Both humans were following after the aliens down the street, or more specifically, they were following Cass who seemed to almost intuitively know exactly where to go.

For some reason, Martha knew that Peter Streete's situation had struck close to home for her friend, knew that Cass had related to the man's fate somehow, and if she were to base her thoughts on the Doctor's tense shoulders and angry expression alone, he too knew.

She figured the redhead would explain if she asked her, since she seemed to always make an effort to make sure she understood everything, but for right now, Martha sensed that thee couple needed a little space, that Cass needed the Doctor to draw whatever memories she'd fallen into away.

"So, tell me of Freedonia, where women can be doctors, writers, actors." Shakespeare said from beside her, drawing her eyes away from the couple.

She smiled, "This country's ruled by a woman."

"Ah, she's royal. That's God's business. Though you are a royal beauty." He smirked flirtatiously, chuckling when she rounded on him with a grin, "Whoa, Nelly! I know for a fact you've got a wife in the country."

Stepping closer to her, he pouted, "But Martha, this is Town."

The Doctor shook his head, smiling lightly as his tether chuckled in delight beside him, before commenting, "Come on. We can all have a good flirt later."

"Is that a promise, Doctor?" Shakespeare turned to him, grinning suggestively.

Cass giggled, "Oh, would you look at that, 57 human academics just punched the air in joy and victory."

When the playwright's eyes moved to her mischievously, she winked, shaking her head, "Nice try, Will. Unfortunately, I am very much a one-man kind of woman." Beginning to walk again, she smiled happily at the Doctor, his amusement warming her insides, before calling out jokingly, "Now shift! We don't have all day, you know?!"

———————

The Time Lady couldn't help but flinch every time a loud scream or yelp of pain reached her ears, as they were led through the corridors of Bedlam.

She felt the Doctor pull her closer to his side, his arm wrapping fully around her waist, as the jailer turned to them with a gleeful grin, "Does my lord, Doctor, wish some entertainment while he waits? I'd whip these madmen. They'll put on a good show for ya. Bandog and Bedlam!"

"No, I don't!" The Time Lord glared.

"Wait here, my lords, while I make him decent for the ladies." The jailer replied, walking away.

Martha glared, rounding on Shakespeare accusingly, "So this is what you call a hospital, yeah? Where the patients are whipped to entertain the gentry? And you put your friend in here?"

He scoffed derisively, "Oh, and it's all so different in Freedonia."

"But you're clever! Do you honestly think this place is any good?"

"I've been mad. I've lost my mind. Fear of this place set me right again. It serves its purpose." He answered, a sad gleam entering his eyes.

"Mad in what way?"

Cass stepped up to him, gently reaching down and grabbing the playwright's hand, holding it in comfort, "You lost your son. I'm so sorry."

He nodded, placing his other hand above her own in gratitude for her comfort, especially in place like this, so clearly lacking of it, "My only boy. The Black Death took him. I wasn't even there."

"I didn't know." Martha whispered contritely, apologetically, "I'm sorry."

He shrugged, "It made me question everything. The futility of this fleeting existence. To be or not to be... oh, that's quite good."

"You should write that down somewhere," the redhead suggested softly, though he couldn't help but notice the knowing gleam in her eyes.

"Hm, maybe not. A bit pretentious?" He hummed, chuckling when her husband, the Doctor-man, suddenly tugged her back into his arms, hand wrapping around her own tightly, in such loving possessiveness, as though he couldn't stand to be away for any longer.

Cass rolled her eyes adoringly at her tether, before shooting Shakespeare a small wink, unable to say anything more, as the jailer had returned, announcing, "This way, m'lord!" And leading them down the hall to Peter Streete's cell.

He turned to them as he unlocked the cell, warning, "They can be dangerous, m'lord. Don't know their own strength."

The group entered, the Doctor barely managing to avoid snarling back angrily, "I think it helps if you don't whip them! Now get out!" As the jailer left, the cell door clanging shut behind him, the Time Lord knelt beside the prone man carefully, gently calling out, "Peter? Peter Streete?"

