A/N Thanks go to Krystle for helping me decide on what song to use! And thank you to all the people who have favorited and followed this for being so patient! I was supposed to have this chapter posted a few days ago, but last week was crazy with sick grandmas and job interviews. I start work in just over a week and I'm hoping to have the last two chapters finished and posted by then! So I'll be writing like crazy this week. I'm aiming to have Chapter 9 up on Thursday, and Chapter 10 next Monday. We'll play it by ear but that's my goal!
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Doctor Who.
Episode Spoilers: New Earth S2E2
Rejected Bonds - Chapter 7, New Earth
It was Boxing Day, and the Doctor, Hermione, and Rose were preparing to leave. While the Doctor was inside powering up the TARDIS, Hermione and Rose were saying their goodbyes to Jackie and Mickey. As Jackie was making sure Rose had a huge pack with everything she would need, Hermione and Mickey were off to the side. Hermione hugged her first friend tightly, fighting off tears. The last few days had been utterly wretched, and this goodbye was harder than it should have been. "Are you okay Minnie Mouse?"
She pulled back to look into his concerned brown eyes. He could tell she was struggling to stay strong and just hugged her tighter. "I'm okay Mickey, or I will be. Promise."
"Well don't you forget about me again, alright?"
"Never." She then turned and ignoring the glare Rose was shooting at her, hugged her aunt Jackie quickly and promised to keep in touch in the future.
Both girls entered the TARDIS and Rose dropped her pack on the floor and raced to the Doctor. "So where are we going?"
"Further than we've ever gone before," he replied with a smile. His smile faltered a bit when he saw Hermione leave to go to her room. He still had a small ache in his chest but dismissed it as guilt. Hermione had proven to be a good friend, but he was determined that Rose was the one who held his hearts.
Soon Hermione had rejoined the pair, having checked on the wards surrounding her time turner. As she entered the console room the TARDIS landed and they all stepped outside the doors to a sunny, breezy day, next to a body of water across from a large city with flying cars going by.
"It's the year five billion and twenty-three. We're in the galaxy M87 and this? This is New Earth."
Rose was stuttering in amazement, "That's just. That's just-"
"Not bad. Not bad at all," he said grinning at the blonde.
"That's amazing. I'll never get used to this. Never. Different ground beneath my feet, different sky. What's that smell?"
"Apple grass," he replied, taking a sniff.
Rose was grinning in happiness. "It's beautiful. Oh, I love this. Can I just say, travelling with you, I love it."
He smiled back sappily at her, "Me too. Come on," and he ignored the tug in his chest as Hermione locked the doors and hastily wiped away a tear.
Hermione conjured up a blanket for the trio to sit on and admire the view. She wasn't sure why she was out here and not back in her room, but she also didn't feel like hiding out in the TARDIS for the next several days. She was no coward, and just because the Doctor didn't want her around anymore didn't mean she would deny herself the last experiences like these that she may ever have. She didn't have much to say, so she just quietly listened to their conversation and watched the hustle and bustle of the vibrant city.
"So, the year five billion, the sun expands, the Earth gets roasted."
"That was our first date," Rose chimed, glancing at the stiffening of Hermione's shoulders out of the corner of her eye.
The Doctor smiled happily in remembrance. "We had chips. So anyway, planet gone, all rocks and dust, but the human race lives on, spread out across the stars. Soon as the Earth burns up, oh yeah, they get all nostalgic, big revival movement, but then find this place. Same size as the Earth, same air, same orbit. Lovely. Call goes out, the humans move in."
"What's the city called?"
"New New York."
"Oh, come on," Rose snorted in disbelief.
"It is. It's the city of New New York. Strictly speaking, it's the fifteenth New York since the original, so that makes it New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York. What?" Rose was looking at him funny.
"You're so different," she murmured quietly.
"New New Doctor," he laughed.
"Can we go and visit New New York, so good they named it twice?"
Standing up he then helped Rose up and they straightened their clothes. Hermione vanished the blanket and the Doctor pointed to a pair of buildings nearby. "Well, I thought we might go there first."
"Why, what is it?"
"Some sort of hospital. Green moon on the side. That's the universal symbol for hospitals. I got this. A message on the psychic paper."
He showed the girls the message, which just said: "Ward 26 Please Come."
