Promised One

by arielle.dawnn

Promised One's were rare. Promised One's were sacred. A retelling of season one with my OC, Layla, and how she would have changed the story. Rose is still there and my character is not just reusing or stealing Rose's dialogue.

11. Boom Town

Layla comes into the console to see the Doctor 'working' on the Tardis. More like breaking, she snickered to herself. She takes a bite of her pear and walks over towards him, chewing softly, knowing that when he sees it, he will through a fit. Like he has for the past several days. It has been hilarious. The first time he had seen her eating one he had demanded to know where she had gotten one. He has been 'fixing' things on the Tardis ever since I told him that she is the one providing me them.

"So, Doctor, what are you breaking now?"

"Oi! I'm not breaking anythi…" He trails off as he looks up and hones in on what is in her hand.

"What are you eating?" He asks even though they both know exactly what she is eating. But he still asks, like he does every morning hoping that he is wrong.

She gives him a look of fake pity. "Poor, poor, Doctor. Poor, deluded, Doctor. We have gone through this every morning for days now. You know exactly what it is." She takes another bit slowly and chews it while giving him a big smirk and trying not to laugh. The Doctor looks towards the ceiling in betrayal and they both can feel the Tardis hum in amusement. She swallows her bite and wipes the juice that had run from the corner of her lips. "Hmm, I guess there can be pears on your ship then, huh?" Layla gives him a sly look and snickers at his face.

"Let me guess, it was in the kitchen, right?" She nods telling him that he was right and he takes off sprinting down the hallways. She knows he is going towards the kitchen to look for these pears. Most likely to throw into a supernova. He has threatened to do that once he found them, but the Tardis is keeping them well hidden. He refuses to give up on looking though. Layla finds his persistence and annoyance very amusing.

She finishes her pear and goes about cleaning up the mess the Doctor had made. She gets on her knees, reaches inside the grate on the floor, and starts wiping up some unidentified liquid. "Blimey, doesn't he ever clean you, love? Good thing I'm here, yeah?" She smiles as the Tardis hums in agreement.

She is startled and looks behind her, but doesn't get up as she hears Jack's voice. "My, my, what a great view."

She realizes what view he is talking about and laughs, but at the same time, while she would normally find this very funny because of her personality, it doesn't feel the same, it feels a little wrong. To get her mind off the feeling, she looks at the rag in her hand and tosses it at Jack. "Here, I'm sure you are used to being covered in unidentified liquids, should feel right at home."

He barks out a laugh as he avoids the rag. "Where is the Doctor and Rose?"

"Rose is finishing getting ready, and the Doctor is on the usual morning pear hunt of course."

"Ah, of course." Jack had been here the first morning that the Tardis had gifted Layla her first pear and it had been the funniest thing that Jack had seen in a while. Rose had told them about their discussion about the bananas from the morning of the day they meet and now he understood the whole banana keep away thing at the hospital.

Layla stands up having finished cleaning and is wiping her hands off on a clean rag. Jack is kind enough to put the grate back over the hole in the floor for her and she gives him a nod in thanks. "I wonder what trouble we are going to get into today. I know that the Doctor said we needed to stop off at Cardiff to refuel and Rose called Mickey to see him. She is going to have dinner with him or something tonight, maybe I can squeeze in and get some time to hang out with him before that."

"So, Mickey is this sort of boyfriend of Rose's? What's up with that?" Jack was curious, Rose was a lovely girl, and Jack loved to flirt with everyone, but he was curious as to why Rose would continue to be with him, if she didn't want to, or at least, it seemed like she didn't want to.

Layla frowned at the question. "I don't… I don't really know anymore." She says softly. "Rose, Mickey Mouse, and I used to be so close. We all knew that eventually I was going to go traveling. It was what I was always wanting to do, whether I had the money or I had to backpack and take little jobs along the way or not, I was going to do it. Then we met the Doctor, and things seemed to change a little. I was all for going, it was a chance to travel and as a bonus, not only the earth, but the universe and in time. I mean how could I pass that up?" She looked at him with sparkling eyes.

However, her eyes seem to dull a little, and he was sad to see it happen. "But Rose, I knew she had fun on that adventure we had with the Doctor. I knew that she was interested by him and wanted to travel with him. When she knew it could travel in time and could come back without being missed by her mom and Mickey, she was all for it, even though she had never expressed an interest in traveling before."

Layla looked around, wanting to make sure that Rose wasn't close by, she didn't want her best friend to be in a strop with her because she was telling Jack about how she had been acting and how Layla was disappointed in her. "Ever since we have been traveling, I don't know, it seems like Rose has changed. I mean, we both have really, we get to experience something that most people don't, but I feel like she thinks she is better because she has experienced it. I know that she has been a little… uncertain about her relationship with Mickey lately. I mean she met a stranger and left with him, doesn't really seem like a strong connection, does it?" Jack nods his head in agreement with her, to him, it didn't seem like it was a strong relationship either. It seemed more one sided.

"I know we are young, and that Rose isn't tied down, by marriage or anything, but she was, is, I don't know, she had a relationship with our Mickey Mouse. And while she might not have physically strayed, she has been flirting and getting close with others."

Jack can see Layla's point. He sees how Rose is around him, she is very susceptible to his 51st century pheromones, and he sees her flirting with the Doctor, even when he doesn't respond back to her. "What are you going to do?"

"There isn't really anything I can do. I can only be there to support Mickey when she crushes his heart, because she will. She did when we came home from missing a year and instead of comforting him, she was too concerned about getting in the Doctor's personal bubble and finding out about the spaceship. I was the one who comforted Mickey, but it wasn't the same. She is the one he worships, and she doesn't appreciate it."

"Well, Rose is young, she will figure out what she wants eventually. I am sorry you have to feel so conflicted about the whole situation though. Being put in between two friends is a tough place to be."

Layla goes to grab Jack's hand to give it a squeeze but pulls back before she really even moves her hand. Just the thought alone of touching him, feels wrong. She is confused, but pushes it aside to think about later. "Thanks Jack, I didn't have anyone I could talk to about this. I feel a lot better getting it off my chest."

Jack gives her a soft smile, and for once not making an innuendo. "That's what friends are for."

Xxxxxx

Later in the afternoon everyone is in the console room together, but doing different things. Rose is looking at a magazine, Jack is messing with some alien tech, the Doctor has a red light on his forehead that makes him look goofy as he stands on a ladder fixing something towards the ceiling, and Layla is handing him tools that he asks for.

There is a banging on the Tardis doors and they all look towards it in confusion, usually people just ignore the big blue box that appears out of nowhere. Jack straightens his shoulders and puts on his tough guy face and walks to the door. Opening it, he gives his best, 'get off my lawn,' grandpa voice. "Who the hell are you?"

"What do you mean, who the hell am I? Who the hell are you?" The girls smile as they hear Mickey's voice.

"Captain Jack Harkness. Whatever you're selling, we're not buying."

Mickey pushes him aside roughly and stomps in, muttering. "Get out of my way!"

Jack closes the door and looks towards Layla. "Don't tell me. This must be Mickey."

The Doctor looks down from the ladder at Mickey. "Here comes trouble! How're you doing, Ricky boy?"

"It's Mickey!" His annoyed expression turns into a grin as he sees Layla smack the Doctor's leg and give him a frown, and sees the Doctor give her a pout. Always one to stand up for me, she is.

Rose walks up to him and gives him a hug. "Don't listen to him, he's winding you up."

Mickey pulls back from her and looks her over. "You look fantastic."

"Aw, sweet, look at these two. How come I never get any of that?" Jack asks the Doctor playfully giving Layla a wink.

"Buy me a drink first." The Doctor smirks at him.

"Buy us a drink first, and then we can talk about it." She looks at them like the cat that got the canary, knowing she won that round. Even though she doesn't drink, but that isn't the point, she still won.

Their heads snap to her and they stare at her with wide eyes. Jack, well he obviously would be up for it. But the Doctor, he knows he isn't up for it now, the bond wouldn't let them be, too jealous and possessive. Always monogamous at first, but who knows, maybe once the bond settles, they could come back to this conversation again. Remembering how the Doctor acted on his ship, Jack was figuring that this was something he should talk to the Doctor about in the future, not at this moment in time though. He gives Layla a teasing look. "You two are such hard work."

The Doctor gives Layla a look of adoration. "But worth it." He said it softly to where only Jack heard it as Layla had been distracted by Mickey and Rose.

"Did you manage to find it?" Rose asked Mickey all excited.

Mickey hands something to Rose, a tad reluctantly. "There you go."

Rose holds it to her chest and jumps into the air. "I can go anywhere now."

The Doctor groused. "I told you; you don't need a passport."

