Thanks to AmyAmidala, Melon Fairy, gatermage and shinotenshi for your reviews!

LittleGinny15: Aaw, sorry, I can't really. This is post TCI, but it takes place before New Earth, see. Unless I send them forwards in Time a few days to a certain hospital … Sorry, don't suppose I can, but I could always write a New Earth Fic at some point … Anyway, sorry for the delay, I've been excruciatingly busy over the Holidays, but here's you're update!

Lesslyn: Thanks for that! Here you go!

Lixa: Aaw, glad you liked that bit. Yes it was her, and I'd hug you back for saying that if I could! Thank you!

Gevaudan: Thank you:D Yep, born and bred Bradford lass. Well, sort of. Born in Leeds, technically, but people like to say it was Bradford. Helps to keep things simple around me, especially when thinking about my strange ability to make trouble out of the safest of situations. I'm pretty good at that. Wow, Silsden? It is indeed a small world. Hi! Thanks for reviewing!

Sorry for the long delay. I've been very, very, very busy!

Erm, this is where things start to get a little difficult. There are going to be a few references to past stories from here on in. Some will be taken from the TV series', and some from the Big Finish Productions stories. Mainly because it's a BIG plot point, but also because it's interesting. I hope. So anyway, you won't need to have seen or heard these to understand. I'll be explaining things as the story progresses, so you'll know everything you need to know about them to be able to follow the fic. Well, that's my intentions anyway. If it doesn't work, then I'm most sincerely sorry.

Reference to 'The Five Doctors', Peter Davison.

Reference to the Big Finish Story 'The Sirens of Time', Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy.

Well, now that that's out of the way…

Here you go!

Deceiving Innocence

"So, let me get this straight," Jack garbled excitedly, for what felt like the hundredth time since she had mentioned her background. "You're manipulating Time in order to bring The Doctor here?"

"Yes!" Teri sighed, growing tired of the looping conversations.

"But, what exactly does that mean?"

"Well, I can't really explain it… Look, I reconnected the TARDIS to the Time Vortex after he landed here. Something in this atmosphere has a great tendency to cut off technology, so the TARDIS was unable to work. The link must have caused the TARDIS to be pulled from the Time Vortex during the moment of impact when it hit this atmosphere. So I've reconnected it, does that make sense?"

Jack blinked, gaping at her. Teri shook her head in an irritated fashion, sighing in a 'what can you do?' sort of way. "I take it that hasn't gone all the way in? Shall we say I gave the TARDIS a little extra kick, to make things simpler for you, Jack?"

Jack nodded, firmly, and she smiled.

"Good. Well that's the sort of thing I've been doing. The Dark Lord may have me enslaved here, but he knows nothing about who I am. So while he gets his scraps, I'm working on helping The Doctor from behind the scenes. Not that he knows anything about it, of course."

"Oh, so you're not just a pretty face, then?"

Teri snickered, but quickly turned it into a racking cough.

"Why do I get the impression you've received more than a few decent slaps from the feminine side of the Universe during your line of work, Captain Jack Harkness?" she asked airily as soon as she'd recovered.

"Oh, whatever gave you that idea?" Jack smiled, cheekily. Teri blushed as she spotted his travelling eyes and glared at him, her eyes blazing.

"I'd stop those wandering orbs of yours if I knew what was best for me," she warned. Jack smiled innocently.

"Sorry, Mademoiselle Cherlu-li-lexi-watsit."

"Tericherlula," she sighed, "My name's Tericherlula!"

"Yeah, that's it. Interesting name. It doesn't sound very Time Lordy, though. The Doctor… Tericherlula. Not really similar. Unless he has some strange, crazy name too, but he's too embarrassed to speak it in public. Say, that's a thought. You wouldn't happen to know his real name, would ya?"

"No, sorry about that. I doubt many people know his true name, he tends to resort to disguise in public. Some old and dragged-on fear of the evil side of the Universe uncovering information to hold against him, or so I heard."

"Yeah, that sounds like The Doctor."

A crash interrupted their pleasant recollections and Teri's head shot up towards the door. Jack blinked as he noticed her sudden tense stance, as she straightened herself as best she could while encased within her bonds.

