A sigh escaped Vera as she leaned back into the chair she was sitting on, unable to stop her thoughts from continuing to circle back to Shenin's words even as she resumed her watch over the unconscious duo on the bed. To say that the Time Lady's unexpected presence had only been confusing would have been a lie and an understatement. Though a feeling of relief had washed over Vera at the sight of the woman, knowing how rarely she got to see, let along talk to the red head.
Though the sense of foreboding, nor the worry that churned her gut had left the blonde after Shenin's departure, and as she turned to retrieve the cup of tea from the side-table – more for something to do than actually drink – Vera couldn't stop from thinking over just what the Druid's return would mean for not only herself, but Aries and the Doctor as well.
Knowing what had happened and living through it were two completely different things, and the latter already terrified Vera enough. She had no idea what to expect, or even if the man would show himself, knowing that the Druid hadn't made an appearance the first time round. All Vera did know was that she had to be prepared for anything. And the blonde felt that she had to be quite literal in her definition of anything.
The Druid had given up everything to come back to this specific point in time, and she had no why.
Taking a sip of the tea, Vera's gaze landed on her vortex manipulator as she wondered if it was possible to try and rig the device to locate the Druid. Knowing that the man was around while the Doctor and Aries were down was not something she was enjoying. And the understanding that, for the Druid at least, the Kreed were no more, Vera wondered what had happened to the Diath-Rauvec. But the moment the still-warm concoction hit her tongue, Vera almost choked on the tea when she found the taste to be completely different to the cup Jackie had made.
"What?!" the blonde exclaimed, staring at the cup with wide eyes before they quickly narrowed and she gave the contents a sniff. "Why would she- Oh!" she breathed, her eyes snapping to the pair on the bed. "Oh, sometimes I wish I could punch that woman," she all but laughed, realising why Shenin had been unusually vocal about her dislike for the tea.
You forget to think, Veral. Read between the lines... See what they aren't saying...
Vera rolled her eyes as her former Master's words whispered in her mind, recalling all the times she'd been told those words by Vasuki. However before Vera could even begin do what she had suddenly realised she needed to do, the front door of Jackie's flat was thrown open and Rose and Mickey burst inside.
"Get off the phone!" she heard the younger blonde screech to her mother while Mickey rushed past Rose and though the flat towards Jackie's room where he found Vera was still keeping watch over the Doctor and Aries. He barely took notice that the blonde as he made certain that his aunt was okay before rushing back out to the living room where her ex was now on the phone; her mother standing nearby looking very flummoxed.
"Bev? Yeah. Look, it'll have to wait," Rose quickly cut through whatever the woman on the other end of the line was saying before hanging up. She then threw the phone onto the couch and turned to her mother and Mickey. "Right, it's not safe. We've got to get out. Where can we go?" she asked the pair quickly.
"My mate Stan, he'll put us up," the young man suggested as Vera entered the room, curious to know what all the ruckus was about.
"That's only two streets away," Rose denied, shaking her head before turning to look at her mother, "What about Mo? Where's she living now?"
"I don't know," Jackie exclaimed, rather at a loss as to why the pair were acting like the world was ending, "Peak District."
"Well, we'll go to Cousin Mo's then," Rose stated.
"No, it's Christmas Eve! We're not going anywhere! What are you babbling on about?"
Rose ignored her mother when she noticed a strange green and red Christmas tree sitting where the white one she and Jackie had chosen not the year before. "Mum. Where'd you get that tree?" she asked, "That's a new tree. Where'd you get it?"
Mickey and Vera both followed the blonde's gaze, noticing the same thing that Rose had, though Vera's gaze had narrowed on the tree.
"I thought it was you," Rose's mother explained, and it caused her daughter to frown.
"How can it be me?" she asked.
"It doesn't matter who it was," Vera suddenly cut in and caused Rose to turn to her sharply, "We need to get out of here. Now!"
"Who put you in charge?" Rose questioned, though her eyes were quick to narrow on the blonde as she added, "And who are you, anyway?"
"Someone who's currently trying to keep you breathing," Vera remarked as she looked to the younger woman in distain, "And as much as I'd rather leave that up to fate," her gaze flickered to the green and red striped tree, "We need to get the Doctor and Aries out as well. Back to the TARDIS where we'll be safe. Mickey, think you can help me with them?" she asked, turning to the young man, and with a nod, Mickey was already heading off back to the bedroom.
"Wait!" Rose shouted, grabbing Vera's arm when the woman went to follow Mickey and caused her to stop. "Who the hell are you to order us around?!"
