The Fate of the Raven

by The Thief's Locket

Lauren Raven's life gets turned upside down when she wakes up in the Doctor's world. She is even more confused as to why she woke up in Clara's classroom of all places. Will she cope with life with the Doctor? With the monsters who are now real? Lauren soon discovers the harsh reality of travelling with the Doctor and Clara, and realizes some changes can't be made. Slight OC/Clara

25. Dark Water

Guess who finally came back! Okay, I completely understand the pitch forks for not updating for so long and any lost interest. But life has changed drastically since, hasn't it? Still I enjoy Doctor Who and very excited to see RTD come back as showrunner next year. I am so sorry for the wait, and will take any criticisms and feedback. Apologies for any spelling and grammar mistakes, I am dyslexic.

Chapter 25 Dark Water

There was a deafening pause that hung in the air after Lauren admitted her truth. Everything. Yes, she knew how this adventure would unfold. The shocked face of Clara makes Lauren feel strange, the shocked face of the Doctor, even stranger. Lauren swallows her nerves that suddenly threaten to bubble over the surface, and her previous anger and frustration at the situation, at them, returns. She turns away and continues her path behind Danny and the children. She pointedly does not glance back, Danny and the children have started a sing song, which almost drowns the sound of the Doctor and Clara's footfalls as they follow her.

The Doctor practically squawks and comes to fall into stead with Lauren. Clara falls into Lauren's other side, not a word is spoken, but Lauren can feel the burning questions on the tips of their tongues.

"If you know everything, then why can't you help?" It is Clara who breaks the silence amongst them.

Lauren subtlety glances at the Doctor, "Who says I can?" she countered.

Nothing is Lauren's doing, nothing she can do, can undo it. Everything just is and will fix itself. Follow the rules, she mentally repeats. But oh, she could give them comfort, tell them it will be alright. Can she tell them that? Surely there would be no harm? Lauren sees the TARDIS come into view, covered in ivy. It's rather beautiful, she thinks. Lauren walked on, leaving the Doctor and Clara to mull over things. She greets Danny with a timid smile and suddenly she's in the selfie with the children.

"So, who are you?" Danny turned and asked Lauren while the children chatted amongst themselves. "You travel with the Doctor like Clara." he stated, eyeing her curiously.

"Yeah, you can say that. I'm more full time though." Lauren shrugged.

Danny raised an eyebrow. "Were you not a student? Don't you have family that wonder where you go?"

Lauren shifted. Clearly Clara didn't explain an awful lot to Danny then. "It's a long story, and not really one I think I can even tell." At Danny's confused expression, Lauren sighed and tried to elaborate. "I'm not really from around here, and nowhere to go. The Doctor has sort of took me in, with him, and Clara, until I can find a way home."

Lauren trailed off at the mention of home. The Doctor didn't have any idea on how to get her home. Her sudden painful thought was interrupted as Danny spoke again.

"When you say not from around here, do you mean this place, or are you like him, alien?" Danny said carefully, his expression shifting as he processed this new information.

"No!" Lauren said quickly, "I'm not an alien. I'm not like him. I'm human. But I'm not from around here." Lauren shook her head. "It's a bit complicated."

"Try me." Danny said.

"I'm from Earth, but not this Earth." Lauren confessed.

"You mean like a… parallel Earth?" he asked. Lauren shrugged.

Try a different universe maybe…

Danny looked speechless. "Wow, is that a thing, parallel worlds? Okay… how'd you cross over to here?"

"Apparently so. That's the thing. I don't know. One day, I was going around my normal life, the next I wake up in Clara's classroom of all places. Bumped into the Doctor, and you know some of the rest." Lauren summarized. "He doesn't understand it either. But he promised me, he'd try and help."

Danny blinked, his face scrunching in confusion, before he blew a breath. "So, he's looking after you then? That Doctor." His gaze drifts over to seemingly where the Doctor is. "That's kind of him." he said.

"Yeah," Lauren agreed. Although she is certain part of the reason he keeps her around isn't out of kindness, but curiosity, and a sense of duty, least she proves to be a danger. "Despite his harsh exterior, he's a softie," Lauren glanced over her shoulder, "Don't tell him I said that by the way! He's better than some foster homes I've been with if I'm honest."

"Foster homes?" Danny repeats, catching onto those words. "You grew up in the system?"

Lauren nodded.

"Me too," Danny said, and his face cracks into a smile.

"What?" Lauren said. She had completely forgotten that part of Danny's character. Background, she mentally corrects herself, he's a real person now, not a character. "Really, well that's, you've done well for yourself, sir." she said sincerely.

Lauren stood a little straighter, a smile that mirrors his spreads across her face. A newfound respect and understanding form in her chest for the man in front of her.

"Hey, it's always nice to see another care kid," Danny shakes her hand.

They began to discuss memories, but the moment is interrupted as Clara slowly joins them, coming to a stop beside Lauren. "Hey," Clara whispers, her hand trails absentmindedly across the small of Lauren's back in greetings as she looks between her and Danny curiously. "What are you two so deeply engaged about?" she asks with a smile, but it doesn't quite reach her eyes. She's sad, clearly her conversation with the Doctor didn't go too well.

Lauren mentally chides herself. Of course, Clara is upset. She thinks she's going to die and burn with everyone on this planet.

"Care homes," Lauren said.

"Oh, yeah that's right," Clara's eyes light up in realization. "Sorry, I forget that you two would have that in common."

Danny and Lauren smiled politely as the conversation dropped.

"Hey," Clara said again, she planted her hands on Lauren's shoulders, "Sorry to interrupt, but the Doctor wants a word." she whispered, and that sadness was back in her eyes.

Lauren shook Danny's hand before she turned, spotting the Doctor by the TARDIS, watching them. "See ya about." she said.

She began to make her way, but Clara caught her arm. Lauren stared at the other woman in confusion. "Good luck," Clara said after a pause.

Lauren nodded, feeling queasy. She could end their despair by just telling them the truth. She made her way to the Doctor, stopping just short before him. He didn't say anything, just nodded his head and beckoning her to enter the ship. Lauren did so without protest. Inside the ship hummed, and the Doctor slowly walked up to the console, deep in thought. Lauren watched him silently from the railings.

"If we were doomed, you'd be a crying mess right now," the Doctor said, pointing a long boney finger in Lauren's direction. "But you're calm."

Lauren blinked, wondering if she should be offended by his statement or not. She wanted to say something but the moment the Doctor saw her mouth open, he cut her off before she had time to fill her breath.

"No, don't say anything…everything, everything," he muttered those last words to himself.

Lauren watched as the Doctor slowly tried to put the pieces together. Personally, she wondered why it was taking him so long, but then, sometimes, the Doctor really did miss the obvious!

"You're right, I would be a crying mess. So, I won't spoil the 'fun'," Lauren quoted the word, "for you, and you can work everything out and when you stop being an idiot, go get Clara."

The Doctor blinked owlishly at her. His surprised expression was quickly masked into something Lauren couldn't read. Lauren was surprised at herself at such a response. Everything works out, she reminded herself, it was just the Doctor she had to deal with, their relationship and her foreknowledge, will that ever work out? Lauren walked past the console and boldly side stepped the Doctor, pointedly making her way to the upper level and to his armchair. Just in time, her legs gave out as she sank into it, a combination of nerves and exhaustion.

"Yes, you stay there, and don't do anything," the Doctor demanded, as if it was his idea all long.

Lauren glared at him. She watched as he pulled the monitor towards him, displaying the growing solar flare that was threatening to soon hit the Earth. Silence fell as the clogs in the Doctor's brain turned.

"Flame-proof forest. Flame-proof forest. A thousand atom bombs and no one hurt. I am Doctor Idiot!" he shouted; the sound carried through the console.

Lauren quickly looked away as she saw him sharply turn in her direction. She stared sightlessly at the shelves of books along the wall as she heard his footsteps rush up the stairs, felt his presence loom over her. Lauren nervously peeked up, and despite knowing he was there, she still startled in her seat when she met his piercing gaze staring down at her. The Doctor's face held an annoyed expression.

"And the penny drops…" Lauren whispered.

The Doctor's eyes narrowed at her words. His brows furrowed even more so, that annoyed expression deepened. He raised his hand and Lauren instinctively jumped in response to his sudden movement. She looked fearfully at his raised hand; the Doctor froze. His expression turned unreadable as he regarded her reaction.

Lauren fought with herself as she tried to calm herself down. She suddenly was overcome with feelings of shame and embarrassment. The Doctor would never hit her, he would never be cruel like that, he wasn't like other adults…

Slowly, the Doctor moved his arm, and gently flicked Lauren's nose. Lauren froze, utterly bewildered and not expecting that. That better not become a habit of his, she thought as she relaxed, and reason flooded her brain. Of course, that was what the Doctor was doing.

"You," the Doctor said, Lauren remained silent. "You," he simply said again. Lauren awkwardly shifted in her seat. The Doctor shook his head before darting down the stairs and running like a manic man out the TARDIS doors screaming for Clara.

You could have dropped a penny, and it would have echoed loudly as Lauren stared at where the Doctor left. The TARDIS hummed. Lauren let out a breath and slumped into the armchair. It wasn't long until the sound of footsteps and rowdy school children made Lauren's ears perk. The door creaked opened, and their loud voices cut through the air. The Doctor was first in, followed by the children before Clara and Danny came at a more hesitant pace. The Doctor was talking, gesturing for everyone to sit on the stairs before him as he swiveled the monitor to face them. Clara climbs the steps; she catches sight of Lauren curled up in the armchair and stops. Clara tilts her head, looking at Lauren with an expression she can't figure out. Was Clara confused? Was Clara wondering if she confessed to the Doctor the answers? Lauren's thoughts her cut short as the Doctor grabbed everyone's attention for his makeshift lesson on the solar flare situation.

