A/N: Sorry for the lack of update yesterday but the website wouldn't let me upload anything grrrrrrr. Thanks for all the support so far guys! Enjoy the chapter :D

Damien sits beside Airlia on the bed as she sleeps, a frown creasing his forehead as he watches over her. She has been sleeping for hours now, her skin deathly pale and marked by tear tracks. He suspects that she has spent much of the day crying.

He can't get his head around the fact that she thought about committing suicide today. He hates to think that if he had been only minutes later, he might have been too late. This was too close a call, he decides. Too close entirely. He curses Airlia's father for doing this to his daughter, to the people of Valtallahan, to the planet as a whole.

Damien has often prided himself on being an upstanding, respected member of the community. His position as Chief of Cardiology at the vicinity's busiest hospital has provided for him well- he has no financial worries, a few friends in high places and the respect of everyone he meets. Now he is beginning to wonder whether any of those people are actually on his side at all, if they mean the things they say.

His head drops back to rest against the headboard of the bed, his eyes squeezing shut and a few tears leaking out of the corners. He knows he won't sleep tonight; if he did, he'd only dream that he'd been too late to save Airlia, her lifeless body sprawled out in front of him covered in blood. He feels responsible for this. Not just for Airlia, but the whole situation that is currently playing out only a few miles from his apartment. He hasn't told Airlia that he was one of the many who voted for her father's government at the last election, tired of the old regime and liking the promise and possibilities presented by Maximillian Camdon and his party. She has always thought of him as separate from the world she grew up in and he can't stand the thought of her finding out that he was one of those who inadvertently created the nightmare situation she is now living in.

Not that his support for the government had lasted for long, mind. He had turned against them the first time they cut hospital grants and he was faced with the task of telling his long term patients that his prices had doubled overnight. And now he hates the government more than he ever thought it was possible to hate anyone or anything. He hates them as much as he loves Airlia. He hates Maximillian Camdon most of all.

This is the day Damien realises that some things are better left unsaid. Everything will change in three months, twenty days and twenty hours.

The Doctor and Rose were sitting at their table in the bar whilst Ganjud and Maurice had slipped upstairs to take care of 'some business.' Apparently Maurice was an out-of-work accountant who had no money and hardly any possessions, and yet he still did Ganjud's books for free. The Doctor wondered what kind of dirt Ganjud had on Maurice to keep that little deal in place.

He looked over at Rose, attempting to catch her gaze. She kept her eyes focused on the table in front of her, her hands resting lightly on the legs of her jeans. 'Rose,' he started.

She made some kind of intelligible mumble in response, her breathing heavy.

'Are you all right?' he asked, concerned. She hadn't said anything since Ganjud and Maurice had finished their story over half an hour ago, instead sitting quietly in her chair as the Doctor had pried for more information, wanting to know everything about the opposition movements and wondering out loud how hard it would be to start a revolution. Rose had shifted uncomfortably in her seat then before coughing in surprise as the Doctor had told the two men he would do 'whatever it takes' to solve the situation in Valtallahan and get rid of the oppressive government. 'I'm a dab hand at revolutions,' he had told them. 'Piece of cake, don't you worry!' Rose hadn't looked at him since.

Now she only nodded in answer to his question and bit her lip before replying, 'Yeah, I'm fine.'

The Doctor shook his head. 'You're not fine,' he countered. He leaned closer to her, carefully taking one of her hands in his. He frowned when she pulled away. 'Rose, what is it?' he asked, his voice slightly harsher than he had intended.

Rose cleared her throat, still not bringing her gaze up to meet his. 'So I guess we're staying here for a while, then?'

He faltered as it suddenly dawned on him that he'd broken his promise to get her out of here as quickly as possible. And now he had committed them to staying here indefinitely, in the middle of one of the most dangerous situations he could possibly imagine. 'It will only be a few days, hopefully,' he responded lamely. 'Rose.' He put out his hand to catch her chin, making her meet his gaze when she tried to pull away again. 'If we find the way to get back to Earth before then, I want you to go back to the TARDIS and wait for me. I can't ask you to stay here any longer than is necessary. It isn't fair or right. I'd hate to put you in danger like that.'