Vera looked to the blonde with a raised eyebrow before her gaze landed on her arm where Rose still held onto her arm. She opened her mouth to tell the young woman to let her go, but was quick to forcefully tug her arm from Rose's grip and push the younger blonde towards the bedroom the moment she heard a weird, distorted version of 'Jingle Bells' begin to play from behind her. "Get them out of here!" she shouted as she also shoved a protesting Jackie after her daughter as the Christmas tree behind her started to rotate in different directions.
She spun back towards the tree the moment they had disappeared up the hall, her dagger finding itself somehow in her hand once more and one of the six runes that was etched into the side begun to illuminate a bright blue. Though as she watched the demented, and suspiciously glowing tree chop its way effortlessly through the coffee table before her, Vera cursed silently under her breath.
Of course that bastard would have gotten himself involved with the Sycorax! she thought as she quickly backed away from the wooden massacre that was taking place in the middle of Jackie's living room.
Without missing a beat, Vera turned and rushed towards the bedroom, her thoughts focused on protecting the Doctor and Aries even as her mind whirled at the absurdity of just what she was running from. Wherever Va'ly had gotten the idea to send a bloody Christmas tree after them, the blonde hadn't a clue, and she was rather annoyed that no one had decided to tell her exactly what she was going to be facing.
Vera shoved Jackie into the bedroom and slammed the door closed the moment she was clear, her hearts pounding quite the tempo in her chest as she tried to catch her breath – and gather her thoughts.
"Mickey, I need your help with the wardrobe!" she suddenly ordered, turning to the bed and casting her dagger aside. What bloody good are fangs against a murderous, magical Christmas tree? she grumbled inside the security of her mind as she attempted to push the wardrobe in front of the door.
Mickey – thankfully – was quick to rush to her aide and lend a hand, all the while Jackie was wailing unintelligibly in a pitch that had Vera gritting her teeth.
"Doctor, wake up!" she heard Rose shout, and turning her head in the young woman's direction, Vera could see the blonde by the Doctor's side as she tried to rouse him.
But the Time Lord didn't move.
Vera spared a quick glance to the bed near the Doctor's feet, and there was a small frown on her face when she looked back to Mickey. She knew the use of magic was restricted, but no one had said anything about the use Time Lord technology...
"I'll be a second," she told the young man before rushing to where the Doctor's jacket was laying and quickly rummaged through it. "Please tell me you haven't switched pockets," she muttered to herself before making a noise of triumph as her hand closed around a familiar, slender device. Pulling the Doctor's sonic screwdriver out of the pocket, Vera wasted no time in moving to the unconscious Time Lord's side; shoving Rose out of the way just as the tree smashed through the door.
"I'm going to get killed by a Christmas tree!" Jackie cried out as she cowered against the wall at the same time Vera placed the sonic in the Doctor's hand, ignoring the glare she was getting from Rose as she leant down to whisper in the Doctor's ear.
"Please, Theta. She needs you."
Without warning, the Time Lord suddenly shot up in the bed, his arm raised and sonic aimed at the tree. And the moment he pressed the button on the device, the destructive tree exploded. A frown appeared on his lips as he glanced down to the sonic in his hand. "Remote control," he murmured, "But who's controlling it?" he questioned out loud.
However not a double heartbeat later, he froze in place.
The Doctor slowly lowered his screwdriver and he turned to face Vera; the young woman watching him a little meekly. His eyes hardened as he pushed himself off the bed, and his expression had the blonde taking a step away.
"Who are you?!" he demanded.
Rose couldn't help but smirk as she watched the Doctor glare at the blonde. She hadn't liked how the other woman had just taken over and started ordering them around – much like a certain red head – and then just pushed her out of the way when she had been trying to wake to the Time Lord. How did she wake him, though? the younger blonde thought, having seen Vera whisper something into the Doctor's ear.
Whatever it had been however, the Time Lord hadn't seem to like it.
Vera – much to Rose's confusion however – didn't look at all perturbed by the Doctor's expression. In fact, the woman straightened her shoulders, her lip twitching upwards into a small smile as she held her hand out to the Time Lord and revealed her vortex manipulator.
"Vera Bourn," she introduced herself.
The Doctor's eyes narrowed when he noticed the device around the blonde's wrist, and without warning he grabbed her arm; his sonic already buzzing away as he scanned the manipulator. A frown formed on his face when his sonic couldn't get a read off the device to tell him when she was from. Though when he found traces of another sonic's signature; along with an energy his screwdriver didn't recognise, his confusion turned surprised when he realised that it wasn't just any sonic he was picking up, but the exact same frequency as his own screwdriver.