"It's there on the screen, look. Big solar flare headed this way. A thousand kilometres a second. Coronal mass ejection. Geomagnetic storm. It's huge. It's brewing up a solar wind big enough to blow this blow whole planet away." the Doctor explained, turning to the group expectantly. He is met with blank faces. "I assumed your teachers have mentioned this?" he asked.

"I thought it would spoil an otherwise enjoyable walk." Clara said in a slightly shrill voice.

The Doctor paces as he considered his words, he turned back to the group, leaning in like he was about to tell them a bedtime story. "Okay. Okay. Well, this is the bad news. The good news is, it's happened before. And you're still here. The Tunguska Blast, 1908. That should have blown the whole planet off its axis, but it didn't. It knocked a few trees over. Well, a few tens of thousands of trees over…"

Lauren feels her eyes droop where she sits. She blinks furiously as she felt her head dip and rights herself. The Doctor droned on, their voices becoming static.

"Sir, that girl is falling asleep!" A boy said.

Lauren vaguely heard before perking up at the sound of the Doctor's sarcastic tone, "Detention for her."

The children giggled as they were sprawled out around the console as they appeared to be writing a script. Lauren finally sat up, taking in the situation with a blush colouring her cheeks. When she catches the eyes of Clara, the other woman merely raising an eyebrow at her and shakes her head.

Maebh reads from her script into a speaker that the TARDIS transmits across London. "We'd like to reassure you that the situation will be rectified very soon. Please don't be scared. And please don't chop, spray, or harm the trees. They're here to help. Be less scared. Be more trusting. Oh, and Annabel Arden, please come home."

The Doctor ends the transmission "Okay, who would like to witness a once in a billion years solar event at close quarters?" he said excitedly. Only Clara appeared excited at the thought. She was as equally disappointed at the lack of enthusiasm from her students as the Doctor is.

"Mum! There's my mum!" Maebh said in delight at the monitor. The little girl runs towards the doors.

The rest of the children followed Maebh out, Clara and Danny walked steadily behind them. "So, trip to space, anyone?" Clara said eagerly.

"I want my mum." Ruby said. A boy chimed in sharing her sentiment and Clara tried to hide her disappointment.

It was just Lauren and the Doctor in the console, the voices of the others floated outside, suddenly a calm feeling settled. The world wasn't in danger, they knew that now, and it was a matter of waiting and letting the trees do their thing.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The Doctor, Clara and Lauren stand looking out of the TARDIS doorway, orbiting just above the Earth. The planet was covered in a green hue, and it was a sight to behold.

"I hope I'm right. It would be slightly awkward if the world was destroyed at this point." the Doctor said nervously.

"What?" Clara said sharpy, craning her head to glare at him.

It was at that moment the solar flare reached Earth's atmosphere, igniting the surplus oxygen as it flows. Lauren's eyes water at the sudden blinding light show.

"Wow!" Was the only intelligent thing Lauren could say as the three of them watched in awe.

"There goes the planet-sized airbag. That's the trees, harvesting the solar fire." the Doctor explained.

When the solar flare passed, the Earth remained, unscathed, and green with trees.

"What about the trees?" Clara asked, "They're still there."

"They will disappear as quickly as they appeared." the Doctor replied.

The Doctor took them back to Clara's flat to observe the vanishing of the forest in London. The TARDIS parked in the living room, they watch from Clara's balcony, in the late evening glow, as the forest disappears in a succession of golden sparkles, revealing the hidden buildings and roads.

Lauren was sandwiched between the pair, leaning on the railing casually.

"That is amazing. How will they explain this tomorrow?" Clara said.

"You'll all forget it ever happened." the Doctor replied.

"We are not going to forget an overnight forest." she said in disbelief.

"You forgot the last time. You remembered the fear and you put it into fairy stories. It's a human superpower, forgetting. If you remembered how things felt, you'd have stopped having wars. And stopped having babies." he said, turning his head to meet her gaze.

All the trees vanish as the golden dust fades into the sky. Lauren hums contently, eyes alight. She glances up at the sky, and when she notices the Doctor and Clara staring down at her she snaps to attention, quizzically darting her gaze between the two of them.

"What?" Lauren asked, frowning.

Clara didn't say anything, although she looked tired. The Doctor pushed himself off the railing and straightened.

"Time to go." he said. "Next Wednesday or…?" the Doctor directed his gaze from Lauren to Clara.

"Come tomorrow." Clara said.

"As you wish." the Doctor said, not questioning her reasons. He made a move to turn and head for the TARDIS, but Clara grabbed his arm. The Doctor looked questioningly down at her, eyeing her wordlessly as she appeared she wanted to say something.

No words came from Clara, instead she patted his arm and quirked a soft, tired half smile up at him, all affection was conveyed in her look. The Doctor appeared both confused at why she was looking at him like that and overwhelmed before quickly feigning indifference at her gesture.

"See you tomorrow." he said, rough gravel of his voice, eyes firmly directed above Clara's head. He was released from his companion's hold, and he finally made it to his ship.

Lauren waved goodbye to Clara, who curtly nodded.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

"So…" Lauren began.

The Doctor glanced up from the console, "So what?" he asked, pulling the lever and keying in random buttons.

"Did I do good?" Lauren asked, loitering at the top of the steps leading down to the lower level to the corridor beyond.

"Good?" the Doctor echoed, already his attention on the controls.

Lauren bit her lip, "Yeah, like, good. I mean, I followed your rules."

The Doctor made a noise of understanding at the back of his throat, then nothing. Silence stretched as Lauren waited for a response. He wasn't looking in her direction and her anger flared.

"I can't complain," he said finally, voice neutral, revealing nothing.

Lauren let out a breath, her anger subsided slightly, burrowing back, but lingering. She feels tired. She's always tired now it seems.

"Off to bed with you," the Doctor orders as if he could read her mind. It startles Lauren but she doesn't argue.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

"Why didn't you just tell me?" Clara asked Lauren the next day.

Lauren's hand freezes mid motion, her spoon hovers inches from her lips as she glances up curiously. Clara watches her, elbows resting on the table, hands that were hidden in her overly sized jumper sleeves, encased around the cup of her morning tea. She raises her mug and softly blows on the beverage before bringing it to her lips, her dark eyes never leave Lauren's.

"We thought Earth was done for. You could have told me – us – it was going to be okay." Clara went on to say.

Lauren self-consciously spoons her cereal into her mouth, stalling, then sets it down into the bowl.

"Um, I," Lauren stutters, not expecting the sudden question from the other woman. "I had to follow the rules." she said, avoiding eye contact.

Clara doesn't speak. Her silence is heavy.

"I didn't know if I could, should. I wanted to, I really wanted to." Lauren said meaningfully, forcing herself to look Clara in the eye again. The other woman's expression was unreadable. "I'm sorry."

Guilt fills Lauren's stomach, suddenly she feels full. She pushed away her bowl, debating if she should retreat to the safely of her room. The guilt would follow her, however. Clara was her friend. Clara deserved to know.

"I'm already in enough trouble with the Doctor lately. I just wanted to do the right thing." Lauren tried to explain. She isn't certain she can keep to the Doctor's deal. "He threatened to kick me out, if I'm irresponsible."

Clara raises an eyebrow. "Oh? Like he isn't?" she muttered into her mug almost to herself.

"I need to follow them if I am to stay." Lauren continued.

Clara nodded in acknowledgement. "Still doesn't mean I agree."

"I'm sorry," Lauren said again. "Do you forgive me?" she asked.

"Yeah." sighed Clara, looking down at the swirling content of her mug.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Adventures continued and Lauren didn't have any foreknowledge of any of them. The Doctor materialised them to Derbyshire 1845 and they met Charlotte Bronte and Clara was delighted to learn that the Doctor and her were the inspiration for Jane Eyre. A fact which Lauren kept teasing Clara about afterwards, causing her delight to dwindle slightly with annoyance. Lauren stopped when she was chased out of the library after making kissing noises and giving Clara pointed looks when the Doctor entered the room.

The Doctor still kept an annoying eye on her, however. He was right, she was more scared when she didn't know. What's the next episode? Lauren racked her brains, surely it should happen soon. With all the adventures, new experiences that she struggled to comprehend, sometimes, Lauren found that it was difficult to remember of her life before.

Lauren was writing in her journal. Flipping through all the adventures episodes she's been through.

Doctor Who Series 8

The Caretaker

Kill The Moon

Mummy On The Orient Express

Flatline

In the Forest of the Night

Lauren paused, staring at the episode titles, thoughtfully pondering to herself before she wrote the next one down. She had remembered it.

Dark Water

Lauren put her pen down and shut the book with a snap. She swallowed her fear. Clara will hate her. Clara will never speak to her again if she finds out what she knew. Poor Clara. Poor Danny…Missy…

"What am I going to do?" Lauren whispered, head in hands.

She could warn Clara, but what will Clara do, stick Danny in the flat and force him to never leave? Can she change it? No. She isn't even sure when it happens. It happened off screen, but the day will come when Clara walks through the TARDIS doors and betrays the Doctor.

There is a knock at her bedroom door. Lauren jumped.

"Just a minute!" she called, hastily grabbing her journal, and running to hide it in a panel in the TARDIS wall. The last thing she wanted was Clara happening across her book with foreknowledge of episodes.

The door opened just as Lauren jumped back onto her bed, trying to appear nonchalant. She frowned in confusion when the person she expected to be there wasn't Clara but instead the Doctor.

"Doctor?" Lauren greeted, looking at him in surprise. She could count in one hand the number of times the Doctor has come into her room. Clara on the other hand, frequently comes in and out.