Closing it and putting it in his pocket he said, "Someone wants to see me."
Rose hummed in agreement, "Hmm. And I thought we were just sight-seeing. Come on, then."
Hermione thought the writing looked familiar but then dismissed it. There was no way he was in the year five billion! Right?
As they entered the hospital reception, the Doctor lamented the lack of a little shop. Hermione laughed and smiled, remembering his love of little shops from their adventure in the Library. Now she wasn't sure that would even happen and the thought sobered her quickly. He looked at her curiously but decided not to ask.
Rose was wondering aloud, "I thought this far in the future, they'd have cured everything."
"The human race moves on, but so do the viruses. It's an ongoing war."
Rose and Hermione finally noticed the passing nursing staff, dressed in nun-like habits. But it was the faces that threw them the most.
Rose stopped dead. "They're cats."
"Now, don't stare. Think what you look like to them, all pink and yellow. That's where I'd put the shop. Right there."
The Doctor walked into a lift with Hermione following quickly after as she mumbled to herself, "At least I wasn't the only cat person in the universe."
He told the computer to go to Ward 26, then turned to ask her what she meant but noticed that the doors to the lift closed before Rose could get on.
Rose was trying to get them to wait for her but he explained it was too late, as the lift started to rise. He shouted for her to watch out for the disinfectant but she didn't hear him clearly.
An automated voice spoke, "Commence stage one disinfection." The pair were then drenched by a spray. The next stage was a blow dry and the Doctor and Hermione quickly flapped their clothes and ruffled their hair to get everything dried out.
Stepping out of the lift they were soon escorted by a nurse. "Nice place. No shop, downstairs. I'd have a shop. Not a big one. Just a shop, so people can shop," the Doctor rambled.
Nurse Jatt removed her veil to scold the man. "The hospital is a place of healing."
"A shop does some people the world of good. Not me. Other people."
"The Sisters of Plentitude take a lifelong vow to help, and to mend."
Hermione thought she was rather snooty for a cat, but then decided that was exactly like a cat.
As they passed an open cubicle they observed the Duke of Manhattan who was sick with Petrifold Regression, but they were ushered away and assured he would be fine soon.
The Doctor looked disbelievingly at the nurse. "I doubt it. Petrifold Regression? He's turning to stone. There won't be a cure for oh, a thousand years? He might be up and about, but only as a statue."
Nuse Jatt just raised an eyebrow. "Have faith in the Sisterhood. But is there no one here you recognise? It's rather unusual to visit without knowing the patient."
Looking around the Doctor found who had called for him. "No, I think I've found him."
He walked over to a large face in a container, by a window with a view of the city across the water. Hermione followed at a polite distance.
Nurse Jatt addressed the nurse tending this strange patient, "Novice Hame if I can leave this gentleman in your care?"
Looking back at her he remembered Rose. "Oh, I think my friend got lost. Rose Tyler. Could you ask at reception?"
"Certainly, sir," she said with a nod, then left them alone.
Novice Hame smiled sadly at Hermione and the Doctor. "I'm afraid the Face of Boe's asleep. That's all he tends to do these days. Are you a friend, or-"
He shook his head, "We met just the once on Platform One. What's wrong with him?"
"I'm so sorry. I thought you knew. The Face of Boe is dying."
"Of what?"
"Old age. The one thing we can't cure. He's thousands of years old. Some people say millions, although that's impossible," she scoffed gently.
"Oh, I don't know. I like impossible," he told her. Kneeling down next to the glass he whispered, "I'm here. I look a bit different, but it's me, It's the Doctor."
The nurse explained, "There's not much to do, just maintain his smoke. And I suppose I'm company. I can hear him singing, sometimes, in my mind. Such ancient songs."
"Am I the only visitor?"
"The rest of Boe-kind became extinct long ago. He's the only one left. Legend says that the Face of Boe has watched the universe grow old. There's all sorts of superstitions around him. One story says that just before his death, the Face of Boe will impart his great secret, that he will speak those words only to one like himself."
"What does that mean?" the Doctor asked, bewildered.
"It's just a story," the nurse assured.
"Tell me the rest."
"It's said he'll talk to a wanderer. To the man without a home. The lonely God."
Unnoticed by the conversing pair, Hermione had gone up to the glass and gently put her palm upon it. She closed her eyes and opened her mind, curious to discover if she would hear anything.
