It is the mid-morning, at least for Layla having gotten up like normal to work out. She had just gotten out of the shower and wrapped a towel around herself when the Tardis jerks and she falls against the sink. There was a lot more jerking than normal when she had traveled in the Tardis. Worried that something was wrong, she drops the towel and grabs the robe that the Tardis had just set out for her. She quickly puts it on and runs out her door. She is so focused on finding out what was happening, she missed the Tardis' feelings of excited amusement. The Tardis knew her Thief will have a hard time when he sees his Promised One wearing only a robe. She knew she could have set out some other clothing, but it wouldn't have been as fun for her if she had.
As Layla gets closer to the control room, she hears the Doctor and Rose yelling at each other.
"Hold that one down!" The Doctor demands.
"I'm holding this one down!"
"Well, hold them both down."
Rose scoffs as she stretches across half of the console. "It's not going to work"
"Oi! I promised Layla and you a time machine and that's what you're getting. Now, you've seen the future, let's have a look at the past. 1860. How does 1860 sound?" The Doctor sounds absolutely excited.
"What happened in 1860?" Rose asked.
The Doctor shrugs. "I don't know, let's find out. Hold on, here we go!"
Layla can see where this is going and quickly grabs onto the railing tightly. She laughs as Rose and the Doctor are thrown to the floor. She walks over to them and puts her hands on her hips. "Rose, what are you doing up? Normally I have to get you up myself after I shower. Also, Doctor, a little warning that we were going to be traveling, I had just gotten out of the shower when all the jerking started happening. I was worried something was wrong."
"Oi! I can get up on my own without help." Rose says indignantly but falters under Layla's unimpressed look and concedes. "…Sometimes."
The whole time Layla and Rose were talking, the Doctor was frozen. Layla was standing close to them and she was only wearing a robe. A short robe. A short robe with her legs on display still wet from her shower. He can see she has more tattoos on her legs but he is too distracted to pay attention to what they are because she is wearing a short robe that he could slightly see up. He swallows hard and his cock hardens. When his pants feel tight, he realizes that she would be able to see his arousal and quickly gets up and turns away from them, fiddling with the console like it was required. "Sorry for not warning you, are you two alright?"
Layla pulls Rose up from the floor and turns to the Doctor. "We're good. Where are we anyways?"
The Doctor looks at his screens. "Give the man a medal. Earth, Naples, December 24th, 1860."
"That's so weird. It's Christmas." Rose says in awe while looking towards the door.
"Wait, 1860? Aw damn it, that means no lewd behavior or profanity, doesn't it?" Layla groans.
"Yeah, but we get to wear pretty dresses, right?" Rose asked bouncing on her toes in excitement.
Both girls look towards the Doctor. One in eagerness and the other in displeasure. The Doctor looks back in amusement and anticipation. "Yup. Go out dressed like that, you'll start a riot." He glances at Layla, and some fights between some men, and me. "There's a wardrobe through there. First left, second right, third on the left, go straight ahead, under the stairs, past the bins, fifth door on your left. Hurry up!"
The girls look at him in disbelief. "Yeah, we're not going to remember that, if we're not back in five minutes, just wait longer." Layla grabs Rose's hand and pulls her down the hall. "Tardis, love, can you show us the way please." The Doctor is smiling in joy as they walk away. Seeing Layla talk to the Tardis like he does shows the strengthening bond between the two of them. Plus, he was glad that she left to go get dressed. He shifts himself in his pants, if he had stepped away from the console, they would have seen his hardened cock through his pants, and that wouldn't have been good.
xxxxxx
"This is so exciting!" Rose is skipping around the wardrobe looking at the different dresses while Layla pouts.
"I've got the short hair. I could wear a suit and pretend to be a man." Layla says a little hopeful. She didn't want people to look at her all disapproving because of her short hair.
Rose gives her a dry look. "Not with the size of your chest you can't. Now, quit whining and put this on." Rose hands her a dress that was black that had black lace and a laced dark purple and black corset. It had black half sleeves that hung off her shoulders freeing her collarbones. It showed a good amount of cleavage without being scandalous for this time period. She also sees a pair of heeled black knee-high boots and grabs them.
Layla has to admit that it was beautiful, plus she is familiar with corsets so it won't be a problem with her wearing one. She gets a gleeful smile on her face, Rose however isn't used to wearing corsets, she can picture Rose struggling with one on. Since Layla's hair is short and only a small amount of product is needed, she is finished right as Rose finds herself a dress. She quickly takes out her piercings, except her tongue ring, since that one is usually unnoticed, and puts in clear retainers that the Tardis gave her. Before she heads out, a pair of long black gloves are dropped next to her things from the ceiling. She picks them up and feels how soft they are and smiles at the ceiling, she hadn't even thought to cover her tattoos. Thanks, love. Wouldn't want to cause a scandal, now, would we? She can feel the Tardis hum in amusement. "I'm going to head out Rose, make sure the Doctor isn't breaking anything."
Rose snorts, they had both seen him using a mallet on the Tardis and agrees. "That's fine, this is a front laced corset so I don't need help. I will be out when I'm done."
Layla walks out into the console room and looks around for the Doctor. The Tardis sends a shock to the Doctor to get him to pay attention, and to stop messing with her wires. The Doctor grumbles but comes out from the grating and looks up and freezes with a sharp intake of breath. His hearts start to pound as he stares at Layla and a flush appears on his neck. "You look stunning." He finally manages to get out. He looks her up and down several times, devouring her with his gaze.
Layla's heart starts to thump harder at the look in the Doctor's eyes. Her body starts to heat up from the hungry gaze he is looking at her with. "Thank you, are you not going to wear period clothes Doctor?" She has to admit to herself that she is slightly disappointed that she doesn't get to see him in a suit, but she still gets her eye candy with how he normally dresses.
"I changed my jumper!" He is glad for the topic change, and glad that he is still hidden by being halfway in the flooring and she can't see his physical reaction to her and her dress. I might as well live in cold water, he thought. Rose walks out and stands there looking at the Doctor and Layla. She hopes to get a good reaction from the Doctor about her dress, but she is disappointed by his response.
"You look beautiful Rose, considering." He states with apathy.
"Considering what?" She huffs. His lackluster comment leaves her dissatisfied. She looks at him with a pinched, unhappy expression.
"That you're human."
While it isn't the best compliment she could have gotten from him, she takes it as a praise. "I think that's a compliment. Aren't you going to change?"
Layla snorts at that question and Rose looks at her with confusion. "I asked him that too, but I agree with him, you do look beautiful Rose."