'And I'd hate to leave you in danger like that,' she retorted, pulling back out of his grasp. 'Doctor, if you're staying here then that means I am as well. You'd never leave me here alone so there's no way I'm going to do that to you. Even if it does mean getting blown up in the middle of a revolution.' A wry grin flashed across her face for a moment before being replaced with her previous sombre expression.

'Rose,' he said again. He reached out and grasped her shoulders, telling himself not to care so much when she flinched at his touch. He smiled at her, hoping he'd look reassuring. 'There's no way you're going to get blown up in the middle of a revolution.' His comforting smile turned into an outright grin. 'You're going to be at the front of it all, with me,' he said, watching her carefully.

She smiled back at him. 'Yeah, okay,' she told him. Her smile dropped slightly and she looked away coyly. 'As long as I get to stay with you.'

'Of course,' he said without hesitation. He took her hands in his, running his thumbs over the back of her hands for a moment before letting go and leaning back in his chair. 'Always,' he said more quietly. And then, in his head, he whispered, forever.

The sound of the door to the bar opening jostled the Doctor out of his reverie. He and Rose turned their heads at the same time to see a woman entering the room, half of her face covered by gigantic sunglasses despite the dim light of the day. The door clicked shut behind her as she walked across to the bar, going behind it and fiddling with the coffee machine. She appeared not to notice that there was anyone else present in the room until the Doctor cleared his throat loudly and she looked up. 'Hello!' said the Doctor. 'I realise I'm not very familiar with the rules around here, but it seems to me that this place isn't self-service.' He nodded to one of the empty chairs at his and Rose's table. 'Have a seat?'

The woman shook her head, the big sunglasses looking somewhat at odds with the surroundings. The Doctor thought that they'd be more appropriate if the woman was sitting on a stool and sprawled over the bar, nursing a hangover. 'No, that's okay,' she replied.

The Doctor stood up. 'I don't think the owner would be pleased if he knew-'

'Ganjud is my fiancé,' the woman cut in. She held up her hand to display the ring on her finger, the large diamond embedded in the band of platinum not matching up with Ganjud's faltering business.

'Congratulations,' Rose said. 'It's a gorgeous ring.'

'Yeah,' the Doctor added, somewhat sceptically. 'You could light up the sky with that thing.'

The woman laughed. 'I suppose I could.'

There was an uncomfortable pause for a moment before the Doctor walked over to the woman and held out his hand. She took it and held on for a moment before letting go. 'I'm John Smith,' the Doctor said, keeping up his earlier pretence.

'Heather,' the woman replied, reaching up to finally pull off the ridiculous sunglasses.

'And that's Rose.' The Doctor pointed over at her. 'It's nice to meet you.'

Heather was about to reply when a slight commotion erupted out on the staircase that led upstairs. All three of them turned to look as Maurice ran down the stairs, pausing only to nod at them and grab up his coat before stalking out of the bar and back into the chill of the day. Ganjud followed down the stairs slowly, clicking the fingers of one hand distractedly. He shook his head in annoyance as Maurice allowed the front door to bang shut and muttered something under his breath that the Doctor couldn't quite catch despite his amazingly fabulous hearing. Ganjud reached the bottom of the stairs and looked up, his face breaking into a grin when he caught sight of his fiancé standing behind the bar.

'Heather!' He walked over to her, putting his arms around her and holding her close.

The Doctor walked back over to Rose, pulling her up to stand beside him. He leaned down and whispered into her ear. 'Let's give them some privacy.'

Rose nodded and allowed the Doctor to take her arm, leading her outside into the cool air. She shut the door quietly, before turning to look up at the Doctor. 'Well,' she said. 'Now what?'

Damien is at work, sitting in his office. He finished up with his last patient over two hours ago, but the curfew has now come into effect and so he is stuck here for the night. He knows he should be sleeping- what with it being a hospital he has plenty of beds available to him- but he refuses to let himself rest despite being deeply tired.

A television is playing quietly on the desk; all channels are once again fully operational, but the news on the attack that just over a week ago killed twenty thousand people is sparse. It seems that no one is willing to point the finger of blame just yet.