A familiar voice was singing softly, My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard…
With a gasp of surprise Hermione stepped back, biting her lip hard to keep from laughing! She recognised that song from her own time, and if by some chance this was who she thought it was, she could totally see that scoundrel singing such nonsense and it being attributed to as "ancient songs".
Soon the Doctor had Rose connected on a phone and was asking her how long it took to find Ward 26. They bantered back and forth and she was finally on her way up.
As he hung up he saw the Duke of Manhattan looking completely recovered and thrilled. "Didn't think I was going to make it. It's that man again! He's my good luck charm. Come in. Don't be shy," the Duke gestured.
"Any friendship expressed by the Duke of Manhattan does not constitute a form of legal contract," his aide hissed at them.
"Winch me up. Up! Look at me. No sign of infection."
"You had Petrifold Regression, right?"
"That being the operative word. Past tense. Completely cured."
"But that's impossible."
Matron Casp spoke then, "Primitive species would accuse us of magic, but it's merely the tender application of science."
Hermione grinned at bit at the mention of magic. It was always a secret thrill for her to hear magic mentioned and know it was real.
"How on Earth did you cure him?"
"How on New Earth, you might say," the cat said archly.
"What's in that solution?"
"A simple remedy."
"Then tell me what it is," he insisted.
"I'm sorry. Patient confidentiality. I don't believe we've met. My name is Matron Casp."
"I'm the Doctor."
"I think you'll find that we're the doctors here," she growled at him. She was called away to Intensive Care before they could continue their discussion.
Rose finally found her way to the ward as the Doctor was going around to all the cubicles, curious now as to these seemingly miraculous cures. "There you are. Come and look at this patient. Marconi's Disease. Should take years to recover. Two days. I've never seen anything like it. They've invented a cell washing cascade. It's amazing. Their medical science is way advanced. And this one. Pallidome Pancrosis. Kills you in ten minutes, and he's fine. I need to find a terminal. I've got to see how they do this. Because if they've got the best medicine in the world, then why is it such a secret?"
Rose arched an eyebrow. "I can't Adam and Eve it."
Hermione and the Doctor both stopped in their tracks. He asked, mystified, "What's, what's, what's with the voice?"
"Oh, I don't know. Just larking about. New Earth, new me," Rose quipped.
The Doctor shrugged. "Well, I can talk. New New Doctor."
"Mmm, aren't you just." She eyed him up and down and then pulled him in for a long, hard kiss, thoroughly messing up his hair. She pulled away and sauntered off, "Terminal's this way."
The Doctor looked shocked and a bit dazed. Straightening his tie and ignoring the sharp pain in his chest he walked after Rose. "Yep still got it."
Hermione, meanwhile, stood there and was trying very hard to keep from displaying any accidental magic. Her knees were locked to keep her upright and her spine was stiff. With a discreet sniffle, she wiped her cheeks to make sure no tears had betrayed her, then followed the pair. I hope the time turner is ready soon. I can't stand watching displays like that.
By the time she caught up with them the pair had pulled up the schematics for the hospital, and were searching for the elusive ICU. The Doctor was eyeing Rose strangely when she mentioned looking for the sub-frame and trying the installation protocols, things Rose shouldn't know anything about. After he used his sonic screwdriver on the interface, a wall slid away to reveal a hidden corridor. Rose led the way, but the Doctor hung back and whispered to Hermione, "I think there's something wrong with Rose. Keep an eye on her, alright?" At her nod of agreement, they followed the blonde.
Soon the trio found their way down a staircase, and along a corridor lined with cells. There were thousands of cells lining a hundred or more floors. Opening one at random, the Doctor and cousins looked upon an incredibly sick man.
Rose scrunched her nose and sneered, "That's disgusting. What's wrong with him?"
The Doctor didn't reply to her but looked the man in the eye with a sorrowful and sincere face. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He closed the door and moved to the next and found a young woman in a similar state.
Rose asked, "What disease is that?"
"All of them. Every single disease in the galaxy. They've been infected with everything."
Taking a step back in panic, the blonde worried, "What about us? Are we safe?"
"The air's sterile. Just don't touch them."
"How many patients are there?"
"They're not patients," he said in a flat voice.
"But they're sick."
