A/N: guys every time one of my fics makes it to chapter nine I have to throw a little fangirl party. Esp because this Fic actually has Nine in it. I'm so sorry it took tho song to write!

So let me just pass out interwebs banana cookies (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::)

And some interwebs party hats /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\

And if I missed anyone I can find more in the base code.

Disclaimer: The characters and setting are not mine, though the narrative itself is.

"Don't run into yourself," was the one thing he insisted on. "Don't cause anything you don't remember happening."

"Don't be seen?" Merlin added.

The Doctor shrugged. "If you can give yourself an alibi, that might be good."

Merlin nodded. "I don't have much time to get back, they'll notice the dungeon's been broken into."

"Will they?" the Doctor asked. "The sonic shouldn't do any harm to the lock. As long as you don't take anything they'll notice it should be fine."

"The door will be open," Merlin pointed out.

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Then close the door!"

"Yeah, but will it lock again?" Merlin asked.

"Sure," the Doctor took the sonic screwdriver away from him again, showing him how to turn the setting to lock the door again.

Merlin was soon off, wandering about through the castle, trying to remember what route he took to get down into the dungeon to release the Doctor. He passed several castle staff, nodding his greeting as he went by. There's an alibi. Don't be too noticable, just enough so that you're not suspected later.

The Ponds had wanted some time to themselves– 'course they had, they'd just gotten married– so the Doctor was alone again. He hummed a tune, half-dancing around the TARDIS console room.

"Where too this time, old girl?" He gleefully set the TARDIS for a random destination, trusting that the old space-time machine would take him where he needed to be. He was disappointed to find that River had left the brakes off, and the TARDIS didn't make that lovely sound he adored. He frowned, making a mental note to fix that later. Now, though, he had an adventure waiting outside.

He opened the TARDIS door and poked his head out excitedly, only to find his face thrust into fabric. He blew it out of his face putting his hand up to push it away. That was when he realized it was a curtain; he pushed it aside to reveal a bedroom– somewhere in medieval Earth, by the looks of it.

And it was occupied.

The dark-haired girl came out of nowhere, swinging her hairbrush at him, smacking him in the face. He fell backwards, banging his head against the TARDIS.

"Ow!" he cried, rubbing his head.

"Who are you and how did you get in here?" the little girl asked, with the authority of someone twice her age. She was only a little over half as tall as he was– how she had reached up to hit him was a mystery to him. Her bright eyes sparkled with defiance, and just a bit of fear. Oh, that was no good.

"Don't hit me again!" he held his hands up to shield himself.

"Who are you, and how did you get in here?" she repeated her question.

"Nobody– I'm Nobody– no wait, that's somebody else– I'm the Fireplace-Man, I mean no harm." he replied.

"That's not a fireplace," she screwed up her eyebrows.

"Fine, then I'm That-Weird-Bloke-Behind-The-Curtain," he said. "No, that's rubbish– I'm the Doctor."

"How'd you get here?" she asked.

"That depends, where is here?" he questioned.

"My chambers," she answered.

"Well obviously, but where are we?" he looked her in the eye. "From the period English, style of dressing gown, and," he stuck out his tongue, as if tasting the air, "sort of murky atmosphere– nice weather tomorrow, though– hang on, are we in Camelot?"

She nodded.

He clapped his hands together. "Oh, brilliant, haven't been here in ages. Or won't be. Whichever." He put his hands on his knees, crouching down to be at eye-level with the little girl. "Are you the princess?"

"King's ward," she answered.

"You can put the brush down, I'm not going to hurt you," he smiled.

She lowered her arm reluctantly. "You're a doctor?"

"I'm The Doctor," he replied.

"Can you help me with my nightmares?" she asked. "Is that why you're here?"

"Why are you having nightmares?" he tilted his head, interested.

"I don't know, that's why I need a doctor," she crossed her arms. "If I knew why I could fix the problem, now couldn't I?"

"Not always," he said. "But knowing's a good start. Bad memories?"

"No," said she. "I've plenty of bad memories, but that's not what I dream about."

"What do you dream about?" he asked.

She frowned, scrunching her eyebrows again. "Weird stuff. Birds– I think they're ravens."

