Lucy laughed harder than she had in months, it felt like. The Doctor had linked arms with her and the two of them were nearly in tears from the peals of laughter issuing forth. The Doctor had made good on his promise to take Lucy somewhere fun. They were on a planet that Lucy could never pronounce right. This planet, what Lucy had seen of it anyway, was populated with colourful creatures, some vaguely humanoid, all eager to please. They bustled forth with fizzy drinks, acrobatic tricks and Comedia del Arte routines. For the past day, Lucy Blake and the Doctor had been treated to round the clock service. Lucy had been working class her whole life and at first, wasn't sure about being waited on hand and foot. After the first round of drinks though, and a roguish looking boy had lifted her off her seat and waltzed through the street with her, she was sold.

"Oh, Doctor, you were right." Lucy said, falling into a baby blue lawn chair covered in fuzz. "This was fun. And I'm glad you didn't take me home." The Doctor gave her that boyish grin that she was becoming so used to. He turned and looked into the sunset, all pink and orange with bizarre white tentacle like frequencies dancing above them. "Unfortunately, we've got to be going." He looked round wistfully, as if willing the twilight to last forever. "Tell you what." He said after a fraction on a second of reflection, "I'll take you home, real quick like, you can pack your things and travel with me for as long as you like."

"You mean that?"

"Yes, I do. Why is it you doubt everything I tell you?"

"Because you're inviting me in." And with that, Lucy Blake got off her lawn chair, black hair swinging behind her and walked into the slightly ajar door of the T.A.R.D.I.S. The Doctor was left to stare at her retreating back with a puzzled frown on his face. "Because you're letting me in." he thought. He felt a familiar urge to fix things, to heal, to make better. He was called The Doctor for a reason. He rose, handing his orange drink to the nearest person/creature. He ducked into his beloved ship, locking it behind him. Inside, Lucy was sitting on a bit of railing, looking for all the world like an eager schoolgirl. How could she just drop that bombshell and then prance off like a puppy? He gave her a weak smile, wondering what the cause was. He could feel her aura, like everyone's. It was different. It had Rose's compassion, Martha's strength and Donna's fire. However, there was something flawed. Broken, even. He went to the controls and set them for….wait. He didn't know where he was going. "Lucy, dear, I'm afraid you haven't told me where you live."

"Ten Eight Thirty eight, Carnaby Street. London." She beamed again and the Doctor puzzled over her demeanour. What was her story? Why was she so intriguing? He figured he'd have enough time to find out, he'd just offered to have her travel with him, and that meant live with him, sort of. He set his controls and they were off.

Upon arrival, Lucy practically tore out of the T.A.R.D.I.S. and bounded onto the London street. Her clothes were still blood spattered, the ones she'd worn when he first met her a few days ago. He followed her to a tall flat with a red brick face and ancient ivy creeping up. Wrought iron gates lined a steep flight of only six steps to the dark green front door. Snow had covered every surface and the Doctor caught the date on a handy stack of newspapers. It was December 23rd, 2009. He was getting her out of London just before Christmas. While mysterious events often circulated around the holiday, particularly in London, he couldn't help but wonder if he was taking her away from dearly loved family. Before the door could shut he stepped inside, trench coat barely avoiding being caught in the door. Apparently, Lucy had a ground floor apartment. Two bedrooms. "Luce?" he said, hating the nick name as soon as it slipped. "Lucy? I'm not…taking you away from any friends and family just before Christmas, am I?" Lucy popped into view with a suitcase and several duffle bags on her arm. "No. My sister's traveling in India. She'll be in Mumbai for months. That's her room over there. And I just split up with my boyfriend, James, so it's just me, yeah."

