A/N:I want to thank xmenloganfan for the review and the Story Alert. I must express gratitude to my other reviewer, OtherMeWriter, and story alert reader, Delphine Pryde.
Um… The Doctor never does stupid things, right? He'll make a recovery (of course he will, he's still got a lot of ground to cover here), and those around him will start paying even more attention to when he starts to do something rash, at least until they know that the problem is taken care of.
Me and my suddenly busy life, eh? Sometimes I hate my job. Thankfully it's only going to be for a few weeks.

Summary: The Doctor, reeling from the effects of the TimeWar as the last surviving TimeLord, stumbled into a situation he could not ignore when the TARDIS landed him inside a ship that was clearly in trouble. After the rescue, he's left with eight survivors that he must somehow get to safety. But the situation is not as cut and dry as he might like. His people may be gone, but the stamp he's made on the universe is still there, and he finds himself caught in a web spun of the choices he's made in the past…

It's 2517. Something in history has prompted humanity to explode out from their home world. Could the events of 2164 be responsible? Was Earth a myth or was it real? In fleeing Earth-that-Was, humanity scattered to the stars across the galactic arm. Initial survey teams targeted likely planets and systems for habitation and not all of them ended up on the same side of the sector. Blue Sun exists on one side, separated by a patch of 'wild space' filled with exotic binary and triple star systems, from the rest of civilized space.

Few ships brave the route. But luck had it that one ship did. Risking a ghost run, the only contact that the two sides have, the Hunter-Gratzner crashed midway through the journey. Original Port of Departure: Eavesdown Docks, Persephone. Mixed Sino-Anglo culture. Original Port of Call: Tangiers-5. Darkside. Mixed Islamic-Anglo culture. Crew complement: Four. Passengers: Forty. Living 'Cargo': Two. Survivors: Eight plus One

So what happens to Dr. Simon Tam, his brilliant but damaged sister, a convicted murder by the name of Richard B. Riddick, and the other survivors from the crash of the Hunter-Gratzner at planet M-344/G-2 now that they are on their way home? They end up slightly out of their own Time, on a ship filled with living sculptures… And just how is this related to the TimeWar?

A Doctor Who / Firefly / Riddick crossover.

Features Doctor 9, Pre-"Rose"; Simon and River Tam, Pre-"Serenity" Firefly episode 1 and the survivors from Pitch Black: Carolyn Fry, William J. Johns, Imam Abu al'Walid, 'Jack B. Badd', Ali Abdullah, and Richard B. Riddick…

Doctor Who and the Ties that Bind.

Part Eleven

Improvement

Simon had, uncharacteristically, joined Carolyn and William in their pacing after the Doctor and Riddick were removed from the cell. He'd given River and the boys his padd and they were with Imam learning something. He couldn't really make himself focus on what they were doing. He could feel that River was concerned too, but that the task of instructing the two boys was keeping her busy.

"Gawd – I feel like a rat in a cage." Fry said.

"Might be because we are like rats in a cage," Johns replied as they passed one another.

"That doesn't help."

The marshal shrugged, "Not meant to. What's bothering you Doc?"

There were many things about the current circumstances that bothered him, but the one that he couldn't ignore was the fact that the Time Lord was not well, and the stress he was being placed under weakened him. His understanding of the alien physiology was limited at best, geared toward emergency situations. This did not include coping with parasitic energy beings, nor captivity. All it would take for the current happenstance to spiral out of his ability to handle was the gent being exposed to the wrong chemical family. So he was pacing. He really hoped that they hadn't been taken to a medical bay. Acetylsalicylic acid was just as widely used now as it had always been. "I'm just concerned about what is going on away from here. My medical mind is conjuring up all sorts of negative situations."

"Heh. Sometimes it's the shits being genius-smart, ain't it?" the redhead replied.

"Yes." Simon had to agree. The pacing went on much longer in silence then, and somehow Imam managed to not strangle any of them. That might have been because of his prayer beads that were clicking through his fingers.

The Tam scion was just turning on his heel to head back toward the doorway when Richard and the Doctor returned. The Time Lord was cradled in the goggled man's arms and he looked overly pale with the russet color on his skin showing in stark contrast. The younger doctor had to keep himself from dashing forward until the mercs backed out. He could tell even from a distance that the man was overheated again, limp, but he seemed to be breathing all right. That was in their favor at least.

