TARDIS rewrite

by Madd Madds

The story of Tory Williams, daughter of a TARDIS, human and Time Lord. Her adventures across time and space. "You what?" "I'm an alien." Jordan stared at her friend for a moment before falling to the floor in a dead faint. "She took that better then i expected." Tory sighed before moving to help her friend. A rewrite of the original story TARDIS.

12. The Girl in the Fireplace

The Girl in the Fireplace

)0(

Me: Okay, anything in this chapter in italics is Tory's future. This is really hard to explain…erm the chapter is told from the normal point of view but Tory also comes in every now and then with the occasional piece that happens AFTER the actual episode. Does this make any sense?

Tory: The first part of the chapter is a good example of this, it's actually part of the episode that is never actually shown that then changes back to the beginning of the episode.

Me: really hoping this makes sense to you here…..

Timmy: they'll work it out.

Me: hope so.

)0(

It was dark, but that was only to be expected in a time before the creation of the electric light. Tory sighed and looked up at the stars; she was standing at one of the many windows in the Palace of Versailles in the personal chambers of Reinette Poisson, the mistress to the King.

"Oh how far we fall." Tory whispered, resting her head against the window pain.

"I always did call you my angles." A rasping voice answered. Tory turned in surprise and headed towards the large bed in the centre of the room as fast as she could in all those skirts.

"Reinette! I thought you were sleeping!" Tory sat quickly on the side of the bed and grasped the limp hand Reinette no longer had the strength to move herself.

Reinette chuckled, the amused sound turning into a hacking cough part way through. Tory helped her sit up and supported her through the fit, handing her a glass of water once it was over.

"Thank you." Reinette spoke up as Tory put the water back on the side and moved away so Reinette could lie down once more, "You have given my letter to the King?" Reinette questioned once she had her breath back.

"Yes," Tory reassured her, "he has the letter you wrote for him and the one you wrote for the Doctor."

"Good." Reinette closed her eyes again, "It will be good to rest without worry."

Tory closed her eyes as well but in her case it was not to rest but to hold in the tears. She had tried so very hard to convince Reinette to let Tory take her to a time where she could get help but Reinette said the sickness was god's wish and refused the help; Tory wasn't about to force her.

It was six years since the Doctor had last been seen; he was using a method of travel even less reliable than his own driving. Reinette was 43; much too young to die.

Tory hung her head as Reinette's breathing slowed and then stopped. She let a sob escape when Reinette's chest fell still. Tory stood slowly and placed one last kiss on the dead woman's forehead before walking out of the room.

The men standing guard on either side of the door interpreted her sombre look and hung their heads as they walked away to fetch the King.

Alone in the empty corridor Tory looked back at the room she had just left.

"Goodbye, my friend." She whispered before vanishing in a flash of silver Meridian particles.

)0(

Tory grinned as she and the Doctor darted around the console.

"Where do you fancy Mickey?" she asked as she darted past him, "The future? The Past? Alien planet?" Mickey grinned.

"I get to choose?"

"Of course!" Tory answered, "Rose got to choose her first flight, why shouldn't you?" Mickey took Rose's lack of argument as an agreement.

"Or," the Doctor spoke up, "we could set the controls to random."

"You choose." Tory finished, both of the Time Lords coming to a standstill in front of Mickey; waiting for his answer.

"Random." He decided.

"Off we go!" Tory cried out as she and the Doctor hit the button simultaneously.

)0(

The Doctor and Tory walked out of the TARDIS together, Tory stepping to the side and looking around while the Doctor walked further into the room they had landed in. Rose and Mickey walked out one after the other and studied the room as well.

It was dark and dusty, bits and pieces littering the floor with holes ripped in the walls exposing electronics.

"It's a spaceship!" Mickey announced excitedly, "Brilliant, I got a spaceship on my first go!"

"Looks kind of abandoned... Anyone on board?" Rose asked, looking between Tory and the Doctor.

"Nah, nothing here." The Doctor answered her, "Well! Nothing dangerous." He paused, "Well! Not that dangerous."

"Maybe you should do a scan?" Tory suggested as she pocketed one of the more interesting pieces off the floor.

"You know what," the Doctor continued, "I'll just have a quick scan... in case there's anything dangerous."

Rose and Tory smirked at each other as the Doctor moved over to a control panel in the centre of the room and, after throwing more damaged parts off it, started pressing buttons.

"So, what's the date?" Rose asked while the Doctor was distracted, "How far 'ave we gone?"

"About three thousand years into your future, give or take." He answered. Tory wandered over to the control panel and inserted whatever it was that she had picked up off the floor before flicking a switch. The lights turned on and the roof slowly retracted revealing the stars outside. "Fifty-first century. Diagmar Cluster, you're a long way from home, Mickey! Two and a half galaxies!"

Mickey moved over to a porthole and gazed out; Rose followed him and placed her hands on his shoulders, smiling.

Tory and the Doctor shared a grin at the young couple before turning back to the control panel. The Doctor looked unimpressed by the littering of damaged and broken technology while Tory ran her fingers over it like she was searching for something.

"Dear me, had some cowboys in here!" the Doctor exclaimed suddenly, "Got a ton of repair work going on." He was about to toss the things he was holding down when Tory shot him a glare, he grinned sheepishly and placed the pieces down gently making Tory smile at him. He grinned and looked down as something on the console grabbed his attention, "Now that's odd," he muttered. Rose and Mickey walked over and joined them, "look at that." he pointed at the screen, "All the warp engines are going... full capacity! There's enough power running through this ship to punch a hole in the universe... and we're not moving. So where's all that power going?" he tapped a few commands in but his search gave him nothing.

"Where'd all the crew go?" Rose asked, glancing around.

"Good question," Tory muttered, leaning in-between the Doctor and the console and twisting a few knobs, "No life signs on board, other than us obviously."

"Well, we're in deep space; they didn't just nip out for a quick fag." Rose pointed out.

"Nope," the Doctor answered, reading the results of the search over Tory's shoulder, "Tory checked all the smoking pods." There was a pause as they all glanced around the room. Rose was hiding a smile as the Doctor wrapped his arms around Tory's waist as she remained standing between him and the console.

"Can you smell that?" Tory asked suddenly; taking a deep breath through her nose.

"Yeah," Rose agreed, sniffing, "someone's cooking."

"Sunday roast, definitely!" Mickey added.

Tory frowned in thought.

"Who's cooking if no one's on board?" she asked.

"Could be automated." The Doctor suggested as he rested his chin on Tory's shoulder and used his right hand to fiddle with the console, leaving his left around her. He pressed down on a button and the wall beside the TARDIS opened up to show another room. The group of four walked through and stared in surprise; on the wall was a lit 18th century fireplace.

"Well," Tory smirked, "That's something you don't see every day."

The Doctor grinned at her.

"Eighteenth century! French!" the Doctor listed, "Nice mantel." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the sonic before pointing it at the fireplace and scanning it, "Not a hologram." He walked over, followed by Tory, and knelt to examine it while Mickey and Rose explored the rest of the room, "Not even a reproduction, this actually is an eighteenth century French fireplace. Double-sided, there's another room through there."

Rose looked disbelievingly through a porthole on the same side of the room as the fireplace.

"There can't be," she objected, "that's the outer hull of the ship, look."

The Doctor suddenly crouched down, dragging Tory with him. They were looking through the fireplace and into the room beyond and there, on the other side of the fire, was a young blonde girl dressed in a long white nightgown staring straight back at them.

"Hello!" the Doctor greeted her happily.

"Hello..." the girl returned, slightly hesitant.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Reinette." She answered.

"Reinette, that's a lovely name." he praised, "Can you tell me where you are at the moment, Reinette?"

"In my bedroom." She answered suspiciously.

"And where is that Reinette? Where do you live?" Tory asked gently.

"Paris, of course!" the girl answered as if it was obvious.

"Paris," the Doctor repeated, "right!"

"Monsieur, madam, what are you doing in my fireplace?" Reinette asked.

"Oh, it's just a routine... fire check." The Doctor answered earning an eye roll from Tory, "Can you tell me what year it is?"

"Of course I can!" Reinette answered, "Seventeen hundred and twenty seven."

"Right, lovely! One of my favourites..." the Doctor paused, "August is rubbish though. Stay indoors. Okay, that's all for now. Thanks for your help. Hope you enjoy the rest of the fire. Nice night!"

"Goodnight Monsieur, madam."

The Doctor and Tory stood both looking thoughtful.

"You said this was the fifty-first century." Mickey accused.

"He also said that the ship was generating enough power to punch a hole in the universe." Tory pointed out, "Say hi to the hole." She gestured at the fireplace.

"Must be a spatio-temporal hyperlink." The Doctor added.

"What's that?" Mickey asked.

"He has no idea," Tory teased, "he just doesn't wanna say 'magic door'."

"And on the other side of the 'magic door'" Rose deepened her voice for the words, "is France in 1727?" the Doctor nodded and glanced at the fireplace before walking across the room, taking his coat off and flinging it in a corner of the room as he moved.

"Well, she was speaking French." The Doctor spoke, "Right period French, too."

"She was speaking English," Mickey protested, "I heard her!"

Rose draped her arms around Mickey's neck as the Doctor moved back towards the fireplace where Tory was running her hands over the wood.

"That's the TARDIS," Rose explained, "translates for ya."

"Even French?!"

"Yep." Rose confirmed happily.

The Doctor reached the fireplace just in time to trap Tory between it and him and activate the switch he had found earlier. The fireplace spun like a piece from an old fashioned horror movie, taking Tory and the Doctor with it.

"Gotcha!" he cried triumphantly.

"Doctor!" Rose yelled after them.

)0(

"A little warning would have been nice." Tory hissed as the fireplace stopped moving leaving them standing in a dark and shadowy room, Reinette was in the bed a short distance away and the sounds of the street could be heard from the direction of the window. Tory listened carefully, ignoring the ticking of the clock, as the Doctor made his way to the window.

"Now, where's the fun in that?" he asked as he pulled back the curtain, "Oh, come look at this." Tory walked over to him, avoiding the toys on the floor, and stared out the window, the Paris skyline stared back, covered in snow.

They heard a noise behind them making them spin around. It was Reinette. She was sitting up in bed and staring at them.