William shook his head sadly, "He's the same as he was. You'll get nothing out of him."

"Peter?" The Doctor tried again, laying a gentle hand on the man's shoulder, only to rear back slightly when he jerked upright, looking at him with wild, glassy eyes, mouth moving soundlessly, as though he wanted to speak, but couldn't.

Clearly far more than simple, human madness.

Cass approached them slowly, kneeling beside her tether, and quickly saying, the second she felt the protective tethering instinct rise in him, "I can help him. He can't speak, whatever was done to him, it prevents him from speaking, yet haunts his mind. I can reach into it, remove whatever mental walls were enforced in there, heal him, maybe."

A waft of concern and pride floated into her, as the Doctor asked, "Are you sure? Something like that, it's only theoretical in nature."

"For you," she smiled lightly, shrugging modestly, "I've had to do it before. And I have the vortex too, worst comes to worse, I'll just reverse whatever occurred from a temporal basis, shouldn't be too hard."

He nodded, still wary of her using the vortex, still uncertain of what effects it may have, but trusting her all the same. He watched with pride as she tenderly ran a hand through the man's greasy and dirty hair, voice soothing and nearly hypnotic as she whispered, "Hello Peter, I'm Cassandra." She smiled softly, closing her eyes as she placed her fingers to his temples, a warm golden glow beginning to seem through them, "It's okay, I know..I know. Just listen to my voice, Peter, okay? I'm here, and nothing will hurt you, I promise. Just listen to my voice, and go back to a year ago. I know it's hard, that every time you try to speak of it, the words lodge themselves in your throat, but it's okay, you can do it." Her head tilted slightly, eyes scrunching in focus as her tongue peeked out from between her teeth, indicating that her entire attention had now been placed on her task, "Let your mind go back, back to when everything was fine and shining. Everything that happened in this year since has only made you stronger, braver. It has not broken you, I swear. Don't let someone else finish your story for you, write the ending yourself."

She felt a flash of concern light through her, felt the slight wetness on her upper lip, but ignored it in favour of smiling, sensing Peter returning to his mind, as she systematically tore down the walls and fabricated nightmares they'd built there, "That's it, Peter. You're nearly there. Can you see me? Yes, there we go, reach for my hand okay? I'll get you out, and I promise, nothing will tug you under again."

Slowly, her eyes opened, and she swallowed heavily, not moving, not swaying for a second, as the architect slowly blinked his own eyes open, meeting her gaze with startling clarity, before moving behind her, and gasping in shock, "Will?"

"Peter?" The writer gasped in shock, grateful eyes moving to the impossible redhead, the one who'd somehow managed to heal his friend's fractured mind, to find her smiling gently, before drawling, a hint of sarcasm in her words, "Well? Are you gonna hug him? Because he really needs a hug, and I'd know. I was in his head."

Immediately he drew Peter in his arms, hugging him happily, and Cass finally allowed herself to sway in tiredness, the Doctor's arms wrapping around her tightly, his pride and awe drifting in her hearts, filling them with warmth, "You really are impossible," he whispered happily.

"I know," she chuckled, winking at him, "I am your tether. I have to be impossible to keep up with you."

He pressed their lips together slowly, before looking back at Peter and saying, "Peter? We really do need to know, though. About the witches."

"Will you tell us, please?" His tether added softly, and the man nodded.

"They stared speaking to me, in the dead of night," he murmured sadly, "Gave me the design, prompted me to build the Globe. When the work was done, they took my mind, and they will again." He began growing frantic, gasping, "They will never leave me be."

"They won't come back to you. Your mind belongs to you once more Peter, this much I promise you." Cass shook her head, looking at him meaningfully, and she explained to her tether, I built a wall around his mind, strengthened his barriers. No one should be able to get in there again, not even me. Certainly not whatever fucking aliens did so before.

