The Doctor carried Sandi's body to a fresh room in the TARDIS. He knew that the best thing would be to just dump her body in space, where it would simply float for eternity. But he couldn't do it... he just couldn't. He had to take her home to be buried. He looked at her face. She was so peaceful. He thought back to when he had first met her; stumbling clumsily over the lawn, she had run straight into him in the dark. She'd put up quite a fight when he had tried to cart her off without an explanation. He smiled wanly. Always the cynic. The room was empty, with only a few rolling medical stretchers and a chair inside. This was the make-shift medical bay, used for holding injured when the ship's real medical bay was full. He was now using it as a funeral parlour.

The Doctor lay Sandi's form down on one of the stretchers and pulled up the chair next to it. For the longest time, all he could do was stare sadly at her, not moving, not speaking. For the briefest period, he felt less alone than he had in centuries. For a moment, it seemed, he had been almost happy. He took out a clean hankerchief and wiped his face. She hadn't deserved this. She was just caught up in a struggle too big for her to understand and it had got her killed.

Is that what you believe?

For a moment, the Doctor wasn't sure if the question had come from his own mind. Suddenly, the TARDIS bucked sharply, sending the stretcher skittering off towards the wall. The Doctor caught it in time before it hit the wall and Sandi rolled off. He peered through a small window on the room's far side. A giant fireball was mushrooming soundlessly in space. He placed a long-fingered hand on the glass, dropped his chin to his chest and closed his eyes. As the TARDIS steadied itself in space, the Doctor looked up. There was nothing left of the ship. Every atom had been torn apart, an almighty nuclear explosion to rid the universe of the allies of evil.

But it had taken the source of all time with it and any chance the Doctor had of bringing Sandi back.

Do you really believe that?

Now the Doctor knew that the questions were definitely not coming from inside his head. He knew that, left to his own devices, he'd wallow in self-pity and depression for a while before heading off. The other voice was questioning his despair. He strode to the centre of the room, less than confident that he wasn't going mad.

'Who are you? Identify yourself! This is my TARDIS and I will know who is aboard,' he shouted, feeling slightly daft. The air shimmered slightly in front of him.

Do you really want to know? I doubt you'd believe it if I told you.

The Doctor adopted his best 'do-not-mess' posture and folded his arms.

'I said, reveal yourself,' he hissed firmly. The air shimmered again, just slightly, then the image appeared. The Doctor gasped, eyes wide. She was almost ghost-like, a mere waif of her corporeal form, but she was there, right in front of him. Shandaiah smiled warmly at him.

I said you wouldn't believe it.

He circled her, staring at and through her simultaneously. She was like cellophane; completely see-through, yet strangely substantial.

'I thought you were dead,' he whispered deadly, his voice devoid of emotion. Shandaiah nodded.

I am. I died aboard the Utopia. I opened the Time Vortex and allowed its power to tear the ship apart, which caused the explosion when it hit the power cells.

'So you're back where you started? Mere consciousness floating among the stars?'

With just enough residual energy to maintain this wraith-like form, Doctor. But enough of that. Did you make it in time?

The Doctor felt his breath catch in his throat. His mouth was suddenly dry and his palms were sweating. He struggled to speak.

'In time for what?'

To say goodbye. We both know that you loved her. I saw it long before you reached me. It was in the way you looked at her; buried deep behind all that loneliness and hurt, I saw the flicker of hope behind your eyes.

He was silent briefly, then met her eyes.

'Yes, I made it.'

Shandaiah looked at Sandi's dead body.

She was a wonderful person. Such a wonderful human; full of mad and brilliant ideas, completely crazy yet totally loveable. Pity that she had to die so young. The universe will remember her sacrifice and honour her memory.

'How can it?'

Shandaiah looked at the Doctor. His fists were clenched and his mouth was set in a fine line. Anger boiled in the pit of his stomach and rage flared behind his dark eyes. The Source gave him a pitying look.

Doctor...

'How can a universe pity something it barely registered? How? The only thing that was special about Sandi to the universe was that she hosted the Source of all Time inside her head for nineteen years, who then dumped her when she found her own body but then promptly got it destroyed!' The Time Lord raged, stamping angrily around the room, one hand ruffling his hair brutally. The spectre looked down sadly.

One person maybe be just one in the universe, but to another, that one person may just be the universe. I understand your pain. I, too, have lost those I love.

