Here's the next one and due to two cats at my house deciding to fight, updates might be a little bit. I was grabbed in the process and my right thumb is being a literal pain.

Oh! And I'll be skipping "Blink" which you'll notice at the end. As much as I enjoy the episode (it was the one that got me into Doctor Who) I can't write it well and don't want to try and drag it out with Ripley. Let me know what you think on this though and what you'd like to see given Jack and the Master will be meeting Ripley!

"Make your decision, Mr. Smith."

"Perhaps if that human heart breaks, the Time Lord will emerge."

John wasn't sure what to do. He cared about both women but this sort of pressure coming from people he thought he knew who were talking of mad things was just too much. He couldn't think. Hell, he could hardly breathe! Then, suddenly, the Family turned their heads.

"It's him!"

A lot of things happened at that moment. Martha whipped around and stole Jenny's gun in her distraction, holding her hostage with the weapon pointed at Baines. At the same moment, a rush of snarling grey flew out from behind a table, pushing its way between Mr. Clark and Joan, sharp teeth digging into the man's arm. He roared in pain as the beast of a dog held onto his swinging arm—the man unable to try and shoot it as the dog held his gun arm in its jaws.

Clark was thrown off balance by the weight of the beast, falling back with a cry as it finally released him and tore the gun from his limp hand. It snatched it up in its blood-covered jaws and bit down hard, ruining the weapon. It then growled deeply, fur standing on end and moving away from the frightened Clark and uncertain Baines as it bared its teeth and paced between the Family and the people who'd once been their prey. Seeing they had the upper hand, Martha smirked and spoke to the Family.

"All right! One more move and I shoot."

Baines looked ready to say something snarky but paused as the dog eyed him. It wouldn't do him any good right now to mock her. He was outmatched here.

"Shoot you down…" He considered, raising his own weapon and making the dog snarl and bark as a threat.

"Try it. We die together," Martha boy back, gun slightly shaky in her hands.

"Would you really pull the trigger? Looks too scared." He challenged, judging how far he could possibly push her as he worked mentally on his backup plan.

"Scared and holding a gun's a good combination. Do you want to risk it?" Martha pressed back, nodding to the dog. "And you can see that Ripley here couldn't care less. I go down, she'll take the rest of you down with me. Painfully."

Begrudgingly, he lowered his weapon but Martha held firm and spoke to John without looking away from the Family.

"Doctor, get everyone out. There's a door at the side. It's over there. Go on. Do it, Mr. Smith. I mean you," she urged when John hadn't budged.

Joan had to take initiative to get everyone moving, giving John the boost he needed to help evacuate the villagers before Martha urged him out too.

"Mr. Smith, I think you should escort your lady friend to safety, don't you?"

He hesitated, giving Ripley a worried glance as well. She'd only just been hurt, but she looked almost feral like this with her fur on end and blood on her jaws. Yet, a part of him ached and worried for the dog; something he had to push aside as he forced his feet to bring him outside with the other panicking villagers.

Once he was outside, Martha let Jenny move back towards the Family, keeping her gun on Baines since he was the leader of the group. Her heart was pounding though, even with Ripley beside her. She was a little hurt that the dog moved to protect Joan and not her, and while things worked out relatively well, this wasn't the first time she'd seen the dog attack someone. It was frightening to see a dog she'd started to grow close to switch so quickly from being sweet and friendly to aggressive and dangerous. Still, at least Ripley was on her side and gave her some peace of mind regarding the aliens in front of them. She wasn't alone.

"Don't try anything. I'm warning you, or Sonny boy gets it."

"She's almost brave, this one," Baines hummed as Jenny smirked.

"I should have taken her form. Much more fun. So much spirit."

The group started to move forward, making Martha take a hesitant step back as Ripley growled in warning.

"What happened to Jenny?" Martha demanded, concerned for the woman she'd grown close with while living here.

"She is consumed. Her body's mine."

"You mean she's dead."