The Doctor nodded slowly, before asking, "Where did you see them Peter?"

"All Hallow's street," the man responded.

"Too many words!" A voice cackled.

They all turned around, eyes widening at the sight of the very believable, halloween-like witch floating before them, all hanged nose, warts and black robes.

Cass immediately jumped before the architect, shielding him with her body, veins beginning to glow indiscernibly as the power of the vortex rose within her once more.

"What the hell?" Martha gasped in fright, as the creature approached Cass and the cowering man on the cot behind her, finger pointed menacingly, cackling, "Just one touch of the heart."

The redhead rolled her eyes, quickly snapping, "Sure, except you'll have to get though me, and I'm far tougher than I look."

"Witch!" Will yelled out in disbelief, "I'm seeing a witch!"

"Ooh, I'll stop your heart, poor, fragile mortal."

Glancing at her tether, feeling the nearly animalistic rage building in him at the perceived danger against her, Cass shook her head, smirking, lightly, before pointing at the witch smugly, "Humanoid female, uses shapes and words to channel energy, has a frankly disturbing obsession with the number 14, eerily similar to the 14 stars of the Rexel planetary configuration!" As the witch opened her mouth, eyes growing with fear for the first time, Cass beat her to it, shouting victoriously, "Don't fuck with the Oracle, or those I deem under my protection. Creature, I name you Carrionite!"

And with a painful scream, the witch disintegrated, leaving space for the Doctor to run to them, pulling his tether roughly into his arms, his hearts beating frantically in his chest as she nuzzled into his neck softly.

Pressing a kiss to the skin there, she whispered soothingly, "I'm okay honey. Impossible, remember? It's gonna take more than a bad halloween imitation of a witch like a Carrionite to keep me away from you."

He didn't answer, simply pressed her face further into him, as though wishing to fully place her inside his chest like she'd joked about earlier, his hand cupping the back of her neck, fingers spasming softly on the skin.

"What did you do?" Martha asked, sensing that if she didn't speak, neither of them would offer any explanations.

"She named her." The Time Lord replied, voice trembling slightly still with remnants of fear and anger, pulling away enough to tug Cass into his side, but face the humans, "The power of a name. That's old magic."

"But there's no such thing as magic."

He shrugged, and Cass replied softly, "It's science and mathematics, except instead of using numbers like the rest of us, Carrionites use words."

William shook his head, reaching down and helping Peter up, "Use them for what?"

Both Time Lords looked at each other in concern, replying together, "The end of the world."

———————

"The Carrionites disappeared way back at the dawn of the universe. Nobody was sure if they were real or legend." The Doctor explained to the group as they all sat in Shakespeare's room back at the inn. He had Cass on his lap, still unwilling to let her go after witnessing her in danger.

If she hadn't been quick, the Carrionite might have stopped one of her hearts.

I was though, and even then, I'd still have another one beating in my chest. Her voice whispered soothingly in his mind, as she pressed a tender kiss to his cheek, on the corner of his lips really, No point pondering what could have happened, rather than focus on what did, Theta. I'm here, safe and sound in your arms, as I'll always be.

You're going to age me prematurely, you know that right, Luna? He joked softly, squeezing her waist with the hand slung around it, as in front of them, the pacing Shakespeare scoffed, "Well, I'm going for real."

"But what do they want?" Martha asked, confused.

Cass shrugged, "What every supervillain wants, an empire under their dominion, where words and blood and bones reign supreme."

"But how?"

"We're looking at the man with the words," The Doctor replied, both him and Cass levelling meaningful looks at William, who gaped, "Me? But I've done nothing."

"Hold on though," Martha interjected, looking at the playwright thoughtfully, "What were you doing last night, when that Carrionite was in the room?"

"Finishing the play."

"And what happens on the last page, Will?" The redhead questioned softly, eyes peering into his own, that knowingly glint once more present in them, as though she knew exactly what his answer would be.