"Can I help you?" she asked as the Doctor entered. He gave the room a once over, no doubt, his Time Lord brain cataloguing every little thing in seconds.

"I have a whole day planned out," the Doctor began. He listed several planets and new places that went right over Lauren's head.

Sometimes, the Doctor gets impatient for an adventure. One time, he practically dragged Clara and her out of the kitchen one morning because they just had to go as of that second.

"Can you give me – "

"What's this?" the Doctor cut Lauren off as he stared at an almost full food jar on her bedside table. He picked up the spoon, it was coated in the jam like substance. It looked to have been left there for several days, given the state of mould. The Doctor wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"I thought it was something else." Was Lauren's explanation.

The Doctor pops the spoon back, it slowly sinks into the mouldy substance.

"Come on," the Doctor whined, "You've been in here all day." He made a motion with his hands, gesturing her out of the room.

"Go and annoy Clara!" Lauren rolled her eyes.

"She told me to annoy you." the Doctor turned and met her eye. Lauren glowered.

The Doctor then stalked around her room, pulling a book from the shelf, idly flipping through the pages.

"Doctor. Get out." Lauren demanded.

The Doctor snaps the book closed, places it neatly back, continues to inspect, completely ignoring her words.

"Grumpy," the Doctor muttered.

Lauren's feels her anger bubbling. The Doctor comes close to the panel where she hides her journal, and Lauren's eyes can't help but dart to it, to the Doctor. She swears for a second that he knows it there, hidden from him. Lauren shakes her head, he couldn't know, she reassured herself. He can't. Even if he knows she keeps a journal, he doesn't know she writes foreknowledge in it.

His eyes pass the panel, and wander to the galaxy projection on her ceiling, admiring for a moment before his gaze meets hers and he raises an eyebrow. Lauren can't tell what mood he's in today.

"I'll come out soon." Lauren promised, clearing her throat. "Should I dress up for warm or cold?" she asked. Always good to be prepared for the climate on an adventure.

"You don't know?" the Doctor teased. Or maybe challenged.

Lauren stared at him, hard. "No." she said firmly.

She unnerved him. Lauren realised after the forest in London and Maebh. Even when she knows nothing.

"Warm." the Doctor answered before his long legs carried him towards the door and out, almost gone until he turned on his heels, glancing back in at Lauren. "Oh, and clean your room." he said.

Lauren fired a pillow, but he was long gone. It hit the door with a useless soft thud.

The Doctor made a miscalculation when they landed. Lauren and Clara huffed.

It was cold.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Clara?"

No response.

"Clara?" Lauren whispered louder. She knocked timidly at the door.

Lauren glanced around the corridor, it was dark and appeared endless. The only source of light came from the slightly luminous TARDIS walls. It was easy to get lost inside the ship, especially at night.

Lauren's heart was thumping a quick beat, glancing right then left. The TARDIS was safe, but in the darkness, the low glow of the walls casting shadows, the primal fear of something lurking within it dwelled in the back of her mind.

Lauren knocked louder, a little more insisted. "Clara?" Her voice cracked.

She heard of the idea of creatures trapped in the TARDIS, roaming the corridors, a ship as big and endless as it was, it was a real probability. Or perhaps the Doctor will step out of the shadows, disturbed by the noise she was making. The thought of the Doctor didn't bring Lauren peace as it normally would. He was the man that stopped the monsters and yet –

The door in front of her opened with a loudness at seemed unnatural. Lauren felt a cold dread briefly fill her chest.

"Lauren?" Clara whispered in confusion. She wore pyjama bottoms and a dark tank top; her hair was messily framing her face. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes in vain. "What's the matter?" she asked groggily.

Lauren bit her lip, suddenly embarrassed. "I, um," she stuttered. "Can I come in?" she didn't like how her voice sounded so small and flakily.

Clara sighed tiredly, "Sure." She moved aside to let Lauren past. She closed her bedroom door with a yawn.

Clara made her way back to her bed. It was queen size, big enough for two people. Lauren awkwardly hugged herself, staring down at the bed, lost in her own thoughts.

"Did you have another nightmare?" Clara whispered.

The side effect of travelling through time and space with the Doctor. Nightmares were standard.

Lauren nodded timidly at her feet. "Yeah," she said.

Clara pushed up the cover and slipped back underneath, "Come on then." she said softly, holding the covers up, beckoning Lauren into the warmth.

Lauren hesitated, embarrassment evident, no matter if this isn't the first time. Finally, after a pause, she climbed in. There was the sound of fabric shuffling before Lauren settled, back facing Clara, sheet pulled to under her chin. She exhaled through her nose, trying to keep her breathing under control. Lauren heard and felt Clara turn, then after a moment, she shuffled, and a hand touches her back and Lauren jumps in her position. She doesn't turn nor say a word.

"You're shaking," Clara stated, her voice a lot closer. Her hand, having retracted the moment Lauren flinched, slowly and gently touches her again. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No." Lauren said as firmly as she could muster. "…I want to sleep."

It was a bad one, Clara concluded. She said no more.

Lauren tightly shut her eyes and willed the fear of the nightmare away. Lauren heard the other woman shift before feeling an arm snake over her waist and a hand grasp hers in the dark. She breathed out.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

"How about a relaxing trip? Or a quite retrieve?" the Doctor said one morning as Lauren poked at the books lining the upper level.

Lauren frowned, turning on her heels to stare down at the Doctor suspiciously. "Since when do you do relaxing trips?"

"Sure I do!" the Doctor said, eyes never leaving the monitor. Hands braced and his lanky frame half bent over the console just to view it. "I've taken you and Clara to some of the greatest beaches of this side of the galaxy, and the best holiday planets."

"Yeah, but nine times out of ten something always happens, someone needs saving, or you land us on an entirely different planet." Lauren cut him off from a ramble.

"Let's aim for the one times out of ten." the Doctor said, finally looking up and cocking his head in her direction.

"If you say so…" Lauren muttered, grasping onto the railing.

"I do." He flipped a dial. "Do you some good." he added.

Lauren's eyes narrowed into slits, her suspicious gaze just tenfold. "Why?" she drew out the word.

The Doctor shrugged. "Why not?" he dodged.

"Normally we have to ask you for relaxing trips." Lauren said.

"Consider this one of those times you don't." the Doctor said, with a quirk of his eyebrow and a pull of the lever.

"So where are we going?" Lauren asked, giving up on trying to figure out if the Doctor had an alternative motive or not. She will find out soon enough.

When will he learn that he doesn't need to trick his companions into certain adventures? Lauren mused, wondering what trouble or mystery he's got himself hooked on.

The TARDIS landed. Lauren looked at the Doctor expectantly before approaching the door, grasping the handle, she threw one last look over her shoulder to the Doctor, who stood by the console, watching her. He nodded. Lauren swallowed, nerves and excitement bubbled in her stomach as she turned and peeked out. The glimpse of an alien world was enough for Lauren to pull the door fully open to view the wonder before her eyes and take her first steps onto new ground. The Doctor followed in her wake, closing the doors with the familiar sound of the hinge protesting.

The Doctor went straight into his usual info ramblings the moment they land. The place looked like a canyon, and the TARDIS parked down in a ledge. The rocks a dark grey, and as Lauren observed, it was not a canyon as such, miles of rocky land but bridges and arch walkways carved and connecting like vines below. Huge pear-shaped plants? Or maybe shrooms, as tall as mighty trees pulsed and glowed red, grew from the rock. It was the sky however, that caught Lauren's eye, it was always the sky. Purple and dark, a burst of white like a sun but she couldn't be sure if it was, stars burning. It was a galaxy.

How did they breathe, she thought? The more she travelled with the Doctor, the more questions she had but the more she just had to accept. There were no people, at least none around here.

"No." Lauren said as the Doctor paused for breath halfway through a description of the planet's history.

The Doctor stopped and so did Lauren.

"No." she repeated.

The Doctor nodded. "Been hearing that a lot recently." he commented, continuing to walk.

Lauren rolled her eyes. "Isn't that better?" she muttered, feeling a flash of anger.

Every no is one step closer to that yes that she will have to admit to.

The Doctor didn't respond immediately. He side eyed her sudden shift in mood and took out his sonic to point in a direction in front of them. It whirled and he looked at the readings casually.

"Yes." the Doctor agreed. "Nothing to worry about then, eh?" he added.

Lauren feels she is being played somehow. He's teasing her, he must be, or maybe it's just poor choice of words. Nothing to worry about, yet it's all she can do, worry over the future.

"Yeah," Lauren lied, cringing at how obvious it is in her voice that she doesn't. "Relax."

She walks two more steps before she snaps and asks, "Seriously, why are we here? There's no beach, no resorts! Yeah, it's beautiful, but hiking isn't my thing. A beautiful magical garden I can wander and get lost in, yes, I would like that."

"Your feedback is noted." the Doctor said with a half-smile. He pocketed the sonic and rummaged through another inside pocket of his coat. "Ah!" he exclaimed suddenly. He pulled out a small vial.

"What?" said Lauren in confusion.

"Need it to collect samples." the Doctor explained.

"Samples?" Lauren repeated, looking at him skeptically.

"Yeah." He ushered her to one the strange giant red glowing shroom growing from the rock. This one hung from an arch upside down, allowing easy access. The Doctor scooped chucks of the soft red stuff off it. "It has a rather bizarre reaction when I add it to – "

"You brought me here on the promise of a relaxing trip because you wanted to scoop random goo off a… whatever that is. Like, seriously?" Lauren said in exasperation.

"Well, is this not relaxing, from our usual trips?" the Doctor argued.

Lauren huffed and began walking back to the TARDIS. "You and your bloody weird experiments." she muttered angrily.

"Language!" the Doctor called, bottling up the vial and pocketing it.