"It's okay!" the Doctor reassured her quickly, "Don't scream! It's us; it's the people from the fireplace. Look." He walked over to the candle beside her bed and lit is using the sonic letting Reinette see Tory and himself, "We were talking, just a moment ago. We were in your fireplace." He sounded very amused by this fact.

"Monsieur, that was weeks ago." Reinette protested, "That was months!"

"Really?" he asked, surprised, "Oh." He walked back towards the fireplace while Tory took a seat on the bed beside Reinette. The Doctor knocked on the mantel of the fireplace.

"Probably a lose connection." Tory spoke up, "It needs repairing."

"Who are you?" Reinette demanded, "And what are you doing here?" The Doctor didn't reply, seemingly hypnotised by the clock on the mantel.

Tory sighed and moved to sit cross-legged on the bed to face Reinette.

"I'm Tory and he's," she grinned suddenly, "the fireplace man."

"Okay, that's scary..." the Doctor interrupted.

"You're scared of a broken clock?" Reinette asked sceptically.

"Just a bit scared, yeah. Just a little tiny bit. 'Cause you see, if this clock's broken, and it's the only clock in the room..." he paused, turning to face Tory and Reinette, showing the two that the clock was clearly shattered. Tory concentrated and listened; she could still hear the ticking. "Then what's that?" the ticking grew louder. Reinette looked around the room, clearly scared. The Doctor didn't move, staring at Tory as he spoke slowly and quietly, "'Cause you see that's not a clock. You can tell by the resonance. Too big. Six feet, I'd say. Size of a man."

"What is it?" Reinette demanded, her voice shaking. Tory snapped out of her daze and opened her arms.

"Come here sweetheart." She offered. Reinette tossed her covers aside and gladly crawled into Tory's lap, enjoying the comfort.

The Doctor moved towards the curtains and checked behind them. Finding nothing he started speaking again quicker than before, "Now, let's think. If you were a thing that ticks and you were hiding in someone's bedroom, first thing you do: break the clock. No one notices the sound of one clock ticking, but two?" he paused and Tory took over.

"You'd start to wonder if you were really alone."

The Doctor nodded, confirming what Tory said, before moving towards the bed.

"Stay on the bed." He ordered as he crouched down by the edge, pulling out the sonic, "Right in the middle. Don't put your hands or feet over the edge."

Reinette pushed herself further into Tory's protective embrace as Tory tightened her grip.

"If you die," she warned the Doctor, "I'll kill you." He shot her a grin and a wink.

"I knew you cared." Tory rolled her eyes. He lowered his head again and held his arm under the bed. The moment the sound of the sonic reached Tory's ears the Doctor was pushed back roughly. Reinette gasped and Tory fought the urge to help him. The Doctor was back on his front in a moment and staring under the bed. Whatever he saw made him resume his crouch slowly, looking up at Reinette and Tory with wide eyes.

"Reinette," he whispered, "Don't look round."

"What is it?" Tory whispered back, holding Reinette as close as she could.

"You stay exactly where you are." The Doctor ordered. He stood up straight and stared over Tory and Reinette's heads before glancing back down at Reinette in confusion. "Hold still, let me look..." he bent down and grabbed Reinette's head between his hands, looking intently into her eyes and then glancing back at whatever was behind the two females, "You've been scanning her brain!" he cried shocked. Tory pulled Reinette's head from the Doctors hands and stared into her eyes herself.

Tory entered her mind slowly, searching for the same path that the 'thing' had used. It wasn't strong enough to follow but it was definitely there.

"What?! Why?" Tory turned, her anger overriding her surprise at seeing what looked like a man in a mask wearing proper clothing for the time period, "What on Earth could you find in a child's brain?!" she demanded.

Reinette lifted her head out of the shelter of the curve of Tory's neck and shoulder and glared at the 'man', not even flinching, Tory had never felt so proud.

"You want me?" Reinette questioned the creature. Its head twitched to the side as it answered her in a distinctly mechanical voice.

Not yet. You are incomplete.

""Incomplete"?" the Doctor repeated, "What's that mean, incomplete?" the droid didn't answer; it only continued to stare at Reinette. The Doctor glared and spoke in a firm but irritated voice as he lifted the sonic and waved it at the droid threateningly, "You can answer her, you can answer me. What do you mean, "incomplete"?"

The droid didn't answer. Suddenly it turned and started around the end of the bed in short, jerky but fast movements facing the Doctor. It held out its hand, a long menacing blade sliding out near the Doctor's face.

"Monsieur, be careful!" Reinette cried out. Tory got ready to jump to her feet but the Doctor waved her down.

"Just a nightmare, Reinette," the Doctor reassured her, "don't worry about it. Everyone has nightmares." The Doctor backed away quickly, the droid pursuing. It swiped at the Doctor who jumped back, reaching the fireplace. "Even monsters from under the bed have nightmares, don't you, monster?" the droid slashed out again. The Doctor jumped to the side and the droids blade hit the mantel, getting stuck.

"What do monsters have nightmares about?" Reinette asked. The Doctor pulled the switch and the fireplace started to turn.

"Him!" Tory grinned. Reinette smiled up at her as the Doctor and droid disappeared.

Tory placed Reinette gently back on the bed and stood.

"Are you leaving?" Reinette asked quietly.

"Oh sweetheart," Tory sighed kneeling beside the bed, "don't be scared, I promise I won't let the monsters get you."

"Swear?"

"Cross my hearts." Tory promised. The two girls smiled at each other. "Come on," Tory ordered, "into bed." Reinette did as she was told as Tory tuck her in placing the covers up to her chin.

"What if it comes back?" Reinette asked quietly.

"Then remember," Tory kissed her on the forehead, "Even monsters have nightmares."

Reinette giggled as Tory winked.

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Tory blew out the candle as Reinette closed her eyes and lay down. She backed away quietly and vanished in a flash of silver Meridian particles.

)0(

"Doctor!" Rose cried happily as she spotted the man reappearing as the fireplace turned. She was shocked when instead of Tory sharing the ride the Doctor had a male dressed in old fashioned French clothing that was somehow stuck to the fireplace by his hand.

"Allonz-y!" a voice behind them cried. Rose and Mickey turned to see a woman they didn't recognise holding some sort of weapon. She had; long black hair, tied back in a bun; the same TARDIS blue eyes as Tory; she had on a simple pair of black skinny jeans with matching black polo shirt; combat boots on her feet and a slightly large leather jacket on. She darted pasted them and sprayed the droid that had come through the fireplace with the Doctor, a white mist left the gun, solidifying on the figure and freezing it in place.

The woman sighed and placed the gun on the floor, leaning on it for support.

"Oh, that's the last time I regenerate and work I'm tellin' ya." She muttered in a light Northern accent.

"Excellent," Mickey exclaimed appreciatively, "ice gun!"

"Fire extinguisher." The woman corrected, tossing it to him, "Simple point and shoot." Mickey caught it and stared.

"Not to sound rude or nothing," Rose started, "but who are you?" the woman blinked.

"You don't recognise me?" she asked turning to Rose, "Interestin'." A pause, "Oh! I remember! I just regenerated!"

"Only Time Lords can regenerate." The Doctor spoke darkly.

"Yeah." The woman agreed. Before she could continue silver light filled the room and Tory arrived.

"I'm here don't panic!" she advised.

"Finally someone intelligent!" the unknown woman exclaimed. Tory spun to face her.

"Oh, you're not are you?" she asked looking the other woman up and down. The woman blinked.

"I could 'ave sworn I was never that rude." She muttered.

"What the hell is going on?" Rose demanded.

"I don't wanna regenerate!" Tory protested, ignoring Rose. The Doctor moved to her side and held her hand. The woman gave the pair a soft look.

"Neither did I." she answered.

"How did Jordan take it?" the Doctor asked suddenly.

"Wait," Rose spoke up, "You're Tory?" she asked the black haired woman who nodded.

Older Tory grinned suddenly and moved towards the Doctor. She grabbed him by his tie before he could move away and yanked his mouth to hers.

Younger Tory growled.

Older Tory pulled away and grinned.

"Yes it is possible." She answered an unasked question.

"What is?" Mickey asked.

"To be jealous of yourself." Older Tory answered with a smirk. The Doctor had a dazed look on his face. Younger Tory glared at her future self, "Tell me you wouldn't do the same thing!" Older Tory demanded. No answer. "Rude. Anyway, I'd better get back." She winked at the Doctor and waved to Rose and Mickey before activating her Meridian particles and vanishing.

Tory huffed, turning back to the Doctor who still had a slightly out of it look on his face. Tory scowled, grabbed him by his collar and snogged him. They separated when Mickey coughed awkwardly behind them. Tory blushed and the Doctor winked.

)0(

Me:…..*stunned shock*

Tory: Where'd she come from?!

Me: I…..don't know…..

Timmy: You're the author!

Tory: Dino's right! You should bloody well know!

Me: I swear this story has a mind of its own!

Tory: when do I regenerate anyway?

Me: why would I tell you that?!

Tory: because you love me!...*silence*...I'll give you chocolate.

Timmy: Don't give in! Resist temptation!

Me: *rolls eyes*

)0(

"I like jealous you." He muttered as he walked back towards the fireplace and the forgotten frozen droid. Tory gapped after him.

"Where did that thing come from?" Rose asked suddenly jerking her head at the droid.

"Here." The Doctor answered.

"So why is it dressed like that?" Mickey asked this time.

"Field trip to France, some kind of basic camouflage protocol; nice needlework!" the Doctor added, "Shame about the face." He reached up and pulled the wig of the head of the droid revealing a network of clogs and gears covered in a clear plastic egg shape, "Oh, you are beautiful!" he exclaimed in excitement.

Rose, Mickey and Tory all moved closer as the Doctor pulled out his glasses to examine the droid more carefully.

"No really, you are, you're gorgeous!" the Doctor continued, ignoring the movement behind him, "Look at that! Space age clockwork, I love it! I've got chills!" he grinned, turning to Tory to share his excitement. She grinned back, looking slightly lost but agreeing all the same; the clockwork was slightly beautiful. "Listen, seriously, I mean this from the heart, and, by the way, count those," he pointed at each heart as he spoke, "it would be a crime, it would be an act of vandalism, to disassemble you." He shot the droid one last wistful look before holding up the sonic, "But that won't stop me."