Seeing as his physical reaction to Layla in her dress finally deflates after thinking some unpleasant thoughts, he comes out from under the flooring. "Come on, let's go."
"You stay there. You've done this before, this is mine." Rose takes charge and heads towards the doors and opens them up and sees the falling snow. In doing this, however, she misses the Doctor's lingering look on Layla as he stands next to her with his arm out to her.
"Ready for this?" He asks her.
Layla loops her arm through his and rests her hand on his forearm and squeezes lightly. His tight muscles finally relax having her so close and touching him. He leads her outside and he watches her face as she looks around.
Layla is looking around in awe that they are in the past. It is hard to believe, but everything is designed from this period. She can't wait to explore. She feels the Doctor tug her over to a newsstand and he buys a paper. As he looks at it, he notices the date and groans. Layla looks over and a swift laugh escapes her as she notices the problem.
The Doctor reluctantly pulls Layla towards Rose. He looks down at Layla in mild exasperation as she continues to giggle at him over his mistake. "I got the flight a bit wrong." He mutters out to Rose while averting his gaze from the girls.
Rose was just happy to be there. "I don't care."
"It's not 1860, it's 1869." He sighs dejectedly.
"I don't care." She repeats while Layla is giggling about where they are and knows how Rose will react.
He bites the bullet. "It's Cardiff."
Rose's shoulders slump. "Right."
"Oi, buck up you two. Who cares about the location and nine years off the mark, we are in the past! The 1800's!" Layla states trying to cheer them up, her eyes are bright and engaged while looking around, moving frequently taking in their surroundings. They are walking around looking at the people and buildings when they hear screams.
"That's more like it!" The Doctor exclaims in excitement. They all quickly take off towards the source of the noise and see a bunch of people fleeing a building. They run in and see a blue gas entity coming out of a body and fly around the auditorium.
"Fantastic!" The Doctor would be excited over something like this. He sees the body collapse and goes to talk to the man on stage. "Did you see where it came from?"
"Ah, the wag reveals himself, does he? I trust you're satisfied, sir!" The man asks with a pinched mouth and arms crossed over his chest.
"Oi! Leave her alone! Doctor, I'll get them." Rose runs off before he can say anything.
Layla, worried about Rose, follows after her after. "I'm going too, make sure she is okay." She hears the Doctor telling her to be careful before he turns back to the man to continue his questioning. Unfortunately, it takes her a few minutes to get outside with the mass amount of people trying to escape the building.
By the time Layla is able to exit the building, she sees Rose's dress sticking out of a hearse. "Rose!" She runs towards her not seeing anyone around. She goes to pull Rose out when someone sneaks up behind her and puts a pad of cloth over her mouth. Not expecting it, she inhales a gasp and starts to struggle against him. It doesn't take long before she too, is passed out like Rose.
"What did you do that for?" The girl with him asks worriedly.
He gives a quick shake of his head and blinks rapidly. "They have seen too much. Get her legs and get her in the hearse. Quickly!"
xxxxxx
The Doctor is still talking to the man when they see the blue entity fly into a gas lamp. "Gas! It's made of gas." The Doctor says giddily. He then thinks that the girls should have been back by now and starts to worry. "Layla! Rose!" He dashes out of the building to find them.
"You're not escaping me, sir. What do you know about that hobgoblin, hmmm? Projection on glass, I suppose. Who put you up to it?" The man follows him, determined to blame him, and find out how he did it.
The Doctor rebuffs. "Yeah, mate. Not now, thanks." He sees Layla's white hair and sees that she is in a hearse. He gets into a nearby carriage. "Oi, follow that hearse!"
"I can't do that, sir." The driver states in a matter fact way.
The Doctor's posture is stiff and his muscles rigid. With his jaw clenched he asks, "why not?"
The man from the auditorium comes up. "I'll tell you why not. I'll give you a very good reason why not. Because this is my coach."
Cursing under his breath he grabs the man's jacket and yanks him into the coach. "Well, get it, then. Move!" The driver takes off at a steady pace, but it isn't fast enough in the Doctor's opinion. The Doctor starts to tap his foot in worry. His brow is wrinkling, he takes deep breaths to try to calm himself from the panic of losing his Promised One. "Come on, you're losing them!"
"Is everything in order, Mister Dickens?" The driver asks uncertainty.
"No! It is not!" He huffs out.
"Wait, what did he say?" The Doctor's mouth falls open and his eyebrows rise up towards his hair line.
"Let me say this first. I'm not without a sense of humor." Dickens complained while folding his arms across his chest.
The Doctor ignores the mood of the man. "Dickens?"
"Yes."
"Charles Dickens?" For some reason the Doctor can't wrap his head around what he is being told.
"Yes." Charles replies with more annoyance in his voice.
"The Charles Dickens?" The Doctor wanted one more clarification from the man.
The driver interrupts though. "Should I remove the gentleman, sir?"
"Charles Dickens? You're brilliant, you are. Completely one hundred percent brilliant. I've read them all. Great Expectations, Oliver Twist, and what's the other one, the one with the ghost?"
Giving a long exhale in resignation Charles names a book. "A Christmas Carol?"
"No, no, no, the one with the trains. The Signal Man, that's it. Terrifying! The best short story ever written. You're a genius." The Doctor gushes out in a rush of excitement. He was feeling a mix of emotions, excitement from meeting Charles Dickens, but also worry about Layla and Rose. He was hoping that with the excitement he showed that Charles would let him stay so they could continue to follow after the girls. If not… well he didn't want to have to force the issue, but to save Layla, he would.
"You want me to get rid of him, sir?" The Driver asks again.
"Er, no, I think he can stay." Charles has bashful smile on his face.
"Honestly, Charles. Can I call you Charles? I'm such a big fan." The Doctor nods while giving him a big grin, happy that the man chose to let him stay without fighting him.
"A what? A big what?" Charles is baffled.
"Fan. Number one fan, that's me." He continues while not noticing Charles confusion.
"How exactly are you a fan? In what way do you resemble a means of keeping oneself cool?"
"No, it means fanatic, devoted to. Mind you, I've got to say, that American bit in Martin Chuzzlewit, what's that about? Was that just padding or what? I mean, it's rubbish, that bit." He babbles on, not realizing how rude he was.
"I thought you said you were my fan." He asks sullenly.
The excitement of meeting this legendary literature figure fades away and his worries about Layla and Rose take over fully instead of a mixture. "Come on, faster!"