"Yes. And she went with precious little dignity. All that screaming," Jenny mocked before Martha was grabbed and screamed herself.

Ripley whipped away from the Family and grabbed the scarecrow that had gotten a hold of Martha, shaking her head with growls as it released the woman. It kept hold of the gun though and Martha ran for the door.

"Ripley! Come!"

Ripley let go and rushed after her as they hurried out and gathered John and Joan, who'd been anxiously waiting outside for them. The group hurried for the school, knowing it was the nearest well-fortified area that they might have a chance to hide from the creatures. When they got there though, breathing hard from their panic and running, the Doctor grabbed the school bell and began to ring it and summon everyone.

"What are you doing?" Martha demanded.

"Maybe one man can't fight them, but this school teaches us to stand together. Take arms! Take arms!" John bellowed, shocking her as Ripley's ears flicked back on her head.

"You can't do that!"

"You want me to fight, don't you?" He bit back. "Take arms! Take arms!"

"I say, sir, what's the matter?" The first student to come down asked tiredly.

"Enemy at the door, Hutchinson. Enemy at the door. Take arms!"

I whined lightly as Martha and the Doctor bickered about the students here getting involved. While I agreed that they were just kids who shouldn't be fighting and that this was something the Doctor wouldn't allow, I also knew that this wasn't the Doctor. It may be a part of him, but this was John and John was scared. I could sense it. He was lashing out, sure, but he was frightened and confused about what was going on and one way for him to feel safer was to have others with him, backing him up. Sure, they were kids, but with them came numbers and comfort.

"What in thunder's name is this?"

And the headmaster as well.

"Before I devise an excellent and endless series of punishments for each and every one of you, could someone explain very simply and immediately exactly what is going on?" He bellowed, stopping children in their tracks before his eyes turned to me.

I'm sure I looked rather menacing with blood on my maw and ears flicked back, fur still slightly raised in my unease as I licked at my lips nervously.

"That—There's—W-Why is there a wolf in my school!"

All eyes went to me as I shrank a little under his gaze, curling my tail between my legs as the headmaster reached for a gun and leveled it at me. I growled and bristled at the threat but didn't move, fearing he would fire if I so much as twitched. Then, my view of him was blocked by John, of all people.

"Headmaster, please. There are more important things going on right now, than some dog!"

"S-Some dog? It's got blood on it!"

"It protected us from something far more sinister!" He argued back with a shout, stunning me at the sudden show of protection that was so reminiscent of the Doctor. "We are under attack!"

"Really? Is that so? Perhaps you and I should have a word in private," the man said, lowering his gun so it wasn't pointed at John but still holding it should I so much as peer out from behind his legs.

"No, I promise you, sir. I was in the village with Matron. It's Baines, sir. Jeremy Baines and Mister Clark from Oakham Farm. They've gone mad, sir. They've got guns. They've already murdered people in the village. I saw it happen."

He didn't look as though he believed him and Joan stepped in to convince him before he begrudgingly agreed to investigate himself. Martha attempted to stop him but the man dismissed her as a maid and simply demanded that I be kicked out before I bit someone. I growled lightly at his attitude but was glad he passed his rifle off to another student. Then, Martha knelt down near me and I glanced at her uneasily, not sure what to do.

"We need to find his watch."

You're joking, right? I questioned with a whine. We can't give up the Doctor now.

"Look, I don't understand what you're saying. I don't speak dog, but he's our only chance. This isn't about just the people here, but they could do far worse to the whole area, the world, even. Ripley, we don't have a choice."

But John isn't… he's not going to like this.

"Just, can you find it?" She asked, desperate.

I know Timothy has it, but I doubt he's here. I can find him though. I know his scent. I just don't think this will go as easy as you think. I nodded begrudgingly and she thanked me with a small hug before I went off in search of the boy.

For a moment I thought I was close. I could smell him and the Doctor from the watch. Then, he was headed in the opposite direction and I was forced to run after him. It was hard to keep hold of his scent with all the other students running about. What's more, the scent of fresh gunpowder and the crowd of students had me on edge. I was better with crowds than before, but all the same, the amount of panic and unease was overwhelming.