He is laying travel plans, studying timetables of trains that will be able to take him and Airlia to a space port. He decides that it is probably best to go in the early evening, when all the commuters are on their way home. There will be more danger of bomb attacks, but less chance of being seen as suspicious by the police and guards he knows will be everywhere they go. It might seem strange if they fled as soon as the curfew was lifted, or just before it shut down for the night.

He hasn't decided what they're going to do once they get away from Eustance though. He knows it should be relatively easy to get a rocket to take them elsewhere, and that is all that matters. As soon as they are away, then they can worry about what to do next.

Damien pulls off his reading glasses and rubs his face with his hands. Has he ever been more tired? He doesn't think so. He's been feeling his age recently, although he isn't an old man by a long way. Middle age is tiring though, he thinks, especially when his partner is almost twenty years younger than he is.

He doesn't realise that he's falling asleep until he wakes early the next morning, face down in a pile of paperwork and timetables. He rises, has a quick wash, and carries on the day as though everything is normal.

This is the day Damien realises that appearance means more than he'd like it to. Everything will change in three months, twelve days and six hours.

The Doctor and Rose were back at Bitsy's café, eating soup and bread and talking to the owner who, rather confusingly, wasn't called Bitsy. Her name was Sadie, and she was currently chattering enthusiastically about the protest that had taken place outside earlier today.

'Oh yes,' she said in reply to something the Doctor had said. 'It happens a lot these days. Ever since that government started throwing its weight about, sending its soldiers out to capture people and torture them for petty crimes, it's all gone downhill. This used to be such a lovely place.'

'And whose side are you on?' the Doctor asked. 'I take it that you don't support the government.'

The old woman shook her head. 'Oh no,' she told him. 'I could never support policies like theirs. I'm just trying to keep my head down these days, trying to live my life while I still have it. Although,' she continued in a much quieter voice, almost confidential. 'If I had to support anybody, I'd take the side of the Liberal Rights Alliance. They oppose everything the government stands for, but they're not one of these militant groups that go round causing violent protests like the one you saw earlier. They do things the right way, the traditional way.'

The Doctor grinned, ideas forming in his brain at the rate of one thousand a second. 'And what way is the traditional way?'

'Oh you know,' Sadie said lightly. 'Spend time garnering support, make their presence known without being too overt about it, and then wait until the time is right to stage a revolution, just like the good old days.' She dropped her voice again, speaking in almost a whisper. 'And the revolution would work,' she said. 'It would work, and then we'd all be free.'

'Do you know where we could find them?' the Doctor asked, his curiosity piqued at the idea of at least a semi-peaceful revolution.

The woman walked to the back of the café, turning her back on them for a moment. When she turned round again, she was carrying a basket filled with bread rolls. She came and placed them on the table in front of the Doctor and Rose, glancing furtively at the glass door leading out onto the street. 'More bread for your soup, sweethearts,' she said, nodding at the basket.

Rose obligingly took a bread roll and bit into it, the action revealing a piece of folded up paper hidden in the basket. The Doctor took the paper and unfolded it in his lap. He read the hastily written lines quickly, and then again more slowly.

Hansley Bridge, four hours before curfew, beneath the second overhang. Codeword 'Phantasm.'

Sadie smiled. 'There you go,' she said. 'If you're interested.'

The Doctor studied her carefully. 'It sounds like you're more involved with these people than you're making out,' he said. 'Are you sure you're not doing more than just living your life?'

Sadie's grin widened at his words, pulling out a chair to sit at the table. 'My son,' she said. 'My son is a leader in the Liberal Rights Alliance.'

'What's his name?'

'Oscar,' she replied. 'If you're going to go to the meeting, tell him his mother sent you and he'll let you right in, as long as you have the codeword.' She looked at Rose. 'Or you could just smile at him,' she said. 'He likes pretty young things.'

'Perhaps we'll call that Plan B,' the Doctor said wryly, wondering in the back of his mind when he had become so possessive over Rose. He realised that he hated it when men showed any more than just a passing interest in her, and it wasn't just because he was worried about her personal safety. Although, he amended, in this situation, he definitely was worried about her safety. They needed to get out of here, back to Earth and the TARDIS. 'Sadie,' he said, folding the paper up and storing it safely in his jacket. 'I don't suppose anything unusual has gone on here recently, has it?'