"Everything in order, Doc?" Vera's smile grew at the expression on the Doctor's face, and she could do anything but not ask the question.
Rose's eyes narrowed on the other woman, wondering just who she thought she was. But the younger blonde found her mouth dropping open in shock when she watched the Doctor let go of Vera's arm, his intimidating expression disappearing as he took a step away from the blonde.
"How do you know me?" he asked with furrowed brows. His voice held none of the acute, frosted tones from moments earlier. The Doctor looked rather confused, and a little uneasy at the knowledge that the blonde in front of him knew him... or will know him. But even more so when she had used the name he had back on Gallifrey at the Academy. And the Doctor knew that she wasn't a Time Lady, knowing that he would have sensed her even while he'd been recovering.
But it didn't answer how she had known that name.
Before Vera could answer the Time Lord, a quiet voice from the bed gained their attention.
"Doctor?" Aries uttered softly as she tried to push herself up into a sitting position. Her face was confused as she tried to work out where she was and how she had gotten there, and the moment he heard her voice, the Doctor spun on his heel and was at her side in an instant, helping her sit up as he propped the other pillow behind her and gave her something more comfortable to lean back into as he asked, "Are you okay?"
The red head's eyebrows managed to knit together even more as she looked around, a little uncertain as to where she was and why there were so many people in the room with her. Aries' confusion on grew as she caught sight of the broken wardrobe, door, and a Christmas tree that was in pieces. "I... I think so," she replied, looking back to the Time Lord questionably, "Though I think I missed something," she added, giving the ruined remains of the wardrobe, door, and tree a sidelong glance.
Vera rolled her eyes at the pair as the Doctor quickly shook his head at his Nesdra as he muttered, "It's nothing you should be concerned about." Even she knew that Aries wouldn't believe the Time Lord for a second, and as much as she'd love to sit back and watch the pair, or more specifically the Doctor as he stumbled over his words to try and not have his Nesdra worried, they did have more important things to worry about.
"Sorry to cut in on 'Couple Time'," the blonde spoke up before the Doctor could begin to dig himself into a hole he would never be able to climb back out of. "But I think we need to figure out who was controlling that tree," she stated.
Her words earned her a glare from Rose; the younger woman still annoyed that Vera still felt the need to boss them around, as well as not having liked what the woman was insinuating. The Doctor an-and Aries are not a couple! she groused angrily in her mind.
"What do you mean?" Aries asked Vera as the Doctor turned back to the blonde with a frown. The Time Lord knew that Vera was right, but he also had no interest leaving his Nesdra's side. Not after everything they had just gone through.
"It's nothing that the Doctor can't deal with, Aries," Vera said, ignoring the red head's sceptical eyebrow as she looked to the Time Lord. As if she knew what was going through his mind, she added, "And if you like, I can keep watch over Aries while you're gone."
At the mention of the Doctor leaving, Aries instinctively grabbed his hand, not wanting him to go anywhere. He seemed to share her opinion when he didn't budge, instead intertwining his fingers with hers as his eyes narrowed on Vera.
It was Mickey surprisingly – for the Doctor at least – who was the voice of reason, and he had both his aunt's and the Time Lord's heads swivelling to him as he spoke. "Aries will be fine," he told the Doctor. "And," he swallowed, glancing at Vera, "I think you can trust her, Aunty. Vera's been watching over you two ever since she helped you up here."
The Doctor frowned, still not convinced, but when he looked to his Nesdra, he found that she was looking at Vera curiously. "Aries?" he asked, causing the red head to turn to him before she slowly nodded.
"I...I think Mickey is right," she told him quietly, giving Vera a side-long glance as she added, "And I do feel like we can trust her."
"You sure?" he asked, wanting to make certain that she was okay while he was gone. He didn't necessarily want to leave her side, but the Doctor knew that Vera was right. Whatever, or whoever had sent that tree needed to be stopped.
When she nodded again, the Doctor squeezed her hand before reluctantly letting it go. "I'll be right back," he told her before he placed a gentle kiss on her temple and got off the bed. Something caught his eye as he did so and he snagged the dressing gown that had been cast over the foot of the bed as he left the room.
Mickey grinned at a flushed Aries and winked at her before following the Doctor, causing his aunt's eyebrows to crease in confusion even while her face only seemed to redden further. Rose just shot the witch and Vera a glare as she too left with her mother. Jackie however paused in the doorway; her expression thoughtful as she glanced back to Aries before continuing on her way.
