To the Stars and Back

by riverofmemories

Tagging along in the TARDIS after being rescued from a situation she was sold into, Jayden O'Connors finds that there's much more to life than expected. When the Doctor's involved, it's full of adventure, other worlds, saving lives, and quite a bit of running. But the clock is ticking, and even a Time Lord from Gallifrey can't help her run forever.

34. Planet of the Dead

Jay couldn't stop giggling as she stumbled into the TARDIS, exhausted, but smiling nonetheless. Her eyes gleamed with amusement as the Doctor slammed the doors shut behind them, looking mildly annoyed. Still, a smile was threatening to break out across his face, and it only made Jay giggle harder when she looked at him and saw the layer of mud that covered him from head to toe. "Your face," she choked out. "Your face-"

The Doctor playfully scowled at her. He flicked some mud at Jay, who squealed and fled his range of attack. He tried to keep a stern look on his face as he scolded, "You just stood there! You could have done something to stop it."

"I could have," Jay agreed, peering around the TARDIS console at him. "But I had our drinks in my hand! I couldn't just set them down and come help you out of a fight that wasn't even a fight you were involved in to begin with!" She snorted as she tried to stifle another giggle at the thought of his facial expression when he'd realized where he was going to fall upon being shoved.

He'd decided to do just as Jay had said while they'd visited some resort: get involved in a fight he wasn't meant to be a part of. Two customers had started shouting at one another, and while trying to intervene and settle the situation, he'd instead done the opposite. The angrier of the two shoved him, and the Doctor had ended up in a pit of mud meant for the enjoyment of the resort's customers. They'd even been kicked out despite their insisting that they'd not done anything.

All in all, despite the pain in her heart following Donna's absence, Jay felt better. After some much needed rest - Jay had indeed found herself dragged under consciousness by the vicious pain that had ripped through her quite suddenly during their movie, and needed quite a bit of sleep and simply not doing anything to recover - they'd gone back to traveling. Jay knew she wasn't the only one who felt Donna's absence like a thorn in her side. It hurt whenever the Doctor would say something without a scolding complete with sarcasm, or when Jay would turn around to roll her eyes at something the Doctor had done that she didn't understand and found the space beside her empty.

Still, the rest and then easing back into traveling with just the two of them had gone smoothly. They'd not been thrust back into danger like they had when Martha had left. It still hurt like hell that Donna was gone, but Jay thought they'd done well at adjusting to work around the loss. She'd never forget Donna, but she was safe. Jay had to remind herself of that constantly.

And she had the Doctor, her one constant now. Possibly her only constant. She liked to think he thought similarly.

"You," Jay told him, "need a bath. You're getting mud all over my favorite spaceship, Doctor." She pointed with a lifted brow at the hall, and her grin widened when the TARDIS hummed in agreement.

He sputtered, insulted that his ship would side with Jay on the matter, and it only made her laugh again. Still, shaking his head, the Doctor agreed that he needed a bath and after directing them into the vortex, went to get cleaned up. Jay chose to hang out in the control room, playing on the phone Martha had given her.

The Doctor had taken over teaching her a few things since Donna had left. Among them were cooking and figuring out the phone. While Jay was confident she'd never be a good cook, she prided herself on her ability to use the technical wonder, and had even begun learning how to take it apart and put it back together - another hobby she'd picked up on quickly. After figuring out she liked doing it, the Doctor had supplied a few books to help her with her newfound hobby. The once-empty desk in her room on the TARDIS had become overrun by mechanical pieces and tools as she practiced and worked on whatever the Doctor offered her.

Jay kicked her foot over the side of the captain's seat as she carefully scrolled through the contact list on her phone, whispering names and numbers. The Doctor had suggested memorizing them, in case a situation like the one with Davros happened again. That way, if she found herself stuck, she could use any phone to contact someone for help. He'd added the TARDIS number in there, too.

"All clean?" Jay asked as the Doctor came out, hair damp and dressed in the same suit albeit a clean one. Jay wondered how many of those suits he had stashed away. He'd donned a different pair of shoes though. Red ones. It looked absolutely absurd with his outfit, though Jay supposed any color of shoes in that style would.

"I should think so," he said, flashing her a grin. "Alright?"

Jay shook a wrist thoughtfully. "I'm at one hundred percent," she said cheerfully. She'd not even felt a flicker of pins and needles since her big attack, though she still felt remnants of exhaustion as if she didn't get enough rest. The voice had been silent in her head, too. She appreciated that. "Where are we heading next?" She wouldn't mind visiting a different resort. It had been fun before it had been ruined.

The Doctor considered where he should take his friend for a few moments. Finally, he suggested, "What about a museum? And when we get back, we'll analyze that vial you found on Shan Shen."

She leaned back in the captain's seat, crossing her legs at the knee. "That sounds like fun to me." Jay's eyes shone with sincere excitement at the thought. "Can we go to one in the twenty-first century?" she added hopefully. "I want to see what they did and what they displayed." She paused. A crooked grin appeared on her lips. "And how badly they did at identifying objects. I don't know much, but I know they were about as bad at it as I would be." And she got the feeling the Doctor would know everything about everything they looked at, which would be fun. He could tell her about it.

"Museum it is." He gestured her over to the console. "You wanted to learn, didn't you?"

Jay hurled herself to her feet and nearly tripped over them in her rush to get to the console. The Doctor laughed and began murmuring instructions to her, explaining what each control she touched was and what it did. She listened intently, determined to memorize it all. Who knew what would happen, and if the Doctor needed someone capable of such things...well, there she would be.

