Red Lines

by jd009

The Red line; a figurative point of no return, a limit past which safety can no longer be guaranteed. I've always wanted to travel the stars...of course being kidnapped by a madman in a blue box wasn't how I imagined it happening. Throw in a malfunctioning, mystical red locket and a man who knows everything about you and you have a sure recipe for trouble. Doctor/OC

8. 42- Countdown to Inferno

AN/ Hi guys I'm sorry for not updating sooner, but I have just been so busy with Uni and Moving (again) and work that time has just got away from me. I have re-uploaded this Chapter (and had to rewrite the authors note because I lost it) and made a few changes.

Jd009

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Chapter 8: 42- Countdown to Inferno

The Med bay wasn't particularly large in comparison to some of the rooms I had glimpsed on the ship, mind you I had been quite occupied at the time to really be admiring the scenery. Currently a man, Korwin I had gathered was screaming on a medical table, as two others, a man, Ashton and a dark-skinned woman (I didn't know her name yet), were holding him down.

"Argh! Stop it!" Korwin was screaming. The woman was straining to hold him down as she attempted to reason with the hysterical man.

"Korwin, it's Abi. Open your eyes, I need to take a look at you." Abi yelled. The Doctor and McDonnell had reached the room moments ago and McDonnell looked frantic as she rushed to the man's side.

"Korwin! What's happened? Is he okay?" She asked to Abi, who must clearly be the ships doctor. The Doctor had run in with my unconscious body in his arms and had taken one look at the man and placed me on a nearby medical table. He rushed to the foot of Korwin's bed and whipped out his sonic screwdriver, scanning the man from head to toe.

"Oh God! Help me! It's burning me!" Korwin screamed.

"How long's he been like this?" The Doctor said in full medical mode, I stood by his shoulder watching. Abi appeared nearly overwhelmed as she tried to follow what the Doctor said.

"Ashton just brought him in." Abi explained. McDonnell glanced warily at the Doctor's action.

"What are you doing?" She demanded panicking. I couldn't help but have immense sympathy for her.

"Sonic impulse. Don't get to close." He said sharply as McDonnell tried to push her way past Ashton to reach the still convulsing man.

"Don't be so stupid, that's my husband." She said angrily to the others. But Ashton wasn't having any of it as he retorted angrily that it had been Korwin who had sabotaged the ship. It certainly explained the mess found in the engine room. The question was why did he do it?

"What!?" McDonnell said in horror.

"He went mad. He put the ship onto secure closure, then he set the heat pulse to melt the controls." Ashton explained almost accusingly. McDonnell growled angrily at him.

"No way. He wouldn't do that." She yelled. The Doctor appeared baffled by this set of circumstances. I myself couldn't quite fathom, a member of this close-knit crew, the Captains husband no less, trying to kill everyone.

"I saw it happen, Captain." Ashton said with finality in his tone. The Doctor stopped scanning Korwin and tried to talk to him.

"Korwin? Korwin, open your eyes for me a second." He said. Korwin groaned in pain, but scrunched his eyes tighter.

"I can't!" He yelled.

"Yeah, course you can. Go on." He encouraged the man. I had a bad feeling that if he did, we would all be dead. I could feel the pain and anger radiating off him. His psychometric imprint was increasing by the second, seemingly starting to drown everyone else's out, except for the Doctor's of course.

"Don't make me look at you, please." He begged. Reluctantly the Doctor nodded and reached over onto a tray beside the medical table, grabbing what looked like a hypo-gun. He looked at Abi.

"All right, all right, all right. Just relax. Sedative?" He asked Abi.

"Yes." She confirmed. The Doctor than preceded to inject Korwin in the neck as the man finally grew still. Much to everyone else's relief. He placed the hypo-gun back on the tray and leaned against the side of the bed, arms folded.

"What's wrong with him?" McDonnell asked.

"Rising body temperature, unusual energy readings… Stasis chamber. I do love a good stasis chamber. Keep him sedated in there. Regulate the body temperature. And, just for fun, run a bioscan and tissue profile on a metabolic detail." He instructed to Abi, who was already rushing around to follow the Doctor's instructions. She must have spotted me as she furrowed her brows in question at the sight of the unconscious blue-haired alien on her medical table.

"Just doing them now." She said off handily to the Doctor from between her work. The Doctor looked at her impressed.

"Oh, you're good. Anyone else presenting these symptoms?" He queried.

"Not so far." Abi said. The Doctor looked intrigued but relieved all the same.

"Well, that's something." He said. Abi looked at him questioningly. The Doctor didn't elaborate further though.

"Will someone tell me what is the matter with him?" McDonnell asked determined to finally understand what was wrong with her husband.

"Some sort of infection. We'll know more after the test results. Now, allons-y, back downstairs. Hey. See about those engines. Go. Hey. Go." He said to both Ashton and McDonnell. McDonnell only looked searchingly at him, but didn't resist as both her and Ashton left to help the others in repairing the engines. The Doctor didn't leave as he turned back to Abi who was still completing her test and setting up the stasis chamber for Korwin.

"Who are you?" She questioned him.

"I'm the Doctor." The Doctor said, as if that explained everything there was to know about him. She narrowed her eyes but didn't question him further on it. Instead she stopped what she was doing and turned to face him.

"I'm guessing that there's more." She said sternly. The Doctor nodded walking over towards my unconscious form. He placed his hand gently against my cheek before looking back over towards Abi.

"I need your help. My friend, she was exposed to a massive amount of heat and perhaps radiation from the sun where heading towards. She doesn't have long, her race, they don't deal well with heat, so we have to cool her down." The Doctor explained. Abi looked me over thoroughly.

"Can't you just scan her with that sonic device of yours?" She asked. The Doctor had already taken out the sonic screwdriver and was running it over my body. He frowned at whatever results he had found.

"Her body temperature has risen two degrees, to 16 degrees Celsius. Her heartbeat it far too erratic and her neural impulses are slowing." He said. The woman's eyebrows raised.

"That's very low." She murmured.

"No, her normal body temperature is 14 degrees. But we need to cool her quickly. I don't have much time to spare as I have to go back and help the others. I need you to give her a sedative to slow her heart." He instructed Abi. Abi looked horrified at the thought of doing that.

"What! If I do that it might kill her. I don't even know anything about her biology. We don't have any frozo gels either to take down the body temperature just the Stasis Chamber." She said. The Doctor narrowed his eyes.

"I need you to do this. She can handle it. Zell have a remarkable ability for self-regeneration, her metabolism is also exceptionally fast, so she won't be under for long. The hotter she gets, the slower her brain becomes until her heart stops altogether." He almost yelled. Abi reluctantly gathered a knew hypo-gun full of sedative, that she had used on Korwin.

"Its standard sedative used for humans. I have given her a slightly less dose than Korwin got, as she is smaller than him." She explained to the Doctor as she injected my neck with it. I jumped when I felt a weird ticklish sensation in my neck. My hand flew to the same spot of where I had been injected. But I didn't get drowsy at all. However, I noticed as the Doctor hooked my body to a heart monitor that my erratic heartbeat was slowing.

"Listen very closely. I need you to put Riana's body in the stasis chamber and set it for -20. She has to stay in there until her breathing stabilises and her body temperature drops back to 14. It shouldn't take more than four or five minutes." He said urgently. Abi looked even more concerned now.

"But I need the stasis chamber for Korwin-" The Doctor didn't let her finish, getting into her personal space anger evident on his face. I nearly stepped back from him in fright.

"No. If you don't want everyone on this ship to die then you need to lower her body temperature. The hotter she gets, the more likely chance that her locket will open and then nothing will matter. So do as I say. Korwin is heavily sedated he won't be going anywhere anytime soon." The Doctor demanded. If I had been able, I would have yelled at him for frightening the poor woman.

"O-ok. I understand, but still that temperature for too long will kill her." She said tentatively. The Doctor shook his head.

"Her species comes from a planet where the normal temperature ranges around the minus regularly. She'll be fine, it's the optimum temperature for the healing trance. Now I need you to watch her. Tell me immediately if there is any change." The Doctor said. Abi nodded before gently lifting me up and placing my body in the stasis chamber. She reset the temperature and watched as the Doctor glanced at her progress before leaving to help the others.

I could vaguely hear the computers voice ringing out in the silence. "Heat shield failing. At twenty-five percent. Impact in thirty-two fifty." I sat down on one of the free medical tables as I watched Abi close the door of the stasis chamber and press the button to start the freezing process. I should have followed the Doctor, but his extreme reaction towards Abi about my safety was baffling me.

I couldn't comprehend why it was so important that the locket didn't open. Sure, I knew he had said that before, and my future self had said the same thing, but he had been implying that opening it was worse than crashing into a sun. The locket certainly had strange powers, but they had never hurt anyone before, only helped me, by showing me things that made sure others didn't die or gave me more information.

Looking down at my pale long hands, only proved how strange and incredibly powerful it could be. I was some sort of ghost, watching everything from outside my body, almost as though I was an astral projection. Making me travel through time and space to wherever the Doctor was. Defying the very laws of physics, it seemed.

I buried my face in my hands, unsure of what to do. I groaned as I whispered to myself.

"Why, is this even happening to me? What did I do to get dragged into messes like this? I mean it's only been like… four days since I first met the Doctor and suddenly everything doesn't make any sense." I looked over at Abi as she went back to preparing her bio scans of Korwin. She checked his vitals again, frowning at what she saw.

Getting up off the table I went over to where my body was and watched as frost started to form. The truth was, the last few days everything had been so rushed. It left far too little time for contemplation. But as with most things that came into my life, I tried to suck it up and roll with the punches, wherever they might fall. No instead I would try and focus my attention on what little I did know.

The future Doctor had given me a hint, something about the Captain, I remembered. No something about the light. Damn it! What did he say.

… Beware of the light. The answer lies with the captain. Everything is not as it seems…

The answer came to me almost as though I could hear his actual voice. Knowing the abilities of the locket, it wouldn't surprise me if I actually was. I perked up when the Doctor's voice sounded over the intercom in the med centre.

"Abi, how's Korwin and Riana doing? Any results from the bio-scan?" He asked. Abi was looking at x-rays and bio-scans of Korwin, while she displayed another screen with my body on it. She looked confusedly at both.

"He's under heavy sedation. I'm just trying to make sense of this data. Give me a couple of minutes and I'll let you know. As for your 'girlfriend'… well she's been in for about 3 minutes now and her internal temperature has dropped a degree. Her metabolic function seems to have levelled off and her neural activity has increased by 24%" She said somewhat sarcastically. My mouth fell open at her casual assumption that I was the Doctor's girlfriend. The Doctor didn't seem to deny it as he simply continued on talking.