When they were gone, the red head adjusted herself on the bed, trying to will the blush she could still feel to recede before shaking it. She looked curiously at Vera once more as the blonde moved around the room.
"Who are you really?" she questioned, only to pause when she realised that there was no presence of the Doctor's swirling thoughts in her mind. The knowledge had Aries hoping that it meant he was finally feeling better.
Vera smiled as she replied, "That, Aries, is a story for another day. But for now, I believe you need tea." She picked up the cup that Jackie had left earlier and handed it to the red head carefully, making sure that she wasn't going to drop it.
Accepting the tea with a small frown – and slightly shaking hands – Aries asked, "Why do I need tea?"
"Tea is good for you. Helps settle the mind," the blonde explained with a shrug before walking out of the room, calling over her shoulder, "I'll be back in a second. I believe that the Doctor might need some tea as well."
The witch watched Vera leave, taking a sip of the tea. Surprise and disappointment warred across her features as the realisation that this wasn't just any ordinary tea... and that it had sadly gone cold. She wondered where the blonde had gotten the blend as she held the cup between both hands; cradling it in her palms. The witch glanced to the doorway of the bedroom before her gaze returned to the tea, and with a flash of magic, it quickly warmed to the ideal temperature in her hand.
She almost dropped the cup in shock however, when instead of just the normal red hue she had come to associate with her magic, it had been joined by a slightly golden hue as well.
"What in Merlin's name was that?" the witch breathed as she stared at the now-steaming tea.
Vera entered the kitchen, heading straight over to the spot she had seen Jackie making tea earlier and popping on the kettle. She pulled out a clean cup from one of the cupboards and went to grab the tea, only to pause when she potted something that looked very out of place on the counter.
A frown tugged at her lips as she picked up the small, brown hessian bag; noticing that there was a small piece of rolled-up paper and a strainer attached to the string that tied the bag closed. Removing the pair, Vera raised an eyebrow as she read the note.
Skiz'urr krato aramopal imk nixim jomecarvec.
(You'll find enough for two doses.)
Her frown deepened, noting that the note was both unsigned, and that she recognised the handwriting immediately. Picking up the bag carefully, Vera opened it as she wondered what game Shenin was playing at. The smell that hit her when she undid the string had a sigh leaving the blonde's lips despite her thoughts. She was quick to whip together a cup, forgoing any milk or sugar, understanding that it'd need to be as strong as possible to help the Doctor after his regeneration, and when the tea was ready, the blonde made her way back through the flat and to where the others were outside – just in time to see the Time Lord stumble backwards and collapse against the wall.
"What's wrong?" Rose asked worriedly, and despite the way she felt her hearts breaking at seeing the Doctor in such a state, Vera had the urge to roll her eyes at the oblivious blonde. Though the Time Lord's words had her freezing mid-step as a chill shot through her.
"I woke up too soon. I'm still regenerating. I'm bursting with energy," the Doctor explained before he exhaled more of the Time Vortex.
Fuck!
Vera inhaled sharply, hiding the scowl – along with her fear – as she realised what had brought the Druid to Earth behind a mask of irrelevance.
He is never going to just come and say hello, is he? the blonde continued to grumble as she forced her legs forwards, knowing that there was nothing to be done.
She was a part of the events now, and the blonde just hoped that nothing went wrong – and the idiot of a man decided to try and kill her as well just for being there.
"You see?" the Time Lord continued, unaware of Vera's swirling, turbulent thoughts, "The pilot fish could smell it a million miles away. So they eliminate the defence – that's you lot – and carry me off. They could run their batteries on me for a couple of- Ow!" he groaned, clutching his head between his hands.
Or use the energy to help a certain blond rip a hole in the very fabric of reality... Vera thought as she stayed back while Jackie suddenly went into overtime with her motherly-worry.
"Oh! Oh! Oh!" the eldest blonde exclaimed as she begun to fret over the fallen Time Lord.
"My head! I'm having a neuron implosion. I need..." the Doctor didn't manage to tell them what he needed, as the woman cut him off, causing Vera to sigh, dragging her thoughts away from a certain man and what he was willing to do to get what he wanted and back to the cup of tea she was holding.
"What do you need?" Jackie asked the Time Lord, and Vera decided to cut in, wanting to get this night over with as soon as she could.
"He needs tea," she piped up as she finally joined them, kneeling in front of the Doctor when Jackie moved aside.
"And what's tea supposed to do?" Rose asked snidely with a frown.