"I'm sorry about you and James. Um, no, no parents then?" he asked, almost wishing he hadn't. If she hadn't mentioned them, something wasn't right. Sure enough, Lucy shook her head. "Nope. I don't know where my father is, don't care, actually. And mum died. A few months ago. Heart attack. I always told her she was too stressed." Lucy ducked out of sight into what the Doctor presumed was her bedroom. Yeesh. An absent father, a beloved twin sister away and a deceased mother. This girl couldn't be as calm and level as she let on. "I'm sorry, Lucy. I'm so sorry." He said leaning on the door frame. She looked up at him, surprised. Like she wasn't used to people feeling sorry for her. "Don't be. No, really, don't." she said when he opened his mouth to speak. "I'm happy for my sister, I've made my peace with mum, and I don't want to know where my father is. He hasn't been my father. Not for years." After she was done she had this look like she'd let on too much. She set about to packing, and then stopped abruptly. "I've just realised. Oh, God, I have got to take a shower and change." She tore across the hall with a bundle of clothes in hand, and before the Doctor could say a word, had closed the door and started the water. He took the liberty of walking round the room and gazing at her various possessions. On the dresser were two parts pictures of her and the girl who could only be her twin, Juliet and trophies and ribbons baring dance titles and wins. Some of them were dated twenty years ago. A picture that hadn't gotten the honor of a frame yet caught his eye. Lucy and Juliet were bent over a birthday cake with twenty two candles in it. Lucy was facing her sister but her right hand extended away from her and was holding the hand of a man that the Doctor assumed was James. He was good looking, tall, and from the picture, looked like he completely adored Lucy. He wondered why they'd called it quits. The Doctor lingered on Lucy's smile, a smile that was echoed in Juliet's. Both girls had something behind their eyes. Something sad. All too soon, the water cut off and Lucy entered the bedroom, still toweling her hair. It was dripping and piecy and even darker than when dry. She had indeed changed and was wearing loose fitting jeans, a green tank top with lace at the collar and a green jacket that only came down to the bottom of her rib cage. She grabbed a hair tie off her desk and braided the still wet hair. The Doctor sat on her bed while she finished packing. It didn't take long. "Hang on. I've got to pay rent. How am I gonna-"

"That's the beauty of time-travel. I can take you back to before you had debts. Man, I don't get money. I've always been very vague about money." Lucy smiled and stood in front of her bags. There were five in all. The Doctor grabbed three and Lucy walked behind him with the other two. The Doctor ducked into the T.A.R.D.I.S. just as a tall, good looking man stepped up to Lucy. Lucy groaned, the suitcase and dance bag in her hand feeling heavier than ever. "What do you want, James?" He looked up at her with his hateful, beautiful face. He had dark blond hair that fell in front of his eyes which were steely grey. His skin was tanned; he looked like the polar opposite of Lucy, all fair skinned, dark haired and stormy eyes. "My ring. I want it back." He said gruffly. The Doctor came out just in time to see Lucy yank off a ring from her finger and thrust it into the open palm of the man he'd just seen in a picture. He frowned and stepped up to Lucy's shoulder, which he touched, as though reminding her of his existence. Lucy looked at him, grateful and James followed her gaze, frowning. "Good God, Lucy, you do move quickly."

"Oh shut up, pig, he's not my boyfriend, he's just a friend. And a good sight more thoughtful than you. I've only known him three days and I like him better than you. Now get out of sight and stay out of my flat."

"Your flat? I paid for it half the time!"

"Bullocks! At any rate, I'm leaving and I'd hoped for a better going away view than your arse, but I suppose I'll have to make do." The Doctor raised his eyebrows and Lucy threw him an apologetic look. James stormed away and Lucy thought it remarkable that he didn't even notice the T.A.R.D.I.S. right in front of him. She went through the doors and followed her memory to the place where she'd slept that first night. Sure enough, the Doctor had set her other bags on the bed, not wanting to unpack for her. She set the bags down and stiffened when she felt the Doctor standing in the doorway. "I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean for you to see that or anything."

