A/N: This chapter is short and crap. BUT...I just saw that clip! I'm well happy! Woot, ROOOOOOOOOSE!!! And the rumoured plot OMG that's like, a dream ep! (Squeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!)

Aaaaaaanyway...

Chapter 32 – The Promised One

The Tenth Doctor, Macheath's Castle, Date Unknown.

"Any changes?"

The slave looked up from the table he was sat at, jumping to his feet in surprise and fear at the woman currently standing infront of him, boring into his bright green eyes.

"N-n-no ma'am," he stuttered, nervous.

Khthonia sighed, casting Her gaze over to the Time Lord unconscious in the bed. She didn't want to force him awake. He had taken enough damage already, and needed to rouse by himself before She even thought about curing him.

She sat on the bed next to him, running Her fingertips against his cut face, his entire body cleaner than it had been when she'd initially finished with him. He wasn't too pale, his strength prominent through the scars and bruises that littered his skin. She lowered Her head, brushing Her lips against his ever so slightly against his. She could take him there and then. He didn't need to be conscious…or willing…but She could hardly rape him. She could never rape anyone. He would break eventually; the alternative was by no means necessary.

"Keep me informed of any changes," She commanded to the other being, who nodded, bowing.

She left.

Rose Sigma-Tyler and company, Earth, March 2007 AD.

"We need backup," Jack had said to the group, starting to form some sort of methodical approach in his mind. "I can get my team onto it, they'll help us out."

"I can inform UNIT," the Doctor said, "once they know who it is they'll provide us with all the support we need."

"Curtain call," the Doctor announced to the others, waving goodbye to Sarah-Jane as Jackie grabbed his shirt and dragged him back towards the front of the church. Rose turned to Sarah-Jane one last time.

"I'll see you again soon, yeah?"

She nodded. "Remember, if you ever need me, I'm always here."

Rose smiled. "I'll remember that."

"I'll get Sarah-Jane," Rose said next, "she can bring K9, she'll help us."

"I won't let you go Rose," she said firmly with a determined nod. Rose suddenly began to feel incredibly impatient.

"But mum!" she started, and suddenly felt Howard's heavy hand clamp down reassuringly on her shoulder.

"I'll go wit' 'er Jackie," he said in that wistful Irish accent. "It's obvious t'me she loves this alien, so I'll 'elp 'er get him back. I'll look after 'er."

"Howard'll help," Jackie suddenly said from the side, "I'll get 'old of 'im."

Rose turned to Mickey. "You'll help, right?"

"Rose," Mickey suddenly piped up from the side, almost forgotten in the talking. "I think I am a bit of an idiot really, 'cause I still love ya."

"You'd do anythin' for me, wouldn't ya?" Rose asked with a grin, accepting the brief, yet warm hug from Mickey that followed. "I'll hold you to that, y'know."

Mickey nodded, and Rose shot him a smile.

"I'm in," the teenage Rory announced. The younger Rory nodded too Bob at his feet.

"I wanna come," he stated, but Jackie was shaking her head.

"Sweetheart this ain't your battle," she said, but the child remained adamant.

"I wanna come!!!" he demanded, bouncing onto his feet and turning to his mother with the same sad puppy dog eyes she herself had used so many time before. "Please?"

"Don't think that's gonna work on me. You've gotta stay here this time Rory."

"Why?!"he wanted to know. "Why can't I come save daddy?"

"'Cause you've gotta look after your old gran and little sister right here," Jackie said, smiling gently at the boy.

"B-b-but…" he stammered, looking at Jack for one last lifeline, but to Rory's complete and utter dismay he was also shaking his head. "Please Uncle Jack…I won't slows you down or anything I'll be good allthe times and…"

"They're right Rory, you have to be the protector of your gran and sister. Everything's at stake. Your dad believed in being blunt with you so that's what I'm gonna do for him. There's a chance we'll never come back. She might rip us apart before we have a chance to even do anythin', or She might simply gain the advantage by killin' you, gran and Lottie and weaken our mental defences. We're not holdin' you back to stop you savin' your dad. The risk factor isn't any less for you by stayin' here; it just might take Her mind off of you long enough for it all to be resolved." He turned away from the rather terrified looking Rory and to the company gathered around.

"Let's get started," he said simply, taking out his mobile to dial for Torchwood: Cardiff.

The Tenth Doctor, Macheath's Castle, Date Unknown.

The Doctor woke up.

Every limb ached in his body, his head pulsated with an agonising migraine and there were sharp pains over his entire frame, weakening him considerably. He wondered for a moment whether he wantedto open his eyes, fearing where he would be and what he would see.

He was mildly surprised as he opened to the room he had first woken up in, comfortable and warm in those grey silk pyjamas. Okay, so this wasn't Bucknall House but at least he was momentarily away from Her.

This relief was short lived.

"Welcome back. I was beginning to get worried."

He felt a flash of discomfort as he turned his aching head around, wincing as he did so. She was sat by the bed, just staring into his eyes. He looked away again.

"You can't look at me. It's understandable," She said with a sigh, reaching out to him and touching his cheek. He flinched. "Speak to me," She continued after a momentary pause. "Please, say something."

He remained silent, not wanting to speak to Her for any reason. If She was going to condemn him to an eternity of torture then he was going to drag it on. She sighed again, reaching out towards his cut face with a glowing purple hand. The stinging slowly ceased, feeling the cuts start to mend, the dark bruises start to lighten. The same was happening all over his body, leaving his skin and internal systems completely unscathed and healed.

Her hand withdrew, and the glowing stopped.

The Doctor didn't bother looking at Khthonia. This seemed to hurt Her, only taking a few more moments for Her to get to Her feet, and disappear out of the room.

"Good riddance," the Doctor muttered quietly under his breath, pushing himself up to look at the slave sitting in the chair across the room. It was shrouded in a deep blue tinged aura, looking rather like a pixie of sorts. The Doctor flashed a smile. "Okay?" he asked.

"Are you the Saviour?" it asked instantly without hesitation.

"I'm sorry?" the Doctor asked, taken by surprise.

"Are you him? The Saviour? Our salvation?" it asked again, sounding eager. "The Promised One?"

The Doctor didn't want to disappoint it, but he didn't exactly know what it was going on about. Before he even had a chance to reply there was a shimmer of golden light to his left, and suddenly Eva was standing next to the bed.

"Kreak," she said quickly, shaking her head. "Don't be too eager. Everything will come at its time."

"But Eva…" the other being protested, getting onto its feet. "Please, you said…"

"Not now," she said simply, turning from the creature to face her father, who was grinning despite everything he'd been through, pushing himself onto two feet. She grinned back, equalling his proportions. "Are you okay?" she asked.

He nodded, seeing how this simple question was beginning to become automatic between them. "You?"

"Yup," she replied cheerfully, reflecting his own no-longer-unique attributes. "You wanted me to do something for you?

He frowned at her words, dropping to her height. "No, I…" he suddenly stopped, thinking it through for a moment before he realised that small idea he'd kept at the back of his mind. "…Oh, well, there is something."

"Hmm?"

"…Can you…go back to your mummy and…" – he paused, struggling for the words – "…just…check how they are?"

She nodded, accepting a fleeting hug from him and a dab of a fatherly kiss before stepping back, and disappearing in a cloud of gold.