Chapter Thirteen

Za'tok stomped into his office. He had been utterly humiliated in front of mere prison officials and guards by this John Smith and he was eager to get his revenge on him. He headed back to his office. He knew that they had been given vaccine patches by Ba'zon. He hoped that one of the patches was enhanced and he was going to ask the apothecary as soon as he arrived.

"If not, I'll send men to hunt them down, drag them to my office and I'll stick enhanced patches on them myself. That'll teach them to meddle in my affairs," he muttered.

He reached the building where he and the other ministers worked. Ignoring the receptionist who greeted him, he walked past her to his office, opened the door and slammed it behind him. He walked into the next room to his holoprojector and punched in the number sequence that would call Ba'zon's office. He stood there tapping his foot impatiently, muttering under his breath about how slow Ba'zon was. By the time he got to his projector, Za'tok was even angrier.

"I grow tired of being made to wait each time I summon you!" he growled at the apothecary.

Ba'zon sighed.

"Minister, I would love to be at your beck and call but I have to administer these vaccine patches that you yourself ordered me to administer. There are a lot of people in this city and not very many apothecaries which means I am quite busy. I was in the middle of giving someone a patch when you called and I hurried as fast as I could but apparently it wasn't fast enough to suit you. A thousand apologies for my lateness, Minister," he said giving him a mock bow.

"Don't mock me, apothecary," he said, narrowing his eyes at him.

Ba'zon sighed.

"I'm sorry, Sir," he said. "What is it you want?"

"When you administered the patches to John Smith and his students, were any of them enhanced?"

"Yes, one."

Za'tok could hardly contain his joy.

"Give me the serial number of the enhanced patch then," he said.

"Yes, Minister."

"Good, now I can teach one of them a lesson they won't soon forget," Za'tok muttered under his breath when Ba'zon stepped out of range.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Once the Doctor knew that Rose was truly asleep he got up and walked outside so he could get some fresh air and continue to think. He put his hands in the pockets of his black leather pants and rocked back and forth on his heels while he stared at the darkening sky. The planet's moon was beginning to rise and the stars were beginning to come out. There weren't very many people where they were at, just the occasional person who passed by without taking any notice of him. He leaned back against the wall and stared up at the moon while he continued to ponder their next move.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rose knew she was dreaming. She knew it because he was standing in front of her in that familiar brown pin striped suit, white trainers and impish grin. She often dreamed about him even though she had moved on in the waking world with the current Doctor. But his tenth life was the first one she had truly given her heart to and she still missed him sometimes. She had never told the current Doctor. He often referred to his past lives as if they were separate people and she wasn't sure how he would feel about her still dreaming about his tenth self. Would he accept that or would he be jealous of him? Besides, it was only a dream. She loved him as he was now so she didn't see the problem with it.

She walked up to his tenth self and smiled at him when he gave her that warm gaze he always used to give her.

"Hello there, Rosey Posey!" he said. "Nice to see ya again."

"Yeah, you too," she replied, putting her hand on his chest.

The Doctor's smiled widened when he took the hand and gently brought it up to his lips.

Then Rose gasped when he began to give wet sucking slobbery tongue-filled kisses all over the back of her hand. He laughed when she pulled her hand away.

"Oi! What'd ya think ya are? Some kind of bleedin' dog?" she said, wiping the saliva on her pant leg.

"Sorry, Angel, my oral fixation took hold of me for a moment," he replied, winking, while she slapped his chest.

He smiled tenderly.

"How are things? Enjoying being with the other me?"

"Oh yeah, I'm havin' fun," she said.

The Doctor pouted at that.

"You had fun with me," he whined. "I was much more fun than him, wasn't I?"

She laughed.

"Eh, not really," she teased.

She laughed harder when he feigned anger.

"Fine then, I'm no fun I'll just go over here and sulk then," he said, walking past her.

She giggled as he stomped the ground with each step over to the corner of the room. Then, letting out a loud, prolonged, melodramatic sigh he slid down the wall and pretended to cry. Rose grinned when he put the back of his hand against his forehead and yelled out, "Alack and alas, I was a total bore to Rose Tyler, whatever shall become of me?"

