A/N: Hey people, heres the next chapter, I thought I better post it soon in case several people exploded, and also it's more interesting than revision. Hope ya like it. Thankyou to everyone who has been reviewing, you're my favourite people in the whole world.

Disclaimer: dudes how many times do I have to say this? I DON'T OWN DOCTOR WHO! Bria, however, is mine.

Jack and Rose nearly crashed into the Doctor, as he stood frozen in place. They peered around him to see what he was staring at. What they saw both shocked and horrified them. Jack stood, very much like the Doctor in complete shock. Rose gasped and brought her hands to her mouth.

The room they were staring into was a bedroom containing no more than a single bed and a chair. However, it was not the room that held the companion's attention.

Bria stood in the centre of the room, her back to them. She had removed the jumper and corset, replacing them with a very small halter neck top that left her entire back and stomach bare. Her long hair hung down, concealing the upper half of her back. She heard Rose gasp and spun round to face them, crossing her arms over her front as she did so. The look on her face was a mixture of fear and sadness.

The Doctor approached her slowly, still shocked at what he had seen, half-hoping he had imagined it or the light had been playing tricks. Gently, he took her shoulders, she didn't resist as he turned her away from him. As they saw her back again, the cause of their shock was confirmed.

Bria's back was covered in scars.

The Doctor swept Bria's hair over her shoulder, revealing the rest of her back, also covered in scars. They were long and thin, running in several different directions. The Doctor ran his fingers over them, feeling the slightly raised white lines that now marred her skin. He could still remember the first time he had touched that skin; it had been pale, creamy and flawless. Like silk to the touch.

Bria just stood there as the Doctor ran his hands over the scars she had hidden. She didn't know if she had been planning to show him, but they had caught her unawares, when she had been so absorbed in her memories that she hadn't noticed them approach.

Jack watched Bria's face, her eyes were lowered and she appeared to be fighting back tears. He stepped forward and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. He could feel the scars, there were so many.

"Doctor, what caused these?"

"Whip marks." He looked at Bria's face, her eyes still lowered. "You were flogged weren't you?" Bria only nodded in response.

"Flogged?" Jack was shocked; he had seen a whip once in a museum but had never known how much damage could be done.

"Why?" Rose couldn't understand who would have cause to do this to a girl who was still technically only eighteen.

Bria's eyes snapped open dark with a fury from deep within her. "The Romans attacked the village I was living at. They wanted the Doctor, I'm not sure why. They thought I could tell them where he was."

"Oh, Bria, I'm so sorry. If I'd known…"

"Then you still would have gone, because that's what you do. You can't stay in one place for too long. You're not made that way."

Bria winced and hissed in pain as the Doctor's hand moved across her side. The Doctor moved his hand and saw the dark bruise on her ribs. "What happened?"

"It's where I was thrown against the wall, the night Kira was killed. The only reason why the bastards I was fighting earlier got the upper hand."

Jack had moved round to stand in front of Bria, now something caught his eye. Just below the point where her ribs met in the middle was another scar. This one a word that had been carved into her skin. "What does 'TRISTA' mean?" he asked, running his thumb over the word.

The Doctor looked up sharply. "Trista? Doesn't that mean-"

"Sorrow, it's Latin for sorrow." Bria's voice was quiet.

"Why would they cut a word that meant sorrow into you?" Rose asked, moving round to see the word.

"They said I had brought it on everyone, that the destruction of the village was my fault."

The Doctor looked up. "It wasn't your fault, if anything it was mine. I'm sorry, I can't change what happened. But I can do one thing to help."

"What's that?"

"It's a Time Lord thing. I can reverse what happened to your body; heal the scars and the injury to your ribs…" He trailed off.

"What's the catch?" a ghost of a smile flickered on Bria's face.

"Your body has to be taken back through what happened to it so that it can reach what it used to be. Each scar will turn back into an injury before becoming smooth skin again. So-"

"It will be like being flogged again" The statement was made with barely a trace of emotion. "Do it, I'm tired of these scars."

"OK. Jack, steady her. Rose be ready, this is gonna take a lot of energy. When I'm done I might not be very steady."

Rose nodded. Jack placed his hands on Bria's upper arms. Looking into her dark eyes, he could see the glimmer of hope that had been given to her at the opportunity of having this reminder of her painful past removed.