The droid creaked back into life and slammed its left hand down on its right wrist, teleporting away. Rose and Mickey looked around the room while the Doctor put the sonic back in his inside pocket. Tory frowned but didn't have the time to try and track it as the Doctor yanked her towards the fireplace again and got ready to press the lever to turn it.

"Short range teleport," the Doctor explained, "can't have got far; could still be on board."

"What is it?" Rose asked.

"Don't go looking for it!" the Doctor warned, pointing his finger at the humans.

"Where're you going?" Rose demanded.

"Back in a sec." he grinned and flipped the fireplace around, taking Tory with him.

Rose glanced around the room again and grabbed another of the fire extinguishers off the wall.

"He said not to look for it..." Mickey pointed out.

"Yeah, he did." Rose agreed, meeting his gaze for a few seconds before Mickey smiled and nodded, "Now you're getting it!" she laughed as they jogged out of the room.

)0(

It was daylight in Reinette's bedroom, that was the first thing Tory noticed when the fireplace stopped spinning, the second was that the room no longer looked like a little girl made it her home; the walls had being repainted into a light beige colour, the toys had been replaced by a harp and vanity desk and the bed was slightly larger.

The Doctor stepped away from the fireplace.

"Reinette..." he called out, "Just checking you're okay..." he idly brushed his hand along the strings of the harp, not noticing a young woman entering the room. She paused, obviously shocked at the two unknown people standing in her room. Tory waved at her from her spot leaning against the wall beside the fireplace. The woman stared, recognising the two, and cleared her throat making the Doctor jump and turn to face her. "Oh! Hello!" he spoke up looking surprised. Taking his glasses, which he had put on at some point, off and back into his pocket, "Um," he glanced back at Tory, "We were just looking for Reinette." He paused, "Uh, this is still her room, isn't it? We've been away, not sure how long."

"Reinette!" a woman called from outside the room, "We're ready to go!"

"Go to the carriage, mother," the woman, Reinette, "I will join you there." Called back. The Doctor and Tory shared a grin as they finally recognised her.

"It is customary, I think," Reinette spoke slightly teasingly, "to have an imaginary friend only during one's childhood. You are to be congratulated on your persistence."

"Reinette!" Tory walked towards the Doctor and stood beside him, "You've grown up!"

"And you do not appear to have aged a single day." Reinette returned as she walked towards the pair, "That is tremendously impolite of you."

"Right..." the Doctor stuttered, unsure how to react, "yes... sorry. Um... umm... umm…listen, lovely to catch up, but er, better be off, eh? Don't want your mother finding you up here with a strange man, do we?"

"Strange?" Reinette repeated, "How could you be a stranger to me? I have known you both since I was seven years old."

"Yeah... I suppose you have." He gave a small laugh, "We came the quick route." He explained. Reinette touched his cheek and then squeezed Tory's hand.

"Well, you seem to be flesh and blood, at any rate," she let go of the two and took a step back, "but this is absurd. Reason tells me you cannot be real."

"Oh," Tory grinned, "reason goes right out the window when you hang out with him." She jerked her head towards the Doctor.

"Hey!" he protested.

"Oh? You're saying that isn't true?" Tory teased turning to him.

"Well, no." he rubbed the back of his neck with his hand, "Not when you put it like that."

"Exactly."

Reinette giggled.

"You talk like a married couple." Tory and the Doctor glanced at each other, Tory blushed and the Doctor grinned, wrapping and arm around her and pulling her close.

"Mademoiselle!" a male voice called, "Your mother grows impatient."

"A moment!" Reinette shouted back, annoyed by the interruption. "So many questions. So little time." She pulled the Doctor towards her and kissed him on the cheek before pulling Tory into a bone cracking hug. She rushed from the room grabbing something on the table as she passed before either Time Lord could react.

"Mademoiselle Poisson!" the male voice yelled again.

"Poisson?" the Doctor repeated.

"Reinette Poisson?" Tory muttered. A servant entered the room and stopped in shock at the sight of the two.

"No... no, no, no, no, no way, Reinette Poisson?!" the Doctor ran right up to the servant and spoke to him but not letting him answer any of his questions, "Later Madame Etioles? Later still mistress of Louis the Fifteenth, uncrowned Queen of France?" he ran back towards the fireplace grabbing Tory's hand as he passed her, "Actress, artist, musician, dancer, courtesan? Fantastic gardener!" he let out a happy laugh and Tory grinned at him.

"Who the hell are you two?!" the servant demanded, finally getting over his shock.

The Doctor reached behind him and Tory for the switch.

"I'm the Doctor." He grinned, "And I just became the imaginary friend of Madame de Pompadour!" he laughed and pulled the switch making the fireplace rotate.

They stepped out onto the ship together and looked around at the empty room.

"Rose!" the Doctor called, "Mickey?" he walked forward into the room, grabbing Tory by the hand as he moved, "Every time, every time, it's rule one, don't wander off! I tell them, I do, rule one! There could be anything on this ship!" he ranted as they turned a corner and almost walking face first into a white horse. The Doctor and Tory stared as the horse whinnied at them.

"You have got to be kiddin' me." Tory gaped.

)0(

The Doctor and Tory walked through the corridors hand in hand searching for Rose and Mickey.

"Rose?" the Doctor called out, childlike. Tory looked back over her shoulder as the horse followed them down the corridor. They stopped walking and turned to face the horse. "Will you stop following us?" the Doctor asked irritably, "I'm not your mother!" the horse nosed him, making Tory giggle.

The Doctor moved away having spotted a set of white French double doors. Tory held out her hand to the horse making it lick her fingers.

"I'm going to call you Arthur." She stroked Arthur's ears and grinned.

"So this is where you came from, eh, horsey?" the Doctor asked as he opened to doors, Tory moved away from Arthur and followed the Doctor out into what had to be the grounds around the palace of Versailles.

They were standing behind a low wall and staring towards the palace and just in front of them Reinette was walking arm in arm with another woman. The Doctor smiled and grabbed Tory's hand before moving towards the wall and leaning on it, Tory by his side.

"Oh, Catherine," Reinette laughed, "you are too wicked!" Tory and the Doctor shared a smile when suddenly he pulled her down to the floor; hiding them from view.

"What're you doing?" Tory hissed.

"She was looking right at us." He explained, standing once more and then pulling Tory to her feet by the grip he still had on her hand.

"Oh, speaking of wicked, I hear Madame de Chateneux is ill and close to death." Catherine, Reinette's friend spoke up.

"Yes." Reinette agreed in a serious tone, "I am devastated." The two women tried to avoid each other's eyes but failed and started to laugh.

"Oh, indeed." Catherine continued still laughing; "I myself am frequently inconsolable." She became more serious, "The King will therefore be requiring a new mistress. You love the King, of course?"

"He is the King. And I love him with all my heart. And I look forward to meeting him." Catherine let out a laugh at Reinette's words but stopped as Reinette turned and stared behind them. Tory and the Doctor hidden from sight behind the wall once more.

"Is something wrong, my dear?" Catherine asked.

"Not wrong, no." there was a pause and then to two women joined arms once more and continued their walk, the Doctor and Tory straightened up and watched the pair leave before walking back into the ship; making sure to close and lock the doors behind them.

The Doctor finally gave up his manual search for Rose and Mickey when Tory threatened to ride away on Arthur and leave him alone, the trio had promptly stopped at the nearest monitor and done a scan for human life forms.

"Do the scan Doctor." Tory sighed as the Doctor pouted at her.

"But!"

"No buts! Or else me and Arthur are riding off."

"Arthur?" the Doctor asked, confused.

"Great name for a horse." She grinned at him.

The Doctor stared at her for a moment before shaking his head and returning to topic.

"But it's boring doing a scan!" he protested.

"Alright, look at it this way," she suggested as she walked towards him, "the faster we find Rose and Mickey the faster we find out whatever's happening and so the faster we get back to the TARDIS where we can spend some time….alone." by this point she was all but draped over his chest and running the fingers of her right hand over one of his sideburns while the left was running up and down his arm.

The Doctor smirked down at her.

"We're alone now." He pointed out; putting his hands on her hips and pulling her body flush against his.

"Arthur's here." Tory protested her hands moving to his shoulders to help her keep her balance. The Doctor looked over her shoulder at the horse for a moment before smirking down at her again, Tory realised why a moment later as the sound of retreating hooves reached her ears.

"Traitor." Tory muttered.

"Best mate." The Doctor corrected.

"Men," Tory sighed, "They're all the same no matter the species." The Doctor grinned at her before lowering his face the rest of the way and meeting her lips with his. Tory moaned into the kiss as the Doctor's lips expertly teased hers, convincing her to open her mouth to him before she even realised what she was doing. His hands started to travel; one ran up her side while the other buried itself into her hair. Tory moved her own hands to his suit jacket collar and used it to hold him in place against her.

The Doctor pulled away first making Tory rise onto her tiptoes to try and keep contact a whine of disappointment escaping when he moved too far back. The Doctor chuckled but pushed her back down using his reacquired grip on her hips.

Tory stared up at him while he stared down at her; liking the slightly swollen lips and flushed cheeks. The freshly snogged look looked good on HIS Tory. HIS…when did he start thinking about her like that?

"You gonna do that scan?" Tory asked slightly breathlessly.

"Wha…uh….yeah." he let go of her and backed up towards the console. Tory took a deep calming breath before stepping up beside him.

"You got them?"

"Yeah." He pointed at two flashing dots on the monitor.

"Let's go then." Tory turned to fetch Arthur but was pulled back into the Doctor's chest, "Hey!" she tried to protest when the Doctor kissed her again, he trailed the kissed along her cheek and up her jaw before reaching her ear and nipping the earlobe.

"Off we go then." The Doctor put his hands in his pockets and strode off, a proud grin on his face, "Come on Tory, Arthur!"

"I hate that man sometimes." Tory sighed before following the Doctor and Arthur towards Mickey and Rose.

)0(

They spotted the humans standing in front of another time-window, staring at whatever they could see inside. The Doctor wandered up behind them while Tory and Arthur followed a few steps behind him.

"Blimey, look at this guy." Mickey exclaimed as two servants and the King walked into sight, "Who does he think he is?"

"King of France." The Doctor answered.

