A/N: Thank you to all you readers for your patience concerning this book! I've had some concerns with pacing the coming last third of this book plus real life kicked into high gear and for a time I lost my DW mood. With Christopher Eccleston's birthday today, I realized it's only appropriate to finish this chapter and put it up today, seeing as it's still a very Doctor 9 centered story so far. Let me know what you think!

Thank you also to all the reviewers and readers who see that I haven't updated in a while but still favorite and follow me and the story anyway. Your dedication encourages me that I'm on the right track. Thanks so much!

My Own Little Adventure

Part 3

"Magpie! Em!" The Doctor cradled me as he lowered me onto the cold floor. "You're okay, Em. Just take it easy."

Regret burned almost as intensely as the growing fire inside. "Sorry. I thought I ducked in time. Just get me to the infirmary and get out of here, okay? They can't find you here." My hand reached up to touch a smooth face covered in dampness, be it tears or sweat, I couldn't tell.

Shaking fingers brushed hair from my forehead. "I can't leave you like this, Em. I can't. You could get stuck like last time."

"But if Rassilon catches you here…"

"If he's responsible for this, then I hope he finds me," The Doctor growled, so furious that I feared for anyone who got in his way. Not like the boy I knew since childhood. "No one tries to kill you and gets away with it. Not on my watch."

Alarm for him drove any pain away from my mind. "No. No you can't. It's not your nature, Doctor. You don't go after others for revenge."

"But, Em, they…"

"No!" The outburst sent such pain through me that I seized up in his arms with a harsh cry. He held onto me tightly until I could talk again. When I could, I could barely hear myself. "Don't…don't hurt anyone because of me, please. Why else did you choose 'Doctor?'" I tried to smile, brushing his face with my fingers. "Tell me."

Slowly the Doctor shook his head. "This doesn't have anything to do…."

"Tell me, Doctor."

"Doctor, she's not moving. Or blinking, for that matter. What's going on?"

"She's been caught in one of the TARDIS' memories. A very strong, empathic-based one. No wonder she couldn't help herself. She's not reacting to me at all. I don't…"

"I know that face. What do you have in mind?"

"In order to pull her out, I'm going to have to break down every one of the barriers in her mind."

"Well, that's not so bad."

"Rose, she'll be even more vulnerable than when we found her in the bathroom. There will be nothing protecting her. It's worse than stripping the human body of the immune system. It could damage her permanently."

"Oh. Well…what would she want? I know I'd rather trust you with my life than risk being killed by a memory. Jessie…."

"Would take the risk."

"What do you want me to do?"

"For now stay as far away from us as you can. Any hint of emotion will be like pouring salt in a wound until I can fix her again. I'm sorry, Jessica, but I can't lose you."

"Never cruel or cowardly," the Doctor's voice broke as the words tore themselves away. He held me in an almost painful embrace and had started rocking back and forth.

A tear fell out of the corner of my eye. "Doctor, you need to go." The burning inside me had become almost impossible to resist. My skin had started to glow, illuminating the air between us. "The universe needs a Doctor, not a Magpie like me."

"Don't ask me to do that, Em. I can't. I promised I wouldn't leave you behind and I sure as hell won't break that promise now. We'll leave Gallifrey and…"

A TARDIS thrummed vibrated the floor, growing in magnitude. I brought the Doctor's head closer, brushing my lips to his.

"Jessica."

Something…I knew that voice.

Where had I heard it before?

"Remember those words, Doctor and try to remember me too. I'll come back."

The TARDIS whirled to life. I could hear the Doctor's screaming as he faded away, leaving me alone in the TARDIS.

"Jessica, come back. Please." A blazing light shone just at the corner of my eye. "Don't leave me alone. I couldn't…couldn't live with myself if I lost you too." Pure strong emotion slammed into me, as effective as a slap across the face. So much fiery care and loving devotion that it mentally stunned me.

"I…what…" Tearing my mind away and toward that bright light felt as slow and painful as peeling a band-aid off my arm. Slow but inevitable. I wanted to respond to that voice. One I could almost remember.

A body began to appear in that light. Just a shape, with one hand extended. "That's my girl. Ignore the memories and listen to me. You are the first person to…see me like you do in a long time. I don't deserve it and I sure as hell don't deserve you. Just…please, Jessica. Stop listening to the memories. Come back towards me."

I knew that voice, the man who pleaded with me. The pull of the memory began fading away as I stretched out my hand. A face I trusted implicitly appeared with the body. The Doctor. Reaching out towards me. Our hands clasped and in one blink, I was wrenched from those memories back to my own mind.

At once my legs gave out from under me, all the strength sending me towards the floor. I didn't even sink a few inches before I found myself wrapped in the Doctor's supporting embrace. "Easy there," the Doctor murmured, letting the two of us kneel on the floor. "You're free of it now. It was just a memory, Jessica. Just a memory but you're safe. Look at me?"