---

The museum visit was quite fun. Jay certainly enjoyed her time there. The Doctor, as expected, knew everything about any artifact held within its walls. He whispered tales of how each item would have been made and would have been used to her. Jay listened with rapt attention, in awe of his knowledge and the items on display before her. She always loved going to places like these with the Doctor, though she found herself missing Donna when she came to the jewelry, thinking Donna would have loved to have admired such pretty artifacts. She often found herself waiting for the familiar "Speak human, spaceman!" It was always disheartening to realize she'd not hear such a comment again.

"Look!" Jay called to the Doctor, who'd been waiting on the steps outside for her. She'd wanted to visit the gift shop and the Doctor had agreed to wait outside for her. Jay had never found a gift for him on Shan Shen, after all, and she wanted to find something for him with the money he'd tracked down for them to use. Her blue eyes gleamed as she flopped down onto a step beside him, her shoulder jostling his. She offered her new knick-knack to him so he could look at it.

The Doctor smiled brightly at the sight. It was a small replica of one of the many statuettes they'd looked at. The Doctor had apparently met the artist and had told her all about the trip, commenting that they ought to go visit him when they got the chance. "Good choice," he praised.

"And," Jay continued, putting it back into her shopping bag, "this is for you."

She pushed her gift into his hands, and the Doctor held it up to look at it with interest. A charm, the sign had claimed, meant to bring luck. Jay had thought they could use a couple dozen of those charms, but hadn't had enough money left after her little statue replica to get more than one. It was shaped like a bat, but embedded with swirling turquoise. It hung from a small silver chain. A key chain, Jay believed it was called.

A smile tugged at his lips as he shook it to make the chain rattle noisily. "Thank you," he said sincerely, and Jay's eyes sparkled with excitement. He liked it.

Tucking it carefully into one of his over-sized pockets, the Doctor rocked to his feet. He offered a hand and pulled Jay to her feet when she accepted. "Come on, looks like we've got something else to check out while we're here." Jay peered at him in confusion, and he pulled something out of his other pocket. It was a device of sorts. Jay wasn't entirely sure how it had fit in there. "Rhondium particles," he declared as if Jay would know what they were.

Jay stared at him blankly, not understanding. "See?" he tried again, offering her the device. She took it with a sigh, knowing she'd not get what he was trying to tell her regardless of how hard he tried. Still, she did her best, listening as he explained them.

"So this thing," Jay said as they started down the street, "just...started beeping in your pocket halfway through the museum and you didn't tell me?"

He shrugged. "We were having fun. I wanted to let you enjoy it before we started running again."

Jay sighed again though she smiled fondly at him. "Alright, let's figure out what these 'rhondium particles' are up to then. I doubt they're meant to be here." He confirmed that with a sharp nod. Jay clasped her hands behind her back, cocking her head to the side. "Good thing I got that charm."

"Could have used a couple dozen of them," the Doctor mused.

He blinked, puzzled, when Jay had to stifle unstoppable laughter with her fingers.

---

They found nothing regarding rhondium particles as they meandered through the city of London. They stopped, just once, to get some chocolate when the Doctor realized it was Easter and was exceptionally excited about some massive chocolate eggs he saw in a window. As they climbed aboard a bus that would take them through new areas they'd not yet checked out, Jay nibbled at her chocolate, pleased by the sweet taste.

"Anything?" she asked, leaning into his shoulder as she peered at the device. He held his chocolate in one hand and the device in the other, frowning at it.

"Nothing yet," he muttered, shrugging. Lights flashed over their faces as the bus pulled up to a stop. Curious, Jay looked out the window and nudged the Doctor with her shoulder. "Look, Doctor," she said, indicating all of the flashing blue and red lights. "I wonder what's going on. Those are the police, right?" Donna had told her all about the bright flashing lights that accompanied the police's vehicles, and that if they ever called for her to stop, she should do so.

The Doctor didn't answer, instead handing her his chocolate so he could whack the device, adjusting a few aspects. "Work," he muttered, frustrated, as a woman quickly boarded the bus. Jay watched her curiously. She was clad entirely in black leather, and held a large bag close to her side. Shoulder-length dark hair shone nicely in the flashing lights outside as she gave the driver a charming smile. The driver blinked as she handed him something.

And then, the bus was moving, pulling away from the flashing lights. Jay hummed curiously, watching as the woman dropped heavily into the seat across the aisle from them with a soft groan of relief.

"Oh!" the Doctor suddenly gasped when the device gave a rather loud beep that began sounding steadily. "We've got excitation, Jay!" He grinned at her, and Jay flushed at the strange look a man shot at them from nearby. "I'm picking up something rather strange."

"Doctor," she hissed, trying to hush him before he caught the attention of the wrong people. The last thing they needed was for those police to target them. They got into enough trouble with officials without him dragging attention from some that were on high alert.

"Rhondium particles," he said cheerfully, as a little dish on the top of the device began slowly spinning in a circle.

Turn around.

Jay's heart skipped a beat, and she dropped the chocolate. Her hand darted out and snagged the Doctor's arm. "Doctor-"

A yelp escaped her when the device exploded in the Doctor's hands. He dropped it with a grunt of surprise, caught off guard, and a woman beside them hissed, "Do you mind?"

"Sorry, that was my little dish," he told her, shrugging as if he couldn't do anything about it.

"Doctor," Jay gasped as the little voice began chanting "turn around" in the back of her head. She finally snagged his attention, and she stared at him with wide eyes and a pale face. "Something's wrong," she breathed. "We need to turn around. Now."