He shrugged back, "The boys get the girls. They have a bit of a dance. It's all as funny and thought provoking as usual, except those last few lines." His brows furrowed suddenly, confusing snaking into the lines of his face, "Funny thing is... I don't actually remember writing them."

Cass nodded, "it's because you didn't write them. They used you, used your hand and your pen to etch their own words on there."

"'Love's Labours Won', it's a weapon!" The Doctor gasped, "The right combination of words, spoken at the right place with the shape of the Globe as an energy converter! The play's the thing!" he looked at the playwright and winked happily, aware that his tether had pouted at him using one of the man's lines against him, instead of her, "And yes, you can have that."

"Not fair," Cass pouted, "That's my thing, and I've been doing it so well, too."

Hooking a finger under her chin, he raised her eyes to his own, grinning at how they sparkled happily, before shrugging, "Gotta be quicker than that next time, love." Before leaning down and kissing her softly, humming when she whispered, "touché. Time Lord."

——————

They were leaning over the map Will had provided them, Cass tracing the route with her finger, as the Doc explained, "All Hallows Street. There it is. Cass, Martha, and I will track them down. Will, you get to the Globe. Whatever you do, stop that play!"

The man nodded, reaching over to shake the Doctor's hand, before pressing a gentle kiss to Cass' knuckles, grinning when he heard her husband growl under his breath, "I'll do it. All these years I've been the cleverest man around. Next to you two, I know nothing."

"Oh, don't complain." Martha chuckled.

"I'm not. It's marvellous. Good luck, Doctor." His eyes moved to Cass, and his voice to took on an almost awed, reverent tone, "And may I see you again, you miraculous, impossible Oracle."

Cass smiled happily, chuckling when she felt a whiff of jealousy form her tether, as he began pulling them to the door, mumbling, "Good luck, Shakespeare." Seizing her chance, she added smugly, "Once more unto the breach!"

"I like that." She heard him murmur from inside the room, before gasping, "Wait a minute... that's one of mine."

Poking her head back in, she grinning mischievously, "Oh, just shift already, will ya?"

——————

"All Hallows Street, but which house?" The Doctor muttered as they reached the street, glancing around curiously.

"The thing is, though..." Martha began, eyes narrowed in a mixture of confusion and burgeoning fear, "am I missing something here? The world didn't end in 1599. It just didn't. Look at me, I'm living proof."

Cass shook her head, a small snort leaving her when her tether replied, "Oh, how to explain the mechanics of the infinite temporal flux? I know! 'Back to the Future'! It's like 'Back to the Future'!"

"Really? Back to the Future?" She chuckled, as Martha gaped, "The film?"

"No, the novelisation," he replied sarcastically, "Yes, the film. Marty McFly goes back and changes history."

"And he starts fading away," she nodded, before gasping in realisation, "Oh my God, am I gonna fade?"

"You and the entire future of the human race. It ends right now in 1599 if we don't stop it. But which house?"

Noting a door softly opening, Cass pointed to it, smirking, "I'm thinking the one with the magical opening and less than inviting door, no?"

He chuckled, weaving their fingers together tighter, joking, as they headed inside, "Ah, make that WITCH house."

When they'd entered, they found the maid from the inn, Lilith, waiting for them.

"I take it we're expected." Cass drawled sarcastically, raising an elegant brow at the woman.

Lilith shook her head, smirking, "Oh, I think death has been waiting for you a very long time."

"And yet, I've somehow managed to evade it all this time. Think I'm doing alright." She shrugged back, as Martha stepped up, nodding determinedly, "Right then, it's my turn." Raising her finger, she pointed at the witch, "I know how to do this. I name thee, Carrionite!"

When nothing happened, except Lilith raising an unimpressed brow, the human turned to the pilots questioningly, "What did I do wrong? Was it the finger?"