"What is it?"

She turned to him, her expression serious.

"He's coming," she muttered, shortly. Jack frowned and picked himself up too, dropping his relaxed air for a more intimidatingly professional one. Torchlight flickered beyond the bars of the distant cell door, and a low squeak announced the removal of the rusty iron bolt that was holding it shut.

A moment later, a tiny, balding man wearing scruffy, unkempt robes and a battered black cloak backed into the room, closing the door to behind him. Jack snorted as the man turned around to face them. Teri shot him a faint look of dismay before rattling her chains menacingly at the new arrival.

"My Master wishes to see you," the man squeaked.

"See who?" Jack called calmly, watching as the man moved closer, holding his right hand in a most peculiar fashion. Jack stared at it as he stopped just in front of them. The soft glow of the torchlight shone through the bars, illuminating him, and a small streak caught something silver beneath the sleeve of the dress-like clothes he was wearing. Jack gasped.

"Like my hand, do you, Captain? I polish it every day. Keeps it nice and shiny and solidly silver, and menacing enough to please The Dark Lord, you see."

"How do you know my Title, Ratboy?"

Wormtail laughed, a soft, cruel laugh that sent chills ricocheting through Jack's body, but he made no move to suggest it. He continued watching Wormtail with a politely defiant expression laced to his face. Teri shivered, but said nothing.

"Oh, we know everything about you, Jack Harkness. You were a Time Agent, were you not?"

"Dunno who your spy is, but whoever's been snitching for you has been telling you lies."

"Let's not play games, Harkness. You are of little importance around here, and you would do well to remember that."

"So why not kill me on the spot, then? If I'm so unimportant, why imprison me here? I'll only end up escaping and killing each and every one of you slimy creeps."

"Yeah. And you just keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better about your situation. But the truth is… no one escapes from The Dark Lord's clutches unless he allows it."

Jack could tell he was lying, and felt a smirk slide across his face at the thought.

"Your eyes betray your mouth, Ratboy. Someone does escape from 'The Dark Lord', don't they? Who is it?"

"You will find out the truth in time, Harkness. But for now, it is the girl who The Dark Lord is most interested in."

Teri glared venom at Wormtail as Jack stretched his neck across to see her face. He blinked, studying her properly for the first time since he had awoken. She was pale, thin, dried blood sticking to her now matted and filthy blonde hair, her blue eyes dull and overworked. Her hands were shaking causing the chains to rattle gently, and the deep cuts across her face and hands mixed in with the pitiful torchlight gave her a look of one returned from the grave. Jack smiled at her beauty. He somehow knew that, taken away from her current state, she would be quite an attractive young woman.

Young being the operative word in that context. 'Out of bounds' would probably have been a better way to phrase it.

Teri sighed resignedly, and fell limp against the chains. Wormtail shuffled across and raised his wand. A flash of white sparks later and Teri was on the ground, rubbing at her wrists. Jack sighed sympathetically, but said nothing as she shot a look of warning in his general direction.

He could do nothing except look on as she was shoved out of the cell door, her head low against the glaring torchlight after the blackness of their cell. The door slammed shut behind them, and Jack sighed, relaxing slightly into his own bonds as his knees protested to holding his weight for so long.

A howl of wind rattled through the stone walls as Jack stared at the floor, thinking.

So The Doctor had never left him behind, after all. Jack had died. That feeling, one of unimaginable pain as life vanished in a flash of green light, the beam burning everything within him. Then the feeling of nothing.

Just. Nothing.

Jack narrowed his eyes as he remembered the sudden painful shove, as he was slammed back into his body, his lungs inhaling air that he had thought he would never have felt again. The sudden realisation that he could move, speak, see, touch… live.

How odd. Dying hadn't felt like dying. It had hurt. Hurt like Hell, in fact. But he'd expected a little more beyond that. So if he had died, why had he returned? What had brought him back, after his life had been cut so dramatically short? Who had saved him?

Well that was easy.

The Doctor.

Jack internally kicked himself for the outburst of hatred that had blossomed at the mere thought of The Doctor ever since that fateful day. It hadn't been The Doctor's fault, and yet he, Jack, his companion and friend, had turned against his memory with only half of the facts.