He winced. "I think it's a little too late for that," he admitted, pointing at his device, and understanding flickered in Jay's eyes. "Right," he said, looking over his shoulder at the woman in the seats beside them. "What's your name?" She introduced herself as Christina. "Lovely name, Christina. Now, hold on tight." He grabbed the seat in front of him, and Jay's face paled. She quickly latched onto the back of the seat in front of her, the voice screaming in the back of her head as the bus barreled down the road. Jay hunched her shoulders, doing her best to cover her ears and block out the screaming even as she tried to hold on.

Chaos erupted around them, and shouts and screams arose throughout the bus as it began shuddering and shaking, jerking this way and that. A violent jolt forward was so rough that it ripped the Doctor's hand from the seat he'd been holding onto, throwing him onto the floor of the bus. Jay gasped, and he lay there her a grimace before scrambling towards the front of the bus to do his best and help the driver as windows shattered around them.

Jay yelped when sparks erupted in her eyes, shoving herself back, back, back-

And then, the bus jolted to a stop.

The screaming of those around them quieted and people sat in their seats for a moment, simply shocked by what had just happened. Jay rubbed a small, stinging burn on her cheekbone as she blinked at the blinding light streaming in through the bus's windows. "Where are we?" she whispered, climbing onto her knees and yanking the window down. She peered out at the endless sea of sand. A desert, it appeared. A desert, full of ringing cries that pierced her ears painfully. Which desert, however...well, that was a mystery to even the Doctor it appeared, because as he peered out a window further up the bus, he said warily aloud, "End of the line."

Jay shook her shock off and scrambled out of her seat with a few of the other passengers. A woman was heaving for air at the back of the bus, her husband clutching her hand fearfully, and rather than exiting the bus immediately like most of the others, who did so with the Doctor, Jay chose to stay with them. "Are you hurt?" she rasped.

The man shook his head, tightening his hand on his wife's hand. "No," he murmured back. "Come on, love, we ought to get out. Even if this is the Saraha, we can't stay aboard this thing."

She pressed back into her seat, horrified. "I'm not going out there!" she gasped. "They're still calling, all around us! The voices are crying."

The man winced, glancing at Jay, and she offered an encouraging smile, eyes sharp with interest. Voices? Was she not the only one who could hear odd things in the universe? Could this woman hear the piercing cries that even now filled her ears? "What voices?" coaxed Jay softly. The woman eyed her warily, and Jay blinked kindly at her. "I hear voices sometimes, too."

The woman perked up a little, looking less scared for a moment before her eyes filled with fear again. "The dead," she murmured. "We're surrounded by the dead. Can you hear them, too?"

A chill ran down Jay's back. "Yes," she whispered, and the woman looked relieved that she wasn't the only one, even as her husband looked between them, at a complete loss as to what he should do. Jay took the woman's hand. "You can stay here," she said kindly, "but I'm going to go and check in with my friend, okay? He might know where we are and what's going on. I'll be back, okay?" She stood and shot the husband a grimace before turning and nearly sprinting out of the bus.

When Jay stepped off the bus, she wasn't surprised to find the Doctor face-down on the ground, his fingers sifting through sand as if he was trying to get an idea of what was happening and where they were. The others were all murmuring about various things, from the three suns that had appeared in the sky to the bus that had taken a significant amount of damage but might be able to hold itself together.

She noticed the short-haired woman from before - Christina - standing closer to the Doctor than to the others. She'd shed her heavy jacket and instead donned a pair of sunglasses, looking rather smug about it. When she caught Jay looking, she grinned. "Ready for every emergency."

"Me, too!" said the Doctor as he leaped to his feet, flashing Jay a wicked grin that told her he had bad news. Jay sighed, wishing their trip to the museum could have simply remained that: a trip to the damn museum. She rolled her eyes playfully when the Doctor withdrew his sonic screwdriver and the glasses he oftentimes wore, pressing one gently to the other. When he donned his glasses, they'd been tinted. Jay pouted lightly.

"Got any other sunglasses in those endless pockets of yours?" she asked him, and he shook his head. He cocked his head questioningly when Jay winced at a particularly loud scream for a moment, rubbing her temple and wishing her stone's chain hadn't been broken. She'd ask the Doctor to find her a new one when they were finished with this mess.

"Alright," said Christina, jerking her chin as the Doctor knelt to investigate the sand some more. "What's your names?"

"Jay," supplied Jay as the Doctor added, "I'm the Doctor."

Christina inclined her head in Jay's direction and told the Doctor, "Name, not rank."

He grinned at the sand. "The Doctor."

"Surname?"

"The Doctor."

"You're called 'the Doctor?'" When he grinned proudly at her, Christina rolled her eyes and moved on, instead looking out over at the other people trapped with them. The Doctor was quick to focus back on the sand, so Jay decided to ask him what was wrong with it.

"Doctor," she said calmly. "Why do you keep looking at the sand?"

"Funny sort of sand, this," he said, digging his fingers in. "There's a trace of something else." He gestured Jay down beside him, and she crouched, too, shoulder to shoulder with him. She glanced between the Doctor and the sand, curious, and then grimaced in disgust when he put some on the tip of his tongue. She stared at him speechlessly as he spat it back out, looking sick. "That's not good."

"I mean, it wouldn't be, it's sand," pointed out Christina in disgust.

"No, it tastes like…" The Doctor's smile vanished and he looked a little horrified and ill. He rocketed to his feet. "Never mind," he said, offering Jay a hand. She looked at him questioningly, and he ignored her look, instead asking, "Everything alright? Were you hurt? You took a minute to get out here."

"I'm fine," reassured Jay. She searched his expression closely. "Doctor, what's wrong with the sand?"