"The power of a name works only once. Observe." She pointed to Martha, not noticing that Cass had grabbed the human's hand, not paying attention to the golden glow that slowly seeped into her skin as she cackled, "I gaze upon this bag of bones and now I name thee Martha Jones."

As Martha collapsed, cass caught her, slowly lowering her to the floor and sating, "nice trick, but she's just sleeping. Should wake up soon enough."

She was pulled back to her feet quickly, the Doc tugging nearly imperceptibly behind him, shielding her slightly with his shoulder, as Lilith titled her head curiously, "Curious, the name has less impact. She's somehow out of her time." Looking at the man, she pointed, "And as for you, Sir Doctor!" Only to frown when nothing happened again, "Fascinating. There is no name, nor for your flame-haired love. Why would anyone his their title in such despair? Oh, but look. There's still one word with the power that aches."

He snarled, shaking his head, "The naming won't work on me."

"But your heart grows cold. The north wind becomes unbearable and erases the sight of your precious Oracle."

His teeth flashed, the hand he'd placed on his tether's waist to push her behind him tightening around her as he tensed as the mention of her title, at the perceived threat against her, tethering instincts rising up inside of him furiously, "Oh, big mistake 'cos that name keeps me fighting! The Carrionites vanished! Where did you go?"

"The Eternals found the right word to banish us into deep darkness."

"And how did you escape?"

"They found new words," Cass stated, stepping beside him, remaining glued to his side, but refusing to allow him to confront the threat alone, no matter how much he wanted her out of sight, "They found a glimmering mind, able to craft beautiful words with the precision they needed."

"Shakespeare." He murmured in realisation.

Lilith smirked, a seductive tilt to her lips as she glanced at him, "His son perished. The grief of a genius. Grief without measure. Madness enough to allow us entrance."

"How many of you?"

"Just the three. But the play tonight shall restore the rest. Then the human race will be purged as pestilence. And from this world we will lead the universe back to the old ways of blood and magic."

"Busy schedule then," Cass huffed, straightening up, "Unfortunately for you lot, you're gonna have to get past us first. We're rather fond of humans."

She ignored her though, keeping her eyes on the Doctor, striding seductively to him, hips swaying, as her hand rose to his face, finger running softly over his cheek, "Oh, that should be a pleasure considering my enemy has such a handsome shape."

The Time Lady growled, jealousy and possessiveness rising in her at overpowering speeds, and she tugged her tether back, glaring furiously at the woman, very aware of the golden light that had taken over her eyes, seeing their glow reflected in Lilith's own irises.

She felt a shiver of amusement mixed with pleasure from the Doctor, as his hand tightened around her waist, pulling her once more behind him as he shook his head, "Now, that's one form of magic that's definitely not gonna work on me. At least, not from you."

The Carrionite swallowed, the minute glimpse of fear they'd once spotted in her eyes disappearing, as a smirk appeared on her face, "We'll see."

Quicker than either could react, she'd reached over and plucked a singular hair from the man's head, hovering in the air the second he'd yelped in surprise, "What did you do?"

"Souvenir,"

"Well, give it back!"

She threw up her arms and the window behind her opened, allowing her fly out backwards, levitating outside.

Glaring at her, he muttered, "Well, that's just cheating."

"Behold, Doctor." She smirked deviously, pulling out a clay doll and wrapping the strand of hair around it, "Men to Carrionites are nothing but puppets."

The redhead rolled her eyes, placing her hands on her tether's chest and back in preparation, as she drawled in boredom, "I'd say I'm impressed, but that's just a DNA replication module. Not all that impressive, considering."

The witch glared, "What use is your science now?" As she stabbed a pin through the doll's chest, the Doctor grunting immediately after, falling onto a knee, Cass' arms around him holding him up.

"She's stopped one of your hearts," the Time Lady informed him quickly, "I'm gonna restart it, okay?"

He nodded, turning to the now-awake Martha and groaning jokingly, "How do you people cope?"