'How can you know of love?' The Doctor spat bitterly. He immediately regretted saying it as the ghost clouded furiously.

Do not think you are the only one who has lost someone they care about here. At least YOU stand here, mostly unharmed and whole. Can you say the same for me? Am I to live as a normal Time Lord like this? Answer me, Doctor!

He fell silent, thoroughly ashamed of his outburst. He soberly looked over at Sandi. Her skin was turning back from purple to white.

'So where will you go?'

There is no where for me to go. Even if I could go somewhere, what use am I to anyone in this state?

'You could share someone's brain like you did for Sandi.'

And go through puberty again? No thanks, I'd like to keep my sanity.

The spirit drifted slowly towards Sandi.

There is... one possibility, one I don't think you'll like, but it's a possibility nonetheless.

'What?' The Doctor asked glumly. Shandaiah flickered for a moment.

I have a little power left, not much, but enough for just more... miracle, as it were. I could regenerate Sandi.

The Doctor lifted his head and looked at her, his face blank and eyes dead but Shandaiah saw a familiar flicker of hope behind his eyes.

'You can't. It wouldn't be Sandi anymore. Sandi's dead.'

Not quite. Only her brain has stopped. All her internal organs are perfectly fine. Plus, there's the fact that I wouldn't be regenerating my own body. There's every chance that Sandi will retain her own form. Look, I know it sounds risky, but...

'Do it.'

Shandaiah closed her mouth and looked incredulously at him, like it wasn't possible that he had just given up the argument so easily. But he was staring at Sandi, his face soft and sad. He looked back at the Source, the silent tears running down his face.

'I said, do it. I want her back. I can't live with this pain anymore.'

You must understand, Doctor, that if I do this, I will never be able to leave Sandi. This is the very last time I can do this. Her brain is too fragile to be left again. Do you understand, Doctor? Do you understand...

'Do you understand what its like to have someone you... someone like her die in your arms?! It's so... painful,' he said, cutting her off. Shandaiah shrunk back and faded slightly. The Doctor's eyes flashed.

'Don't go. Please. Save her.'

Are you certain? Is that your decision?

'I can't lose her, not like this. Do what you have to.'

The image of Shandaiah wavered for a moment and for a sickening second, he thought that she had changed her mind. Then she spoke.

Will you tell her, then? The truth about why I saved her? How the Doctor finally thought about himself for a moment and selfishly pulled her back from the edge of darkness? Will you tell her then, Doctor, that you love her?

The indeterminate look in his eyes made her laugh.

I didn't think so.

Shandaiah climbed onto the stretcher that held Sandi's body. She closed her eyes. The warmth of Sandi's body closed around her and she breathed. Sandi's lungs suddenly filled with air and every major organ sprang to life. She was alive. Almost.

---------

Somewhere on the edge of consciousness, Sandi floated. Formless, bodiless, she was just there. It was dark, so very dark, almost like being inside a gigantic cave where no light ever reached.

'So here you are.'

That voice, it was so familiar. Like something out of a dream. Sandi wafted around to stare blankly at the newcomer. Reason told her that she should feel something, anything, but it was impossible.

'I... can't feel. I should be feeling happy and scared at the same time, I know I should. You're alive and you're here. Is the Doctor safe?'

Shandaiah nodded.

'He's fine. He sent me. I've come to bring you back, Sandi. You don't belong here.'

Sandi blinked blankly at her.

'I should feel. But I don't.'

'Humans need a body to feel. All feelings are by-products of stimuli and hormones, but to truly understand them, the consciousness needs receptors and an interpretation system. Right now, you have neither.'

'Why are you here? In this... no place?'

'I've come to bring you back to your body, at the insistance of the Doctor. He was determined not to lose you.'

'I died in his arms, didn't I?'

'Yes, yes you did. I'm sorry.'

'It's fine. It's not like I can feel anger or sorrow. But if I'm dead, how can I return to the side of the living?'

'You can make the choice. But if you do, I will have to remain with you forever. My own body was destroyed and the limited amount of power I have left is just enough to regenerate your body. But your brain won't handle me leaving again. I'll have to remain inside your head, continuously regenerating your brain.'

'But if you do that, won't I change, like the Doctor?'

'I'm not one hundred percent sure about that. It's not my body I'm regenerating and you're technically dead. There's every likelyhood that you'll wake up with everything you went to sleep with.'