Before he could answer, one of the others in the group suddenly pointed at the Doctor accusingly. He was a young man, perhaps early twenties, with dark skin and a frown on his youthful face. "Hold on a minute," he said sharply, "I saw you with that...that machine. Did you make this happen?"

The Doctor studied him and then heaved a big sigh. "Oh, humans on buses, always blaming me." Jay scowled at him. She wasn't fooled, and he wasn't going to distract her. There was something wrong with the sand, and the woman on the bus had heard the same screams that just wouldn't stop deafening her. "If you must know," continued the Doctor, rounding on the other humans present, who were all watching him in confusion. "I was tracking a hole in the fabric of reality. Call it a hobby. But it was a tiny little hole, no danger to anyone. Suddenly, it got really big and we drove right through it."

Jay nodded. All of that made sense to her, even as the others' all wrinkled their noses and furrowed their brows in confusion. "But...then where is it?" asked the bus driver. "There's nothing around us, just sand."

"If you want proof...Jay, a handful of sand if you will." Jay eyed the sand for a moment, not too keen on touching it after the Doctor's reaction to it. Finally, after a reassuring look, she carefully scooped up a handful. He nodded at an empty space behind the bus. "Throw it." She gave him a suspicious look, and he made a little gesture, indicating that she should throw it. So, Jay did.

She wasn't the only one who jolted in surprise when a massive swirling vortex swallowed the sand and then vanished. "Was that…" Jay blinked a few times, then looked at the Doctor anxiously. "Doctor, was that the time vortex?"

Rather than answering, the Doctor's attention was diverted by the bus driver, who perked up a little. "So what you're saying is...on the other side of that is home? We can get to London through there?"

Jay eyed the smoldering bus with a grimace. "I wouldn't say that…"

"Well," said the bus driver, and Jay felt sick when he started for the space she'd thrown sand at. "What are we waiting for then?"

"Don't," the Doctor warned, eyes round with horror as the bus driver waved, declaring he was going home. "I said don't - Jay, don't!" he snapped harshly, fear making his tone sharp when she lurched forward to stop the man. The Doctor caught her arm in a tight, bruising grip just as the bus driver struck the vortex and began screaming, flames bursting to life along his body. He vanished a moment later, just as the flesh dissolved from bone and left nothing but a skeleton. Jay recoiled, her hand fisting in the Doctor's sleeve. Her entire body trembled. She'd seen a lot of death in her time with the Doctor, but that had just been simply horrible to watch.

The others looked absolutely horrified, frightened by what they'd seen. Everyone took a moment to comprehend it. Jay took a shaken breath and the Doctor loosened his grip on her arm, pressing a reassuring kiss to the top of her head before turning to look at the bus. "It was the bus," he explained, just as Jay had suspected. "Look at the damage. That was the bus protecting us. A great big box of metal."

The man who'd initially accused the Doctor of being one to blame couldn't seem to stop talking, his face filled with fear. "Like...like a thunderstorm, yeah?" he stammered, his voice quaking a little. "Safest place is inside a car, 'cause the metal conducts the lightning right through. We did in school." He rambled such words to a frightened woman, who was clutching her purse with a pale face, as if attempting to soothe her.

Jay blinked sympathetically at the frightened man as she wound her arm through the Doctor's despite the blazing heat, seeking reassurance. He was likely fresh out of school and still learning a lot of things about the world.

Christina, unfazed by everything, cocked her head in a cool, calculating way. "But if we can only travel back inside the bus...it needs to be closed, right? That thing's been ripped wide open."

Jay studied Christina closely, fascinated. Most people would be like everyone else that had been on that bus: scared and unsure. Christina seemed grounded, cautious, and calculating, figuring out what they needed to do in order to survive. Jay was, to put it simply, impressed with her calm behavior. The Doctor looked a little surprised himself as he said, "Slightly different dynamics with a wormhole. There's enough metal to make it work, I think. I hope."

"Too bad we don't have the TARDIS," Jay murmured to him under her breath, and he nodded his agreement. Everything was always better when the TARDIS was with them.

"Then we have to drive five tons of bus, which is currently buried in the sand, and we've got nothing but our bare hands," Christina said. "Correct?"

"I'd say nine and a half tons," began the Doctor, and Jay shot him a warning look. Not now. "But the point still stands," he tacked on hastily. "Yes."

"Then we need to apply ourselves to the problem with discipline!" Christina lifted her chin, looking at each and every one of them. "Which starts with appointing a leader." The Doctor straightened excitedly, delighted, and Jay had to smother a laugh with her free hand when Christina said, "Well, thank goodness you've got me! Everyone do exactly as I say. Inside the bus. Immediately!"

"Is it safe in there?" asked the nervous young man, and Jay stifled another giggle at the stunned look on the Doctor's face when Christina answered honestly, "I don't think anything's safe anymore, but if it's a choice between baking in there or roasting out here, I'd say baking is slower. Come on, all of you! Right now. And you - the Doctor. And...whoever you are. You, too!"

Jay exchanged a grin with the Doctor, who just looked simply shocked. She liked Christina. A lot. "Yes, ma'am," the Doctor said finally, and together, they joined the rest of those lining up to get back on the bus. The Doctor nudged Jay a step ahead of him with a hand on the small of her back, brow furrowing when he noticed her flinch quite suddenly. "Everything alright?"

"No," she murmured back. "No, something's not right. I hear screams. They won't stop." Her eyes glazed over as she let her mind sink back, dwelling in those screams until they deafened everything else. "They just won't stop screaming."

