"No, it's nothing like that, it's just..." The Doctor grabbed at his hair in frustration. "She's not exactly the Bad Wolf because, I mean, obviously, as you said, she's not you. And you have always been and always will be the Bad Wolf. But! But! She basically is the same, but she's fine. She has the entire Time Vortex running through her entire mind and she's not dead, not even dying, she's fine. Not even a Time Lord would be able to handle all of that for this long... killed me once at any rate. It doesn't make any sense!"
"So, she's got... hold on, though, you said before that if a Time Lord had all that, they'd be a vengeful god, right? So, 's she like some sort of god now?"
"Well, not exactly. Well, not anymore. She's got the wrong one running through her." The Doctor's eyes met Rose's. "She's not from this universe... She's not from this universe!" He jumped to his feet. "Ohh, I'm being thick again. Thickity thick thick thick! She came over because she can't control it in the other universe!" He frowned a little. But then why can t she control it right now... Something s still wrong.
"Doctor, wait. Does that mean the walls are breaking down again? Creatures from the Void coming over?" The Doctor reached into one of his pockets and pulled out his 3-D glasses. He looked at the girl and shook his head.
"No void stuff. Nothing." He turned back to Rose and jumped a little. "Blimey! I forgot that you're swimming in that stuff. You're lit up like a Christmas tree."
He tore the glasses from his face and shoved them back into the depths of his pocket. He walked over to the area near the windows where the girl had first appeared. He sat down very carefully next to where she had been lying and closed his eyes.
Rose leaned back against the sofa and watched him. He didn't move except for moving his head slightly ever so often, almost as though he could feel a breeze coming from somewhere. She was startled when she felt a light touch on her arm. She glanced up to see Jackie hovering nearby with four cups of tea.
"He alright?" Jackie asked very quietly as she set the cups down on the coffee table.
"I think he's looking for somethin'," Rose whispered back. She leaned forward to grab her tea.
"I need to wake her up. I can't fix this," the Doctor announced suddenly. He stood and walked back towards them.
He paused and picked up a cuppa and took a sip.
"Ahhh, that's the stuff." He set the cup back down and gave Jackie a grateful kiss on the cheek.
"You're waking her up?" Rose asked. The Doctor nodded and leaned over the girl, placing his fingers gently back on her temples. He closed his eyes in concentration for only a second. The girl's eyes fluttered open and he released her immediately.
"What..." the girl started to ask, looking around in confusion. The Doctor picked her up gently and walked towards the large windows.
"Just concentrate on my voice," he said quietly as he set her on the ground so she was standing directly in front of where she had appeared. He knelt down beside her so he could be closer to her height. "Good. Now what's your name?"
"...Jane Doe," she replied after a moment. The Doctor glanced back and exchanged a look with Rose. Now is not the time, he decided.
"Ok, Jane, don't think about anything else. Concentrate on my voice."
Jane nodded, staring at the air in front of her, her eyes searching the area as though she could see something they couldn't.
"I need you to close the door. Can you do that for me?" he asked.
She nodded slowly and reached out into the air. She ran her fingers straight down an invisible line in front of her until she stopped at a point in front of her nose. She reached out further and seemed to wrap her hand around the edge of something. Jackie's jaw dropped as Jane's fingers vanished as though she were clutching the edge of an invisible door.
"Good," the Doctor said quietly. "Now close the door."
Jane started shaking violently.
"He must die," she muttered. "He can't die, must die, will die, won't die, will, won't can't must must must must must."
"Jane. Close the door." the Doctor said in a firm voice. The girl gasped for air. Her hands shook and twitched as she moved her hand from the door edge and began to push on the empty space before her.
"But he can't he can't please no I'll stop it somehow stop it stop it no can't he must he must he must," she seemed incapable of stopping her speech.
"Close it." The Doctor gently put his hand on her back. Still stammering and muttering, the girl nodded and pushed hard.