"Good, let me know when she drops to 14, then take her out and leave her to rest." He instructed.

"Also, Doctor, there's something strange about her neural activity… it's like it is coming from a strange region of the brain, if I didn't know better I would say it is the hippocampus and the cerebellum, almost like she's dreaming." Abi trailed off thoughtfully.

"It's normal, she's probably gone into a healing trance now." The Doctor said thoughtfully. I frowned standing still by my body. I shouldn't be dreaming, as I was aware and conscious now, my body was still too weak for it to have entered a healing trance. The Doctor must be still talking over the intercom, as he was now speaking to Martha.

"Martha? Riley? How're you doing?" He asked them. I listened intently, with interest as I was worried about Martha's safety.

"Area twenty-nine, at the door to twenty-eight." Martha replied.

"Yeah, you've got to move faster." The Doctor said. Martha sighed in irritation.

"We're doing our best." Martha said. I looked at the readout next to the stasis chamber and watched as it read -20 degrees. It showed a scan of my body and my core temperature sitting at 15.2. It was still too high. Movement from the corner of my eye had me turning to face where Korwin's sedated form rested behind Abi. I narrowed my eyes as I walked closer to him.

Perhaps I was just imagining it, but I could have sworn I had seen him move. No, I was sure I was imagining it now. He still lay completely still under heavy sedation, otherwise Abi would have noticed it on her readouts.

"Find the next number in the sequence three one three, three three one, three six seven. What?" Riley's baffled voice said over the intercom.

"You said the crew knew all the answers." Martha said with fear in her voice. I groaned, wracking my brain for the answer. Mathematics had never been my strongest subject, but my father had forced enough into my head that I understood the mechanics of it and had a well-rounded understanding of how to apply it. But still the answer seemed to elude me as I couldn't for the life of me think on it.

"The crew's changed since we set the questions." Riley said warily. Martha laughed with almost hysteria as she asked Riley if he was joking. Riley facial expression must have been enough to shut her up though, revealing my worst fears.

"Three seven nine." The Doctor's frustrated voice said over the intercom. I frowned trying to see how he had gotten the answer. Wait, the number sequence… primes, these numbers were primes, but there was something more added to it. Then I wanted to hit myself for being so oblivious, they were all happy numbers. And like I was again in my father's study as he sat me on his knee, his voice washed over me…

…Any number that reduces to one when you take the sum of the square of its digits, and you continue iterating until it yields one is a happy number…

"What?" Martha said.

"It's a sequence of happy primes. Three seven nine." The Doctor reiterated. The Doctor's voice only confirmed my conclusion, it was only his next words that seemed to shock me.

"Happy what?" Martha asked again.

"Just enter it." The Doctor growled.

"Are you sure? We only get one chance." Riley began. But the Doctor cut him off.

"Any number that reduces to one when you take the sum of the square of its digits and you continue iterating until it yields one is a happy number. Any number that doesn't, isn't. A happy prime is a number that is both happy and prime. Now type it in! I don't know, talk about dumbing down! Don't they teach recreational mathematics anymore?" His voice went into lecture mode, but it was his words, almost identical to how my father had explained it to me as a young girl that caused my breath to catch. Surely it was just a coincidence? Surely the universe couldn't be that cruel that they would make me relieve more memories of him? But I didn't get the chance to think further on it as the conversation had gone on.

"We're through!" Martha yelled excitedly. I smiled slightly, perhaps we would make it through this day.

"Keep moving, fast as you can. And, Martha, be careful. There may be something else on board this ship." The Doctor's voice was like a pin in a hot air balloon. He really just had to remind us of the stakes yet again. Make Martha even more nervous. I rolled my eyes and snorted, I would have to add that to the ever-growing list of what I needed to remind the man, what not to do.

"Any time you want to unnerve me, feel free. Oh and Doctor how's Riana?" Martha asked.

"Will do, thanks. She's fine, I have Abi, the ships Doctor cooling her down, she'll be right as rain soon enough." He said breezily. I wanted to smack the back of his head, he could be such a contradiction, scarily overprotective one minute and downright cheeky the next.

I resigned myself to waiting yet again, while Martha and the Doctor hopefully worked on a solution to save us. This really sucked, I wasn't in this position often, well never actually and I had surprisingly become so used to being by the Doctor's side saving the day, that it was almost like I felt entitled to be the one to have all the good ideas. I mean, if the Doctor only wanted me to be brilliant all the time he wouldn't travel with other people, would he?

That actually reminded me of something I had been meaning to ask him. Why did he travel with companions? From what I had seen of both Martha and Amy, they appeared very brave smart individuals. They had to be able to be fearless at times and not afraid to stand up to the Doctor when it counted, like with Amy and the Star Whale. I couldn't help wondering if I was in the same sort of category as the others, or if it was as he seemed to imply, I was something more…?

I quickly shook that train of thought off and went back to watching Abi examine the readings. Looking at the stasis chamber showed that my body temperature was still high and that I wouldn't be moving any time soon. It was Korwin that I began to worry about, as I had a horrible suspicion that he was more dangerous than anybody had guessed. Speaking of which I turned again to face him, only to realise that he was no longer lying down on the medical table. In fact he was now sitting, with eyes still closed and had eerily turned to face Abi.

My eyes widened, as I realised that the Doctor had no idea what was going on and Abi hadn't yet noticed. No, it was only me and I was some sort of apparition unable to speak to anyone or touch anything. I knew if I didn't stop him, he might seriously hurt Abi.

I let out a frustrated noise as I ran back to where my body lay, still completely oblivious, to the impending danger.

"Wake up you stupid, useless bag of bones. Ok that really sounds weird considering I am talking about myself…wait so not the time to be questioning myself. C'mon, please just let me do this, let me be of some help." I pleaded with my own form. When nothing happened, I grabbed the locket around my neck, well the image of it, and yanked hard. Nothing happened, other than for it pulse more and the light to increase coming from it.

Wait, the locket, I could feel a very faint connection, almost as though it was like some sort of echo. An ethereal chain connecting me to my body wherever I went. It was how I was yanked out of it so frequently, but seemingly always returned to it. I closed my eyes and tried to focus on that feeling, trying to tune out Korwin now raising from the table and beginning to stand.

The computers voice sounded again, reminding me that I was running out of time. "Impact in twenty-nine forty-six."

"C'mon, c'mon!" I urged myself, now beginning to panic as Korwin got closer to where Abi was. Who had just started to notice something was very wrong. She had gone back to the intercom and was talking with the Doctor about Korwin's readings.

"Doctor, these readings are starting to scare me." Abi said softly. Korwin was standing fully now and was coming over to where Abi had her back turned.

"What do you mean?" The Doctor said as if focusing on something else. I wanted to yell, I wanted to scream for him to hear me, for Abi to turn around and see the danger approaching from behind.

"Korwin's body's changing! His whole biological make-up, it... it's impossible." Abi said now terrified. As she said that, a bit of luck seemed to be with me as she had noticed Korwin's reflection in the metal mirror above her. Turning around to face him she began to plead for help.

"This is med-centre. Urgent assistance requested. Urgent assistance!" She said backing away as Korwin got closer and closer. I yelled as I doubled my efforts, swearing under my breath for my body to respond to my commands. Just for once, couldn't something go my way!

"Urgent assistance!" Abi was screaming now. Erina's voice sounded over the intercom trying to reassure her that help was on its way. But I knew in my heart that the Doctor wouldn't get here in time to save her if I did nothing.

"What's happening to you?" Abi said, trying to reason with Korwin.

"Abi, just hang on, I'm coming, for the love of Grandfather you useless locket, work!" I shouted, just as I heard something so not obviously Korwin, come out of his mouth. Like a strange possessed entity, he said three chilling words.

"Burn with me. Burn with me." Just as I thought all was lost, Grandfather must be with me as I felt the familiar tugging sensation and I was pulled back into my body.

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I was weak and I was too hot. Everything felt hazy as though I had been smoking tazkin notorious for giving one hallucinations and major highs. I was in some sort of chamber and it was dark. There was something I had to do. Something important I had to remember.

But my mind was muddled and my body felt like a lead weight as though it had been repeatedly bashed. I thought I could hear faint music in the background, a high-pitched sound that annoyed my sensitive hearing. I unsuccessfully tried to swat the noise away with one of my arms. Only to have it increase and realise that my arms were by my sides unable to move.

Struggling, I tried to lift them and figure out where I was so I could turn the music off and perhaps give my mother a piece of my mind about the fact I had been trying to sleep. So tired, I was so tired. But there was something I had to do…

It was only when I realised that I wasn't lying in my bed and that there was no music, but in fact someone's screams, that I realised that I had missed something. Something was indeed very wrong… Abi.

I was awake then, the memories coming back in a painful rush as I realised that Abi, could be potentially dying right now as I lie here, trying to get my bearings. I groaned as I tried to squeeze myself out of the stasis chamber. It was no use as it was too tight and my body was too week. Instead I remembered the lay out of the control panel and created a telekinetic field around the button that would cause the table to slide back out.

I grunted at the effort, but it worked much to my relief as I heard Abi's screams getting louder. The table slid out and I wasted no time sitting up and surveying the scene before me. My eyes were clouded and blurry, but I could distinctly make out a large shape leaning over another one. I raised my hand and just as a gold light began to fill the room, created a blue barrier between Abi and the larger shape I knew to be Korwin. It took far too much effort as I almost collapsed at the amount of power that was released from the blast.

I held it for as long as I could, as I fell off the table onto the ground, my hand still outstretched. I clenched my teeth together as I fought with every breath in my body and what strength remained to maintain the field.

The gold light was so intense that I had to squint. Abi seemed to be doing the same, but seemed more shocked at the protective blue field that had appeared like a miracle before her. At my panting breaths, she looked over in astonishment towards me.

"S-stay, where you are. The telekinetic barrier should protect you." I struggled to say. Korwin seemed to realise that he was having no effect as he turned his attentions towards me. I knew I was too weak to stop him for long, so prayed he would not try. He didn't appear interested in Abi's presence now as he advanced towards me. I dropped the field around Abi and shakily rose to my feet. Trying to not look him in the eye, but the light was so bright and it was hard not to look into his eyes and see for myself what truly lived in Korwin.