"Oh, here's trouble." Rose greeted him, "What you been up to?"

"Oh, this and that." The Doctor answered as he stared through the window, "Became the imaginary friend of a future French aristocrat... picked a fight with a clockwork man..." Arthur chose that moment to whinny, "Oh, and we met a horse."

Tory walked into sight and waved as Arthur followed behind her.

"What's a horse doing on a spaceship?" Mickey asked incredulously.

"Mickey, what's pre-Revolutionary France doing on a spaceship?" the Doctor asked back, "Get a little perspective." The Doctor turned back to the window, Tory grabbing his hand as she stood next to him. "See these?" he gestured at the time-window with his and Tory's interlocked fingers, "They're all over the place. On every deck. Gateways to history. But not just any old history..." Reinette entered the room and moved towards the King.

"Hers," Tory took over pointing at Reinette, "These time-windows they're all along her timeline, this fifty-first century spaceship is stalking a woman from the eighteenth. But I guess the main question is why. Why her?"

"Who is she?" Rose asked watching as Reinette circled the king.

"Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, known to her friends as Reinette." The Doctor answered, "One of the most accomplished women who ever lived."

"So has she got plans of being the Queen, then?" Rose checked.

"No, he's already got a Queen. She's got plans of being his mistress." The Doctor explained.

"Oh, I get it." Rose turned to Mickey, "Camilla." The two humans laughed.

The Doctor spoke up again as the King left the room.

"I think this is the night they met. The night of the Yew Tree ball. In no time at flat, she'll get herself established as his official mistress, with her own rooms at the palace... even her own title, Madame de Pompadour."

Reinette moved right in front of them and started fixing her hair in the mirror turned time-window.

"Queen must have loved her..." Rose commented.

"Oh, she did." The Doctor agreed missing the sarcasm, "They get on very well."

"The King's wife and the King's girlfriend?" Mickey asked.

"France." Tory shrugged, "It's a whole 'nother universe."

Suddenly The Doctor's grip on Tory's hand tightened.

"Can you hear that?" he asked sharply. His companions paused.

"Ticking." Tory muttered.

"But the clock!" Mickey protested, pointing to the instrument on the other side of the room, "It's broken!"

Before either Tory or the Doctor could explain Reinette spun around, recognising the ticking, and faced a figure in the shadows of the room, a figure everyone had failed to notice.

"How long have you been standing there?" she demanded, "Show yourself!" the figure turned to show itself as a 'female' clockwork droid and started to advance.

The Doctor grabbed the fire extinguisher from Mickey's hands and swung the mirror around, opening it so that the party of four could pass through.

"Hello, Reinette." He called as he ran passed her, "Hasn't time flown?"

"Fireplace man!" Reinette yelped in surprise, "Fireplace man's wife!" Tory blinked at the name just as the Doctor sprayed the droid, freezing it in place.

Tory was thankful that he didn't seem to hear what Reinette had said but couldn't deny that the idea of being the Doctor's wife made her feel very…odd.

The Doctor tossed the extinguisher back to Mickey and the droid started to click and whirr loudly.

"What's it doing?" Mickey questioned.

"Switching back on." The Doctor explained, "Melting the ice."

"And then what?"

"Then it kills everyone in the room." The droid's arm shot out, aimed towards the Doctor's throat, Tory pulled him backwards by the bottom of his jacket, her eyes glowing silver. The Doctor looked at her for a moment before gently loosening the fingers attached to his clothes and continuing, "Focuses the mind, doesn't it?" he turned and faced the droid, clearly talking to it, "Who are you? Identify yourself."

The droid cocked its head but didn't answer.

"Order it to answer him." Tory suggested to Reinette, her eyes back to their normal TARDIS blue but with faint lines of silver going through the iris.

"Why should it listen to me?" Reinette questioned.

"It did when you were a child," Tory explained, "There's no reason for that to have changed." Reinette nodded and took a step forward.

"Answer his question." She ordered, "Answer any and all questions put to you."

The droid remained still for a moment before lowering its arm.

I am repair droid seven.

"So what happened to the ship, then?" the Doctor questioned, "There was a lot of damage."

Ion storm, eighty two percent systems failure.

"That ship hasn't moved in over a year." The Doctor pointed out, "What's taken you so long?"

We did not have the parts.

Mickey laughed.

"Always comes down to that, doesn't it?" he grinned, "The parts."

"What's happened to the crew," Tory asked, "where are they?"

We did not have the parts.

"There should have been over fifty people on your ship." The Doctor continued, "Where did they go? Fifty people don't just disappear!" he argued, "Where...?" he stopped suddenly a horrified look crossing his features.

"Oh my God." Tory muttered, "They didn't have the parts." Her voice faltered causing Reinette to move to her and wrap an arm around her shoulders.

"The crew?" Mickey asked a disgusted look on his face.

"We found a camera with an eye in it..." Rose offered hesitantly, "and there was a heart... wired in to machinery."

"It was just what it was programmed to." The Doctor explained, "Repairing the ship any way it can, with whatever it could find. No-one told it the crew weren't on the menu. What did you say the flight deck smelt of?"

"Someone cooking..." Rose answered quietly.

"Flesh plus heat." The Doctor spoke grimly, "Barbeque."

Reinette and Rose had matching looks of sickness while Mickey still seemed to be trying to process what he had just been told, Tory was just staring at the droid her eyes slowly taking on a glowing silver.

"But what are you doing here?" the Doctor continued, "You've opened up time windows, that takes colossal energy. Why come here, you could have gone to your repair yard. Instead you come to eighteenth century France? Why?"

One more part is required. Its head jerked to face Reinette who grabbed Tory's hand for reassurance as the Doctor, Rose and Mickey turned to stare at her. The Doctor turned back to the droid.

"Then why haven't you taken it?"

She is incomplete.

"What?!" Tory demanded, squeezing Reinette's hand, "That's your plan? Just keep opening these time-windows until you find her complete?!"

"Why her?" Rose asked abruptly, making everyone turn to her in surprise, "You've got all of history to choose from, why specifically her?"

We are the same.

"We are not the same," Reinette shouted, "we are in no sense the same!"

We are the same.

Reinette let go of Tory's hand as she advanced towards the droid.

"Get out of here!" she ordered, "Get out of here this instance!"

"Reinette, no!" the Doctor protested too late as the droid followed the order and activated its teleport. "It's back on the ship. Rose, take Mickey and Arthur, get after it. Follow it, don't approach it, just watch what it does."

"Arthur?"

"Good name for a horse." The Doctor answered with a wink in Tory's direction.

"No, you're not keeping the horse!" Rose told him exasperatedly.

"I let you keep Mickey!" The Doctor retorted, "Now go, go, go!"

Rose and Mickey ran back through the mirror time-window and the Doctor pushed it shut behind them before turning back to Reinette and Tory who were standing in the centre of the room.

"Reinette," he spoke seriously, "you're going to have to trust me. I need to find out what they're looking for, there's only one way I can do that. Won't hurt a bit." Tory backed away as the Doctor walked towards Reinette. She nodded and the Doctor placed his fingers on her temples and closed his eyes, Reinette copied his actions.

"Fireplace man..." Reinette spoke up in amazement, "you are inside my mind."

"Oh dear, Reinette." He whispered, "You've had some cowboys in here."

"You are in my memories." Reinette muttered, stunned, "You walk among them. Can you both do this?"

"Yeah." Tory answered.

"If there's anything you don't want me to see, just imagine a door and close it. I won't look." He reassured her, "Ooh….actually... there's a door just there." Reinette opened her eyes and grinned slyly, "You might want to clo... Ooh.Actually, several."

"To walk among the memories of another living soul... do you ever get used to this?" Reinette questioned.

"I don't make a habit of it." He answered.

"How can you resist?"

"What age are you?" the Doctor asked suddenly either ignoring or not hearing Reinette's second question.

"So impertinent a question so early in the conversation. How promising." Reinette teased, "I hope you don't treat Tory this way." Tory grinned as the Doctor paused, mouth open, before continuing.

"No, not my question, theirs." He explained, "You're twenty-three and for some reason, that means you're not old enough." Reinette flinched making Tory step towards her, "Sorry," the Doctor hurriedly apologised, "you might find old memories reawakening. Side effect."

"Oh, such a lonely childhood..." Reinette muttered.

"It'll pass." Tory comforted her, "Stay with us."

"Oh, Doctor. So lonely. So very, very alone."

"What do you mean, alone?" the Doctor asked her, "You've never been alone in your life..." his eyes snapped open as he realised something, "When did you start calling me "Doctor"?"

"Such a lonely little boy." Reinette continued, "Lonely then but lonely no longer." She opened her eyes and smiled at both Time Lords.

"How did you do that?" the Doctor asked as he stepped away.

"A door, once opened, can be stepped through in either direction..." the Doctor and Tory stared at her, "Oh, Doctor, Tory," she stepped towards them, "My lonely Time Lords. Dance with me."

"We can't." The Doctor answered warningly.

"Dance with me." Reinette demanded, walking to Tory and taking her hand before walking back towards the Doctor.

"This is the night you dance with the King." The Doctor explained.

"Then first, I shall make him jealous."

"We can't." The Doctor repeated.

"Doctor... Doctor who?" Reinette asked sadly, staring for a few moments, "It's more than just a secret, isn't it?"

"What did you see?"

"That there comes a time, Time Lord," Reinette answered,"when every lonely little boy must learn how to dance." Tory held out her other hand and the Doctor took it, "And every little girl must learn how to love." Reinette lead them away.

)0(

"I have no dress for you," Reinette spoke as they walked, "you will have to make up an excuse for your state of dress."

"I can take care of that just tell me what you need me to wear."

"It is a masquerade." Reinette grinned, "I have the Doctor's mask here." She opened a small purse and pulled out a large back feathered mask, "There will be clothes for you in here." She pointed towards another door and had shoved the Doctor through before he could protest.

Tory and Reinette shared a grin before the French woman waved her hand in a hurry up motion looking at Tory expectantly.

"Oh, right." Tory closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on what she assumed was the height of fashion from what Reinette was wearing; long floor length skirt, delicate patterns sewn onto the fabric, matching colours in slightly different shades, a deep red colour would probably look good Tory mussed as the dress appeared in her minds eyes with matching half-face velvet mask.

