A/N: Sorry for the incredible delay, but at last, it's up! The story has nearly 1500 views (!), 18 followers, and 10 favorites. I'm impressed with its success. Thanks so much for keeping up with it, and thanks for the R&Rs!

I don't own: River, the Doctor, the TARDIS, Donna Noble, the BBC, or Doctor Who

I do own: Margaret, the Iaculi, a homemade bowtie

The creaking metal halls of the Iaculi stronghold were louder than gunfire now. The Doctor felt as though he'd spent much too long searching for the exit, scanning and double-scanning corridor after corridor with the sonic. It had become an endless labyrinth of whistling wind and dark iron, with the occasional tantalizing taste of light winking into momentary existence.

People could go mad in here, he thought darkly. But I'm not a person. I'm a Time Lord. A Time Lord with a four-year-old human depending on me.

Let's go, Doctor.

He willed himself to keep going, to not forget to scan the upcoming corridor.

Sometimes he could swear he heard hissing, a strangely reptilian whisper over the tinny breeze. Sometimes the hissing told him to run away, to give it up. Told him he'd never find Margaret, that there was no way he could overcome the might of the Iaculi.

He would simply shrug and tell the hissing to mind its own business.

Other times he would glance briefly down a slightly brighter corridor and be sure he just saw one of his old companions. He could almost forget he was still stuck in the stronghold. Sometimes Rose smiled back at him, reminding him to keep going, that getting out was worth years any labyrinth. Sometimes Martha pumped her fist in celebration, as if to say, You're a step closer, come on, Doctor! Sometimes Jack just winked, arms crossed, legs planted, smile set.

The worst was when Donna bit her lip, holding back tears, whispering to him, saying, Come on, Spaceman.

"River Song, where's the Doctor?"

"Shh, sweetie, be quiet."

The Doctor nearly tore his pocket in two in an attempt to grab his sonic screwdriver. The voices were faint, like his imaginary companions, but he hadn't seen or heard imaginary Margarets or River Songs yet. Perhaps the Iaculi were playing tricks on him again.

Perhaps the ripping of his coat pocket was loud enough to quell whatever imposter had spoken; the boot-falls had vanished into silence and no more voices could be heard.

His hearts beating twin tattoos against his chest, he scanned the darkness with the sonic, releasing a steady beep.

Life forms?

"Who's there?" he asked, trying to control the quaver in his voice.

Utter silence. Nearly deafening.

"I asked who's there! I know someone's there?"

"Doctor?"

The Doctor was paralyzed in fear. "Margaret?"

"Doctor!" The four-year-old's voice was full of glee.

"Shh!" the other voice said sharply before whispering, "Doctor? Is that you?"

As though they were two more of his imaginary companions, River and Margaret seemed to appear out of the darkness. He melted in relief.

Margaret's face lit up, and she sprinted toward the Doctor, her footed pajamas drumming softly against the metal. He knelt down, and she leapt at him and hugged him, murmuring, "Doctor, Doctor, I got lost and I fell asleep and I had a dream with evil boxes and you dis-appeared in my dream and then I woke up and I thought River Song was gonna kill me but she didn't and she's really nice and she says she's your friend and I missed you!" The Doctor couldn't help but smile and wonder what kind of dream would involve evil boxes.

River smiled softly at Margaret, her ponytail a mass of blonde springs behind her head. She looked up at the Doctor with her usual flirtatious grin. "Hello, sweetie."

Margaret looked up from the Doctor's jacket to see River and the Doctor meeting each other's eyes. Some new idea dawned on her, and she smiled mischievously, backing away from the Doctor. She pulled on River's pant leg and motioned for her to come closer.

"What, sweetie?"

"Are you going to kiss the Doctor, River?"

River laughed, looking up at the Doctor before shaking her head at Margaret. "Dear, you don't ask people that!"

"But are you, though?"

"We'll see." River stood back up. "Well, Doctor, come along, the TARDIS is waiting just outside the stronghold. Let's go."

"Really?" The Doctor looked incredulous. "You got in that easily? No Iaculi?"

"Not that I saw. It should be easy enough if we stay quiet."

"It can't be this easy. They're waiting somewhere, I guarantee it." He pulled her away from Margaret, who beamed like a pleased tiger. "River Song, the two Iaculi I know are here will not give up without a fight. They're the last of their kind, and they thing they've traveled back in time to when Donna was a girl. They think they've gotten little Donna Noble, the most powerful woman in the world, and they'll hold her hostage until she grows old enough to do something magnificent and save their race, even make the Iaculi the rulers of the galaxy. They won't just let us leave like this."

River shook her head. "Doctor, I understand your concern, but we can't spend too much time worrying. We need to get out before they realize we're here. We'll get to the TARDIS and get away from here, drop Margaret off with her mum in Chiswick, and leave the Nobles before Donna can get suspicious."

"Fine." The Doctor shook his head. "Fine. We'll just go, go right now, without any planning."

"I didn't say no planning, I just said fast. I have a plan. I just told you the plan, now let's go!"

Reluctantly, the Doctor nodded.

When they returned to Margaret, her eyebrows were furrowed in trademark confusion. "Doctor, are you all right?" she asked.

"I'm always okay. I'm the king of okay."

She didn't laugh as he'd hoped. "I don't think you are, though."

River Song got down on her knees in front of Margaret. "Margaret, stay close to us. We're going to take you home now, but you're going to have to be very careful and very quiet. You'll be back home to your mummy in no time. Do you understand?"

Margaret nodded solemnly.

"Right." River stood back up. "Doctor, lead the way. Let's go."

"Coluber?"

"Yes, Lord Septhalos?"

"What did I say about calling me Lord Septhalos?"

"Not to."

"You genius!"

"Thank you."

"It wasn't a compliment. It was sarcasm, dear Coluber."

"…"

"…"

"You were saying, Septhalos, sir?"

"I guess sir is fine. Regardless, Coluber, have you found Donna Noble or the Doctor yet?"

"No, sir. I searched every level except…well, every level except the levels that aren't the prison level, sir."

"So, once again, you disregard my advice to search elsewhere and stay in the prison level, where you know not even a four-year-old is impossibly ignorant enough to stay?"

"I believe so, yes, sir."

"Of all the Iaculi to get stuck with, of course the great Lord Septhalos ends up with you. Coluber, you idiot! I told you to search elsewhere and I meant search elsewhere, do you hear me? Now I have to do it myself."

"Sorry, sir."

"Get out of my sight."

"Sir?"

"You heard me. Out. Of. My. Sight. Or I'll kill you along with the Doctor."

Nearly there. The Doctor hardly remembered what light looked like until he saw what was before him: a massive doorway agleam with the spiced orange glow of sunset. He ran to it like a desert dweller to water, River keeping pace, Margaret darting by River's side.

The image of Margaret's face once they reached this freedom was all he could think about now. He just wanted her home, safe, where she belonged. Only once they were in the TARDIS and headed to Chiswick would he feel comfortable.

The light was closer than ever, and the Doctor could make out the shape of the TARDIS in the distance—

"Going somewhere? It'd be a shame to lose you, Donna Noble."

Bonus A/N: Chapter 7 will be in the works. Who knows when it'll be published, but I'll keep y'all updated. In return, keep recommending as well as R&Ring. So, I guess, R&R&R.

Please.

Thank you. ~Nat