Then, I caught his scent again. Far closer than before and close to one of the creatures as well. With their blood on my nose and the taste of it in my mouth, it was easy to tell them apart from the humans. Concern for Timothy welled up in me and I took the stairs in a full sprint, nearly twisting my paw on the way down. When I saw him at the end of the corridor and the red balloon floating above, I saw red.

A growl escaped me as I rushed forward, barking and lunging at the girl. She screamed and started to run, egging on some instinctual urge to follow and give chase if it hadn't been for Timothy calling out.

"Ripley, no!"

My human mentality snapped back into action, reigning in the wild beast that I'd become and forcing myself to not chase the girl. She was an alien. I had to remind myself of that. Scream or not, human shape or not, it was very possible for her to kill me. If she had one of their weapons, if the fleeing was to lure me into a trap. Anything could have happened, and that slight lack of control in that moment frightened me a bit. The Doctor said the pills would help. Why aren't they helping?

"Ripley?"

My ears flicked back and I tucked my tail as I turned towards Timothy, ashamed and scared.

"It's okay," he soothed. "You didn't hurt anyone and you kept me safe. You did good. Thank you."

I relaxed a bit, grateful that he wasn't frightened of me as I edged closer and leaned into his touch. He hugged me tightly for a moment, overwhelmed himself, and using me to help him calm down.

"I'm frightened, Ripley," he murmured into my fur. "I don't understand all of this. What he's shown me seems impossible, yet it must be true. It's terrifying. Truly."

I know. I'm sorry. If we could have avoided this… if there was anything we could have done…I whined lightly as he pulled away.

"I'm scared but… but we need to keep him safe. Terrible things would happen if we don't."

But Martha wants the watch back. She wants to change John to the Doctor. I nudged the watch and his hand, uncertain of what to do before he held it out to me. I hesitated but leaned forward and rested my chin on it for a moment.

"Hey, Rip," the Doctor hummed from within, offering me a small mental pat that made me whine in joy.

Doctor. Doctor, I missed you.

"I know. I'm so sorry. I know this is hard."

What do we do? Martha wants you back but John is scared. I don't think he'll do it on his own. We can't just give him the watch without convincing him. If the Family gets you—

"Hang onto me for now. We'll work this out, Ripley. I promise."

I whined again, moving away from the watch as Timothy pet my fur and stood, pocketing it.

"Let's go. We need to find somewhere safe. Lucy saw me with the watch and knows what it is. They'll be coming after me now."

I growled and barked a bit, puffing up. I won't let them. They can't have you or the Doctor.

He smiled and urged me up the stairs as gunshots echoed from the grounds. We made it further up, but he spotted some of the boys down below and opened the watch briefly to draw the Family away from them. Once up in the dorms, he started to climb out a window and I hesitated.

"Come on, Ripley! We can't stay here and they'll be coming after us!"

Oh, but I'm a dog, Tim, not a cat! I can't climb trees! I whined but as I heard and smelled the Family getting closer I groaned. Just another thing to add to the list of things I need to do, I guess. Geronimo!

I leaped off the window sill and into the foliage, somehow aiming for a decent-sized branch and slamming my chest into it. I choked on air and clawed at it with my back feet until I was actually stable on the branch. Then, I worked on somewhat safely making my way down until I was confident I could run down the base of the tree. I was shaking when I reached solid ground, vowing to never do that again despite knowing I would attempt to train myself how to do it better later. With a "Good job" from Timothy though, I was wagging my tail as we rushed off into the woods to flee our pursuers.

Martha wasn't sure where Ripley had gone but just wished the dog was safe and found the watch. She was their only hope as they fled the aliens and ducked into the home of the poor people the Family had taken over. She was already frustrated though. She'd hoped that everything would have gone as planned.