"Who exactly is in that hearse?" Charles asks wondering why he is so frantic to follow a hearse.
"My friends. Their only nineteen. It's my fault. They are in my care, and now they are in danger."
"Well, why are we wasting my time talking about dry, old, books? This is much more important. Driver, be swift! The chase is on!"
You can hear the excitement in the driver's voice. "Yes, sir!"
"Attaboy, Charlie."
"Nobody calls me Charlie." He states with a slight blush remembering those who do, in fact, call him that.
The Doctor gives him a sly look. "The ladies do."
Charles is shocked. "How do you know that?"
He shrugs happily. "I told you, I'm your number one…"
"Number one fan." He states sourly.
xxxxxx
Rose and Layla are slow to wake up from the attack on them. They rub their eyes and try to clear the cobwebs in their minds. They look around and see that there are coffins and dead people around them. "Rose, I think they forgot to kill us before they dumped us here." Layla says blankly.
Rose goes to reply when they both see a corpse rise from the coffin. "Are you all right? You're kidding me, yeah? You're just kidding. You are kidding me, aren't you?" She starts to ask a little hysterically and vehemently shaking her head and flapping her hands. The corpse doesn't answer and continues coming towards the girls. Rose goes to the door and starts pounding on it. "Let us out!"
While Rose is pounding on the door, Layla is facing the zombies to protect both Rose and herself. When they get a little too close for comfort, she starts fighting them like she did the mannequins. Unfortunately, they don't feel pain, but it is enough to keep them pushed back. She is swiping their legs out from under them causing them to domino effect into the other and lifting her dress up so she can lift her leg up higher to kick.
Rose is still pounding on the door when she hears the Doctor tell her to move away and he kicks it in and pulls her away, he looks up in time to see Layla roundhouse kick one of the zombies. She turns towards him, and gives him an infectious smile. "I see dead people." Then raises her fist and punches one of the zombies that tried to sneak up on her as her back was turned. And he can't help the snort that escapes him and the corner of his mouth quirked up. He relaxes a little, but not much, as he sees that she is safe and unharmed. But he still holds his arm out and when she puts her hand in his, he pulls her towards him. He steps back quickly with Layla by his side, an arm wrapped around her waist, gripping her hip tightly. He would always do his best to protect her, but he is glad that his Promised One can hold her own, and not be a damsel in distress all the time.
"It's a prank. It must be. We're under some mesmeric influence." Charles says faintly, clearing in shock.
"No, we're not. The dead are walking. Hi." He says to the girls.
"Hi, who is your friend?" Rose asks while pointing to the Charles.
"Charles Dickens." He says smugly. Layla quickly whips her head around to stare at Charles, her eyes are wide open with awe. Charles looks at the girl in the Doctor's arms and feels pleased to see the look on her face.
"My name's the Doctor. Who are you, then? What do you want?"
"Failing. Open the rift. We're dying. Trapped in this form. Cannot sustain. Help us, argh!" The gas leaves the corpse's and returns to the gas lamp. The bodies fall to the floor with a thud.
xxxxxx
They all move towards the living room. Gwyneth pours the tea and Rose is giving Sneed a tongue lashing. "First of all, you drug us, then you kidnap us, and don't think I didn't feel your hands having a quick wander, you dirty old man." The Doctor snickers but sees that Layla is nodding in agreement to what Rose is saying and he gets angry that someone touched his Promised One like that. I am the only one allowed that honor, he thinks possessively.
"I won't be spoken to like this!" Sneed blusters out haughtily.
Rose ignores him and continues on her tirade. "Then you stuck us in a room full of zombies! And if that ain't enough, you swan off and leave us to die! So come on, talk!"
While Layla is angry at what happened, Rose going off on a rampage was humorous and takes away some of her anger. However, she focuses more on what happened and tries to analyze what the zombies are after. Sneed gives up. "It's not my fault. It's this house. It always had a reputation. Haunted. But I never had much bother until a few months back, and then the stiffs, the er, dear departed started getting restless."
Charles scoffs. "Tommyrot."
"Your witnessed it. Can't keep the beggars down, sir." He said imploringly. "They walk. And it is the queerest thing, but they hang onto scraps." He pleads with them to believe him. "One old fellow who used to be a sexton almost walked into his own memorial service. Just like the old lady going to your performance, sir, just as she planned."
Charles sneers in derision. "Morbid fancy."
The Doctor looks at Charles with slight pity. "Oh, Charles, you were there." He tries to get him to believe what he saw.
"I saw nothing but an illusion." He says in distaste.
"If you're going to deny it, don't waste my time. Just shut up." He can only handle so much of someone's willful ignorance. "What about the gas?" He asks Sneed.
"That's new, sir. Never seen anything like that."
The Doctor ponders this. "Means it's getting stronger, the rift's getting wider and something's sneaking through."
The girls look at the Doctor. "What's the rift?" Rose asks.
Without even looking at her he answers. "A weak point in time and space. A connection between this place and another. That's the cause of ghost stories, most of the time."
Sneed looks like a lightbulb just went off in his head. "That's how I got the house so cheap. Stories going back generations." Charles has had enough and leaves the room, slamming the door on his way out. "Echoes in the dark, queer songs in the air, and this feeling like a shadow passing over your soul. Mind you, truth be told, it's good for business. Just what people expect from a gloomy old trade like mine."
The Doctor walked out after Charles and Rose walked into the kitchen with Gwyneth. That left Layla looking at Sneed. Sneed looked a little uncomfortable being there with her, but she didn't care. She wanted more information on what happened with the dead bodies. "How many bodies have they tried to use and have they caused any type of problems like they did earlier?"
"There have only been the old man and old woman. The younger man is the old woman's grandson. He came over to see his grandmother before the funeral. I just left him there to say his goodbyes and when I came back, the woman was strangling him. I tried to help him but she broke his neck and was trying to escape her coffin. I put the lid on it trying to keep her there, but she was so strong. She shoved the lid off and it hit me in the head. I fell to the floor in dizziness and when it cleared up, the woman had left. Gwyneth and I left to go get her, and you know the rest." Sneed was scared of what was happening and was hoping that they didn't blame him for the death.
"So, these gas creatures killed him to use his body." Layla murmurs while looking off to the side in thought.
"You believe me? That the grandmother's body was used to kill the grandson?" Sneed looked at her with wide eyes, surprised that she would believe him.
"Yes, I do. They were willing to kill us earlier to use our bodies, I believe." Layla feels a new determination to try to get to the bottom of this mystery. She has a feeling that the Doctor will want to help these creatures, but will he just take their word? Or would he listen to her opinions on what she thought and found out from Sneed?