"What magic is this?" Reinette questioned once Tory opened her eyes, the cause of the question; Tory wearing the exact dress she had being picturing in her head.

"No magic, it's an illusion." Tory explained, "Look," she grabbed Reinette's hand and passed it through the layers of skirts, the image shifted and scattered around her hand allowing it through to touch the jeans underneath, "It's an image that I'm generating using my variation of a TARDIS chameleon circuit it takes a lot of energy...and you have no idea what I just said do you?" Reinette shook her head, a soft amused smile on her face, "Never mind then." Tory shrugged and pulled on her mask.

"Follow this hallway to the ballroom," Reinette ordered, "I will follow with the Doctor."

The two women shared a smile before Tory gave Reinette a two fingered salute and walked off.

Tory entered the room and stared around, one thing she could say about the French they knew how to party! The room was massive, the ceilings, walls and floors all covered in carved details, paintings and statues, the guests were all mingling around the corners of the room while the dancers and the band took the centre.

"It's beautiful." Tory muttered as she stepped out into the crowd. She walked around the edge of the dance floor, trying to keep an eye on the dancers and the door at the same time so as not to bump into anyone and failing rather tragically; she lost sight of the doorway as one of the male French aristocrats stepped into her line of sight.

"Good day, Madam," he greeted her with a bow. Tory returned the gesture with a distracted curtsy as she tried to continue watching the door, "May I have this dance?" the man asked, not noticing Tory's uninterested air, he held out his hand and Tory, left with no choice in the matter, took it. He led her out to the dance floor, close to the centre and bowing once more as the music started.

As they danced Tory's eyes kept darting around trying to find the Doctor or Reinette, her dancing partner was less than enthused by this behaviour.

"Have I taken you from your partner?" he questioned in an annoyed tone.

"No," Tory answered, stopping herself from looking around and glancing up and his face, "I'm looking for a friend."

"If they were foolish enough to leave such a beauty as you unattended then they do not deserve you." He answered.

The music changed to slightly more fast paced beat and Tory's partner was force to let her go as the dance changed to one with revolving partners. Tory passed into arms she was much happier in.

"Doctor," she sighed in relief, "I was looking for you."

"I saw." He answered, amusement clear in his tone as he noticed the annoyed look Tory's pervious partner was giving them as the Doctor led her from the dance floor; unwilling to have their conversation interrupted by the changing of partners.

Once they were standing still, slightly away from the jostling of the crowds, Tory looked the Doctor up and down and snorted.

"I thought Reinette told you to get changed." She pointed out as the Doctor was standing before her in the same brown suit as always.

"Did she?" he asked, pretending confusion, "I must have miss heard."

"Sure, whatever you say." Tory agreed with a roll of her eyes as she grabbed a glass of something from a nearby table and took a sip.

"You look brilliant." He complimented her.

"Thank you," Tory grinned at him, "It's just an illusion though."

"A shame." he answered, stealing Tory's drink and taking a sip before promptly spitting it back into the glass.

"Thanks for that." Tory told him sarcastically as she took the glass back and placed it back on the table.

"That's rubbish!" The Doctor exclaimed loud enough for the nearby staff to hear, "What is that?!"

"Wine I'd imagine." Tory answered as the staff glared at the Doctor.

"I hate wine." He muttered, "I want something fruity."

"Fruity?" Tory repeated.

"Yeah," his face lit up as he had an idea, "I know what we'll do." He grabbed her hand and led her off towards the food tables with the fruits on them; he grabbed a lime and a cherry before moving to the drinks table where he gathered rum and some sort of orange flavouring and a pot of sugar from the end of the table. "Here we go!" he put his spoils down on a new, smaller, table one of the staff had delivered after a hand signal from the Doctor.

"What are you doing?" Tory asked as the Doctor pulled some sort of alien blender from one of his pockets and set it down on the table as well. He dug around in his pocket again and pulled out a banana.

"Always bring a banana to a party." He muttered with a grin, "Making myself a drink." The Doctor answered as he set to work; he squeezed the juice out of the lime and into the blender quickly followed by the orange flavouring, rum, banana and sugar, leaving the cherry and two glasses off to the side, he had some ice from somewhere and poured that in as well before activating the device.

His and Tory's antics had managed to attract a small crowd by that point, all of them seeing the pair as someone's hired entertainment.

"Ah-ha!" the Doctor cried as the blender dinged, he grabbed it and poured it into two glasses, the slushy liquid a pleasing yellow colour, he placed the cherry in one glass and handed the one without to Tory, "Go on," he encouraged, "drink up."

Tory gave the glass a distrustful glance before shrugging and taking a sip.

"Well?" the Doctor demanded, excited to see Tory's reaction to one of his most favourite drinks.

"It's actually rather good." Tory answered in surprise.

"Always the tone of shock." the Doctor teased and he drank his own drink before pouring whatever was left in the blender into various empty glasses on the table, "banana daiquiri's for everybody!"

)0(

Tory, tired after giving the guests a musical performance using a set of Zeus plugs as castanets, lent against the wall as she relaxed, looking over the room. Reinette had gotten the interest of the King and was soon to be invited to live in the place from the looks of things and the Doctor….Tory giggled as she watched the Doctor escape the clutches of yet another French aristocrat, female this time, as she tried to convince the Doctor to dance with her, he used the excuse of being taken and, after shaking off his fan club, moved to stand at Tory's side.

Tory, slightly tipsy as she was, grinned up at him.

"Ah, the French." She sighed, leaning her head on his shoulder.

They watched Reinette dancing with the King in silence for a moment before the Doctor wrapped his arms around Tory and turned her to face him.

"This is fun," Tory told him simply, "we should do this again sometime."

"For you," he answered, "anything."

"Oh really?" Tory flirted. The Doctor recognised her tone and smirked.

"Anything particular in mind?" he flirted back.

"I could probably think of a few things, if pressed."

The Doctor pushed her slightly and moved them back into a shadowed portion of the room, pining Tory against the wall. The Doctor lowered his head fully and pulled Tory into a gentle kiss. Tory hummed in pleasure when the broke apart.

"Let's definitely do this again." She tilted her head back as the Doctor started kissing her neck. The Doctor chuckled and pulled his head back prompting Tory to start kissing his jaw, undoing his tie and top buttons as she worked her way to his neck.

"I see no problems with that." he groaned as Tory sucked on the skin just above his jugular vein. Tory giggled and nuzzled his chin.

"Neither do I."

The Doctor shot her a roguish grin before his hands, which had being tamely on her hips, slipped down to her thighs and lifted her into the air, her legs wrapped around his waist on reflex as a surprise noise escaped her, the shock making her dress disappear leaving her in her 21st century clothes once more.

"Cheeky bugger." Tory teased as the Doctor started kissing her neck again, using the wall to help hold her weight as his hands started to roam; one going to squeeze her arse while the other went to the back of her neck.

"You wouldn't have me any other way." He answered before kissing her again, he mouth opened to him readily as he licked her top lip before biting and pulling the bottom. Not to be outdone Tory let her tongue out and into his mouth, stroking along his own and across the top of his mouth. The Doctor and Tory both moaned and linked one of their hands together, interlocking the fingers, to open a weak mental link. Both gasped as the singular pleasure they were both feeling became one massive wave that rose and crashed back over them.

They stared into each other's eyes for a moment before grabbing for one another again, hands, lips, teeth and tongue; they just couldn't stop touching each other, the hands creating the link broke apart and the link closed, a faint echo remaining in the back of their minds.

Tory's shirt was undone and hanging off her shoulders as the Doctor kissed across the tops of her breasts, her hand buried in his hair.

"We…..we have to stop." Tory gasped, pulling the Doctors head away from her body.

"No we don't" he contradicted.

"Yes, we do." He stopped trying to kiss her and rested his forehead against hers, "Why?" he asked, sounding slightly hurt.

"I'm not having my first time with you against a wall." Tory answered bluntly, "And it's my first time in this body."

"Oh." He realised what she meant and lowered her gently to the floor, wrapping his arms around her waist, "You've never?"

"Not in this body." She answered, slightly embarrassed, "Physically I'm a virgin."

"So you erm… 'knocked boots' in your last body?"

"I was a fully grown woman Doctor," she defended, "And I hadn't even met you yet."

"I'm not accusing you of anything," he hesitantly explained, "I just wanted to know so I could make it as good as possible when we do…. do it."

Tory smiled at him.

"Thank you."

TORY! A female voice demanded echoing in her head, THE YELLOW ONE AND HER MATE ARE IN DANGER!

The Doctor and Tory shared a look, the Doctor recognising the distant look on her face as the one from when the TARDIS communicated with her, before darting from the room and back towards the time-window.

)0(

The Doctor and Tory spun into the room where Rose and Mickey were being held by the robot droids drunkenly. The Doctor's tie was around his head and he had sunglasses on, Tory's hair was ruffled and sticking up in all directions she had a glass in each hand that had what looked like wine inside of them; the Doctors hands where on Tory's waist as they danced and she held her arms out to the side in an effort to prevent the liquid in the glasses spilling onto his or her own clothes.

"And still have begged for moooore..." the Doctor sang, "I could've spread my wings and done a thou..." he stopped spotting the other people in the room, "have you metthe French?" he demanded, Mickey stared up at the two aliens bemused, "My... god, they know how to party."

"Oh, look at what the cat dragged in." Rose spoke up sarcastically, "The Oncoming Storm."

"Oh, you sound just like your mother." The Doctor told her distastefully as he let go of Tory, who continued to dance with an imaginary partner, and lent against the bed Rose was tied to.

"What've you been doing?" Rose demanded crossly, "Where've you been?!"

"Well... among other things, I thinkjust invented the banana daiquiri a few centuries early." Rose flopped back down on to the table, exasperated, "Do you know, they've never even seen a banana before!" he leaned over her, "Always take a banana to a party, Rose." He told her sincerely, "Bananas are good." The Doctor finally seemed to see the droids through his drunken haze as Tory stopped dancing and wobbled over to his side, "Oh hohohoho, brilliant." He sounded absolutely delighted, "It's you!" he pointed at a droid in blue, the first one they had ever met in Reinette's childhood bedroom, "You're my favourite, you are, you are the best! Do you know why? 'Cause you're so thick. You're Mister Thick ThickThickity Thick Face from Thicktown, Thickania."