The Doctor gently murmured her name, drawing her attention back to him, and then ushered her quickly onto the bus. Jay flashed him a faint smile as she shook out her wrists, and then immediately went to the back of the bus, where the nervous older woman was seated. Reluctant to leave her alone after what he'd just heard, the Doctor quickly followed her, ignoring Christina's pointed look, indicating that she'd prefer the Doctor at her hip.

Jay slumped heavily into a seat at the very back of the bus, feeling much better as far back as she could get. The Doctor hoisted himself up onto the back of the same seat, looking around curiously as everyone settled in. When everyone was quiet, Christina smiled tightly at them all and said, "The crucial thing is, do not panic. The smell of sweat inside this thing is reaching atrocious levels, and we don't need to add anymore." Everyone agreed, and her smile widened. "Next. Team identification. Names. I'm Christina. That man at the back of the bus is apparently 'the Doctor.'" She pointed at him, and he smiled and wiggled his fingers in greeting.

She turned her finger to Jay. "And you?"

Jay cleared her throat, making herself focus. "Jay. I'm with the Doctor."

"Nathan," said a quiet, wary young man.

"Barclay," the boy who'd been unable to stop talking told everyone.

The middle-aged, shaken woman closest to Christina mumbled, "Angela. Angela Whittaker."

"My name's Louis, but everyone calls me Lou," said the husband of the distressed older woman near the Doctor and Jay. He took the hand of his wife and squeezed it reassuringly as she shuddered, listening to the screams that echoed in Jay's head, too. "And this is Carmen."

"Excellent." Christina's white teeth flashed in a bright grin as she looked among them all. "Memorize those names. There might be a test. Now, assessment and application of knowledge." Her head snapped around and even with her sunglasses on, Jay could picture her gaze burning into the Doctor. "Over to you, 'the Doctor.'"

The Doctor eyed her with a furrowed brow. "I thought you were in charge."

Jay elbowed him with a sigh, nearly unbalancing him. Was he complaining that someone was finally willingly allowing him to take the reins in a potentially difficult situation? He waved her off, and Christina seemed to note the interaction before smiling again. "I am in charge. And a good leader utilizes her strengths. You seem to be the brainbox. So, start boxing."

Jay really liked this strange woman.

"Right," the Doctor said, running a hand over his hair with a sigh. "So, the wormhole. We were in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was just an accident."

Liar, whispered the voice in Jay's head, making her flinch violently and grip the Doctor's pant leg, taking comfort in the bunching of fabric beneath her fingers. She was quickly distracted, however, when Carmen said softly, "No, it wasn't. That thing, the doorway...someone made it. For a reason."

Jay twisted to look at the woman with shock. Maybe she heard a little bit more than Jay did, because Jay only heard the screams and that damn voice in her head. Nothing else. The Doctor glanced briefly at Jay, as if checking for her response, and then quietly asked Carmen without sounding disbelieving, "How do you know?"

"She's got a gift," explained Lou. "Ever since she was a little girl. She can just...tell things. We do the lottery, twice a week." Christina made a rather snide comment that the pair didn't look like millionaires and Lou's eyes flashed with irritation as he glared at her. "No, but we win ten pounds. Every week, twice a week, ten pounds. Don't tell me that's not a gift."

Curiously, Jay glanced at the Doctor. He met her gaze with interest, eyes lighting with excitement. Casually, he requested, "Hold up some fingers, Jay, where Carmen can't see them." Jay did as she was told, furrowing her brow. "Tell me, Carmen. How many fingers is she holding up?"

"Three." Jay blinked, for sure enough, she'd lifted three fingers. Carefully, she put up another. "Four," Carmen said immediately, and the Doctor grinned, absolutely excited.

"Very good!" he cried, sliding down from the top of Jay's seat. He settled onto the edge, smiling reassuringly at Carmen, who seemed nervous. "Low level psychic ability, exacerbated by an alien sun. A little like you, Jay." Jay hummed, nodding her agreement. "What can you see, Carmen? Jay said she heard something. I think you can see a lot more than she can right now though. So tell me. What's out there?"

Carmen glanced nervously at her husband. Lou smiled and squeezed her hand comfortingly. So, Carmen took a deep breath and turned her attention to the Doctor, searching his calm dark gaze. "Something...something is coming. Riding on the wind - and shining." The Doctor nodded, showing he was listening, and Carmen's voice dropped to a scared whisper, "Death. Death is coming."

Immediately, everyone began reacting. Angela began to weep loudly, and Nathan and Barclay were quickly growing panicked. When Christina tried to quiet them, they reacted badly, and the commotion grew louder and louder.

Death, whispered the voice in Jay's head as if in agreement, and she jolted hard enough for the Doctor to look at her. He frowned, worried by the paleness in her face. She rasped hoarsely, "She's right. The voice agrees."

The Doctor's expression immediately shifted to one of frustration. She presumed he'd forgotten that she might hear that voice again. "Where's your stone?" he scolded lightly, and she blanched, throwing him a look that asked if he was serious. "Right. We'll get that fixed soon as we get back." Nathan's voice rose to a shout then, and he snapped his head up as Jay flinched, hating the way the yells contrasted with the screams.

"Stop it!" shouted the Doctor over everyone else, and they all quieted. Even Christina, who looked annoyed that she'd been unable to stop the noise, fell quiet and looked at the Doctor. He searched the gaze of each and every one of those present, and then slid from his seat. He gently crouched in front of Angela, putting his hands on her shoulder, and gave her a gentle shake. "Angela," he said quietly, soothing her. "Angela, look at me. Answer me one question. That's it, at me, at me." She slowed her crying, wiping her eyes to peer at him shakily. "There we go. Just answer me one thing, Angela. When you got on this bus, where were you going?"

"Just home," whispered Angela with a sniffle.