"You, priest. Come get this stuff and haul it inside the cell," Abu was instructed. He moved to pull the mats and blankets into the room for them. The merc commander tried to keep her men focused on the holy man. Meanwhile the redheaded marshal was doing his best to keep their attention on him. While the Imam was following her order, Rich kneeled down near one wall and propped the unconscious pale man up, fairly unobserved by the hired guns. They currently seemed to view Johns as the threat.

Only after the mercs had left them alone again did River and Simon dare approach. The first thing the Tam scion noticed was that the aura around Richard and the Doctor was like a lightning storm, although the boiling foam around the Time Lord looked a little thin. "What happened?" Simon pulled out his medical scanner. The initial scan showed no reason for the Doctor's state. He adjusted it to look for symptoms.

Riddick looked at him, "Fuck if I know, Doc. I mean, he pulled this little trick and aged our hostess until she looked like a mummy and then reversed it. I suppose that with his attack on Junner that he's just over exerted himself." The ex-ranger maintains his contact with the Doctor by instinct.

The Tam scion sure hoped it was something so simple. His fears centered on poison but the scans were showing no sign of that, "He internal temperature is rising again. It's up almost eight percent." The bronze complexioned man nodded. He knew this already.

River kneeled down and took the Time Lord's hands, "It's escaping our enclosure." Both men looked at her. Simon could tell that she was pushing her aura into the pale hairless gent's, strengthening it. "We need to trap it again."

"I'm not sure how, seeing as we are missing sides still," Riddick said to her.

Johns settled down and looked at them, "What is going on?"

The dark haired young doctor placed his hand over the linked ones of his sister and the Time Lord, ignoring the marshal for the moment. To the bronze ex-ranger he said, "We improvise. Whatever it takes to save him, dong ma?"

Richard nodded, "It's nothing you can help with Billy. Just let us do what we need to do."

"That aside, I'd still like to know what is going on. Our 'captain', for want of a better term, is down and that impacts all of us."

This was true, as far as things went. They had all begun to take their cues from the Doctor, and his being injured was a bad thing. Dr. Tam looked at the redhead, "Bring over a mat and some blankets, please. I'll try to explain but I'm not sure how believable it's going to sound." While Johns stepped away to get Simon what he asked for, Riddick fixed the young man with a glare. "There's no need for that expression, Richard. The Doctor needs you, and no one can alter that." The goggled man's face relaxed until his blue-eyed-devil returned then the glare came back fixed on the redhead. Billy ignored it. "At some point, River was infected with a bio-chemical energy-based parasite. I believe this happened while she was at the Academy." The dark haired girl nods in agreement. "Remember how River was when we approached the TARDIS?"

"Yeah, that was creepy, with her silently crying and the tears frozen to her face." William said. Behind him Carolyn and Abu were both listening to the conversation. River shivered at the reminder and turned her attention to the Doctor, tuning out the rest of Simon's explanation.

"Apparently the parasite sits dormant until it is 'awakened' by certain power fields produced by ships like the Doctor's. My medical scanner can't pick it up, even with it active like it is now. It's a hybrid weapon designed to kill individuals like the Doctor, although I still don't know why it infected River. Somehow the parasite made a partial transfer before we escaped that planet. Three days ago the Doctor 'cured' River by removing all of it from her. This, of course, means that he is infected with it. The only way to stop this 'doomsday agent' from killing him is to mentally contain it. Whatever it was that the Doctor did strengthened the parasite and weakened himself." He looked at Johns to see if that explained enough to him. The marshal nodded. "Now we should get the Doctor onto a mat. Will you lift him, Richard?"

The ex-ranger scooped up the unconscious man and allowed Simon to place a mat under him. Then he watched as Simon spread a blanket over his legs and placed another one behind his head.

While Simon is tending to the Doctor's physical comfort, Fry frowns. "That is not good," Carolyn said. "Is there anything we can do to help?"

"Not that I know of at this point, unless you can see auras, or possess some latent telepathic or empathic power."

She shook her head, "No. Sorry. I almost wish I did have some hidden ability like that. I didn't think this sort of thing was real, before I met you guys."

Abu cleared his throat, "Why would anyone create such a thing? It sounds extremely specific and targeted."

"War," Johns replied. "It's a weapon of the last ditch, must-win-somehow, crowd from a war. And I bet the creatures behind it are related to the Shrill, judging by the Doctor's reactions to them and their reactions to him."

"Can we do this now?" Riddick said. Simon nodded and closed his eyes. After a few moments the bronze skinned man tilted his head downward, indicating that he too was mentally elsewhere.