The locket began to pulse and hum like an angry suhz near its hive. It began to rattle and strain on its chain, almost as if it had a mind of its own. Trying to burst free from its confines. The voices that I had heard the first time I touched the locket, burst forth, a thousand different words, in a thousand different tongues. The creature that had become Korwin seemed to pause as he heard it and saw the alien otherworldly red light that surrounded me. I breathed heavily awaiting his next move, realising that I probably wouldn't be able to shield myself again. Its head tilted to the side before it spoke.

"You are not like the others. You burn. Perhaps you will give back what was stolen from us." He said, tilting his head in an almost curious like manner. But before he could walk towards me, Abi shouted at him.

"Korwin! Don't you dare harm her, what-whatever you are leave!" She said bravely. It was a foolish sort of bravery as Korwin turned back to her. I could have screamed at her for being so stupid. I had not forced myself back into my already incredibly weak body, and used what little reserves of energy I had left to shield her, for her only to waste it all and die. He seemed undecided what to do with the both of us as he looked again between me and the vulnerable woman.

"Abi, shut up!" I yelled at her. Still trying to puzzle over the Korwin creature's statement. What had he meant by burning? It obviously had to do with the locket, but to what capacity? It was his other words that seemed to strike me 'perhaps you will give back what was stolen'. They had an eerily familiar echo to the other Doctor's warning. The woman turned to me in surprise that I knew her name. Korwin seemed decided as he turned to walk back towards her. Using whatever strength remained, I hauled my weak ass up and dove towards where she was. Throwing a shield over us and praying to all deities that existed that it was enough.

The light was bright and intensely hot. I yanked Abi's head down so she wouldn't look into its eyes. But while I did so, I caught the reflection of the light from Korwin's eyes and couldn't look away. Strangely enough it didn't hurt as I had expected it too. It was so bright and so warm. I could almost see the beautiful creature that lived at its heart, a being made of light and stars. It reached out towards me and ensnared me in its grasp, the locket pulsed loudly and the red light intensified. I could feel the creature slipping into my mind. But whatever had protected me before seemed to hold it at bay as it could advance no further. The locket rattled and for just one second flew open, an enormous blast of energy engulfed Korwin and knocked him aside. My shield dropped and I could feel myself slipping.

The Doctor's warnings rang in my ears about never opening it. Inside I could feel something so alien and so powerful that it defied all reason. It seemed to want to consume, a never-ending hunger with an infinite reserve of energy that could destroy worlds maybe universes; if such a thing were possible. Whatever Korwin was, it was no match for the intensity of the locket. Abi was screaming in fear as she inched as far she could get from me. I yelled, as with significant effort I raised my hand and forced the locket closed. The light and the power died instantly, leaving only me in its wake, breathing heavily from exertion.

Korwin had closed his eyes again and had put a wielding mask over his face with the blast shield lowered. His breath was heavy and haunting. He turned one last time to both Abi and I and spoke.

"You will join us. You will burn them all. Return what was stolen." He said in the deep alien timber of his voice. With that he left the med-centre without a backwards glance. I breathed out a sigh of immense relief, it was over, we had survived. But I knew that whatever had just taken over Korwin was on the loose and could potentially kill the rest of the crew and I hadn't the strength to go after him. Abi was strangely silent and as I turned to face her I screamed. All that was left of where Abi had been sitting was a black imprint of a human like shape against the wall. I couldn't seem to stop screaming and that was how the Doctor, Captain McDonnell and Scannell found me not two minutes later.

I was hysterical. I had only ever been like this one other time in my life, on one of the worst days of my life. All that seemed to register was that it was not Korwin who had caused Abi to die and dead she was, no more than dust particles. It had to have been me. The locket, whatever it had done had protected me but had burnt Abi to a cinder. I was shaking and gasping for breath, repeating a sentence over and over.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" I said between great gulps of air. I had crawled over to where Abi had been and placed my hand on the wall. Tears ran down my face and dripped down my sweaty cheeks.

"RIANA!" The Doctor's frantic voice yelled as he desperately searched for me.

"Korwin's gone." McDonnell's voice registered. Sudden footsteps sounded beside me as a tall lithe form flung itself next to me and pulled me into his arms. It was the Doctor. I turned to his chest and buried my face in it as I rocked back and forth.

"It's ok, it's ok. Your safe now." The Doctor whispered. He held me until I calmed, but I couldn't wash the image of Abi's screams from my mind or the words of the creature in Korwin.

"Oh, my God…" Scannell's voice trailed off in horror as he caught sight of the charred black shape that had once been Abi. The Doctor had spotted it now too as he too raised his head to stare at the spot.

"…Tell me that's not Lerner." Scannell finished. The Doctor's eyes narrowed. He slowly stood and helped me to my feet. Keeping me safely ensconced in his arms.

"Endothermic vaporisation. I've never seen one this ferocious. Burn with me." He said in a slight whisper. At the last three words, I whimpered as if in pain, as something in my mind moved.

"No. Don't say that. Please." I begged. The Doctor turned back to me again and ran his eyes over my form to make sure I was alright.

"That's what we heard Korwin say." Scannell said horror leaking into his voice. My breath hitched in a strangled sob, as I realised I would have to tell these kind, good people, that I had been responsible for their friend's death.

"What?! D'you think... no way! Scannell, tell him! Korwin is not a killer! He can't vaporise people! He's human! That girl saw it, she would know." McDonnell pleaded desperately in defence of her husband. The Doctor gently lead me over to where Abi had dropped the results of Korwin's bio-scan on the floor.

"His bioscan results... internal temperature, one hundred degrees! Body oxygen replaced by hydrogen! Your husband hasn't been infected, he's been overwhelmed!" The Doctor said in disbelief. McDonnell snatched the results from the Doctor's hands.

"The test results are wrong!" She yelled as she skimmed over the results herself. The Doctor looked solemnly at her, as if waiting for her to realise what he already knew.

"But what is it, though? A parasite? A mutagenic virus? Something that needs a host body, but how did it get inside him?" The Doctor began to run through scenarios as if forgetting the other people in the room. His grip loosened slightly and I pushed myself out of his arms and backed away slightly, trying to get my bearings. I wasn't going to be stupid about this. I wasn't some insipid airheaded female, who had never seen death before. I covered my face with one of my hands as McDonnell's hysterical voice shouted at the Doctor.

"Stop talking like he's some kind of experiment!"

"Where's the ship been? Have you made planet-fall recently? Docked with any other vessels? Any kind of external contact at all?" The Doctor began to interrogate her.

"What is this, an interrogation? Why don't you ask the only person who seems to have magically survived instead of accusing an innocent man." McDonnell said as she pointed at me. The Doctor didn't even take any credence in what she just said, causing me to flinch at the truth of her words.

"We've got to stop him before he kills again." The Doctor concluded. It was at this point I couldn't take it anymore even as McDonnell defended herself again, by stating that they were only a cargo ship.

"Doctor, stop!" I begged. This caused all of them to turn their attention to me. My shoulders shook and I hated the pitying look in the Doctor's eyes. He came over to me and took my hands in his, but I pulled them away.

"Riana, what's wrong?" He said softly. I looked over at McDonnell as I spoke, wanting her to know how sorry I was.

"I'm so sorry. I swear I didn't mean for it to happen. I tried to save her, but the locket it opened and I couldn't control it…" I trailed off. McDonnell seemed to sense what I was implying as her eyes grew murderous as she nearly launched herself at me.

"You killed them didn't you! I knew I shouldn't have trusted any of you and your boyfriend over hear implying it was MY husband." She said angrily. The Doctor got in between the both of us as Scannell held the Captain back. The Doctor growled at her.

"Don't you dare accuse her of being responsible, she is just as much a victim as Abi." He yelled before turning to face me, trying to coax the story out of me.

"What happened Riana? Was it Korwin…hmm?" He asked. I shook my head.

"Doctor, I saw it all happen. The locket it pulled me out of my body, I saw everything that happened since we landed here. I was just waiting in the med-centre and Abi was running her tests, when Korwin started to wake up. I managed to get myself to wake up and stopped him from killing Abi. Doctor, there's something in him, the light was so bright. But I was too weak to defend myself. He was coming… he was going to kill me, if Abi hadn't distracted him. I told her not to, but he went to try and kill her again, I managed to protect her, but the locket Doctor…it opened." I whispered. His face became paler and paler as my story continued.

"…he spoke to me, he said that I was like them, that I 'burned' and that I would kill all the others and return what was stolen. It was horrible the red light it protected me but when I closed it and I went to check Abi, she was… she was.." I couldn't finish as I buried my face in my hands. The Doctor came closer and took my hands in his and forced me to meet his deep brown gaze.

"Then what happened?" He asked.

"…She burned. She was gone and there was nothing I could do. Korwin had left and I was too weak to stop him. Oh Akhaten, I'm sorry, so sorry." I begged. The Doctor pulled me into a fierce hug as the others looked dejectedly at the ground.

"Hey. Look at me. This is not your fault; do you're hear me Riana? You couldn't control it and it was an accident. There was nothing you could have done to make him stop. So, don't you dare go and start saying that you killed her." He said severely, forcing me to acknowledge his words. I nodded, trying to get a hold of myself. McDonnell seemed to have let her anger drain away as she realised that I hadn't deliberately hurt Abi.

"We're just a cargo ship." McDonnell whispered again. I stepped out of the Doctor's arms and tried to retain a sense of control over the situation, when in fact it was so far from the truth, that it wasn't funny.

"That doesn't mean you can try and accuse Riana of something she didn't do. Don't ever do that again. Riana nearly died, don't you forget that." The Doctor shouted angrily at her. I placed my hand on his arm to try and get him to stop yelling. Accusing each other and pointing fingers wasn't going to change the situation we found ourselves in.

"Doctor, if you give her a minute…" Scannell said sharply as he tried to comfort McDonnell.

"I'm fine. I need to warn the crew. Everybody, listen to me. Something has infected Korwin. We think he was partially responsible for the death of Abi Lerner. None of you must go anywhere near him, is that clear?" She said as she glanced towards me. I realised she hadn't told the others my part in her death, for which I was thankful.

"Understood, Captain. Erina? Get back here with that equipment." Ashton's voice said over the intercom. I wiped my eyes and ran my hands over my face to compose myself as the others gathered themselves. I still felt hot and slightly jelly legged. The Doctor noticing my posture offered me an arm, which I gratefully took.

"Impact in twenty-four fifty-one." The computers voice sounded, reminding us that we were wasting precious time.

"Is the infection permanent? Can you cure him?" McDonnell said a slight hope in her voice. I knew that Korwin was too far gone to ever be revived the creature had consumed him.

"I don't know." The Doctor said seriously. McDonnell became irate at the Doctor's evasive answer.

