So been a while and all that. I already uploaded this but I was informed hours ago that it had glitched and all the code was in here (I would've remembered to check for that if it hadn't been so long...) But it should be fixed now. Apologies for the hours it took me to fix this, and for any spelling errors because I did some last minute beta reading before I posted it last time, but I can't be bothered now, so have the version from my word document. Either way, enjoy!
Alex blinked her eyes open blearily at the sound of the Doctor's voice shouting something. She frowned slightly, glancing around in an attempt to figure out where she was. It took another moment before it became clear exactly what had happened. She was in one of the pods in intensive care. She felt her heart rate pick up as she looked around, trying to find a way out.
"Doctor?" She called, hoping he'd be able to hear her.
"Alex?" His voice returned. "Cassandra! Let us out!"
"Aren't you lucky there were spares?" Cassandra told them, moving to stand in front of the doors. Alex could just make out the shape of her through the greenish glass. "Standing room only"
"You stole Rose's body" The Doctor growled.
"Over the years I've thought of a thousand ways to kill you two" Cassandra told them in reply. "And now that's exactly what I've got. A thousand diseases. They pump the patients with a top up every ten minutes. You've got about… three minutes. Enjoy"
"Just let Rose go, Cassandra" The Doctor tried again.
"I will. As soon as I've found someone younger and… less common. Then I'll junk her with the waste. Now hushaby! It's showtime"
Alex banged on the door a couple times, growling slightly when nothing happened. This space was just too small. She tried to keep her mind on track when memories threatened to surface. She had to get out. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to control her breathing and forget the fact that she didn't even have to stretch her arms out to reach all the walls around her. It wasn't like she was particularly fond of small spaces before, but after-
"Alex, we have to go, now" the Doctor's voice cut through the dark memories, making her eyes snap open. The door was open and he was stood in the doorway but looked very eager to leave. He had that understanding look on his face but although she had to force herself to even move enough to take his outstretched hand, she knew he was right. The Doctor pulled her along with him as he chased after Cassandra and the half-form Chip, glancing back at her every now and then.
Alex managed to push away thoughts on the past, focussing on surviving now. She looked around when the Doctor stopped suddenly, finding that now every body walking out of their cells. Thousands upon thousands of diseased half-humans.
"Oh my god" Cassandra muttered softly.
"What the hell have you done?!" The Doctor demanded angrily.
"It wasn't me!" Cassandra insisted.
"One touch and you get every disease in the world" The Doctor reminded them. "And I want that body safe, Cassandra! We've gotta go down!"
"But there's thousands of them!" Cassandra pointed out, sounding terrified by this point.
"Run! Down! Down! Go down!" The Doctor continued, pulling Alex along as he ran right behind Cassandra. They continued down, Alex placing all her focus on running lest she get distracted. They exited the stairwell into a cellar and Cassandra stopped, attempting to open the elevator.
"They won't work, the building's under quarantine" Alex reminded her as her and the Doctor stopped beside her. The infected were following them and Alex tugged at the Doctor's sleeve silently.
"This way!" Cassandra called. Alex and the Doctor followed, dodging more infected as they spilled in from another corridor. Alex stopped at the scared sound from behind them and turned to find Chip left behind, whimpering softly.
"Someone will touch him!" Alex pointed out, afraid for the half-form. She went to go back for him when Cassandra grabbed hold of her, stopping her from doing so.
"Leave him!" She insisted. "He's just a clone thing, he's only got a half life. Come on!"
"Mistress!" Chip called pitifully. Alex glanced back at him, feeling her heart break at the terrified and saddened look on her face. But Cassandra had already run off.
"I'm sorry, I can't let her escape" The Doctor told him, grabbing Alex by her shoulders and pulling her back.
"Doctor we can't!" She tried, looking up at him pleadingly.
"Cassandra still has Rose" He reminded her softly. "And we can't stay here or we'll die too" Alex shot one last glance at the half-form surrounded by infected. She huffed a sad breath, turning to run after Cassandra with the Doctor on her heels. They rushed into another room to find Cassandra opening a door, only to slam it shut again at the sight of the infected.