"Yeah Rose, the Doctor has his physic paper, Remember? Otherwise, he wouldn't get to have any fun 'cos he is never invited anywhere. He also uses it to stay and get out of jail, so even without a passport, if we go to another country, we would be safe as long as he had that." She gives the Doctor a teasing look.

"Oi! I get invited places! I just like to party crash; those are usually the best kinds of parties that I go to." He crosses his arms over his chest defending himself.

Rose teases. "It's all very well going to Platform One and Justicia and the Glass Pyramid of San Kaloon, but what if we end up in Brazil? I might need it. You see, I'm prepared for anything."

"Even if you have it, unless you entered legally, it wouldn't be stamped properly and they would know you came in illegally, so in the end, it wouldn't make a difference." Layla laughs as Rose gives her the stink eye as she points out the flaws in Rose's logic.

Mickey looks at Rose sadly. "Sounds like you're staying, then." Rose just stares at him without saying anything and realizing she won't answer him he clears his throat. "So, what're you doing in Cardiff? And who the hell's Jumping Jack Flash? I mean, I don't mind you hanging out with big-ears up there…"

"Oi!"

"Look in the mirror. But this guy, I don't know, he's kind of…"

Jack gives him a suave smirk. "Handsome?"

"More like cheesy." Mickey shoots him down.

"Early twenty first century slang. Is cheesy good or bad?" Jack was confused. He had time hopped a lot, but there was a lot of history to keep up with.

"It's bad." Mickey tells him helpfully.

Jack's face lights up. "But bad means good, isn't that right?"

The Doctor climbs down the ladder looking put out. "Are you saying I'm not handsome?" He looks towards Layla for some validation and compliments, she was always giving them to him and it made him feel better about this regeneration.

She sees the pout on his face and gives a small laugh. "You are very handsome, Doctor. I am surprised that you don't have to beat women down with a stick to keep them off of you." Feeling better, the Doctor gives her a big grin in thanks.

Rose looked fed up with the conversation between Mickey and Jack and wanted to get it back on track from what Mickey had originally asked. "We just stopped off. We need to refuel. The thing is, Cardiff's got this rift running through the middle of the city. It's invisible, but it's like an earthquake fault between different dimensions."

The Doctor cuts in next. "The rift was healed back in 1869."

Rose elbows him and cuts him off. "Thanks to a girl named Gwyneth, because these creatures called the Gelth, they were using the rift as a gateway but she saved the world and closed it."

"But closing a rift always leaves a scar, and that scar generates energy, harmless to the human race." Jack added helpfully.

"But perfect for the Tardis, so just park it here for a couple of days right on top of the scar and…" The Doctor graciously allows someone else to continue on where he stopped.

"Open up the engines, soak up the radiation." Jack was making wild hand gestures.

"Like filling her up with petrol and off we go!" Rose was bouncing on her feet.

"Into time!" Jack stopped and looked at Rose and the Doctor.

They all paused for a second and all at once, said at the same time. "And space!"

"My god, have you seen yourselves? You all think you're so clever, don't you?" Mickey was looking at them like they needed to be locked up.

"Yeah."

"Yeah."

"Yep!"

They all looked towards Layla as they had noticed that she had been quiet during the whole thing and they see her with her hand over her face. When she notices it is quiet, she looks at them and slaps her hands together. "I wash my hands of this weirdness." She turns and walks away, and Mickey laughs at their faces.

Xxxxxx

While they are waiting for the time for their plans, they decide to head out into town and waste some time. "Let's go eat, I'm starving and I am sure that Rose is having a chip withdrawal." Layla rubs her stomach and snickers as Rose punches her in the arm.

"I am not addicted to chips. I just like them." She defended her. They all just stare at her. Even Jack joins in, even without having watched her eat them yet, and she caves under their stares. "Okay, fine. I am addicted. Stop staring at me. I'm not ashamed." She turns away and walks towards the doors with her head held high and like she has something stuck up her butt. Mickey and Layla are leaning into each other in laughter at the dramatics of Rose Tyler.

"Alright, alright. Let's go get Rose her fix and…" The Doctor stops talking and they all look towards Layla as they hear her stomach make noise audibly. "We need to feed Layla before her stomach eats itself."

Layla simply shrugs. "I told you I was starving. Now let's go before I eat you all." She pats her stomach and gives a fake cackle.

They all leave and the sun is shining bright in the sky and it is a nice clear and warm day. "Should take another twenty-four hours, which means we've got time to kill." The Doctor put his hands in his pockets and looked around at the scenery.

"That old lady's staring." Mickey said while pointing to said lady. She was indeed staring; her eyes were opened wide and looking somewhat scandalized.

"Probably wondering what five people could do inside a small wooden box." Jack says while giving Mickey a leer.

"What are you captain of, the Innuendo Squad?"

Jack shrugged his shoulders while raising his hands up, but Layla looked offended. "No, wait. Hold on. That is my position. I am Captain of that squad. Have been for years Mickey Mouse. Don't make me feed you a banana." She threatens him.

Mickey blushes causing Jack and the Doctor to look at him curiously while Layla and Rose snicker in amusement. "Seems like a story I want to hear about." Jack whispered to the Doctor who nodded in agreement. Of course, it has to do with Layla, a banana, and obviously making fun of Ricky here.

Mickey, wanting to not talk about that embarrassing event, quickly changes the subject. "Wait, the Tardis, we can't just leave it. Doesn't it get noticed?"

"Yeah, what's with the police box? Why does it look like that?" Jack has been wanting to know, just hadn't really thought to ask before.

"It's a cloaking device." Rose says smartly.

"Yeah, the Doctor says it is like 'camouflage'." Layla says flatly, clearly saying that the police box was anything but.

"It's called a chameleon circuit. The Tardis is meant to disguise itself wherever it lands, like if this was Ancient Rome, it's be a statue on a plinth or something. But I landed in the 1960's, it disguised itself as a police box, and the circuit got stuck." The Doctor explained to them.

"But it copied a real thing though? There were actually police boxes back then?" Mickey had thought that the Doctor was pulling his leg. He was never one for history and before the Doctor, had never even heard of police boxes.

The Doctor nods his head. "Yeah, on street corners. Phone for help before they had radios and mobiles. If they arrested someone, they could shove them inside till help came, like a little prison cell."

"Why don't you just fix the circuit?" Jack figured that with the Doctor being as smart as he was, it would be a simple fix, then he could blend in better.

"I like it, don't you?" He defended.

"I love it." Rose looked up at him from under her lashes.

Layla looked at him deviously. She raised her hand to get everyone's attention, and Mickey smiled because he knew that Layla was going to pick on the Doctor. "Is it just me or does the way the Doctor explained what happened seem…off? I would say that it could have gotten stuck, but most likely he messed around with it, and he broke it. Kind of like how he does with the other stuff that the Tardis has to fix herself after he has a go at it. I think she likes the way she looks, so she doesn't fix it and change."

"Oi!" He gives her the stink eye but then pouts as everyone laughs at him.

Layla pats him gently on the hand. "It's okay Doctor, we still love you, even if you do break stuff all the time." She said it so carelessly, but she had no idea what those few simple words did to the Doctor. They caused his hearts to skip a beat and a warmth to spread through his body.

"But still, that's what I meant. There aren't police boxes anymore, so doesn't it get noticed?" Mickey knew he was right, people did notice it. He just didn't know why people didn't say or do anything about it.

The Doctor wrapped his arm around Mickey's shoulders as they walked down the sidewalk, forcing himself to not let go instantly. "Ricky, let me tell you something about the human race. You put a mysterious blue box slap bang in the middle of town, what do they do? Walk past it. Now, stop your nagging. Let's go explore.

"What's the plan?" Rose asked, excited for another fun day.

"Well, we are obviously going to get your chip fix and save my stomach from caving in, after that, I am up for anything."

"Oh, anything you say, now that is something I can oof." Jack was suddenly cut off when the Doctor elbowed him in the side but he is looking away as if he hadn't noticed anything was wrong when the others looked back to see what stopped Jack from talking.

"I don't know, but Cardiff, early twenty first century, and the wind's coming from the east. Trust me, safest place in the universe." The Doctor says confidently.

Layla starts to slow clap. "Congrats Doctor, that is the start to every horror movie next to 'this is the safest neighborhood.'"

Xxxxxx

"I swear, six feet tall and with big tusks." Jack was telling a story of one of his adventures.

However, the Doctor didn't believe him one bit. "You're lying through your teeth!"

"I'd have gone bonkers! That's the word – bonkers!"

"Rose you already are bonkers!" Layla is laughing so hard she starts to snort and that sets off a chain reaction from the others. Mickey was taking a drink and he heard her and choked on his drink. This caused Rose to laugh even harder and fall into Jack and him almost fall out of his own chair which caused the Doctor to laugh so hard that he started to cry.

Getting back to his story Jack continues once everyone's laughter calms down some. "I mean, it turns out the white things are tusks and I mean tusks! And it's woken, and it's not happy."