The Doctor placed his hands on Bria's back. He concentrated until there was nothing else but him and Bria; this was the most crucial part. His heartbeats changed to match hers as did his breathing. Through this, his breathing would be under his control, he would use that to try to keep her calm. When his body was completely in tune with hers, he allowed his mind to re-surface, once again becoming aware of his surroundings.

His hands began to glow faintly with the golden light of time. Rose could see the bruise on Bria's ribs disappear.

Jack was still looking into Bria's eyes when they flashed in pain. Looking down, he saw the word 'TRISTA' begin to turn from a thin white scar to cuts that welled up with blood. Seconds later, the cuts healed, leaving the skin flawless and smooth.

Moments later, both Bria and the Doctor gasped in pain. The crack of a whip could be heard, making Rose and Jack jump. "Doctor, what is that?" Jack was beginning to feel nervous.

"It's Bria; this process is causing her mind to re-live what happened. The sounds from her memories are projecting themselves. She doesn't know she's doing it."

He was right, Bria seemed to be unfocused. She was gripping Jack's arms, her grasp tightening each time the whip crack was heard. She was gasping, occasionally crying out in pain.

The Doctor was slightly worried; Bria appeared to be getting very distressed. She was almost hyperventilating, despite his efforts to keep her calm. He was almost finished. Hang on, Bria. Just a little bit longer.

Rose looked at Bria's back; each time the crack sounded, one of the scars would turn into a wound, and then heal seconds later.

Finally, after one last resounding crack of the whip, the last wound healed. The Doctor removed his hands from Bria's back, now smooth and silky once more. Rose noticed his hands were shaking, he swayed on his feet and she moved to support him.

Jack caught Bria as she collapsed, unconscious. Cradling her in his arms, he felt for her pulse, it was steady. She was no longer hyperventilating either, just unconscious. Gently he scooped her up and carried her to the bed, trying not to concentrate on how soft her skin felt.

When he had placed Bria on the bed, Jack turned to the others. Rose was just about supporting the Doctor who appeared to be getting more unsteady. Jack moved to support him on the other side, his greater strength meaning that the Doctor was no longer in danger of ending up on the floor.

"We should get him to somewhere he can rest." Rose was clearly concerned.

"The other room?" Rose nodded in agreement and they set off, half dragging, half carrying the almost unconscious Doctor. When they reached the room where they had eaten, they carefully lowered him onto one of the sofas.

The Doctor's eyes opened. "Bria. How's Bria?"

"She's unconscious, but she seemed fine." Jack replied.

"Stay with her, Jack. Don't leave her alone."

"What about you?"

"I'm fine, just a bit drained, now go. Go on."

Jack jogged out of the room and Rose moved to sit beside the Doctor.

"How are you feeling?"

"That's twice you've asked me that in recent history, Rose Tyler. Once more and I'm gonna' declare something officially wrong with the universe." He paused for a moment before carrying on. "I'm OK, or at least I will be in a while. Healing those scars took more out of me than I thought. Took a bit out of Bria too."

"Will she be alright?"

"She should be, it might take a few hours for her to recover, I took a lot of her energy for the healing." His eyelids drooped a little and Rose decided to leave it for now.

"OK, Doctor, I think you should sleep."

"What a fantastic idea, but you should too." He shifted over and Rose lay down beside him. He wrapped his arms around her and she smiled up at him. He grinned at her before closing his eyes and falling almost instantly into a deep sleep.

Jack had entered Bria's room seconds after leaving the others. He had stood for a moment by her bed, where she lay as he had left her. She was still pale, although her cheeks had regained a little of their former delicate blush. The only sign of life about her was the steady rise and fall of her chest.

Gently, Jack placed a hand on her head, running tentative fingers through her hair. Moonlight shone through the window, making silvery patterns on the walls. He lifted a lock of hair, raising it into the path of the moonlight. He was amazed at the colours, several shades of brown, from almost black to coppery, mixed with gold. He moved his hand down to caress her face. Again, his breath caught in his throat as he ran his fingertips over her features. The long eyelashes, down over her cheek to her soft lips, down again to the curve of her neck.

He exhaled sharply and drew his hand away as though burned. He wouldn't move any lower. Jack may have been many things, but he wasn't foolish enough to place is hands where they were unlikely to be welcome. Especially on a girl as dangerous as Bria.

Breathing deeply, he regained the control he had been about to loose and pulled the chair nearer to the bed. Settling down, he satisfied himself with studying her from a distance. Eventually he slept.

It wasn't long before the peaceful sleep of the four people in the warehouse was disturbed.

A/N: well there we go, what did you think?