He smiled reassuringly at her. "And what's home?"

"Me, and Mike, and Suzanne - that's my daughter. She's eighteen." Angela seemed to calm at the thought of her family, and Jay knew immediately what the Doctor was doing as he turned to look at Barclay expectantly. "What about you?"

"Dunno," said Barclay, averting his eyes. "Going 'round Tina's, I s'pose."

"Who's Tina?" the Doctor prompted. "Your girlfriend?"

"Not yet." Barclay gave the smallest of smiles and the Doctor moved onto Nathan next, making Jay smile a little wider as Nathan answered that he had lost his job and was intending on staying in his home and watching TV. Lou had been intending to cook, and Carmen to clean up after. Christina had been going far away, with no distinct destination apparently in mind. And when he turned to Jay, he gave Jay a pointed look, and she answered sincerely.

"I was going wherever you were going. Apparently, that was to a desert world complete with several suns," said Jay with a small shrug, and the Doctor snorted softly before rocking to his feet again, voice calm and confident.

"Just think of all that," he told them all. "'Cause that planet out there, all three suns and wormholes and alien sand, that planet is nothing. You hear me? Nothing compared to all those things waiting for you. Food and home and people. Hold on to that. 'Cause we're gonna get there. I promise." He looked at each and every one of them. "I will get you home. So, let's get to work, shall we?"

---

Jay desperately wished they had water to drink as she sat in the shaded sand beside the bus, her head aching severely from the screams that refused to stop and the heat. Carmen lingered in the bus with Lou, refusing to come out despite how much hotter it was in there. Everyone else, the Doctor included, was hard at work trying to get the bus going. She rubbed her left temple as she watched Barclay and Nathan duck out of the bus, seat cushions in hand.

The Doctor saw them and lit up at the sight of the cushions in their hands. "Here we go!" he declared, smiling at them with a pleased expression. "That's my boys. We lay a flat surface between the bus and the wormhole and reverse into it!"

Christina nodded her agreement, hands on her hips. How she wasn't experiencing heat exhaustion in all that black was beyond Jay's knowledge. "Let some air out of the tires," she added. "Spreads the weight of the bus. Gives you more grip."

The Doctor beamed at her in pride, and Barclay paused upon putting down some of the cushions. "Yeah, but those wheels go deep." Christina told him to start digging, and when Barclay demanded what she expected him to dig with, she pulled a shovel from her bag. Jay's lips parted and the Doctor looked even more excited as he passed it to Barclay. A shovel that folded together? Jay was amazed. She'd never seen it before.

"Got anything else in there?" the Doctor prompted, eyeing her bag with interest.

Christina hummed and withdrew a small fire axe, passing it to Nathan. "Try that, might help with the seats." Nathan grinned and thanked her as he went back in the bus to start hacking at seat cushions.

"Um," called Angela from where she was seated in the driver's seat, furrowing her brow. "I can't find the keys for the bus." Jay echoed her question loudly for the Doctor, pointing to indicate who'd spoken, and the Doctor bolted over to peer up at Angela from the open doors.

"Buses don't have keys," he reported. "There's a master switch. One button for start, the other one for stop." Angela nodded, muttering to herself as she searched. She grinned when she found it and then pressed the button under the Doctor's encouragement. Jay furrowed her brow, watching him when the bus spluttered for a moment before falling silent again.

"That engine's dead," Jay reported, and the Doctor glanced at her with a frown. Jay tipped her head, thinking the sound over. "I don't know anything about engines for this century's vehicles, or even cars and such at all, but that engine won't start."

The Doctor muttered under his breath, thinking, and then groaned. "Sand. Never mind losing half the top deck, you know what's worse, Jay? Sand. Tiny little grains of sand. They'll have clogged the engine. Could you see if someone knows what to do with mechanics? You and I are going to go take a look around. Think you can manage that?"

Jay rose to her feet, swiping sand from her legs. "It's better than sitting around here," she declared and went to find someone who could fix the engine. Barclay offered his services, claiming he'd done some work at a garage, and Jay decided he was the best they could do.

"Try stripping the air filter, fast as you can," the Doctor told him as he popped the bus's hood in preparation. "We'll be back in two ticks. Come on, Jay." He offered his arm playfully, and she didn't hesitate to wind her arm through his. She flashed him a broad smile and then paused after only taking a step when Christina called out.

"You're the man with all the answers," she said, pointing at the Doctor. "I'm not letting you out of my sight. And you...you seem to know something, too." She turned her finger on Jay and Jay shrugged, exchanging an amused look with the Doctor. She wasn't necessarily wrong. Despite the heat, Jay kept her arm tucked tightly into the Doctor's as the trio started out in the sands.

"Where are we going?" asked Jay under her breath, aware of Christina only a few steps behind. She might not have needed to know the answer.

The Doctor murmured in her ear, "Not entirely sure, actually. Just get the feeling we need to go this way. Do you hear anything suspicious?"

Jay tipped her head to listen and shook her head after a moment. "Just the screams," she murmured, and the dread in her voice stopped them both from continuing on the topic. Instead, she turned to look at Christina, who was grimacing as she adjusted the backpack she'd shouldered. "You could have left the backpack behind," Jay told her. "I doubt anyone would have touched it. We've got bigger things to worry about."

Christina patted the strap with a strangely fierce look on her face. "Where I go," she said firmly, "it goes."

"A backpack with a spade and an axe," mused the Doctor. "Christina, who's going so far away and yet scared by the sound of a siren. Who are you?"