"How could you not know it was there?" The Doctor thought that humans were oblivious, conveniently forgetting his own obliviousness.

"And we're standing there, fifteen of us, naked."

"Naked?!" Rose screeched.

"Oh, I bet you felt right at home and enjoyed that, Jack. No complaints from you, yeah?" Jack winked at Layla in response but didn't confirm or deny.

"And I'm like, oh, no, no, it's got nothing to do with me. and then it roars, and we are running. Oh my god, we are running! And Brakovitch falls, so I turn to him and I say…"

"I knew we should've turned left!" Mickey stole the line away from Jack and laughed at his expression.

"That's my line!" He pouted, but couldn't keep it up and started to laugh again.

"I don't believe you. I don't believe a word you say ever. That is so brilliant. Did you ever get your clothes back?" Layla watched as the Doctor stopped smiling and instead, he started to frown. He got up and walked over to an older man and rudely snatched the paper from his hands and he reads it.

"No, I just picked him up, went right for the ship, full throttle. Didn't stop until I hit the spacelanes. I was shaking. It was unbelievable. It freaked me out, and by the time I got fifteen light years away I realized I'm like this." Jack held his hand out and was shaking his hand to show how it was at the time of his adventure.

The Doctor walks back over with the newspaper he apparently stole from the man and holds it up for us to see the front page. "And I was having such a nice day." On the front page was a picture of Margaret.

Xxxxxx

They get to city hall and huddle together like they are playing American football, why? No idea, but they are on a mission and it is secret and they can't be overheard. They are going after an official of the government after all. "According to intelligence, the target is the last surviving member of the Slitheen family, a criminal sect from the planet Raxacoricofallapatorius, masquerading as a human being, zipped inside a skin suit." The Doctor, Layla, and Rose nod in agreement while Mickey looks a little green around the gills. "Okay, plan of attack, we assume a basic fifty-seven fifty-six strategy, covering all available exits on ground floor. Doctor, you go face to face. that'll designate Exit One. I'll cover Exit Two. Rose, you Exit Three. Mickey Smith and Layla, you two take Exit Four. Have you got that?"

The Doctor looked at Jack affronted. "Excuse me. Who's in charge?" Why did he put Layla with Mickey? He didn't know about Layla and Jack's talk earlier and how she wanted to spend time with him and Jack putting them together gave her a little bit of time.

Jack straightens up and twitches like he is about to salute. "Sorry. Awaiting orders, sir."

"Right, here's the plan." He pauses and thinks over Jack's plan and realizes that he can't think of a better one, well besides Layla coming with him, but changing that would be suspicious. "Like he said. Nice plan. Anything else?"

"Present arms." Jack holds up his phone.

Everyone pulls out their phones.

"Ready."

"Ready."

"Ready. Just call Mickey's. I didn't bring mine." Layla said wanting to not be unaware of what was happening because they called the wrong phone.

"Ready. Speed Dial?"

"Yup."

"Ready."

"Check."

"See you in hell."

Xxxxxx

The Doctor walks up to the young man sitting at the desk by the mayor's office doors. "Hello. I've come to see the Lord Mayor."

"Have you got an appointment?"

"No, just an old friend passing by. Bit of a surprise. Can't wait to see her face." The Doctor gives the secretary a mischievous grin and bounces on his toes in excitement.

"Well. She's just having a cup of tea." He says a little hesitantly.

"Just go in there and tell her the Doctor would like to see her." The Doctor can see the hesitancy and gently encouraged him to pass his message along.

He nods his head glad that the man wasn't insisting on seeing her right this minute and was willing to see if she would see him or she would have him make an appointment for a later time. "Doctor who?"

Inwardly he grins at the question. "Just the Doctor. Tell her exactly that. The Doctor."

"Hang on a tick." He goes into the mayor's off and within seconds the Doctor can hear a cup smash on the floor and the secretary comes out again. "The Lord Mayor says thank you for popping by. She'd love to have a chat, but, er, she's up to her eyes in paperwork. Perhaps if you could make an appointment for next week?"

"She's climbing out the window, isn't she?" The Doctor looks at the secretary knowingly.

He grimaces slightly. "Yes, she is."

The Doctor pushes him aside and runs into the mayor's office and over to the window. He sees Margaret has already made it to the sidewalk and is running as fast as she can away from the building. He pulls up his phone. "Slitheen heading north."

"On my way." Rose takes off running into a clerk carrying a pile of papers.

"Over and out." Jack leaps over a tea trolley.

"Oh my god." Mickey looks like he is about to hurl and Layla has a tight grip on his hand as he lags behind.

"Jump Mickey!" Luckily her warning keeps him from crashing into the cleaning woman and her cart.

The Doctor is about to head down the same way that Margaret went down when the secretary comes in and grabs him from behind and tries to manhandle him. "Leave the mayor alone!"

Xxxxxx

At the bottom of the ladder Margaret takes off her brooch. She starts to run but sees Rose coming towards her, she snarls and removes her right earring. Then Jack comes running from the opposite direction. Mickey and Layla come out of their exit and she is blocked in all around.

"Margaret!" The Doctor quickly climbs down the ladder. Margaret removes her other earring and puts it with the first and the brooch.

She is stuck in the middle, but there is a fair bit of distance between Margaret and Mickey and Layla. For some reason, Margaret takes off running towards Mickey and Layla. Rose laughs. "Oh, be fair. She's not exactly going to outrun us, is she?" As Margaret gets closer to Mickey and Layla, The Doctor gets worried for Layla, but then Margaret just vanishes.

"She's got a teleport! That's cheating! Now we're never going to get her!" Jack threw his arms up in the air and stomped around pouting.

Rose crossed her arms over her chest and cocked her hip out. "Oh, the Doctor's very good at teleports."

The Doctor steps forward and holds up his sonic screwdriver and Margaret reappears, running towards them. She vanishes again and he causes her to reappear closer. She vanishes once again, and he causes her to appear within a couple of feet from them. When Mickey and Layla seen Margaret Vanish the first time, they took off toward the others to figure out what the game plan was, so by the time the disappear/reappear game was over, they had made it to the group.

"I could do this all day." The Doctor looked at her amused.

Margaret was breathing heavily and hunched over from the running she had done. "This is persecution. Why can't you leave me alone? What did I ever do to you?"

"You tried to kill me, Layla, and destroy this entire planet."

Margaret huffs and waves her hand carelessly. "Apart from that." The Doctor's eyes tighten slightly and he loses his grin. His jaw clenches at the lack of remorse she shows to the death and destruction she was prepared to do.

Xxxxxx

They all walk back into the office of the mayor and the Doctor looks at the plans that Margaret had drawn up and is trying to figure out her goal and end game for playing with the government again.

"So, you're a Slitheen, you're on earth, you're trapped. Your family gets killed, but you teleport out just in the nick of time. You have no means of escape. What do you do? You build a nuclear power station. But what for?"

Margaret shrugs her shoulders. "A philanthropic gesture. I've learnt the error of my ways."

Layla snorts and Margaret gives her a dirty look. "If that was the case Margaret, you wouldn't have run. You would have talked to the Doctor, shown him all the good you have done, all your goals. Pleaded your case to stay. But you ran, like someone with something to hide, like someone in the wrong. The Doctor is not unreasonable, he may not be happy with how you started, but if he believed you had changed, then I don't think he would have a problem letting you be, but that is just my opinion." Layla looks at her thoughtfully. She doesn't for one second believe Margaret. If she had learnt the error of her ways, then she wouldn't have fled like a criminal.

The Doctor nodded towards Layla in agreement, standing on her side. He didn't believe Margaret either. Especially since the words nuclear and rift being together will not end well. "And it just so happens to be right on top of the rift?"

"What right would that be?" She tries to look innocent but fails spectacularly.

"A rift in space and time. If this power station went into meltdown, the entire planet would go…" Jack makes the gesture with his hands indicating a giant boom.

"This station is designed to explode the minute it reaches capacity." The Doctor shakes his head in disappointment, she had an opportunity to have a second chance and she didn't take it.

"Didn't anyone notice? Isn't there someone in London checking this sort of stuff?" Rose was leaning against the table that held the scaled down model of the station Margaret was wanting to build.

Margaret snorts, but Layla was watching her closely and seen her eyes tighten. "We're in Cardiff. London doesn't care. The South Wales coast could fall into the sea and they wouldn't notice. Oh. I sound like a Welshman. God help me, I've gone native."

"I would think, Margaret, that a nuclear explosion, that would kill millions, would put this little project on London's radar. And considering your past, between eating people and killing others, you wouldn't hesitate to stop those who would try to stop this." Layla was still looking at Margaret, but Margaret wouldn't look at Layla.