"We're trapped!" She told the other two, obviously upset. "What are we going to do?"
"Well, for starters, you're going to get out of that body" Alex growled, approaching her menacingly. Cassandra stumbled slightly as she backed away from her.
"That psychograft is banned on every civilised planet" The Doctor continued from behind her as he gestured at the machine on the ceiling. "You're compressing Rose to death"
"But I've got nowhere to go. My original skin is dead" Cassandra told them, eyeing Alex warily.
"Not our problem" Alex snapped.
"You can float as atoms in the air for all I care. Now, get out" The Doctor ordered. He put a hand on Alex's shoulder, pulling her behind him as he raised the sonic screwdriver menacingly at Cassandra. "Give her back" He ordered clearly.
"You asked for it" Cassandra huffed. A cloud of light burst from Rose's body and as soon as it was gone Alex was rushing over to steady Rose, forgetting all about Cassandra.
"You alright?" Alex asked softly, her anger gone at the sight of her disoriented friend.
"Blimey, my head…" Rose muttered in response.
"You could've gotten compressed to death. I think you've had it easy" Alex told her frankly. Rose blinked at her, glancing around.
"Where'd she go…?"
"Oh my, this is… different" The Doctor spoke, sound very un-like the Doctor. Alex whirled around, her glare settling into place once more when she realised what had happened.
"Cassandra?" Rose asked, baffled.
"Goodness me, I'm a man!" Cassandra continued, delightedly ignoring both girls. "Yum. So many parts! And hardly used… Ah… ah! Two hearts!" She realised then. "Oh baby I'm beating out a samba!"
"Get out of him!" Rose shouted, glancing at Alex, who was still glaring wordlessly at Cassandra.
"Ooh, he's slim" Cassandra went on, trailing a hand down the body she was using. "And a little bit foxy" She turned to raise his eyebrows at the girls. "You've thought so too" She pointed out, looking specifically at Rose. Alex's glare fell slightly and she seemed to hesitate a moment. "I've been inside your head…" Alex frowned slightly, looking back at Rose, who was refusing to meet her gaze.
"You've been looking" Cassandra teased none too lightly, stepping forward. "Despite your little friend's crush… you like it…"
The door at the other end of the room burst open suddenly, saving Rose from any more teasing from Cassandra or any questions from Alex. Infected suddenly began to stumble their way in.
"What do we do?" Cassandra asked frantically. "What would he do? The Doctor, what the hell would he do?" Rose and Alex glanced around a moment.
"Ladder" Rose pointed out, drawing Alex's attention to it. "We've got to get up"
"Out of the way, blondie!" Cassandra yelped, pushing past Rose to start climbing quickly. Alex gestured for Rose to go up next, watching the infected nervously until there was enough room for her to start upwards.
"If you get out of the Doctor's body he can think of something" Rose pointed out to Cassandra.
"Yap, yap, yap" Cassandra drawled. "God, it was tedious inside your head. Hormone city…"
"Just shut up Cassandra" Alex snapped. "Did you notice, none of us would be in this mess if-" She cut herself off with a scream of surprise as she felt a hand close around her ankle. She looked down to find one of the cats climbing up below them.
"Get off me" She growled, very much not in the mood for someone else to be annoying her. She tried to kick her off but the cat's grip on her was firm. It also meant she had stopped being able to climb.
"All our good work! All that healing!" She hissed. "The good name of the sisterhood… You have destroyed everything!"
"Go and play with a ball of string" Cassandra dismissed, rolling her eyes above them.
"Everywhere, disease! This is the human world, sickness!"
She screamed suddenly, boils breaking out on her furry skin before she fell all the way back down to the bottom of the shaft, still screaming.
"Don't I know it" Alex muttered. The infected watched her fall before staring up again. "Keep going!" Alex called. Cassandra started up quickly again and Rose followed, glancing back down at Alex every now and then. They got to the top but Cassandra couldn't get the door opened.
