The TARDIS materialised.

Hermione stepped out first, followed by the Doctor.

"Are you sure the time trace came from here?" she asked.

"Well, either that or the TARDIS is playing a joke on me," he replied.

He looked up.

They were in a regular old field, unremarkable, boring, except for one fact.

A double decker bus sat in the dead centre.

The Doctor gaped at it.

"What's a routemaster doing here?" asked Hermione.

"It couldn't be..." the Doctor said.

The door to the routemaster opened, and a twenty something woman stepped out, smiling at the Doctor.

"It is," he said, mixed joy and dread creeping into his voice.

"Doctor!" the woman called out.

He walked slowly to the bus, Hermione following.

When he stood directly in front of the woman, she frowned.

"Well, aren't you going to say something?" she asked.

He stood there for a moment longer, then hugged her.

"Well!" she said, as they broke apart, "that was hardly the reception I was expecting!"

He smiled at her, and turned to Hermione.

"This, Hermione, is Iris Wildthyme, my -"

He turned to Iris.

"-old Flame?"

Iris smiled.

"Not so old, Doctor," she said.

Hermione stared for a moment, and walked back to the TARDIS, leaving the Doctor and Iris to catch up.

Inside, the Master looked dumbfounded.

"What?" he asked.

"Have you ever heard of Iris Wildthyme?" she asked.

He nodded.

"The Doctor's one and only proper girlfriend. And by proper, I mean the only he'll ever admit to, apart from his wife."

"Wife?" said Hermione.

The Master smiled.

"He's one thousand, one hundred and three, I think it's safe to say he's had a few women in that regard."

Hermione gaped.

"He - he doesn't..."

"Doesn't seem the type to have girlfriends?" smirked the Master. "Believe me, all the 'Celibet' stuff is a front. He's had more women than Captain Kirk."

Hermione sat down, deciding (wisely) to not think about it.

An hour later, the Doctor came in, a blissful smile on his face.

"Iris Wildthyme. Shoulda known she's still be around."

He took a breath, and flicked a switch, setting them on their way.

"What took you so long?" asked the Master innocently. Hermione glared at him.

"Nothing, absolutely nothing, nothing whatsoever," said the Doctor, blushing slightly.

He wisely decided not to reveal that Iris had kissed him goodbye. He had a reputation to uphold, after all.

He decided to go and see the one man that would take the others minds off his tangled love life. He set a course for Cardiff.