The Doctor comes back into the living room and the others trailing after him. He looked excited and looked at Layla. "We're going to have a séance." Layla didn't mind this, maybe they can get more information on these creatures.
They all gather around a table. "This is how Madam Mortlock summons those from the Land of Mists, down in Bute town. Come, we must all join hands." Gwyneth says, taking charge of the event and holding her hands out to her sides for someone's hands.
Charles scoffs again while standing away from the table with his arms folded against his chest. "I can't take part in this!"
The Doctor looks amused and quickly takes the seat next to Layla, he turns to Charles. "Humbug? Come on, open mind." He grabs Layla's hand and sighs in relief.
"This is precisely the sort of cheap mummery I strive to unmask. Seances? Nothing but luminous tambourines and a squeeze box concealed between the knees. This girl knows nothing."
The Doctor looks at him with a cheesy grin. "Now, don't antagonize her. I love a happy medium." He tightens his hand a little when he hears Layla snort in amusement.
Rose grumbles. "I can't believe you just said that."
"Come on, we might need you." The Doctor implores Charles again and relaxes when Charles takes a seat between Rose and Gwyneth. "Good man, Now, Gwyneth, reach out."
Gwyneth starts to speak to the entities. "Speak to us. Are you there? Spirits, come. Speak to us that we may relieve your burden." They all shift around a bit when they hear the whispering start.
"Can you hear that." Rose whispers.
Charles, not worried about whispering states in a normal tone of scorn. "Nothing can happen. This is sheer folly."
"Look at her though Charles." Layla says to him as she looks at Gwyneth. She feels the Doctor's hand tighten but doesn't understand why. What she missed was Charles looking at her and a slight interest cross his eyes and the Doctor noticing it.
"I see them. I feel them." Gwyneth says, swaying slightly. Gas tendrils drift above their heads.
While they can hear whispering, they can't seem to understand what it is saying so Rose asks. "What's it saying?"
"They can't get through the rift. Gwyneth, it's not controlling you, you're controlling it. Now, look deep. Allow them through." The Doctor tells her. Layla is thinking about this, if they have to use her to get through the rift, what damage would that cause her body and mind? It isn't as if she is opening a door and standing to the side, she would in essence, be the door.
"I can't." She cries out.
"Yes, you can. Just believe it. I have faith in you, Gwyneth. Make the link." The Doctor encourages her.
"Yes." She says faintly in return. Blue outlines of people start to appear behind Gwyneth.
"Great God! Spirits from the other side." Sneed says with a tremor in his voice, while needing to wipe his forehead with a piece of cloth with the amount of sweat on it.
"The other side of the universe." The Doctor corrects.
The blue figures speak with the voice of children and Gwyneth speaks with them. "Pity us. Pity the Gelth. There is little time. Help us."
"What do you want us to do?" The Doctor asks a little frantic in his want to save them.
"The rift. Take the girl to the rift. Make the bridge. We are so very few. The last of our kind. We face extinction."
The Doctor understands what it means to be the last of your kind. He doesn't want that to happen to the Gelth. "What happened?"
"Once we had a physical form like you, but then the war came."
"War? What war?" Charles is confused. None of this sounded like humans. Human wars didn't cause gas creatures like this.
"The Time War. The whole universe convulsed. The Time War raged. Invisible to smaller species but devastating to higher forms. Our bodies wasted away. We're trapped in this gaseous state."
The Doctor's face pales and his grip on Layla's hand tightens. He grimaces and bites his lip. "So, that's why you need the corpses."
"We want to stand tall, to feel the sunlight, to live again. We need a physical form, and your dead are abandoned. They're going to waste. Give them to us." The Gelth's pleading somewhat turns into a demand at the end.
"But we can't." Rose stammers out suddenly. Layla agrees, but probably for a different reason than Rose has.
"Why not?" The Doctor asks honestly confused and a little irritated.
"It's not. I mean, it's not…"
"Not decent? Not polite?" The Doctor cuts her off. "It could save their lives." He says with a closed off expression.
"Open the rift. Let the Gelth through. We're dying. Help us. Pity the Gelth." The Gelth plead before they go back into the gas lamps and Gwyneth collapses across the table.
"Gwyneth?" Both Layla and Rose ask as they move towards the girl. "Are you alright?"
"All true." Charles says faintly, his face ashen. "It's all true."
Layla and Rose pick Gwyneth up and move her to the couch to lie down. Rose mops at her forehead while Layla moves towards the Doctor to tell him her opinion. "I don't think we should rush into this Doctor. Things aren't lining up."
For the first time since meeting her, he looks at her like he has never seen her before. "You think I should just let them die?!"
Layla, unimpressed with his tone, just looks at him blankly. "I never said that. I said things aren't lining up, and we should wait until we have more information."
While they continue to argue quietly Gwyneth wakes up. "It's all right. You just sleep." Rose says soothingly.
"But my angels, miss. They came, didn't they? They need me?" Gwyneth questions imploringly.
The Doctor, having heard her, turns away from Layla and their argument to talk to Gwyneth. "They do need you, Gwyneth. You're they're only chance of survival."
Rose steps into the argument. She knows that Layla is on her side as well. "I've told you, leave her alone. She's exhausted and she's not fighting your battles, here drink this." She says the last part to Gwyneth while handing her a cup of tea.
Confusion among the other gentleman is still high. But Sneed is the one to question the Doctor since it is happening in his home. "Well, what did you say, Doctor? Explain it again. What are they?"
"Aliens." He replies simply.
"Like foreigners, you mean?"
Sighing at the mindset of the 1800's looks at him and agrees. "Pretty foreign, yeah. From up there." He points his finger towards the ceiling to show the area of the sky.
"Brecon?" Sneed cocks his head to the side.
"Close. And they've been trying to get through from Brecon to Cardiff but the road's blocked. Only a few can get through and even then, they're weak. They can only test drive the bodies for so long, then they have to revert to gas and hide in the pipes."
Charles nods his head in understanding. "Which is why they need the girl."
"They're not having her." Rose says emphatically. Layla was nodding her head as to agree. She has more to say too.
"But she can help. Living on the rift, she's become part of it. She can open it up, make a bridge and let them through." He is staring at them imploringly to get them to see what he is saying.