So where did this Teri come into the equation? The Doctor had never mentioned her. Come to think of it, he'd never mentioned any of his travelling companions before. Jack suddenly remembered The Doctor's unexplained reluctance to talk about his home, his family. That in itself had been enough to practically convince Jack that The Doctor's planet no longer existed. And yet, here she was, a seventeen year old Time Lady, searching for the apparently only remaining member of her race.

Jack had a sudden chilling thought. She was searching for The Doctor in order to find out about her family. Did she not know that her race was dead? How would The Doctor react upon finding her?

Jack smiled at that. The meeting between Time Lord and Time Lady would be unmistakably interesting, to say the least. His heart did a back flip as that leather clad, big-eared but loveable face burst into bloom in his mind, laughing cheerfully, Rose smiling on in the background, and Jack grinned wider than ever.

He still had a family.

"Doctor. Help me, please …"

"What?" The Doctor mumbled incoherently, his already weakened voice vanishing into the echoes of 'Help me' that were binding themselves around him. "Who's there?"

"So little time, Doctor. We need you. I can only do so much. Hurry, Doctor. Please, find me."

The soft female voice disappeared, leaving a buzzing silence in his mind in its place.

"Do you often talk to yourself, Doctor?"

Ow!, practically summed up the slow return of feeling that was sweeping its way through his body. He inhaled sharply and groaned in pain, recognising the mental desire to sit up, but then registering the inability to do so. He slowly opened his eyes, blinking them into focus.

"Welcome, Doctor. Nice of you to join us, at last."

The Doctor grimaced, and turned his head achingly slowly, staring through the gloom.

"Who, who's there? What's going on?" he murmured.

He suddenly remembered what had happened in the ice chamber, and cried out in shock, pushing himself to his feet without further hesitation. Falling to the ground almost immediately, he mentally hit himself for not realising straight away that pain and the lack of knowledge were usually a bad thing.

"Where's Rose? What have you done with her … whoever you are?"

The air was suddenly disturbed by an outbreak of tuts from a little way through the obscurity around him.

"Doctor, Doctor, Doctor! Enough with these silly questions. There is little for me to tell you, anyway."

The Doctor blinked again, his vision returning, along with the throbbing aches.

I recognise that voice.

"How on Earth did you survive, Doctor? An attack that big should have been enough to destroy each and every one of your regenerations in one – ahem – bite."

"What the Hell are you doing here?" he growled dangerously, biting back against the pain in his neck and wrists. Only now noticing his bound hands and the sharp point digging into his side, he raised himself into a sitting position, and dragged himself slowly to the edge of the dimly lit corridor, leaning back against the murky wall and watching closely the advancing shadow.

A pause.

"D'you know, Doctor, I'm not entirely sure. I somehow found myself here. Though I must say, it is a most intriguing place. I'd very much like to find out why I've been brought here, though. I suppose a small, annoying little part of me was hoping that you might be able to enlighten me as to our location."

"And why should I tell you?"

"Because I'm the one in control."

"Yes, and a fine job you've been doing so far, Master. Ignoring that for the moment, though, I'm curious. I could have sworn you were dead, not so long back. Tell me, when and where were you brought from?"

"About thirty seconds after vanishing from the floor of The Dark Tower. I somehow vanished from there, closing my eyes on the stone tomb floor and then opening them to a wild Icelandic room surrounded by blackened corridors and empty rooms. Why?"

The Doctor paused, searching his memory through the aches and pains, and let out a faint exclamation of surprise as he suddenly remembered a long since buried memory.

"Dear God. Rassilon? During my Fifth Incarnation? The five of us were together, then. Well, the five of me, I should say… but that was years ago!"

"Was it? I thought it had been mere minutes. But then, time around you never did make much sense, Doctor."

The Doctor smiled grimly, thinking, as the Master stepped into view beside him, the thin poker in his hands digging harder and harder into The Doctor's ribs.

"And what a change you've undergone. It's quite remarkable how you appear younger after each regeneration. Or are there many between then and now? The Fifth, you say. From blonde to brown. Which incarnation have I been offered the pleasure of capturing?"