Lauren said a few choice words.

She remembered Clara telling her a story once of the Doctor risking a limb on an adventure just to find a rare herb that he could put in his tea.

She heard it then.

Lauren stopped in her tracks. A few feet away, the sound of a phone ringing pierced the air. The TARDIS phone was ringing.

"Doctor?" Lauren called over her shoulder, eyes never leaving the ship. "The phone's ringing."

The Doctor comes to a stop beside Lauren, she glances at him uncertainly. "Oh, must be Clara." he said, as if it were obvious.

"But that phone hardly rings." Lauren frowned.

"Not many people have the TARDIS number, although one such person that does is currently not with us." the Doctor explained.

"Doesn't that sound from the console?" Lauren asked as she followed the Doctor back.

"If I'm in." he said.

The Doctor reached for the little panel, revealing the old-style black telephone. "Clara! Clara?" he answered.

Lauren felt dread drop into the pit of her stomach. Something clicks in the back of her mind. She stares back at the alien planet, eyes scrutinising, a vague blurry memory of this place on the screen of a TV, she looks back to the Doctor in mild horror.

No. No, no, no, no! It can't be. It's too soon.

Lauren's throat feels dry. The Doctor stepped inside, pulling the cord with him. "Sorry, I was busy. What's happening?"

Lauren places one foot in front of the other, feeling her legs shake suddenly. She closes the door over as far as she could with the cord blocking it from shutting completely. For a moment she couldn't focus on anything, couldn't think properly. She hears the Doctor's side of the conversation, but doesn't quite catch his words, she stares sightlessly at the wood. Lauren turns, hand clutching the frame, to see the Doctor end the call. Already in motion.

He's saying something, she can tell by the way his mouth moves, but she didn't grasp it. Instead, she dumbly stares at him.

"Lauren?"

The sound of her name snaps Lauren out of the fog at briefly clouded her mind. Her eyes snap up to him.

The Doctor motions her to take the phone. Lauren met him halfway as he handed the telephone to her, sparing her a brief, but dismissive glance. Lauren picks up part of the cord and goes to wind it back and carefully place the receiver in its slot, closing the small panel over. A final creak of the old wood, she shuts the TARDIS door.

The Doctor sets the ship in motion, the rotor moves up and down, he is at ease. Lauren watches, feeling numb, how he casually opens one of the console panels, works on a piece of machinery.

"You know, standing in front of the doors is a health and safety violation." the Doctor jokes, poking his head passed the rotor to eye Lauren.

The joke is enough for Lauren to finally snap out of her initial shock. She steadily made her way to the console, eyeing with a confused frown, the Doctor straining as he twisted a normal screwdriver into a bolt.

Stay calm, Lauren thought. It's about to happen. Clara will betray the Doctor. Clara will never forgive her when she finds out she knew this would happen. Lauren didn't want to lose Clara's friendship, not after everything they've been through. The Doctor was always closed off with her, wary, she can't blame him, but even as they were trying to build a routine, it didn't mean Lauren didn't feel hurt.

Everything was about to go to hell.

"Lauren?"

Lauren looked up. She couldn't see the Doctor's concerned expression; she found her vision was blurry.

"What's the matter, Lauren?" the Doctor said. The piece of machinery he had been working on disregarded, his full attention was on her.

Lauren felt her face grow hot in shame as a cool tear slipped down her cheek. Lauren ducked her head, and a hand quickly covered her eyes as she silently tried not to weep.

Why was she crying? Embarrassed curled in her stomach. Everything she's been trying to hide suddenly threatened to spill and choke her. She can't cry, not now, oh, why was she crying? The foster homes she stayed in, being brought back when either her time was up or most of the case, when it didn't work out, and Lauren was left with a pain inside her no doctor could heal. That pain burned now.

Lauren shook her head, trying in vain to stifle her tears.

"Have I said something insulting?" the Doctor said, awkwardly standing before her. He racked his brain for anything that might have caused offense. "I do that, apparently." he muttered. "Whatever it was, I didn't mean it…" the Doctor averted his eyes to the console, fiddling awkwardly with switches and controls. "Probably," he added, risking a glance at the young crying girl before him.

Lauren sniffed and rubbed the backs of her hands across her eyes. She didn't say a word, or acknowledge the Doctor's poor sense of social skills, just a few hiccupping gasps.

"Right, okay," the Doctor mumbled as he steeled himself. He pulled the leaver, and the TARDIS groaned and shuddered.

Lauren squinted through the watery haze as the ship slowed. The rotor still moved up and down, and it felt like they were still in flight, perhaps this was a hard shoulder on the road. The Doctor approached her with a carefully steady gaze.

"Rule number six: don't let emotions get the better of you." he said.

Lauren glared at him, a mix of anger and bewilderment at his words. Easier said than done. Lauren wasn't a Time Lord, she was Human, and ready to explode with all her emotions. She hiccupped and wiped her face. She tried.

"I'm okay, I'm okay," Lauren said, the words coming out small and broken with short gasps.

"Rule number – "

"Stop it!" Lauren screeched. Hands coming over her face, as if to block him out.

"No, cut it out," the Doctor demanded. He watched as Lauren collected herself. "What's wrong, Lauren?"

"Everything." said Lauren, voicing small.

The Doctor cocked his head in confusion. "That's quite a lot, unless you want me to guess." he said in a tone that very much conveyed his annoyance at the thought of guessing.

"Yes!" Lauren said. "No, I mean, yes! I know we're still in the TARDIS but," she paused, catching her breath, looking at the Doctor pleadingly, desperate for him to understand.

"Clara is going to hate me…you probably… I know what's about to happen – "

"Okay shush!" the Doctor waved his hand, alarm spread across his face. "Don't say no more." He stood before her, bend slightly down on her level. "Stop the crying, stand straight."

Lauren sniffed. Tears drying on her cheeks as she took a deep breath following his orders. She looked up at him fearfully.

The Doctor slowly extended his hand, curling his fingers, Lauren eyed his hand as his long index finger carefully touched the underside of her chin and tilted her head up, turning Lauren's face to his. Her eyes met his.

"Whatever happens, you listen to me. Trust me, okay?" he said quietly.

Lauren nodded and ducked her head when he withdrew a rare moment of contact. Whatever unfolds, she hoped the Doctor will be by her side at least. Lauren shuffled over to one of the jump seats without another word. The Doctor let her.

The TARDIS groaned and came to a halt some minutes later. For Lauren, those minutes dragged in silence, save for the Doctor fiddling with that same piece of machinery, preoccupying himself while his mind ran a mile per second. Lauren wiped her face to get rid of any hint of tears. The sound of the door creaking open alerted them to the arrival of Clara.

"Start her up!" Clara immediately said upon entering. False cheer laced her voice, a whirl of coat tails bouncing restlessly up to the console.

"Where are we going?" the Doctor asked causally, straining with a bolt on the piece of junk he had in hand.

Lauren shifted uneasily in her seat. She could see the pain hidden behind Clara's façade.

"Away." Clara said.

"From?" the Doctor questioned.

"Just away." said Clara deliberately vague, as she strung with barely conceded purpose down the stairs to the lower level where the Doctor's work desk sat.

Lauren tried not to make direct eye contact with Clara, pretending to be none the wiser.

"Well, normally you say work or kids or dishes or dullness. So, what's happened?" the Doctor questioned, lightly probing the situation. He watched Clara go with a confused frown.

Lauren nervously glanced between the Doctor and Clara before the latter disappeared out of her eye line.

"A volcano." Clara called.

Lauren bit her lip.

"I'm sorry?" the Doctor called back.

"I've never seen an active volcano, do you know one?" Clara could be heard moving around.

"What's so great about seeing a volcano? It's just a sort of leaky mountain."

"I've never seen lava."

Lauren stared at the Doctor's back, his movements go still, he stops fiddling with the junk. "It's rubbish." he said quietly.

"Prove it." Clara said, standing at the railing, looking across the space at the Time Lord.

The Doctor turns, they stare at each other for a beat, before Clara cannot look at him any longer and for the first time since she arrived, her eyes met Lauren's.

Lauren's mind freezes and she wonders what expression her face tells Clara. She darts her gaze away.

"Okay." the Doctor's voice breaks the silence.

Clara nodded and continued in her stride and marched up to the upper level. The Doctor watches her from his peripheral.

Clara shuffled around, scoping the upper level now her next target.

"Do you still have those sleep patch things?" Clara called down.

"You can't have one." said the Doctor without taking his eyes from the console.

"I'm having trouble sleeping." Clara argued.

"You still can't have one." he replied.

Then the Doctor sharply turned. Lauren jumped in her seat at the sudden movement. His eyes bored into hers, and she swallowed, looking at him nervously. "I thought I told you I wanted a packet of crisps!?" he said to her, a scowl on his face.

"Wha – " Lauren stuttered, caught off guard.

Lauren didn't understand. This wasn't part of the dialogue. What was the Doctor doing? His eyes were trying to tell her something.

"Can I have one?" Clara continued, seemingly obvious to what was going on between the Doctor and Lauren.

"I thought I told you to fetch me a packet of crisps. Go on!" the Doctor said, making a waving gesture at Lauren for her to leave. He stepped towards her and grabbed her arm, pulling her up to her feet. He then steered her around.

Lauren didn't have a clue what was happening, staring at the Doctor with wide eyes until he leaned his head and whispered in her ear, "Go and wait for me."

The Doctor shoved Lauren. She stumbled but complied. One last glance over her shoulder, Lauren saw Clara slowly descend the stairs towards the console coming up behind the Doctor. The Doctor subtly winked at her before he went out of field of vision as she climbed down the steps.

Lauren speed walked towards the corridor.

"No, you can't have one." She heard the Doctor say.