Mickey looked between Layla and the Doctor. "But why would she do that? A great big explosion, she'd only end up killing herself."

"She's got a name, you know." Margaret snipped at him. She didn't answer if she would die in the explosion, so she had a plan to keep that from happening, but what? Layla wondered.

"She's not even a she, she's a thing." Mickey sneered out.

"Mickey, she is still a female of her species and a living being, she is not a thing." Layla gently chided him.

"Oh, but she's clever." the Doctor walks over to the scaled model and pulls out the middle sections of the model and turns it over to reveal a high tech electronic. He looks at it slightly surprised. "Fantastic."

"Is that a tribophysical waveform macro-kinetic extrapolator?" Jack grabs it from the Doctor and is looking at it like he got the greatest gift from Santa for Christmas.

The Doctor looks at him surprised at how fast Jack had spit that question out. He nods his head. "Couldn't had put it better myself."

However, Layla calls him out on his bullshit. "'Cos you didn't know what it was, did you?" His shoulders slump and his ego takes a hit, but grins good naturally at her.

"Ooh genius! You didn't build this? Jack questions, but he already seems to assume that she didn't.

"I have my hobbies. A little tinkering." Was the humble reply.

"No, no, no. I mean, you really didn't build this. Way beyond you." Now Margaret's ego takes a hit.

"I bet she stole it." Mickey was just looking for things to blame Margaret for.

"It fell into my hands." She neither denied nor confirmed the accusation.

Rose got a little closer to Jack to see the extrapolator, but not too close because she was unsure. "Is it a weapon?"

"It's a transport. You see, if the reactor blows, the rift opens. Phenomenal cosmic disaster. But this thing shrouds you in a forcefield. You have this energy bubble, so you're safe." He puts the device on the floor and mimics standing on and showing the bubble that would wrap around the person. "Then you feed it coordinates, stand on top, and ride the concussion all the way out of the solar system."

"It's a surfboard." Mickey says flatly. Why didn't he just say that to begin with?

Layla had to chuckle at the simple way that Mickey had defined the long explanation that Jack had given them. It was almost like Jack was the Doctor for a second. Jack nods his head to Mickey. "A pan-dimensional surfboard, yeah."

Margaret, finally giving up on her act of turning over a new leaf sneers at them. "And it would've worked. I'd have surfed away from this dead-end dump and back to civilization."

"It would have been better had you shook your fist and added 'if it wasn't for you meddling kids,' to the end of your first sentence." Layla imitates said action showing Margaret what she means. "Minus four points. Your score rests at a six out of ten." Margaret just looks at Layla confused while all the others are openly grinning.

"You're such a dork Layla." Rose looks at her friend fondly.

"Of course, that's why you all love me. I bring the movie and show quotes at the weirdest times to this group." Margaret clears her throat to get them all back on track of the previous conversation though and the humor fads from their faces.

"You'd blow up a whole planet just to get a lift?" Mickey was outraged that someone would be so selfish.

"Like stepping on an anthill." Margaret taunts him.

The Doctor had walked away from the group when something caught his eye. There was a banner hanging up that displayed the name of the project and seeing it caused shivers to run down his back. Two words. Two words that he had heard many times. He turns and looks at Margaret. "How'd you think of the name?"

"What, Blaidd Drwg? It's Welsh."

I know that, I'm not stupid. "I know, but how did you think of it?"

Margaret shrugs her shoulder, her eyebrows furrow. "I chose it at random, that's all. I don't know. It just sounded good. Does it matter?"

"Blaidd Drwg." The Doctor said it softly, a little worried.

"What's it mean?" Rose asked him. Layla wanted to know to and she also wanted to know why the Tardis didn't translate it automatically. That was slightly worrying.

"Bad Wolf."

Layla's eyes widen and Rose pales a little. "But I've heard that before. Bad wolf. I've heard that lots of times." Layla nods her heard in agreement to Rose's statement. She too had heard it many times, but never really thought about it until now how much she heard it.

"Everywhere we go. Two words following us. Bad wolf." The Doctor was worried. This wasn't a coincidence. Something was following him and the girls and it was most likely dangerous. However, until it happened, there wasn't anything he could do, by trying to prevent it, he could start it, and by doing nothing, he could start it. Catch 22.

"How can they be following us?" Rose asked with a slightly shaky voice. She didn't know why, out of all their adventures this was bothering her. Whenever she heard or thought of the words 'Bad Wolf' a chill would go down her spine. She feels Layla grab her hand and she grips it tightly thankful for the comfort.

The Doctor could see that the girls were getting worried and starting to panic so he put on a big smile and played it off. He will think about it more later and try to figure it out when he is by himself to try to keep them safe. "Nah, just a coincidence. Like hearing a word on the radio then hearing it all day. Never mind things to do. Margaret, we're going to take you home." What he forgot was how observant Layla was. She saw the tightening muscles in his face and the worry in his own eyes, and she knew that he didn't think it was a coincidence. But she also knew that it wasn't something he wanted to talk about right now, if at all, so she let it drop.

"Hold on, isn't that the easy option, like letting her go?" Jack didn't understand what the point was, wouldn't she just leave and start wreaking havoc again?

"I don't believe it! We actually get to go to Raxa. Wait a minute! Raxacor…" Rose was repeating it over and over in her head and trying to produce it to sound by her mouth.

"Raxacoricofallapatorius." The Doctor said it slowly to help her out.

"Raxacorico…"

"Fallapatorius."

"Raxacoricofallapatorius. That's it! I did it!" In her excitement she jumped onto the Doctor giving him a hug, hanging from his neck. She didn't feel him flinch from the contact nor did she pay attention and realize that he did not hug her back.

Layla had also seen her hug and felt a big flash of jealously and a bit of possessiveness when Rose hugged him. She understood the jealously, but she didn't understand the possessiveness. He wasn't hers, sadly. She had no claim to him. Little did she know, her side of the bond was waking more and more as she spent time with him and developed feelings for him and subconsciously accepted him as a mate.

Margaret dumped a bucket of ice water on Rose's happiness though. "They have the death penalty. The family Slitheen was tried in its absence many years ago and found guilty with no chance of appeal. According to the statues of government, the moment I return, I am to be executed." She looked at the Doctor challengingly. "What do you make of that, Doctor? Take me home and you take me to my death.

The Doctor gave her a blank stare, trying to keep her words from making him feel guilty for delivering her for her crimes. "Not my problem."

Xxxxxx

It was midafternoon and the group of time travelers and Mickey had escorted Margaret to the Tardis to hold her until they were able to leave to take her home. She walked in and looked around in awe at the magnificence of the Doctor's ship.

"This ship is impossible. It's superb. How do you get the outside around the inside?"

The Doctor scoffed as he messed around the console. "'Like I'd give you the secret, yeah."

Margaret tried to stroke his ego. "I almost feel better about being defeated. I never stood a chance. This is the technology of the gods."

"Don't worship me – I'd make a very bad god. You wouldn't get a day off, for starters."

Layla pokes him in the side. "Yeah if he was a god, he would make all my pears disappear and I couldn't enjoy them anymore." She gives him a teasing grin.

He points his finger at her and gives her a stern look. "Look here missy, one of these days I will find out where she hides them and throw them into a supernova and there is nothing you can do to stop me. You need to quit turning my ship against me!"

Layla stepped a little closer to him and looked up at him from under her lashes. She bites her lip and watches as his eyes dart down before quickly coming back to her eyes. "Are you sure there isn't… anything, I can do?"

She watches him swallow harshly and then he clears his throat roughly. He turns away from her to Jack, how we doing, big fella?" His voice was a pitch lower than normal though and Layla turns away with a smirk seeing that she won that round and her quest to keep her pears continues.

Jack chuckles having watched the interaction between the Doctor and Layla. He has to admit that they would make a great couple and is quite jealous of both of them. "This extrapolator's top of the range. Where did you get it?" He turns towards Margaret as he directed the question towards her.

She waves her hand carelessly as if she can't simply remember. "Oh, I don't know. Some airlock sale?"

Jack snorts. "Must've been a great big heist. It's stacked with power. These things are not easy to come by. They are not just at some 'airlock sale'.

"But can we use it for fuel." This was not the Doctor's area of expertise as much as he was annoyed to say. But if they could use it to leave that much sooner, he would gladly let Jack take the reins so they can get back to exploring sooner.

"It's not compatible, but it should knock off about twelve hours. We'll be ready to go by morning." He says as he starts to hook the extrapolator into the Tardis. The Doctor isn't happy that they can't leave right away, but twelve hours better than the original twenty-four. All of them miss the slight smirk that Margaret has on her face.

"Then we're stuck here overnight." The Doctor would deny to anyone that he pouted. Who wants to get stuck in Cardiff. That's almost as bad as dying in Cardiff. He thinks as he remembers the Gelth.