"The Tenth. Why?"

"So, it has been a while since our last meeting, then. Or at least, my last meeting. I presume there will be many meetings to come for us, Doctor."

"I suppose you could say that. How did you know it was me? I've only recently regenerated, so how did you know I was The Doctor and not somebody else?"

"Well, two hearts, and an attitude that anyone could spot from the word 'go'. You're one in a billion, Doctor. It was a snap, recognising your insatiable appetite for trouble. Instinct told me you'd be tied up with all of this. You usually are… Oh, and your young friend mentioning your name was quite a significant hint, as well. Just out of interest, I'm dead, did you say?"

"Well, so I thought. Maybe you survived, but I haven't heard from you in a long while. Last I can recall, you fell into the Eye of Harmony. Oops, I don't suppose I should really have told you that." He sighed, the pain mounting higher by the minute. "You wouldn't happen to be carrying any Anadins in that black cloak of yours, would you? I'm not really feeling quite myself at the moment."

"Sorry, no."

"I thought not. And what have you done to Rose?"

The Master laughed rather wickedly and pressed the thin stick of metal ever further into The Doctor's side, causing him to flinch in pain as the throb shot straight from his waist to his bleeding neck. He gave no other signs of torment, however.

"You remember that rather curious liquid floating within your crystalline ravine, Doctor?"

"Ah, yes," The Doctor muttered, gritting his teeth against the pain as he stared directly at the Master, who was now leaning against the wall beside him, the poker held firmly in place at The Doctor's side as he tickled at his chin in defiance. The Doctor glared at him as the Master turned and smiled dangerously back. "Deceiving innocence. Who would ever have suspected a gently flowing river of lilac beauty as being the cause of unfortunates transforming into creatures of darkness?"

"Well, quite. It was a remarkable discovery on my part, I must say. I landed there, after being pulled from where we were to here. Instantly intrigued, I decided to experiment a little while I waited for a knowledge of what was going on. Well, in strolled a young girl, looking faintly panicked, too. She'd been attacked by something if the claw marks on her cheeks were anything to go by. Spotting a small collection of tiny darts and syringes, I decided to keep my position unseen by her as she ran around, shouting for someone called Ron. Whoever that was. I have quite an aim, when I'm in the right mind, Doctor. Good enough to hit a moving child from the other side of a deep crevice, in fact."

"Oh, that's disgusting! You harmed an innocent human being, one you knew was injured and scared senseless, unaccompanied, probably unarmed, too. You did that to her? She did nothing to you! How could you even consider doing something like that?" He paused, closed his mouth and shook his head, regretting it afterwards when the pain doubled. "Actually, don't bother answering that. I can unfortunately believe it from you."

"The dosage was insufficient. It was a light shot, Doctor. Find the cure and she will be fine. Now, as for you're blonde acquaintance, well, that was simply my same experiment with a little extra oomph! I increased the dosage a little, and what a difference it made. She was transformed. Tethered up outside these doors, she is. She has quite a temper, Doctor. You might want to encourage her to think before she acts in future."

"Tethered up outside? … That's just … Aargh! How can you be so heartless! By God, you've done some despicable things during your time, but this … Why the Hell are you here?"

"As I've told you already, Doctor, I don't know. I'm, er, presuming you know little of your reasons for being here, as well."

"No, actually, I'm here for a reason. And at this current moment in time, you are holding me up drastically. Now, if you don't mind, I really have to go. Nice to see you again, but -" he was immediately silenced, halfway through standing, by the rupturing skin at his waist. The warm trickle of blood seeping through his already bloodied shirt and suit jacket caused him to halt, his eyes scrunched tightly against the building pain.

"Oh, I don't think you're going anywhere, Doctor. I shall fetch your friend, shall I?" He sneered evilly, turning back at the stone door, one hand on the wall. "What was her name, again? Rose, did you say? Oh, Rose!" he sang dangerously.

A loud rumbling from the other side of the door had The Doctor rooted to the floor in shock. One clawed foot, the needle-thin nails digging through the familiar worn-down trainers, shuffled slowly forwards through the doorway, as the Master stepped obligingly aside, laughing manically. A pointed paw gripped onto the doorframe, followed slowly by a furry ear and a length of blondish curls.