"War. Such a simple sounding word for something so horrific," the Imam says. "Perhaps we could pray?"

Jack watched River, Simon, Richard, and the Doctor for a moment, a pensive look on his face, "Why did he do any of that, I mean, the Doctor knew he was weakened, right?"

Johns, Fry and Imam all looked at the boy who was chewing on his lip. Finally the marshal said, "Because he'd rather take the risk onto himself if it can save someone else, then to lose those he cares for, Jack. That includes us."

Carolyn reached over and hugged the boy. He buried his face into her shoulder and shivered with suppressed sobs. "It's gonna be awright, Jack," she murmured into his hair, rocking him slightly. "I know you're scared, but we will make it out of this." Ali moved up and put a hand on honey haired boy's back, lending silent support.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Commander Harley and her merc squad enlisted three Shrill to assist in the search. This broke down to one shrill and four mercs per search party. Her current group consisted of three medium-skilled gunners and a cool toned Shrill. The translation device was flashing type at her that indicated the Shrill's complaints with the heat here. "I know it's hot, but the equipment won't function under lower temperature ranges. The faster we cover this sector the sooner you get to return to your cooler habitat."

The black haired brawny merc to her right scanned with a sensor sweep, "I'm not picking up anything. No abnormal energy readings at all."

She growled. This was a waste of fucking time. "Are you looking for the unique tri-wave pattern?"

"No Sir. Should I be?"

"Of course not! The bomb only tipped the ship's sensors off the chart with them. We don't need to be using that to search for it do we?"

The man swallowed. "Oh. Right."

"Listen, asshole. I gave you the scanner because you said you knew how to use it. I'm low on patience at the moment, crawling through methane tainted air to find a bomb that could blow the ship to kingdom come, and I don't really need to be thinking about shooting you. So do your fucking job and scan for the correct energy patterns."

"Yes Sir."

Ahead of her the Shrill indicated a right turn. She tugged the man's sleeve, "And keep up with us."

"Yes Sir."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The place the Doctor was in was recognizable. There was ground and buildings, multi-ethnic on a universal scale; beside his feet ran the smallest trickle of water through the ruins that burned as far as he could see. The sky was filed with smoke, although he wasn't bothered by it at ground level. He glanced at his hands and immediately realized what was going on. There on his finger was his ever present blue stoned ring. He'd not thought of that ring in years. He's pretty sure that the TARDIS moved it into his first bedroom, though. It was just too easy to become sidetracked in this form. What was going on again? Oh right, the parasite was trying to force him into giving in by denying him the ability to fight back.

This then must be his mental landscape. While it was real, this scene, someplace he'd really seen in this state, it didn't have to be this way. Only he lacked the energy to change it. He sighed. All Thete could see was raging fire, ruins, parched earth, and smoke. The parasite was overtaking him, wearing him down, burning him out. He was not going to give up though. He couldn't die like this. The self-image he wore inside his own head, and others too when he made contact with them in such a manner, usually looked like his outer body, when he took a humanoid form at all. He preferred the surging energy of the Oncoming Storm to any small humanoid body. The parasite forced him into one, however, and the man that stood among the ruins was the one with the weakest psychic power. The old Doctor's shoulder length white hair framed his sharp featured face, while his tattered clothes only barely resembled an outfit he'd once worn.

River had begun to flow into the Time Lord's mind. She found the elderly white haired man from the photograph with surprising ease. His clothing gave him a tattered defeated look, but his eyes were alive and defiant. Then she realized – the old man in the photograph by her bed in her room on the TARDIS was the Doctor. He had known Susan Campbell. She rushed to him, wanting to protect him from the flames. This was still the man she knew, her storm, even if he wore another face.

Suddenly there was a flood of water at his feet, the tiny flow, unnoticed, had become a mighty river of liquid cutting through the burning landscape. He stepped into it, walking down a gentle bank and submerging himself in his element. He emerged on the other side with straight black hair that fell onto his forehead and a different face entirely. Delighted, he laughed. Hello, River!

She was saddened to see the change, yet happy that he was healthier for it. You look different.

He nodded. He felt stronger now, by a measure. This old body was familiar to him, and mentally powerful although not as strong as some of his later forms. My second body, this was. A good form for me; lasted very well in spite some of the things I put it through. He patted himself down and realized that he lacked the extra-dimensional pockets in this ruined outfit.

Simon is coming.

Yes, if he would just let himself flow here. Problem is the boy wants to blow his own way and will look every direction besides the right one before he arrives.