"Ready?" Cass questioned softly, waiting for his nod, before harshly smacking him on the chest, repeating the motion on his back, sighing in relief when she felt his second heart beating once more under her palm.

He looked up at her a smirked, "Looks like you're my doctor now, love."

Cass rolled her eyes, helping him stand, before whispering, "That was terrifying. You do that again, and I'm gonna tie you to our bed for the next month, and keep you there."

Weaving their fingers together, he pulled her left hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to the ring, smirking, "Is that a threat or a promise?"

"Prev," she huffed out, laughing, before running out of the house, her other hand reaching for Martha's and tugging her along, not wanting her to get lost.

Noticing he was about to round a right corner, cass tugged him away, rolling her eyes as she marked, "Wrong way, doofus!"

"No, we're not!" He yelled back, before stopping for a second, and running the way she'd been leading them initially, "Wrong way!"

"I told you," she grinned smugly, smirking when she heard Martha's laughter.

"Oh, just shift!" He huffed back, grinning when he felt her smugness moving through their bond.

Running in the streets, they heard screaming as they finally reached the theatre, a red glow of energy pouring from the top of it.

The preacher from when they first arrived was there as well, pointing to it and yelling, "I told thee so! I told thee!"

"Stage door!" The Doc pointed, tugging them towards it right as a loud clap of thunder rang through the sky, lightening following soon after.

They burst in backstage to see Shakespeare nursing his head, and the Time Lord muttered, "Stop the play! I think that was it. Yeah, I said, 'Stop the play'!"

"I hit my head," the playwright huffed in pain.

"Yeah, don't rub it, you'll go bald." Hearing screams from out front, he turned to his tether with raised brows, grinning when she smirked, "I think that might be our cue, honey."

"Indeed it is," he agreed, tugging her along as they ran to the stage, the Carrionites cackling in glee, "Now begins the millennium of blood!"

Spotting him, Lilith pointed angrily, yelling, "The Doctor! He lives! Then watch this world become a blasted heath! They come! They come!"

The Time Lords stood still, watching with grim awe as the remaining Carrionites escaped the crystal ball in Lilith's hand, floating around the top of the Globe menacingly, before Cass turned to Shakespeare, grabbing onto his shoulders and starting calmly, "History needs you Will! This us your moment to shine, okay?"

"But what can I do?" He stuttered.

"Reverse it!"

"How am I supposed to do that?"

The Doctor stepped up beside his wife, looking intently into the man's eyes, "The shape of the Globe gives words power, but you're the wordsmith, the one true genius. The only man clever enough to do it!"

"But what words? I have none ready!"

"You're William Shakespeare!"

"But these Carrionite phrases, the need such precision!"

Sighing, Cass squeezed his shoulders, still in her grasp, drawing his eyes back to her own. Looking at him, meaning and faith present and clear in the green irises, she said, "When you're all alone in your room, quill in hand and paper in front of you, the words just come, don't they? Perfectly crafter. Beautiful words that move people and last for centuries. Like magic. Words of the right sound, the right shape, the right rhythm, words that last forever! That's what you do, Will! You choose perfect words. Do it. Improvise!"

He nodded, inhaling sharply as he moved away, and looked up at the floating witches, "Close up this den of hateful, dire decay! Decomposition of your witches' plot! You thieve my brains, consider me your toy. My doting Doctor and heavenly Oracle tell me I am not!"

"No!" Lilith shrieked, "Words of power!"

"Foul Carrionite spectres, cease your show! Between the points..." he faltered at the aliens, only for the Doctor to state, "7-6-1-3-9-0!"

"7-6-1-3-9-0! And banished like a tinker's cuss, I say to thee..." he stopped again, once more looking at the two aliens, noticing Cass nudging Martha with a small wink, and the human woman yelled out victoriously, "Expelliarmus!"

"Expelliarmus!" The Doctor agreed, Cass giggling happily in this arms as Will finished, "Expelliarmus!"

"Good old J.K," the redhead mused, "Its too bad she's awful later on in the future, she's a great writer."