"Hey again, Rose. Nice to see you looking so … erm … glowingly well," he called cheerfully as her amber eyes illuminated the darkness around him. "You're not thinking about returning for seconds, are you? Your teeth are a lot sharper than they once were, and I don't fancy pulling them from my arteries for a second time. Oh, okay, so you are still hungry, then. … Er, can you not snack on him this time? I'm only just getting used to this latest body, but he's had the chance to mature into his. He'll be a lot more appetizing for you, I'm sure ... Rose? What do you think? Do you not fancy a change? Something a little different? Oh, come on! Where's your sense of adventure? I never realised you had anything against foreign food… although, come to think of it, when we're talking about him, I suppose I can't really blame you."

Rose seemed oblivious to his witterings, as she advanced closer towards him. The Doctor was halted as the wall behind him came into contact with his shaking shoulders, scratching against his enflamed throat.

"Alright, have it your way, then, it's not like I can really do anything to stop you, is it? You've proved that once already today. Or tonight. Or whatever time of day it is. I've lost that sense completely."

Rose was edging dangerously slowly across the gloomy hallway, her claws stretched out in front of her and her long fangs bared and blood-stained. The Doctor rubbed unconsciously at the two large holes in his neck, thinking about where the next two would be piercing him, blood clinging to his fingers as he pulled them away with a sharp gasp of pain. He blinked and stared beyond Rose at the Master who was standing just inside the stone door, the dim light from the outer corridor reflecting his cold features.

"One question, Master. How am I still alive?"

"Beats me, Doctor. I was watching safely from behind one of the ice sculptures. It was quite amusing actually, watching you hit the floor like a dead paper-weight. Most satisfying after what you've done to me over the years. Well, Rose was most obliging, and agreed to follow my lead until we reached here. That is, until she suddenly began to feel hungry at the sight of you lying dormant on the ground down there oozing your life-blood. Which is why I thought it best to keep her outside. As for you, I've only brought you along because you're my ticket out of this place. I couldn't tell you why you're still hanging around, but I must express my gratitude for your rather peculiar lust for life. I can't deny that I need you, Doctor, as much as I hate to admit it."

"Well get her out of here then!" The Doctor cried, backing away as quickly as he could along the wall instead, as he could no longer move backwards.

"Oh, but this is so entertaining, Doctor, watching you attempt to fend off your companion. Why should I cut my fun short so soon?"

"Because if she tears my body to shreds, you've got no chance of getting out of this infernal place alive, now call her off!"

The Master sighed deeply. "Oh, very well," he murmured. He stepped forwards, raising the poker in his hands above his head and swinging it down onto Rose's head. Rose howled in pain and fell to the floor, out cold. He lowered it, twirling it between his fingers in an irritatingly smug fashion.

"Better, Doctor?"

The Doctor lowered himself to the floor, sliding down the wall, his hearts racing. He stared with soulful eyes at the limp form at his feet, rubbing at his neck again.

"That was uncalled for."

"No it wasn't. You said stop her. That's what I did. Now, shall we get down to the business at hand?"

"And what is that?"

"You're getting me away from here, and we're leaving right now."

The Doctor laughed softly, the sound ringing around his head, around the room and into the world beyond the now closed door, disappearing through the cracks and holes around the eerily silent and black corridor. He blinked and stared at the Master, his eyes twinkling in the darkness like a cats'.

"What has amused you, Doctor?"

"Do you seriously believe I'm going to help you after everything you've done? Harming Rose is one thing, but to attack a seventeen year old girl who has shown no inclination to even speak to you is way beyond the line. I knew you had a black heart, but that kind of act is just unspeakable."

"Your opinions have been noted and will naturally be ignored, so you may as well save your breath. I fear it pains you to use too much of it in your present condition, does it not?"

"Ooh, you're unbelievable."

"Yes, I know. Now, are you going to submit your services quietly or am I going to have to resort to more persuading techniques?"