The Doctor would be John. They wouldn't get found. The aliens would die and they'd just turn John back into the Doctor and leave. Now that they'd been found, everything was a mess and it didn't help that John had fallen in love with Joan. The man was adamantly refusing to become the Doctor when he was the only one who could help.

Even Ripley wouldn't be able to help right now. John thought she was a normal dog and the way she'd been reluctant about finding the watch earlier made Martha wonder just what was going through her head. Did she not want to go back? Was there something else that Martha didn't understand? Would she rather stay a normal dog here than return to their adventures in the Tardis? Either way, Ripley wasn't around right now, she had no idea where the watch was, and John wasn't about to open it like this.

"I must go to them before anyone else dies."

Even Joan had realized the situation and stopped John. "You can't. Martha, there must be something we can do."

"Not without the watch," Martha argued as John rounded on her.

"You're this Doctor's companion. Can't you help? What exactly do you do for him? Why does he need you?"

Martha felt a flash of pain at those words. She honestly wasn't sure now. What did the Doctor need her for? She was hardly useful in these sorts of situations. She was only human. She didn't understand half of what came out of his mouth any other day. He even had Ripley and Martha had begun to feel jealous of how the dog was treated sometimes. Sure, the dog had once been human apparently but that only made the Doctor's fond reactions burn more in the back of her throat.

"Because he's lonely," she finally settled on.

It was hardly an excuse or a good reason, but it was all she had and that wasn't enough for John.

"And that's what you want me to become."

There was a knock on the door, stopping the bitter argument from continuing as everyone stiffened in fear for a moment.

"What if it's them?" Joan questioned as Martha made for the door.

"I'm not an expert, but I don't think scarecrows knock," she said, though still moving cautiously until there was a scratch and whine from outside.

Relieved, she opened the door to let Ripley in and was surprised to see the dog sitting beside a young boy from the school, tail wagging eagerly despite the dirt and twigs caught in her fur.

"I brought you this," the boy offered, revealing the watch and Martha finally felt hope as she ushered him in, closed the door, and turned to the hesitant John.

"Hold it."

"I won't," he refused, making Ripley's ears flick back uneasily at the tension in the room and particularly from him.

"Please, just hold it."

Even Timothy wanted him to as he held out the watch. "It told us to find you. It wants to be held."

"You've had this watch all this time? Why didn't you return it?" Joan asked him, making the boy a little sheepish.

"Because it was waiting. And because I was so scared of the Doctor."

"Why?"

"Because I've seen him. He's like fire and ice and rage. He's like the night and the storm in the heart of the sun."

"Stop it," John said sharply, not wanting to hear it.

"He's ancient and forever. He burns at the center of time and he can see the turn of the universe."

"Stop it! I said stop it!" John shouted, making Ripley whine and slowly edge closer.

"And he's wonderful," Timothy finished as Joan held up the journal John had given her.

"I've still got this. The journal."

"Those are just stories."

"Now we know that's not true. Perhaps there's something in here."

A loud "boom" echoed from outside, startling them as Ripley rushed for a window, perching her front paws on the sill with a whine. Large red balls of fire and molten rock were falling from the sky, hitting the area around them.

"They're destroying the village," Joan breathed and John rushed for the watch.

"The watch—"

"John don't," Joan tried to stop him as he grabbed it in the hopes of stopping this destruction.

The second he touched it though, he went quiet, listening to the voice calling out to him.

"Can you hear it?" Timothy asked.

"I think he's asleep. Waiting to awaken."

"Why did he speak to me?"

"Oh, low-level telepathic field. You were born with it. Just an extra synaptic engram causing—" John cut off his Doctor-like ramble, looking scared. "Is that how he talks?

Martha nodded, approaching him with Ripley. "That's him. All you have to do is open it and he's back."

John looked heartbroken. "You knew this all along and yet you watched while Nurse Redfern and I—"

"I didn't know how to stop you. He gave me a list of things to watch out for but that wasn't included."

"Falling in love? That didn't even occur to him?"

"No."

I whined lightly, edging ever closer to John in worry.