The Carrionites screamed in pain, Lilith crying, "The deep darkness! They are consumed! Ahhh!" As they all got sucked back into the crystal ball, along with all remaining copies of the play.

"'Love's Labours Won'." The Doctor murmured, "There it goes."

The cloud dissipated and the audience sighed in relief before beginning to applaud. The Doctor ducked out, Cass still in his grasp, leaving the stage as the actors took their bows.

"They think it was all special effects." Martha giggled happily as she bowed beside Shakespeare.

The playwright nodded, smirking as he glanced at her, "Your effect is special indeed."

She shook her head, smiling at him, "It's not your best line."

Backstage, Cass kneeled on the floor, grabbing the crystal ball in her hand, and shaking it happily, smirking when the witches inside yelped, "Serves them right, honestly, when will they learn that the earth is kind of off limits?"

Arms wrapped around her from behind, her back pulled tightly against her tether's chest, as he leaned closer, lips grazing the shell of her ear tantalisingly, whispering, "They won't ever. That's why we're here."

Smirking when he felt her shudder, when the caress of her desire floated through him, he pressed his lips to the spot below her ear, kissing it languidly, before adding, "They'll fit in well with the rest of the 'C' section, don't you think?"

Cass swallowed, eyes closing as her head fell back against his shoulder, "Uh-huh, sure."

Chuckling, the sound falling on her skin, he spun her into him, hands coasting over her ribs, against the sides of her chest, before settling on her jaw, where he tilted her head back, not giving her a second to think as he slotted their lips together, kissing her the way he'd wanted to all day.

——————

The next morning, Cass and Martha were both sitting beside Will at the Globe, as the Doctor rifled through the store-room backstage.

"And I say, a heart for a hart and a dear for a deer." The playwright joked, Cass giggling happily, understanding the context necessary that made it funny, while Martha rolled her eyes, "I don't get it."

Will looked at her happily, smirking, "Then give me a joke from Freedonia."

"OK, Shakespeare walks into a pub and the landlord says 'oi, mate, you're bard'." She replied.

The man chuckled, before pulling her close, wrapping a hand around her waist, "It's brilliant! Doesn't make sense, mind you, but never mind that. Come here."

"I've only just met you."

"The Doctor will only ever kiss his Oracle. Why not entertain a man who will?"

"I don't know how to tell you this, oh great genius, but your breath doesn't half stink."

Beside them, Cass grinned happily, before groaning jokingly when her eyes landed on her tether, who'd just emerged from the backroom, a ruff collar around his neck, and a skull in his hands.

"There comes trouble," she laughed, squealing when he tickled her sides in retaliation at her words, before exclaiming happily, "Good props store back there! I'm not sure about this though," he waved the skull in his hands in front of her, adding, "Reminds me of a Sycorax."

"Hmm, could be," she murmured back, smiling happily at him.

"Sycorax. Nice word." Shakespeare murmured, "I'll have that off you as well."

"We should be on 10%," the Time Lord chuckled, "How's your head?"

"Still aching."

"Here, I got you this" he removed the collar, slipping it around Will's neck instead, winking when he heard Cass' giggle, "Neck brace. Wear that for a few days till it's better, although you might wanna keep it. It suits you."

"What about the play?" Martha asked, smiling at the adventure they'd just had.

The Doc shook his head, Cass answering for him, "It's all gone. He's looked everywhere backstage. Every single copy of 'Love's Labours' Won' went up in the sky."

The bard sighed despondently, "My lost masterpiece."

"You could write it up again," Martha suggested.

"Better not Will," The Doctor interjected, "There's still power in those words. Maybe it should best stay forgotten."

Shakespeare shrugged, "Oh, but I've got new ideas. Perhaps it's time I wrote about fathers and sons. In memory of my boy, my precious Hamnet."

Martha's eyes narrowed, "Hamnet?"

"That's him."

"Ham-NET?"