"I think, Doctor, that it is not your choice to make. If it is anyone's, it would be Gwyneth. However, all the known information needs to be given. They were willing to kill me and Rose to use our bodies. Sneed also told me that they killed that old woman's grandson and they were using his body. They want anybody, not just dead ones. They never gave out a number either, what if it is more than the dead bodies available? Besides, even if the bridge is open, how would they be able to sustain the bodies when they are decomposing? Lastly, what affect would this have on Gwyneth? Would she be hurt in the process?" She is pleading with him to try to get him to see beyond his guilt of the war and use his brain about what is right in front of his face.
However, it is like Layla never even said anything. "Incredible. Ghosts that are not ghosts but beings from another world, who can only exist in our world by inhabiting cadavers." Charles says while blinking slowly, and sitting limply.
"Good system. It might work." The Doctor says with a little pep, trying to ignore the tension in the room with Layla and Rose, and that his hearts are clenching that he is on the outs with his Promised One. He wanted to believe that the Gelth were just desperate and with him helping them, there wouldn't be any more deaths. He was hoping that what he walked in on earlier when getting the girls was just a misunderstanding. Then they could have their second chance.
"You can't let them run around inside of dead people!" Rose almost screeches.
"Why not? It's like recycling." The Doctor is honestly confused why they don't want to help.
"Seriously though, you can't. It's just wrong. Those bodies were living people. We should respect them even in death." Rose scoffs in irritation.
"Seriously though, I can. Do you carry a donor card?" The Doctor snaps back. Layla is looking back and forth between the two while getting angrier and angrier.
"That's different. That's…" Is Rose's stammered replied.
"It is different, yeah. It's a different morality. Get used to it or go home." Only meaning it for Rose. "You heard what they said, time's short. I can't worry about a few corpses when the last of the Gelth could be dying." Rose backs down slightly, afraid of being sent home so soon.
Layla has had enough. "Take me home, then." She says in a cold, clipped, tone. Everyone comes to a standstill while Rose and the Doctor look at her with different reactions. Rose looks stunned, while the Doctor looks at her hurt and heartbroken.
"You completely ignored my concerns and opinions and refuse to listen to them rationally. If you don't want to acknowledge them, then you obviously don't value my thoughts and concerns. I refuse to follow someone like they are a god and can be the only one to make the decisions when it affects us all. While you know more than us about time and space, our opinions matter too and to disregard them like that disregards us. You're letting your guilt cloud your judgement. So fine, whenever you're done with this mistake take me home." Her voice is calm and quiet masking her fury. She gives the Doctor a narrowed eyed, nostril flaring look before she spins around and goes to talk to Charles, not giving the Doctor time to respond.
The Doctor was shocked into silence. His eyes are open wide and mouth had fallen open. He feels like he needs to sit down. His hearts were beating harshly in his chest. Painfully. He had never had a companion react like that before. It was even worse because she was his Promised One, but he could understand her view point. He did come across that their opinions didn't matter. However, she doesn't understand what he had to do in the war. What it cost him and apparently the Gelth. He can't just sit back and do nothing. He has to try to help. Maybe he can try to get her to understand that when this is over. Show her that this isn't a mistake. He will prove it to her. Nothing will go wrong. Then she won't leave him. Taking a shaky breath and swallowing past the lump in his throat, he turns from where he was staring at Layla. He feels his hearts clench when he hears Charles telling her to call him Charlie. Ignoring that for now, he turns back to Gwyneth who was just looking at him knowingly, but without pity and with compassion.
"I don't care either. They're not using her!" Rose gets back into the conversation and she agrees with Layla, this isn't the right thing to do. While she doesn't want to go home and she would miss Layla if she does leave, it would leave more of this intriguing man's attention on her. But she can't help but feel this is the wrong thing to do without gathering more information.
Gwyneth gently cuts in. She knows about the bond between the Doctor and Layla, and she is sorry that this has gotten in between them. But she feels that this a mission from her mam and she wants to help. "Don't I get a say, miss?"
"Look, you don't understand what is going on." It was said rudely, but Rose did not mean it to be.
"You would say that, miss, because that's very clear inside your head, that you think I'm stupid." It was stated in a matter fact way, like she was used to that being said about her.
"That's not fair." However that is what Rose was thinking, not in a mean way, just uneducated about aliens' way.
"It's true though. Things might be very different where you're from, but here and now, I know my own mind, and the angels need me. Doctor, what do I have to do?"
The Doctor had been looking between Gwyneth and Layla, his eyes lingering on Layla, but with Gwyneth's question, he focuses on her. He swallows hard. "You don't have to do anything." He knows that his guilt is driving a part of him, and she doesn't need to do something to relieve that.
"They've been singing to me since I was a child, sent by my mam on a holy mission. So, tell me." Gwyneth says firmly.
"We need to find the rift. This house is on a weak spot, so there must be a spot that's weaker than any other. Mister Sneed, what's the weakest part of this house? The place where most of the ghosts have been seen?"
"That would be the morgue."
Resigned to going through this insane plan Rose pouts. "No chance you were going to say gazebo, is there?" She shares a look with Layla and they both look upset at the events about to take place. The Doctor had lingered back a little to try to talk to Layla, but she wrapped her arm around Charles' arm and moved past him without another glance. This bond has only just come into existence, but it was already wreaking havoc on his body and emotions.
xxxxxx
Down in the basement they all feel the temperature dropping. They see the recently departed laying under white sheets. "Urgh, talk about Bleak House." The Doctor was trying to lighten the tension, but his comment falls flat.
"The thing is, Doctor, the Gelth don't succeed, 'cos I know they don't. I know for a fact there weren't corpses walking around in 1869." Rose says with a smug smirk on her face as if that proved that this wouldn't work.
Humans, the Doctor thinks. "Times in flux, changing every second. Your cozy little world can be rewritten like that. Nothing is safe. Remember that. Nothing."
Layla hums quietly. "Like Back to the Future." She didn't look at anyone since she wasn't expecting a reply, but the Doctor's quiet 'yes' has her gritting her teeth in anger about this plan.
Charles pats Layla's hand in comfort. "Doctor, I think the room is getting colder."
Rose gulps loudly, her voice shaking. "Here they come."
They all look to see a Gelth come out of the gas lamp by the door and stands under a stone archway. "You've come to help. Praise the Doctor. Praise him."
"Promise you won't hurt her!" Rose pleads with them.
"If there is anyone you should praise, it should be Gwyneth." Layla mutters loud enough for those around her to hear.
However, they are both ignored. "Hurry! Please, so little time. Pity the Gelth."
"After this is over, I will take you somewhere else after the transfer. Somewhere you can build proper bodies. This isn't a permanent solution, alright?" He looks towards the girls, but his eyes are only on Layla after he says this. He tries to show her that he heard her concerns about the corpses and will find a different solution once they come through the bridge.