"And so's your dad!" Tory added, getting an approving nod for the Doctor as he strolled towards the droid, leaving Tory standing beside Rose.

"Do you know what they were scanning Reinette's brain for?" he sniggered, "Her milometer. They wanna know how old she is. Know why? 'Cause this ship is thirty-seven years old. And they think that when Reinetteis thirty-seven, when she's "complete", then her brain will be compatible. So, that's what you're missing, isn't it?" he stared the droid mockingly in the face. "Hmm? Command circuit. Your computer. Your ship needs a brain. And for some reason, God knows what, only the brain of Madame de Pompadour will do."

The brain is compatible.

"Compatible?" He repeated as Tory walked to his side and handed him his glass of wine, "If you believe that, you probably believe this is a glass of wine." He removed the droid's mask and poured the liquid over the clockwork inside; he replaced the mask and patted the head as the droid's clicking got slower before finally stopping making the machine tilt its upper body forwards. "Multigrain anti-oil." The Doctor explained, suddenly sober, "If it moves, it doesn't."

The rest of the droids in the room started to move forwards but Tory took care of them by releasing a flash of Meridian particles, aimed at the console to the side of the room, they condensed into the shape of a hand and pulled a leaver, deactivating all of the droids.

The Doctor pulled out the sonic, as Tory took a sip from the glass she still had in her hand, and aimed it at the two beds.

"Right, you two, that's enough lying about..." he released to two humans and they slid down the tables and onto the floor, "Time we got the rest of the ship turned off."

"Are those things safe?" Mickey asked as he edged around one of the droids to join Rose and the Doctor at the console while Tory finished whatever was in her glass.

The Doctor pulled his tie down and around his neck and pushed his sunglasses up into his hair.

"Yep. Safe." The Doctor confirmed, "Safe and thick. Way I like them. Okay, all the time windows are controlled from here. I need to close them all down." He felt around in his pockets, "Zeus plugs." He muttered, "Where are my Zeus plugs?" he looked around like he thought they had fallen out of his pocket, "I had them a minute ago; Tory was using them as castanets."

"Why didn't they just open a time window to when she was thirty-seven?" Rose asked.

"With the amount of damage to these circuits, they'll be lucky to hit the right century. Trial and error after that." The Doctor answered as he fiddled with the computer, "The windows aren't closing. Why won't they close?"

An ominous pinging sound rang around the room.

"What's that?" Rose asked. The clicking noises continued, Tory tilted her head to the side as her TARDIS side tried to translate the computer code into something understandable.

"I don't know..." the Doctor spoke over the noise,"incoming message?"

"From who?" Mickey questioned.

"Report from the field... one of them must still be out there with Reinette!" the Doctor realised, "That'swhy I can't close the windows, there's an override!" The droid the Doctor had taken out with the 'wine' straightened and expelled the liquid all over the Doctor's shoe, "Well, that was a bit clever." The rest of the droids reactivated, filling the room with ticking, Tory backed up to stand in front of the Doctor, Mickey and Rose Meridian Particles dancing around her hands, ready to be released. "Right... many things about this are not good."

"Ya think?!" Tory answered him as the pinging repeated itself.

"Message from one of your little friends?" the Doctor questioned the droids, "Anything interesting?"

She is complete. It begins.

They all activated their teleports and vanished.

"What's happening?" Rose demanded.

"One of them must've found the right time window," the Doctor and Tory darted back to the console and started to track the teleport signal, "and now it's time to send in the troops. And this time they're bringing back her head."

)0(

"Reinette?" Tory asked quietly as she spotted the other woman standing in the corridor of the ship, Rose and Mickey behind her. Reinette turned to Tory a lost and scared look on her face, "Come here." Tory ordered opening her arms, Reinette darted into the hug, thankful for the reassurance offered.

"So, this is your world." Reinette spoke as the two women separated. Suddenly faint screaming rang around the ship, "What was that?"

"The time window," Mickey explained, "the Doctor fixed an audio link."

"Those screams... is that my future?" Reinette asked, scared of the answer but still willing to hear it.

"I'm so sorry." Tory squeezed her hands making Reinette give a sad smile.

"Then I must take the slower path." Reinette spoke.

"Are you there?" Reinette's voice spoke up but not from the woman holding Tory's hand, "Can you hear me? I need you now, you promised. The clock on the mantel is broken. It is time."

"That's my voice." Reinette pointed out sounding disturbed and hoping for an explanation.

"Rose," Mickey tried to attract her attention, Tory glanced over at him in surprise having not noticing him before, "come on, we've gotta go. There's... there's a problem."

"Give me a moment." Rose told him. He shot her a glance and hurried away while Rose stepped up to Reinette's other side, "Are you okay?"

"No." Reinette answered, "I'm very afraid. But you and I both know, don't we, Rose? The Doctor and his Tory are worth the monsters." Rose nodded.

Reinette dropped Tory's hand and walked back to the tapestry that had to be the time-window she had used to get onto the ship.

"Rose," Tory followed Reinette through the tapestry, "tell him not to be late."

Rose stared at the closed portal for a moment before turning and walking back to the bridge; it would be mere minutes for the Doctor but nearly five years for Tory before they saw each other again.

)0(

Five years passed slowly for Tory and Reinette, they were constantly on watch for more droids but they seemed to have vanished, Tory explained it one night as them all being called to the right time-window.

Reinette had looked relived for a moment before realising just what that meant for her future.

"The Doctor will be there." Tory reassured her, "You can't have the monsters without the Doctor."

"I hope you are right."

Tory held Reinette in the night when her nightmares were too much, they never talked about it and Reinette returned the favour when Tory's TARDIS and Time Lord sides refused to settle and she had to travel, even a small distance. Tory showed Reinette more of France than Reinette had ever seen before but only ever in the one time. She never took her off planet either; worried that without the natural enhancements the TARDIS made to anyone's immune system she would fall ill.

Five years was a long wait but Tory discovered one thing in that she had never really thought was true; distance really does make the heart grow fonder. She missed the Doctor more than she ever thought possible, when she saw that Time Lord again she was going to snog him senseless! The idea made Tory giggle as she placed the last part of her hair into the elaborate up style Reinette had insisted she wear tonight for whatever ball the King was throwing; the man threw so many Tory had stopped keeping track of what they were for.

Tory sighed and stood; giving a nod to the maid she passed as she left the bedroom that had been hers for the last five years. Tory walked towards Reinette's rooms slowly, she was already late for the ball and would have preferred not to have to go entirely but her Meridian Particles were acting up again and she needed to waste the energy they gave her before she overloaded.

She stopped in her tracks when she heard the sound of screaming echoing around the castle.

Tory lifted her skirts in on hand and ran towards Reinette's rooms; she's be damned if she let those droids touch Reinette without going through her first.

Tory burst in through the doors, spotting Reinette by the fireplace she'd had moved from her house and the King standing be her shoulder.

"We are under attack!" he exclaimed, "There are creatures... I don't even think they're human. We can't stop them."

"The clock is broken." Reinette spoke, "He's coming." The King moved towards her, concerned that she wasn't trying to run.

"Did you hear what I said?" he took her hand pulling her away from the fireplace. She stopped him from moving and stared up at him, trying to make him listen.

"Listen to me." She insisted, "There is a man coming to Versailles. He has watched over me my whole life and he will not desert me tonight." She glanced at Tory over her shoulder before the King took her attention again.

"What are you talking about?" he demanded, "What man?"

"The only man, save you, I have ever loved." Reinette continued before the King could interrupt, "No, don't look like that, there's no time. You have your duties. I am your mistress. Go to your queen." She went back to the fireplace, kneeling in front of it and speaking into the flames urgently, "Are you there? Can you hear me? We need you now, you promised. The clock on the mantel is broken. It is time. Doctor! Doctor!"

"We must go." The King insisted, "No one is coming to help us."

"He always comes!" Tory snapped, forgetting herself, as she moved to Reinette's side and placing a hand on her shoulder. There was silence as the trio waited for a miracle. A silence broken only by the mechanical ticking of one of the droids standing in the doorway.

Reinette stood and turned to face her childhood tormentor. Tory could almost see the flashbacks the droid was causing in her and grabbed her hand.

"It's only a monster Reinette," Tory whispered as two more droids joined the first, "even monsters have nightmares." Reinette smiled at the happier memory even as the droids moved into the room.

You are complete. You will come.

They moved forward, one droid for each person in the room.

Tory raised her hands, they were starting to glow silver when Reinette shook her head. Tory stared for a moment before lowering her hands again and letting one of the droids take her arm and pull her roughly from the room.

"Where are we going?" Reinette demanded as the droids dragged her down a corridor, Tory and the King behind her.

The teleport has limited range. We must have proximity to the time portal.

"Your words mean nothing." Reinette spat, "You are nothing."

They were getting closer to the main ballroom, probably the source of all the screaming now Tory thought about it.

They entered the ballroom to find the Kings guests all huddled in corners, kept there by guarding droids. The noise made by the screaming was close to deafening in the echo-y room.

Reinette yanked herself free of her guards and stepped forward proudly.

"Can everyone just calm down?" she shouted over the noise, "Please." The guests fell silent and Reinette continued in her normal tone, "Such a commotion. Such distressing noise. Kindly remember that this is Versailles. This is the Royal Court. And we are French." She turned to a droid, the first one she had ever met, "I have made a decision. And my decision is "no", I shall not be going with you today. I have seen your world, and I have no desire to set foot there again."

We do not require your feet.

Two droids moved to either side of her and pushed her to the floor, holding her there. One held a blade to her throat while the other had needles. The droid Reinette had spoken to stepped forwards and held out his own blade, Reinette stared up at him defiantly.

"No!" Tory screamed, the King struggling behind her, "You'll have to kill me first!" The droid holding her back released its blade and held it to her throat.

"You think I fear you." Reinette spoke up, trying to draw the droids attention, "But I do not fear you, even now. You are merely the nightmare of my childhood. The monster from under my bed. And if my nightmare can return to plague me, then rest assured," Reinette lowered her voice to a whisper, "so will yours."

In the distance they heard the sound of a horse whinnying.

There was a stupefied pause.