"Then what sort of man is that? And now you expect me to die?" He said loudly, but I could feel it.

Every piece of him was scared and angry and upset. Why me? He seemed to be mentally wailing. Why does my life have to be ruined because of this? Why can't I live? Why does it have to be him? Who am I? Who am I really if all I was ever meant to be was him?

"It was always going to end, though!" Martha argued, frustrated herself. "The Doctor said the Family's got a limited lifespan, and that's why they need to consume a Time Lord. Otherwise, three months and they die. Like mayflies, he said."

"So your job was to execute me," he spat back.

"People are dying out there. They need him and I need him. Because you've got no idea of what he's like. I've only just met him. It wasn't even that long ago. But he is everything. He's just everything to me and he doesn't even look at me, but I don't care, because I love him to bits. And I hope to God he won't remember me saying this."

An explosion went off even closer now, making my tail tuck slightly under me as I moved even closer to the one who needed comfort the most right now.

"It's getting closer," Timothy noted.

"I should have thought of it before. I can give them this. Just the watch. Then they can leave and I can stay as I am," John tried desperately.

"You can't do that!" Martha shouted.

"If they want the Doctor, they can have him."

"He'll never let you do it."

"If they get what they want, then, then—"

"Then it all ends in destruction," Joan interrupted, having been reading over the journal all this time. "I never read to the end, but those creatures would live forever to breed and conquer, for war across the stars for every child... Martha, Timothy, would you leave us alone, please?"

Martha looked hesitant but begrudgingly took Timothy outside. I'd gone unnoticed, it seems, which was fine for the moment. My concern was John.

Did I want the Doctor back? Sure. I'd rather adventures on the Tardis with food and a warm bed in comparison to roaming as a stray and possibly ending up in a war zone in 1914 England. Did that mean that I wanted to ruin a man's life by taking away his choice in the matter? No.

I lived a good portion of my past life being stuck listening to other people make decisions for me. Decisions that concerned me and my life. Doctors told me every day that I would never leave the hospital. I couldn't go to school like other kids, couldn't play, couldn't explore or overexert myself. I'd heard it so much that I never thought I could be anything more than a waste of space and my parents' money. Then, someone told me "why not?"

Why not explore and go on adventures? Why not go to school and get a degree? What was there to stop me other than other people telling me what I could and couldn't do? Would it scare my parents because they wouldn't know where I was or when I'd die doing it? Yes. Did that mean I shouldn't do it? Sure. But ultimately it was my choice. Just like this was John's choice.

We could try to convince him otherwise. Explain that the aliens wouldn't stop if they got the watch. That the world could be destroyed. That he could keep hiding the watch for another month until they died and go on living his life as John. Or that he could become the Doctor and try to stop all this, but lose his human life and his human love. He had choices. Choices we couldn't and shouldn't make for him. He was his own person right now, and that mattered. So, as much as it might suck for me, for Martha, and for whoever else, it was up to him.

So, as he cried in a chair and Joan reached over to hold him and comfort him, I slipped in too. I whined with him, resting my head on his leg and pressing my nose into his shirt.

"Y-You daft dog," he said, voice bitter but sad as he lightly tried to push me away. "Stop it. J-Just stop. You won't convince me. You can't."

I'm not. I'm not trying to convince you either way. I'm just sad that you're sad. I'm so sorry you have to make this choice on your own. I'm sorry. I whined again, pushing back into his lap as his fingers tugged at my fur and tears ran down his face and mine.

"John. John, stop. She's just trying to comfort you. Look at her."

His pulling stopped and I pushed myself further into him, placing a paw on his lap and pushing myself up so I could lick his jaw and rest my head on his shoulder and neck. I'm so sorry.

"I-I don't… I don't know what to do," he finally said, wrapping his arms around me as I whined softly.

"And if I could do this instead of you, then I would. I'd hoped. But my hopes aren't important," Joan said as he pulled slightly away.

"He won't love you."