Gwyneth looks at the Gelth in awe and worship. "My angels, I can help them live."
"Okay, where is the weak point?" The Doctor questions the Gelth.
"Beneath the arch." They say back quickly, trying to rush this so they can live.
Gwyneth goes to stand under the arch when Rose goes up to her again. "You don't have to do this." Layla says nothing. She knows that she can't change Gwyneth's mind and knows that when someone really wants to do something, they will.
"My angels." Is all Gwyneth says to Rose faintly.
"Establishing the bridge. Reach out to the void. Let us through!" The Gelth's voice takes on a more demanding tone.
"Yes, I can see you. I can see you. Come! Come to me. Come to this world, poor lost souls!" Gwyneth is so far gone into helping them that she doesn't realize the consequences that will take place.
"Bridgehead establishing. It has begun. The bridge is made." The Gelth are gleeful. Gwyneth's mouth opens and blue gas comes out. "She has given herself to the Gelth. The bridge is open. We descend." The soft blue apparition turns flaming red with sharp teeth. Its voice hardens and deepens. "The Gelth will come through in force!"
The Doctor has a shocked and slightly lost look on his face. He seems frozen in his spot. No one says anything for a few seconds. Charles speaks up first. "You said that you were few in number!"
"Yeah, a few billion, and all of us in need of corpses." The gas starts to go towards the dead bodies on the table and they start to stand up.
Sneed's lip is trembling, sweat is falling from his face even in the cold of the morgue. He pleads with the girl he has raised since a child. "Gwyneth, stop this. Listen to your master. This has gone far enough. Stop dabbling child, and leave these things alone, I beg of you!"
"Mister Sneed! Get back!" Rose shouts as Layla was able to grab him from behind and pull him towards her and Charles.
Seeing what could have happened had Layla not stepped in, the Doctor blankly looks around. "I think it's gone a little bit wrong."
The corpses start moving towards them. "We need bodies. All of you. Dead. The human race. Dead."
"Gwyneth, stop them! Send them back now!" The Doctor pleads with the girl. His hearts are pounding in his ears, a cold sweat is breaking out and his shoulders are tight with tension.
"Five more bodies. Convert them. Make them vessels for the Gelth." They start to move more towards where Rose and the Doctor and are backing them up against a metal gate, figuring two would be easier to convert first, then they can move onto the other three.
"Doctor, I can't. I'm sorry. This new world of yours is too much for me. I'm so…" Charles is stuttering out. Sneed had already left when he was able to, but Charles grabs onto Layla and drags her out of the room, with her fighting against him to get to the Doctor and Rose. He was surprising strong in his terror to flee for his old age.
The Doctor grabs Rose and pulls her behind the metal gate, where the corpses cannot reach them. The Gelth continue to try to get them, grabbing at them. "Give yourself to glory. Sacrifice your lives for the Gelth."
"I trusted you. I pitied you!" The Doctor yells out. His teeth clench and he open and closes his hands multiple times.
The Gelth sound amused. "We don't want your pity. We want this world and all it's flesh."
"Not while I'm alive." His jaw is set, and his brow is furrowing.
"Then live no more." They say simply.
"But I can't die. Tell me I can't die. I haven't even been born yet. It's impossible for me to die. Isn't it?" Rose is breathing heavily and vehemently shaking her head.
Clearing his throat and meeting her eyes, he looks at her with remorse. "I'm sorry."
xxxxxx
Charles is dragging Layla out of the house; Sneed is already long gone. "Stop! Charlie, stop! We have to help them!"
"I'm sorry Layla, but what could we do to help them?" He continues to pull her out of the house and one of the Gelth in gas form starts following after them. Layla stops fighting him, grabs his hand, and runs with him down the street. They both stop though when they hear the gas cry out.
"Failing! Atmosphere hostile!" It then dives into the street lamp.
Charles has a moment of realization. "Gas. The gas!" He tugs on Layla's hand and pulls her back towards the house.
"What are you doing? Do you have a plan?" She is easily keeping up with him, even in heeled shoes, he is an older man after all.
"Yes, go and put the flame out of all the lamps and turn up the gas! This will be what will save the other two. Quickly go!" She let's go of his hand and runs towards the kitchen turning up the gas on everything she can see. They both get done at the same time and run down the stairs to inform the Doctor about Charles' plan.
xxxxxx
Sweat is breaking out on Rose's skin and she is shaking her hands in distress. "But it's 1869. How can I die now?"
Thoughts are racing through his mind trying to find a way out of this situation. He hopes that Layla made it out safely. "Time isn't a straight line. It can twist into any shape. You can be born in the twentieth century and die in the nineteenth and it's all my fault. I brought you two here."
Rose sighs in resignation. "It's not your fault. I wanted to come."
"What about me? I saw the fall of Troy, World War Five. I pushed boxes at the Boston Tea Party. Now I'm going to die in a dungeon in Cardiff." The Doctor whines. I also just met my Promised One and I didn't get to tell her or spend a lot of time with her. At least she is safe.
"We'll go down fighting, yeah?" Rose asks while grabbing his hand and holding it tightly, missing the flinch he made at her touch.
While Rose is gripping his hand tightly, he is not even trying to hold her hand back, without Rose's grip, their hands would fall apart. "Yeah." While he likes Rose as a friend, her touch feels wrong. "I'm so glad I met…" he is cut off before he can finish saying 'the two of you'.
Rose's eye brightens thinking that he was going to say 'you'. He misses her smile towards him when Charles and Layla come running back down the stairs.
"Doctor! Doctor! Turn off the flame, turn up the gas! Now, fill the room, all of it, now!" Charles is shouting while doing exactly that with Layla doing some on the other side of the room away from the Gelth.
"What are you doing?!" There is a tightness in his eyes, a vein that pulses in his temple, and his voice deepened in anger that Charles had brought Layla back into a dangerous situation.
"Turn it all on. Flood the place!" Charles is giddy in his ability to help out.
"What, so we choke to death instead?" Rose snarks.
"Isn't he right though? The Gelth are gaseous creatures." Layla grunts while trying to rip out the gas pipe on the wall.
"Fill the room with gas, it'll draw them out of the host. Suck them into the air like poison from a wound!" The Doctor copies Layla and starts to pull the pipe off the wall.
The Gelth corpses start to leave the Doctor and walk towards Charles and Layla. "I hope, oh Lord, I hope that this theory will be validated soon, if not immediately."
