A/N: Apologies for the wait. If you're reading my other fic, you know that I had some excuses. The short version is I was screwing you guys over for completely legitimate reasons... part of the time. But here we are with an astonishingly large amount of words. So like, prepare yourself. I went through to edit it and just about cried when the word doc told me there were 17 pages to read through. I know some of you young whippersnappers out there bust out 10k chapters like it's nothing. That has not been my experience. I feel like I've aged forty years. I'm your grandmother now, I've adopted you all into the family. The process is not optional. I expect a card from all of you on grandparents day. respect your elders. Oh, you guys are here for the chapter huh. Well. Have at it kids.


-1933-

-The Dust Bowl-

There were more than two dozen people huddled together in the largest cell, most of them far too sick to even react when they had opened the cell door. Calypso comforted those she could as Jack administered the medicine they had fought so hard for. She worried that for some of these people, it might not be enough.

"Psst. Dorothy," Jack tapped her shoulder and she flinched, that small movement reignited every ache and bruise she'd earned now that the adrenalin had worn off. "Let's take a walk." He nodded toward the doorway where Balzar was lurking, looking remarkably uncomfortable around so many people.

She followed Jack into the hallway, her eyes keen to spot any shadow that showed the slightest sign of movement. Of course, if one of them were to present itself as one of the guards, it was unlikely she'd be capable of putting up much of a fight.

"These people are far too ill," Balzar said, speaking a little louder than polite. He had followed them out, eager for an excuse to leave the room.

A small woman tended to a trembling boy near the doorway, and at his words, she shot him a frightened look. Calypso smiled reassuringly at the woman and shook her head, and then grabbed Balzar's shirt collar and dragged him further down the hallway.

"Is that your professional opinion as a doctor?" She asked sharply. "Or do you simply enjoy frightening people who are already terrified."

His eyes narrowed at where she still held his shirt. "It is my opinion as someone who has inflicted the disease before." His voice was curt, but he'd surmised the reason for her irritation and lowered his voice accordingly. "These people have been sick for days. Those who are not already in a biologically induced coma are well on their way."

Calypso sighed and released the crumpled fabric from her fist. She knew he was right, she just hated that he'd said it out loud. It made the reality more difficult to deny. These people were in dire shape and she wasn't sure they'd come in time to help them all.

"Well sure, you people want your cattle complaint, don't you?" Jack's smile was a little too wide to be considered friendly. "Don't want them to get all worked up before you bring them to slaughter. Ruins the flavor."

The look Balzar gave Jack was deadly and as he opened his mouth to respond Calypso stepped between the two of them.

"Don't." She said pointedly to Balzar, who looked incensed at the interruption, but held his tongue. She heard Jack snort and she turned her irritation to him. "And don't think you're any better-" she twisted to face him and immediately regretted it. A sharp pain ripped through her chest and she hissed in a short breath, pressing a hand against her ribs as she had to stumble backward and lean against the wall to steady herself.

"You're hurt." Balzar was immediately at her side, close enough to catch her should she stumble, but deliberately not touching her.

She shook her head. "It's fine." She insisted, waiting a moment for the throbbing pain to subside before pushing away from the wall again. "The medicine is going to work, isn't it?"

Balzar watched her carefully, more concerned with if she was going to suddenly fall faint than answering her question. "Yes." He finally said, it was too much effort to determine if he were lying or not, so she decided to take him at his word.

"Well, that was the whole point of those shenanigans earlier, wasn't it?" Jack raised his eyebrow suggestively at Calypso. She resisted the urge to stomp on his foot, only because she knew it would reawaken some other slumbering pain in her body. For the moment though, Jack had decided against antagonizing Balzar further, which was a small blessing.

"Yes," Balzar seemed somewhat perplexed by Jack's demeanor. "But it will take some time, even at the elevated doses I suggested."

"Time we may not have," Jack looked up and down the hallway with a frown. "How much are we talking?"

"At least an hour."

"An hour?" Jack blurted incredulously. "Look, as much as I've enjoyed this little field trip into the secret world of carnivorous shadow people, I'm not especially keen on sticking around. And I get the feeling any guards who pop by aren't going to be pleased to see us either."

"That's why we're going to lock you back in the cell." Balzar didn't bother to hide the smile that played across his lips. "If the prisoners remain imprisoned, they will be less likely to suspect anything is amiss and our journey here will go unnoticed."