"What's wrong with that?"

The couple beside them laughed, Cass shaking her head with a grin, as the Doctor announced, "Anyway, time we were off. We've got a nice attic in the TARDIS where this lot," he raised the crystal in his tether's hand, shaking it vigorously, "can scream for all eternity and we've gotta take Martha back to Freedonia."

The writer turned to him with knowing eyes, smiling at the sly, knowing smirk on the redheaded Oracle's face, before deadpanning, "You mean travel on through time and space."

"You what?" The Time Lord gasped in surprise.

Will shrugged, smirking smugly, "You two are from another world like the Carrionites and Martha is from the future. It's not hard to work out." His eyes moved to the redhead, and his smiled gentled, as he added, "And your miraculous, impossible wife is truly an Oracle, able to see through the folds of time itself."

"That's... incredible. You are incredible." The Doctor finally breathed, as beside him, Cass smiled, "I said it earlier, he's a genius. It takes one to recognise another."

Shakespeare grinned at her gratefully, before turning to Martha and beginning, "Martha, let me say goodbye to you in a new verse. A sonnet for my Dark Lady..." Only to stop when he heard the Time Lord scoff, turning to him with a challenging brow, "As though you could do any better."

The Doctor smirked, before cupping his tether's cheeks, knowing from her widened eyes that she hadn't expected this, and, throwing Will a smug look, using his own words against him, "One half of me is yours, the other half yours—" he pressed his lips to her ear, making sure to graze its shell teasingly as he continued, "Mine own, I would say; but if mine, then yours," pulling away, his gaze softened at the look in her eyes, so soft and filled with love and adoration, before raising her lips to his own whispering the final words against them, right as he kissed her, "And so all yours."

Martha visibly melted at the sight, heart warming at the exceedingly romantic display, before turning to Shakespeare with a raised brow, and joking, "Oh great genius, I really don't think you can beat that."

Huffing, though they could all see him smiling, not at all upset at being outplayed, he still began dramatically, "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate..."

Only for one of his actors to cut him off, yelling excitedly, "Will! Will! You'll never believe it! She's here! She's turned up!"

"We're the talk of the town!" Another announced happy, "She heard about last night! She wants us to perform it again."

"Who?" Martha asked.

"Her Majesty! She's here!"

They grown wild as queen Elizabeth the First makes her entrance, Cass flinching in anticipation, as the Doctor gasped in delight, "Queen Elizabeth I!"

Her gaze swung to him, hardening impossibly, "Doctor!"

"What?"

"My sworn enemy!"

"What?"

"Off with his head!"

"What?"

Martha and Cass looked at each other, matching eye-rolls on their faces, as the redhead began running, tugging her tether behind, "Never mind 'what', just run!" and Martha yelled back at Will, "See you, Will! And thanks!"

From behind them., they could hear the enraged queen ordering, "Stop that pernicious Doctor!"

"Stop in the name of the Queen!" A guard ordered right as they'd reached the TARDIS.

"What have you done to upset her?!" Martha questioned, giggling.

The man shrugged, as Cass ran her finger over the clever girl's door, unlocking it, "How should I know? Haven't even met her yet. That's time travel for you! Still, can't wait to find out. That's something to look forward to." He was pulled in ,the door slamming shut right as an arrow pierced where his head once was, as he laughed, "Oh! Good one, love."

Cass smirked, "I rather like your head firmly on your shoulders, arrow-free."

——————

Later that night, he went back to their room, expecting his tether to be asleep, only to find her laying in bed, dressed in nothing but the corset she'd worn earlier.

As his blood heated, and desire flooded his veins, he headed her way, stopping right as he reached her, and she smirked wickedly, "I did say I had you to take it off now, didn't I, Theta?"

Groaning, he pulled her to him, fingers reaching for the ribbons lacing her and tearing through them aggressively, before tossing her back on the bed, her giggles fading into moans as he pounced on her, lips chasing her pleasure passionately.