"Not at all, Lucy. I was wondering why the two of you broke up, but now I'm sure I've got some of the picture." Lucy laughed; it was a sound that held little humour and was in fact dripping with irony. "Yeah, that's James. It was great when we were first starting out, but then he started getting lazy, then he started getting mean and I knew that wasn't about to happen to me again,-"

"What do you mean, 'again'?"

Lucy sighed, looking more tired than the Doctor had ever seen. She looked as tired as he felt. "I suppose I owe you, since you're letting me stay with you and all."

"You don't owe me anything." He said, cutting her off. "You don't have to tell me anything but I'm sure you'd feel at least a little better. I can make it easy for you. You don't even have to speak but I'll understand like I was living it myself." Lucy shuddered and replied, "Well, I wouldn't want you to live it yourself, but since you offered." The Doctor waved his hand, motioning for her to come to him. She barely came up to his collar bone and he held his hands out on either side of her face and said, "I'm going to look into your mind. If there's anything you really don't want me to see, just picture a door and close it." Lucy nodded, but didn't say anything. The Doctor ever so gently laid his hands on her face and she winced, but not from his touch. She could feel him in her mind and she could swear she felt his mind.

What the Doctor saw did not please him. In a peaceful country side home, two six-year-old girls ran into the foyer in ballet shoes and tutus. They were giggling and screaming as they played. Their mother came into view, looking worried. She shot a glance over at the couch and said to her girls, "Lucy, Juliet, be quiet, you'll wake your father!" The two girls looked saddened and fell silent. The mother left into the kitchen and one of the girls whispered into the other's ear. The girl shrieked with laughter, which got the other one going. The figure that had been sleeping on the couch rose ferociously and snarled. A hulking man who had the look of a former boxer rounded on the two girls, who shrank into the wall. "What did your mother bloody tell you two! Shut the hell up, you worthless brats!" The girls began crying and the mother came rushing into view. "Evan, please, they're happy about their ballet recital. They both did so well!"

"I don't give two shits about their ballet recital; it's bad enough we waste all that money on it. What are you crying for, you grotty little wankers?" The girls cried harder than ever and when the mother moved toward Evan, he threw his hand back and slapped her in the face. "Emmeline, don't you start defending them. Those two brats have been nothing but a pain in my arse, and it's your fault!" Then, Evan began hitting Emmeline harder than ever. One girl ran forward and hit her father in the crook of his knee. He buckled and wheeled back around to face them. "WHICH ONE OF YOU TWO BITCHES DID THAT? YOU'LL PAY, YOU BLOODY WILL!" He grabbed the nearest twin and smacked her in the face, then, for good measure apparently, did the same to the other.

The Doctor could feel Lucy shaking and figured she was too scared to picture any closed doors. He took his hands away from her temples and caught her in his arms. "Dear God, Lucy, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry." His voice was pinched and he held her so tight. Maybe if he held her tight enough, he could make what had just happened go away. But it wouldn't, he knew that. This poor girl had lived through that and probably much more. He had seen other closed doors. Lucy pushed herself away from the Doctor and wiped her eyes. "After that, mum wound up in the hospital and, and-"

"Ssh, ssh, you don't have to tell me, Lucy."

"No, I want to. I've never told anyone. Not even James. Juliet and I are the only ones who know now. Anyway, mum ended up in the hospital. It got worse after what you saw. Juliet and I got twelve stitches between us and mum had a broken jaw, two fractured ribs and a concussion. We got a protection order against Evan and eventually he was arrested. He was in jail for a couple years, but they let him out and we spent a lot of time moving from place to place." The Doctor pulled her into his arms again and told her again and again how sorry he was. Lucy, sounding like her old self again said, "I'm fine, Doctor, really I am. I promise." The Doctor nodded and then felt something very unwelcome. The T.A.R.D.I.S. gave an unexpected jolt, without his guidance and was now careening off to who knew where. The Doctor and Lucy looked at each other, eyebrows raised. When the ship came to a stop, they stood, unmoving, not knowing what waited outside those doors.