"Right, back in the box. With you on the outside I assume? And how exactly were you planning on convincing us that's a good idea? With your charming personality?"

"I suspect that would be a waste of my efforts. But so would sitting here for an hour. Calypso and myself can seek out the Tardis and return to bring these people somewhere they can recover in safety. Unless you would prefer to remain here indefinitely."

I don't need that old boat," Jack scoffed. He stuffed his hands into his trousers and with a bit of maneuvering he produced a familiar leather wrist strap. "I've got myself a jet pack off crazy island anytime I want. But," he looked back toward the doorway. "Jet pack travel isn't so great for groups of semi-conscious folk. One or two sleepers, I might chance it. But vortex manipulators tend to scramble folks eggs a little. Group hug travel is dubious at best, and I'd rather not leave behind someone's leg if I can help it."

"Jack, where-" she cut herself off abruptly, realizing it was probably better not to know.

"A gentleman never tells," he winked at her, a devious grin split his face. "But I might be convince to give a more personal demonstration if you play your cards right." Calypso felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment and she struggled to think of a composed response.

"It would be best if we moved quickly." Balzar's tone was lethal. "If these people are insufficiently recovered by the time we find the ship, we will return to help you escort them to safety."

Jack's grin faded somewhat and he sighed. He didn't look like he particularly liked the plan, but he also appeared to lack any better alternative.

"This is just your way of getting even with me for locking you in that root cellar, isn't it?" He shot Balzar a look.

"If you are suggesting that we should chain you to the wall to make your imprisonment more authentic, I would be happy to oblige." Balzar said with a tight smirk. There didn't seem to be true venom in his tone, but it also seemed he hadn't quite forgotten how Jack had treated him.

"Whoa there pal, folks tend to buy me dinner before that kind of play." Calypso had no idea whether Jack were being flippant, or genuinely flirting with this creature he had hated so sincerely only an hour before. Jack gently touched her elbow and met her eyes. "Are you okay with this?" There was no teasing in his voice. "I can't say I like the idea of leaving you two on your own." He said the words seriously, but Calypso could see it was taking most of his effort not to turn the comment into a suggestive one.

"Yes, of course." She said, perhaps a little too easily. Both Jack and Balzar seemed surprised by her immediate response.

"Well, you do like to keep things interesting." Jack didn't bother to hide his amusement.

"I-I've got to open the door." She stammered. It wasn't anything inappropriate, despite what Jack believed. But she also couldn't really explain to Jack, or herself, why she now felt that the threat Balzar had once posed, was gone.

That answer seemed to satisfy Jack and he gave a short nod. "All right. I'll play nursemaid for a bit. You guys be careful."

"We will," Calypso nodded. "We'll return as soon as we can."

"No rush," Jack said as he strolled back toward the cell. "Just a hostage on an alien warship, guarding a room of helpless coma patients. Where I come from, we call that a Tuesday." He stood just inside the door and gave Balzar a pointed look. "You keep her out of trouble, or we're going to have another talk about chains that you're not going to like."

"I look forward to it," Balzar said dryly as he raised the screwdriver and with a low whirring sound, the door slammed shut.

"Where do we go from here?" Calypso asked, her eyes drifting down the empty hallway. It appeared to end in another wall, similar to the one they had come from. She dreaded the thought of climbing through more air ducts with every inch of her body pained in some way.

"Down," Balzar said as he tucked the sonic back in his pocket. "We go down from here."

Calypso tried using her boots to slow her descent in the tube, but the angle was too great and the sides were too slick to grab. She shot out of the ventilation tube and briefly experienced the alarming sensation of falling through open air. She collided with the ground, though something soft was there to lessen the blow. She wouldn't have described the trip as pleasant. The plan apparently hadn't been to crawl to the interior of the ship, so much as drop straight down into it like a stone.

The ground shifted beneath her and was followed by a soft groan.

"Balzar?" She started, it was far too dark to see what she'd landed on, but it was entirely possible it was a body. She scrambled to push herself upright, but she found a soft spot which earned a pained grunt from beneath her and she withdrew her hand quickly. "Why didn't you move?" She hissed, flustered and unable to untangle herself from him.