Lauren darted down the corridor. She stopped halfway and glanced back; their voices drifted. She tried to calm her thumping heart. He sent her away. Why?

Lauren slumped down against the cool metal wall, hitting the floor with a thud. She curled her legs to her chest, wrapping her arms around her knees and buried her head.

She waited.

She could hear the Doctor's voice echo, but not clear enough to understand the words he spoke. Not that it mattered. Lauren had already heard it, seen it, watched it play out on TV. This was a very strange feeling, she thought.

She hated waiting. She didn't like feeling helpless. Lauren thought, not for the first time, why was she here? What was the point if she couldn't do anything? She shut her eyes, wishing the darkness would bring her some peace.

After some time, footsteps echoed, the sound steadily coming closer. Lauren's ears perked and she lifted her head warily. She bit her lip and subconsciously curled her knees more inward as the Doctor approached her.

He was upset. Understandable. Lauren's eyes darted around, never lingering on a particular spot, although, his boots were suddenly interesting to look at. He loomed before her; his shadow even dwarfed her.

Silence. The moment Lauren did glance up at the Time Lord, she caught his stony expression and as quickly looked away.

"Danny Pink," he said.

Lauren frowned at his boots. Why won't her heart stop thumbing madly.

"Is dead."

Lauren doesn't react, instead continuing to stare at his feet. They shift. The Doctor makes a noise at the back of his throat, learning all he needed to know.

"Ah, of course you did." he muttered. Lauren peeked up to see him talking to himself before regarding her with an expression that was almost clinical in observation.

Stop looking at me like that, Lauren thought so hard, that maybe, just maybe he could hear it.

The pause that stretched between them made Lauren wish the TARDIS would open a pit in the floor that would swallow her whole.

"Come on," the Doctor said quietly, his face set in a determined frown. "We've got work to do." He offered Lauren a hand up. She took it hesitantly.

"Remember what I told you." he said, pointing a finger under her nose. "Chin up, cut the crying and do as I say. Don't tell Clara what you know. Follow the rules. Now, we've going to find Danny and if we can, we're going to bring him home."

Lauren nodded.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

The TARDIS materialized with a distinctive thud. The atmosphere in the console room was heavy. Clara stared down at her shoes, and Lauren did the same any time they made eye contact with each other. The Doctor had enough and told the pair of them to buck up and give him some attitude before they stepped out of the ship.

The place was dark. The Doctor and Clara were prepared with flashlights. Lauren trailed behind Clara, following the light of her torch. Silently, they took everything in. It was a large hallway, marble columns and a stairway to their right leading up to other floors.

Clara flashed her light on a marble stand, it caught words carved into its surface:

Rest In Peace

Clara silently gasped, turning to the Doctor with wide eyes. He looked at her, but no words came that he could say to comfort her. Lauren watched them, feeling helpless and guilty.

The trio turned to view the whole room. Another stairway on the far side, another plinth with a burning flame. They craned their heads up and saw many rows of dark tanks full of water build into the walls, appearing to climb endlessly high into the darkness.

"Fish tanks?" Clara asked, eyeing the water tombs.

"In a mausoleum?" the Doctor raises an eyebrow.

The Doctor turned back to the nearest stairs, eyeing the plinth before making a start towards it. Lauren and Clara follow.

"What does that mean?" asked Clara as the Doctor flashes his light on the words, 'We Promise.'

"It means those are definitely not fish tanks." he answered curtly. His eyes dart briefly to Lauren before he jogs ahead, up the steps and into a narrower hallway.

The Doctor stopped in his tracks as he comes across one of the first of many rows of water tombs. Inside, the remains of a skeletal human sat in a chair.

"Why?" Clara said tightly, unable to tear her eyes away from the unnerving sight.

"I don't know." the Doctor answered honestly.

Lauren inhaled sharply. Cybermen. She thought in horror. The eerie human skeletons sat in the water that concealed the metal casing, unmoving, for now.

She moved to the other side, putting the Doctor between her and the skeleton display.

Clara became distressed at the thought of finding Danny here, in such a state. The Doctor inspected one of the tanks, walking down further.

Lauren couldn't look away. Who were they before they became like this?

"…Why would anyone go to so much trouble just to keep watch on the dead?" the Doctor thought aloud as he walked on, Clara on his heels.

Just as Lauren made to follow, she caught out of the corner of her eye, one of the skeletons turning its head to watch them.

Lauren gasped loudly, drawing the attention of the Doctor and Clara as she hastily scurried up to them.

"You alright?" Clara asked, shining her torch light on the other girl.

The Doctor side eyed Lauren warily. Lauren only nodded. Clara flashed her torch light on the water tombs, as if she was searching for whatever might have spooked the girl but the skeleton's head was back to its previous position. The Doctor resumes his investigation, a small book was placed on a lectern, opening it, he actives 3D cube. Using his hand, the Doctor guilds it to position in front of them and opens it to display a logo: 3W. Soft music plays in the background of the projection as a message scrolled down.

That's when Lauren saw her.

Behind the 3D projection, she stood in the shadows, waiting.

The fear that she felt overcome her caught her off guard.

Lauren's heart skipped a beat. Dread flooded her veins; it was like a heavy stone just dropped in her stomach. She wanted to be sick, she suddenly felt lightheaded.

The Master.

Missy.

"Three-W. Death is not an end. But we can we help with that. Ever since 3W encountered the truth about the death experience, we have been working hard to find a better life for the deceased. At three-W, afterlife means aftercare."

Clara, obvious to the other presence, found the whole thing odd. "Okay. Bit strange?"

"Very." the Doctor agreed, although not for the same reasons. "Why have the scrolling and a voice? Is it difficult?" he asked. His sharp eyes peering through the projection, into the shadows.

"Is what difficult?" Clara asked, confused, not understanding who he was asking.

"Reading all those words back to front. Come on. We've come a long way." the Doctor replied, but not to Clara.

Missy walks through the logo, which disappears as she does. Lauren subconsciously takes a few steps back, her instincts screaming at her to run. Run away from this crazy woman that meant harm.

"Hello. I hope you're well. How may I assist you with your death?" Missy said in a welcoming, robotic tone. Eyeing the Doctor up and down, stepping right up in his personal space.

The Doctor's demeanour suddenly changed. Confidence turned flustered by the presence of this woman. Whether it was her lack of awareness of his space and her staring, he moved away. Or maybe, just like Lauren, his instincts were screaming at him too.

"Well, there is, er, no immediate hurry." He stepped around to Clara's side, "We're just, er. We're just…" the Doctor uncharacteristically stuttered.

"Browsing." Clara finished for him.

"Yeah, yeah, browsing." the Doctor agreed.

Missy smiled at the Doctor, full of teeth, watching him keenly as he stepped around her. She followed and matched his movements. "Please, take all the time you need. At three-W, you always have the rest of your life." she said in a sickly-sweet tone.

"Oh, good. That's good to know, Clara, Lauren, isn't it?"

"Yeah. Great." said Clara quietly.

Lauren remained silent.

"Exactly what is three-W?" the Doctor stopped and faced Missy.

Missy made a deliberate robotic movement of her body, misleading them, all apart from Lauren, anyway. "Apologies. Clearly you have not received the official three-W greetings package." she said.

"Well, you know, it's just an unexpected – " the Doctor began before Missy suddenly lunges at him, pushing him against the wall.

Clara stares with wide eyes that mirrored the Doctor's before Missy leaned in and started kissing him rather intently. Very intently.

She's batshit insane, Lauren thought.

The Doctor screwed his eyes shut, hands grabbing the wall, holding on for dear life. Clara's jaw dropped. She turned and met Lauren's gaze, utterly speechless, mouth agape. Lauren couldn't say anything either, instead they turned their flabbergasted gazes away until Missy stepped back.

"Welcome to the three-W Institute." she greeted; arms out wide.

Lauren backed away once again, hiding behind Clara as Missy stepped too close.

The Doctor didn't move, he seemed stuck pressed against the wall, breathlessly he asked, "Clara, is it over now?"

"I think it's over, yeah." she said awkwardly.

Missy turned towards Clara, "You also have not received the official welcome package."

"Oh, I'm good, thanks. No worries." Clara said hastily, leaning back for good measure.

Then her eyes tracked past Clara and fell upon Lauren. Lauren jolted, feeling her breath catch in her throat.

Missy's lips twitched, a flash of teeth as she spoke. "You also – "

"She's good too." said Clara firmly, standing between them.

Missy stopped but her eyes glittered. Her lips formed into a smile, and that unnerved Lauren because that, that didn't feel false. She felt frozen in place.

"Who are you?" the Doctor asked.

Missy turned her head sharply to the Doctor, and the moment was shattered like glass. Lauren let out a breath.

"I am Missy." she answered.

"Missy?" Clara said.

Missy cocked her head, wide gleaming eyes as she spoke, "Mobile Intelligent Systems Interface." She cocked her head again, turning to the Doctor, voice airy, "I am a multi-function -"

Another twist of her neck and she darted her gaze back to Clara, "-interactive welcome-droid –"

Then to Lauren, "Helping you to help me to help you." She stared between the three of them. Every moment sharp, deliberately misleading.

The Doctor blinked several times, scrunching his face, "You're very er realistic." he breathed.

"Tongues?" Clara quipped without missing a beat. Her expression still slightly bemused.

"Shut up." the Doctor grumbled.

"I am fully programmed with social interaction norms appropriate to a range of visitors. Please indicate if you'd like me to adjust my intimacy setting." Missy said.

The Doctor peeled himself off the wall. "Oh, yes, please. Please do that. Do that now right now." he said firmly.

"Maybe just a tad, yeah." Clara agreed.