Vera didn't even look at the blonde as she handed the cup she had prepared over to the Doctor. "You'd be surprised as to what natural remedies can do to help after a regeneration," she said as the Time Lord drank down the cup in practically one swallow, not even caring that it was hot. There was but the briefest flicker of surprise that crossed his face as he met Vera's eyes, realising that the tea wasn't anything normal. And when he was done, the Doctor exhaled more of the vortex before sighing, feeling his mind finally calming after being reawakened. Far more quicker than he had anticipated, however when he glanced to the cup before back to Vera, he knew that whatever she'd given him hadn't been an ordinary cup of tea.
"Thank you," he said honestly as the blonde offered him her hand and helped him to stand. "But how did you know I needed tea?" he questioned when he was back on his feet.
Vera's lips pursed and the action had the Doctor's eyes narrowing in suspicion. "I should have remembered, to be honest," she admitted with a self-deprecating smile, "But it wasn't until someone reminded me that I realised why I was here."
"Shenin?" the Doctor asked with a mixture of confusion and surprise, vaguely being able to recall Vera speaking with another woman she had referred to as that. He wasn't too sure as to how he felt about knowing that there was someone – plural, it seemed if Ly was anyone to go by – out there that knew not only him, but his very species intimately.
The blonde shrugged. "She's a rather... complex character," she explained evasively, though her response only had the Doctor raising an eyebrow; not buying her explanation. "Her intentions may not always be clear, but... Well, despite how she seems, her, er... I would say heart, but I'm not too sure if I'd be lying. But whatever it is that moves her to cryptically help people, it's in the right place," Vera frowned, "Most of the time, anyways. She's the one who left you and Aries the tea," she finished, nodding to the cup that the Doctor was still holding.
At the mention of his Nesdra, the Time Lord's thoughts on what Vera had just told him about Shenin vanished as he breathed, "Aries!" before rushing back inside the flat, shoving the cup back into Vera's hands as the need to make certain his Nesdra was okay overcame him.
He missed the way his companion scowled as he pushed passed her, and the young blonde muttering, "It's always Aries," bitterly under her breath.
"Get used to it, kid," Vera remarked as she passed her, a smile on her face as she watched the Doctor disappear inside. "'Cause it won't be changing anytime soon."
"Hey! I'm not a kid!" Rose shouted, storming after Vera and Mickey, her mother trailing behind them.
"Could have fooled me," Vera muttered to herself, her smile growing when she heard Mickey snort in amusement beside her.
When the Time Lord re-entered the bedroom, he found Aries still propped up on the bed, staring at a cup in her hands and looked to be lost in her thoughts. He came to a pause in the doorway, just watching her for a moment as relief washed over him at seeing that she seemed fine before he finally approached the bed.
"Aries?"
He spoke her name quietly as he moved to sit beside her, though his voice startled the red head and the cup slipped from her hands. The Doctor tried to grab it to stop it from falling and spilling all over her, only to freeze as he watched it – along with its spilt contents – come to a stop in mid-air.
"How do you do that?" the Doctor breathed as he took the empty spot besides Aries, knowing that it hadn't been the first time he'd seen his Nesdra use her strange abilities. But it had been the first time that he had seen them up close, and the newly-regenerated brunet – not that he knew – marvelled at just what he'd seen his Nesdra do in the past with them. Though if he was honest, even when he had seen her use them, the Doctor had never thought to ask. Her abilities were, and always will be, a part of Aries. And to him, her abilities didn't change a thing about how he felt about her.
In fact, he believed he'd find it odd if she didn't have her abilities.
Aries' gaze dropped to the cup she was now cradling in her hands once more, unsure what to say. Usually she was far more discreet when using her magic, but the witch wasn't feeling a hundred percent. And having been lost in thought about why her magic had now taken on a golden hue had consumed her so greatly that she hadn't even noticed when the Doctor enter the room. Though Aries knew that she had never truly been secretive about her magic around the Time Lord before, having found that there was something about the man that made her feel safe.
That she could be herself around him and not have to worry about what he thought.
However, after she had found out that the feelings she'd been hiding from even herself were returned, Aries found herself suddenly anxious. She had never cared before, but suddenly she found herself worried about exactly what the Doctor thought about her.
"Hey," the Doctor said quietly, tucking a few strands of Aries' red hair behind her ear before gently tipping her chin up so she was looking at him. "I've told you before th-" He broke off as he gazed into her silver-grey eyes, a line appearing between his eyebrows when he noticed that they weren't just flecked with red any longer, but had been joined with sparkling specks of gold.
