A/N: WOW! Two reviews and six followers already! Thanks everyone! Of course I'll keep updating. Please let me know if the Doctor or anyone else who appears our of character at any stage. I hope you keep enjoying!

Chapter 2: The Journey Begins

"No! Talia, no!" he was screaming, while another horrid screeching sound could be heard as the Octavian realised it had been thwarted.

My head became fuzzy, while pain begun building all over my body. I moaned softly before my legs gave way. How stupid was I? I just rescued a man who, in reality, I didn't know from dying…thus injecting some alien poison into my own body.

The Doctor caught me and scooped me into his arms, racing for the door of my house.

"Hang in there, it's going to be alright." He murmured.

"It hurts." I whispered. "I can barely see you."

I could just make out the worry lines covering his forehead. Next thing I knew, I was in Dad's arms. My eyes slipped shut. The pain increased, as did the heavy, numbing-ness of my head. I was slipping.

Voices swirled unrecognisably above me. I struggled, but the poison took hold and I knew no more…

When I woke, it was very slowly and lightly. Semi-conscious, I registered the lack of pain. I also registered that my arms and legs felt like lead. I could never remember feeling so exhausted. I doubted I could muster up the strength to open my eyes. My heartbeat was loud and unnaturally slow in my ears.

"Talia, sweetie, can you hear me?"

That was Mum's voice. "Yeah." I breathed; even saying that word was an effort.

"How are you feeling?" Dad asked.

"So tired." My voice remained barely audible. "Where's he?"

"I'm here." The Doctor's voice was a slight relief, but his was concerned beyond belief. "Now I don't know whether you'll be able to understand everything, but here goes. That dart you were shot with contains a venom deadly to Time Lords. It even prevents our regeneration cycle. I never knew what effect it would have on a human, but I've been doing some research and I think I know how I can save your life."

The words sent a chill through my spine; enough to make me open my eyes. "I'm dying?"

Nervously, he nodded. Mum and Dad looked very pale and close to tears.

"It will hurt, but it'll remove the venom from your body in time. It's obviously a slower process than it would be for me." The Doctor rambled. "What I'm going to do is send an electric current through your body."

"Ok. I trust you." I whispered. I could feel myself slipping again. "You haven't thanked me for saving you."

The effort of saying a whole sentence nearly pulled me under completely, but I resisted just long enough to hear him say, "Thank you, Talia."

The next thing I was aware of was the painful electricity frying every nerve in my body. At least…that's what it felt like. Every muscle went stiff…pinpricks of pain were everywhere. I screamed. A cloth stuffed in my mouth prevented me from biting my tongue. In my weakened state I could do little in the way of thrashing, though the pain was enough to make me convulse.

"Almost there, Talia." Mum was whispering. Then, even quieter, I heard her say to Dad, "If this doesn't work, I'm going to find another dart and kill him."

I was shocked, through the agony, to hear her talk so vehemently, and hoped for the Doctor's sake that he was right.

The pain reached a climax. Words could not describe what I went through for five seconds before, once again, darkness claimed me for its own…

"Talia?"

"Mum?" I mumbled, waking just as slowly as before. However, this time it felt like waking normally. I was still extremely tired, but no longer so exhausted that I couldn't even move.

I heard her sigh in relief. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better. It worked." I opened my eyes and propped my head up on my elbow. "How long has it been?"

"A day." She replied. "It's afternoon. Dad's making you a light soup; I told him you were waking."

"The Doctor hasn't left, has he?" I asked, realising that the TARDIS would be ready to go.

She shook her head. "He's just getting the TARDIS ready, though."

I looked down. I knew I was going to tell him that I wanted to go, but I doubted Mum and Dad would let me…so I decided to tell her first.

"I was going to ask to go with him, back to his universe, and travel with him." I said.

She frowned. "I knew you would want to go, but I don't think I or your father could let you."

"You can trust him, Mum. No-one's ever died travelling with him. They've come close…but never." Of course, that was sort of a guess. I didn't quite know if anyone had died during his other regenerations.

"Talk to your father. It's just hard to trust him with your life."

"You did last night."

"We didn't have a choice."

I did what she said though and, after eating, told Dad. His reaction was similar, but after a long conversation between the three of us it was agreed that if they were ever going to let me go with anyone, it would be the Doctor. If he wanted me to come, they would talk to him before we left.

I went outside to ask. I had to admit that I was nervous; what if he just wanted to find Rose on his own?

I knocked on the TARDIS door.

"You're the first person I've met to knock." He commented as I walked in.

He was bent low over the console, sonicking something.

"How are you?" he asked without looking away.

"Fine now. Thanks."

"As you said last night, I should be thanking you. I save people's lives; that's what I do. But it's not every day that a stranger saves mine." He flashed me a grin.

I shrugged, smiling back. "I had to. I watched the series and loved the character of the Doctor and your courage and sense of right and wrong." I made sure to keep the word 'loved' light.

"That reminds me…how much have you seen?" he asked, curiosity finally taking him away from his work as he stood and faced me, taking off his glasses.

"Surprisingly, not that much." I replied. "I've seen bits and pieces from your third and fourth self, most of your eighth self; and I know the basics of the time war. Then I know everything from your ninth self and up until now with you."

He seemed impressed. "Wow. A true fan, then."

I laughed. "You could say that, yeah."

A few moments passed, then at the exact same time, we said, "Hey, I was wondering…"

"You go first." I said.

He shook his head. "No, no, you."

I took a deep breath. "I was wondering if I could maybe come with you."

I was ready for a frown; a sigh; a turn-away-and-start-fiddling-with-a-button.

I was not ready for a huge grin and a nod. "I was thinking the same thing. I don't seem to be doing all that well on my own, especially since Donna…left…So I was going to ask. I think we'll make quite a team."

Joy filled me instantly. "Wow! Thanks!" then I sobered. "But in that case Mum and Dad wanted to talk to you."

He raised an eyebrow. "Well, I've been slapped by someone's mother before and given a stern talking to…so may as well get it over with."

He walked towards the door, turning as he reached it. "I'd get yourself packed and ready if I were you. We'll leave pretty much immediately."

I nodded and followed him back into the house.

The talk went well. Dad told the Doctor that if he allowed me to get hurt he would not only destroy the TARDIS but would use up the rest of the Doctor's regenerations. He agreed and promised to keep me safe.

Then there was the more than slightly tearful farewell, and the Doctor and I entered the TARDIS.

A/N: The first trip isn't somewhere from the series, but I hope you all like the idea. Will be uploaded tomorrow morning!