"You can talk. Let's just say we're two - three," she amended, smiling tightly at Jay, "equal mysteries." She cocked her head a fraction and looked around. They were surrounded on all sides by sand, the bus fading into the distance the further along they walked. "Tell me. If Carmen's right and that wormhole isn't an accident, then what is it? Has someone done this on purpose?"

The Doctor faltered a step and stopped, eyes darkening warily. "I don't know," he admitted. It was something that bothered him, if the frown that creased his face was anything to go by. "But every single instinct of mine is telling me to get off this planet. Right now."

Jay recalled what he'd done with the sand and hummed her agreement, remembering how the voice had screamed at her to turn around before they'd been forced through the wormhole. "We'll find a way off," she said confidently. They'd been in far more dire situations before. They'd find their way back to Earth again.

"...Christina de Souza," Christina suddenly said, smiling coyly. "Since we're done being mysteries. Well, mostly done. To be precise, Lady Christina de Souza." She offered the Doctor her hand, and he grinned as he shook it. She then did the same to Jay, who copied the Doctor and gripped Christina's hand in her own.

"That's handy," remarked the Doctor with a playful look in Jay's direction. "'Cause I'm a lord."

Jay snorted loudly, smothering a laugh with her hand. The Doctor's grin widened. He was apparently pleased that he'd made her laugh. Christina only hummed, studying the Doctor closely from behind her sunglasses. "Hm, but there's something more about the two of you. The device you were carrying. And the wormhole - like you knew. And the way you stride around this place, like-"

"Anyway," the Doctor cut in hastily, not really keen on Christina knowing he was an alien from some other far out planet, "let's go. Come on, Jay, allons-y!"

They continued on for a short while longer before stopping at the top of a rather high sand dune that allowed them to see for miles in every direction. Jay stared in awe at the sea of sand that stretched out before them. "I've never seen sand like this," she told the Doctor. "It reminds me of the planet the Ood call home. Just not snow. Sand."

The Doctor hummed in agreement and then nudged her shoulder, pointing at massive clouds that had begun to gather to the west. "I don't like the looks of that," he told them, and Jay furrowed her brow at the clouds. Her skin crawled and the hair on the back of her neck rose. Something about those clouds unnerved her. The screaming in her ears grew louder the longer she looked at it, until she hunched her shoulders, wishing she could block out the sound. She cursed herself for leaving her stone behind. Even if the chain had broken, she should have pocketed it. She'd simply not wanted to lose it.

The Doctor patted her shoulder comfortingly as Christina used her hand to shield her gaze further from the sun. "If that's a sandstorm, we'll get ripped to shreds the way we are now."

The Doctor said darkly, "It's a storm, but who says it's sand?" Christina ripped her gaze away to stare at him, and Jay peered nervously at him, too. The Doctor only gave her a tight smile and then dropped her arm. "Come on, we need to get moving. Now." He turned and bolted down the side of the sand dune. Jay stared after him as Christina rushed off, and then ran after them herself.

---

Jay was heaving for air and slicked with sweat by the time they got back to the bus, impatiently swiping an arm at her sweaty forehead as the Doctor scrambled onto the bus, searching for something. Jay climbed up behind him, Christina a step behind. "Doctor, what do you need?"

"Phone," he mumbled, and Jay grinned widely at him as she yanked her own out of her pocket and offered it to him. He beamed back, muttering some praise, and went to work. Christina stared at him in confusion, mumbling something about signals and doubting they'd get one on another planet, but the Doctor only shushed her, rambling under his breath about important numbers. He climbed on the bus, and Jay trailed after him, even sitting close to him in a seat.

"Ha!" he cheered when over the speaker, a voice said boredly, "This is the Unified Intelligence Taskforce. Please select one of the following four options."

"I hate these things," grumbled the Doctor.

From where she sat in the driver's seat, Angela suggested, "No, no, if you keep your finger pressed on zero, you get through to a real person. I saw it on TV."

The Doctor curiously did as she'd suggested, and then cheered again when a woman answered, asking which department of UNIT they'd like to speak to. "Thank you, Angela," he said sincerely, and Angela blushed. She looked pleased that she'd been able to help. "Right," he said into the phone, "listen, it's the Doctor."

There were a few moments in which the line was filled with rustling and hushed, rushed voices. Within a few minutes, however, a new female voice greeted, "Doctor. This is Captain Erisa Magambo. Might I say, sir, it's an honor." Jay could barely hear it, her head tipped to the side as she waited for him to finish his call. Christina hovered nearby, far more patient than Jay.

The Doctor squinted at nothing in particular, pressing his mouth into a displeased line. "Did you just salute?" The captain was quiet for a moment too long before answering an uncertain "no." Rolling his eyes, the Doctor said firmly, "Erisa, it's about the bus. Headquarters said you're at the tunnel?"

Jay listened as he fired back a few statements and questions, explaining what he needed: an analysis of the wormhole they'd come through. She tapped her fingers, one-by-one, on her arm as she waited impatiently for him to finish. When he took on a look of amusement despite their situation, Jay cocked her head questioningly. He only shook his head and made it so she could hear as well, saying as he did so, "Something's not making sense here. I've got a storm and a wormhole, and I can't help thinking there's a connection. I need a complete full-range analysis of that wormhole. Whole thing, Malcolm."

A man's voice - Malcolm's, Jay guessed - answered. "I've probably got the wrong idea, but I've wired up an integrator. I thought it would measure the energy signature."

Jay zoned in and out as they discussed some kind of science she didn't understand. The Doctor appeared to grow rather frustrated with the man. Eventually, Jay just rolled her eyes and snatched the phone from his hand, ignoring his yelp of protest as she said impatiently, "Hi, friend of the Doctor's, Jay, here Look, I'm sure all this stuff you're talking about is great and wonderful, but we'd like to get out of the desert someday, so could you just tell us what it is you've found?"