"The landing is much harder when you have a body." His voice was next to her ear and she struck her temple against what might have been his chin trying to turn toward him. She sucked in a breath and massaged her head.

Hands came up around her, feeling carefully at her sides and back before settling on her shoulders. "Are you okay?"

"Yes." She said, even though every bruise on her body had flared anew. Now knowing where his limbs were, she carefully placed her hands on either side of his torso and pushed herself to her knees, biting back a pained groan. "And you?"

"I'm beginning to have some second thoughts." He said, releasing her shoulders as she stood upright.

"What is this place?" Even as her eyes adjusted it was difficult to make out anything in the cold dark room. The way their voices carried suggested it was much larger than she expected. He made rustling noises in the dark as he stood up and she could feel more than see him draw near.

"I suppose you might call it the attic." He produced the screwdriver once more and fiddled with it until the green beacon on top glowed bright enough to illuminate a small circle surrounding them. In the dim green light, she could see an odd collection of things in their immediate vicinity. There was a roughly hewn wood carving of what appeared to be a bird in the stump of an old tree to their left, and a perfectly preserved pickup truck just in front of them.

"My kind are collectors. They take souvenirs from planets they… visit." He finished delicately.

"I suppose I should be grateful I landed on you instead of that," she nodded toward the rusted edges of some old farm equipment.

"I shall try and take that as a complement." He raised the screwdriver up higher to illuminate more shadows further away. "The more recent acquisitions are likely to be near the hatch." He gestured forward into the endless darkness.

They carefully picked their way across the eclectic collection of things that might be worthy of a museum, and others that were, in Calypso's estimation, just junk. She was climbing over the top of an overturned wooden rowboat when she saw the familiar silhouette less than a few meters away.

"There," She pointed as Balzar followed her across the boat. The green light from the sonic gave the blue box a charcoal gray hue as they approached. Balzar seemed intrigued by the ship, but not perplexed. Of the secrets the Doctor had kept from him, the Tardis' appearance did not seem to be one of them. He pushed his hand against the wood grain of the door, and then reached for the handle and gave it a tug. It did not move.

"Thought I'd give it a try anyway," he shrugged, stepping back to give her access. "At least now you know you haven't wasted your trip into the bowels of the ship."

Calypso swallowed hard, there was a very real possibility that she had. She couldn't be entirely confident that the door would open for her. She didn't have a key this time, a fact she had neglected to inform Balzar of. She pressed her forehead against the cool surface of the door and closed her eyes.

Hello? She reached out with her thoughts, probing for warm familiarity that she hoped would enable her access to the ship. It was quiet for a long time and she wondered if she hadn't made a foolish mistake. What if they couldn't get inside? What if Balzar were trapped within the Doctor for so long that the walls between them broke and she'd lose her Doctor forever?

Sister, her voice was a warm timbre in her mind. You've brought the not-Doctor.

She nearly cried out in relief and smiled. Yes. He's not quite himself. Are you okay? They didn't hurt you, did they? Calypso hadn't seen any outward damage, but nor had she been closely looking for it.

They could certainly have tried, the Tardis sounded smug at the thought. He ruins it. Ruining. He sets me back centuries. I will not let him inside.

Calypso's heart sank. I don't understand. The Tardis could not evidently explain it in words, and so she sent her fragmented images. The Doctor's face twisted in agony. Her hands covered in blood. A bright blue and green tear in the darkness, burning into her core. More visions quickly overwhelmed her, fragments of things from long ago, or of yet to come. She staggered back from the Tardis and Balzar caught her before she toppled over.

"Are you all right?" He shot the Tardis a dark look, as though he could scold it into cooperating.

"Yes," she held onto his arms, letting the throbbing in her head fade before standing upright again. "She was trying to show me something, I just got a bit overwhelmed." She stepped forward and reached for the door again, mindful to avoid the visions within so they wouldn't burn right through her. She could hear Balzar voice his concern but she pushed it out of her mind.

Please, she tried again to reach the Tardis. If we don't get to the chameleon arch, we cannot help the Doctor.

This is true. The Tardis replied and followed with a long silence. Calypso feared that the Tardis had made her final decision and she would hear no more on the matter. Inaction will also set me back. No matter, my Doctor will find you again. He always does. With a subtle click, she felt the door give way beneath her palm and she let out a breath of relief as she stepped inside.