Margaret sits on the jump seat and folds her hands together. "I'm in no hurry." She was actually very happy that it is working out this way. She is glad it is not compatible because then her plan will work before they can take her home.

"We've got a prisoner. The police box is really a police box." Rose laughed at the irony.

"You're not just police, though. Since you're taking me to my death, that makes you, my executioners. Each and every one of you." She tries to guilt them, and for most of them it is working, but one of them is staring at her blankly.

"Well, you deserve it." Mickey tries to get rid of the guilt by snipping at her. Look at how many people she and her family killed. She deserves her sentence. But still, he has never killed anyone and feels a little queasy.

"You're very quick to say so. You're very quick to soak your hands in my blood, which makes you better than me, how, exactly? Long night ahead. Let's see who can look me in the eye." She starts with Mickey who tries and can hold out for a few seconds and then drops his eyes. Rose lasts about two seconds and she looks away. The Doctor looks at her less time than Rose and Jack will not even look at her. However, when she gets to Layla. Layla meets her gaze head on. Layla knows that Margaret is trying to manipulate them. Trying to make them feel remorse for things she did herself. She meets Margaret's gaze searchingly and tries to see if there was anything good in this female at all.

Margaret thought it would be easy. These people seemed like a sappy bunch, easy to manipulate their feelings and make them feel guilty. But this woman, her gaze, she was perceptive and it was like she could see inside your soul. It made Margaret shiver as she continued to look at her almost colorless eyes and see… nothing, but at the same time, almost disappointment? It was hard to tell what this woman was thinking.

Layla continued to look at her and then decided to tell her what she thought based on what she has seen on their interactions from today. "You try to manipulate us for your crimes and make us feel guilty for us returning you to your planet where your own people have held a trial and found you guilty of crimes. It is not as if you are being wrongfully accused. You would have blown up millions of people just to get a lift off of this planet and not had any problems with it had we not stopped by today, and not to mention how many people you have killed to keep your plans going when they tried to stop it. It is not our job nor place to save you when you feel no remorse for the deaths you have caused and would have caused. If taking you to your planet and you being executed kills one, but saves millions, I will take that burden from the Doctor without hesitation and find a way to pilot the Tardis to Raxacoricofallapatorius myself and deliver you."

Margaret looks at her, her heart racing and sweat beading on her forehead. Her words were hitting her harder than she thought they would and her gaze never changed either, she delivered it calmly, without anger, or upset. Margaret didn't know what to think. One thing she did know what that her gaze was doing something to her and she didn't like it. It felt like there was a tightness in her chest. She couldn't take it anymore and adverted her eyes and grimaced.

Everyone else had been watching the interaction and had let out a breath when Margaret had looked away. They had seen both Layla and Margaret staring at each other, seemingly frozen. The Doctor wanted to pull Layla away knowing that Margaret was trying to make them feel guilty, but he also knows how perceptive Layla is, and he knows how searching and knowing her gaze can be. Jack knows this too and he swallows at the reminder, thinking back to that time on his ship.

The Doctor's hearts are thumping hard in his chest at her words. He can see that they had affected Margaret as well. This little human, his little Promised One was amazing. He was just speechless at what she said honestly. He knew that taking Margaret to her planet and her dying would make him feel guilty, but he still had to do it. But the fact that she said she would find a way to do it, to spare him from having to do it, to save him from that guilt. He didn't deserve someone like her, not after what he had done in the war. But he was glad he had her, so glad, and he wanted nothing more than to grab her and hold her close. Give her a kiss and tell her thank you and never let her go, but he can't yet. She doesn't know, and he has to wait. He can't rush this. He wants forever, and she is worth waiting for, worth working for.

Xxxxxx

After Layla's words, everything had gone quiet and not much else was said. Rose went and seen her mum. Jackie had demanded to see them when Mickey told them they were going to Cardiff and hitched a ride with him. Layla stayed behind though so she could spend some time with Mickey. Layla and Mickey were just walking around the Tardis exploring the many different rooms. The Tardis was having fun showing her favorite human different rooms that she thought that she would enjoy. The next room they entered Layla almost squealed in excitement. She pulled Mickey in and demanded they played in the room for a little while. He easily gave in just as excited. They both took their shoes off and started running around like kids.

The room was a trampoline park. It was filled with all types of trampolines. Trampoline basketball, dodgeball, foam pits, trapeze swing, rock wall, wipeout and other exciting goodies. They started to jump around like children trying everything out. After an hour or so they are laying on a trampoline together relaxing and catching their breaths.

"How are you Mickey Mouse, honestly." Layla knows that he has been smiling and laughing with her, but she can still see the sadness in his eyes.

"It's been hard. I miss you two. I knew you were going to travel, I got used to idea of you not being around often. But Rose was supposed to stay. I had started getting used to the idea of being more serious with her. I had thought about asking her to move in with me, but then she left. And it seems like I don't matter anymore. Not to her at least."

Layla reaches over and grabs his hand. She flinches slightly from the feeling of wrongness, but doesn't let go, he is her best friend and needs comfort. "I'm sorry Mickey. I wish I could say or do something that would make you feel better, but we both know that I can't. I haven't talked to Rose about anything either. You know how she is; she would get in a strop and not listen to anything and be upset for days and be irrational."

Mickey choked out a laugh. "Yeah, she can be pretty irrational. Part of her charm I guess." He pauses for a second and Layla doesn't say anything knowing he wants to say something. "I am seeing someone right now though. Trisha Delaney, remember her? Rob Delaney's sister?"

Layla thinks hard and remembers a slightly heavy girl but pretty girl. "Yeah, I do. She is so nice. How is she doing? Are you happy with her?"

"Yeah, she's nice. She lost a lot of weight, so she is happy with that. And yeah, I guess I am happy. As happy as I can get, I suppose. It's hard though. I still love Rose, and I still drop everything and come running to her the moment she calls. And I can't stop hoping that one of these days she calls she is running right back to… me." Mickey's voice wobbles and his breath hitches at the end.

Layla's heart hurts for Mickey. Unfortunately, there isn't anything she can do for him. It is all in his hands on how he deals with Rose. He is the only one who can step up and tell her how he is feeling and it mean anything. Sure, she could tell Rose what he is feeling, but it wouldn't mean the same. It would make Mickey look like a coward and that it wasn't that big of a deal because he didn't bring it up himself.

"Look, you two are going out later, right? When she is done spending time with her mum? You should tell her this tonight. Let her know how you feel. You don't have to make any major decisions or anything. But tell her how hurt you are by what she did and is doing and see what she says. Maybe you can work it out. I know she still wants to travel, but maybe you can, I don't know, call each other every day or something and just talk to each other. And I am sure if we ask nicely, the Doctor would be willing to let us visit more so you two can have a date. You two can make it work, Mickey, but both of you have to put in the effort. Not just you."

Mickey thinks on her words and realizes that she is right and he needs to tell Rose how he is feeling. That their relationship won't fix itself if he doesn't tell her how he is feeling and keeps it bottled up. And it also won't fix itself if they don't communicate often either. He squeezes her hand. "Thanks Layla. I don't know what I would do without you."

"Well, you would probably enjoy bananas more, but other than that, you'd be fine. Come on let's play some more. Oh! Let's have the Tardis bring the Doctor and Jack in, we can play trampoline dodgeball and it would be me and you versus the Doctor and Jack. We would totally kick their butts. You game?"

Mickey gives her a smirk and a high five. Layla looks towards the ceiling. "Love, can you get the Doctor and Jack here quick, I don't know make it seem urgent. And when they get in lock the door so they have to stay and play? Please? The Doctor needs to take a break and relax. Oh, but first have them shove Margaret in an empty room so she can't get into trouble."

They run over and start to stock pile the balls, and they wait semi patiently with big devious smirks on their faces as they wait for their prey to enter the door. The Tardis plays along with them and dims the light to surprise her Thief and the Future Immortal One.

Xxxxxx

Jack and the Doctor are currently in the console room working on different things just keeping occupied while Margaret watches them semi interested and semi bored. Lights start flashing as the Tardis tries to get the Doctor's attention and hums out a warning for the Doctor letting him know that Mickey needed help.

The Tardis, knowing her Thief would not want to deal with Mickey and would send Jack, purposely alerted him that. As expected, the Doctor makes a face. "Jack, Ricky the Idiot needs help, probably went to the bathroom, and got lost, can you go find him and deliver him back to Layla? I'll stay and watch our…guest."

"Sure, no problem." He slaps the Doctor on the bum as he passes by and gives him a wink as the Doctor squawks. The Tardis is leading Jack down the hallways and is just leading him around keeping him distracted while she gets ready to send her Thief off next.