River laughed like summer rain pattering against a window. I like this form.

So did I. Had some fine adventures in it, met some great people. Even loved a few. The man's rubbery face became downcast; I knew a fine young man and several very intelligent young women back then. You would have liked Jamie and Zoe, I think.

What happened to them?

My peers sent them home, with their memories wiped, so that they didn't remember, couldn't remember, ever knowing me. Punished for trying to undo a horrible wrong. It wasn't fair to them, to take that away.

Next to him appeared Verity, swathed in golden light. Now don't get all sad, Doctor. You did get more time with Jamie, even if it was under the beck and call of the CIA. I think, in the end, nothing could alter what the lad knew in his heart.

I just miss him.

Yes. You always will. Just like Richard.

Pah. Amadak is different.

Shaking her head, she hugged him; I tried to warn you, Doctor. Look at what has happened. She pulled back to reveal still yet another body, one that was tall with a silver mane of hair and a face dominated by a strong nose. His clothes switched to something similar to what River was used to seeing him in, a white tee and jeans.

It's not so bad, Verity. I have helpers and support. We'll get through this.

River materialized from the flowing water and looked at the woman with the golden aura. You are the TARDIS.

I am, Indeed. Hello, River.

Then Amadak appeared, pushing up from the ground. Doctor?

They turned to look at the ex-ranger. Yes, Amadak. Don't worry, this is temporary. Come here.

The bronze-skinned man strode up and took the extended hand causing the tall form to become even taller, taking on a mass of curly brown hair. The toothy grin that the Doctor flashes at them indicates that he's starting to feel much more like himself, even if he is several lives mentally behind where he needs to be. The tee and jeans look positively odd on the man, like he's missing several layers, like a cat that has been shaved. In short, his head looks too large for his body this way. Whoa, you're quite – tall, Richard commented. He gains another toothy grin for the trouble.

Then Simon blew in. You are hard to find.

Trying too hard I suspect, son. Simon cocked his head at the unfamiliar man. Oh, don't look at me like that. I'm the same person, just in a different body.

Doctor? The young man looks like he is flabbergasted.

Who else would I be?

The Tam scion moves up and hugs the very tall figure, ignoring the fact that the man is at least a head taller than he is in this form. He pulls back to find himself staring into brown eyes the color of River's only inside a boyish face topped by straight blonde hair. His expression must be amusing because the now shorter man (who still tops Simon's height by half a hand's width) gives him a smirk. What -- ?

Each manifestation of the struggle I'm having with the parasite will take a different form. You might not see that it's being re-contained, but I assure you that as I move from one body to the next that it is being pushed back into a manageable area. This is number five, by the way. You are going to have to work together to force me through the other four remaining forms to get the parasite trapped. I can hold the current body, but I can't force myself to advance into the next.

River frowned, How?

Trust your instincts.

Verity took the Doctor's hand in her own, turning him to face her. Poison took this life, before. It broke you down. Yet you saved your companion. Simon, you must choose one person to assist you.

The young doctor did not hesitate. Richard. He knew this was right. Riddick stepped up and ran a hand over the Doctor's arm. The man looked at him and smiled. Simon stepped up and took the Time Lord's hand away from the golden shrouded female. The opposing elements, Earth to Air, clashed and transformed the figure caught in the middle into a heavyset curly headed blonde. Number six?

He seemed dazed still, and the TARDIS took advantage of that to rush the change before he could open his mouth. Yes, Verity stepped back in, pulling him into the flowing water. She then caught him in an embrace and placed her lips over his. He reacted without thinking, passionately responding to her touch as they usually did when there were no witnesses.

Richard watched the display and was surprised to note that it didn't make him jealous.

The Doctor shrunk down to River's height, although he was not nearly as slim. The Time Lord blinked rapidly at the dark brown headed woman, clearly shocked at the method she'd used. It is not the first time I've done that to you, Thete. He blushed.

Verity! There are tender ears here that might not understand.

She laughed, Oh but they do. Simon and River are like us. Twins in soul if not in body. And your Amadak knows more than he remembers.

River joyfully laughed with the golden shrouded woman. She became rain, pulling Simon into the air. Together the pair of them engulfed the smallest form of the Doctor and he emerged smiling, his soft brown hair and lightly tanned skin offset by the most striking green eyes Riddick had ever seen. They were like seafoam, so light colored they were. He knew this man. The realization was like a blow to the gut. He knew this body.

Amadak?