"If he's not you, then I don't want him to. I had one husband, and he died. I never thought, ever again. And then you were so…"

"And it was real. I wasn't. I really thought…"

"Let me see," she said, taking the watch and smiling sadly. "Blasted thing. Blasted, blasted thing. Can't even hear it. It says nothing to me."

John grasped at it in her hands too and for a moment, I could feel his hope as I lowered myself back to the floor with my head resting on his lap. I wasn't sure what they were seeing. What vision the Doctor might've been showing them, but I was glad he did, whatever it may do to influence John one way or the other.

"Did you see?" He asked Joan as she let the watch go.

"The Time Lord has such adventures, but he could never have a life like that."

"And yet I could."

"What are you going to do?" She asked, and I felt that bit of hope fall again as he looked at the watch, at Joan, and the fire raining down outside.

I could feel everything raging within him. The anger at having to make this choice, his hope, and his guilt and regret. Then, his sorrow and fear. Joan took his hand one more time and he stood with the watch. He moved towards the door as I trailed along at his side, peering up at him as loyal as ever and he stopped, looking down at me.

"Were you someone he knew too?" He asked. "Following me around like this…"

I barked once and whined, leaning against his leg with a wag of my tail.

"If I stayed, would you be upset?" He asked and I grumbled a bit.

Course I would, but it's your choice, you dunce. Not mine. What happens to me is of no consequence to you. I nudged his hand and flipped it with my nose so it rested on my head, giving him another more chipper bark and wag of my tail. Whatever you choose, I'll try my best to help you out. He smiled softly, ruffling my fur.

"Thank you, Ripley."

I perked at the use of my name, but then he'd opened the door and stepped out, leaving the rest of us to watch him go and wait to see what his decision would have in store for us.

The Doctor clambered up the hill where Martha was waiting beside the Tardis, dressed a bit more warmly as rain fell from above and now back in her usual clothes and not those from the early 20th century.

"Right then, molto been," the Doctor chimed, giving the empty field a brief look around. "Where's Ripley?"

"Dunno. Took off somewhere barking. Squirrel maybe?"

The Doctor and her shared a small smile before Martha's dropped.

"How was she?" She asked, knowing he'd gone to check on Joan, who had her love taken from her once again when he'd chosen to become the Doctor.

"Time we moved on."

"If you want, I could go and—"

"Time we moved on," he repeated and she dropped her offer to help the two before fidgetting uneasily.

What she'd said to John about her liking the Doctor had been sitting in the back of her mind for a while and she needed to say something about it.

"Um, meant to say, back there, last night… I would've said anything to get you to change."

"Oh, yeah. Of course, you would. Yeah," he brushed off with her, willing to pretend the confession hadn't happened.

"I mean, I wasn't really—"

"Oh, no. No."

"Good."

"Fine."

"So here we are then."

"There we are, yes."

They settled into an awkward silence for a moment and he offered a small smile.

"And I never said… Thanks for looking after me." He stepped forward and gave her a hug that she happily took before there was a round of barking behind him and he let her go. "There you are, ya daft thing!" He chirped as Ripley bounded up.

The dog was dripping wet but hardly cared as she bounded around them and the Tardis, tongue lolling out her mouth and a happy wag to her curled up tail. He reached out to pet her, but she ducked down on her front legs into a play bow and jumped away with a bark, rushing off towards the approaching figure. Timothy chuckled as she bounded around him a few times before speeding back up the hill to get her energy out. The Doctor shook his head fondly and then looked to Timothy as he approached.

"Tim Timothy Timber."

"I just wanted to say goodbye. And thank you. Because I've seen the future and I now know what must be done. It's coming, isn't it? The biggest war ever," he said, giving Ripley a glance as she rolled in the wet grass.

"You don't have to fight," Martha argued, drawing his attention back to them.

"I think we do."

"But you could get hurt," she countered, concerned for the young boy.

"Well, so could you, traveling around with him, but it's not going to stop you."

The Doctor smiled, reaching in his pocket and handing something over. "Tim, I'd be honored if you'd take this."