"Don't lie to me, Doctor. Eleven years we've been married. We chose this ship together. He keeps me honest, so I don't want false hope." She said. I could see the respect in the Doctor's eyes at her honest answer.

"The parasite's too aggressive. Your husband's gone. There's no way back. I'm sorry." He said straight to the point.

"I'm sorry" I added. "I felt the creature, there was nothing left of him when he tried to kill us. Take comfort in the fact that your husband died a good man and that whatever remains, isn't him." I said softly. McDonnell nodded, but the Doctor looked startled at my statement.

"Thank you." She said.

"What do you mean you felt the creature? Did you let it look into you?" He said. Gripping my shoulders tightly. My eyes widened in slight fear at his behaviour, confusion clouding my mind at his behaviour.

"What, I mean, only for a second and it was an accident. But I'm alright, Doctor." I said slowly. The Doctor's intense gaze didn't let up for a second as he scanned my face for any sign that I was lying.

"We don't know how this parasite spreads or what it does. If it got inside of you, it might have infected you." He said seriously. I shook my head, almost certain that it hadn't taken over me, that whatever power lived inside the locket had stopped it.

"I'm sure, Doctor. I think, whatever the locket did, it stopped it." I said. The Doctor breathed out a sigh of relief before turning back to McDonnell.

"Are you certain nothing happened to provoke this? Nobody's working on anything secret? Because it's vital that you tell me." He said staring at her harshly, causing her to flinch, but something inside of me knew she was lying.

"I know every inch of this ship. I know every detail of my crew's lives. There is nothing." She said. My eyes narrowed, reminding me of what the Doctor had warned about the Captain and the light and the creatures own words itself, about something being stolen and wanting it back.

"Then why is this thing so interested in you?" The Doctor said critically.

"I wish I knew." McDonnell said.

"Beware of the light. The answer lies with the captain. Everything is not as it seems. Perhaps you will give back what was stolen from us." I quoted. My eyes glazed slightly caught in the memory. McDonnell turned sharply to stare at me her eyes widened.

"What, what was that?" She said fearfully. The Doctor was staring at me intently.

"Riana?" he questioned. I shook my head to shake the strange trance like state off.

"I'm fine Doctor. I'm just quoting what you told me. In the future, I mean." I answered him. The Doctor's face took on a serious expression as he tried to puzzle the meaning of the words.

"You shouldn't be telling me things like this." He reminded me. I sighed, getting fed up with everyone reminding me of that.

"I know, but you said that I could tell you this. It was supposed to be a hint. What I'm trying to say it that I think that whatever that creature is inside Korwin, it's made of light Doctor and heat. I also think that Captain McDonnell has more of the answers than she knows, I also think it has to do with the sun." I replied promptly. The Doctor turned back to McDonnell who became defensive at my accusation.

"I swear I don't know what she means. We haven't stolen anything. All I know is that thing, has killed my husband and is trying to kill my crew and I want it gone." She said determinedly. The Doctor reluctantly, with little choice let her off. Martha's voice seemed to break the tension as it sounded over the intercom, causing all of us to turn to face it.

"Doctor, we're through to area seventeen." Martha said excitedly. I smiled slightly in relief as I remembered our other problem.

"Keep going." The Doctor urged her.

"Martha, whatever you do, don't look into the light." I said in a rush, trying to make sure that if it was what I suspected it was, that no more people would get infected.

"Doctor, was that Riana?" Is she alright, we heard screaming." Martha said. The Doctor smiled as he gazed as me in an almost tender manner. I shied away from his gaze in discomfort.

"Yes, she's alright." He explained.

"That's great! Tell her that next time she pulls something like that I'm going to kill her. Only after she treats me to Luckie's." Martha laughed. I frowned, forgetting that Martha didn't know I had only just met her.

"Um, I'm right here and Martha I'll try not to die again. However, I'm not quite sure what treating you to something lucky will do to help." I said in confusion. There was silence on the other end and from the Doctor as he turned sharply to me.

"What do you mean? Luckie's you know our favourite café. You take me there all the time, to commemorate when we nearly die." Martha tried to laugh it off.

"Martha, I wanted to tell you this before, but I didn't get the chance, I haven't actually met you before. This is the first time for me. In fact, I have only really known the Doctor for four days." I said. The Doctor's jaw clenched.

"I-I see. Ahem, well after we get out of this, I know exactly where I am taking you." Martha tried to laugh it off. I laughed slightly too, if only to reassure her and the Doctor. The Doctor though appeared distracted as he continued speaking with Martha, apparently ignoring me for the moment.

"You've got to get to area one and reboot those engines." He said. Martha affirmed his statement and went back to work, leaving me with the Doctor, McDonnell and Scannell in the med-centre.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&7

It was mostly quiet after that. The Doctor had noticed that I was becoming more fatigued by the minute and bade me to lie down while he ran his sonic screwdriver over me. I knew that I couldn't keep up with the fast pace of everything for long.

"Your body temperature is still too high, Riana. We need to get back to engineering and fix that engine so we can jumpstart them." He said. I grabbed his hand, fear making me angry.

"You're not leaving me here by myself again. I'm fine Doctor, I'm not going to die." I said vehemently. His lips were pursed in incredulity at my obvious lie. But Akhaten damn all, I wasn't going to be left here waiting for some sort of light creature to burn me to death. If there was one place that I trusted that I would be safe, it was at the Doctor's side.

"We don't have time to be babysitting her Doctor." Scannell said with a bite of annoyance. The Doctor finally relented as he helped me to my feet.

"Fine, but you listen to what I say and you don't over exert yourself. If I tell you to go, you go, understand?" he asked. I snorted and raised one of my brows in amusement.

"Doctor, the first thing you need to learn about me, is that I can take care of myself and more importantly, I'm not some brainless ninny who has to follow your every word. Where you go, I go." I said as I met his gaze unflinchingly. The Doctor looked annoyed and I knew we would be having words later, if he got his way and that was a big if. Still he didn't argue and we headed out of the med-bay back towards engineering.

We were half jogging down the corridors back to engineering, I knew the Doctor's eye hadn't left my form as he watched me closely. We were heading past section 30, when Martha's frantic voice came over the intercom.

"Doctor! We're stuck in an escape pod off the area seventeen airlock. One of the crew's trying to jettison us! You've got to help us! Tell me you can stop it." Martha all but screamed in panic. I stopped just as suddenly as everyone else did. My heart racing and fear starting to take over again. The Doctor who still wore his dark rimmed glasses stopped and glanced up.

"Why is this happening?" McDonnell said listlessly. Her voice no more than a whisper, yet we all clearly heard it. I growled, this time no more people would die, and I wasn't helplessly floating like an astral projection, unable to do anything to help anyone. The Doctor ripped off his glasses and turned to face the rest of us, his gaze particularly hard on me. But I glared right back daring him to tell me to not help her.

"Stay here. I mean it this time! Jump start those engines!" He yelled as he went to sprint down the corridor. I wasn't sure if he had assumed I would follow the others or was blind to the fact that Vespin would freeze over before I let him leave me behind. Still I was about to follow him when McDonnell words cut me off. Behind us on the wall was another black humanoid shape.

"It's picking us off, one by one." McDonnell said and my heart froze as I realised that whoever that had been was truly dead, like Abi was, except it wasn't by my hand this time. I turned to face Scannell and the Captain and gave them a hard look.

"Listen to what the Doctor says, I'm going to help him." I said even as I took off sprinting, the adrenalin in my system giving me a temporary boost to ignore how battered I was feeling, or the sticky sweat that had started to form on my skin.

I retraced the steps we had just taken and began to go through the doors Martha and Riley had opened. I knew they were near section 17 where they had begun to open it and it the Doctor had a fair head start and with how quickly he could run, it would take me a bit to catch him.

Still, I eventually did as I sprinted through the doors to Section 20 and finally caught a glimpse of the Doctor's blue suit cladded form as he jumped through the doors like some walwallow was at his heels. He must have only just recognised I was following him as his voice was breathless as he spoke.

"I thought I told you to stay behind." He growled out.

"Not a chance, Chulki. You're not leaving me behind that easily to abandon Martha and Riley to certain doom. Where you go, I go, got it." I yelled back. His only response was an irritated grunt. With a last push, we managed to reach section 17 and saw a tall figure in a wielding mask standing before the door to the airlock. The Doctor stopped just before him and I nearly collided with his tall frame.

"That's enough! What do you want? Why this ship? Tell me." The Doctor demanded, but before the we could do anything the man smashed his fist into the keypad, causing an alarming number of sparks to shower into the air.

"No!" I yelled, even as I started forward, the Doctor's hand was firm and unrelenting on my arm.

"Jettison activated." The Computer's voice sounded. Indicating that the escape pod would be launched into space when the heat shields were failing and we were hurtling towards a sun. The Doctor meanwhile had gone toe to toe with the now possessed Ashton, who showed no remorse for what he had done.

"Come on. Let's see you. I want to know what you really are." The Doctor challenged, much to my extreme displeasure, we should be tying him up or knocking him out, rather than wasting time talking to him, when he would surely kill us, and there was nothing I could do about it as my reserves were gone.

Ashton began to raise his hand to his visor and I knew he was going to show us the light. The light that I had already seen and knew was not something that the Doctor could be possessed by. Something that I had only survived last time because of the locket.

"Doctor, don't! It'll possess you if you see it. I can't stop it this time." I screamed at him. The Doctor was being reckless again, he never learned. I tugged on his arm managing to break free and backed away from the standoff. Just as Ashton began to lift his visor, he doubled over as if in pain. The reprieve lasted only for seconds as he was standing and running towards the Doctor before I could even blink. But instead of attacking him, he ran past the Doctor and stopped in front of me. Something in me stirred, as his gaze met mine through the thick visor. I could feel a heat starting to burn in me, and I knew that if I let it, it would tear through me and everyone who was near me.

"You will burn with us. Share the light." He said in his possessed voice as I found myself nodding. But the Doctor's call of my name snapped me out of it.

"No. Whatever you are, you don't control me and I will never be your slave." I denied him. The creature looked once more into my gaze before taking off through the doorway. The Doctor wasted no time in running over to the come unit. I clutched my head as a wave of pressure and heat seemed to retreat into me. The locket pulsed once and I found myself with a nice headache for my troubles. Whatever that was, I fear that by looking into the light, some of it remained within me. But we had no time to be pondering such dilemma's when Martha and Riley's lives hung in the balance.

"McDonnell? Ashton's heading in your direction. He's been infected, just like Korwin!" The Doctor said urgently. I walked over to stand near him.