"Doctor?" the witch questioned in concern, resting a hand against the his arm and causing the Time Lord to jump startle, and he blinked before he felt his cheeks warming, realising that he had just been caught staring at her.
"Sorry," he mumbled, feeling embarrassed before a sudden thought had him frowning; his hearts picking up their pace within the confides of his chest as he begun to worry about the possibility of the gold flecks being there because of Aries' encounter with the Heart of the TARDIS. "But I think you need to go back to the med bay," he continued with a tone far more serious than mere seconds earlier as he grabbed the cup out of her hand and placed it onto the bedside table. He looked back to his Nesdra and found her eyeing him in confusion. "I just want to be certain that there weren't any after-effects of having the Time Vortex passing through you," he added, trying to not sound as worried as he was feeling. He had no idea what he would do, or even think if he found that there was something wrong with Aries because she had tried to save him.
"Oh... okay," Aries' brows furrowed, though she allowed the Doctor to help her off the bed. I wonder if it's because of the Heart that my magic has changed, the red head thought as she stood up, swaying slightly. But the Doctor was there to support her, wrapping an arm around her waist so that she wouldn't fall. Once again Aries ended up with a nose full of his scent, and the witch couldn't stop her face from falling when she found that the scent of leather – something she had come to associate the Doctor with – was barely present anymore. She was unable to stop the guilt from churning her stomach, feeling as though she had failed him – that it was her fault that he had regenerated. And that even though the Doctor may still be alive, he had still technically died because of her.
The Doctor startled, barely managing to hide it as he was hit with a sudden wave of guilt through the mental link he shared with Aries, and he glanced to the red head at his side. "Are you alright?" he asked her quietly as they may their way out of the room, noting that although Aries was looking steadier on her feet, she hadn't made an attempt to pull away – not that he wanted her to. It was a silent relief that she hadn't, knowing that after everything they had gone through during the last week, the Time Lord really just wanted to keep Aries close.
Keep her safe.
The woman in question glanced to the Doctor, though quickly averted her gaze when she saw the expression on his face and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine," she sighed, pushing the guilt away. The witch knew that there was nothing that could be done about what had happened without possibly ripping the very fabric of time apart, and despite how she felt, the Doctor was still alive.
He's still alive, she told herself, Even if he did change, he's still the Doctor.
"Everything okay?"
The voice broke through Aries' thoughts, and the red head blinked when she realised that they had already made it to the living room. Vera – who had spoken – was sitting on one of the lounges beside Mickey, the young man typing away on a laptop, while Rose sat alone adjacent to them. Mickey looked up from the laptop when he heard Vera speak, a smile appearing on his lips at the sight of his aunt up and about. Rose on the other hand was scowling at the sight of Aries leaning against the Doctor, his arm around her waist and looking far too close for the blonde's liking.
The Doctor nodded as he looked to the trio and away from his Nesdra. "I'm just going to take Aries back to the TARDIS," he told them as he continued to lead Aries out of the flat, "Just want to make sure that she's feeling better. Shouldn't take too long."
Vera watched the pair go, a small smile appearing on her face as they disappeared through the door.
"Got it!" Mickey suddenly exclaimed not a moment later however, and the blonde turned her head back to the young man and his laptop. She noticed that Rose was still glaring at the door that the Doctor and Aries had just left through and couldn't stop herself from rolling her eyes before refocusing back onto what Mickey was showing her.
It took the Doctor a while, but eventually he and his Nesdra reached the med bay of the TARDIS; the ship having moved a few corridors around to help aide their progress. He could tell that Aries was feeling strong enough to walk on her own, the red head having leaned on him less and less as they made their way down the stairs, but the Doctor still supported her; not wanting to let her go just yet. And he had a feeling that Aries was feeling the same.
Helping her over to the bed that she'd been occupying earlier – and ignoring the way his hearts clenched at the memory – a smile lifted his lips despite his thoughts when a cup of tea appeared on the bedside table.
"Here," he said softly as he handed the cup to his now seated Nesdra, all the while sending a silent 'Thank You' to his ship for having one ready.
"Thank you," the red head murmured as she accepted the cup, and a sigh escaped her as the warm, familiar liquid hit her stomach after her first mouthful; feeling as though her mind was indeed settling.
Nodding to her, the Doctor moved to sit in on the bed beside her, knowing that something was bothering her despite her reassurances that nothing was. He wrapped an arm loosely around her shoulders, once again ignoring her seemingly instinctive reaction to stiffen at the touch before he felt her finally relax. He continued to file away her reaction for later speculation, instead asking, "What's wrong?" quietly as Aries took another sip of the tea. He watched her closely as she paused, her gaze flickering to meet his before she looked away with a sigh when he gave her shoulders a reassuring squeeze.