"They were born sick. They're meant to be sick. They exist to be sick. Lab rats. No wonder the Sisters have got a cure for everything. They've built the ultimate research laboratory. A human farm."
"Why don't they just die?" Rose wondered.
"Plague carriers. The last to go."
Novice Hame had come up behind them. "It's for the greater cause."
Hermione stiffened at that familiar turn of phrase. Oh how I hate the greater good, she spat viciously to herself. She glared at the cat nurse.
The Doctor wasn't looking very kindly upon her either. "Novice Hame, When you took your vows, did you agree to this?"
"The Sisterhood has sworn to help."
"What, by killing?"
The cat shook her head. "But they're not real people. They're specially grown. They have no proper existence."
"What's the turnover, hmm? Thousand a day? Thousand the next? Thousand the next? How many thousands? For how many years? How many!" He was growing furious.
The cat pleaded, "Mankind needed us. They came to this planet with so many illnesses. We couldn't cope. We did try. We tried everything. We tried using clone meat and bio-cattle, but the results were too slow, so the Sisterhood grew its own flesh. That's all they are. Flesh."
"These people are alive," Hermione insisted. "You can't just breed thousands of people for their flesh! It's completely wrong!"
"But think of those Humans out there, healthy and happy, because of us," the nurse tried to defend.
The Doctor shook his head, he agreed with Hermione. "If they live because of this, then life is worthless."
"But who are you to decide that?" the nurse asked.
"I'm the Doctor. And if you don't like it, if you want to take it to a higher authority, then there isn't one. It stops with me."
Rose had a shrewd look on her face. "Just to confirm. None of the humans in the city actually know about this?"
"We thought it best not," Novice Hame admitted.
"Hold on. I can understand the bodies. I can understand your vows. One thing I can't understand. What have you done to Rose?"
The cat shook her head in confusion, "I don't know what you mean."
"I'm being very, very calm. You want to be aware of that. Very, very calm. And the only reason I'm being so very, very calm is that the brain is a delicate thing. Whatever you've done to Rose's head, I want it reversed."
"We haven't done anything."
"I'm perfectly fine," Rose insisted.
"These people are dying, and Rose would care," he said, looking sternly at Rose.
Rose, or whoever she was, shrugged her shoulders and sighed dramatically. "Oh, all right, clever clogs. Smarty pants. Lady-killer."
"What's happened to you?"
"I knew something was going on in this hospital, but I needed this body and your mind to find it out."
"Who are you?"
"The last human," she said pompously.
"Cassandra?" the Doctor asked, amazed and horrified.
"Wake up and smell the perfume," she retorted as she squirted a spritz of perfume in his face, causing him to drop the floor passed out.
Novice Hame exclaimed, "You've hurt him. I don't understand. I'll have to fetch Matron."
"You do that because I want to see her. Now, run along. Sound the alarm!" Cassandra then pulled on a power cable and a series of alarms blared as the nurse ran off. She hadn't noticed Hermione stepping back and pulling her wand on her.
"Cassandra, step away from the Doctor. Now," the curly-haired witch growled at her possessed cousin.
"And why would I do that curly?"
A man stepped around the corner, covered in sepia coloured tattoos and made to pick up the Doctor but Hermione quickly stunned him and again pointed her wand at Cassandra. "I. Said. Back. Off!"
Cassandra's eyes were huge as she stared at the other woman. Well, I certainly picked the wrong one to use, she thought to herself.
"Okay, okay, just don't hurt Chip."
Hermione soon had the Doctor revived and standing next to her. She did a quick scan over him to assure herself he was alright. He may be an utter prat right now to me, but I couldn't live with myself if I let him be hurt in front of me.
He gave her a small smile and then addressed Cassandra. "You've stolen Rose's body. Just let Rose go, Cassandra."
"I will. As soon as I've found someone younger, and less common, then I'll junk her with the waste. Or, I'll take that one right there, she's powerful. And quite pretty."
The Doctor stepped in front of Hermione out of seemingly reflex. "No, you can't have Hermione either, now get out of Rose!"
Soon Cassandra was confronted by a pair of cat nurses, Jatt and Casp. After they refused to concede to Cassandra's demands for bribes to keep quiet they tried to attack the blonde with their claws. In retaliation, and as a backup plan, she had Chip pull a lever that opened all the doors in the ICU, releasing thousands of diseased people.