"Korwin's dead, Doctor." Scannell's emotionless voice said in reply startling both of us. I stepped back around the Doctor and walked over to the small porthole that looked into the airlock, when Martha's frantic, but hopeful face looked at me. She was tapping on the glass and mouthing my name as though hoping I could perform a miracle. But I could do nothing as the computers voice spoke again causing the Doctor to join me.

"Airlock decompression completed. Jettisoning pod."

Martha began to shout the Doctor's name along with mine. I hated feeling like this, how could one woman look at me as though I was some sort of saviour or hero, when in this moment more than any other today…I was helpless.

I was so used to having an advantage over others, be it my intellect, my wit or my telekinetic abilities, but now none could help me. I was useless and it made me angry.

"We'll save you!" He shouted at her through the window. He was frantic now and I was angry at myself for letting the Doctor down. I didn't know what he was talking about, but there was nothing we could do. For all his brilliance, the Doctor could still die and sometimes the universe was cruel and unfair. It appeared, that this day would be one of those.

"Doctor! Riana!" Martha screamed back. The Doctor turned to me and I knew in that moment he was expecting a miracle, for all his future incarnation's speech to me. Where he had tried to reassure that he didn't think any less of the 'younger me's', I knew he was hoping for a different woman now. One who could apparently be brilliant all the time and never let anyone down. Someone who could save those people most important to him.

"We'll save you!" He yelled back to Martha. I grew frustrated with myself which caused me to snap back at the Doctor. I yanked his arms down from the window and pulled him to face me. My eyes were blazing with fury, how dare he give her false hope, wasn't it better for him to realise that I was only Zell and that I could not be his 'beloved Azure Queen' all the time.

"Doctor, stop it! We can't save her now." I yelled at him. It was as though I had slapped him. He took a step away from me as though in shock. His eyes grew angry and it took an effort not to flinch.

"Of course we will. What is wrong with you! We don't just abandon our companions." He yelled right back.

"First, she's not my companion, she's yours. Second, they will be out of range of the heat shields within minutes and if any of us attempted to go out there and get them we would be cooked alive. Me especially. Third, stop giving her false hope, sometimes terrible things happen Doctor and there is nothing we can do about it, even you are susceptible to death and illness and eventually tragedy. It's the way of the universe, accept it and let her death not be in vain." I shouted back at him, my fear and anger getting the best of me. His expression went from anger to something darker as I continued speaking, finally settling into a look of horror at my last words.

". . . What?" His brow furrowed, something hurt flickering in his eyes. "W-why would you say that? Riana . . .my Riana would never say that. She would never accept any situation as helpless, she would move heaven and all the stars in the universe to save those people who she loves. She wouldn't just give up at the first sign of trouble and she would know a way to save them."

"Who are you?"

He whispered the last bit. I didn't want to admit it, but his words hurt me. I turned away as I tried not to let the tears in my eyes show. My fist clenched as I felt the anger at his unfairness bubble up in me.

I snapped.

"Your Riana! It's always some other Riana, braver, smarter, stronger, faster, cleverer. She never gets it wrong, she just snaps her fingers and the universe bows to her whims. Well guess what you demni'narwal, I AM her! And whether you like it or not I'm not perfect!" I screamed back at him. I took a deep breath, trying to gather myself again. Turning back to face him and seeing the disappointment on his face was almost too much for me to take.

"Look, what do want from me?!" I cried, my blue eyes-shining with unshed tears—silently pleading with his.

"I've never even met her before today, and while I don't want her to die, she doesn't mean anything to me, not in the same way as you do. I didn't ask for this, this life…of running and always having to be brave and clever. I make this up as I go along Doctor. I pray that every time I make a decision, I don't screw it up and get people killed." I said in distress.

"Yet you look at me and it seems as though you think the universe has dealt you an unfair blow. I can't save her…not this time." I pleaded with him softly.

"No…" He began. "It's not fair. I never know which woman is going to stand before me, someone who knows everything about me, or someone who is too afraid to try even when she knows nothing is certain. We don't give up…ever. We keep fighting, till there is no fight left and even then, we demand that the universe deliver."

"Martha's not dead. She's right there and the longer we stand here debating that, the more likelihood that I will have to go back to her mother and tell her I failed her, in her moment of greatest need."

"They rely on us! They trust us. I am not going to wait for you to believe in the impossible, so either tell me if you know a way to help her, or shut up, get out of my way and watch as I save her. Because any Riana I know would die before being that selfish." His words were harsh and booked no argument.

They were designed to cut and to pierce straight to my core, so when he spoke them, they left me gasping for breath, questioning my own importance and self-worth to the Doctor. Maybe I had become too sure of the Doctor's faith in me and my inability to fail him, to truly believe he would turn his terrible fury upon one he claimed to cherish.

Was I truly that selfish? Did I deserve the harsh words he had just given me? My father had always taught me to be assertive. To always meet a challenge head on and not back down, to never come in second place. Second place wasn't good enough, being lesser than others was beneath me. If I didn't have a place - make one.

So very few people had ever outright contradicted me. Told me in no uncertain terms that I was wrong. That I was capable of cruelty. But right now, this impossible, mad, terrifyingly ancient man did just that - and I hated it. It made me feel ashamed.

Made me realise that everything my aunt had ever said to my mother about my behaviour was true. That I was childish, vain and arrogant. Self-entitled to being right and incapable of ever being wrong. That I was still angry at the universe for betraying me, for making me have to grow up and lose the childish innocence that had been my fundamental right to own.

I lost the fight then and stepped back from the Doctor, to give him space. He was right, I was being a hindrance and it was only because I was really angry and afraid at myself, that I was being callous with my choice of words towards Martha. I lowered my eyes to the floor as the Doctor brushed past me and ran back over to the intercom.

The Computers voice sounded again, counting down what time we had left, until we all burned to an inferno. "Impact in seventeen oh five." I glanced out the window, where the pod could still just be seen, floating into the inky blackness of the vacuum that was space.

I knew that I would have to apologise for what I had said. I needed the Doctor's faith in me restored. I couldn't bear to see the look of fear and regret upon his face every time he looked at me.

"Scannell! I need a spacesuit in area seventeen now!" The Doctor shouted.

"What for?" Scannell asked in confusion. I glanced up sharply and couldn't stop the gasp of shock at the Doctor's request. He wasn't surely going to attempt to go out there beyond the heat shields and attempt to rescue them, that would be suicide!

"Doctor?" I choked out, but his gaze was challenging as it met mine.

As if to say 'Look what I can do, look how far I am going to defy the odds to save her. Look at what you won't do.'

"Just get down here!" The Doctor ordered. He ran back to the window as he kept a continuous gaze on the pod. I swallowed nervously. The words were there in my throat and I knew I had to speak them. They were like a burning urge that couldn't be ignored and I knew I wouldn't forgive myself until I told him.

"I-I…" I trailed off uncertainly. The Doctor was now busy calibrating something with his sonic screwdriver and turned sharply at my hesitant sentence. One brow raised in question.

"What is it Riana? I know you have something to say, so just say already." He said with impatience. I nervously rubbed my hands together and looked him in the face, my blue eyes pleading with his brown ones.

"Doctor… please, tell me you're not-" But again my voice failed me.

"Not what? Going out there, well I am and I am going to prove to you that she can be saved." He said stubbornly.

"You'll die!" I said. "You'll be burnt alive and I'll be left all alone…. Just like I always am and I'm sorry for saying what I did before. I didn't mean it, I don't want Martha to die, she's brave and funny and obviously has a big heart…and I, and I." I was nearly choking on tears now, the words disjointed and flowing out of me like a broken water pipe. The Doctor's face become softer and I felt a firm hand on my face as he cupped it tenderly. His brown eyes were fathomless depths, of hundreds of years of emotion and memories and in them I saw myself reflected.

He understood and I knew I was forgiven.

"My Riana, my brave fearful Riana." His words were confusing and made no sense. Hadn't he just been angry at me for not trying hard enough? Now he was calling me 'his' Riana, when I had been neither brave or clever and I was begging him not to go out in a space suit to try and rescue Martha. Noticing my muddled expression, he smiled.

"I don't always expect you to know everything, or be right all the time, that would be frankly ridiculous. Everyone stumbles and falls, it's making sure not to let that fall get the best of us, that counts. I know your scared, but use that fear to make you stronger and don't let your anger at the wrong things make you cruel." He said. I nodded.

Stepping away from him as Scannell ran into the room with an orange space suit and helmet. He appeared out of breath as he handed the space suit to the Doctor. His eyes widened slightly at what I knew, appeared to have been an intimate moment between the Doctor and myself.

The Doctor began putting the suit on and strapping it into space, Scannell and I could only watch helplessly from the sidelines. I decided that I'd had enough of being unhelpful for today, so I made myself useful and assisted the Doctor where I could. Placing his helmet on his head he turned to look at me.

"I can't talk you out of this can I?" I said. He shook his head. I had thought not.

"I can't let you do this." Scannell began, but the Doctor's response was just as adamant towards him, as he had been to me.

"You're wasting your breath, Scannell. You're not going to stop me." He stated.

"If I can't talk you out of it, then you have to promise that you'll be careful." I asked of him. He nodded but smirked slightly. I frowned in confusion at his abrupt change in demeanour.

"You want to open an airlock in flight on a ship spinning into the sun. No one can survive that." Scannell said I dismay. "You open that airlock, it's suicide. This close to the sun, the shields will barely protect you."

"Oh, just you watch, and Riana, if you met a future version of me, then it means that I survive this." He said. But I knew that wasn't always how time worked, the Doctor had said so himself, time could be rewritten.

"Time can be rewritten. You told me that." I said. His mouth narrowed, but his eyes didn't lose their challenging slightly mad glint.

"If I can boost the magnetic lock on the ship's exterior, it should remagnetise the pod. Now, while I'm out there, you have got to get the rest of those doors open. We need those auxiliary engines." He instructed us. But while Scannell could run all the way back to the other end of the ship, I was too tired to.

I refused to leave the Doctor.

"Doctor, will you listen! They're too far away. It's too late." Scannell shouted at him. But this time, if the Doctor said it was possible, I wasn't going to doubt him, as much as I didn't think it possible.

But then he had told me, that the Riana he knew accomplished the impossible daily. A living legend of worlds. Maybe it was time I started believing it too, my whole life had become a story of impossibilities.

"No. It's not. Scannell get those doors open. I can't leave the Doctor and I don't know how the system works. If the Doctor says he can do it, then I believe him and I have seen him overcome the impossible before." I said firmly. The Doctor's eyes showed his thanks at my support.

