Is being good, Jessica thinks, that Doctor am not being afraid of her. That was her real nightmare. That was what made her cry behind the Tardis before. She had been thinking that she would hide her outbreak, keep it secret, locked away where she could forget and he would never know. But she got it into her head that MissusToffee would show him her wound, and BadLouis would find a way to tell him everything. Then he would know anyway, and wouldn't it be worse for her if it looked like she'd tried to keep it from him? Wouldn't he think, then, that maybe he had something to really be afraid of?

"Oi," he mutters, and pokes her at a certain place on the spine. "No slouching, soldier."

"Right-yes."

At least he's not afraid of her. She would have run away forever if he had been afraid of her again. And now, at least, they're getting away from the hospital. There are too many people there who've already had all their bad luck. They don't need Jessica bringing hers around there too. Away from poor Claraperson and Witch-Lizzie, so that they can be safe from her.

"Doctor?"

"Yes, lov- I mean, bodyguard."

"Are having brief for special mission?"

"Oh. Oh, is that normal? Is that what we do, is there a brief? Can't just make it up as we go anymore?"

"Jessica am always to be protects Doctor when him am needs her for does. Friend-Jessica is being trusted and him can be making it up, because knowing her. Soldier-Jessica is to be having brief. Then is not makes any mistakes that him would not trust." He doesn't answer her immediately. At first she thinks he is simply putting the words together in the right order. For obvious reasons, Jessica always allows ample time for that most difficult of tasks. But his silence goes on just a bit too long. She turns to check on him.

The Doctor is standing with his arms wide open, with a deeply sad look on his face. "Is being alright?!" she panics.

"Of course." He corrects himself to standing at attention. So does she, and both give sharp, single nods. But this has stopped them, somewhat awkwardly, about six feet from the Tardis. By shuffles and gestures, the Doctor moves to the door and gets it unlocked. It's a little odd, to be back to being a soldier and not even be handcuffed and still have the door held open for her. "Come and help me set a course. Get the co-ordinates out of the mainframe."

"Right-yes, Doctor," and she runs to the keyboard. "Where for?"

"The Maldovarium, dear-I mean, Lieutenant." Her hands are over the keys, ready, so ready to do as she's told. But she freezes, and hovers. The Doctor can hear that nothing is happening. He lifts his voice and calls from the other side of the console, "So that's Mal, like that nice space captain we met when you were on half-term break. Then Do, like a deer, a female deer. Va, like a long long way to run, except with a V. Ri, a drop of golden sun-" While she's still where he can't see her, Jessica covers her mouth to keep from giggling. "And um like, um… Well, like Um."

"Right-yes, Doctor."

He cranes, leaning on a lever. "You're sounding awfully smiley over there…"

She pinches herself, trying to kill it. "Am having co-ordinates. Calls them out for him?"

"If you wouldn't mind." They get through all of that. Immediately after take-off, she goes to stand on the stairs that face the door. The best defensive position in the console room. "Jessica, we're in the middle of the vortex. I don't think we're under attack. Come over here." He's sitting down on the jump seat. Normally, she would sit on the floor by his feet. But he always puts his hand on her head. Just playing with her hair, but that's the part of her that still hurts, that still remembers Louis Sieverts' touch. So she stands next to him, leaning on the rail. They both start to speak in the same second, both saying each other's names. "You go first," he tells her.

"Asks what for are going to Mal-doe-far-ray-um."

"Oh. To meet Mr Maldovar. He's a person who can get hold of most things and usually has one of everything on reserve. We need the machine Elizabeth and I were talking about. And depending on when I'm meeting him, he might take a bit of convincing."

"So is needing scary-Jessica-stakes. Understanding, Doctor. Now what was him to have been saying?"

"Never mind."

He takes her hand between both of his, patting the back. Jessica pulls it away again, tucks it into her pocket. "Him am feeling sorry for her. Not does. Being too much more than is deserving."

"Oh, now, we'll have none of that t-"

The grind of the Tardis trying to land without help interrupts and they both launch back to the right levers and buttons. "Handbrake!" she calls.

"Thank you." The grind stops. Landing is a hard bump, but nothing more. Jessica staggers and he steadies her at the elbow. "You alright?"