Sandi was quiet for a moment. Her spectre faded from sight for a moment and Shandaiah's breath caught in her throat, terrified that she had faded entirely away. But suddenly she blinked back into existence.

'For the Doctor,' she whispered, her voice as soft as the wind. Shandaiah nodded.

'Yes. He wants you to come back. He's falling apart without you.'

'My Doctor...'

'That's right,' the Source nodded as the apparition strengthened in front of her. Colour returned Sandi's face. Shandaiah grinned. As long as Sandi uses the Doctor as her link to life, it might just be enough to pull her back, she thought. She held out her hand.

'Take my hand and close your eyes,' she commanded. Sandi reached out for her, then stopped.

'What's wrong?'

'I want to be on equal terms this time. If I'm putting you up, there's going to be rules.'

'Okay, go ahead.'

'You're not going to hide from me. I'm in charge of my mind at all times and you will only speak when spoken to.'

'Fair enough.'

'One more thing.'

'Go on.'

'Promise that if ever the Doctor is in danger and needs help desperately, you'll use my body to help him.'

Shandaiah smiled at her new friend.

'I promise.'

Sandi reached out and grabbed Shandaiah's hand, closing her eyes. Light exploded behind her eyes and pain seared through every limb. As Sandi moved back into her body and she sunk into her subconscious, Shandaiah had one last, sleepy thought.

Perhaps it would be best if she remembered nothing of her own death...

---------

Light exploded silently in the room. The Doctor was forced to shield his eyes as the blinding rays permeated the room.

She's regenerating! She did it! She brought Sandi back, he thought as the light filled every corner. Then, just as suddenly as it began, the light disappeared. The Doctor rubbed his eyes and stared at Sandi. There she lay, exactly as she had always been; unmoving, not breathing. But then...

'---cough--- Urrrrgh...'

Sandi's eyes shot open as she sucked in her first, real breath. The Doctor laughed with relief, clapping his hands. Sandi's hand flew to her head.

'Ye Gods, do I have a headache. What the hell's going on? Where am I? Where's the Doctor? I...' she burbled, stopping abruptly as the Doctor in question threw his arms around her and hugged her tightly.

'Hey! Hey... hey... can't... breathe...'

'You died, oh God you died and now you're fine! Oh God, I thought I'd lost you and you were dead and and and...'

'Stop stuttering. You sound like an idiot.'

The Doctor laughed again, tears streaming down his face. Sandi buried her face into his shoulder and held him close.

'I thought I'd never see you again... what happened?'

He pulled away, staring into her eyes, which were full of confusion.

'You mean, you don't remember? Anything?'

'Well, I gather that I died at some point. But the last thing that I remember is checking those pods with you on the Utopia... oh, Doctor! What about the ship? Are we still on board? Where are we?'

Carefully editing the events to his favour, the Doctor recounted the series of events, leaving out the three-way chat between himself, Sandi and Shandaiah. Sandi sat and listened attentively.

'So, Shandaiah killed herself to save us? That's very... noble, isn't it?'

'You could say that. I'm just thoroughly relieved that she regenerated your brain and saved your life!'

'So... everything's fine now? Everything's back to normal?'

'Well, as normal as it gets for me.'

There was a silence as the reality of the situation settled in. Sandi cleared her throat nervously.

'I suppose... I suppose this means that you'll be taking me home, then?'

The Doctor looked decidedly uncomfortable for a moment. Then he brightened.

'Well, I could, that is, unless you wanted to apply.'

'Apply for what, exactly?'

'There's a position availble. TARDIS crew member. My assistant. The pay's terrible, but the transport and accommodation is free. You get to travel through all of space and time, setting history right and in return you get to see some of the most spectacular sights the universe has to offer.

Sandi appeared to think it over. For a moment, the Doctor was genuinely worried as to what her answer would be. Then...

'So, do I like, have to fill out an application form and hand in my resume?'

The Doctor laughed and took her hand, helping her off the stretcher.

'The job's yours, if you want it.'

Sandi chuckled and looked out of the window, where stars wheeled gently past in a myriad of light.

'How could I pass this up? Don't know about you, but to me, this is one hell of a promotion.'

As the pair strode back into the central control room of the TARDIS, Sandi's phone bleeped quietly. The Doctor watched curiously as she read the text. Sandi's head shot up, her face pale as a ghost.

'Doctor, we need to get back to Earth! There's something terribly wrong!'

THE END

Stay tuned for Part Two: Game On.