Thanks to Rosetylerrox!

LittleGinny15: Oh, poor you! I was off until Tuesday, too. School was closed for cleaning, after some virus thing that's spreading through half of Bradford. Not complaining in the slightest, though ;). It was fun! Thanks again! I'm so glad you liked it, and I hope I don't disappoint this time, either! Oh, and JubileeFudge! Nice name: D

Lesslyn: Hee hee, there's nothing wrong with Rambling! ; D Thanks again honey! Love you lots, blah blah blah… And all will be revealed. Glad you liked the comeback, too! I was debating about using them until I read your last review, and that sort of synched it, so it's probably down to you for making my mind up that I brought the Twins along. Glad you liked!

Sorry about the delay! My Laptop's been playing up and I've only just got it back. I've split this chapter into two because it was soooooooo big! Here's part 1, and I'll try to get two up either tomorrow or Saturday! Here you go!

Run! The Story of Our Lives

Part 1

"'Mione?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry."

"Right."

"No, I am, though! I really am! It was such a stupid thing to say, and I should never have even thought it."

"No, you shouldn't, but I don't think that this is really the place to discuss it, do you?"

"Why not? It's as good a place as any."

Hermione stopped and turned to face Ron, the seriousness an uncanny resemblance of Mrs Weasley. He caught the glimmer of amusement in her face before she could disguise it, though. He couldn't contain his grin, but it slid from his face almost immediately when she spoke.

"Okay, so you're sorry. We've been through it all already. It's in the past. Forget it. And never think it again. Harry's like my brother, and you already know you're the only one I could ever want. So let's just leave things as they are for now," she whispered briskly, turning around and beginning to edge ever further through the blackness. She was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. Sighing, she turned to him again, and raised her eyebrows. He paused.

"Let me go first."

"What on Earth for?" she asked in surprise.

"Well, it just seems appropriate. I dunno, like in films, and movies, and things. Men always go first into the unknown to protect the women."

Hermione smiled and turned again, her eyes glinting in the darkness.

"Well, this woman doesn't need protecting. She's fine as she is, thank you very much, Ronald Weasley. I don't need a bodyguard!"

"Please?" His voice was soft, gentle. Hermione stared at him, taking in his almost pleading face, his wide, bright eyes, his parted lips…

"Oh, alright then!" she mumbled, and moved aside to allow Ron to pass in front of her.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it… ever."

"Deal."

As one, they pressed themselves deeper into the shadows, moving as close to the wall as they possibly could. Their footsteps echoed around them, bouncing from the damp walls and fading away into the corridor ahead.

Hermione stepped in closer behind Ron, until she was near enough for him to feel her breath on the back of his neck. He smiled slightly. For once, he could play the Hero. Hermione seemed to have been thinking along the same lines.

"Makes a change," she said after a moment, "me following you. It's usually the other way round, isn't it?"

"Yeah, well. Today's a different day," he replied, a slight air of authority mixed expertly into his voice. Hermione smiled knowingly but decided not to attempt to inflate his ego any further for fear of explosion. Better to bring him down a peg.

"Today's a different planet," she muttered softly. "You wouldn't believe we were still on Earth, would you? It's all so… odd. I mean, I suppose it is a bit like a different planet, because it's under the Earth, but still, at the same time, we're the same. I wonder who lives down here."

Ron suddenly halted in his tracks and stood staring ahead in silence. Hermione walked straight into him and stumbled backwards with a low squeak.

"What is it?"

"There's something up ahead."

"Oh." Hermione felt her heart thud painfully against her chest. "Just like the movies."

"Just like the movies," he repeated softly, raising his wand in front of him. Hermione straightened her own wand, squinting against the darkness at the walkway in front of them. "Well, Hermione… You just said 'I wonder who lives down here'. I think we're about to find out."

Scratch scratch scrape scratch.

"… What was that?"

"Don't know… Damnit! I can't see a thing!"

Scratch scrape scrape.

"There's more than one, isn't there?"

"Yes."

"We're screwed."

"Yes."

"Oh good. So this trip is going to be interesting, then."

"I should say so. And can you hear breathing?"

Scratch scratch scratch.