"I'm not going to lose her." He said softly and moved towards the airlock. With one last glance back at me he sealed it.

"If something goes wrong, know that you are brave and that I have faith in you Riana Tahlay." He said through the intercom. I nodded standing motionlessly as the airlock depressurised and he began to walk towards the blazing sun visible.

"Impact in twelve fifty-five." The Computers voice reminded us and all I could do was wait.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&7

The waiting was the most excruciating part. My hands were pressed so hard against the glass, I was surprised there wasn't cracks in its surface. Scannell had given me a sympathetic look before running back towards the front of the ship to hopefully get to the auxiliary engines before time ran out.

"Impact in eleven fifteen. Heat shield failing. At ten percent." I was really beginning to hate the sound of the emotionless female voice, that counted off the minutes and seconds we had left until we died. I could barely see the Doctor's form as he attempted to cling to the outside of the ship and grab something out of his reach. Realising that I could do nothing, I slumped against a wall and slid down until my backside hit the metal floor.

The heat had increased again and more sweat was dripping down my body. I could feel the stars starting to cloud my vision again and my heart's erratic beating in my chest. All signs that I was heading towards severe heat stroke if we were out here too much longer.

Not that it would matter if we burned to death.

I don't know what I had been thinking before, all those awful things I had said to the Doctor. Maybe Abi, Erina, Ashton and Korwin's deaths had made me doubt whether it was possible to succeed today. Even with all the impossible situations I had faced with the Doctor, this had been the most difficult. Still my head dropped into my knees as I waited anxiously for something to happen.

"Doctor, how're you doing?" Scannell's voice came over the intercom, pulling me from my worry.

"I can't, I can't reach! I don't know how much longer I can last." The Doctor's strained voice said. Suddenly I was jumping to my feet and running over to the intercom.

"Come on. Don't give up now, Doctor, you have to prove that you were right!" I shouted encouragement at him. There was a loud yell as presumably the Doctor gave one mighty stretch and managed to pull the lever to remagnetise the pod.

I held my breath as I waited in earnest for him to fail or succeed. Slowly I watched, as the dim speck of the pod began to grow bigger. I yelled out in triumphant and giddiness, not quite believing he had managed to overcome the odds again. That impossible, impossible man. The Doctor slowly pulled himself back into the airlock chamber and smiled at me in happiness. I was jumping up and down shouting 'yes!'.

But just before he entered the chamber he turned back around to gaze at the sun. No! Inside me I knew that he had looked into the light, as the creature that was trapped in my mind began to respond to the reflection of the light I could see shining off the Doctor's helmet. It began to burn and press against the confines of my head, causing me to clutch it in pain, even as I stumbled back from the airlock and cry out in pain.

Burn with me. It whispered. Burn with me and consume them all.

The locket gave one great jolt and I almost fell over as the voice was pushed back into my subconscious mind. Scannell's voice over the intercom knocked sense back into me as I realised the Doctor had not existed the air lock chamber.

"…It's alive. It's alive. It's alive!" The Doctor's voice whispered from the glowing locket.

"Doctor, close the airlock now! That pod's going to smash into him." He said desperately. I ran over to where the air lock had finished recompression and looked on as the Doctor fell to his knees, his eyes tightly closed and his face screwed up in pain as he pulled the helmet off. I opened the door and sprinted over to where he had stopped, just as the pod docked and Martha and Riley clambered out.

I attempted to cradled his body to my own, much as he had done with mine early today, but he pulled away from me. Martha's face was frantic as she ran over to us, worry clearly evident in her eyes.

"Doctor! Doctor! Are you okay?" Martha yelled. I pushed my hand to her chest to stop her reaching towards the Doctor. Whom had now pulled himself against one of the walls and opened his eyes briefly, a brilliant golden light shone out of them.

"No, you looked into the light." I whispered.

"Stay away from me!" The Doctor shouted to the both of us. Just then Captain McDonnell ran into the corridor, making sure Riley was alright before turning to the Doctor.

"What light? You said that before, told me not to look." Martha said turning to me for answers. But at this moment I was preoccupied with the Doctor who had clenched his eyes shut tightly.

"What's happened?" McDonnell asked, but the Doctor spat his next words at her in anger and disgust.

"It's your fault, Captain McDonnell!"

"Riley, get down to area ten and help Scannell with the doors. Go!" McDonnell instructed Riley. He left with one last uncertain glance back towards us.

"Burn with me. Give back what was stolen." I whispered to myself as the creature in my head whispered in my ear.

Burn her up, consume her soul. Take back what was ours. You must Red One.

I closed my eyes as I tried to not let it out, it was still tightly locked away thanks to the locket, but it was slipping and becoming louder. That strange connection I had with the Doctor must be amplifying it.

"What!" Martha said aghast at my statement and when she saw me closing my eyes her breathing increased.

"Doctor, what are you talking about? Riana, what's wrong with him?" She said in alarm. I opened my eyes and I knew when Martha looked at me, she could see a hint of gold white glow. She stepped back from me in panic.

"That sun is alive. A living organism. The light you see is it reaching out." I replied, even as McDonnell caught sight of my eyes.

"They scooped out its heart, used it for fuel, and now it's screaming!" The Doctor yelled. I came closer to him then, feeling the power and heat coming off him responding to my proximity.

"What do you mean? How can a sun be alive? Why is he saying that?" She said turning to me. I met her eyes and let her see the living light of the sun shining barely contained behind them. She reared back as if struck and before the Doctor could answer, I did for the both of us.

"Because it's living in us." I whispered. The Doctor grasped my arm and I could feel his breathing increase.

"NO… Please tell me it's not in you. Please!" He said desperately.

"Oh, my God." McDonnell exclaimed. Now I knew what the hint had meant, the light was the sun reaching out, trying to protect itself, yet I had looked and I wasn't being overwhelmed like everyone else.

"It's alright Doctor, I looked at Korwin ages ago and it hasn't really affected me until now. I don't think it affects me the same way it does everyone else." I said to try and reassure him.

"It speaks to me in my mind, but whatever power the locket has, contains it, so it can't spread farther. It's when I'm near you that it becomes more powerful." I continued.

If anything, I think my statement only made the Doctor worse for he gritted his teeth and his grip increased on my arm, to almost the point of pain.

"No, no, you shouldn't have looked… Riana, you can't let it break loose. I'm not sure how to get it out of you…your physiology it's too different." He panted.

"I'm not letting it Doctor." I reassured him. He suddenly turned back towards McDonnell and yelled at her in anger as his body was wracked with increasing pain. I had to clutch my head and close my eyes, as the Doctor's light increased, the light in me began to scream and wail.

"Humans! You grab whatever's nearest and bleed it dry! You should have scanned!"

"It takes too long. We'd be caught. Fusion scoops are illegal." McDonnell cried out. I turned on her as I regained my bearing.

"It's not in your head screaming and you swore you hadn't done anything to warrant this. We asked you and you lied to us, now it might use him to try and kill you all." I said sharply.

"You've got to freeze me, quickly." The Doctor said to Martha and me.

"What?" Martha said. I too was surprised by his request, yet I was sure that unlike Martha, I was quite aware that the Doctor wasn't human and could survive against tremendous and unprecedented odds.

"Stasis chamber. You've got to take it below minus two hundred. Freeze it out of me! It'll use me to kill you if you don't. The closer we get to the sun, the stronger it gets! Med-centre, quickly! Quickly!" He instructed us all the while screaming in pain, nearly overcome. Martha looked over to McDonnell in disgust as the Doctor explained. I went to help Martha with the Doctor, but McDonnell made no move to help us as she glanced warily at me.

"What about her? Won't she try and kill us too?" She asked. I growled in annoyance we were wasting precious time.

"We don't we have time for this. I'm not human, whatever it is about me that's different is ensuring that the sun can't overwhelm me. But the stronger the light in the Doctor gets, the stronger it will get in me." I knew my explanation was convoluted and didn't really reassure anyone, heck it didn't even make sense to me, but it was the best I had and we really didn't have time to debate this. All I knew was that I would fight this for as long as I could and I had to trust that whatever strange abilities the locket had, it would protect me long enough to save the Doctor.

"Help us!" Martha yelled towards McDonnell, she reluctantly did.

"Impact in seven thirty." The Computer said. I cursed. With that I traded places, with McDonnell helping to carry the Doctor instead. As I realised I was still too weak to carry anyone now.

"By the Light of the Old God let us not die." I prayed.

We rushed down the many corridors to get to the med-centre as quickly as we could. The Doctor was little help as he was more like a dead weight. Crying out in pain and agony with every step we took.

Realising, someone had to run ahead to set the equipment up for when we got the Doctor there, I volunteered and took off at the fastest pace I could. My memory was still hazy of exactly where the med bay was again, but it wasn't long until I recognised some of the familiar surroundings.

Racing in I nearly let out a scream when I caught sight of Ashton's dead body, stuck in the stasis chamber. Truly, I don't think I had ever seen so many dead bodies in one day. His head was thankfully covered by the helmet and most of his body looked normal, fighting the urge to gag, I quickly pulled his body put off the table. I tried to be a respectful as I could and laid it out of the way to the side of the room.

It didn't take much of a leap to realise that it must have been McDonnell that killed him, considering Scannell had been with the Doctor and I for some time and Riley and Martha had been trapped in the escape pod. The thought left a foul taste in my mouth.

I began prepping the machine from what I could remember seeing Abi do. Still I found a manual and made sure to read it over. It surprised me when the writing was in Akheet and I wondered how humans could read the language, still I wasn't going to look a gift malgakii in the rear.

The Doctor was brought swiftly into the room, carried between Martha and McDonnell. They laid him out on the table as I began pressing buttons setting the temperature as he had instructed before. Martha was looking for the manual but I told her that I had already prepared it.

"Martha, Riana, where are you?" The Doctor asked between painful breaths. We both ran over towards him, to reassure that we hadn't left his presence.

"It's all right, we're both here. Stasis chamber, minus two hundred, yeah?" She recited back.

"No, you don't know how this equipment works. You'll kill him. Nobody can survive those temperatures." McDonnell said. I turned to glare at her, somewhat sick of humans today, well foolish ones.

"He's not human. If he says he can survive, then he can. Trust me he is completely impossible." I said shortly, my already frayed temper a thread away from snapping.

"Let me help you, then!" McDonnell demanded. Martha turned towards her with anger and I could swear hate in her eye.

"You've done enough damage." She spat.