"Thank you," she said to the warm turquoise glow of the interior of the ship. Her boots clicked on the glass floor as she approached the console, but she realized she didn't hear Balzar follow. She turned to see him frozen in the doorway, his mouth hanging open as he tried to absorb what he saw before him.

"It's…" he trailed off, at a loss for words.

"Bigger on the inside?" Calypso grinned.

"I was going to say marvelous, but I suppose that's equally true." He wore an incredulous grin as he walked forward and her heart fluttered, recognizing something of the Doctor within him. His hands hovered over the console and then gently touched a few of the gadgets. "I had seen images, but this is… this is not quite what I was prepared for." He finally turned to look back at her. "Can you fly it?"

"Oh no," she laughed. "I'd have no idea where to start. But the Doctor certainly can once he's returned."

It clearly took a moment for him to register what she had said, and then his face fell, his gaze returning to the console. "Of course," he gave a short nod. "We should get that matter settled."

She'd expected him to be eager to be free of his prison, but his demeanor seemed almost reluctant. "I- I think the device is over here." She had never seen the thing before, but the Tardis seemed to be gently guiding her the right way, up a small staircase where an overhanging balcony was in full view of the console. A small button along the wall revealed a pocket door that slid soundlessly open. Behind it, a leather chair that reminded her of a dentist's, except there were straps on the armrests and a large metal helmet that sprouted a variety of wires and lights across its crown.

She withdrew from the sight of it, it looked like some kind of torture device, not something intended to aid anyone. She stepped back, but found Balzar immediately behind her.

"Have you used this before?" He asked softly, his gaze was locked on the device.

"No," she shook her head, trying to her best to keep from looking like she was afraid of it. "You do know how to operate it, don't you?" If he didn't, than she certainly didn't want to try and fumble her way through it.

"Yes. There's a switch on the wall," he jutted his chin toward the metal handle that was just to the right of the chair. "I was just wondering if you had ever seen what happens, after it's… successful."

"No, I haven't seen him use it. Why?" She remembered Martha had spoken of a similar device ripping the time lord from him, turning him into John Smith. But she had never actually seen the device work.

He finally looked up from the chair and met her gaze. "I've caught glimpses of its use. He uses it to extract and dispose of the remnants as he sees fit." His eyes returned to the chair. "I wonder if he intends the same for me."

"No," Calypso frowned. "That's not who he is."

Balzar made a bitter noise in his throat. "Perhaps not to you, but I've seen his mind. He's a soldier who thinks he knows what's best for everyone. I'm dangerous and a threat. Soldiers are good at dealing with those." His words were bitter, but to her surprise he sat down in the chair, resigned. "I suppose that matters very little."

For a moment Calypso was startled to silence, feeling a little too keenly the truth that the Doctor thought he knew what was best. She had been on the receiving end of those decisions quite a few times when the Doctor had made a choice for her not because it was what she wanted, but because it was prudent.

"It matters a great deal," she finally spoke as she watched him tying up the strap on his left arm. "You've proven yourself to be a friend," she wanted to reassure him that he would be safe, even though she was afraid of what this machine might do. "The Doctor knows that. And if he doesn't, then I will tell him."

He smiled bitterly, "What makes you think you'll get that chance?"

"Balzar, I-"

"Tie off the other hand will you?" He settled his right hand on the armrest. "I've been led to believe I will need assistance to remain seated."

She fumbled with the tie, trying to push back the feeling of dread that was beginning to overwhelm her. Surely the Doctor would take into account what Balzar had done to get them here, that he had helped all those people in the cells. He was a different creature from the one she had freed from the cellar, and certainly different from the one that had attacked the Doctor. But how much was her Doctor able to see? How much did he understand and how much was he blind to while he played host to Balzar.

"I gather the helmet needs to be strapped on," Balzar's dry voice startled her from her thoughts.

"Yes," she nodded, refocusing on the task at hand. She pulled the helmet down over his head and began to tie the leather strap beneath his chin. She felt like an executioner. "I wanted to thank you for all your help. It would have been impossible without you."

"Happy to be a means to an end." He stared resolutely forward, his voice just tight enough to know he wasn't quite joking.

"That's not what you are." She said the words sharply, for a moment she wondered if she were trying to convince herself more than him. She refused to believe the Doctor would lead another creature to its doom so cavalierly, and he most certainly wouldn't make her an accomplice without her knowledge.