The Doctor paused, considering his chances. In his current state, he could do little but assist the Master in the hopes that he could somehow find a way to bring him down later on. But first things first, he needed to repair his throat. Any more blood loss and his rather miraculous existence would be at an end before his latest adventure had even begun.

And then there was Rose.

Oh, Rose. What am I supposed to do for you?

"Alright, then, Master. I'll save your worthless, wasted skin. If you tell me where the cure is, that is."

The Master blinked.

"The cure? The cure to what?"

"The weather," The Doctor snarled sarcastically. "What do you think? Hermione! Rose!"

"Oh, that," he sneered. "Yes, I suppose I can tell you where it is. You get me back to my TARDIS and I'll tell you where you will find the antidote to both cases. Another little discovery I made during those few interesting minutes in the ice chamber. This technology is quite remarkable, you know. I have learned much from this incredibly primitive species. They are mutants, did you know? Yes, one by one, falling through the rivers of purple, changing from what they were to what they are. Strange, wolfish creatures with an unnatural intelligence."

"How do you know that?" The Doctor asked suspiciously. "How long have you been here? I thought you said it was minutes."

"Yes, it was a few minutes. But I have a certain, shall we say, knack, for uncovering hidden secrets. Surely you've learnt that, by now, Doctor?"

The Doctor dropped his gaze to the unconscious Rose and sighed.

"Right, how you expect me to help when I'm probably seconds from dying still baffles me, but what do you want me to do?"

"Like I said. You'll be taking me back to my TARDIS. Wrap your neck up with this. It should stem the flow a little. If there's anything left in there, of course. Just get me back to my TARDIS and then you can die all you like."

"Right, thanks for that. And how am I to use my hands? You've sort of prevented that, funnily enough. Binding them with rope, grazing ten tiny holes where the once friendly Rose Tyler decided to bite me doesn't really bode well for use, does it?"

"Oh, silly me," the Master chided, stepping forwards and aggressively pulling at the ropes around The Doctor's wrists. The Doctor remained silent, a small smile playing across his lips. "There you go. Anything else I can help you with? They'll be going back on, of course. Can't have you running off, now, can we?" he called heartily, his eyes glinting with malice.

"Ooh no, we wouldn't want that, would we? Just think about what I could do in this condition! You wouldn't stand even the remotest of chances against a fatally injured and completely unarmed, newly regenerated Time Lord, would you, Master?"

The Master grinned evilly, leaning against the stone wall as The Doctor fumbled numbly with the white scarf, tying it around his neck as best he could, as his fingers sent throbbing aches down along his wrists. His only-noticed-just-now head-ache was wearing off, giving him the impression that he was probably in so much pain he could no longer feel it. A disadvantage that had its advantages. He lowered his hands and examined Rose's finger-nail marks, shivering at the memory of ten needles piercing and sinking through his skin.

"Ah-ah-ah! Hands, Doctor!"

"Oh, sorry." The Doctor stepped forwards, his hands crossed behind his back as the Master strode forwards holding the length of golden rope once again. Unseen by the Master as he fiddled with the tight knots, The Doctor placed his newly acquired sonic screwdriver into his coat pocket, just before his hands were forced backwards, the coarse material scratching at his chafed wrists again. "You see how easy it is to follow orders? Rebellious behaviour scarcely wins, Doctor."

"Oh, I dunno. I've done alright so far," he called back happily, his insides secretly bubbling with guilt and pain, as he realised that the Master was referring to his refusal to obey Gallifreyan Laws. The Master didn't know. Nor would he know for a long, long time.

"Right. Off we go, then."

"Hold on! What are you going to do about Rose?"

The Master stared at Rose, and then turned to The Doctor, his eyes narrowed.

"I've given her a chain. We'll drag her along if we have to. No pun intended, of course."

"You sick, evil, twisted b-"

"You know, I wouldn't finish that sentence if I were you. I suppose she's going to be both hungry and angry as soon as she wakes up, and at the moment, it is you who is listed as being 'chef's meal of the day'."