The King darted forwards and pulled Tory out of the threatening grip of the droid and into the safety of his own arms.

Galloping hooves could be heard now, getting louder as they apparently got closer, after a few moments the giant mirror at the front of the room shattered as Arthur the horse charged through, the Doctor on his back.

Everyone stared as the Doctor trotted into the centre of the room where Tory, Reinette, the King and the droids where. The Doctor winked at Reinette as he passed her and shot a possessive glare at the King who still had Tory wrapped in his arms.

"Madame de Pompadour. You look younger every day." The Doctor greeted making Reinette smile.

"What the hell is going on?" the King demanded, still not letting go of Tory.

"Oh," Reinette looked back to the Doctor, "this is my lover," she introduced, "the King of France."

"Yeah?" he muttered disdainfully still eyeing the grip the other man had on Tory, "Well, I'm the Lord of Time." The King let go of Tory like she'd burned him as the Doctor shot him one more glare before turning to the first droid, "And I'm here to fix the clock." He pulled the mask of the droid drawing gasps from the guests and the droid pointing its weapon at the Doctor's throat threateningly. "Forget it. It's over. For you and for me." He glanced up at the broken mirror, "Talk about seven years bad luck. Try three thousand..." the droid cocked its head towards the mirror and tried desperately to use its teleport, "The link with the ship is broken. No way back. You don't have the parts. How many ticks left in that clockwork heart? A day? An hour? It's over. Accept that. I'm not winding you up."

One by one the droids powered down and slumped forwards, one falling back and smashing on the floor.

The guests whispered among themselves as the Doctor turned to face Tory who was standing behind him, a beaming grin on her face.

He opened his mouth to speak but Tory just threw herself into his arms and attached her lips to his in a kiss she had waited five years for. It wasn't gentle; it was a passionate kiss between two lovers, one who hadn't seen the other in five years and the other who thought she was going to die not ten seconds ago. The Doctor nipped at her lips playfully as Tory pulled back.

"I've missed you." She whispered to him as she rested her forehead against his own.

"I'd never of guessed." He teased. Tory slapped him playfully in retaliation. He kissed her again quickly before wrapping an arm around her waist and walking to Reinette, offering her his empty hand to help her to her feet, "You all right?" he questioned. Reinette nodded and took the offered hand.

"What's happened to them?" she questioned, staring around at the now harmless droids.

"They've stopped." The Doctor explained, "They have no purpose now."

)0(

Tory led the Doctor and Reinette from the ballroom, Reinette breaking off from the party to see to the King. Tory grabbed two untouched glasses of wine from a remarkably undisturbed table as she passed. She led the Doctor to a window that looked out over the palace grounds and offered a beautiful view of the stars.

The Doctor took one glass and sipped it as he studied the sky. Tory held onto his empty hand and leant her head against his shoulder.

"I'm sorry." she whispered against his arm.

"What for?" he asked confused, glancing down at her.

"I can't get you back home."

"What?" the Doctor turned and grabbed her upper arms, "Are you alright?" he demanded.

"I'm fine." Tory reassured him, "I've just spent too long in one place; it's messed up my Meridian Particles." She tried to explain, "I could travel anywhere in the world but I can't time travel." She shrugged.

"Forever?"

"No!" she answered quickly, "Just a few years while I recalibrate."

"Years?" he let out a sigh and kissed Tory on the forehead. Reinette walked up behind the pair as they turned back to studying the stars.

"You know all their names, don't you?" she asked the quiet pair, "I saw that in your mind. The name of every star."

"What's in a name?" the Doctor questioned in return, "Names are just titles. Titles don't tell you anything."

"Like, "The Doctor"." Reinette teased.

"Like, "Madame de Pompadour"." He teased back making both women laugh.

"I have often wished to see those stars a little closer." Reinette took a sip of wine as she regarded the two, "Just as you have, I think."

"From time to time." The Doctor answered as Tory nodded her agreement.

"I wouldn't leave you alone." Tory re-enforced.

"In saving me, you trapped yourself. Did you know that would happen?" Reinette questioned the Doctor.

"We're not trapped," The Doctor grinned, "just staying a little longer than normal." Reinette smiled.

"There were many doors between my world and yours. Can you not use one of the others?" she suggested.

"When the mirror broke," The Doctor explained, "the shock will have severed all the links with the ship. There'll be a few more broken mirrors and torn tapestries around here, I'm afraid. Wherever there was a time window. I'll... I'll, er... pay for any damage." Reinette and Tory laughed, "Um... oh, that's a thought, I'm gonna need money. I was always a bit vague about money. Where do you get money?"

"Generally," Tory grinned up at him, "you work for it."

"So, here you are. My lonely angel. Stuck on the slow path, with me."

"Yep." The Doctor agreed, "The slow path." He grinned and held up his glass, "Here's to the slow path." Reinette and the Doctor chinked their glasses together making Tory giggle.

"It's a pity..." Reinette mused, "I think I would've enjoyed the slow path."

"Well, we're not going anywhere." The Doctor pointed out.

"Oh, aren't you?" she put her wine down on the windowsill, "Take my hand."

Tory remained, staring out the window, as the pair left to whatever Reinette wanted to show the Doctor. She was still standing there when Reinette came running back, happier than Tory had ever seen her.

)0(

It was dark, but that was only to be expected in a time before the creation of the electric light. Tory sighed and looked up at the stars; she was standing at one of the many windows in the Palace of Versailles in the personal chambers of Reinette Poisson, the mistress to the King.

"Oh how far we fall." Tory whispered, resting her head against the window pain.

"I always did call you my angles." A rasping voice answered. Tory turned in surprise and headed towards the large bed in the centre of the room as fast as she could in all those skirts.

"Reinette! I thought you were sleeping!" Tory sat quickly on the side of the bed and grasped the limp hand Reinette no longer had the strength to move herself.

Reinette chuckled, the amused sound turning into a hacking cough part way through. Tory helped her sit up and supported her through the fit, handing her a glass of water once it was over.

"Thank you." Reinette spoke up as Tory put the water back on the side and moved away so Reinette could lie down once more, "You have given my letter to the King?" Reinette questioned once she had her breath back.

"Yes," Tory reassured her, "he has the letter you wrote for him and the one you wrote for the Doctor."

"Good." Reinette closed her eyes again, "It will be good to rest without worry."

Tory closed her eyes as well but in her case it was not to rest but to hold in the tears. She had tried so very hard to convince Reinette to let Tory take her to a time where she could get help but Reinette said the sickness was god's wish and refused the help; Tory wasn't about to force her.

It was six years since the Doctor had last been seen; he was using a method of travel even less reliable than his own driving. Reinette was 43; much too young to die.

Tory hung her head as Reinette's breathing slowed and then stopped. She let a sob escape when Reinette's chest fell still. Tory stood slowly and placed one last kiss on the dead woman's forehead before walking out of the room.

The men standing guard on either side of the door interpreted her sombre look and hung their heads as they walked away to fetch the King.

Alone in the empty corridor Tory looked back at the room she had just left.

"Goodbye, my friend." She whispered before vanishing in a flash of silver Meridian particles.

Tory reappeared, crying her eyes out, in the one place she had ever really called home; her and Jordan's shared living room.

)0(

Jordan was standing in the kitchen, her back to the door, making herself a cup of tea when she heard Tory arriving.

"Hey," she called out as she removed her tea bag and placed it in the bin, "I wanted to say sorry for how I was at work today," she turned and stopped as she saw Tory's tear stained face. "Tory." Jordan whispered quietly, "What happened to you?" Receiving no answer Jordan placed her un-drunk tea back down on the counter and pulled the other woman into her arms, "Come on, let's get you to bed, yeah?"

)0(

Something was wrong with Tory, that much was obvious, but Jordan couldn't work out what. Tory refused to speak about what had happened other than the fact that she was traveling with the Doctor. Jordan was at the end of her rope. Sure Tory would eat, drink and interact with her but the life in it was gone, all the excitement, all the things that made Tory herself. All gone.

"I'll have to call in the big guns…" Jordan muttered, glancing at the closed door to Tory's room before pulling out her 'super phone' and searching for the right number, "Please pick up." She whispered, "Please."

)0(

The Doctor sat on the Captain's chair in the TARDIS control room and stared at the console lost in thought. Reinette's lover, the King of France, had told him about the day Reinette died; Tory had stayed with her until the end, all that time, and then vanished. Some had claimed that Tory had been sent to kill Reinette but anyone who had seen the two together knew that to be untrue; they had loved each other like sisters.

He pulled out the letter Reinette had left for him once more and opened it.

My Dear Doctor. The path has never seemed more slow, and yet I fear I am nearing its end. Your Tory has tried so very hard to get me well but this is God's will and so must be obeyed.

Reason tells me that you and I are unlikely to meet again. But Tory tells me I should not listen to reason. I have seen the world inside your head, and know that all things are possible. Hurry though, my Doctor. My days grow shorter now, and I am so very weak. Tory cries when she thinks I am resting; please help her. God speed, my lonely angel.

Tory was long gone by the time the Doctor arrived and he had no idea where she had gone. If he had to guess he would say that she had gone home, to Jordan, and he didn't want to interrupt if Tory would rather have Jordan's comfort than his own; though it did give him a strange feeling in his chest to think of Tory wanting another person's company over his.

He shot to his feet in shock as the TARDIS phone started ringing. He jerked towards the console and grabbed it out of its cradle.

"Hello?" he asked.

"Doctor! It's Jordan; I need your help!"

)0(

The TARDIS materialised in the same cleared corner of the room that Tory had and the Doctor stuck his head out of the door. Jordan was sitting on an armchair facing the open TARDIS doors.

"She's in her room." Jordan told him without being asked. He nodded his thanks and moved towards the door.

"Tory?" he knocked, calling through the door, "Can I come in?" he didn't hear a sound of protest so he opened the door slowly, "Oh Tory." He sighed, moving into the room and closing the door behind him as he saw Tory curled up in her bed staring up at him with a lost look in her eye, "I'm sorry."

Tory climbed out of the bed and ran into his arms, tucking her head under his chin and holding onto him as tightly as she could.

"I'm so sorry." The Doctor whispered as he slowly lowered them to the floor as Tory started to cry again, "So, so sorry." He placed a kiss on the top of her head and ran a comforting hand up and down her back as she burrowed into his arms.