"I need to speak to whoever's in charge here." said the Doctor in his normal, serious voice. As if he wasn't just snogged passionately against the wall just moments ago.

"I am in charge." said Missy in an overly dramatic tone as if it were a stupid question when she was standing right there.

"Well, who's in charge of you?" the Doctor rephrased.

"I'm in charge of me." Missy said sharply, eyes narrowing, playfulness slipping from her face.

"Well, who repairs you? Who, who maintains you?" the Doctor again rephrased, slightly impatient.

"I am programmed for self-repair. I am maintained by my heart." In one swift movement she grabs the Doctor's hand and places it on her chest.

Lauren glances from behind Clara to see the Doctor's face morph into numb shock as he feels two hearts beat. Clara watches the exchange with an almost comical expression watching the Doctor struggle to socially navigate the situation with this strange woman.

"Is everything in order?" Missy asked.

"Who maintains your heart?" the Doctor said quietly.

"My heart is maintained by the Doctor."

There was a pause.

"Doctor who?"

"Doctor Chang!" yelled Missy. Lauren flinched. The spell between the Doctor and her broke as she walked away into the shadows, but didn't disappear, she waited once more.

"Who's there?" The voice of Doctor Chang called from the far side. "Hello?"

"Hello." Clara answered when Chang came into view.

"Hello." the Doctor echoed quietly, still dazed. His hand still stretched out.

"You can probably take your hand down now, Doctor." Clara told him. That snapped him out of his trace.

"So. Hey. Condolences." Chang greeted them with an over eager smile.

"Condolences?" Clara frowned.

"It's a mausoleum. It's our hello. Is there a particular dead person you want to talk to?" Chang stated matter-of-factly.

Clara glanced at the Doctor, looking hopeful yet scared. She cleared her throat, "Yes. Yes, there is."

"This way then." said Chang, already leading the way.

"Are you okay? the Doctor asked when Clara didn't move. The fear in her face with evident.

Lauren stared straight ahead. Frown etched into her forehead as she listened to Clara deal with her emotions knowing it will not get better for her. She couldn't concentrate knowing Missy was still here, watching them.

"No." Clara said honestly, sticking out her hand, wordlessly requesting the Doctor take her hand, just a small act of comfort. He takes her hand.

She didn't extend her other hand to Lauren, and Lauren didn't expect to feel the hurt she felt in that small moment. Not that she expected Clara to seek comfort from her too, but they did comfort one another from time to time…

"Good. There would be something very wrong if you were." said the Doctor as he began to walk hand in hand with Clara to follow Chang.

Silently, Lauren tails behind them. She acutely becomes aware of the little hairs on the back of her neck standing up.

Don't do it…

Don't turn round.

Don't. Turn. Round.

Lauren peered over her shoulder, slowing in her stride. She jolted at the sight of all the skeletons in their water tombs with their heads suddenly turned, watching them leave. And so was she.

Missy was smiling, a smile that got impossibly wider as the young girl's eyes met hers. Lauren, momentarily frozen on the spot, watching as Missy's features morphed into pretend shock; mouth forming an O shape before she winked at her.

Lauren scurried back, jogging to catch up with the Doctor and Clara.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

Chang's office is big and spacious. A scattering of small fancy lights illuminating the otherwise dark room. The biggest source of light, however, came from the ominous deep blue of a water tomb displayed in the centre; that practically glowed in the darkness. Another skeleton, another Cyberman waiting. When the Doctor starts questioning and Chang explained the 'exoskeleton', Lauren shuddered, trying her best to avoid looking at it.

"An invisible exoskeleton?" Clara said, surprised.

"It's only invisible in the water. There's a specially engineered refraction index in the fluid so we can see the tank resident unimpeded by the support mechanisms."

"So, each skeleton is inside something?" said the Doctor.

Lauren hovered near the doors, listening, but not contributing as she watched the scene unfold. Every now and then, the Doctor subtly glanced at her from across the room, keeping tabs. She was fiddling with an object on a table, appearing to be in her own little world.

Lauren perked up when Chang's voice rose slightly, accidentally dropping the object she was inspecting, it clattered noisily on the glass surface. All eyes turned to her. Lauren cringed and mumbled an apology. The Doctor resisted the urge to roll his eyes before Chang went back to business, snatching the psychic paper from his hand and scrutinizing it.

"Another government inspection? So soon? Why is there all this swearing?" Chang frowned at the Doctor.

"Oh, I've got a lot of internalised anger." the Doctor waved him off.

"Tell me about it." Lauren muttered from her spot. She pointedly missed the glare the Doctor sent her.

"What does three-W stand for?" he continued as if he wasn't interrupted.

"Well, the three words."

"What three words?" asked Clara.

"Seriously? You don't know?"

"Never mind what we know and what we don't know, just answer our question." the Doctor demanded. Patience already worn thin.

Chang was hesitant to explain, but when the Doctor and Clara insisted, he walked to his desk, and turned on his computer. The Doctor and Clara ushered themselves into chairs, joining Chang at the opposite side of his desk. After the Doctor sent Lauren a pointed raise of an eyebrow, she also pulled over a chair and grudgingly sat down, placing herself next to the Doctor. Clara shifted with nerves in her seat while Lauren didn't know what to do with her hands.

Chang played a recording of multiple voices.

"Okay, people, voices." Clara stated.

"So what?" added the Doctor.

"Over time, Doctor Skarosa became convinced these were the voices of the recently departed. He believed it was a telepathic communication from the dead." Chang explained.

The Doctor stared at the man, "Why? Was he an idiot?" he said.

Lauren snorted. Genuine amusement at his blunt remark. Nobody else seemed to think so, though. She quickly schooled her features, nudging the Doctor under the desk with her knee.

"He was able to isolate some of the voices, hear what they were saying." Chang continued.

"So, an idiot then." said the Doctor. Lauren glanced at him, he briefly caught her gaze and quirked an eyebrow at her. Lauren shook her head fondly.

Chang turned off the recording.

"Shut up, Doctor." Clara snapped.

"What I'm about to play you will change your life and not for the better. These are the three words which caused Doctor Skarosa to set up institutes, like this one, all over the world, to protect the dead. If you'd rather not hear these words, there's still time."

The Doctor sighed. "Can you just hurry up, please, or I'll hit you with my shoe." he ran a hand over his hand.

The humour from the Doctor's antics quickly vanished when Chang played the recording. The screen flickered and a terrified, crying voice belonging to a man, chilling begged over and over.

"Don't cremate me. Don't cremate me!"

"There is one simple, horrible possibility that has never occurred to anyone throughout human history." said Chang seriously.

"Don't cremate me. Don't cremate me!"

"Don't say it." Clara said, eyes wide, her whole-body rigid in her seat.

Lauren winced. Her hands gripped the table hard enough to turn her knuckles white. Sweat from her palms fogged the glass. She stared at her hands, as if the answers were suddenly going to be written over them or maybe pretend, she was invisible.

"The dead remain conscious. The dead are fully aware of everything that is happening to them."

The Doctor pushed himself out of his chair. Lauren craned out of his way as he paced up and down.

"Fakery." the Doctor cried angrily, coming to a stop by the desk. He sent Chang a dark look, "All of it. It's a con, it's a racket!" he said to the man. Clara stood up, eyes darting nervously between the Doctor and the computer screen.

"I promise you this is not a con." Chang tried to calm him.

The Doctor shook his hand and walked away, trying to collect himself.

Lauren and Clara turned their heads at the sound of beeping coming from Chang's desk.

"What's that beeping?" Clara asked.

"Never mind about beeping. Who cares about beeping? The dead are dead. 'They're not talking to you out of your television sets. They're just gone…" the Doctor ranted.

Lauren couldn't sit still anymore with the commotion unfolding. She pushed herself up and away, putting distance between Clara, the Doctor and everything that was going to happen.

"…And all these poor souls down there in these tanks, I'm sorry, but they're just dead and they're not coming back."

Lauren moved back to the doors. Shifting restlessly on her feet. A voice suddenly cut through the air. All eyes turned to the device Chang was manipulating.

"Clara? Clara? Clara, are you there?" The disembodied voice of Danny called.

Clara rushed to the desk, disbelief and hope filled her, "Danny! I can hear you. Is that you? Oh, please, say it's you."

The Doctor shot a look at Lauren across the space. Lauren averted her eyes to her shoes. The signal cut out. The Doctor cautiously approaches Chang and Clara.

"This isn't possible. The dead don't come back." the Doctor said slowly, firm in his beliefs. Anger was barely concealed in his frame.

Lauren did not want to be on the receiving end of an angry Time Lord. She watched and guilt licked her insides when Clara turned to her, eyes pleading as if begging her to say something. Lauren looked away and - the skeleton!

It was no more sitting still, waiting, now it stood fully upright, ready to march.

"It was him. It was his voice." Clara rounded on Chang and the Doctor.

"If they scanned you telepathically, they could've lifted a voice print. It could still be a fake." the Doctor spat. He eyed Chang warily, before glancing at Clara.

He didn't want Clara to do through this. To him it was all a con and playing on Clara's grief was not something the Doctor was happy to tolerate.

"Getting him back, very nearly!" Chang fiddled with the device.

"Clara, can you hear me?"

"Yes, Danny, I can hear you. Can you hear me?" Clara said desperately.

"Yeah, yeah, I can hear you. Clara! Oh, God. Clara."

"What do I do?" Clara said, turning her pleading gaze to the Doctor.

"Who are you talking to?" Danny spoke.

"Hang on just a moment." Clara said.

The Doctor held her gaze, "Question him. Ask him questions only he'd know the answer to. Be sure." he told her. "You," he directed at Chang, "And you," he directed at Lauren, "With me." he ordered. No room for argument.

Chang made a face but followed as commanded.