In the console room the lights start flashing again and the Doctor groans in annoyance. "What now?" What did that idiot do now? However, his hearts drop when the Tardis alerts him as to why she sent the alert: Layla. Something was wrong with Layla. He quickly started to sprint down towards the hallway when the Tardis hummed and reminded him of their guest. He grunted in annoyance and marched back towards her. He grabbed her arm non-to-gently and pulls her up as she starts to protest, but he ignores her questions and protests. He has bigger things to worry about.

Thankfully his beautiful ship puts an empty room with a bed, toilet and chair first thing in the hallway and he shoves her in quickly shutting the door and he hears the Tardis locking it ensuring she cannot escape. He quickly runs down the hallway following the directions the Tardis is giving him to where Layla is.

He skids to a stop when he nearly collides with Jack who had also been running. "What's the emergency? I had been looking for Mickey when the Tardis sent the emergency alert and led me here."

They were both outside of the only door left in the hall, the Tardis having taken away all other doors. The Doctor, worried for Layla, doesn't answer and opens the door. "Layla? Are you alright? What's wrong?" He goes into the room but it is dark and he can't see much.

He walks in farther and hears Jack mumble. "Light switch, where is the light switch." Next thing they both know is the door slams shut, the lights turn on, and then they are being pelted with projectiles. They turn their backs towards their attackers and wait for it to stop.

They hear giggling and straighten up realizing they weren't hurt. They look around and see they were being hit by rubber balls. The Doctor turns and looks around and sees Layla and Mickey standing on a trampoline with their hands on their hips and victorious smirks on their face. "What the hell was that? I thought something had happened to you!" He was slightly mad and that made Layla's smile fall a little.

"Sorry Doctor, we wanted the Tardis to bring you here, we didn't know she would say it was an emergency. We just thought you could use a break and have some fun. So, we thought a game of dodgeball, you two versus us."

The Doctor feels a warmth go through his body that she was trying to take care of him and thinking about him and he was sad that he causes her smile to go away. He gives her a smirk. "Well, look how the tables have turned, we seem to be in possession of all the ammo, and you have…none." He picks up a ball, throws it at Mickey and cackles at it hits him in the stomach causing Mickey to bend over with an oof.

"Buck up Mickey, its game on!" She contemplates how to get some of their balls when the Tardis decides to help her out and rains some balls down on her side causing the Doctor to send the ceiling the stink eye and Layla to laugh and fist pump. They play around for hours doing the many different things the room provides before they are laying down knackered.

"That was fun. Haven't been this exhausted in a long time. I can't feel my legs. Good work boys." Layla sighs out. The Doctor was too tired to feel any type of emotion that he normally would towards her comment. Same with Jack. Mickey was simply used to them and ignored it. "Well, we can just relax a bit longer, then it is time for Mickey's date with Rose, after that, you still need to work on that surfboard, yeah?"

"Yeah, we only got a little bit of it hooked up." Jack mumbled out.

"We should probably give our guest some food. She has been locked in a plain room for hours without anything." The Doctor says without guilt. He had enjoyed the time he spent with Layla and to his surprise, Mickey wasn't so bad to be around either. He was still getting used to Jack though, especially his flirty behavior.

Xxxxxx

The Doctor watches Mickey and Rose on the scanner leave for their date. He hopes that they have a good time. He knows that he doesn't bring the girls back often enough to spend time with Mickey, and sometimes he feels bad, but again, domestics.

Jack leans over to see what he is looking at. "So, what's on?"

The Doctor turns it off, not wanting to get into the whole domestic debate, he doesn't not want to have a 'girl talk' with Jack. Barf. "Nothing. Just…"

Margaret looks at the Doctor a little sourly. She doesn't know what caused the panic earlier, but she didn't like being manhandled and shoved into a plain room with nothing to do for hours. She could have at least been given a book. "I gather it's not always like this, having to wait. I bet you're always the first to leave, Doctor. Never mind the consequences, off you go." She was trying to see if any of her words would hit their targets. She was watching him closely, he gave them the choice to leave before he blew up downing street, he was soft hearted. "You butchered my family and then ran for the stars, am I right? But not this time. At last, you have consequences. How does it feel?"

"I didn't butcher them." The Doctor protested.

"Don't answer back. That's what she wants." Jack soothed the Doctor.

"Isn't it a bit ironic? You say that the Doctor has consequences, at last, but isn't it the same for you. You and your family committed all kinds of crimes, and were tried for them and found guilty, and the consequences of that is your execution. And you're doing everything you can, trying to make everyone feel guilty for taking you home, just so you don't have to pay for the crimes you committed. Don't be a hypocrite, Margaret." Layla had started off calmly, but towards the end, her last sentence was said harshly, a cold flinty look in her eyes. She was fed up with Margaret trying to make her Doctor feel bad. He already had enough pain and guilt on his shoulders. She shouldn't be trying to add more undeserved guilt. Her eyes slightly widened, her Doctor? Why would I think that he is mine? She asked herself. But she couldn't help it, in that moment, she had felt like he was hers to defend, hers to claim and protect.

Margaret refused to look at Layla. Her words pierced her more than she was wanting to admit even to herself. She was a hypocrite, but she wanted to live, she didn't want to die. And if that made her a hypocrite, well she was okay with that. The Doctor stood slightly behind her and grabbed the back of Layla's neck with his right hand and gently rubbed it until she relaxed, almost against him, while his other hand grabbed her left and held her and tightly in appreciation. He looked at Margaret who was watching him and pointedly avoiding Layla. "I didn't. What about you? You had an emergency teleport. You didn't zap them to safety, did you?"

"It only carries one. I had to fly without coordinates. I ended up on a skip in the Isle of Dogs. It wasn't funny."

Jack and the Doctor had started laughing and Layla could feel the Doctor's laugh rumbling from his chest against her back since she was standing so close to him and she shivered. The Doctor cleared his throat. "Sorry. It is a bit funny." But he didn't sound sorry at all.

Margaret reluctantly smiled finding a little bit of humor in it. "Do I get a last request?"

The Doctor stiffened wondering what trick she was trying to use now. "Depends on what it is."

"I grew quite fond of my little human life. All those rituals. The brushing of the teeth, and the complicated way they cook things. There's a little restaurant just round the Bay. It became quite a favorite of mine."

"Is that what you want, a last meal?" The Doctor asks her quietly.

"Don't I have rights?" Layla snorts at this but stays quiet.

"Oh, like she's not going to try to escape." She wasn't fooling Jack one bit with her pity party act.

"Except I can never escape the Doctor, so where's the danger? I wonder if you could, do it? To sit with a creature you're about to kill and take supper. How strong is your stomach?" She taunts him.

"Strong enough." The Doctor says blandly.

"I wonder. I've seen you fight your enemies, now dine with them."

"You won't change my mind." Layla was right, if they let her go, how many more people would she kill.

Margaret looked at him challengingly and hissed. "Prove it."

The Doctor shook his head. "There are people out there. If you slip away just for one second, they'll be in danger."

"Except I've got these." Jack holds up two bangles and gently knocks them against each other. "You both wear one. If she moves more than ten feet away, she gets zapped by ten thousand volts."

Satisfied that she couldn't harm anyone, the Doctor had no problem with giving her the meal she wanted. "Margaret, would you like to come out to dinner? My treat?" The words tasted like ash on his tongue as he asked her this, the bond punishing him for asking another that is not his Promised One on a 'date.'

Layla couldn't help the lurch that her heart felt as she heard the question the Doctor asked Margaret, but she pushed it aside to make fun of the Doctor. "Your treat? Since when do you have money? Did you go digging through my wallet earlier?"

"I have my ways of getting money when I need it, for special occasions, maybe one day you'll see." He gives her a wink and cursed himself for getting too flirty with her. She on the other hand felt her heart sped up at the possibility of going on a date with him.

Margaret brings the attention back to her though. "Dinner in bondage. Works for me." She holds out her wrist for the bangle and gives the Doctor a smirk.

Layla gives Margaret a smirk. "What a fantastic idea! Thank you, Margaret! I am going to have to try that one day! Jack where can I get some like that, but less… lethal?" Her back is turned but she gives Jack a playful smile as she hears the Doctor sputter and choke on his spit at her statement and question.

Jack decides to play along, teasing the Doctor is so easy, especially when it comes to Layla. "Oh Layla, I can show you so many places where you can get all kinds of…goodies. The future has so many fun toys to play with." Jack stops talking and looks behind Layla and looks fake surprised. "Oh? You're still here Doctor? Go on, enjoy your meal. We will get this extrapolator hooked up no problem. Have fun!"

Layla schools her face and turns around and has to pinch herself to keep from laughing. The Doctor's face is bright red and his eyes are bulging out. His jaw keeps opening and closing like he is trying to say something but can't get the words out. "Go on Doctor, I'm sure Margaret is hungry. Enjoy your dinner!"