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you. You just need to trust me." She squeezed his shoulder and smiled at him when he finally looked at her, his eyes wary. "Can you do that?"

He regarded her carefully before answering. "I suppose I can."

"Good," she grinned, on impulse she leaned forward and kissed his cheek. His head turned toward her and she could feel his breath hot on her neck. She hesitated as she pulled back, meeting his eyes questioningly. They were still that swirling darkness, the green only visible in flashes. He watched her, and then his gaze fell to her lips. For a moment, she felt drawn forward, despite knowing full well this wasn't the Doctor, her stomach fluttered wildly.

She stood abruptly, clearing her throat. "I'm sure Jack will began to wonder where we are." She put a tight smile on her face, careful not to look directly at him.

"We shouldn't keep him waiting." Balzar sounded unconcerned, though his voice was hoarse.

"Are you ready?" She asked, placing her hand on the cool metal switch that would ignite the machine.

He took a deep breath and then met her eyes once more, giving a tight nod.

"Okay," she whispered, and before she could change her mind, she threw the switch down.

There was an immediate low buzzing sound that rattled deep in her bones and the air slowly began to fill with static. She could see her dark hair slowly drift up from her shoulders and her clothing crackled as she moved.

"You should get back." Balzar's nonchalant demeanor was suddenly one of apprehension.

"It's okay, I'm going to be right here." She reached for his hand, but he jerked it away as far as he could with the restraints.

"Calypso, get back now!" He shouted with such urgency that she stumbled several steps backward. The lights of the ship began to flicker and the buzzing grew louder. She could see the lights on the helmet flashing in some unrecognizable sequence and the buzzing was interrupted by a tremendous crack. Bright light flooded from the helmet into Balzar and he trashed violently in the chair as bolts of electricity leapt from his body to the ship and floor around him. His teeth were clenched tight to keep from screaming outright, but she could hear his pained groans as he began to arch out of the chair.

She shook her head in horror. This machine was exactly what she had feared it to be, and it would tear them both apart. Balzar finally lost control of his body entirely and when the next flood of light surged from the helmet to him, his screams were wrenched from his throat in a ragged torrent. As the power continued to rip through him, his clothing began to smoke.

She darted forward, determined to put a stop to it before it killed them both. But the electricity that flowed out from him was like a cage and when she approached she cried out as a sharp pain flared across her cheek and she smelled burnt hair. The second one caught her straight in the chest and she flew backward, over the stairs, and landed hard against the console.

She gasped for breath as she clutched at her chest, feeling as though she'd been kicked by a horse.

It's always like this. She heard the Tardis speak, her voice mournful. The process cannot be stopped now.

The only thing she could hear above the buzzing and crackle of electricity was Balzar's screams. She started to push herself up from the floor to try again, but her limbs were still too weak from the first shock. The humming reached a crescendo so loud she was forced to cover her ears and with a tremendous crack it finally cased and everything plunged into darkness.

The first thing to return was the light from the Tardis' slow beating heart. It cast a green glow over the glass floor beneath her, but illuminated little else. She could see the stairs that led up to where the chair had been, but could sense no movement from the darkness beyond.

"Balzar?" Her voice cracked with fear. She was certain she'd killed them both. Her eyes prickled as she pushed herself up from the floor, forcing her stubborn limbs to obey her. The first hot tear fell from her eyes and she angrily brushed it away, marching toward the stairs.

The shadows just beyond the reach of the green glow shifted, and she froze. She reached out with a trembling hand and something grabbed on. She was too startled to react, black tendril fingers slid from the back of her hand to clutch her fingers, giving them a friendly squeeze.

"Surely you're not shedding a tear for me?" The voice was familiar and teasing, though it had a slightly sharper timbre. He stepped out into the full light and she was surprised to see he wasn't entirely dark. There were planes on his face where the light reflected brighter and despite being a myriad of gray shades, she could still distinguish what looked like the Doctor's features carved into the shadow.

"Balzar!" She gasped, throwing her arms around him in relief. He wasn't entirely solid, there was a give as she squeezed and she watched her fingers sink into the darkness of his shoulder. "You look-" she stepped back to examine him again. "You're still-" She didn't quite know how to phrase it. She had expected him to turn into an amorphous blot of ink like the others, it was unusual to see him still molded as the Doctor.