"Ten seconds. That's all I'll be able to take. No more. Riana!" The Doctor called out my name desperately. I saw Martha's face fall slightly, but I put it to the back of my mind for the moment. The Doctor needed me. Whatever our future relationship might be.

"Doctor, I'm here." I said gently to him, holding his hand tightly. He gripped it as though it was a life line and I could feel the intensity of the light echoed in my head. It was burning him and I could taste his fear.

"It's burning me up. I can't control it. If you don't get rid of it, I could kill you. I could kill you all. I'm scared! I'm so scared!" He said. I had never seen the Doctor this vulnerable, always appearing beyond such normal mortal emotions.

"Just stay calm. You always give so much to save everyone else, never asking to be thanked or recognised. You have always believed in me even when I doubted myself, now let me take care of you. You will be ok." I said.

"It's bloody killing me! Then what'll happen?!" He screamed at me.

"That's enough! I've got you." I said firmly. I nodded to Martha who went over the lever and got ready to pull on my signal.

"There's this process, this thing that happens if I'm about to die." He said to the both of us. But I knew already what he meant, Regeneration. A Time Lord's way of changing to cheat death. I knew what the future Doctor would look like, but I had no idea how far along he was in comparison to this Doctor. He had said that it was recent for him, but I knew that I had met an even further version of this him. So, I knew he would be alright.

"Regeneration, I know. Martha." I said as a way of signalling her to start the process. "Shush. Quiet now. Because that is not going to happen. Are you ready?" I asked him, but we both knew it was more rhetorical than anything.

"No." He whimpered in pain. "Riana, whatever happens don't leave me…please…I-Io-" He said. But even dying, there was no way I was going to let him finish that sentence. I wasn't sure what my reaction would be if it was what I thought it was. But he had no time to say it anyway, because Martha had pulled the lever and forced him into the stasis chamber.

She pressed the button to start the freezing process. There was nothing I could do but stand back and watch as the Doctor screamed himself hoarse. I felt a sob wanting to rise in my throat, but I clenched my teeth tightly together and set my jaw stubbornly. The Doctor would survive and he wouldn't be consumed by the Sun's light, I know, I had seen it.

You can try to freeze us out, Red One, but you cannot kill the light. The creature whispered in my head. My stomach plummeted with those chilling words.

"Heat shields failing. At five percent." The Computer notified. I gasped.

"Something's wrong, the sun it's trying to stop us." I said urgently. The readout read -70 degrees and falling. Both women turned to face me, faces grim.

"What!" Martha said. But the power failure of the stasis chamber proved my words right.

"No! You can't stop it. Not yet." The Doctor yelled out, I could see that he was covered with frost.

"What happened?" Martha called.

"Power's been cut in Engineering." McDonnell informed us.

"But who's down there?" Martha asked. I met McDonnell's eyes and I knew in that moment it was Korwin. Her face was set, but her eyes were determined.

"Go!" I said to her.

"Leave it to me." She replied. "Riana…" She started to say.

"Yes." I said. Her eyes were hard.

"You make sure that you save my ship and if the sun in your head starts to take over…" She trailed off leaving the obvious unspoken. I nodded, letting her know that I would do what was necessary if it came to that. With that she ran out of the med bay.

"Impact in four forty-seven." I glanced at Martha and she looked bewildered at our exchange.

"Riana, what did she mean?" Martha asked. I busied myself checking on the Doctor's status. He was starting to defrost already, thanks to the increasing heat.

"She means, that it's Korwin. He isn't dead like she thought he was. As to the other thing, if the sun in my head overcomes me, then I will do whatever I must, to ensure that no more people die." I replied. She looked horrified.

"You don't mean…kill yourself?" She said hesitantly. I nodded giving her a piercing look. She looked away and I was surprised to see a tear run down her face.

"I always knew travelling with the Doctor could be dangerous, but the thought that both of you might die…" She said softly. I came over to her and touched her shoulder gently.

"We'll both be fine, Martha. But I'm glad to have met you, for what it's worth." I said genuinely. She smiled at that. Then she stuck her hand out to me. I quirked my eyebrow in wry amusement and my lip lifted as I looked at her in question.

"If this is the first time we've ever met, I think I would like to do it properly. Well as properly as about to crash into a sun is going to get. I'm Martha Jones and it's nice to meet you." She said. While I thought it a strange time to be doing this, we might not ever get another chance. So, I shook her hand.

"Martha Jones, a pleasure to meet you. I'm Riana Tahlay even if this is the strangest greeting I've ever seen." I said laughing slightly. The moment ended when the Doctor let out a whimper. Reminding us of where we actually were.

"Come on. You're defrosting." Martha observed as we waited anxiously for the power to return.

"Martha, Riana, listen! I've only got a moment. You've got to go!" The Doctor called to us.

"No way." Martha replied.

"Forget it, we're not leaving you." I added. We had gone over to peer through the glass at the Doctor.

"Get to the front. Vent the engines. Sun particles in the fuel, get rid of them." He said haltingly between screams.

"We are not leaving you." Martha shouted. But I knew that this was what it came down to. What needed to be done all along. The light had to be returned if we were to live at all.

"You've got to give back what they took!" He yelled. But Martha was stubborn and wouldn't just walk away from the Doctor, while he was in agony. I could feel the creature in my head getting stronger, reacting to the Doctor's. The light was so close, they were nearly home.

Nearly home. Time to burn with me, Red One. Soon your fire will be added to our own. The sun whispered again. I clutched my head again, as I could feel the heat behind my eyes.

"Doctor!" Martha cried again. I turned to Martha, realising she was the only one who could get there in time and not have the risk of being overwhelmed. Martha's eyes widened in fear when she saw the light shining in my eyes.

"No, not you too." She said panicked.

"Martha, you have to go. I can't leave the Doctor, I promised and I can't run all the way there in time. Please." I begged of her.

"You said that you wouldn't let it overwhelm you!" She accused of me. I looked at her sorrowfully.

"Impact in four oh eight." The Computer chimed.

"Martha, we don't have time. My connection to the Doctor is too strong, the closer we get the worse it will be." I reminded her. Her eyes narrowed in anger and determination.

"I'll be back for both of you. You owe me a drink at Luckie's." She said to me. I smiled waveringly at her.

"I'll remember that." I agreed. With that Martha didn't glance behind as she sprinted for the front of the ship. Our lives were in her hands now. Now that the adrenalin had started to wear off, I could feel how truly weak I was. The locket was pulsing in time with my erratic heart beat and the strange echo sensation between the Doctor and me had tripled in the last minute alone. I clutched my head as the agony and the pressure increased. I could feel the joy of the light inside my head at the chance to be free and to consume others.

Whatever it was reacted differently with me. The locket had contained it, but it had almost absorbed it to some degree and I wasn't sure if it would ever come out.

Burn with me. Burn with me! It chanted. I stumbled over something on the floor as I pulled myself against the other medical table, that my body had laid on earlier. It was funny, this was where everything had started and I had to wonder if this is where it would all end. I heard something clunk to the floor and looked up to see the Doctor had pulled himself out of the chamber. He lay on the ground his eyes tightly shut.

"Impact in two seventeen. Primary engines critical." The Computer said. I laughed hysterically.

"So, this is how I die? Being burned alive from the inside while I crash into a living sun. Not to mention sit on my backside helpless, as a voice counts down the time I have left. My life in someone else's hands." I said to no one in particular. The Doctor was too far gone to hear me, I thought.

"But that's just stupid, you said I would live to see the universe! I bet papa would be laughing at me now. Are you proud of me papa? I got to travel the stars only to die four days later…" I said, by now I was way past the point of crying. I was terrified, yet strangely calm in the face of my death. I knew that my eyes were glowing with the light of the sun and it was at the border of my subconscious mind, about to enter into my conscious one.

"Repeat. Primary engines critical. Survival estimate projection zero percent." The Computer said again. I looked up when I heard movement again. The Doctor had somehow managed to pull himself over to the intercom. He still had his eyes closed, but he was no longer in as much pain and I knew that it was not a good sign. I pulled myself up, to try and reach him.

"Martha!" The Doctor said. I reached him just as Martha answered.

"Doctor! Riana, what is he doing?" Martha said. When I touched the Doctor, the force doubled and I gasped out loud as pain overwhelmed my body. The sun broke through into my conscious mind and the locket began to rattle. I knew I had perhaps seconds before it would be too late.

"I can't fight it. Give it back or burn with me." He said, his voice becoming alien and deep.

"Martha, hurry, please. I can't…" I said nearly falling over from the intensity.

"Riana!" Martha screamed. But I couldn't hold it, the light inside of me and the Doctor opened his eyes.

…

"Burn with me, Martha." We both chanted. My voice was deep and I was barely hanging onto my sanity. The Doctor only making it worse.

…

We were crawling now, out of the med bay and into the hallway. The light of the sun so powerful.

"Impact in one twenty-one."

…

"Impact in one oh six."

…

Soon, Red One, your fire will be ours and we will consume the stars.

The light is so bright and I am standing alone in a completely white space. I am facing some sort of golden light. Its voice speaks to me and then it appears to change form until it resembles a version of myself. Red dress, blue hair, shining white eyes. Its face should be mine, but the expression it wears twist the features until it is completely alien.

"Who are you?" I ask it.

I am light. I am fire. I am destruction and rebirth.

"But you look like me." I pointed out. It smiled as much as it was able to.

I control your body, the red fire you wield seeks to trap me, to subdue me and consume my fire for its own. But it fights to sustain your life.

"No. The sun! I remember. Martha is going to give the light back. You can't do this! We didn't take your light, we only want to give it back." I pleaded with it. I was unsure if it was capable of understanding what I meant, but it seemed to ponder my words.

The light is being returned. But we must have your fire. Yours and the other one, who tastes of Time.

I gasped as I realised it meant the Doctor. I couldn't let it keep him. The sun would consume him and kill him dead. I had lost too many people today. I grew angry as I walked up to it nearly face to face, gold eyes meeting blue.

"You can't have him. Martha gave back the fuel that was taken. Now you have to let us go. You're killing him and I won't let you." I declared. It tilted its head to the side.

How is that you propose to stop us? Did you not try and take our light and nearly darken us? Why should we let you go?

"We didn't try and take your light! The Doctor and I, we aren't like the others and Martha she gave your light back to you. We were trying to save you! If you take the Doctor you will extinguish his fire, his body can't handle it. Then you will never have his fire." I said.

We want his fire because we wish to spread our light.

Its voice was emotionless as it said this. I grew frustrated as it was like talking to a wall. Nearly impossible.