"Do ravens scare you?"

"Not when I'm awake," she shook her head.

"Well, good for you, honestly they scare the socks off of me," he shuddered. "Owls too. Owls give me the heebie-jeebies."

"Then why's your hair look like an owlet?" she giggled.

"What?" he frowned and brushed a hand through his hair, pulling it down in front of his eyes so he could see it. "Does not."

"Does too!" she laughed. "All fluffy, like down feathers."

"Does not," he grumbled, crossing his arms.

They heard footsteps outside the chambers. The little girl's eyes went wide. "They mustn't see you! Quick, behind the curtain!"

He did as he was told, squeezing himself against the TARDIS so he would fit as she pulled the curtain to conceal them. Just in time too.

"M'lady? Is everything alright?" a woman's voice asked.

"Yes, I'm sorry if I've woken you," the little girl replied.

"Who were you talking to?" the woman asked.

"Nobody," she replied.

The Doctor smirked. Good girl.

"I thought I heard another voice," the woman said.

"I was just playing pretend," the girl explained. "I was imagining a doctor come to help me."

"In the middle of the night?" the woman laughed. "You should be sleeping– oh, are you having bad dreams again?" she grew concerned.

"No," it was easy to tell that the girl was lying. "I'm fine, you can go back to sleep. I'm just about to do that myself."

"If you're sure," the woman said, "And if you need me, I'll be here, alright?"

"I'll be alright, I have my Owl-Haired Doctor," she said.

"Owl-Haired Doctor!" the woman laughed.

Owl-Haired, the Doctor scoffed. Is not.

"I'm the Owl-Haired Doctor, I'm here to help," she mimicked his voice, and likely his movements too, though he couldn't see. He smiled.

The woman laughed. "Oh, but you must shut your eyes soon, m'lady, promise?"

"Promise," she answered.

The Doctor waited as the woman closed the door. After a few moments, the girl whipped the curtain aside.

She sighed. "I thought you might be gone when I came back."

"I can't leave yet, my patient needs me," he said with a smile.

"What's this box?" she rubbed the corner of the TARDIS.

"That's my magic box– takes me where I need to go," he answered. Better to tell her it's magic, she would understand it better.

She scrunched up her eyebrows. "Magic?"

"Yep," he answered.

"You can't have magic here, you'll get killed," she looked to him with wide eyes.

"Oh," he lost his smile. He had forgotten that lovely tidbit about Camelot. "Yeah."

"You've got to go!" she insisted.

"But– don't you want me to stay?" he didn't want her to push him away just yet– maybe he could help.

She bit her lip. "I do, I do, but–" she looked up again. "Could you take me with you?"

"Now," he bent down to be eye-level with her again, "You can't just run away. This is your home."

"No it's not," she stomped her foot. "I don't want to be here. I'm not even the king's proper child, I shouldn't have to stay here."

"I'm sure the king took you in because he loves you," he assured her, "And he wanted you here."

"Did not," she insisted. "Just promised my father to look after me."

"Maybe that's so, but you can't just up and leave him, can you?" the Doctor reasoned.

"I can come back," she suggested. "You can take me away to be cured and then take me back home."

The Doctor tilted his head. "They'll miss you."

"Not if I'm not gone for very long," she said. "But…" she rocked on the tips of her toes. "Yes, they will miss me."

"Tell you what, do you know what this box can do?" the Doctor patted the blue box lovingly.

"What?"

"It can travel in time."

"No," she gasped.

"Yes," he nodded. "I can have you back here in five minutes."

"Really?" her eyes begged it to be true.

"Really," he said.

Merlin watched as the guards raced off in pursuit of him– his past self. This is weird, he thought. But that left the treasury unguarded, the perfect opportunity. He crept down the corridor, finding the gate deserted. He pointed the sonic screwdriver at the lock, as the Doctor had told him, and pressed the button. The sonic gave off a whirring and the lock gave a click, and Merlin swung open the door with ease.

It was easy to find the Crystal– it was hidden from view of the outside by several shelves, resting on a cushion on a pedestal.

He hadn't planned on seeing what he saw. It just happened. And he couldn't tear his eyes away.