"Light your wand."

"Are you crazy, Hermione?"

"Just light it, Ron, quick!"

"But they'll see us!"

"Well they can already hear us! Now for God's sake, light it!"

"Why?"

"Because!"

"Because what?"

"… Because there's something right behind me."

"… Oh my God."

"Exactly. Now light your wand, Ron, or I'll hit you."

Ron turned slowly on the spot, his eyes wide with fear. Slow, racking breaths pounded against his eardrums, tangling with his own racing pulse. The blood rushed into his head, his arms feeling strangely like lead as his wand hand twitched. He stared at Hermione's pale but determined face, sighed, closed his eyes, and raised his wand. Lumos!

The light burned through his closed eye lids as silence fell on the corridor, but he dared not open them. He felt Hermione's warm breath hit his frozen face, stealing herself for the inevitable, and he inwardly screamed as she turned in front of him. Don't look, Herms! Please don't look!

Nothing.

He opened his eyes and gasped. Hermione was standing rigidly still, her left hand unconsciously digging into his wrist, as he tried to stop his own hands from shaking with hers. He moved his attention from her to the creature in front of them.

Silence save it's rather erratic breathing. Both Ron and Hermione seemed to have abandoned that particular task. Ron cleared his throat slightly, never taking his eyes from the thing before them. Hermione gasped as it flexed its fingers, fingers that were far too long and thin and sharp to be safe. Fingers that appeared fragile and easy to snap, and ones that she knew would be able to strangle them on the spot if they provoked it enough.

"Of course."

"Yeah?"

"Plan, 'Mione?"

"Yeah."

The creature let out a low, thunderous growl, baring long, fang like teeth large enough to rip any limb to shreds. It's amber eyes were glowing brighter than Ron's illuminated wand. The creature stepped forwards on long, stick-thin legs, one clawed foot moving clumsily in front of the other. Ron began to back away, his eyes wide with fear and his heart thumping wildly in his chest. As he pulled Hermione backwards despite her protesting stillness, he felt frozen breath on the back of his neck, and quickly changed his mind about moving any further.

"So, what is it, then?"

Hermione paused, staring, fascinated by the creature, trying to memorise ever feature. Before she could think, it screeched a loud inhuman wail, and launched forwards, grabbing her around the waist. One raised hand clawed at her face once, leaving five, bleeding gashes running down her cheek. She screamed, kicking at it as it began to drag her backwards.

Ron blinked and redirected his wand at it's feet.

"Impedimenta!" he cried. The creature was knocked backwards, throwing Hermione from its grasp as it hit the floor. Ron reached for her hand and stared at her.

"The plan, Hermione?" he called desperately. She stared at him, the blood shining brightly against her pale complexion, fear lining every inch of her face.

"Run!"

"We should have found something by now."

"Are you kidding me? It's like you wanna die!"

The Doctor paused and turned to Rose, grinning.

"Someone else has said that to me before. Who was it? I can't remember…"

"What, was it in your last regeneration?" Rose asked as she continued through the endless maze of twists and turns, her eyes only now becoming accustomed to the gloom. She never had liked carrots, much to her mothers' annoyance.

"I think so. When was it? … Oh, yeah! It was just after that Transmat beam. I was bounding around the Big Brother House, waiting for them to evict me after I blew up one of their cameras. Lynda said it to me."

He fell suddenly silent and Rose felt a slight stab of jealousy attack her heart.

"Oh. Whatever happened to her? Last I heard she was hanging around for you before you sent me home," she said, her voice cold and indifferent despite her attempts to keep it casual.

"She, er. The Daleks got her," he said shortly, his whole attitude dropping and changing to one of silent reflection rather than the upbeat attitude she so enjoyed. Rose felt her bitterness melt instantly.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," she muttered, feeling a little ashamed of herself.

"No you're not," he said suddenly. "I noticed. You didn't like her much, did you, Rose?"

Rose stared at him, thinking.

"No," she said after a moment. "Not really. She was a bit… dunno, really. I just didn't like her. But that doesn't mean I'm not sorry. You liked her."

"Right." His voice was short, quiet. Rose felt it cut through her like a sharp blade as he dissolved into silence.