Timothy took the watch, toying with it for a moment. "I can't hear anything."

"No, it's just a watch now. But keep it with you, for good luck."

"Look after yourself," Martha added, giving him a hug and kissing his cheek goodbye as the Doctor unlocked the Tardis and leaned over to look past it.

"Ripley! Let's go!"

The dog barked, popping out of a section of tall grass and rushing over. She skid in the grass and mud a bit when she tried to pull to a stop, but caught herself and ambled over to Timothy. He gave her a fond pat on the head and she let out a sad whine but still wagged her tail to show him she was happy for him.

"I'll miss you too, Ripley," he smiled. "I hope I find a dog just like you one day."

She grumbled a little but gave him a fond nudge before moving back towards the Tardis with the Doctor. She ducked in the door and the Doctor paused to wink at Timothy.

"You'll like this bit."

The ship disappeared and they headed off to stand at the funeral Timothy would be attending for the rest of his fallen comrades after the war.

"How about a bit of a break then, eh?" The Doctor chimed sometime later as they sent the ship off again.

They'd just dealt with yet another bit of being trapped in the past thanks to the Weeping Angels they stumbled across and he could tell Martha and Ripley both needed some time to relax before they went off again. Martha was the first to take that offer, muttering about a proper shower as she drifted off to her room, but Ripley stayed, scratching at her ear with a back foot before stretching.

He watched in fond amusement as she went through the process of stretching out one foot after another and doing a bow before dropping her back end to the ground as well. She'd already grown a lot and was near a full-year-old now. All their time being stuck in the past had led to him missing out on some of her growth. She'd grown lean with her running about and scavenging while he was John. He still felt terrible since Martha told him he'd forgotten her and had done his best to make it up to her.

"Not going to bed?" He asked her now as she'd pawed over a rope toy and was gnawing on it in her bed under the jump seat.

She perked up, considering the toy for a moment before abandoning it and getting up to join him. Despite them being able to communicate without touch now, ever since he'd been John she would edge closer to him to speak. As though she were afraid he'd shut her out or wouldn't hear her unless they were close or touching.

Not tired, she replied as she leaned against his leg.

He felt it was a bit of a lie but they had just been waiting for Sally to get them the Tardis for the time they were stuck. He ran a hand down the fur on her back, occasionally scratching along the way until he hit a sweet spot that made her back foot twitch. She grumbled at the weakness he'd found and he chuckled before he moved to settle on her bed as well, patting his lap for her to join him.

She did, settling down and laying her head and front paws on his lap for him to run his fingers through her fur. He smiled as she relaxed and closed her eyes, though she wasn't close to sleeping yet.

You're worried about something, she mused, calling him out on the emotions she could sense.

Even if he tried to put up mental shields, she—for some reason—could still tell when he was uneasy. Must be a dog thing.

"I'm not," he hummed. "Just… wanted to apologize again for what happened while I was John."

She peered an eye open to give him a look.

"I put you in a tough spot. You could've gotten hurt. Worse than you did, I mean. You lost weight too. I just feel I should make up for that."

She sighed, closing her eyes once more. You had no control over that and it all worked out in the end, didn't it?

"Well… doesn't mean I shouldn't apologize again."

She huffed, making him chuckle as they settled into silence for a minute.

"I'm curious," he spoke up a minute later. "When John was stuck having to choose between Martha and Joan, you chose to help Joan. Why's that?"

Ripley grumbled at the question, reluctant to answer.

"You didn't really know her, after all. Even after the fact. I thought you would've helped Martha."

Because she's innocent, Ripley groaned. She had no part in that mess and was just caught in the crossfire. Martha could take care of herself, which she did, but Joan wouldn't have the slightest idea and… and I knew you'd be upset if something happened to her because of John's love for her.