"Yes, well. I was stuffed in there long enough that I grew accustomed. Does it bother you?"

"No," she shook her head with a smile. "It suits you just fine." A few more of the lights flickered on overhead and she heard a low groan from the top of the stairs.

Balzar hardly had time to step aside as she rushed forward, stumbling up the stairs to see there was still a solid body strapped into the chair.

"That," her heart raced as she saw his head roll drunkenly on his shoulders. "Was not a particularly pleasant ride." He mumbled as he slowly opened his eyes. They found Calypso a moment later and a slow smile spread across his lips. "Hello you."

A sob caught in her chest as she saw that his eyes were green again, clear of any trace of darkness. She rushed forward, grasping his face in her hands and clumsily crushing her lips against his own. She laughed as she felt the tightness in her chest slowly unravel and she hugged him close, for a moment considering never letting him go.

"Mind you," The Doctor said gently. "I'm not complaining. But generally, from one professional to another, when one saves the day, you tend to untie the rescuee."

"Oh," she leaned back again and shook her head. "Sorry, I just- Of course." She fumbled with the straps on his wrists, freeing him before she reached the strap beneath her chin. As soon as he was free he pulled her forward into his lap and tangled his hands in her hair, pulling her close to capture her mouth with his.

She was breathless when he finally finished, her lips tingling as she felt blood flood her face.

"There's no need to be sorry," he watched her through half lidded eyes, a small smile playing at his lips. "You were magnificent."

"As much as I hate to interrupt the reunion," Balzar's voice sounded oddly hollow. "I believe Jack is probably waiting."

The Doctor looked over Calypso's shoulder with a frown. "Balzar? Stars, how did you end up out here?"

"He helped us get here-" she pushed herself up off the Doctor, curious at his confusion. "He was the creature who you were sharing… a body with."

"You?" The Doctor seemed far more astonished than he should have been. "Well, you might have said something earlier, If I'd known- well. Moving on." He pushed himself out of the chair with more energy than she'd expected. "Jack needs rescuing, I presume?" He tapped at his temple with his finger as he descended the stairs. "Right. Cells. Sick people. It's a bit foggy up there, but it'll come back shortly." He pressed a few of the buttons on the console and the rest of the lights returned, illuminating the Tardis once more. "Have we got a way to track him?"

"He's got his vortex manipulator," Calypso offered. Her eyes were drawn to Balzar who stood far from the two of them. In the full light she realized he wasn't quite as opaque as he'd been in the dark. The center of him seemed solid, but around the edges she could see the Tardis shining through him faintly. The dark shadows that hid whatever eyes he had, turned to her and she busied herself with watching the Doctor.

"Of course he does," the Doctor's fingers raced across the keys, typing out coordinates for the Tardis to follow. "Afraid we'll have to bring the ship to him. That means we'll have to say our goodbyes." He said it so casually it felt like she'd been struck in the chest again.

"Oh- of course," she tried to disguise the tightness in her voice with a cough. She desperately wanted to stay, but it wouldn't be possible with the ship effecting her the way it did. She tried to sooth her bitter disappointment with the thought of all those people safe and alive because of what they had done, but it was a difficult pill to swallow. "It was-" she faltered, "It was good to see you again."

"Sure sure, happy travels, be sure to write," he slammed a knob into position on the console, finally turning to face her again. She was confused by the smirk pulling at his lips. "Unless," he said as the Tardis began to wheeze in the familiar way it did before takeoff. He walked toward her, hands tucked behind his back. "Unless you know of an extraordinarily clever man who's spent the better part of a few decades trying to puzzle out just what exactly it is about the Tardis that makes you jump, and he's finally sorted it out." He rocked back on his heels. "You wouldn't happen to know anyone who fits that description, would you?"

Her emotions tumbled out of control, first disbelief, and then a fierce hope she hadn't dared to allow in the light of day. "You- do you mean you can stop it?"

"On a dime." The Doctor grinned. "How would you feel about taking a trip in the Tardis to save ole Jackie boy, together? Then maybe after we could see the universe," he shrugged. "If you haven't already made plans."

Her heart swelled with so much joy she felt as though she were going to burst. She leapt forward, throwing her arms around his neck and laughed as he caught her and spun them both in a circle. It had been an exhausting and terrifying few days, but at this moment, she felt it had all been worth it. She wasn't sure she had ever been this happy in her life.