"Sorry," she mumbled.

"What for?"

"Dunno. I've done something, so sorry."

He turned to her, his eyes narrowed in confusion. He reached forwards, his hands cupping her chin in a friendly gesture.

"It's not your fault you didn't like her. Everyone's entitled to their own opinions. And you haven't done anything. I'm fine, honestly. It just… hurt a bit, that's all. I promised I'd get her out alive, and I failed."

Rose paused, staring straight into his eyes, daring herself.

"Can I ask you something?"

He blinked and stared at her, considering her look of open curiosity. He nodded slightly and she sighed.

"What did you like about her?"

The Doctor sighed too, and dropped his hands. He turned away and began again down the hallway, shrinking deeper into the wall with every step.

"She was sweet. She was friendly. An innocent… And she reminded me of you."

"Really?" Rose asked, following him. "In what way?"

"Don't know. She just did. She was hesitant when I told her to come with me. It took two attempts to get you to tag along at the beginning. Remember? She had knowledge. You've got a fair amount of brains when you put your mind to it. She was strong, willing to fight. She had a fiery attitude to match yours."

"Anything else?"

He stopped, staring ahead unseeingly, one hand clutching onto the damp wall for support, while his other was gripping tightly to Rose.

"She put her life in my hands. And I'm scared of letting you down. I've already failed her. Maybe it's a pattern," he mumbled as he set off again.

"Hey," Rose said, marching in front of him and blocking his way. "Stop it, now. You're not going to let anyone down."

"But I could!"

"No you couldn't! You're better than this! Since when did you let emotions cloud your judgement? You were so full of it before!"

"I was better than this, Rose! I'm not him anymore, remember?" he sighed. She made to place a hand on his face in comfort but he blinked and turned away. "Maybe this is the new me."

"I doubt it, Doctor. You're still him, no matter what. And he wouldn't let his worries get in the way of saving the world. You've gained a pretty pessimistic opinion of yourself this time, haven't you? Gone to the other extreme, in fact," she smiled.

"Maybe I've just seen too much. Ever since that Transmat, things have just been… crazy. Lynda, you, The Daleks, Jack." Rose caught the flutter of tears and felt her throat convulse painfully.

"Oh, God… Jack… What happened to Jack, Doctor?"

The Doctor sighed heavily and turned to her again. There was a long, awkward silence as he tried to force the words out. Rose simply stared at him, fearful.

"They killed him. Last man standing, and fighting until the end. It turned out they all died in vain. I couldn't do it."

Rose blinked, his words not sinking in. She stared at him, trying to focus on his face as some strange, tiny, grieving thought attempted to grab her attention.

"Yes, you said that before, about finishing it but not being able to use it. But what do you mean, 'they killed him'? Killed him as in, he doesn't want to travel with us any more, or, killed him as in… he's gone?"

"Rose -"

Rose felt the heat drain from her face as her heart pounded hard against her chest.

"But, but you said he was busy? After you regenerated, you said he had plenty to be doing so we couldn't go back to find him… you made it sound like he was alright!"

"Well I wasn't exactly thinking straight at the time, was I? Pain can scramble your thoughts a bit."

Rose stumbled backwards, feeling blindly along the walls, her hands shaking violently as unshed tears threatened to leak through her watery eyes.

"No, not Jack. I forgot about him… regeneration, then the Sycorax, then here, and I've only just remembered him. What kind of friend does that make me? … Oh my God. Jack's dead. He's never coming back. He's gone…"

The Doctor stepped forward and hugged her as the tears began to fall from her eyes. Everything around them was suddenly pointless, useless. Without understanding how they came to be there, they were leaning against the wall, cuddling on the stone floor, the darkness enveloping them completely.

When he thought she had finally exhausted all of her tears, he turned to her, his voice breaking slightly before he could control himself properly.

"Rose, I am so sorry. Really I am. But we have to go. Remember where we are? This isn't the time or the place. We can mourn him properly later… but for now, there're six teenage wizards wandering around the Underworld amidst a blazing war. I know it isn't easy to shift your emotions, but I really need to you to try, here."