"Plenty more!" The Doctor gets the pipe open and opens the gate, exiting first, and going towards Gwyneth.
"It's working." Charles mumbles half surprised.
"Gwyneth, send them back. They lied. They're not angels." He tries to get through to her while reaching out and grabbing Layla's hand, holding it so tight that his knuckles turn white. While Layla is mad at him, she is not a cruel person to deny someone comfort when they need it, so she lets him keep her hand and runs her thumb on against his hand.
Both her and Rose are starting to choke from the gas though and are coughing hard, but they want to stay to help with Gwenyth. "Liars?" Gwyneth talks as if she is under water.
"Look at me. If your mother and father could look down and see this, they'd tell you the same. They'd give you the strength. Now send them back!" The Doctor is trying to encourage her.
"I can't breathe!" Rose coughs out, Layla is past the point of talking and is coughing hard enough for a lung to come out. Their faces are red and tears are falling from their eyes from the strain.
The Doctor looks down and sees the strain on his Promised One and pushes her towards Rose and Charles and let's go of her hand. "Get them out of here Charles."
"I'm not leaving her!" Rose says as she seems to be the only one out of the two of them that can speak. Didn't help that Layla was standing next to the open gas pipe and Rose was more towards the middle of the room. Charles is starting to cough now and hold up Layla at the same time.
"They're too strong." Gwyneth mumbles out.
"Remember that world you saw? Rose's world? All those people. None of it will exist unless you send them back through the rift." He pleads out, one because he doesn't want this event to mess up the future, and two if the future is messed up, then that would affect him meeting Layla.
It doesn't look like anything was going to happen. "I can't send them back. But I can hold them off. Hold them in this place, hold them here. Get out." Gwyneth pulls out a box of matches from her apron pocket and shows the Doctor.
"You can't!" "Don't do it!" Rose and Layla say at the same time.
"Leave this place!" Gwyneth says strongly for the first time since being in under the arch.
"Layla, Rose, get out. Go now. I won't leave her while she's still in danger. Now go!" He tosses a quick glance at Rose but lingers on Layla. He gives her a look that she can't decipher.
Rose helps as much as she can with Layla, but Charles seems to be doing most of the work getting them out of the house. "This way!"
They get out into the cold December air and breath in fresh air. The girls start to cry softly realizing out of the two people in that house, only one would be coming out alive. Rose and Layla are holding hands while Layla is tucked under Charles arm since she is still coughing some.
They look towards the house, waiting for someone to emerge. It isn't long before they see the Doctor running quickly out of the house. He goes flying towards the ground when the house suddenly explodes. Charles turns the girls so his back is towards the house and he is slightly covering them to give them protection.
"She didn't make it." Rose says softly.
The Doctor gets up and brushes himself off. He looks towards the girls in remorse. "I'm sorry. She closed the rift."
"At such a cost. The poor child." Charles says while still holding onto Layla.
The Doctor stiffens as he realizes how they are standing. "I did try, but Gwyneth was already dead. She had been for at least five minutes." He says slightly strained. He can see that Layla is still struggling and weak from the gas from being right next to the pipe, but it still doesn't help the possessiveness he feels towards her with her in another man's arms. He also knows she is mad at him and wouldn't want comfort from him right now.
"What do you mean?" Rose asks.
"She died when she opened the bridge, didn't she?" Layla questions.
"Yes, I think that is when she died."
"But she can't have. She spoke to us. She helped us. She saved us. How could she have done that?" Rose asks with her eyes widened rubbing absently at her arms. "She saved the world. A servant girl. No one will ever know."
Layla tugs on Rose's hand. "We will know and honor her memory."
xxxxxx
When they get back to Tardis, they are all ready to go to bed after this eventful day, well the girls are. The Doctor just wants something to distract him. "Right then, Charlie boy, I've just got to go into my, er, shed. Won't be long."
"What are you going to do now?" Rose asks wondering how he is really feeling about this whole alien thing.
Charles perks up. "I shall take the mail coach back to London, quite literally post-haste. This is no time for me to be on my own. I shall spend Christmas with my family and make amends to them. After all I've learned tonight, there can be nothing more vital."
"I'm glad to see that you've cheered up." Layla is finally able to breathe right and comments towards Charles.
"Exceedingly! This morning, I thought I knew everything in the world. Now I know I've just started. All these huge and wonderful notions, Doctor. I'm inspired. I must write about them."
Rose looks at him in worry. "Do you think that's wise?"
"I shall be subtle at first." He says soothingly. "The Mystery of Edwin Drood still lacks an ending. Perhaps the killer was not the boy's uncle. Perhaps he was not of this Earth. The Mystery of Edwin Drood and the Blue Elementals. I can spread the word, tell the truth."
"Good luck with it." The Doctor says knowing it won't happen. "Nice to meet you. Fantastic."
Rose shakes his hand and kisses his cheek. "Bye, then, and thanks."
Layla ignores his hand and pulls him in for a hug and kisses him on his cheek as well The Doctor has to swallow a growl that wanted to come out. "Thank you Charlie. Have a happy Christmas."
Charles blushes. "Oh, my dear. How modern. Thank you, but I don't understand. In what way is this goodbye? Where are you going?"
The Doctor shakes off his jealousy, it's not Layla's fault that she doesn't know about their bond yet and there was no guarantee that she would accept it. "You'll see. In the shed." He says mysteriously.
"Upon my soul, Doctor, it's one riddle after another with you. But after all these revelations, there's just one mystery you still haven't explained. Answer me this, who are you?"
"Just a friend passing through."
"But you have such knowledge of future times. I don't wish to impose on you, but I must ask. My books. Doctor, do they last?" He is holding his breath and raises his eyebrows in anticipation.
"Oh, yes!" He is happy that he can answer this for Charles.
"For how long?"
"Forever. Right. Shed. Come on, Layla and Rose."
"In the box? All three of you?" He asks with a sly look on his face.
The Doctor shudders at the thought of being in an enclosed space with Layla. "Down boy. See you."
They all walk into the Tardis; Layla goes to sit down knowing she had to talk to the Doctor. "Doesn't that change history if he writes about blue ghosts?" Rose questions curiously.
"In a week's time it's 1870, and that's the year he dies. Sorry. He'll never get to tell his story."
"Oh, he was so nice."
"I agree, he was great to talk to, but at least he is happy with this little adventure." Layla says contentedly.