The Doctor stared in shock. "What've you done?"
"Gave the system a shot of adrenaline, just to wake them up. See you!" With that she ran off, dodging the lurching people.
"Don't touch them! Whatever you do, don't touch!" he shouted at her as he ran after, avoiding the people lumbering around.
Hermione raced after, casting an impervious on her skin, the Doctor's, and after a moment of hesitation casting it on Rose as well. She was still livid with her cousin for trying to kill her, and hurt that the Doctor was choosing her cousin over their bond, but she couldn't bring herself to hurt him by not protecting Rose to the best of her ability. Now they could be touched by the sick people, but there would be no contact, the charm stopping direct contact by approximately two millimetres.
"Oh, my God," Rose exclaimed in shock as she watched Jatt succumb to a touch, become disease ridden and die in moments.
"One touch and you get every disease in the world, and I want that body safe, Cassandra. We've got to go down."
"But there's thousands of them!"
"Run! Down! Down! Go down!"
Hermione wanted to believe that the Doctor was just confident she could take care of herself, but she was more convinced he'd forgotten she was there at all. She was tempted to apparate back to the TARDIS and let he and Rose deal with this mess. But again, she couldn't just abandon him like that, as much as she thought he deserved it.
Down in the basement, Cassandra ran to the lifts and tried calling one, but the Doctor shook his head. "No, the lifts have closed down. That's the quarantine. Nothing's moving."
Thinking fast, Cassandra ran towards the lair she'd used while hiding out from the sisterhood. "This way!"
Chip was cut off from the group as more sick people approached, Hermione paused to go back for him but was stopped by the Doctor's hand gripping her arm tightly. "Someone will touch him."
Cassandra was ahead of them and shouted back, "Leave him! He's just a clone thing. He's only got a half life. Come on!"
"Mistress!" Chip called out pitifully.
The Doctor gave a sad glance to Chip, and then to Hermione. "I'm sorry, I can't let her escape."
In the room of equipment, Cassandra ran to the back door but was blocked by even more people. "We're trapped! What am I going to do?"
The Doctor glared at her. "Well, for starters, you're going to leave that body. That psychograft is banned on every civilised planet. You're compressing Rose to death."
"But I've got nowhere to go. My original skin's dead," she said, gesturing to the empty frame her skin had inhabited.
"Not my problem. You can float as atoms in the air. Now, get out. Give her back to me."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "You asked for it." She took a deep breath and blew energy out of Rose and into the Doctor.
Rose swayed on the spot a bit. "Blimey, my head. Where'd she go?"
Cassandra was now inside the Doctor. "Oh, my. This is different."
"Cassandra?" Rose asked uncertainly.
"Goodness me, I'm a man. Yum. So many parts. And hardly used. Oh, oh, two hearts! Oh, baby, I'm beating out a samba!"
"Get out of him," Rose demanded.
"Oh, he's slim, and a little bit foxy. You've thought so too. I've been inside your head. You've been looking. You like it," she said with a disturbingly saucy wink of the Doctor's brown eyes.
As the diseased people burst in Hermione threw up a shield around them, to hold back the people for a short while. Cassandra was freaking out. "What do we do? What would he do? The Doctor, what the hell would he do?"
They quickly decided to climb a ladder up and out of the basement. Cassandra shoved Rose and Hermione out of the way, worried more about her own safety.
As they climbed the never ending ladder, Rose tried to reason with Cassandra. "If you get out of the Doctor's body, he can think of something."
"Yap, yap, yap. God, it was tedious inside your head. Hormone city."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Use the sonic screwdriver to open the door to the elevator shaft!"
"You mean this thing?" Cassandra said, holding the screwdriver like it might bite.
"Yes, I mean that thing," Hermione huffed at her.
"Well, I don't know how. That Doctor's hidden away all his thoughts."
Rose was frustrated. "Cassandra, go back into me. The Doctor can open it. Do it!"
"Hold on tight," the body snatcher said with a sigh. "Oh, chavtastic again. Open it!" this time she was speaking from Rose's body.
The Doctor growled at her, "Not till you get out of her."
"We need the Doctor," the blonde tried to explain.
"I order you to leave her!" he demanded.
With narrowed eyes, she considered her options. She took another deep breath and transferred herself once again, this time to Hermione.