"Not injuryied."

"'Injured', love."

"Much thanks. Them are to be going out now?" The Doctor straightens the neck of her sweater, pushes her hair back over her shoulders. He must be making his bodyguard look presentable. Otherwise she'll give him a bad name. Her old Owner very rarely took her out except to go and kill, but that was always when she got new clothes, when someone would take care of her. He's just making sure she doesn't show him up.

This time she makes sure that things are done correctly. She goes ahead of him. Gets the door for him, steps out defensively around him.

If Jessica had been in charge of arranging this mission, she might have suggested meeting Mr Maldovar somewhere else. This Maldovarium is not logistically good. It is not the sort of place where she wants to protect someone.

Make no mistake, it's very beautiful. She loves its high, opulent ceilings and the silk drapes. She loves everyone lying around on cushions instead of chairs, and the tall brass teapots that don't seem to be serving tea. She likes the exotic, drifting music. But it is very large, and full of people, and the silk drapes, to a soldier, just look like places for people to hide. She's so alert, so overwhelmed, the tips of her stakes begin to creep down over her wrists like little daggers. The Doctor puts forward one gentle hand. At his touch, they stop growing.

"Might not need those. Best not be the ones to start the fight."

"Being ready. Danger-place."

Walking over the elegant, mosaic floor, he smiles. "You wear a lot of long sleeves. How many times have you been ready to protect me and I just couldn't see?"

Oh, lots. Very much lots. The Doctor sometimes will just walk into a place with lots of hiding places, where anyone could be waiting to jump out at him. There are a great many times when Jessica has been ready while he skipped on, not even thinking. But how can she tell him that? It just sounds like she's pleading to get back in his good books again, and she doesn't deserve to be. Before she can think of any way around it (because stringing the words together is difficult for her), he has seen someone who can help them.

He just veers away. It's a good thing, she thinks, he doesn't have to hire a bodyguard, because nobody would take the job. Jessica rushes a few careful steps to keep up with him. The Doctor is speaking with a large creature, charcoal grey, which, if it straightened out its' hundreds of vertebrae, would be scraping the ceiling. It has brought down its head on three corkscrew turns, pressing close to be heard over the music and noise. Jessica, having assessed the creature and decided it's low-threat, watches the Doctor's back and the room around them.

The next she knows of him is when he tugs her arm. "Come on. The Admiral here knows where to find Dorium."

The Admiral's short flat feet don't actually move. It just draws its head carefully back to the ceiling and arcs it over the crowds, indicating a small, gilded alcove in the far wall. The Doctor just takes off toward it. Jessica actually has to reach out and stop him; the entrance of the alcove is all hung with the same silks. There could be anything beyond it. She grabs the back of the Doctor's jacket and holds him off while she investigates.

Beyond the pink curtain is a great blue balloon of a creature in a gold smoking jacket. Jessica gasps. "Head!" she cries, unable to help herself. "Was being just head when last meets, but is having back body now! Much big congrattylations, Doctor-friend!"

Now Jessica is snatched back by the sweater, and the Doctor hisses in her ear, "That's not what's happened here."

"But him was being headinabox before, and now is-"

"No, we're early."

"Oh… Jessica does bad spoilers?"

"I think we're alright. He probably didn't understand."

As they have been whispering at each other, the curtain has been pulled back again, and the perplexed, blue man is looking out. Looking at Jessica, he can find nothing to say. Then he spots the Doctor and seems to find that easier. "Oh, it's you," he grumbles. "Come to beg favours again, have you?"

"Just a little one," the Doctor grins. Pushes Jessica ahead of him through the curtain. She falls, finding herself in a small booth lit by brass lamps, shuffling around on a pile of cushions round a low, carved table. The Doctor reaches beneath and finds two little cups of green glass, reaching for the teapot on the table. Jessica puts out her hand, covering the mouths of the glasses. Not a good idea. They don't know what's in it, where it came from. A good guard doesn't like their charge just eat and drink whatever they want. She takes the teapot from him and pours a tiny measure first. The blue man, Mr Maldovar, watches and is almost laughing while she tastes it and checks.