The red head knew that he wasn't going to push her to talk, having seen just how much restraint he had in the past whenever they had broached a topic she found hard to talk about – which was generally anything to do with her. But Aries also could tell that this time, the Doctor wasn't going to let the matter go. Too much had happened since they had been in Cardiff... too much to just ignore. A part of the witch felt relieved at the knowledge however, knowing that the Doctor was someone she had come to trust enough to start talking about her past; that he was genuinely worried about her.
It was not something that Aries wasn't really used too, and it took the red head a moment before she did eventually speak.
"How can you be okay with this?" she asked, her voice coming out just above a whisper as it shook with barely contained emotions. "With me?"
"I don't understand," the Time Lord replied, studying his Nesdra's face with a confused expression; looking for any tell that would give him a glimpse into what she was thinking. Not that he was very hopeful at finding any, having realised quite quickly that Aries's emotional control was something akin to a fortress – locking them away unless she wanted to let them out.
The witch in question didn't say anything for another moment, just stared at the cup held between her hands before she swallowed. When she looked up to the Doctor, he noticed with some alarm that her silver-grey eyes were brimming with tears as she choked out, "Y-you died. I only wanted to save you, and She... I-I couldn't los-lose you. Not after..." Aries looked away as her tears fell, unable to meet the Doctor's eye – unable to tell him why she couldn't lose him. It was a selfish reason, and she knew it. But Aries had come to see the Doctor as more than just an acquaintance... a friend. The Doctor had become someone Aries wouldn't – no – couldn't lose, and she had made that decision the moment she had realised what the TARDIS had shown her when she had gotten to the console room.
He was someone who had been willing to die to keep her safe.
Who had died.
"You regenerated, an-and it's my fault."
Holding her closer, the Doctor let out an almost inaudible sigh. He knew that she blamed herself for what had happened, knowing that he hadn't closed their link when his mind had crashed on him. And although it pained him to see her like this, the Time Lord also knew that she needed to talk about it. Whatever she had done to block her feelings from him when he'd been practically losing it, it had left him feeling bereft and cold, and he never wanted her to be in a position where she felt that hiding her feelings from him was what she needed to do.
And besides, the Doctor didn't blame Aries for what had happened – not even for a second – knowing that it had really been his choice in the end. He knew that he could have let Rose die, but that would have made him no better than... Ly?
"It wasn't your fault, Aries," he told his Nesdra, mentally giving himself a shake as he placed a finger against her lips when she tried to cut in – to stop him. "I chose to take in the vortex," he continued as he let his finger fall, "If it hadn't been taken from Rose, it would have eventually killed her."
Despite his reassurances, Aries frowned as she looked away from the Doctor and back to her cup. She didn't understand why it felt as though her heart grew heavy at his words, and she was confused; wondering if her feelings had been misplaced - misinterpreted. Her mind could see the simplicity of his reasoning; if he hadn't taken the vortex, someone – his very companion could have died, and the Doctor knew that despite regenerating, he would survive the encounter. But Aries had been hiding her feelings for so long, having taken her years to understand just what she was feeling towards the Time Lord - decades to finally admit them out loud – and now hearing that her feelings may not be returned, the witch felt... disheartened?
The absurdity of the thought had Aries' frown deepening, her confusion growing as her mind decided to dredge up every memory of how the Doctor had acted around her - towards her. She briefly wondered if she was looking a little too deeply into his actions, but the memories continued to show her how protective he had always acted around her – like the way he had put himself between her and the Slitheen – and she found that nothing was making any sense.
And that wasn't even including the words she had sworn the Doctor had spoken to her – in her mind no less! – right before he had regenerated.
A frown appeared on the Doctor's own lips, his eyebrows knitting together as he watched Aries' expression fall. They sat there in an awkward silence as he tried to figure out what could be running through that vast mind of hers, wondering if he had said something wrong – only for his hearts to skip a beat when he played over his last words. Carefully, he moved his arm from around Aries and lifted her chin with his hand, causing her gaze to shoot to him; her expression startled.
"I couldn't let Rose die because she's my companion," he started to explain quietly, wanting to smile at the way her brows furrowed as she tried to figure out what he was telling her. Though he continued before his Nesdra could return to the wrong conclusion again. "But you... I couldn't stand to see you hurt and not be there at your side to help you. I knew that the moment I took in the vortex that I would regenerate." He smile softly, "But I also knew that I couldn't change without saying goodbye to you."
