went up to Ward 26.
"Kari…" A voice called. "She cannot hear me, only you can."
If she could, she would have let out a sigh of relief. "How's it going up there?" She asked, knowing exactly who it was.
"It is entertaining watch the Doctor and Rose."
"So, is there a reason why I am able to scare the hell of out Cassandra? She should have completely taken me over. She should be compressing me to death. Why isn't she?" Kari wondered.
The other voice in her head chuckled lightly. "You are stronger than you know. You are surrounded with the time vortex, it flows through you and yet doesn't kill you. It makes you stronger."
"Why are you telling me all this, Boe?" She asked him. It was new information to her, certainly, to find out that she had the time vortex flowing through her, but she didn't understand why he was telling her.
"You know there are terrible days to come, Princess. The darkest of days, for both of you." Kari chuckled to him a little. "But you will be strong. And this new knowledge will help you. However, you can never tell him of what you know."
"I guessed as much, otherwise he would have let it slip in the future already. Everyone is terrible when it comes to keeping my future a secret." And how true that was. The only one who seemed to keep things from her was River, their lives were both complicated.
"Now hurry, my Princess. The Doctor and Rose are worried and becoming suspicious. You know what is to happen." He warned her.
"Oh, I know. Glad to see that after all this time I'm still your princess." She replied to the Face of Boe.
"You will always be my Princess, Kari. Until my last breath."
She felt him pull away from her mind and she was left alone with Cassandra. The other woman hadn't even noticed that there had been someone else there. "Word of warning, Cassandra, don't try anything stupid. You've already under estimated me once, best not do it again if you want to live."
She felt the fear and panic spread through the woman controlling her body. Kari was actually enjoying herself. It was a new experience for her, and she was glad that Rose was not the one to have been taken over.
"There you are." Rose cried, rushing over to her as she entered the ward.
"Come and look at this patient." The Doctor said, taking her by the hand and leading her over to a red man who was suspended in the air. "Marconi's disease. Should take years to recover. Two days. I've never seen anything like it. They've invented a cell washing cascade. It's amazing. Their medical science is way advanced." He told her. "And this one." The Doctor dragged her to another patient. "Pallidome Pancrosis. Kill's you in ten minutes, and he's fine."
Kari could feel the presence of a certain life form close to her own mind. Someone was helping her, protecting her mind from being invaded by Cassandra. "May I ask what you are doing?" She called out to him.
"You will need to communicate with him soon. I am only helping you a little." The Face of Boe replied to her.
"Thank you." She whispered to him, leaving him to do what he needed to.
"I need to find a terminal. I've got to see how they do this. Because if they've got the best medicine in the world, then why is it such a secret?" The Doctor asked as Rose put her arm through Kari's.
"I can't Adam and Eve it." Cassandra said through Kari's body.
"Oi! I do not speak like that, thank you very much." Kari bellowed to Cassandra, making her flinch a little.
"What's… what's… what's with the voice?" The Doctor asked, giving a worried look to Rose.
"Oh, I don't know. Just larking about. New Earth, new me."
The Doctor shifted a little uncomfortably. Something was telling him that there was seriously something wrong. "Well, I can talk. New New Doctor."
Kari's eyes wandered over the Doctor's body. "Mmm, aren't you just..." She said, before grabbing hold of him and kissing him. "Terminal's this way." She said, slightly out a breath and walking away from Rose and the Doctor.
"Yep, still got it." The Doctor said, making Rose roll her eyes at him.
"Umm, Doctor…" Rose said, looking a little nervous. "Kari doesn't know yet. That was a little… out of character for her, don't you think?"
"Yeah." The Doctor agreed quietly as they followed Kari. "She isn't herself. Something has to have happened to her."
Once they reached the terminal, the Doctor looked at a map of the hospital. "Nope, nothing odd. Surgery, post-op, nano-dentistry. No sign of a shop." He said. "They should have a shop."
"Geeze, Doctor. Enough with the shop already." Kari called to him in his head. He gazed at her, wondering if he had really just heard her speaking to him in his mind.
"No, it's missing something else." Cassandra said, studying the screen carefully and paying no attention to the look the Doctor was giving her. "When I was downstairs, those Nurse Cat Nuns were talking about Intensive Care. Where is it?" She asked.
"You're right. Well done." The Doctor said, shaking himself out of his thoughts.
"Why would they hide a whole department?" Rose asked.
Cassandra just shrugged Kari's shoulders. "Well, it's got to be there somewhere. Search the sub-frame." She told the Doctor.
He glanced at Rose and the both shared a worried look. They knew something was wrong, but they just didn't know what it was. "What if the sub-frames locked?" The Doctor asked her.
"Try the installation protocol." She replied, talking to him as if he was completely thick.
"Yeah. Of course. Sorry, hold on." He said before aiming his screwdriver at the monitor. The whole wall started to slide down, leaving a hidden corridor in its place. "Intensive care. Certainly looks intensive."
The Doctor went to take hold of Kari's hand, but she was already walking down the corridor. "I don't like this, Doctor. What the hell is wrong with Kari?" Rose asked, the fear and worry growing in her voice.
"I really don't know, Rose. But I promise, I will find out and I will get her back." He said, the determination glowing in his eyes. Rose nodded at him and they began to follow Kari down the corridor.
A/N: Again, sorry for the long time to update, I really have been busy. I hope you guys liked it. I have big thing's planned for Kari, really big things. You'll all find out soon enough.
Secrets will be revealed, truths will be told, and friendships made stronger, or maybe even broken.
Have a wonderful new year everyone.
Pippa.