"Now what do we do?" She called back to the girls.
"Use the sonic screwdriver!" They both shouted at her. She frowned, pulling the object from the Doctor's pockets between two fingers and making a face at it.
"You mean this thing?"
"Yes, I mean that thing" Rose answered before Alex could yell at her.
"Well I don't know how, the Doctor's hidden away all his thoughts" She admitted.
"Cassandra, go back into me. The Doctor can open it" Rose ordered quickly.
"Rose" Alex warned, not liking her idea.
"Do it!" Rose insisted.
"Hold on tight" Cassandra warned. There was a flash of that same light moving from the Doctor to Rose and both almost seemed to stumble.
"Oh… Oh, chavtastic again" Cassandra complained. "Open it!"
"Not 'til you get out of her" The Doctor warned, pointing his sonic screwdriver down at her.
"We need the Doctor" Cassandra pointed out.
"I order you to leave her!" The Doctor repeated louder. Cassandra jumped back into the Doctor, making an annoyed face once she settled.
"No matter how difficult the situation, there is no need to shout"
"Cassandra, get out of him" Rose snapped.
"But if I go into you, he simply refuses, he's so rude!" Cassandra complained.
"I don't care, just do something"
"Oh, I am so gonna regret this" Cassandra grumbled. There was another flash of light and it moved down past Alex into the first infected. Cassandra stopped climbing, halting the others.
"Oh sweet lord, I look disgusting" She whined. The lift doors opened above and the Doctor helped Rose out.
"Glad to have you back" He told her, smiling. He made sure she was out alright before turning to help Alex out.
"Same for you" Alex told him honestly as she took his hand, letting him pull her out.
"No you don't…" Cassandra mumbled behind them. One moment she was with the Doctor and then a dizzying feeling hit her and the world went black.
There was a moment until it seemed like the lights flicked back on, like she was rebooting. But she was crouched on the ground. Rose was staring at her in shock and the Doctor sealed the doors quickly before turning to her, radiating rage. It took Alex a moment to realise she couldn't control what her body was doing. But she noticed right away the presence that now took up so much of her mind. She mentally groaned. It felt like a whole other person physically sitting on top of her head.
"That was your last warning Cassandra!" The Doctor growled.
"Inside her head" Cassandra spoke softly, staring off into space. "They're so alone… They keep reaching out… Just to hold us… All their lives and they've never been touched" The Doctor and Rose exchanged a glance which Alex caught out of the corner of her eye, being as it was she couldn't look at them properly. Cassandra gasped suddenly and it took Alex a moment to realise why. She'd found them. Her memories she'd regained.
"No…" She whispered. "Oh, the war" The Doctor's gaze hardened, seeming to realize exactly what she was talking about. "Fire… blood"
"Cassandra" The Doctor warned.
"All the things she's seen… All the things she'd done…"
"That's enough"
"So many people… So many she-"
"Stop it" The Doctor snapped, walking forward. He crouched down in front of her, looking right into her eyes. "Now Alex, I know you can hear me. If I could, you can. I need you to block your memories, can you do that for me?" There was a pause and her hand wandered over to rest on his. He looked down in surprise and Cassandra pulled back quickly, just as shocked.
"I'm sorry. I don't…" Cassandra trailed off, confused.
"That's because that wasn't you" The Doctor told her. "Alex can hear me" He gave a small smile before standing and offering a hand out to her. Cassandra accepted, letting him pull her to her feet. The Doctor stared at her a moment longer, still seeming unhappy, before he started off with Rose and Cassandra following.
They were almost attacked by Frau Clovis with a chair as soon as they stepped into ward 26. Cassandra and Rose jumped backwards as the Doctor started talking quickly, stopping her.
"We're safe! We're safe! We're safe. We're clean! We're clean! Look, look" He assured her.
"Show me your skin" The woman ordered.
"Look! Clean. Look" He repeated, holding his hands forward for her to see. Rose and Cassandra copied. "If we'd been touched we'd be dead" Frau Clovis nodded, placing the chair down. "So how's it going up here? What's the status?" The Doctor asked, glancing around.