Margaret wraps her arm around the Doctor's. Layla's eye twitches and the Doctor slightly flinches. She drags him away as the Doctor continues to look back over his shoulder at the two of them. Layla and Jack just give him a big cheesy grin and wiggle their fingers in a wave. Once he leaves out the doors, they look at each other and they start laughing and they are laughing so hard they almost collapse.

"I wonder what your dear Doctor was thinking of, must have been quite naughty to get that red in the face. Teasing him is so fun and easy though. Thank you for that." Jack wipes the tears from his eyes.

Layla doesn't even bother because more just keep coming down. Jack looks at her fondly. Layla calms down and gives Jack a happy smile. "You know, ever since I decided to come traveling with the Doctor, I don't I have ever had this much fun or laughed this much in my entire life. Having you here is great too; I think the Doctor likes it more than he is willing to admit. Now his ship isn't female dominate and it is evened out."

"Well, being here has helped straighten me out, and I enjoy it as well." He claps his hands together. "Alright enough mushiness, back to work."

Xxxxxx

"Here we are, out on a date, and you haven't even asked my proper name."

The Doctor was glad he was holding the menu up because he couldn't help it when his face twisted in disgust at the thought of being on a date with anyone other than Layla. "It's not a date. What's your name?"

"Blon. I am Blon Fel Fotch Passameer-Day Slitheen. That's what it'll say on my death certificate."

The Doctor gives her a dry smile. "Nice to meet you, Blon."

Margaret pouted. "I'm sure. Look, that's where I was living as Margaret. Nice little flat, over there, on the top. Next to the one with the light on." She points to the one she was talking about and as the Doctor turns to look she reaches over and pours some powder from her ring into his glass of wine.

When the Doctor turns around, she continues to talk. "Two bedrooms, bayside view. I was rather content. Don't suppose I'll see it again."

The Doctor puts down his menu and casually reaches over and swaps the wine glasses before picking his menu up again. "Suppose not."

She curled her lip. "Thank you."

He gives her a closed lip grin. "Pleasure."

"Tell me then, Doctor. What do you know of our species?"

"Only what I've seen." Which, now that I know what your species is, is quite a bit.

"Did you know, for example, in extreme cases, when her life is in danger, a female Raxacoricofallapatorian can manufacture a poison dart within her own finger." She casually points her finger towards the Doctor and the dart flies out but she is disappointed as the Doctor catches it easily.

"Yes, I did." He tosses it on the table and continues to read the menu.

"Just checking. And one more thing, between you and me." She looks around and leans forward motioning him to do it as well. They get close and she starts to whisper. "As a final resort, the excess poison can be exhaled through the lungs." She starts to exhale when the Doctor simply sprayed a breath freshener directly in her mouth stopping her attack. She sticks out her tongue in disgust and sits back down defeated.

The Doctor seeing this, smiles happily. "That's better. Now then, what do you think? Mmm, steak looks nice. Steak and chips."

Xxxxxx

Mickey and Rose were taking a walk. Mickey was thinking hard about what Layla had said and what he should say to Rose, but all Rose could talk about was the Doctor this and the Doctor that.

"The Doctor took us to this planet a while back. It was much colder than this. They called it Woman Wept. The planet was actually called Woman Wept, because…"

Mickey tuned her out. He couldn't handle hearing anymore about her travels. That was all she had talked about the entire time they had been together and while he was glad she was enjoying herself, she never once asked what he had been up to or if anything exciting had happened to him. "I'm going out with Trisha Delaney." He quickly blurted out when it seemed like she was done with what she was saying and before she could go on to another story.

Roses mouth shut with a click unsure how to feel about this development. She always thought that Mickey would be there for her. She knew that it was unfair to think like this and to expect him to wait for her, especially when she had feelings for someone else. But she didn't want to let go of Mickey either. "Right. That's nice. Trisha from the shop?"

"Yeah. Rob Delany's sister."

"Well, she's nice. She's a bit big."

"She lost weight." He was messing this up. He was trying to take Layla's advice, but he just blurted it out first instead of telling her his feelings first.

"Well, good for you. She's nice." The words were hard to get out of her mouth, it was so dry.

He was disappointed. He thought she might show more emotion. Care a bit more one way or the other. She was neither happy nor upset. He just wanted to change the subject like he never brought it up. "So, tell me more about this planet, then."

"That was it, really."

Xxxxxx

"Public execution's a slow death. They prepare a thin acetic acid, lower me into the cauldron and boil me. The acidity is perfectly gauged to strip away the skin. Internal organs fall out into the liquid, and I become soup. And still alive, still screaming." Margaret/Blon was being morbid and she knew she was, but she was willing to do anything to get out of going home.

"I don't make the law." He shrugged.

"But you deliver it. Will you stay to watch?" She was gleeful to see his reaction, maybe she can get somewhere with him.

The Doctor swallowed harshly. "What else can I do?"

"The Slitheen families huge. There's a lot more of us, all scattered off-world. Take me to them. Take me somewhere safe."

The Doctor raised his eyebrow at her, at Downing Street, all of them were the Slitheen family members, what makes the rest of them any different? "But then you'll start again."

"I promise I won't."

The Doctor looked at her grimly, staring into her eyes similar to the way Layla did and she shivered slightly at the remainder of the girl. "You've been in that skin suit too long. You've forgotten. There used to be a real Margaret Blaine. You killed her and stripped her and used the skin. You're pleading for mercy out of a dead woman's lips."

Margaret/Blon grimaced at the reminder. "Perhaps I have got used to it. A human life, an ordinary life. That's all I'm asking. Give me a chance, Doctor. I can change."

The Doctor looks at her and then remembers Layla's words and shakes his head. "Layla doesn't believe you. I don't believe you."

Xxxxxx

"So, what do you want to do now?" There has been tension between Mickey and Rose and Mickey wanted it gone. He knew Rose wasn't going to be here much longer and he didn't want their time together to be spoiled.

Rose shrugged uncaringly. "Don't mind."

"There's a bar down there with a Spanish name or something." He started but apparently Rose had finally decided to get something off her chest.

"You don't even like Trisha Delaney!"

"Oh, is that right? What the hell do you know?"

"I know you, and I know her. And I know that's never going to happen. So, who do you think you're kidding?"

"At least I know where she is!" Mickey fed up yelled the one thing that he was angry at Rose for the most.

"There we are, then. It's got nothing to do with Trisha. This is all about me, isn't it." She felt a little smug that he was still willing to come back to her even it he was messing around with others.

Mickey decided to do what Layla said and tell her how he felt. Rose needed to know and their relationship won't get better if she doesn't know. "You left me! We were nice, we were happy. And then what? You give me a kiss and you run off with him, and you make me feel like nothing, Rose. I was nothing. I can't even go out with a stupid girl from a shop because you pick up the phone and I come running." He is breathing hard and his breath catches. He looks at her and there is a sheen in his eyes. He starts to plead with her. "I mean, is that what I am, Rose, standby? Am I just supposed to sit here for the rest of my life, waiting for you? Because I will."

Rose looks at him and realizes how much she has hurt him with her actions, but she doesn't want to stop traveling with the Doctor. "I'm sorry." But for hurting him or because she won't stop, she doesn't clarify or even know herself.

Xxxxxx

"I promise you I've changed since we last met, Doctor. There was this girl, just today. A young thing, something of danger. She was getting too close. I felt the blood lust rising, just as the family taught me, I was going to kill her without a thought. And then I stopped. She's alive somewhere right now. She's walking around this city because I can change. I did change. I know I can't prove it."

"I believe you." Well about this woman, but you were going to use a nuclear explosion and blow up the planet to get a lift out of here,

"Then you know I'm capable of better."

"It doesn't mean anything." Unfortunately, he has seen many people spare some, thinking they were being good and nice but continue to kill others.

"I spared her life." Why doesn't he understand how hard that was for me to do?

"You let one of them go, but that's nothing new. Every now and then, a little victim's spared because she smiled, because he's got freckles, because they begged. And that's how you live with yourself. That's how you slaughter millions. Because once in a while, on a whim, if the winds in the right direction, you happen to be kind."

"Only a killer would know that. Is that right? From what I've seen, your funny little happy go lucky little life leaves devastation in its wake. Always moving on because you dare not look back. Playing with so many people's lives, you might as well be a god. And you're right, Doctor. You're absolutely right. Sometimes you let one go. Let me go."

The Doctor swallows harshly at her accusation. It is a hard pill to swallow, but then he remembers something Layla said a while back to Mickey. That he tries to save as many people as he can, that he can't save everyone all the time. If he were to let Margaret/Blon go, this one person, how many people would she kill. She would kill more than one, more people than it is worth letting her free.

"In the family Slitheen, we had no choice. I was made to carry out my first kill at thirteen. If I'd refused my father would have fed me to the Venom Grubs. If I'm a killer, it's because I was born to kill. It's all I know. Doctor, are you even listening to me?"