The Doctor's hearts swelled in pride for the woman trapped inside this beast of a dog. It can't have been easy. It was hard enough for Martha to deal with what happened back then, but for a dog who was abandoned again by him, he hadn't heard a single complaint. Martha had grumbled about her treatment as a maid for a while after that. It didn't help that they got stuck back in time again right after, but Ripley almost embraced it. It was something he liked about her. The way she just took what was thrown at her and dealt with it; worked around it.

"Just… Just one more thing," he said, earning another grumble of complaint about his nosiness. "What were you thinking before I changed back? When you walked me to the door."

What does that matter? She huffed, starting to sound tired now. I was just checking up on you.

"Nah, there was something more to it, I think. I may have been stuck in that watch, but John's still tucked away in here and for a moment I could tell you had something you were thinking about."

Ripley sighed, begrudgingly giving in. I was thinking about before. Back when I was human. Proper human, she explained, growing a bit downtrodden. I didn't want you to stay as John or get taken to those alien things, but I couldn't force you to stay for me or for Martha. I… I've been in that position before.

The Doctor listened quietly, knowing that this was a sensitive topic they were breaching. He hadn't meant to dive into her past again, but he should've known it was something personal. As chipper as she seemed, Ripley was hurting and had been hurt. She was a human once and it wasn't just her being changed into a dog that was hard, but her past life being hospitalized hadn't been great either.

I lived most of my life in the hospital, she said solemnly. Where all my decisions were based on what other people said was best. I took the medication they gave me, even if it was bitter or had poor side effects I had to deal with. I didn't go out to play with more active kids because they said the activities could cause an episode. I didn't bother trying to think of what I could do if I got out of the hospital because everyone always said it would never happen.

They never forced me to do anything, but what's a kid going to do when every doctor who came to check on them said the same thing? She scoffed bitterly, rolling onto her side and getting more settled in as he silently comforted her with solemn sympathy. I could have done whatever I wanted, but everyone told me how dangerous it was. Told me how heartbroken my parents would be if something happened. How sad it would be if I found the love of my life only to die right when we got to really know one another.

So, like John, I had a choice. One that I could take to make myself happy and one to make everyone else happy. For years, I did what everyone else wanted. My whole life was for others. For my parents, my nurses, and doctors, the few kids also trapped with me in that damn hospital. She growled a little at that. The reminder of the place she'd been forced to call home was just that upsetting. Then, she calmed.

Seeing John stuck with a choice like that just reminded me how much I wish I had someone to support whatever I wanted to do. Everyone was always on the side that kept me safe but also that kept me from living. My therapist was the first to realize I was wasting away. She wasn't much but she'd seen enough terminally ill kids to know when they'd stopped trying.

She spoke to my parents who had no idea I felt like that. She let out a short scoff but had a hint of a smile. I'd grown so used to pretending I was fine for everyone else that they didn't have a clue. They were never the most social people. Business smart, you know? But they talked it over and finally said that they wanted to do what was best for me and they would support me. Even if it meant I walked out of the hospital that day and disappeared somewhere. I guess it just sank in for everyone that there was no coming back from this. I would die eventually, so why not give me a chance to live first?

She glanced at him a bit. Just saw a bit of that in John, I guess. So, even if his decision sucked for me, it was his life and his choice. He needed someone on his side, even if his side wasn't great. She frowned then, rolling onto her back with furrowed brows, stretching out a foot. Sounds kind of stupid when I think about it that way though, doesn't it? Bit evil villain, you think?

The Doctor smiled with a small shake of his head as she rolled back and dropped onto her side with a "thump."

"I think it's brilliant," he mused, scratching at her chest to get her foot going again. "You're brilliant, Rip, and don't you let anyone tell you otherwise."

Ripley scoffed, baring her teeth in a cheeky grin as she rolled again. You think? Doctors always thought I was a bit daft, running off to climb a mountain or hike through a jungle with a bad heart.

"Well, if you hadn't, I might not have met you, so I think you're amazing," he hummed, getting one in return as she turned to tuck her face into his stomach.

I'm not that great, she said, though her lip was still twisted up in a smile.

"You are to me. Now, get some rest while I think up someplace amazing to go next. Just for you."