"Shall I take that as a yes?" He asked, resting his forehead against hers as he finally set her down again. "I mean, there are certainly other galactic enigmas I could go about solving, but I was sort of hoping-"

"Yes, you idiot." She kissed him again, with the giddy realization that she would be able to this whenever she wanted from now on. "How did you figure it out?"

He tweaked her nose, "That's a secret." He winked. "Actually, it's not. But it is a bit complicated and we've got Jack and the survivors to rescue, a warship to banish to the arse-end of the galaxy, and I suppose Mr. Cheerful will need another ride somewhere. So explanations will have to wait."

Calypso became immediately aware that Balzar had moved to the opposite side of the console, inspecting the controls instead of watching them. She tried to compose herself as she stepped back from the Doctor, a twinge of sympathy muting her exuberance.

"As they say, Geronimo!" the Doctor pulled the red lever handle down and the Tardis began to shake. It was followed by a sharp grinding noise and a loud clunk from somewhere down below them. There was the faint smell of something burning and the Tardis shuddered to stillness.

"What was that all about?" The Doctor scowled, looking up at the Tardis core.

"Was it to do with me?" Calypso was frightened that whatever the Doctor had done to keep her here had somehow hurt the Tardis.

"No," he scowled, looking at the console screen. "It's a portlock. They've put an anchor on. A cheap one too." He seemed more incensed that they hadn't bothered to hinder the Tardis with something a little more extravagant.

"Are we stuck here?" She wondered how much time had passed since they'd left Jack, and if they were safely away or still waiting for them to come to their rescue.

"No," the Doctor waved off the notion. "It's just a little cap on the outside. But-"

"It smells like it burned out a distributor," Balzar said. Both Calypso and the Doctor looked at him, surprised by the assertion. "Am I incorrect in that assumption?"

"No- I just… have you been on a Tardis before?" The Doctor watched Balzar curiously.

"I've been stuck in your head for the better part of a week, I've picked up a few things."

"Right," the Doctor nodded. "Fusing and unfusing has given you a bit more of myself than you'd like I suppose- Actually," he looked at Calypso. "That clears up several things. All right then, Balzar, why don't you get down there and take a look at the ventral control circuit."

"Happy to serve," Balzar said in an irritated tone. His form shimmered and she watched him melt through the glass floor and appear on the other side.

"Now, I'll just have to see-" he zapped a finger as he pulled out a wire from the console that looked to have been melted through. "The orange wire. Always pull the orange wire first." He muttered to himself.

"Is there something I can do?" Calypso asked, feeling particularly useless.

"Other than stand there and look resplendent?" The Doctor looked up and waggled his eyebrows at her. "Nothing comes- ah," he dug around in his pocket and produced the sonic screwdriver. "Have a look around outside. There should be a metal disk the size of your fist," he tossed to sonic to her and she caught it. "Point and click, it should fall right off."

Calypso nodded with a smile and headed for the Tardis doors. She left them open wide as she walked out to give more light to work with in the dark cavernous room. She circled the Tardis in a clockwise fashion and found the metal protrusion on the last side she checked. She aimed the screwdriver at it and with a low whirring sound, the disk flashed a few bright lights and then dropped like a rock. She picked it up and tossed it in the air to catch, satisfied at a job well done.

"Still a pest," she whipped around at Roz's voice and found the shadow immediately behind her. "Pests must be exterminated."

He moved so quickly she didn't register what had happened until it was too late. There was a pinching sensation in her stomach and she looked down to see a long black spear jutting out of her middle. As the spear withdrew, blood pooled out down her shirt and trousers and a white hot pain ripped through her. She fell back against the Tardis, gasping for air.

Roz let out a sickly laugh, enjoying watching her slow death. She had forgotten they liked to toy with their food. She grit her teeth and moved sideways, sliding her shoulders along the Tardis as she moved forward because she knew her legs could no longer support her full weight.

She had to get inside, to warn them, it was the only thought that fueled her forward as her limbs turned to lead. She pressed her arm against her stomach, trying to staunch the bleeding, but she could feel the back of her shirt clinging to her with a wetness that suggested she was bleeding out from two wounds. She gulped at the air, but she couldn't quite catch her breath and she coughed at the effort, a cloud of red spray bursting from her lips.