"I can't believe he's gone. Our Jack. Is there no chance he survived?" she asked tearfully. The Doctor shook his head once as he pushed himself to his feet, pulling Rose up with him. As she felt her heart tear, he paused, his eyes wide, remembering.

"Doctor?" she called uncertainly as he paled before her eyes.

"I don't know," he mumbled. "You said something, before, so I don't know. Maybe when you said it, you actually did it, and maybe you knew he was dead without knowing -"

"Doctor, what are you going on about?"

He straightened up, turning and staring intently at her, his eyes wide with wonder and hope.

"Maybe you saved him, Rose! You said 'I bring life' while you were the Bad Wolf, so maybe when you said it, you actually meant it! Maybe he isn't dead!"

Rose felt her heart heal instantly, as a watery smile broke across her face, her youth shining through once again.

"You mean there's a chance he's alive? He might not be dead?"

The Doctor ran at her and hugged her, laughing.

Oh, my God. I don't think I've ever loved you as much as I do right now, Rose Tyler! If you've saved him… well that defies the laws of Time, but it isn't impossible… I've only just remembered, so that means -" his face fell almost immediately, losing its youthful enthusiasm to a look of worry.

"What?"

He stared at her, smiling sadly.

"We left him behind, if he is alive. The only living person on Satellite Five. He must hate us."

"Oh." She paused. "But he'll understand, won't he? I mean, you thought he was dead. Won't he understand?"

The Doctor shrugged his shoulders, sighing.

"I don't know, Rose. S'pose he might if we explain it to him. We'll just have to wait and see. Come on. This passage has to lead somewhere."

The Doctor pulled away from her, planting a quick kiss on her forehead. But before he could set off again, Rose shuffled forwards and grasped his hand, squeezing it tightly as if testing that he really was there with her. He smiled down at her encouragingly, and met her blazing stare of resolution. His grin widened.

"Besides. I've had it with sentimentalities. Where's all the action? This incarnation's got a greater depression level than my last one did, and I really don't fancy going there."

"Er, Doctor?"

"Yes, Rose?"

"You wanted action. Well, I think you're about to get it."

The smile slid gracefully from his face as he stared at her wide-eyed, fearful expression. He stopped, as understanding caught up with him.

"There's something in this alleyway, isn't there?"

A low growl of rage echoed through the darkness towards them, as two small amber lights burst into life inches behind his shoulder. Rose gasped, staring at them, fascinated. She looked up at him, nodding.

"Yep."

"Of course." He turned cautiously, not wanting to scare whatever it was away before he could decide on its friendliness. The growls sounded fairly mutiness, but he had learned from experience that a growl didn't always mean problems.

As ten, needle-thin fingers loomed out towards them through the blackness, he paused, thinking. Okay. Not really a good sign.

Rose stared with wonder as the glowing amber eyes moved closer to reveal a small, wolf-like face. It bared large, blood-stained teeth, and Rose glanced up at The Doctor.

"Plan?" she asked calmly.

"Run!" he replied, grinning.

A loud clattering outside her cell door brought her abruptly back to the land of the living. Barely two hours had passed. Was it time already? She shook her head slightly, trying to clear the haze from her mind, and lifted her head until her eyes were watching roughly where the door was to open at any moment. She straightened up, giving away nothing about her injured condition save her continued defiance to the whole system.

"My, my. I'm certainly seeing a lot of this place today, aren't I?"

Despite the coldness of the room, the temperature appeared to drop a little further as two large, burning red eyes entered again into her cell, the flickering candlelight from the corridor outside momentarily blinding her before the door was slammed shut once more.

She stared at them, mentally realising that she had not yet seen the face to which those inhuman eyes belonged to. The icy voice, however. Well, she had heard that more than she cared to remember.

Days. Weeks. Months. Years? She'd lost count, now. A small part of her was wondering if she had ever had freedom. The longer she was here, the less she could remember. Nothing but darkness and pain. Torture, blackness… A young, scruffy-haired face, smiling cheerily at her… then more blackness, more pain…

"It might interest you to know that your 'session' has been moved to tomorrow. Your place was taken this afternoon by a new arrival."

"What?"