"Where in the universe did you find this precious creature?" he asks the Doctor. Reaches over as though he might pinch Jessica's cheek. Her arm comes up easily to block him, and through her sleeve he feels the end of the stake. Still talking to the Doctor primarily, "You know there are no weapons in this establishment, we don't tolerate it."

"Oh, that's just her arm."

All of a sudden, Jessica doesn't feel very much like she's in control. She doesn't feel even like she was really needed here. Why did he bring her? For lack of anything better to do, she pours the tea for both of them, and sips quietly. It's quite nice, in fact. And certainly Mr Maldovar is knocking it back. He looks very relaxed. And it doesn't seem to be poisonous.

They talk for a long time. But then, she always found that, when she was guarding people. No one can just come out and say what they want and see what somebody wants in exchange. They have to talk for ages about things that don't really have anything to do with it. Actually, all it really does is make her think about her Diplomacy exam. That was a couple of weeks ago now. She'd almost forgotten how badly it went. Maybe this is part of it. Maybe she should be paying more attention. Jessica just drinks the tea and watches for anyone approaching the alcove.

Then she hears the words 'nihilium transfer unit' and puts the little glass down. This seems to be the business end of things. And now, anyway, the warmth of the tea is spreading out around her chest and belly, feeling very nice indeed. Not at all like the tea that Claraperson makes. It's making her feel, like the Doctor said before, awfully smiley.

This is part of the negotiations she was interested in. It's with absolute dismay that she heard the Doctor use the argument, "Oh, go on! I'll owe you a favour."

"You already owe me lots of favours. Funny you can never be found when I want to call them in."

"Well, I'm a busy man, Dorium. Anyway, you never know. Maybe someday you'll make a mistake so catastrophic that it will only be my good graces and the favours I owe you that will protect you from the wrath of two whole races from opposite ends of the universe and a lifetime in prison." Both Dorium and Jessica find themselves staring. The Doctor sits back. Sips his tea. Seems to come to his senses, shaking his head as though casting off a nightmare. "Ooh. Sorry. Where did that come from? That was a very detailed, complicated hypothetical situation, wasn't it?"

Mr Maldovar is beginning to have some dangerous thoughts. They are small for now, and useless, but Jessica can see them. And they are surrounded here by his friends and employees. But the Doctor told her to keep her stakes short. She's trying to. It could be something to do with the large, empty feeling in her head. She's not sure where that came from, but finds herself pushing the little glass farther away from herself.

They are creeping, though, those little points. She tugs down her sleeve, trying to keep them covered, but the point of one catches in her cuff, and is just starting to stretch it. Mr Maldovar sees it and his eyes go wide. That little point pops all the bubbles of peril drifting around. "Oh, why not?!" he breezes, too quickly, a few octaves too squeaky. "What's a little piece of antique technology between friends?! I'll have it brought, right away!" Mr Maldovar rolls onto his side to call someone from outside the alcove.

The Doctor didn't see what happened. He warily eyes Jessica, but her hands are buried in the cushions now. It's not funny. It's not funny. Even so, there's a giggle in the back of her throat. Starting to build. And the more he looks at her, the more the Doctor starts to smile. "Was not meaning to scare him," she whispers, and shows him her nearest arm.

The Doctor laughs. Then chokes it down, "Now, Jessica, that's very naughty."

"Right-yes, knowing that."

"But… But well done." They dissolve into giggles, until he's leaning on her shoulder.

Mr Maldovar finishes his conversation and leans back in to find them both sitting straight as poles and straight-faced too.

The Doctor has another of the little glasses of tea while they wait. One is poured for Jessica. Thinking of those few physical symptoms so far, she's not going to drink it. But the longer it sits there she starts to want to, just a little bit. And after all, they seem to be out of danger. She sips. That's all. Just a sip.

By then, the little machine has arrived, wrapped in another drifting, embroidered piece of fabric. The Doctor helps Jessica up, and they take it carefully, smilingly, back to the Tardis.

"Doctor?"

"Yes, love?"

"That was not being much hard. What, please, was needs her for?"

"Well, I didn't know when we were coming to. Believe me, Jessica, there comes a day when I arrive at this place and I have very much burnt all my bridges. Someday I may need you to threaten a head in a neon-lit fishbowl for me."