Fuming, The Doctor blinked and turned away as the Master knelt forwards and tugged on the length of metal tied around Rose's neck, the links of the chain clinking methodically. With a thunderous growl, Rose awoke and stumbled to her feet, wrenching fruitlessly at the lead, but the Master held it firmly within his grasp as he opened the door and pushed The Doctor on ahead of him, out into the corridor.

"So where's your TARDIS, then? I thought you said you awoke here? You didn't leave in the TARDIS that day, you were zapped away by Rassilon himself. Ingenious bloke, really."

"Why, thank you, Doctor."

"I-I didn't mean-"

"You see, I've told you a little white lie, Doctor. I actually awoke in my TARDIS. But it was already on pre-set co-ordinates. Everything was blocked, and I was being pulled here, no information, no images, nothing. And as quickly as it started, it stopped, and I was here."

"Why do I get the feeling that's only -"

"Half of the story? Well, Doctor," the Master said, laughing, "that's something you're just going to have to find out for yourself. You'll know soon enough, not that you'll have the chance to do anything about it, of course. No. You are going to repair my TARDIS, and I will be leaving this place promptly. And then, whatever you do next will be down to you."

"Repair your TARDIS? You never said -"

"I didn't say a lot, did I, Doctor? Now hush, follow your companion, she seems to know where she's going."

Rose growled impatiently back, baring her teeth at the Master who simply rattled the chain around her neck as a jockey would to speed up his horse.

"Erm, I, er. I wouldn't do that if I -"

"Finish that sentence and I swear I will not rest until our young pet, here, has ripped your hearts from your very chest."

"I'm getting pretty sick and tired of -"

"Me interrupting you and finishing your sentences for you? Yes, I thought you might be."

"Will you pack it in?" The Doctor called angrily, stopping in his tracks to turn and glare at the Master, who simply smiled wickedly back.

"Oh, this is going to be a lot of fun, isn't it, Doctor?" he sighed, gleefully.

"Oh yeah, it's gonna be a right laugh!" he shot back, his voice laced with venomous sarcasm. Rose let out a murderous snarl and stopped abruptly, her orange eyes gazing through the dim light into the blackness beyond. The Master rattled once again at her lead impatiently, and she snapped, hurtling around and throwing herself into his path, her teeth and claws bared once more. The Doctor jumped to the side and stared at her in shock.

"What is it, Rose? Hell, I sound like I'm talking to a dog," he added sympathetically. "Sorry, don't want to offend you, or anything."

Rose skidded to a halt just before them and turned to face him. The Doctor paled, sweat breaking out on his forehead as her penetrating gaze swept over him, but he stood his ground.

Slowly, a gentle rumbling moan left her throat as she turned to watch the corridor ahead of them. She glanced at him meaningfully, her eyes wide, and he watched her with awe. She seemed to recognise him. The Master stepped back, pushing The Doctor in front as Rose began to whimper softly, her entire body shaking. The Doctor sighed, his hearts racing faster than a moving train as he took the matter into his own bound hands.

A ragged, high-pitched breathing from up ahead sent the little colour still visible within his white cheeks draining away into nothing.

"Er, Hello," he called nervously into the black void beyond them. "Why do I get the impression it's going to be a lot more comfortable standing here in the dark, unable to see you, than it will be when you come forward enough so that we can see you? And why do I have a strange habit of making long speeches out of the simplest of statements? There I go again. Yes, not the time, sorry. Anyway, you weren't going to allow us to pass by you, by any chance? Pretend we weren't here, and all that?"

The heavy breathing suddenly stopped, to be replaced by a soft sound. A high, tinnily robotic, echoingly hypnotic sound.

A sound that he was sure he had heard before.

"Someone clearly doesn't want us to reach the higher authorities," he muttered vaguely, watching as the softly glowing outline of Knight Commander Lyena, flanked by two smiling bodyguards, stepped into view. The striking features of an almost beautiful enemy were burning into his eyes, his head on overload as the aches and throbs from almost every part of his body decided to take that oppurtunity to increase in pitch and strength. Another creature, her very presence speaking of innocence and virtue, with a disguise well crafted to suit her purpose.

"We are the Sirens of Time," she spoke quietly, her voice ethereal, just as he remembered it. Three seperate Doctors had encountered the Sirens on one, mind-boggling occasion. And they had never been heard from again. Well, until now, it seemed.