It was nearly an hour later when the Doctor and Tory started to move. They were still sitting on the floor with the Doctor's back resting against the door while Try's head rested on his chest, listening to the comforting double beats of his hearts. The moment ended when the Doctor rested his head back and hit the wall with a thump. Both Time Lords jumped at the unexpected noise. Tory stared at the Doctor's sheepish expression as he looked down at her guiltily and couldn't hold back, what she would later deny was, a giggle. The Doctor grinned at the sound, nudging her away from him and standing before offering his hand to help her up.

"Thanks." Tory smiled at him, the sadness still in her eyes, "For being here."

"Where else would I be?" he teased.

"Oh I don't know, you and that blue box could go anywhere, anywhen."

"But I'd rather be right here right now."

"In my bedroom?" Tory questioned, "Nice to know where your priorities lie."

"Weeeellllll, I can't say it's not a benefit," Tory make a playful swipe at his arm.

"Oh shut it you."

"But," he looked into her eyes completely serious, "I'd rather be right beside you than anywhere else." Tory blushed but reached up and kissed him on the cheek, or at least tried to; the Doctor, knowing what she was doing turned his head at the last moment so their lips met instead.

Tory felt the Doctor smirking into the kiss and bit his lip in retaliation. He took the chance to deepen the kiss, their tongues met and twisted around each other as the two tried to find a rhythm. Tory grinned as the Doctor moaned and pulled her closer, his arms wrapping around her waist while hers went to his neck and started playing with the short hairs on the back of his neck.

They pulled back, panting, as the Doctor buried his head into her neck.

The Doctor straightened and grabbed Tory's hand in his.

"Come on." He led her out of the room and towards the TARDIS. Tory grinned at Jordan as they passed her getting a relived grin in return.

"No wild parties while I'm gone." She instructed as the Doctor searched for the TARDIS key.

"You ruin all my good ideas." Jordan fake pouted before becoming serious, "Whatever made you sad T, is it okay now?"

"No," Tory answered, "but it will be." The two women shared a grin just as the Doctor opened the TARDIS doors and pulled Tory inside. The door closed and the TARDIS dematerialised.

"Take care of her Doctor." Jordan whispered before going towards her laptop and opening her U.N.I.T. files; Torchwood was up to something and it was her job to find out what.

)0(

Rose was waiting inside the console room when the two entered and pulled Tory into a hug as soon as the Doctor let go to pilot the ship, Rose rejoiced when the Doctor pulled Tory back into his arms as soon as he could.

"You gonna be okay?" Rose asked gently, she didn't understand why the Doctor had such a close relationship with Reinette but she knew that Tory had stayed with her for years, Rose could only compare that bond to her losing her mother and she knew that that was something she would never want to consider let alone actually happen.

"Yeah." Tory answered, "I'll be alright."

"Mickey's gone to the room the TARDIS gave him for the night." Rose told the Doctor who glanced at her from studying the TARDIS scanner with his arm around Tory's waist.

"Rose," the Doctor grinned at her suddenly, "hold on something." Rose grabbed for the rails while Tory, after taking a glance at the screen to see what had the Doctor so excited, moved away from the pair and up onto the second level. The Doctor glanced back towards the corridor leading to the bedrooms before flicking another switch, "There we go; stabilisers for the bedrooms so we don't wake Mickey."

"What are we doing?" Rose asked excitedly as the Doctor started to dart around the console; almost looking like he was dancing.

"We're going surfing!" the Doctor answered.

"Surfing?" Rose repeated, confused.

"Yeah, on a supernova!" he pushed down a lever and the TARDIS started to shake.

Tory laughed at the two from her perch, watching as the stumbled uncontrollably around the console room, the Doctor occasionally forcing himself towards the console to put in some commands. Tory used her Meridian Particles to keep herself in place as the TARDIS gave a sudden lurch and tossed the Doctor and Rose to the ground, only just stopping herself from falling.

The Doctor and Rose laughed madly from their place on the floor.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Mickey demanded from the doorway to the TARDIS's inner rooms. Rose looked over at him from her place on the floor and managed to pause in her giggles long enough to answer him.

"Riding a supernova!"

The Doctor climbed to his feet and threw down a lever on the TARDIS console, parking them in place, before turning to face Mickey.

"Oh yes!" he exclaimed happily, grinning in his manic way.

"You are completely mad." Tory teased him as she jumped from the upper level, using her Meridian Particles to slow her fall so she wouldn't be injured.

"You wouldn't want me any other way." The Doctor answered her. His grin widened as Tory just shook her head in amusement, a grin to match his on her face and stepped up beside him prompting him to wrap an arm around her waist. He hid his glee as her arm wrapped around him; her hand going into the back pocket of his trousers.

"So, where're we goin' next?" Mickey asked.

"I thought you were sleeping." Tory told him.

"Not gonna happen," Mickey snorted, answering Tory, "if these two," he gestured at Rose and the Doctor, "are gonna be surfing the ship."

"Sorry about that." The Doctor apologised, rubbing the back of his neck with his spare hand, "I did turn on the stabilisers in the bedrooms." He shrugged, "You can go back to sleep if you want Mickey; I'll park us in the vortex and do some repairs."

"Thanks." Mickey shot him a grateful grin before waving and walking back to his room to get some shut eye.

"Well," Rose spoke up, "If we're not going anywhere I might as well do the same." She started to walk down the corridor, "Night Doctor, night Tory. Don't stay up too late!" she yelled over her shoulder with a grin, moving out of earshot before either Time Lord could answer.

"Are all your companions that cheeky?" Tory teased.

"You can talk!" he returned, "Have you met your flat mate?" Tory laughed.

"Good point." She agreed.

"As always." He answered smugly.

"Oh really?" Tory asked as she moved out of his grip and towards the corridor.

"Yes really!"

"Ego's not large at all then?" she smirked.

"Hey!"

Tory giggled as she ran away from the Doctor and down the corridor. The Doctor grinned as he gave chase.

Once the Doctor would never have thought that he would be this happy with another Time Lord; even when they were still around they were a dull and stuffy people in his opinion, only Romania and the Master ever came close to what the Doctor considered his kind of Time Lord, the Master was insane and both had died when the planet did. And now the Doctor was the last Time Lord but one. When he thought he was the last, right after his ninth regeneration, he had given up all hope of ever finding another saviour of the Time War but then he met Tory and Jordan on a snowy day in Cardiff 1869 and suddenly he didn't feel so helpless and alone anymore. He couldn't picture his life without her at his side. He loved her.

The Doctor skidded to a stop, his grin almost blinding; he LOVED her.

Tory stuck her head back around the corner she had chosen to hide behind.

"Are you okay?" she asked; worried about why he had stopped.

"Never better!" he answered, a beaming smile forming on his face. Tory returned the smile with one of her own and the Doctor knew his feelings where well on the way to being, if not already, returned.

)0(

Me: and now, for what I personally feel is the best part of the chapter-

Tory: *interrupting* what do you mean 'best part'?

Timmy: the bit she looks forward to most?

Legend-wait-for-it-Dary: the part she enjoys the most?

Timmy: the part she-

Me: *loudly* Thank you boys. What I meant was that I enjoy talking to the readers and answering their questions, it makes me feel like a better author when people ask questions okay?!

Tory: *mutters* sorry.

Me: its fine. Now back to what I was saying. Tivia100 has once again reviewed!

Timmy: YEY! *jumps up and down in happiness*

Me & Tory: *grin*

Tivia100: Glad to see your still alive! I loved this chapter, not a lot of drama, and not a lot of nothing! Beautifully written as always and I look forward to more updates! I would like to direct my question to Tory. Do you have a following like the Doctor did, people who look out for sightings of you? You would probably be the president though, just to see what you would do in the future. Timmy is welcomed any time, he is always so well behaved. Pears and I are going to Cardiff for vacation soon, going to visit the entrance of torchwood and Ianto's memorial (My favourite member of Torchwood), and would love it if you all could join us! Until later dear writer. Sincerely, Interested reader.

Timmy: oh can we go?! Ooohhh please! *puppy eyes*

Tory: sure if you want to go on a 28 hour flight be my guest, I'll wait here, Facebook me when you get there. *evil grin*

Timmy: hey; if you're payin' I'm goin'.

Tory: *takes a threatening step towards Timmy* why you little!

Me: Look! Rainbow unicorn!

Tory: *completely distracted* What? Where?

Timmy: *runs from room while he has the chance*

Legend-wait-for-it-Dary & Me: *chuckle*

Tory: *to Me* that was cruel.

Me: Love you too dear. *grins* Anyway Tivia100 asked a question.

Tory: Oh yeah….what was it again?

Me: *face palm*

Legend-wait-for-it-Dary: do you have a fanclub.

Tory: Of course I do! I'm just that awesome!

Me: no. A real one not that one in your head.

Timmy: *sticking head in room* burn!

Me & Tory & Legend-wait-for-it-Dary: shut up Timmy!

Me: to answer your question; no, Tory doesn't have a following. Most of the stuff she does on Earth is with the Doctor or with the military so they get credit for those. On other planets Tory can be recognised but only very rarely. Okay, next question!

The Final Shadow: Tory; If you are here. Answering this question now. Are you a future version
of yourself where this has already happened to? Or does it happen as its you? Maybe just after? Or, and this is a big or. Are you just a figment of the doctors desire manifested to his perfect partner with the the TARDIS as an amplifier field?

Tory: What kind of twisted hell did that last part come from? Of course I'm real! Madd Madds! Tell her (or him) I'm real!

Me: *scribbling something out in notebook* damn there goes that plot twist.

Tory: Time-girl say whaaaaat?

Me: *grins*

Tory: I think I'm going to go curl up in a hole and cry now. *leaves the room*

Me: Oh come on T! I was only joking!*follows*

Legend-wait-for-it-Dary: soooo…..this is awkward…..*coughs* Errrrrr Tory is in her final regeneration when she's with us and remembering everything as it happens…..*coughs* I'm really not good at speaking in public like this…..

Me: *walks back into room* Tory's hiding from me…

Timmy: Don't worry, she does that. *walks into room*

Tory: *yelling from hiding place* SHUT IT DINO!

Timmy: how does she do that?!