She walked over to him and patted him on the head.

"Nah, you weren't a bore. I had a blast with ya," she said.

She giggled when he jumped out with a gleeful little shout and did a happy dance for her. He smiled at her when it was done and raised his hand and held it as if he were about to receive something. Rose saw a banana split materialize in it and he took the spoon and ate it.

"So, you and he are getting along swimmingly then?" he said between bites.

"Yes, we are. He's different from ya though."

"Well, of course he is, Angel. Nobody in the universe is like me."

"Can't argue with that," she said as he gave her a nudge in the arm.

"So, different is good then?" he said, scooping out another bite of ice cream.

"Yes and no. I like the way he is but there are some things he doesn't do that you did and I miss that. It was quite a shock when I first saw him again and he was a different man. I love him but I miss you still."

He swallowed a bit of ice cream and smiled.

"But I'm still here, Angel. I'm inside him just like all the others."

He pointed over her shoulder and she turned to see eight unfamiliar men and one very familiar big eared one. They stood behind her in a line and waved and smiled at her. The Doctor leaned into her ear.

"All of his past lives," he said. "Each of us guard our individual memories inside his head. So, you see, my Rose. I'm still around, still listening and being proud of you even though you can't see me."

Rose eyes settled on the ninth Doctor who came forward.

"It's good to see ya again, Rose," he said in his northern accent. "He's right. I'm inside him as well so even though we're no longer here in body we are here in spirit so don't ever feel like we've gone completely because a part of us will always be here with ya."

Ten put down his banana split and embraced her from behind while Nine hugged her from the front. The other Doctors watched quietly while they stood together and enjoyed being with one another again. They stayed that way for a couple of minutes and then they broke apart.

"I think it's about time for you to wake up, Rose Tyler," Nine said.

"Yup, it's time for us to go back where we came from," Ten said, picking up the banana split. "But it was good seeing you again, Angel, and don't worry, I'll have my current self lick the TARDIS wall for old time's sake."

He ate his ice cream and grinned at her while he went to join the others. All the Doctors waved at her and she waved back watching while they all filed out the door and out of her dream.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"At last!" Za'tok said when Ba'zon gave him the serial number for the enhanced patch. "Now the real fun can begin. Although I sincerely hope the mind control works this time like it's supposed to. I'd hate to lose my victim to a violent mindless rampage and seizure like the last time."

He quickly hurried into his office to input the numbers into his computer and activate the nanobots that had been absorbed into the bloodstream of the victim.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rose woke up shortly after dreaming about the Doctors. She yawned, rubbed her eyes and looked around. She noticed that she was alone.

"Doctor?" she said.

She got up from the couch and walked outside. Looking around she couldn't see anyone. She walked down the hallway calling out his name. She called for about two minutes before she finally heard his voice calling back. She walked over to the front door and stepped out into the moonlit night. He smiled at her.

"Did you have a good nap?"

She nodded.

"Yeah, I feel better now."

He rubbed her cheek.

"No lingering effects from the torture?" he said, concerned.

She shook her head.

"Good. I was just out here enjoying the night and trying to come up with a strategy."

"Any ideas?"

"Not right now but you know me, I'll come up with something eventually in this old noddle. For the moment, I'm just glad that all of you are out of danger and getting some well deserved rest. Hopefully we can stay here a few days and…"

Rose frowned when he trailed off.

"Doctor?" she said.

He didn't say anything. Rose walked over to him and was taken aback when she saw the blank look on his face.

"Doctor?" she said, shaking his arm.

He didn't say anything and Rose began to panic when she noticed he wasn't responding to anything.

"Doctor!" she said, shaking him harder.

She stood there a moment and then hauled off and smacked him hard across the cheek. Her heart raced when he didn't even flinch.

"Doctor!" she said, frantically trying to think of something, anything to snap him out of the trance. "What's wrong? Please wake up!"

Suddenly, the Doctor turned and without a word began to walk away. Rose watched him for a moment and glanced at the building wondering if she should run inside and tell Mickey and Martha. She looked back and noticed he was walking away quickly and she hurried after him wondering where he was going to.