Cassandra could feel a difference while inhabiting Hermione from Rose. In Rose she was in complete control, Rose pushed and squeezed into a far corner, posing no problems to Cassandra's control over the blonde's body. With Hermione, however, she could tell that Hermione wasn't compressed into a corner, but more or less equally sharing the space, but allowing Cassandra control over motor functions. She was unable to access Hermione's memories, unlike Rose. It was like there was a wall in the brunette's head. It was uncomfortable for Cassandra to feel rather compressed herself.
The Doctor had a look of complete rage on his face. "Cassandra! Get out of Hermione right now!"
"You don't want me in the blonde, you don't want me in this one, where do you suggest I go?"
"I don't care, just get out of her!"
Sighing dramatically, Cassandra prepared to transfer herself once again. This time back into the Doctor!
Meanwhile, Rose had grabbed the sonic screwdriver from the Doctor and climbed up past him to try and get the doors open.
Hermione watched warily as the Doctor seemed to be struggling with Cassandra for control. She knew her occlumency barriers would protect her from being compressed like Rose had been, so she was willing to host Cassandra if it would stop this back and forth bickering that was going to get them all killed. She saw the Doctor slump as he managed to expel Cassandra and prepared herself to share her body again.
Back inside of Hermione once more, Cassandra was looking at the Doctor with a shrewd expression. Rose was still higher up the ladder, using the sonic screwdriver to attempt to open the doors to the elevator shaft, while the Doctor stared at Cassandra through Hermione's familiar chocolate eyes. He was wary of what Cassandra seemed to have seen while inside of him.
"Oh Doctor, you act so high and mighty, but really you're just as cruel as the cats, aren't you?"
"What are you talking about?"
"I saw in your mind, your memories. You've hurt this girl, quite badly, and you know it. And you don't care at all, do you?" she sneered.
He hated seeing such an expression on Hermione's face. "I do too care!"
She smirked in triumph, knowing she'd been right! "I know, I just wanted her to hear that."
"What? How? You're compressing her like you did Rose!"
"No, I'm not. She's present and accounted for, just allowing me control. It's like there's a wall, but she's just as aware of what we're saying as you are right now. And she can see what I saw in your mind. She knows what you really think of her now, Doctor." She smiled viciously.
The Doctor went pale at that. Bugger.
Meanwhile, Hermione was glancing through the memories and thoughts that Cassandra had scavenged from the Doctor's mind. It doesn't matter Cassandra, sure he cares, but he only cares about my ability to be useful to them. To protect Rose. He doesn't want anything to do with me. She then showed Cassandra her memory of only yesterday, where he'd told her he wanted her to go and that time could be rewritten. She felt Cassandra wince in sympathy and send her the equivalent of a mental hug.
The Doctor watched as Hermione's face went through a rapid series of contortions, wondering what they were communicating with each other. He had a feeling of dread as her face cleared and Cassandra sneered meanly at him from Hermione's usually kind face. "You don't deserve what you've been given. Now get us out of here."
He swallowed past the lump in his throat and nodded. They soon climbed up the last bit of ladder and out into the waiting room where Rose had finally got the doors opened. They were once again in Ward 26 and were attempting to prove they were free of infection to the group blocking and guarding the doors to the ward. "Look, clean. Look, if we'd been touched, we'd be dead. So how's it going up here? What's the status?"
The Doctor didn't notice as Cassandra transferred back to Rose from Hermione once more. She was unused to feeling sympathy for other people, and the young woman's anguish over this situation with the Doctor was too much for her. So she gladly escaped back to a body she could dominate.
The Duke's aide quickly filled him in, "There's nothing but silence from the other wards. I think we're the only ones left. And I've been trying to override the quarantine. If I can trip a signal over to New New York, they can send a private executive squad."
"You can't do that. If they forced entry, they'd break quarantine."
"I am not dying in here."
"We can't let a single particle of disease get out. There are ten million people in that city. They'd all be at risk. Now, turn that off!"
"Not if it gets me out," she insisted.
"All right, fine. So I have to stop you lot as well. Suits me. Rose, novice Hame, everyone! Excuse me, your Grace. Get me intravenous solutions for every single disease. Move it!"