Sadie leaned back in her chair. 'What do you mean, "unusual"?'

'Anything in the derelict building next door? Anything going in and not coming out?'

She shook her head. 'No.' She grinned again. 'You're mad you are. Coming to Eustance in the middle of an all-out war and practically volunteering to put yourselves in the middle of danger, then asking strange questions about bombed out buildings. Absolutely crazy,' she said. She looked from the Doctor, to Rose, and then back again. 'And you drag her around with you for all of this? Surely that isn't right.'

The Doctor was silent, staring at some point on the wall in front of him, Sadie's words running over in his head. He knew it wasn't right that he'd dragged Rose into this situation with him, but he hadn't meant to end up here and it wasn't like they had anything else to do. Still, he knew that was no excuse. He had to keep her as safe as he could, which was why he decided that he'd be going to meet the Liberal Rights Alliance alone later. He pondered how he should tell Rose that he was leaving her with this talkative old woman for safe-keeping. He knew that she'd probably kill him, or worse, make him wish that he was dead but not actually let him die. She was good at that. He made a generic sort of sound that was somewhere between agreeing with Sadie's comment and dismissing it out of hand. 'How long does it take to get to this place?' he asked, gesturing at the piece of paper.

'About half an hour, probably longer if you've never been there before.'

'Right,' he said. 'Are you sure there hasn't been any kind of disturbances in the building next door, separate to the government attacks and violence?'

'Very sure,' Sadie clarified. 'That is, until you two started poking your noses around there earlier. What were you doing exactly?'

The Doctor kept his eyes on Rose as he answered; wanting nothing more than to pull her into a comforting hug when he saw the saddened look in her eyes. 'Just trying to get home,' he said.

The old woman studied them for a moment, before nodding and rising from the table. She walked to the back of the café, pausing in the door to the kitchens and back rooms. 'There's plenty more food, if you want it,' she said. 'I like to make myself useful.'

The Doctor nodded appreciatively as she disappeared from sight and earshot, hoping that Sadie wouldn't mind making herself useful as a babysitter for a little while. Or, more accurately, as a Rose-sitter. He wished that his coat was thicker so he would be less able to feel her inevitable punches that resulted from him leaving her behind. He rested his hand on her arm to get her attention. 'Rose,' he said softly.

She turned to him, pushing her now empty bowl and plate away. 'Yeah?'

He fumbled with the right words for a few moments, before deciding he was probably best off just coming out and saying it. Goodbye life, he thought, taking a deep breath to try and calm the irrational shudder he felt pass through him. Here he was, the last of the Time Lords, the Oncoming Storm and all-out force to be reckoned with, and he couldn't tell one young human girl that he was going to be leaving her for a few hours. 'Rose, I don't want you to come to the Alliance meeting,' he blurted, before realising how bad that sounded. He didn't want her to think that he didn't want her company.

Rose's eyes narrowed. 'You don't,' she said. 'Why not?'

Her arm tensed beneath his hand, and he wondered how much time he'd have to pull away if she decided to deck him. He sighed. 'I have to keep you safe,' he said quietly, eyes focussed on the centre of the table. 'I don't know what will happen there, what the people will be like. I can't put you in that sort of danger. Not like this.'

She stared at him for a long moment. 'But you said that we should stick together while we're here,' she reminded him. 'Stay close and keep a low profile, I think was what you said when we left Ganjud's this morning. Isn't it going to start drawing more attention if you start wandering off on your own, especially if you get yourself into trouble like you normally do?'

'Hey!' he exclaimed, slightly amazed at her ability to talk at one hundred miles an hour for so long without drawing a breath. 'I do not normally get myself into trouble! I usually end up in trouble because I'm trying to rescue you, Miss Jeopardy Friendly Supreme Champion of the Universe. You're the one who finds all the trouble!'

'And whose fault is that?'