"You heard. Aren't I the generous one? Granting you a whole twenty hours of pain-free contemplation. Why, I'm growing quite sentimental in my mature years, am I not?"

"Who? What new arrival?"

"Oh, you'll have plenty of time to get to know him. You have company, you see." His voice rose to an ordering bark as the eyes turned to face the door, filling the darkness once more. "Bring him in!"

The cell door was thrown open again, and three people entered, two hooded creatures supporting a third. The room was suddenly flooded with an icy chill, as long, rattling breaths shook through her body. Screams mingled within the sound of roaring flames racked her mind, until she was physically shaking with grief. She knew there was nothing she could do, though. The effect those creatures could have upon her still astonished her, and to her knowledge, they couldn't be stopped.

She gritted her teeth, keeping the tears well hidden, as the two hooded creatures stopped beside her and roughly chained the man they had carried into the cell to the walls, binding his hands within an identical pair of manacles to those around her own wrists.

She closed her eyes, willing them to leave, and refused to open them until the temperature rose slightly, followed by a slam of the cell door. The red eyes leered at her through the gap in the bars, and she could tell they were smiling.

A wide, nightmarish smile.

"Make him comfortable, Mudblood. I believe you two will have much to share. Least of all your lack of magical knowledge. Perhaps you can convince him to divulge his own celestial familiarity before his 'session' tomorrow night. Who knows? I might even have the two of you working together. He has information to rival your own. Sleep well, Mudblood. You're going to need it."

A loud cackle of laughter rang endlessly through her ears until she was screaming herself in an attempt to silence it. As the laughter faded away, a low groan from beside her quickly silenced her own cries, and she gasped instead.

"Oh, my. Are you alright?"

"Ooh, my head… that must have been one Hell of a celebration, last night… either that or I'm in a situation that I really don't feel like facing, right now. Oh, chains," he said, sounding surprised, as he shook his hands, opening his eyes. "Not a good sign." The man blinked once, and turned to her, staring through the darkness.

"Hi. Would you mind telling me where we are, or would that be too much to ask of such a vibrant, Earth-shatteringly beautiful creature, like yourself?"

She stared at him in shock, unable to think of anything to say in reply. He smiled slightly, but his smile quickly turned into a grimace of pain.

"What did they do to you?" she asked in concern.

"Erm. Can't remember. Anything. I'm guessing this isn't Satellite Five, then." He quickly gave himself a mental smack. Real smooth, that. Just blurt it all out, why don't you!

Her breath caught in her throat as the words echoed around her head.

"Satellite Five? What do you know about it?" she asked hurriedly. He blinked at her.

"Why? What do you know? I'm sorry, but who are you?"

"I'm – I was – looking for someone, and I know he was on - I mean he was last seen - on Satellite Five."

"…Right. The name's Jack Harkness, by the way. I think… anyway, nice to meet you, Miss, er..."

"Tericherlula."

She could see his look of placid surprise looming out towards her through the darkness. Feeling slightly irritated by the fact that her name seemed to be a cause of great interest to everyone she met, she waited for his reaction.

"…Okay."

"Most people just call me Teri, though," she added hastily. She could tell he was mentally attempting to pronounce her name, and thought it best to save him the trouble.

He paused.

"You're not an Earthling, then."

"No. And neither are you, by the sounds of it."

"I am… Human, I, mean."

"…Right then. So how and what do you know about Satellite Five?"

"I practically live on Satellite Five, these days. I'm part of a rescue team who're working on rebuilding Planet Earth. Sorry, but, who did you say you were looking for, again?"

"I didn't."

"Well, you should. I know everyone on that space station, and I'm sure I could tell you where your friend is."

Teri considered him, smiling slightly.

"A hot shot, are you?" she asked. He grinned.

"If ya like. So what's his name?"

She paused, thinking. When she felt the silence had been dragged out for long enough, she straightened up, watching him through intrigued eyes, her expression serious.

"Okay, then… I'm looking for The Doctor. Do you know him?"

Okay, a bit of a cliffy, but I'm going to try to update with Part 2 ASAP. I'll try to be quick to make up for the long wait you've endured for this one. Thanks for your patience!

Thank you guys!

And I like reviews…