"Where are you going?" Clara asked.

"I've got to check out those tanks. There's something that I'm missing." the Doctor said, making his way over to where Lauren was, ushering her with a wave of the hand.

How could they not see? How could they be so blind? Lauren thought. Should she point out the obvious? Oh, he'll soon find out. The Doctor doesn't like being told, he liked to figure things out himself.

"Clara?" Danny called again.

"Skeptical and critical, remember? Be strong, even if it breaks your heart." the Doctor said to Clara.

"Connection's stabilised. It should be okay." Chang assured Clara.

The Doctor was about to leave before a thought stuck him, one which he couldn't help voice out loud, "Who would harvest dead bodies?" he said to Clara before he turned to leave once more. "I feel like I'm missing something obvious." he said, directing his words towards Lauren as they step through the doors. They hiss shut.

Tell me about it, Lauren thought. The frustration and anger and worry over the situation, over Clara was palpable. She could tell he was itching to ask, itching to know but he was afraid, he was prideful.

"Am I allowed to say anything?" Lauren dared ask. Chang glanced at her curiously.

The Doctor peered down at her. "No." he said curtly. He focused his gaze straight ahead again, but Lauren could see the twitch of his muscle, the debate running through his head.

"Only if I ask, remember." he reminded her.

Lauren sighed and nodded.

"You're doing good." he said.

"What?" Lauren frowned.

The Doctor glanced at her. "Good." he stated again. "You're trying to follow the rules." he said, encouragingly.

He seemed sincere. Lauren blinked in surprise. Still, doubt plagued her. "What about Clara?" she asked.

"I'll sort this, we'll sort this. She'll be fine." He quickly dismissed her fears. "She doesn't hate you." he added.

Probably because she doesn't know the full extent of what Lauren knew.

"Because she doesn't know fully what I know?" Lauren muttered aloud. The Doctor's brow pinched together.

"Let's keep it that way, yeah?" he said lightly, still encouraging, but a hint of a warning.

They walked quickly, Lauren struggling to keep with the Doctor's long strides. They remerged to the corridor lined with tombs and that's when they saw the water was starting to drain from the tanks. They stopped in their tracks.

"Oh, my God. The tanks! The tanks are activating! They're not supposed to do that." Chang cried in alarm.

The Doctor jogged down the hallway, checking all the tanks he could see, every single one was activating.

"And all your dead people are standing. Don't you think you skipped the headline?" the Doctor growled.

"Now, now, children. Naughty, naughty." Missy said calmly as she stepped out from the shadows, pointing her device between them almost playfully.

Her demeanour had shifted. Lauren felt her stomach flip. Missy stood between them now. The Doctor was on the other side of her. She gulped, eyes instinctively seeking out the Doctor for safety.

"Doctor Chang, your welcome droid has developed a fault." the Doctor said almost flippantly.

Chang looked at the Doctor as if he were mad. His face morphed into utter confusion. "That's not a droid. That's my boss."

The Doctor frowned.

Missy made a face, "You know, I might have been guilty of a just teensy little furbette." she confessed, smiling wickedly at the Doctor. He stared at her, hard, the gears turning in his head.

She raised her arm, pointing the device at Chang. Lauren flinched back, away from Chang, pressing herself into the wall. Missy caught her movement, delight danced across her eyes, practically glowing as she watched her for a moment.

"Doctor Chang," she said casually, "I really liked working with you. I've enjoyed every day of it." She lowered her arm momentarily as she regarded him.

"I'm sorry?" said Chang.

"You know, I've even got a little photograph of you looking so sweet. I'm always going to keep it. Always!" Missy toyed with him in that sickly sweet mocking tone.

Chang stared at her; a dawning look of horror came over his face. "Are you going to kill me?" he said, fearfully.

"Now, come on. Let's not dwell on horrid things. This is going to be our last conversation, and I'm the one who's going to have to live with that." Missy's voice wavered unnaturally in false emotion.

"Please don't kill me." Chang pleaded.

She looked him up and down in one dispassionate sweep, "Say something nice." she said.

Chang visibility began to panic, he forced a smile, "Please, please. I don't, I don't want to die." he begged, and Missy pursed her lips. Chang's face fell, "You're going to kill me, aren't you?"

"Say something nice." Missy repeated.

"Please!" cried Chang.

Missy rolled her eyes, unimpressed, "Doctor Chang, I've got all day." she gestured, "And I'm not going to kill you until you say something nice."

Chang opened his mouth; fear overtook him, and the meaning of Missy's words went over his head.

"Don't!" The word left Lauren's mouth before could think. She had to warn him.

All eyes briefly turn on her, pressed against the wall. The Doctor's hard stare flickered; Missy quirked a brow in a manner that oddly reminded her of the Doctor.

However, Chang had already sealed his fate. "It has been an absolute pleasure working with you, and I truly believe that you'll never be able to find it in your heart to murder me."

Missy holds up her device, in a moment, a flash emerged which incinerates Chang instantly. The Doctor backs away. Lauren cowers.

"Now, I'll be with you in a moment," she said to the Doctor, he continued to back away. "Just feeling a bit emotional at the moment." she theatrically sobbed.

The Doctor's worried gaze met Lauren, darting between her and Missy. Lauren felt her legs had turned to jelly. She wanted to run to the Doctor's side, to safety. He sees it from the corner of his eyes, sees the water level dropping below the top of a skeleton's head, to reveal a familiar silver metal helmet. Suddenly everything is worse.

"Cybermen!" the Doctor exclaimed, he ran further up, checking all the tanks. "They're Cybermen, all of them. We've got to stop them getting out." he said to Missy.

"Now who's missing the headline?" Missy turned to him. "The Nethersphere." She points. The Doctor looked up, following her gaze to see a large globe that hung from the ceiling. Staring open mouthed, he approached the railing to get a better view. "You know it's ever so funny, the people that live inside that think they've gone to heaven." Missy said, joining him. A twisted smile on her lips as she regarded it.

Lauren's brain finally kicks back into gear, and she darts to the Doctor's side, hands fisting into fabric at the back of his coat. He places a protective arm in front and puts himself between her and Missy as he eyed the sphere.

"That's a matrix data-slice. A Gallifreyan hard drive. Time Lord technology." the Doctor said quietly.

Missy's gaze was fixed on the matrix slice, "Imagine you could upload dying minds to that. Edit them. Rearrange them –"

A thudding compressing sound echoed from somewhere in the tanks, the Doctor and Lauren, the latter still clinging almost like a child to his frame, turned at the sound, the Cybermen halfway exposed.

All the while, Missy continued, " – Get rid of all those boring emotions. Ready to be re-downloaded. Meanwhile, you upgrade the bodies." She turned her head towards the Doctor, they stared at one another for a heartbeat. "Upload the mind, upgrade the body. Cybermen from cyberspace. Now, why has no-one ever thought of that before?"

The Doctor's eyes narrowed, brows knitting together as he stared at her. "How did you get hold of Time Lord technology?" Missy didn't answer, her lips curving into a smile. "Who are you?"

Lauren shifted, fingers twitching against his upper arm as she peered at Missy. The Doctor glanced down at her, taking in her reactions, always observing her. Lauren bit her lip in an effort not to say anything as she stared down Missy.

"Please," Missy exhaled, "You don't need to ask the girl." she said, barely sparing Lauren a glance.

Lauren jerked. Surprised and shocked.

How could she know?!

Lauren looked desperately to the Doctor, as if he could somehow provide the answer but the Doctor looked equally perplexed, and then, something complicated flickered across his face, something Lauren couldn't discern, as he stared at Missy.

"You know who I am. I told you. You felt it." she gasped, hand coming up rest on her chest, "Surely you did."

Missy stepped forward, and the Doctor instantly, instinctively, stepped backwards, pushing Lauren as he did so. Missy continued to advance as the Doctor circled and maintained his distance. Matching each other steps, their positions were now turned, each on the side the other previously stood, their eyes never leaving the other.

"Two hearts." the Doctor uttered finally.

"And both of them yours." Missy whispered, slowly inching closer. The Doctor slipped back.

Lauren almost stumbled. She let her hand drop from the Doctor, hastily backing away further, giving herself space.

"You're a Time Lord." he stated.

"Time Lady, please, I'm old-fashioned." she corrected, inching closer still, like a shark, certain in its catch.

"Which Time Lady?" the Doctor said, and uncertainty, the fear trickling in his voice didn't sound like him.

Lauren reached the end of the corridor; she frantically tried the door, but it was locked.

"The one you abandoned, Doctor. The one you left for dead. Didn't you ever think I'd find my way back?" Missy said, fury emanating from her core.

The Doctor's eyes widen in dreaded realization. "Clara. Clara. Clara. I've got to get Clara!" he gasped. She was in danger; they were in danger!

The Doctor broke into a run.

"Doctor!" Lauren called as he ran into her before urging her forward to the lift.

"Oh, Clara, Clara, Clara!" mocked Missy, "You know I should shoot you in a jealous rage. Now, wouldn't that be sexy?" she murmured, watching the Doctor hit the button to no avail. "I've turned the lift off, though." she informed.

"I presume you have stairs." the Doctor said hastily, darting to the door Lauren had tried previously to open.

"Well, I'm not a Dalek." Missy muttered with contempt.

The Doctor pressed his weight on the frame, it didn't give. He fished his sonic screwdriver out, aiming it at the lock, it unlatched. He pushed it open, and light spilled in, he runs out, Lauren follows, she goes to follow, until suddenly –

An arm wrapped tightly around her waist, a weight presses hard against her. A scream tried to escape her throat, the Doctor's name on lips, but a hand clamped over her mouth, squeezing painfully, and the only sound she could make is nothing more than a muffled whimper.