As everyone grabbed the drip bags from the entire ward the Doctor was collecting a long piece of rope and wrapping it in a coil to hang from his body.
"How's that? Will that do?" he asked, thinking he was talking to Rose.
"I don't know. Will it do for what?"
He groaned when he realised it was Cassandra, again, but wasn't up to arguing the issue more. He looked around frantically for a moment and found Hermione sitting against the Face of Boe's glass, refusing to make eye contact with him. Cringing at what she might have seen from his mind via Cassandra he decided to leave her here to guard the people on the ward while he insisted that Cassandra come with him to sort out this mess. With a leap, he grabbed onto the lift cable, and after some coaxing, Cassandra jumped onto his back to join him. One last glance at Hermione, he saw her wiping a tear from her face. He clenched his jaw and the pair dropped down the shaft, loaded down with rope and all the medicine from the ward.
Hermione watched from her spot on the floor, ignoring the urge to follow him. She was too distraught from the past few days to bring herself to get up, especially with the confusing images she'd seen from Cassandra. Because she was so upset and stressed her mental shields weren't up to their full strength.
Kitten, she heard a whisper in her mind.
Shocked out of her melancholy she looked around, finally turning and noticing the Face of Boe was awake!
Hello? Was that you? He smiled in response and she heard a warm hum of acknowledgement in her mind.
Oh my, um, you wanted to speak with the Doctor, right? He's just gone off to save the day, hopefully. But I'm sure he'll be back soon!
No no no, it's okay kitten. I wanted to speak with you, too. I was hoping you would be with him, but I wasn't sure. I would have sent you a message on the psychic paper but ours only connected when I had physical possession of it. As you can see I can't exactly hold it anymore, he thought wryly.
Hermione was gaping at him. She shut her mouth with an audible click and stared intently at the Face of Boe. Jack?
He grinned at her and his eyes twinkled in a way that was entirely familiar.
Oh my Merlin! How? What? When? OH MY GOSH!
He just chuckled in her mind in response.
I mean, I had a feeling it was you, you were singing Milkshake in your sleep, she told him mentally, shaking her head and grinning at him. How did this happen? Just how old are you?
So so old kitten. I remember I told you I couldn't die, do you remember that?
Yes, that was yesterday for me.
Oh, he said with a soft, sad look in his eyes. Then you haven't gone back to your time yet, you're still waiting for the time turner to be repaired.
She nodded, a small sniffle escaping.
I'm so sorry kitten, I know it's hell right now. It gets better, though, I promise. I was there for some of it! It won't always be like this my sweet kitten.
But Jack, he doesn't want me anymore. He wants to change time and have nothing to do with me! He told me himself! It hurts so bad, she cried, clutching her chest and leaning against the glass. She wished desperately that he could take her and hold her but that was impossible.
I know, I know. And he's going to regret it, trust me. He said this with a bit of a mental growl and it brought the tiniest bit of a smile to her face. It was nice that he was protective of her. I have an important message for the Doctor, and for you as well, but it will have different meanings for both of you. I'm going to see him again, once more, before I finally pass on, but this is going to be the last time I see you.
No! She didn't want this to be their final meeting.
Kitten, this isn't the last time you'll see me, just the last time that I'll see you. So don't cry. You still have your entire future to look forward to, and I PROMISE that it gets better and that you'll see me again soon. So cheer up, I've always hated seeing you cry.
She wiped her tears away, understanding that this wasn't a goodbye on her end, yet. But that didn't make it hurt much less. She loved Jack. The Doctor might be her soulmate, but Jack was just as important and vital to her heart. I understand, Jack. What's your message?
You are not alone. Remember that kitten, you are not alone. Never. Got it?
She pondered his meaning, he'd implied it was the same message for both her and the Doctor but with different meanings for each, but smiled. It was a comforting notion. She nodded and sent him the mental equivalent of a kiss. I love you, Jack, remember that. You're just as important to me as he is, and I look forward to seeing the younger you again soon. I wish you well on your final journey and hope you finally find peace. I'm sure it's been a very very long time coming.
Thank you, Hermione. It's been far longer than I'd even care to admit or remember, but seeing you once more makes all the waiting and loneliness worth it. I love you too, always have.
She'd placed her hand upon the glass once more and was smiling fondly at her dear friend when the Doctor ran up from the lifts.