She reached the Tardis door, she could feel the ship bombarding her with concerns but she couldn't focus on them, couldn't really hear them. All she could do was put one foot in front of the other. She stepped inside and swayed on her feet as she tried to take her first unsupported step.

"Doc-" she coughed again, another spray of red, but this time there was enough that it dribbled down her chin and left the sour coppery taste of blood on her tongue. She collapsed against the railing, the plug and screwdriver both clattering to the floor below.

The Doctor was crouched beneath the console and he looked up, curiosity immediately replaced with fear. Balzar's burring shadow resurfaced at the same moment.

"Cal," the Doctor croaked, clumsily stumbling to his feet. His fear turned to desperation as he looked not at her, but over her shoulder. "Cal get down!" He was running for her and she looked back to see Roz looming in the doorway. She noticed, absently, that the yellow glow had begun to rush up her arms in a race against this creature determined to kill her.

Roz closed the distance between them, a monstrous shadow absorbing the light from the Tardis, and raised a long black blade, an extension of his arm, up over his head. He brought it down and it seemed to fall forever. She didn't bother to raise her hands to stop him, knowing it was too late and lacking the strength to do so anyway.

Her whole body suddenly rippled with warmth and she thought perhaps it was the particles that allowed her to jump, but this felt different. Two dark blades erupted from her chest and took the brunt of the strike before it could sink into her. She wondered if she had begun to hallucinate as the blades moved quickly, tearing at both the blade and the creature that wielded it, it seemed just as surprised as she was.

There was a sickly tearing noise of something like flesh and the shadow before her rippled from an unseen wind and then began to scream as it burnt away from the inside. A gust of wind blew the remnants out of the Tardis and the doors slammed shut.

Calypso finally fell, her grip on the railing lost to her numb hands. But she didn't hit the ground as she anticipated, Balzar was above her, gently laying her down.

"Callie," the Doctor was there, cradling her in his arms. Grief was etched deep into the lines of his face as he shook his head. "I shouldn't have sent you out. I'm sorry. That was stupid. I'm so-" his voice cracked.

"It's not your fault," her voice came in gasps and she reached up to brush the hair from his eyes, but she fell short and only managed to stroke his cheek, leaving a crimson smear on his pale skin as her arm collapsed again.

"Can you help her?" Balzar's voice was tense as he hovered nearby.

The Doctor's eyes were glassy as his mouth twisted bitterly. "I can't," he whispered. "I could stop you from jumping but… but that would probably kill you." He tried to smile though his voice shook. "The Tardis gets her strength from the Medusa Cascade. That's where you're going." He squeezed her arm where the yellow flame rippled nearly to her shoulders now. "It heals her, and it will heal you too."

"Will it?" Balzar's question was a challenge.

The Doctor looked up at him, "I don't know." He whispered. He kissed Calypso's forehead and squeezed her tight against his chest. That reignited the pain and she grimaced, but she would rather he hold her than not, so she kept silent. "I'm going to bring you back after this. When you're all healed up. I'm going to take better care of you, I promise."

Her vision began to darken, even as the yellow light enfolded her completely. She couldn't feel the tingling sensation that usually accompanied it over the dull pain that throbbed through her body. She closed her eyes, trying to focus on the fading touch of the Doctor when another flood of warmth overwhelmed her and muted the pain entirely.

"You're going to be okay," Balzar's voice was directly in her ear, as though he were right next to her instead of hovering above her.

"Balzar, let her go." The Doctor's voice was exhausted. "She'll be all right."

"I'm going to keep her safe." Balzar responded and though the touch of the Doctor was fading, she still felt as though she were wrapped tightly in someone's arms.

"Don't do this-" the Doctor's voice was more urgent now. "The huon particles are going to-" But she didn't get to hear him finish his thought as she vanished from the world. But for the first time, as she slipped into unconsciousness, she didn't feel alone.


OH MY GOD WE MADE IT OUT OF THE DUST BOWL. SWEET MOTHER OF MARY I'M FREE. Again, thank you Fredsnotdead for your fabulous suggestions. I did try to take them to heart here, but I know there were a few places where I was like...could I tighten that up? maaaaayb- nah.

Seriously kids, don't forget to send the cards.