"Now, now," Missy tsked from her right, clicking her tongue, her breath ghosted her ear. Lauren shuddered, desperately trying to break free. Missy moved her leg, narrowly missing a kick, "Naughty," she murmured as she locked her foot over Lauren's leg.

Doctor! Doctor! Lauren wanted to scream. What was happening? Help!

This wasn't supposed to happen. What was – why? Doctor!

Missy harshly yanked Lauren's head, pulling her neck, forcing her to meet her gaze. Lauren crawled at Missy's hand, harsh puffs of air blew from her nostrils, chest heaving. Missy flexed her fingers, but her iron grip remained firm.

She smiled devilishly. "Now, I really would love to have a chat," she cooed, and Lauren still, unable to look away from those mad, rageful eyes. "But I'm afraid I can't let you meddle. And I don't suppose you're willing to behave…" She trailed off, her grip around Lauren's waist loosened, she fought the moment it did.

Missy tsked again. She turned her in her arms, Lauren's face now pressed into her chest, she felt the dull thud, the twin beats of her hearts. Something was slipped onto her arm, Lauren jolted as Missy tightened the band around her skinny wrist. She blinked, desperately trying to understand what was happening. Lauren caught something worn, brown coloured, feel buttons being pressed on whatever was strapped to her wrist.

"Lauren?" Someone called.

Lauren doesn't register the Doctor calling her. All she can see, feel, hear is Missy. The Master.

"Soon. Another time, I promise." Missy said quietly, shushing her like she was a baby.

Missy let go and Lauren staggered. She blinked fearfully at the Time Lady, and the next moment was like slow motion. Missy's hand reached out, Lauren followed it, the thing, the thing on her wrist, she recognises it.

"Lauren!" the Doctor yelled; his footsteps echoed.

Missy pressed the finale button before stepping back.

The breeze from outside the door tickled, until it didn't. Missy's smug smile the last she saw, the Doctor calling her name the last she heard before the world around her vanished. Lauren gasped, she felt herself falling.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lauren felt like she was being pulled in every direction as she fell, before being squeezed and suddenly thrown out. Her feet hit ground, she stumbled, one tiny quake of her body and the not so solid ground fractured and suddenly gave way.

Lauren groaned as her head connected with a protruding rock. Her vision splintered, the air knocked from her lungs, cutting off her cry. Her head spun, she struggled to stay conscious. Lauren didn't understand, nothing made sense. What happened? Why -

Pain erupted from her leg when she tried to stand, and she cried out, slumping over. Lauren gulped ragged deep breaths, attempting to centre herself.

"Doctor!" she gasped.

Where was he? Where even was she? She dug her fingernails into the dirt, no, it was everywhere, coarse, warm, and uneven, not dirt. Pushing herself up on her arms, blinking rapidly, she dimly noted it was sand. She canted her head, it pulsed in response and Lauren whined, hand coming up to rub the pain away, instead her fingertips came back with droplets of blood. Lauren frowned. Blood splatter on the rock. She squinted at her surroundings; she could barely see it was so annoyingly bright. Hot, white light burned through her eyelids, tears sprung, and her vision dissolved again for however many seconds before she blinked furiously.

Lauren could just make out a sun that blazed in the sky, beating an oppressive heat that within minutes had her building up a sweat. Endless dunes of sand, rocks. A desert waste land. Shakily, Lauren stood on her feet, pain flared briefly from her right ankle. She rolled up her trouser leg, prodded the sore area with a finger. It wasn't broken, thankfully. She must have landed on it awkwardly, she concluded. Lauren glanced around, there appeared no sign of civilization for miles. Was she still on Earth? Where did – Missy!

Lauren looked down at her arm. Strapped to her wrist, was a familiar looking device. A vortex manipulator. She lifted the worn brown flap that covered the tech build in it. Buttons and a small screen that fluctuated numbers.

"No, no, no, no, no," Lauren muttered desperately. This can't be happening. "Please!" she wanted to scream.

This wasn't meant to happen, she knew everything… Missy. She did this.

She lifted the flap back and forth uselessly. How did this work? Press in numbers. But what numbers? Lauren didn't know where she was.

The manipulator let out a weird low crackling sound, Lauren eyed it in wary confusion before it suddenly spitted sparks. Lauren yelled, throwing her arm out to protect her face. The device spurted another cluster of sizzling sparks, lights flashing, then, the manipulator went dead.

Burnt out.

Lauren opened her eyes, cautiously bringing her arm in. Hesitantly, she tapped the screen with an index finger. Blank. She pressed a button. Nothing.

"Missy!" Lauren screamed. Frantically looking around at the endless nothing.

Lauren screamed again. She fell to her knees, head in hands, tears running down her face. How was she going to get back? How was the Doctor going to find her? She can't be stuck here!

"Doctor!" she yelled to the wind, to the sand, to anyone. "Doctor! Please!" she begged, voice breaking.

Lauren sobbed.

She didn't know how long she wept for. The heat was unbearable, strands of hair stuck to her sweaty skin. Lauren sniffed, wiping the hair and snot from her face, her head was pounding. She needed to find shade. She needed to move.

Get up.

What would the Doctor do?

Stop feeling sorry for yourself and move, otherwise you will die out here.

Lauren forced herself to stand. She scanned the horizon. She couldn't tell if this was Earth or not, if this was the past or future. Only one way to find out. Move, Lauren thought.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

She wandered the desert. Her jeans weighted her down, making walking difficult, t-shirt clung to her skin. She discarded her jumper and used it as protection from the sun. It didn't make a world of difference, her arms ached holding it over her head, but it was something. Lauren thinks she's walking in circles, she's certain she has seen that rock before.

There was a skeletal remains of large creature half buried in the sand; bones bleached white from the sun. It didn't belong to any animal skeletons from Earth. Lauren shuddered; what monsters lived in such a place? Perhaps, only monster could live in such a place like this. She kept walking, panting every step. There must be a settlement somewhere.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

Time fractured. Lauren couldn't breathe. She wobbled, arms flailing as she tried to catch the black dots that danced across the desert. They were annoying, she couldn't see… her head pulsed in time to her heart, two heart beats…

Lauren fell. Down a dune hill, rolling, she couldn't stop until she crashed at the bottom. Lauren groaned. She tried to get up, but her limbs wouldn't cooperate. She coughed up sand.

Help. Help me.

She could barely form the words. It was like tiny pieces of glass filled her throat. Darkness beckoned her. The light was blinding, her eyelids heavy. It would be easy. So easy. Lauren summoned the last strength she could muster. Every breath a stab in the chest, broken glass in her throat.

She roared. "Somebody help me!"

Her cry echoed to the breeze. A dry breeze that did not carry. But she had to try.

"Doctor! Somebody please help me!"

She wasn't going to make it.

Not like this.

"Mum!" Lauren cried. "Mum! Theo!"

She remembered when they were happy. Theodore and her. She remembers now, a dark-haired man, smiling down at her. Dad. A woman, tucking her into bed after she didn't want to stop playing. Mum. Her biological mum. She was so pretty, happy. She missed that feeling. She wanted her mum… but she wasn't home anymore. Other mum was waiting… but she wanted… she needed…

"Mum…I'm sorry!"

Lauren sagged.

Something tugged at her conscious. A whisper. Lauren stirred, when did she close her eyes? There was a voice, something, a whisper.

"Mum!" Lauren called, her throat burned.

The voice came closer. Lauren blinked; she made a wheezing noise as she saw a blurry haze loom over her. She tried to move. The figure bent down, blocking the blinding light for a split second as they crouched down. Lauren caught a flash of dark eyes before the sunlight dazzled her. She felt a soft pressure on her cheek.

Lauren squirmed. Some primal part of her brain kicked in, warning her of danger. It might not be help. They might be dangerous, what if it's Missy?

"Mum! Please!" Lauren begged.

The pressure on her face stopped. The figure shifted. They were saying something.

"Doctor, I need to find…Doctor!" Lauren wheezed.

She had to try. The Doctor will find her, she couldn't give up on him.

The figure was speaking again, Lauren felt fingertips grace her jaw, moving her head side to side like they were examining her. It was disorienting. She tried to bat their hand away, she heard a tsking noise in response.

"Hush. It's okay." They spoke.

Lauren blinked, finally registering their words.

No. Everything was not okay. She messed up.

"Doctor… Mum I'm sorry," Lauren whimpered. She felt the hand move from her jaw to her forehead, fingers ghosting her hairline.

"Shush. It's okay, you're going be okay." They spoke with a lilting accent.

Everything hurt. The heartbeat in her head wouldn't stop. The darkness seemed like a pleasant escape.

"Mum, please," she was talking gibberish, her mouth felt loose. "Where did you – Mum!" Lauren grasped the figure's wrist in a desperate plea. To pull, to push them away. She was confused.

They paused. Slowly, their other hand covered hers, peeling her hand off before gently threading their fingers together in a comforting squeeze.

"I'm here." They said, coaxing Lauren up into their arms.

Lauren felt herself slipping. Arms held her. Hair tickled her face as the strange helper, saviour perhaps, bent and lifted her with ease, holding her bridal style.

"I've got you."

Lauren's eyes fluttered. Dark eyes flashed more clearly now as they dipped their head closer. Strands of yellow hair framed their face, the sunlight made it look like a halo. Lauren was mesmerised. She tried to take in every detail, prominent line between her brow that remained her of someone, then she met her eyes properly for the first time, and she smiled at her. She. A woman. Eyes crinkling, nose scrunching as she beamed a reassuring smile.

She was an angel.

"I've got you," she said softy, hosting Lauren more securely in her arms. Resting her head against her shoulder. "Come on, we'd better shift it."

Lauren hummed, her eyes rolling as she slipped into comforting darkness.