"Fine, I get that. You want to expand, as every living being does. But let him go and… and you can have my fire. I promise I won't stop you. Whatever the Doctor may be, he doesn't have what I do; the locket. I felt it, the power inside and it would be more than enough to satisfy you." I said in one last desperate attempt to save his life. I waited nearly what felt like an eternity as the sun considered.

We have released him. You will keep you word. In you we see great fire, we will join our light with your fire and spread across the stars.

"Agreed. Thank you." I said relieved. I watched as the being grew brighter and brighter, until it was nearly impossible to look at. It grew and grew until it surrounded me in its heat. I cried out in pain as I felt as though every cell in my body was being ripped apart. The light entered my heart and the locket pulsed until it snapped open. The golden white light of the sun entered it and grew as I felt as though I was being reformed from the inside out.

It lasted for what seemed like forever, but must have been much shorter. Before I knew it, it ended and I fell over, gasping and crying as the pain receded. I could feel the rippling of the white surroundings as a projection formed from the locket. It had gold white heat surrounding it and formed to look like me. It was the sun.

"I thought you said you would consume me." I said.

We never wanted to consume you, but join with you. Your fire is now ours. You shine with our light and we will grow stronger through you. Your light has changed us Red One, from the moment we touched it. Now we want to expand through time and space to spread our light and you will be our vessel to do so.

I didn't understand. Why hadn't I died. I had felt the sun enter me, but now that I concentrated, I could feel the change in myself. The heat that seemed to simmer beneath the surface of every cell in my body. The sun had joined with my very being and somehow the locket had directed it in a way that didn't harm me.

"You mean, you want to join with me. You want to travel where I go. But won't you die away from the sun?" I asked. It laughed, an expression that freaked me out.

We are sustained by you. Our light is now yours to use. Farewell Red One, until we speak again.

With that the strangely warped version of myself disappeared and I was left alone in the white expanse.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&7

I awoke with a gasp and groaned in pain as I felt myself lying on the hard metal floor. The Doctor was next to me and he too appeared to be in a lot of pain. But his eyes no longer glowed. I could feel the change in my body now. The weight of the choice that I had made to save the Doctor's life, making itself known.

The ship lurched around us and we were rolled to either side of the corridor as I waited for it to end. I crawled as close I could get to the Doctor and pulled him into my arms. Eventually the shaking stopped and I let out a relieved sigh. Whatever the light creature had been in my head it had retreated and I could not detect it like I had before. For now, I was grateful.

"Impact averted. Impact averted. Impact averted." The Computers voice repeated and I had never been happier to hear it. I let out a cry of relief as the weight of today left my body and I curled myself around the Doctor's skinny frame. I stroked his hair as I shook.

"Chulki, we did it. Well Martha did. The light, it's almost completely gone. But we're alive." I whispered into his hair. The Doctor groaned as he started to come to and croaked out my name.

"Riana?" He asked.

"I'm here, I'm here. I promised I wouldn't leave you and I didn't, see." I said somewhat cheekily. His smile was wane, but I was pleased to see it nonetheless. With some effort, we managed to lurch to our feet and begin the slow walk down the corridor, to the front of the ship.

"Riana, what happened? I felt the sun, it had taken me over, but it wouldn't release me. But then it withdrew." He said. I gulped guiltily, but decided not to tell the Doctor what I had done to save him.

"Does it matter, Doctor? We're alive and it left us. Martha dumped the fuel as you instructed and we're ok." I replied. He turned to look at me intently, but I met his eyes head on and prayed to Akhaten he wouldn't see my lie. He was distracted by the hurried footsteps of Martha as she grinned at the both of us. Without any warning, she threw herself at the both of us and embraced us in a giant hug. The Doctor laughed madly and picked us both up, one in each arm as he swung us around. I couldn't help but be caught up in the elation of the moment and pure joy at being alive.

Eventually we released each other, as we began to make our way to the others. The Doctor was questioning Martha as to what had happened in our absence. Martha explained how the auxiliary engines hadn't worked and it wasn't until they dumped the fuel, that the sun had released them.

Seeing Scannell and Riley both alive was a moment of triumph in my book, as so many people had died to today. I later learnt that McDonnell had given her life to save us from Korwin. Perhaps today had humbled me, but I just couldn't hold on to my anger and disgust towards the woman's actions, when she had given her life to make amends. In fact, my initial actions ashamed me, as I out of anyone in this room, should have not been so quick to judge.

I was still very weak and when the Doctor noticed that he bade us to head back towards the TARDIS. Scannell informed us that there was just enough fuel for us to escape the gravity of the sun and get back into safer-and cooler space.

Upon walking back to Section 30, where this had all started, Scannell and Riley were amazed to notice that the ship was still in one piece and not a scorch mark on her. The familiar soothing presence and welcoming hum were enough to nearly make me cry. She sympathised with me for my decision, but was overjoyed that it had saved the Doctor.

"This is never your ship." Scannell exclaimed. We all smiled at his enthusiasm, but couldn't help but understand his bemusement at the bright blue alien box.

"Compact, eh? And another good word, robust. Barely a scorch mark on her." The Doctor said affectionately as he clasped his hand on her side.

"We can't just leave you drifting with no fuel." Martha said. But both Riley and Scannell shook their heads.

"We've sent out an official mayday. The authorities'll pick us up soon enough." Riley replied, he was looking at Martha like a love-struck fool. I laughed slightly as I had seen that expression a few times in my life. Obviously, Martha and he had bonded in the escape pod, it's funny, dying definitely had a way of doing that to you. I tried not to look over at the Doctor with that last thought.

"Though how we explain what happened…" Scannell said trailing off.

"Just tell them. That sun needs care and protection just like any other living thing." I said. With that, the Doctor went into the TARDIS, he left the door slightly ajar as he waited for Martha and me.

"So, er, you're off then. No chance I'll see you again?" Riley asked hopefully. I pulled back realising that he was having a moment with Martha.

"Not really. It was nice, not dying with you. I reckon you'll find someone worth believing in." She said somewhat awkwardly to him. I tried not to snort, vowing to give her some lessons in flirting.

"I think I already did." He said seriously. It surprised Martha as she seemed flattered by his praise. With that she launched herself at him and kissed him. I was stunned, but pleasantly amused. Riley looked quite pleased with himself after she broke away. In my mind, I flashed back to London when we had been chasing the Cybermen and the Doctor had kissed me.

"Well done. Very hot." She said, lost for words to say. At that I snorted. Pulling her by the arm towards the TARDIS.

"Yes, excellent job, Martha. Great save." I whispered in her ear. She gave me a withering glare, but I could see the playfulness in her eyes. As we entered the TARDIS, I could feel the light creature in me stretch and a sense of elation filled me like an echo. I shivered and braced myself against one of the coral pillars as I was sure my eyes glowed for a second.

The Doctor was flicking switches as we entered. Glancing up he was strangely silent.

"So. Didn't really need you two in the end, did we? Sorry. How are you doing?" She asked of him. I came up behind her, having wrangled the feeling back down. The Doctor however didn't answer her question and instead changed the subject.

"Now, what do you two say? Ice skating on the mineral lakes of Kur-ha. Fancy it?" The Doctor asked us. I however groaned at the thought of another adventure. I needed to shower and sleep and then perhaps go. Although the thought of being somewhere cool and decent sounded divine. Martha's face dropped.

"Whatever you like." She replied. The Doctor turned to me. I shook my head.

"Uh, no thanks. If I don't sleep I won't be doing anything other than fall flat on my face. But maybe after." I added. The Doctor looked somewhat disappointed, but then his face lit up as though he had forgotten something.

"By the way, you'll be needing this." The Doctor pulled out a long chain with an odd shaped device on the end. It looked like an old-fashioned key. Martha seemed to become excited, I just looked on confused. Holding her hands out she accepted his gift.

"Really?" She asked in almost incredulity that he would give it to her. Then she looked up at me in worry. The Doctor followed her gaze to my owned bemused one.

"TARDIS key. Frequent flier's privilege. Thank you." He said as way of explanation. I raised one brow and put my hands on my hips.

"So, what am I, excess baggage?" I asked sarcastically. He laughed.

"No, Riana. But I have already given you one of these. You'll get it later, or in my case earlier time. I promise you more than anyone deserve one of these. Now I actually have something else instead for you." With that I watched as he handed me a small golden object. I realised it was another charm, shaped like a sun. He soniced my bracelet open and added the charm to it with the other too. Carefully studying them as he did so. His eyes were sad.

I reached up once he closed it again and placed my hand on his shoulder. Martha quickly dashed away as she pulled out her phone, mutter something like 'mum' under her breath.

"Hey, it's ok Doctor. It's not that bad. Yes, I know I am young, but I have to grow up sometime." I said to him. His eyes met mine and they were deep brown pools again.

"I know, but for me, every time I see you, I know there will be a day when you don't recognise me. When you look into my eyes and ask me who I am. It's ok for you, you have so much to come, days that will change the stars and I know because I have lived them, my Riana. Oh, the things we will see." He said softly. His hand cupping my face. I didn't want to acknowledge the unnameable emotion that shone so brightly behind his eyes.

"I wish you could be older…" He began. But I stopped him by bringing my hand to his and taking it in my grasp to my chest.

"But I'm not Doctor. I'm simply glad to have met you and have been given the chance, no matter how insane to see the stars. That's all I ever dreamed about for the longest time and you made that happen. For that, I will never be able to thank you enough. Let's just enjoy each day as they come, or happen. Perhaps we will never meet in the right order, but I think out of everyone I have ever met, you would be the impossible man to make it work. You said something to me not long ago, you said somethings have to be lived, not told." I said in reply. The Doctor's eyes saddened but he withdrew from the previous intensity.

"As you say, my dear Riana." He said. "As you say." On the other side of the TARDIS console I watched as Martha spoke to her mum in over dramatic tones. I turned away again as I felt my eyes flash white gold and a voice in my head whisper.

Now Red One, the light will spread.

Next Chapter: The Unquiet Dead- The Angry Heart

Akheet Terms

Tazkin- A very popular illegal drug that is often used on Tiaanamat and the Seven Worlds, for recreational use and finding a 'high'. A known side effect is that it induces hallucinations and a hazy mind.

Suhz- The equivalent of a bee from the planet Quania.

Walwallow- The equivalent animal of a wolf.

Chulki- A flirt.

Demni'narwal- Despicable cad.

Malgakii- A six legged, herbivore with a notoriously beautiful pelt found on the planet of Quania. A very common saying to not look one in the rear, for the pelt becomes dirtied by its waste.