"There's nothing but silence from the other wards. I think we're the only ones left" She told them, fiddling with a small device now. "And I've been trying to override the quarantine. If I can trip a signal over to New New York they can send a private executive squad"
"You can't do that. If they forced entry they'd break quarantine" The Doctor pointed out.
"I am not dying in here" She insisted angrily.
"We can't let a single particle of disease get out" The Doctor reasoned. "There is ten million people in that city, they'd all be at risk! Now, turn that off!"
"Not if it gets me out" Frau Clovis refused.
"Alright, fine. So I have to stop you lot as well. Suits me. Rose, Novice Hame, everyone! Excuse me your grace…" He glanced at the Duke of Manhattan before continuing. "Get me intravenous solutions for every single disease, move it!" He watched them all for a moment before spotting Cassandra, still in Alex's body. She wasn't doing anything, just standing where she was and staring off into space. He moved over and placed a hand on her shoulder, startling her out of her daze.
"You alright?" He asked softly.
"Everything she remembers…" Cassandra muttered, shaking her head slightly. "Was that all real?" The Doctor hesitated before nodding. "And you were there. You saw what she did"
"It wasn't her fault" The Doctor corrected quickly.
"Wasn't it?"
"No"
"She seems to think it was" Cassandra told him, making him pause. He glanced around as the others in the room had gathered the solutions he'd asked for.
"I'll talk to her later" He said mostly to himself before going to do what he needed to do. Cassandra watched him run off with Rose following behind.
"You really do love him don't you?" She asked out loud but softly.
'How could I not?' Alex's voice returned. Cassandra rolled her eyes but a flicker of a smile made itself known.
"I don't think he deserves you" She said frankly.
'I don't think I deserve him' Alex corrected
Cassandra waited in silence until the Doctor returned. He glanced at her as he walked past, taking her hand and pulling her along as he approached the Face of Boe, who looked very much alive. Rose glanced at her.
"Are you still…?" She asked, not wanting to finish her sentence. Cassandra glanced at her out of the corner of her eye, seeming disinterested.
"We're both still here" She responded, tapping a finger to her head. Rose seemed to deflate slightly.
"You were supposed to be dying" The Doctor told the Face of Boe, smiling nonetheless.
"There are better things to do today. Dying can wait" The Face of Boe responded in their minds.
"Oh I hate telepathy. Just what I need, head full of big face" Cassandra complained. The Doctor shushed her impatiently.
'You'd better remember whose head this is' Alex warned.
"I have grown tired with the universe Doctor" The Face of Boe went on. "But you have taught me to look at it anew"
"There are legends you know" The Doctor told him, kneeling in front of the glass. "Saying that you're millions of years old"
"There are?" The Face laughed. "That would be impossible"
"Wouldn't it just?" The Doctor smiled back. "I got the impression… that there was something you wanted to tell us"
"A great secret" The Face of Boe agreed.
"So the legend says"
"It can wait"
"Aww, does it have to?" The Doctor complained.
"We shall meet again, Doctor" He glanced at Alex, smiling slightly. "Fledgling. For the third time. The last time. And the truth shall be told. Until that day…" He teleported away without another word.
"That is enigmatic" The Doctor muttered, sounding impressed. "That- that is- that is textbook enigmatic" He nodded to himself and turned around to Cassandra, who was looking over Alex's nails. "And now for you"
"But… everything's happy. Everything's fine… can't you just leave me?" She asked hopefully.
"You've lived long enough" The Doctor shook his head. "Leave that body and end it Cassandra"
"I don't want to die!" Cassandra insisted, starting to cry. The Doctor clenched his jaw visibly. Cassandra was still in Alex's body. He had to remind himself that it wasn't her crying. He had to get rid of Cassandra.
"No one does" He responded simply.
"Help me!"
"I can't" He shook his head.
"Mistress!" Chip cried out, entering the room.