"Can you hear that?"

Margaret/Blon whines. "I'm begging for my life."

"No, listen, shush." The glasses begin to vibrate, then the plate glass window shatters and the customers begin to scream.

Xxxxxx

I'm not asking you to leave him, because I know that's not fair, but I just need something. Yeah? Some sort of promise that when you do come back, you're coming back for me. Maybe more communication too. It wouldn't hurt at least."

Rose looks towards the sky as a deep rumbling sound is heard. "Is that thunder?"

Mickey looks at her wondering why she cared. "Does it matter?" I think our conversation is a little more important.

But Rose just ignored him and kept looking around. "That's not thunder." Street lights start to explode and people start screaming and running around. Rose runs off towards the Tardis.

Mickey, figuring out where she is heading yells out behind her. "Oh, go on then, run! It's him again, isn't it? It's the Doctor! It's always the Doctor! It's always going to be the Doctor. It's never me!" His heart is beating harshly and his eyes start to burn. "It's never going to be me, is it." It's times like this that he wishes his gran was still here.

Xxxxxx

The Doctor is running towards the disturbance as usual, but his tag along is struggling to keep up with him. "The handcuffs." She cries out in fear of being zapped.

He waits for her impatiently and then takes it off her wrist and grabs her hand. He has to force himself to tighten his grip. "Don't think you're running away."

"Oh, I'm sticking with you. Some date this turned out to be!" He turns away from her missing her gleeful smirk while she misses his look of revulsion.

They get closer to the Tardis and the Doctor can see energy streaming from the Tardis into the sky. "It's the rift. The rift's opening!"

The ground is cracking and things are breaking all over the place. The Doctor gets into the Tardis and looks for Jack and Layla and sees them frantically pulling cables out of the extrapolator. He looks at Jack, blaming him since he was the one in charge of hooking it up. "What the hell are you doing?"

Jack's eyes were wide and panicked, he didn't know what happened. "It just went crazy!"

"It's the rift. Time and space are ripping apart. The whole city going to disappear!"

"It's the extrapolator. We've disconnected it, but it's still feeding off the engine! It's using the Tardis. I can't stop it!"

The Doctor is moving around the console erratically trying to figure out how to fix this situation while Layla stands off to the side with Jack out of the way since they don't know how to work the Tardis. "Never mind Cardiff, it's going to rip open the planet."

Rose comes barreling into the Tardis breathing hard. "What is it? What's happening?!"

"Oh, just little me?" Margaret/Blon had taken out an arm from her skin suit and used it to grab Rose around her neck. "One wrong move and she snaps like a promise."

The Doctor and Jack shift in front of Layla blocking her view of Margaret/Blon. Layla puts her hand under the Doctor's jacket in a show of support. The Doctor looks at Margaret/Blon angrily, but unsurprised. "I might've known."

"I've had you bleating all night, poor baby, now shut it. You fly boy, put the extrapolator at my feet." Jack hesitates and looks to the Doctor. Margaret/Blon tightens her grip on Rose causing her to choke. The Doctor nods to Jack and he puts the extrapolator by her feet. "Thank you, just as I planned."

"I thought you needed to blow up the nuclear power station." Rose was able to gasp out.

"Failing that, if I were to be arrested, then anyone capable of tracking me down would have to have considerable technology of their own. Therefore, they would have been captivated by the extrapolator. Especially a magpie mind like yours, Doctor. So, the extrapolator was programmed to go to Plan B., to lock onto the nearest alien power source and open the rift and what a power source it found. I'm back on schedule thanks to you." She smirks at the Doctor and his eyes tighten in anger. Their lives were in danger again because of her and her stupid plans. But he calmed slightly when he felt Layla lightly rub his back.

"The rift's going to convulse. You'll destroy the whole planet." Jack was trying to reason with her, but even he could see it was pointless.

"And you with it." She stands on the extrapolator still holding Rose in her grasp. "While I ride this board over the crest of the inferno all the way to freedom. Stand back. Surf's up." Margaret/Blon happened to look over and seen Layla in between a gap from the Doctor and Jack and seen the look of disappointment in her eyes and she flinched slightly.

The Tardis console cracks open and a bright light hits Margaret/Blon. The Doctor calms down even more. "Of course, opening the rift means you'll pull this ship apart."

"So, sue me." She tried to seem like she didn't care.

"It's not just any old power source. It's the Tardis. My Tardis. The best ship in the universe." He said it with love and he felt the Tardis respond in kind.

"It'll make wonderful scrap." It was said in a distracted voice, she was drawn to the light, she was looking at it more and more.

"What's that light?" Rose was starting to look at it too, curious about what it was. The Doctor knew he had to hurry or it would hurt Rose and Jack. He wasn't worried about it hurting Layla. It would be needed when/if they bonded, the Tardis has to work with her body to change her biology, but now is not the time, but it wouldn't hurt her to be exposed to it, the Tardis can just let it rest there.

"The heart of the Tardis. This ship's alive. You've opened its soul."

Margaret/Blon's arm started to lower and she was looking at the light with a look of awe. "It's so bright."

"Look at it, Margaret." The Doctor encouraged her soothingly.

"Beautiful."

"Look inside, Blon Fel Fotch. Look at the light." They see her relax and let go of Rose who runs to Jack. She looks up at the Doctor smiling, she looks over to Layla who is looking at her with a soft smile. "Thank you." The light gets brighter and everyone has to close their eyes. When the light dies down, they see that she has disappeared. The empty skin suit is on the floor with the extrapolator.

"Don't look, stay there. Close your eyes!" The Doctor instructs Jack and Rose more so than Layla as he works on closing the Tardis's heart up. "Now, Jack, come on, shut it all down. Shut down. Rose, that panel over there, turn all the switches to the right. Layla those levers, pull them down."

Energy stops pouring from into the sky. The Doctor puts his hands on his hips and takes a deep breath and lets out a huge sigh. "Nicely done. Thank you, all."

"What happened to Margaret?" Rose didn't know if the Tardis had killed her or not.

"Must've burnt up. Carried out her own death sentence." Jack said logically.

"No, look at her pilot. I think the Tardis is just as much of a pacifist like the Doctor." Layla didn't think that the Tardis would kill anyone. The Tardis was always bringing them places that needed saving.

"I don't think she's dead either." The Doctor agreed with Layla.

"Where did she go then." The skin suit looked flat and she couldn't see anywhere else that she could have gone.

"She looked into the heart of the Tardis. Even I don't know how strong that is. And the ship's telepathic, like I told you, Rose. Gets inside your head. Translate alien languages. Maybe the raw energy can translate all sorts of thoughts." The Doctor starts to rummage through the skin suit and pulls out a large egg with dreadlocks on the top. "Here she is."

"She's an egg?" Rose was staring at the egg, but not comprehending.

The Doctor gave the egg a small smile. "Regressed to her childhood."

"She's an egg." Jack was also unable to comprehend.

"She can start again. Live her life from scratch. If we take her home, giver her to a different family, tell them to bring her up properly, she might be alright!"

"Or she might be worse." Jack the pessimist came out.

The Doctor shrugged. "That's her choice."

"She's an egg." Rose still did not compute.

The Doctor laughed at her. "She's an egg."

Layla looked at the egg smiling gently. "Where there's life, there is hope."

Rose's brain seems to restart and her mouth drops open. "Oh my god, Mickey!" She runs out the doors and see ambulances all over taking care of the injured. She goes around describing Mickey trying to find him and no one has seen him. She completely misses Mickey watching her at the corner of a building before he turns and walks away. She walks back into the Tardis alone.

"We're all powered up. We can leave. Opening the rift filled us up with energy. We can go, if that's alright?" The Doctor was hesitant to ask, he can see that she is upset and didn't want her to have a domestic issue in front of him.

"Yeah, fine." She mumbles.

He sighs, she is his friend though. "How's Mickey?"

"He's okay. He's gone."

He looked at Layla and raised his brow in question. She shrugged her shoulders. She was trying to stay out of their relationship. They were both her best friends and didn't want to pick sides, even if she didn't like the way Rose was treating Mickey. He turns back to Rose. "Do you want to go and find him? We'll wait."

"No need. He deserves better." And those words hurt to say, but they were true. He deserved someone that would bet there with him and not off exploring the universe. Or someone who had feelings for another man.

The Doctor nodded his head. "Off we go, then. Always moving on."

Jack pats the Doctor on the shoulder. "Next stop, Raxacoricofallapatorius. Now you don't often get to say that."

"We'll just stop by and pop her in the hatchery. Margaret the Slitheen can live her life again. A second chance."

Rose sniffles slightly. "That'd be nice." While Layla wasn't happy with how Rose was acting, she was still her best friend, and walks over to her and pulls her into a hug and lets her hold her tight as Rose softly cries on her shoulder.