"Okay. Asks him one more question?"

"Most certainly, you may."

"That was not being proper tea at all, was it?"

"It's…" She giggles while he thinks about it, choosing his words most careful. "It's very calming. And I'm glad you had some. And while you're happy, while you're all smiles again, I'm going to say something. If I'd said it before it would have brought you down. But right now, I think you can handle it. Listen to me. Are you listening?" To make sure, he puts his hands either side of her head, cupping her ears forward, pulling her close. "Forget about what happened this afternoon. You are not the Little Ghost anymore. You summoned it up and used it to escape a terrible situation. That's not bad. That's clever. And I know, I know it hurts. But you just have to be strong, Jessica, the way I know you are, and we'll come out the other side of that."

She throws her arms around his neck. As her stakes collide behind him, they break off and clatter to the console floor. The Doctor hugs her back, in a way she was scared he never would.

"Do you believe me?" he whispers in her ear. No. Not really. But listening to him, she gets the feeling that she might start to. He pats her back and she knows to pull away. "Come on. Let's get back and finish this whole nasty business. We've got Adam and Clara to save."

"Claraperson? Her am being still in danger?"

"…Hold this lever for me, would you?"

She holds it. Holds it all the way back down the time stream and back to Earth without really thinking it's doing anything.

They're almost back when the telephone begins to ring. The Doctor abruptly lets go of what he's doing and reaching for the receiver, grumbling, "Who could this be?"

"Doctor?" Jessica gasps, feeling the Tardis start to rumble.

But he's distracted. "Hello? Hello? Who's there?"

"Doctor!"

"The green one, Jessica, wiggle the green one… Hello? Look, you'll have to speak up, we're in the middle of landing! Handbrake, Jessica!"

Panicking, stretching for it at the very tips of her fingers, "Right-yes!"

Another voice, the one that should be coming out of the phone interrupts, "Where are you? I can't see you."

"Oh, you're on the screen," the Doctor says, "and the phone. Red button, Jessica! Not that red button!"

She yelps, flinging herself from one to the other. The Tardis lands on one corner and tips, juddering, before finally deciding to drop down flat. Jessica, by then, is on the floor, keening, holding her head against the stress of it all. But the awkward descent flung the monitor around on its bracket, and the face up there is looking straight at her.

"Are you alright?" the caller asks her.

She knows that voice. Now that she's got nothing more dangerous to be doing, she realizes she knows it. Jessica stands up abruptly, smoothing back her hair out of her face. The Doctor is craning round to see who all the special effort is for.

"Ah!" he says brightly. "The infamous Liamperson!" Jessica wants to shove him out of the way. The Doctor hardly knows Liam. But for three years at university, he's been her best friend, and Jessica is straightening down her sleeves and tugging the twists out of her leggings, so the Doctor can keep talking while she does that. "He of the pierced face and etched skin! Hello there! Calling to catch up, are we? I suppose the summer holidays must be long, without your mate, eh?"

Now she really wants to shove him. Once she begins to blush, that's usually when he needs to be shoved.

"Yeah," says Liam. "They were a bit long."

Both Jessica and the Doctor's faces drop. "Were?"

"Yeah. It's been two months. Well, it has on my end."

This time Jessica shoves him. "Doctor! Thinking had been like five days, but all his timey-hops and Tardis-things and now is having been two months and-"

"-And I've got your results," Liam says. He holds up a plain white envelope to show them, and Jessica sinks away into one of the jump seats, whimpering. "I just got in touch because… Are you coming back or do you want me to open them now?"

"Um."

The Doctor puts his hand on her shoulder. Jessica grabs at it, but he just pats her and steps away. "I'll give you two some time, shall I?"

"No, not does, not leaving!"

"Just meet me back at quarantine when you're ready." She watches him go, biting her lip, tiptoeing towards the door and giving her two thumbs up the whole way. "My little Peace Studies graduate!" he mutters from right at the door. Jessica sees it close behind him, before she can make herself look back at the monitor.

Biting down absolute terror, she tries to smile at Liam. "Am being right at middle of much big things here with Doctor. Witches and souls and MissusToffee's bad wishes and… And Liam could please be reading her results for her…" She drops her head into her hands, and waits for it.