Feeling a breath away from shattering into a million pieces, I lifted my head as the Doctor's fingers reached down and guided it upwards. Gentle yet fearful eyes met my own. A glimmer similar to tears shone in the light around us. "D-doctor?" I could barely hear or recognize my own voice, even though my lips moved.

The pale cast to his face regained some color. A weak and failed attempt at a smile fluttered on his face. "There we go. Don't …. don't try to do anything right now," his soft words contained no awkwardness from misuse. "Focus on me until…."

That familiar voice, those words that carried such a comforting blanket of warmth and safety, utterly demolished the last traces of control I possessed. The tears just burst out of me in spite of a deeper wish to not let the Doctor see me like that. I couldn't help it; the woman's anguish over leaving the Doctor and even feeling the Doctor's own pain of abandonment just ate at me. I felt mentally naked, stripped bare by whatever the TARDIS had just shown me. The Doctor proved to be the great rock that centered me, kept me from letting that memory sweep me away again.

He didn't tense up as I bawled my eyes out into his jacket. Didn't retreat from that display of emotion like he normally would have. Just held onto me as if worried I'd drift away if he let me go, giving in to a very slight rocking motion. He didn't even say anything to get me to stop sooner, letting me release everything that the memory had drug out of me.

The Doctor pressed his lips against the side of my head.

I had no idea how long we sat there until I managed to pull myself back under control. What felt like hours could have only been a few minutes, but even so, the Doctor didn't rush me, try to get me to cheer up. For once, I felt grateful that he didn't. It took so much effort to focus on him right in front of me and to put the tears away that I didn't know if I could take a sassy comment from him. My mind felt so weak, disoriented. Like it would shatter again if I thought too hard. I didn't even want to let go of him. Shock, some people would call it. At the moment, I felt as numb and helpless as a broken robot.

Knowing how the Doctor felt about close contact, though, I did make an effort to let him go no matter how much I didn't want to.

"No, no, no," The Doctor pulled me close again, voice only a fraction louder than a quiet murmur. "I'm sorry, Jessica, but I had to take every one of your barriers down to reach you. You were in too deep so I had no choice. You've never been like this—even when you were born you had some protection—I'm keeping you shielded best I can until I can fix that. Works better if we keep in contact, okay?"

Honestly? Taking even a step away from him terrified me. I bit my lip and nodded a little. Tried to find something to ease his worry, if not my own. "Um…can we stand up or something? The floor's freezing." With every breath and syllable, I felt close to breaking apart again. Never to be put back together. I couldn't even be upset with the Doctor for brining me to that state.

"There's my over-emotional, bloody stubborn American who doesn't listen to me." If the Doctor tried hiding the relief in his words, it didn't work very well. I could almost see the smile on his face, though I kept mine pressed into his chest. He gave my shoulders a gentle squeeze. "Come on. Let's get you to your room. We can fix you up there."

I let the Doctor help me up and lead me away from that place. Not once did he try letting me walk solely on my own, quietly supporting me as we turned corners. Probably for the best; I had to focus all of my attention on putting one foot in front of the other. I'd let myself be embarrassed later.

The scent of burning pine washed over me as the Doctor led me into my room, which the TARDIS had moved so it only took a couple turns to get there. I took a deep breath, the familiar warmth of a fireplace bringing even more of my strength back. When the Doctor helped me sit on the bed, I let it out in a relieved sigh.

The bed dipped a little as the Doctor perched on the end next to me. "Now this might take a while, but I'll be as quick as I can. I'll try not to peek if I can help it."

With my eyes mostly closed, I couldn't tell what went over his face. No hint as to what he might be feeling. He'd sealed himself up so tight, it was as if I didn't have empathy at all. I managed a weak smile. For him. "Don't worry about it, Doctor. I trust you. Tinker around all you need to and wherever you need to."

"Ah…you might fall asleep as soon as I'm done," the Doctor sidestepped something I didn't have the energy to see, clearing his throat like he did when he started feeling uncomfortable. "Part of the mind protecting itself until your protections are back in place."

"But…." I couldn't just sleep after what I'd seen. So many questions had begun stirring in my mind, almost driving away the growing exhaustion that crept up on me with each passing second.

"I'll explain later, I promise. Now, lie down and let me fix what I broke before I make you." Just like the Doctor, trying to deflect touchy subjects with attitude, but this time it came out completely see-through. Like he had very little energy for it.

I reached out and squeezed the hand that rested on my shoulder, losing my own energy to be that stubborn American for once. "Promise we'll talk?" Now I sounded too desperate, almost whining. Too late to change that.

The Doctor gently pushed me back until my head hit the pillows.

I blacked out before I could hear him say anything.