"The Face of Boe! You were supposed to be dying," he commented, looking between Hermione and Boe, wondering what they'd been talking about.
"There are better things to do today. Dying can wait," he broadcast telepathically to the Doctor, Hermione, and Rose/Cassandra.
"Oh, I hate telepathy. Just what I need, a head full of big face," Cassandra complained.
The Doctor shushed her, and Hermione gave her a sharp look, warning her to be quiet.
"I have grown tired with the universe, Doctor, but you have taught me to look at it anew."
"There are legends, you know, saying that you're millions of years old."
"There are? That would be impossible." When the Doctor glanced away he quickly winked at Hermione who smiled.
"Wouldn't it just. I got the impression there was something you wanted to tell me."
"A great secret," the Face confirmed.
"So the legend says."
"It can wait."
"Oh, does it have to?" the Doctor whined. Hermione couldn't help but laugh.
"We shall meet again, Doctor, for the third time, for the last time, and the truth shall be told. Until that day." With that, he beamed away.
The Doctor rocked back on his heels and whistled. "That is enigmatic. That, that is, that is textbook enigmatic. And now for you," he turned towards Cassandra.
"But everything's happy. Everything's fine. Can't you just leave me?"
"You've lived long enough. Leave that body and end it, Cassandra."
"I don't want to die," she cried.
"No one does."
"What if I shared Hermione?" she asked, looking over at the witch. Then she shook her head. "Nevermind, sorry love, you're sweet but it would be too painful you poor thing."
Hermione grimaced but didn't argue that she was in pain. The Doctor felt like ice had settled in his chest but just frowned at Cassandra.
Chip chose then to shuffle up to the group. "Mistress!"
"Oh, you're alive."
"I kept myself safe for you, mistress," he said, staring at her in awe.
She looked at him consideringly. "A body. And not just that, a volunteer."
The Doctor frowned. "Don't you dare. He's got a life of his own."
"But I worship the mistress. I welcome her," Chip declared proudly.
"You can't, Cassandra, you-" But she'd already done it and Rose collapsed into his arms. He made sure she was okay while Cassandra was looking at her new limbs.
"Oh, sweet Lord. I'm a walking doodle."
The Doctor got Rose up with her feet under her and faced Cassandra again. "You can't stay in there. I'm sorry, Cassandra, but that's not fair. I can take you to the city. They can build you a skin tank and you can stand trial for what you've done."
"Well, that would be rather dramatic. Possibly my finest hour, and certainly my finest hat, but I'm afraid we don't have time. Poor little Chip is only a half-life, and he's been through so much. His heart is racing so. He's failing. I don't think he's going to last-" she fell to her knees with a gasp.
"Are you alright?"
After a moment of consideration, she replied. "I'm fine. I'm dying, but that's fine."
"I can take you to the city," he offered.
"No, you won't. Everything's new on this planet. There's no place for Chip and me anymore. You're right, Doctor. It's time to die, and that's good."
He watched her for a moment before deciding. "Come on. There's one last thing I can do."
Hermione apparated the group back to the TARDIS to save Cassandra-Chip the effort of the long walk back. The Doctor fiddled with the controls and they were soon travelling to a destination only he knew.
The TARDIS had materialised out of sight at a party in a restaurant. The group exited and observed the party, only to see a younger Cassandra in her proper, fully human and 3-Dimensional original body conversing with a group of people. Cassandra-Chip was bundled warmly in a blanket that Hermione had kindly conjured for her and turned to the Doctor to thank him.
He looked at her with a face that was stern, pitying, and yet sympathetic. "Just go. And don't look back."
Rose wished her luck, and Hermione gave Cassandra a quick hug and whispered encouragement to her.
The Doctor and Rose returned to the TARDIS, but Hermione stayed for a moment, watching Cassandra-Chip approach the younger Cassandra, compliment her, and collapse. With a sad sigh, she returned to the TARDIS and ignored the questioning look the Doctor was giving her.
He opened his mouth to say something but quickly closed it. He wasn't sure what he wanted to even say. Did he want to ask if she was alright? Ask about what Cassandra had shown her? In the end, he decided to let it go. She would be gone soon. He watched as she left the console room for her own room and ignored the tug of pain that was becoming nearly constant and turned to hug Rose.
"I'm glad you're back"
"Me too, Doctor."