"Ah! You're alive!" Cassandra pointed out, seeming actually happy he was there.
"I kept myself safe. For you, mistress" He told her, smiling softly like he'd hoped he'd made her happy.
"A body" Cassandra realised, staring at him. "And not just that, a voulenteer"
"Don't you dare" The Doctor warned. "He's got a life of his own"
"But I worship the mistress" Chip inputted. "I welcome her"
"You can't Cassandra" The Doctor continued. She ignored him and quickly jumped from Alex into Chip, the light moving in a flash. Alex fell forward suddenly and the Doctor rushed forward to catch her.
"Oh! You alright?" He asked, holding her loosely. She blinked up at him a moment before her legs gave out and he had to catch her again. "Whoa! Okay?" Rose glanced between the two, looking worried as she stood to the side. She stared at him, her eyes focussing for a moment before she smiled.
"Hello" She breathed out softly.
"Hello" He smiled in return. "Welcome back"
"Ooh, look at that" She laughed. "Using my own body again" She held a hand up in front of her face, turning it around and moving her fingers. "Nice" She glanced over at Rose and her eyes and smile widened. "Rosie!" She cried happily, moving to reach out to her and stumbling in the process, causing both Rose and the Doctor to catch her. She laughed breathily. "Damn, who knew being compressed to death took so much out of you"
"Oh sweet lord. I'm a walking doodle" Cassandra complained from behind them, drawing their attention away. The Doctor glanced at Alex before leaving her with Rose, turning to Cassandra.
"You can't stay in there" He told her. "I'm sorry Cassandra, but that's not fair. I can take you to the city. They can build you a skin tank and you can stand trial for what you've done"
"Well that would be rather dramatic" Cassandra pointed out. "Possibly my finest hour. And certainly my finest hat. But I'm afraid we don't have time. Poor little Chip is only a half-life. And he's been through so much. His heart is racing so. He's failing, I don't think he's going to last…" His legs gave out and despite the fact that it had happened to her not two minutes ago, Alex was the first to hold her up, followed by the Doctor.
"You alright?" The Doctor asked, looking down at her.
"I'm fine" She waved off before pausing. The three stared at her. "I'm dying, but that's fine"
"I can take you to the city" The Doctor told her again calmly.
"No, you won't" She shook her head. "Everything's new on this planet. There's no place for me and Chip anymore. You're right Doctor. It's time to die" She paused again, hesitating before she finished. "And that's good"
"Come on. There's one last thing we can do" The Doctor told her, him and Alex helping her to her feet and walking her out of the ward.
Alex stood silently as they flew to the one last place Cassandra would go. She kept glancing at her while Cassandra herself was refusing to look at her. They landed and the Doctor and Rose helped her to her feet.
"Cassandra" Alex spoke up before she could think about it properly. They stopped, letting her look over at Alex. "I'm sorry" She said sincerely. Cassandra actually gave her a smile.
"Forgive yourself" She told the other girl. Alex smiled softly in return.
"Is that a dying wish?" She joked.
"Yes" Cassandra told her seriously. "At least try" Alex nodded.
"Yeah, okay. I'll try" She promised. Cassandra nodded in return and the Doctor and Rose helped her to the door. Alex stood where she was a moment before following. By the time she exited the Tardis, Cassandra was halfway across the room in the huge party, talking to a much younger version of herself. Alex smiled softly until Chip's body failed and she collapsed. Cassandra started trying to call for help, holding the man she'd just met. Rose was the first to return to the Tardis. The Doctor glanced at Alex, who was still staring at the two, tears in the corner of her eyes.
"Come on" The Doctor urged softly, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him as he led her back to the Tardis.
"She wasn't always bad" Alex pointed out quietly. "We saw, just now. She was really the only one to care when a man collapsed in the middle of a party. She tried to look after him"
"Yeah" The Doctor agreed. "I know" He placed a small kiss on top of her head. "Let's go get some sleep, yeah?" Alex nodded, shooting one last glance over her shoulder before entering the Tardis once more.