Abruptly, she gasped loudly, gulping and desperate for air as though she had been underwater for too long, and fell backwards into the Doctor's arms. He picked her up and placed her in the armchair.
"Hello," he said with a grin. "Glad to see you back with us. Well, I suppose, with us. Don't know if you were quite here before."
Jane smiled, tucking an unruly strand of hair behind her ear.
"So! One more thing I need to test with you before anything else," the Doctor continued.
"I know," she replied. "I'm ready." The Doctor studied her for a moment before nodding.
"Concentrate, ok?" the Doctor said quietly. "Concentrate on not getting sucked in."
Jane nodded and took a deep breath. The Doctor reached out and touched her bare hand. Her entire body jerked at the contact.
"Tell me about the other people in this room," the Doctor said quietly, holding her hand.
"There are two women," Jane replied softly. "Oh, the younger one, oh, she and you have - "
"No." the Doctor interrupted firmly. "Concentrate, remember. Don't look at that. Put it in a room and shut the door."
She nodded and closed her eyes.
"Now, tell me about the two women," he said. The girl opened her eyes again.
"They both have blonde hair." Jane paused and smiled. "I think they both dye it though," she said confidentially. The Doctor bit his lip to keep his laughter back. Jane paused to take a shaky breath. "The younger one is wearing jeans and a pink t-shirt."
"Very good. And the older?"
"She's wearing black pants and a pretty blouse."
"Excellent. Now, I know this will be hard, but can you describe me?" Frightened hazel eyes met the Doctor's calm dark brown ones. "You can do this, Jane," the Doctor assured her. "Just concentrate."
"You... you have dark brown hair. ...it's not ginger."
"Concentrate," the Doctor repeated, raising his eyebrows. "Stay in the present."
"Your nose is crooked," the girl replied. She giggled at the Doctor's exaggerated offended expression. "You have freckles."
"Good," the Doctor was smiling now. "What else?"
"You're wearing a black shirt. You haven't shaved today 'cause your face is all scratchy looking."
"And what's my name?" he asked. Jane wrinkled her brow in confusion.
"I - I dunno. You didn't say," she admitted. The Doctor's face broke into a wide grin.
"Well done!" He exclaimed, sweeping the girl up into his arms in a big hug. "Oh, well done indeed, Janie. Can I call you Janie? It suits you better. Oh, you're brilliant, you are!"
"...Doctor?" Rose ventured hesitantly from where she and Jackie were awkwardly standing by the sofa, sipping their tea and waiting for some form of explanation.
"Right! Yes, sorry. I just had to make sure we weren't going to implode!" he smiled and walked over to them, still carrying Jane. "I'm the Doctor and this is Rose and this is Rose's mum Jackie."
"Who is she?" Jackie asked.
"Oh, didn't you hear her? She said 'Jane Doe'," the Doctor replied, shifting the girl in his arms so he could look at her. "Right?" Jane smiled and nodded.
"Oh, the pair of you," Jackie sighed. "John Smith and Jane Doe. Really now." The Doctor grinned and set Jane down.
"Now, I bet you're hungry, huh," the Doctor said to Jane. She looked around the room nervously a bit before nodding. "Right, that blue drug tends to do that. Jackie, would you mind taking Janie into the kitchen for a snack?" the Doctor asked.
"What? Why?" The Doctor leaned in close.
"I need to talk to Rose," he murmured. Jackie nodded.
"Okay, sweetheart, let's get you some food, ok?" Jackie smiled down at the girl. Jane looked down shyly and nodded. Jackie put her hand gently on Jane's back and led her out of the room.
"Try not to touch her bare skin right now, Jackie!" the Doctor called after them. "It's a long story!" He sighed heavily and plopped down onto the couch. He pulled Rose down to him in a hug and just held her silently.
"Rose?" he said finally. She pulled back to face him. "Jane, she's... oh, how do I say this..."
"I should really take a picture," Rose mused. "Y'know, to commemorate the day that you were at a loss for words."
"Oi, watch it!" he protested with a laugh.