He considered that for a moment, before reluctantly conceding the point. 'Touché,' he said. He flashed a grin at her before sobering up, holding her eyes locked in an intense gaze. 'I know what I said earlier, Rose. But I promised I'd keep you safe, and I don't know if this meeting is going to be safe.'

She stared at him again, her mouth parted slightly as though she was going to say something but wasn't entirely sure what. 'What am I supposed to do while you're gone then? Go back to Ganjud's and sit on the bed waiting for you to show up?'

'Um, no,' he said. 'I want you to stay here, with Sadie.'

Rose shook her head. 'Oh no, you can't do that. She's a sweet old woman, but I can't stay here with her! She'd drive me nuts,' she hissed.

'You'll be okay,' he assured her. He reached into his inside jacket pocket and pulled out some of the money he'd purloined from some kind of ATM earlier in the day. He pressed the money into her hand. 'Take this,' he said. 'Eat more soup, drink more coffee, just relax.'

'How am I supposed to relax when I know you're out there somewhere but I don't know what's happening to you?'

Ah. He supposed that might be somewhat of a problem. He frowned, turning his head away to quickly scan the surroundings outside of the café. A small shop across the street caught his eye and he pointed over to it. 'Go shopping,' he said. 'Have a look round in there; maybe buy a thicker coat to wear while we're here.'

She looked down at the thin coat she was currently wearing. 'You obviously think we're going to be here a while, then,' she said, refusing to look at him.

'I didn't say that,' he told her. 'I don't know how long we're going to be here, but that doesn't mean I want you to freeze to death while we are. Besides, bit of retail therapy might help you relax a bit. I know you love shopping!' He waggled his eyebrows at her, pleased when she giggled at his daft expression.

'All right, then' she said. 'I'll stay here.'

He studied her face intently. 'Good,' he said.

'Couple of conditions though,' she added, looking at him seriously with worry in her eyes.

'Name them,' he told her. He tightened his hand on her arm, rubbing his thumb in small circles on the fabric of her jacket.

She took a deep breath. 'Number one,' she started. 'You go straight to the meeting, do whatever it is you have to do there and then come straight back. Don't go wandering off anywhere else.'

'Understood,' he agreed, unable to keep the small smile of amusement off his face. He wondered if she knew that she sounded somewhat like him when he was in lecture mode, telling her not to wander off in places she didn't know. He suspected that she did.

Rose continued on. 'Number two; you tell me everything when you get back, don't leave anything out. I want to know all about it.'

He grinned wider. 'Of course.'

'And number three.' Rose grinned, making the Doctor slightly nervous about what she was going to request of him. He hoped she didn't want him to strip to the waist and do an Irish jig on the table as penance for abandoning her. Not only would he look silly, but it was also freezing in this place. 'Number three,' she repeated. 'Once we get out of here and back to the TARDIS, you have to take me to the most amazing shopping centre in the whole of the Cosmos so that we can shop for the whole day. And you're paying.'

'Ri… Right,' he said falteringly. He supposed he could cope with that if it meant she didn't do anything that made him wish for regeneration in the current circumstances. 'Wait, we both have to shop for the whole day?'

'Yep!' she said. 'That's your punishment for leaving me behind. You can't just stand there holding the bags, mister! You have to buy stuff too.'

The Doctor made a mental note to never leave Rose behind again unless it was a supreme emergency. Being designated coat-and-bag holder he could deal with, but actually having to shop was another thing entirely. Unless it was for bananas, of course. He inwardly cursed himself and wished that there was a metal brick nearby for him to bang his head against. Perhaps he could find one on the way to this Alliance meeting.

'Okay then, that's settled,' he told her.

She held out her hand and he shook it to seal their deal. He smiled at her softly, her hand still encased in his. 'It will be okay,' he said. 'I'll be as quick as I can, I promise.'

'I know,' she said, reluctant understanding clear in her eyes.

'I'll be back before the curfew starts,' he promised, rising from the table to do up his coat.

Rose nodded, her teeth toying with her bottom lip in that strangely cute-but-shouldn't-be way she had. The Doctor bent down and kissed the top of her head. 'Suppose I'd better go then,' he said, glancing towards the door and the sub-zero temperatures of outside. He winked at her. 'Don't wait up!'