Something remarkably unexplainable is going on here. How are phantoms from a long-ago past materializing underground, in a time when witches and wizards are the only strange phenomena around? No aliens, no signs of invasions. Simply a hidden race, and yet so many creatures from my own past are assembling below the Earth without so much as a hint as to a suitable explanation. What the Hell's going on around here?

The goose bumps erupting over his arms were proof enough of his shock.

"Yes, I do believe I remember you. How long it's been," he whispered, the false cheeriness cutting through him painfully. He fell silent, staring, as he remembered his last encounter with a long since forgotten enemy.

"You will not succeed, Doctor. You are alone, this time. Once before we have met, face to faces. Three most peculiar incarnations, they were. But this time, it is but you and me."

"So you're not going to be letting us pass by you, then. I somehow thought that might be the case."

"Friends of yours, Doctor?" the Master called curiously, watching the figures ahead through narrowed eyes. Rose shuffled backwards, shrinking into the shadows beside the wall, her nails twanging against the floor as her growls reverberated around the black corridors.

"Erm. No," he murmured faintly as he began to back slowly away, stopping with a jump of fright as he stumbled blindly over a loose stone digging out through the floor.

"Oh, but look, Doctor. We have brought company. You will remember The Temperon, will you not?" The Doctor smiled apologetically as the huge, towering beast lumbered clumsily forwards through the darkness, stopping just behind the Sirens. How it could fit inside their corridor The Doctor did not know. Nor was he up for finding out.

"Hi," he called up. No reply. "Okay, then." He lowered his gaze to the three Sirens standing in front of him, all of which were smiling.

"He is bound to us, once again," Lyena continued, looking very pleased with herself. "And how happy he is to see you. As much as I know you would so enjoy a chance to become reacquainted once more, I'm afraid you are out of time. There is no escape for you. Goodbye, Doctor."

"D'you think we lost them?" Fred panted, clutching at his chest and gasping for breath.

"Well, it's quiet. Almost too quiet," Ginny breathed, tearing at a stitch in her side.

"Yeah, that's why I'm worried. Silence is never a good thing," George muttered, gazing along the corridor ahead of them, as Fred took charge of guarding their backs.

"Now that I can believe with you two," Harry smiled. Lumos! "The loudest of the loud, you are. Silence must be your worst enemy."

The twins sniggered as they continued to strain their eyes against the gloom, Harry's wand light illuminating precious little around them.

"Did you hear that?" Ginny muttered, holding her hands up in an attempt to silence them.

"What?" Harry whispered back, crouching for a reason as yet unknown to him. He stared at her questioningly, as she stared ahead, following the thin beam of light into the not so distant distance.

"A sort of … shuffling. Like someone stirring."

"Can't hear nothing," George said after a moment's pause.

"Nope, not a sound. You sure you're not hearing -" but Fred's question was cut short by a sharp intake of breath from the floor a little way ahead of them, just beyond the rays of light.

"No, Fred. I don't believe I am hearing things."

"No, Ginny. I don't suppose you are," he muttered back, his fingers curling around his wand as he spoke.

Harry frowned, passed his lit wand across to Ginny, who took it with raised eyebrows, and walked cautiously forwards, vanishing into the blackness beyond the soft glow of golden light.

"Erm, Harry? Don't you think handing over your wand before walking off into the ether was a bit of a stupid thing to do?" George called, his voice as hushed as he could make it without clamping a hand over his mouth.

"No."

George blinked and turned to Fred. "Well, ask a silly question," he muttered. Fred shrugged his shoulders in reply.

"Erm, guys?"

"What is it?"

Harry walked back, his face pale, and his eyes wide. Three sibling hearts dropped into three sibling stomachs as he took back his wand and strengthened its light, directing the beam at a small, rousing heap on the ground. A heap with a tuft of red hair.

"It's Ron."

Why do I feel like I've just stepped out of the frying pan and into the fire? Maybe this wasn't such a good idea …

Longest Chapter so far, too.

I'd like reviews, if I haven't put you off so much that you're going to abandon me now. Sorry 'bout that if I have.

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