Richard snapped his jaw closed. So this was what the Doctor had meant, about the man not being lost to him. He'd already suspected. Really he had. But the emotions flooding him right now are bewildering to him. He felt more than like for this individual. It was more than security. They had experienced something together that built a bond between them that snapped back into place like it had never been gone. Suddenly he understood his instinct toward the Doctor. Thete.

Help me, Amadak.

I'm gonna lose you again. The pain is still raw that he's lived with all his life, never knowing why he felt it. Something ripped them asunder. He wished he could remember.

No. I'll always be here. I've always been here. Who I am, who I've been, really it's all the same. The man was finely boned, shorter than Simon, but so very powerful. The energy radiated off of him like he couldn't contain it. Don't you still feel the same for me?

The ex-ranger swallowed, 'Course I do. How can I not. Even if I don't remember everything, my heart does. This hurts, Thete. Why did we part?

The War. It took everything away from me. At the time when you disappeared I didn't question it. Maybe I should have. The delicate face looks so heartbroken that Riddick immediately forgives him of whatever wrong that might have happened between them.

Not everything. You have us. And with that Amadak caught the finely chiseled face by the chin with one hand and tilted it upward, following his instinct, as he'd been told to do. You have me.

Somehow River understood to step up and embrace the man around the waist without him asking her too. Simon and Verity both came up and circled them from the sides. He searched those timeless pale green eyes and then leaned down to carefully kiss the perfectly formed lips. It was just supposed to be the slightest of slides with silk over silk, but the smaller man caught him by the shirt and deepened the contact, offering his mouth for the larger man to plunder. It's totally shameless. While Simon might be turning beet red, both Verity and River accept this as natural. The ex-ranger took the opportunity by pressing the advantage being offered to him. Still leisurely and gently, he explored the familiar cavern of the green-eyed Doctor's mouth. But the shift from the smaller form into the larger one shattered his restraint.

The scent of the man, the taste of him, exploded into Richard's awareness as passion and need entwined themselves into the contact. The kiss deepened and the two pulled themselves flush against each other as the Doctor's body changed into the one that was current. Richard settled his hands on the Time Lord's shoulders. Whatever he had possessed with this man in his younger form was nothing against how right this felt, with Thete in this larger body. Ignoring the others would be all too easy even though they are touching him. He forced his hands to grip those broad firm shoulders to keep himself from going further than this single mental kiss.

It was just mental, wasn't it? Amusement flashes across the mind to mind contact. The previous images were blotted out leaving only the experience of the kiss. No, this is all too real. He can smell, taste, and feel every moment of this extremely physical contact burning itself into his being. And the other man, cooler against his own tongue, is actively participating, breathing for them both, extending the encounter. His body is alive with lightning tingles racing across him; more intense than anything he's ever recalled feeling. It's so good, so right; he never wants this to stop. Something shudders in his awareness, and he knows the parasite is contained again. It's almost orgasmic, or like a sneeze. It feels wonderful, but not exactly sexual. Certainly it bares repeating someday when the Doctor's life is not in danger.

He felt the large hands settle on his face, cool like they should be. They caressed his cheeks and the fingers slid apart as they reached around to stroke the back of his neck. He opened his eyes to find that he was forehead to forehead with the Doctor again. The ex-ranger could taste that intense flavor of honey, mint, cloves, and musk that was so unique to the Time Lord. It blotted out his own meaty-sweet taste that he'd become used to. They are still breathing on each other, so close that they can smell one another on each breath. His mouth tingled from the intense contact. Rich is not sure how to react. The kiss was amazing. But by the same token he never meant to actually do it. And Thete might not let him ever do it again. Riddick felt his cheeks reddening as he realized what he'd done. The Doctor's lips are tinged cinnamon and his pale skin is flushing across his cheeks and up into his ears, much as his own darker skin must be tinged with crimson. The coloration is not from being overheated, but it's impossible to tell if it is embarrassment or desire that is the cause.

Richard would pull away but for the long fingers keeping his head bent down. The Time Lord gives him a reassuring smile, slightly coy perhaps, but showing that he's not angered. The unspoken message is 'just be with me, here' and the ex-ranger can't deny it. He relaxed into the contact, Sorry.

The Doctor shakes his head slightly. I place no blame, Amadak.

Not even if I want to do it again, and more besides?

Words spoken aloud cut off any mental reply the Doctor might make to him, "Fuckin' about time. Now that's what I call a goddamn kiss."

"Johns!"