"True, but in your time, he was already dead. We've brought him back to life and he's more alive now than he's ever been, old Charlie boy. Let's give him one last surprise." He works on piloting the Tardis and they all stand in front of the screen ready to see his face. When they start to dematerialize, they see Charlie's eyes widen and his mouth drop open.
"Well, I'm knackered. I'm going to get changed and then I need to rest before the next adventure." Rose says as she yawns in exhaustion.
"If you don't remember the directions, the Tardis will guide you to the wardrobe, after you are done with that, she will guide you to your room." He is talking to Rose, but looking at Layla hoping to see if she was still going to use her room or if she is still planning on leaving, but her face gives nothing away.
"Thanks, night." Rose walks off not realizing that Layla stayed behind to talk to the Doctor.
With no reaction to his words, he thinks that it is hopeless to try to talk to her into staying. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so, sorry I didn't listen to you. If it is what you really want, I will take you home. Just let me know." He is avoiding eye contact with her and fidgeting with things around the console.
Layla just looks at him, his shoulders are slumped and there is a dejected look on his face. She knows that his guilt was what was driving him so much to help the Gelth. He presents the image of a little boy who was caught doing something bad and is waiting to be grounded and yelled at. She realizes that had his guilt not played a part in his decisions tonight, he might have used that big brain of his and seen that the Gelth were playing him. But he also wanted to help. He thought he was helping the Gelth. They asked for aid and he tried to deliver it. She understands that this is just who he was and she couldn't and wouldn't ask him to change. That was what made him so fantastic and an intriguing man, and her heart hurts that she put that expression on his face.
The Doctor had been waiting for something, anything. To be yelled at, or demanded to go home, but she just said nothing. He assumed that she was so angry that she wouldn't even talk to him. His hearts broke and he started moving around the console and put in the coordinates to take her home. He wouldn't even look at her because he didn't want to see her looking at him negatively. He hoped that one day he could come back and try to get her to travel with him again.
He stops when he hears her sigh. "Doctor…" He turns and sees her with her head bowed pinching the bridge of her nose and her other hand on her hip.
The anxiety is getting to him. He just wants her to say something, anything. To yell or berate, something other than this silence. "I guess this is where you tell me 'I told you so,' huh?" He asks her with a self-depreciating smile.
Her head snaps up and her eyes narrow at him angrily, causing him to gulp harshly. "I am not the type of person to rub a mistake in a friends face when they are already hurting, Doctor."
"I didn't mean to imply that, Layla." He says softy.
"Good." She walks over towards him and stands in front of him. "Doctor, I understand why you wanted to do it, I really do. Guilt is a powerful emotion. While the guilt I felt growing up, unable to protect the kids around me, is nowhere near as strong as yours, I do understand that it can lead to behaving irrationally. But that is why when we know that the guilt is a driving force behind making a decision, that we need to take a step back, and maybe." She grabs his hands and squeeze them gently. "With the help of friends, come to a decision that is made rationally."
The Doctor stares at her with a slightly broken look. She can see unfathomable pain in his eyes. His grip on her hands tightens and he is breathing heavily as he thinks over her words, and the terrible day. "I know we aren't your people, Doctor, but we are your friends. While we are here, with you, you are not alone. You can rely on us. Get to know us more, learn to trust us. Then maybe you will feel comfortable enough to open up to us, to share your burdens. Numbing the pain for a while by saving others and distracting yourself will only make it worse when you finally let yourself feel it, but you don't have to do it alone."
The Doctor looks slightly uncomfortable to Layla, but she doesn't know why. To him, he doesn't want to share anything with Rose, he would only be open like that with Layla. But it is still too fresh, to raw, and he isn't ready yet. One day maybe, but not yet. "About Gwyneth and earlier… I'm sorry I didn't listen. You were right, and she paid the price for my mistake."
Layla loosens her hands from his and wraps her arms around his waist. He doesn't know what to do with his hands so he just lets them hang against his sides, he wants to touch her, but not sure where or if now is a good time to do it. "I might have been right about the Gelth, but at the time we didn't know that for sure. Helping them, helping people who cry out for aid and you lending a hand is who you are, Doctor. Even in the couple adventures we have had, I can already tell that. I can't and won't ask you to change who you are. I won't disregard who you are as a person, your morals. I won't say it was okay to ignore our opinions and concerns but I should have helped you when you asked for it and supported you. For that I apologize. I know you are already beating yourself up about it, there is no reason for me to add to that. Just think about this, you didn't start the war, you might have had to participate it in, but you didn't start it. And I doubt you chose to be in the war in the first place. The Gelth losing their forms, was not your fault, no matter how much they tried to guilt you. You can't take the blame for everyone who was wronged because of the Time War on your shoulders."
The Doctor is thunderstruck and can only stare at this incredible human after her speech. He is in awe that someone like her exists and that he is so lucky to have her as his Promised One. His eyes sting with unshed tears and he wraps his arms around her and pulls her in for a tight hug as his body slightly trembles at her acceptance of him and the horrible events of today.
He can feel the emotions that are already developing for her at a quick pace, deepen a little more and he can't say that he regrets it. He has enjoyed being around his little human and he is clever enough to know that his feelings for her will only continue to grow even stronger. He only hopes that she is starting to feel some good feelings for him as well. Now he can understand why other Time Lords that found their Promised One, didn't take long before they were married. You would think that with the lifespan the Time Lords have, that they wouldn't be in a rush to bond, but the feelings are just so strong, and the souls want to be connected, it is hard to prolong it when it feels so right. He is on his way to wanting to connect hearts, mind, souls, and bodies.
He knows that his body and soul are already ready to merge with her, he has been feeling that almost since he met her. His hearts and mind have taken a little longer, but are catching up. He knows soon he will want that all-encompassing intimacy that comes with a bonding. He feels like he is there, for the most part, but he has yet to complete the hardest task: telling her and asking her to bond with him. Of course, with Layla being human, he wasn't sure how she would feel.
After the Doctor relaxes in her arms and has calmed down Layla wants to break the tension. "I know you don't understand, but after a while, dresses like this get very restrictive and I want to get out of it right now. As good as it looks on me, it would look better off me and on the floor." She gives him a saucy wink and let's go of him to walk back to the wardrobe. She completely misses his heated gaze and his once again stiffened posture. The image she presented to him has his thoughts turning and his blood heating. He feels a pleasant warmth shoot down his spine and his fingers itch to help relieve her of her dress. Once she is out of hearing range, he groans in pleasant agony. While he wouldn't change Layla for anything, he hopes that her side of the bond picks up just as quickly as his did. He turns around and occupies himself with working on his ship to cool down his body.