His words were no help to Aries, who felt as though her mind was trying to work out an equation that was written in a language she just didn't understand – all the while her heart had begun to race as the Doctor's unusually cool hand seemed to burn her skin where it touched her. "I... I don't understand," she told him, trying to make sense of what he was saying. Emotions had – and always would be – the bane of her existence, and Aries found that she was starting grow frustrated with herself at the realisation that the one time she actually wanted to know what all these signs her body was trying to tell her were... she couldn't.
The Doctor smiled, highly aware that in doing so only succeeded in confusing Aries even more, though as he moved his hand from her chin to stoke the back of it against her cheek, he could feel her tense once more – though suspected it was for a completely different reason than just instinct alone. "Rose is my companion, Aries," he told her, watching her face as his fingers brushed some of her red head behind her ear, "But you..." He couldn't stop himself as he leaned forwards and brushed his lips against her forehead, his eyes closing with a smile when he heard Aries inhale sharply in surprise. "You have always been more than just a companion to me, Rieka. So much more." His smile grew as he felt her shiver at the use of the name she'd used when they'd first met.
Her actual name.
As he pulled away, the Doctor wanted to tell his Nesdra just how much she meant to him at the expression that was on her face, but he knew that it wasn't the time. Instead, he placed his hand against her cheek, feeling just how flustered she was against his cooler hand. "You are more than just a companion to me," he finished, that smile still upon his lips.
Aries was surprised, confused, and flustered all at the same time as she continued to just stare, wide-eyed, at the Doctor.
Whatever occlumency skills the witch possessed seemed to have fled, and she swallowed, unable to say anything in reply to what the Time Lord had just admitted to her. She knew that her face was scorching under the Doctor's hand, and she ducked her head, using her long hair to try and hide just how flustered his words had made her. Though her blush only seemed to darken when she heard the Time Lord let out a soft chuckle at her reaction.
But despite all her chaotic emotions, it wasn't long until there was a small smile playing upon Aries own lips when it finally sunk in as to what the Doctor had admitted to. She found that she felt lighter - happier - at the knowledge that her feelings were, in fact, returned.
The Doctor shook his head at his Nesdra, finding that she was quite winsome, however also somewhat of an enigma. Though the Time Lord also knew that he wouldn't have Aries any other way, and with a grin, he gently grabbed the forgotten cup from Aries' grasp.
"Why don't you lie down and get some rest," he told her softly as he stood up, placing the cup back onto the table. "You look like you still need it," he added when he turned back to Aries and found her watching him in confusion. Her cheeks were still dusted pink, and the Doctor couldn't help himself – nor did he try and stop himself – as he leant forwards and gently ran his thumb over her cheek; feeling the cooling warmth beneath. "I'll be right here when you wake up," he promised as he pulled away, his lip twitching upwards, "And it'll be easier to do the check-up while you're resting."
Aries nodded, unable to do anything else as her thoughts drifted to how this regeneration of the Doctor seemed to be far more affectionate than his last. However, as the witch laid down on the bed and got comfortable, she watched the Doctor as he moved around the med bay as she allowed her mind to wander, and she couldn't stop herself from comparing how the previous Doctor had acted around her and how he did now. Though with a newer understanding of his own feelings towards her, the red head suddenly had the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose and groan at how oblivious she had been.
She should have seen it!
The protectiveness...
The way he had always been close by...
The hugs and-
Aries' face flushed once more as her mind brought up all the memory of the times the Doctor had – 'quite innocently' as she had originally thought – dropped a gentle kiss on her forehead or temple.
They had never been anything more, and as Aries' eyes slowly fluttered closed, the fact that she had been an utter dunderhead to have missed all the signs was the last thing the witch thought before sleep took her under its embrace.
The Doctor paused in preparing what he needed to make certain that there was nothing wrong with his Nesdra the moment he felt her mind completely settle. He turned, unable to not smile at her slumbering form as he switched his sonic off. And it only grew when he noticed that Aries had one on her own lips.
He walked over to her, being careful as to not wake her as he gently stroked her cheek.
"Sleep well, my Nesdra," he whispered, dropping another kiss onto her forehead before he turned and got back to work.
He missed the way the smile on Aries' face grew in response to his words... as well as the way the single pendent around her neck seemed to glow a warm amber.
Whispered words begun to fill the room, though all the Time Lord heard was the tapping of keys as he continued to try and figure out what was wrong with his Nesdra.