"Jayden," scolded the Doctor gruffly, mildly annoyed, even as Christina chuckled.

"What? My head hurts," she retorted, gesturing to her head. She was tired of voices screaming in her skull.

Quite suddenly, Malcolm cried, "No, but listen! I was trying to say something! Doctor, I set the scanner to register what it can't detect and inverted the image." The Doctor stared at the phone in surprise, astonished. Jay cocked a brow, confused. Malcolm, unnerved by the lack of response, asked, "Is that wrong?" i

"No," breathed the Doctor, grinning widely. "That's brilliant, Malcolm. You can actually measure the wormhole! I admit, that is genius." Malcolm preened at the praise like a proud bird and the Doctor hopped to his feet, bouncing on the balls of his feet now in excitement. Something was at last going their way. Jay rocked upright, too, knowing he was undoubtedly about to go back outside. She didn't necessarily want to be left alone. "Now," said the Doctor, "run a capacity scan. I need a full report. Call me back when you've done it. And Malcolm, you're my new best friend." He promptly ended the call and tossed it to Jay. She narrowly caught it. "Keep an ear on that," she was told. "And go get a phone number from one of the others so we can keep in touch if we need to."

Jay nodded, pointedly tucking it into her pocket, and then scrambled after him when he ducked out of the bus. Christina was a step behind, determined to stay caught up. "Where next?" asked Jay, knowing that they were going to be doing something new. She shoved her blonde bangs from her face, annoyed by the sweat that stuck to her skin.

The grin the Doctor threw at her told Jay she wasn't going to like what came next.

---

Jay didn't. She really didn't like what came next. She was parched, her heart was pounding unnervingly quickly, and the Doctor was still marching on through the sands in his suit as if the heat wasn't exhausting them all. Even Christina, who was determined to keep her professional facade, was beginning to struggle, panting for breath. When he finally stopped, Jay stumbled to a halt and nearly slumped down into the sand. Only the Doctor's suspicious commentary on the sand kept her from doing so.

The Doctor gently caught her elbow when she staggered. "Doing alright, Jay?"

"Not really," she admitted, making a face. Even so, she forced herself to smile at him, meeting his gaze head on. "I'll be fine once we get off this planet though." She pointedly shook her wrist. "Nothing on that end either."

He knew what she meant, of course, and looked pleased. "Good," he said, ignoring Christina's nosey, curious glance. "Now hand me that phone, would you?"

Jay passed it over, and he didn't take any time holding it up. She watched as he took a picture of the storm clouds in the distance. Jay furrowed her brow, wondering if they'd somehow moved closer. They certainly hadn't traveled nearly as far to find those clouds. And when she squinted at them…

She tugged at the Doctor's sleeve. "Hey," she said softly, ignoring the pounding, throbbing headache forming in her temple. "Do you see that?"

"There's something shining," agreed Christina, shading her face with her hands as she tried to see as best as she could.

"Like metal." The Doctor looked grim as he took another picture, and then took a moment to peer closely at the shimmering clouds himself. It was as he was doing this that Christina suddenly whipped her head around and asked if they'd heard anything.

The Doctor shooed her off, claiming he was busy, but Jay met Christina's gaze, clearly listening. Christina made a small gesture with her hand, looking around. Her dark hair shone beautifully in the sunlight, catching the light with ease. "There was a noise," she said uncertainly. "Like a sort of…" She trailed off, staring, and Jay followed her gaze. She wasn't nearly as alarmed as Christina suddenly was, for she'd seen some similar things in the past.

Very clearly, it was an alien. A giant insect-looking alien, resembling a fly. Its large bulbous eyes were a little unnerving, and it held a weapon in its hands - a weapon that was clearly ready to be used if need be. Jay sucked in a sharp breath, unsure. Jay cleared her throat and yanked the Doctor around forcefully, making him look. He stopped complaining when he realized what they were looking at.

After a moment, the alien spoke. Jay cocked her head, listening in fascination. She had no doubt that the creature's true language sounded very different from what they were hearing, and even then she could barely understand it. She chalked it up to the TARDIS's lacking presence on this planet, though she couldn't remember it ever being a problem in the past.

Well, that and the screams that just kept going and going.

The Doctor answered, and Christina stared at him until he shrugged. "Usually when I shout 'wait,' people wait." Jay snorted in disbelief, not trusting that statement for a heartbeat. Usually, that was what they said before the pair were running for the hills. He commented on something to the alien, who responded, and the Doctor told Christina, "That's begging for mercy."

"Conversation's not really going well then," muttered Jay, rubbing her temples with a hint of frustration on her face. She just wanted the screams to stop, if only for a handful of moments. The alien gestured for them to move with its gun, and Jay lifted a brow. Even Christina knew what that meant. Move.

So, they set off across the sands again. For the most part, their trip was a quiet one. The insect alien pushed them to go as quickly as they could, and Jay hissed at the Doctor, "I never want to see a desert again, you hear me? After this, we're done with deserts."

He looked inclined to agree with her on the matter.

Eventually, they began approaching a mass of twisted metal that Jay knew immediately to be a ship. She eyed it thoughtfully as Christina said, "These fly things must be responsible for bringing us here."

"No, no, no," disagreed the Doctor, looking up at the ship with interest. "It's a wreck. They crashed, just like us."

Ignoring their chatter, the alien shooed them inside, and as they were pointed through the ship's insides, Jay leaned in and murmured to the Doctor, "Look at all of the exposed wires, and the make-shift pieces. They've been trying to repair their ship, Doctor. At least it's colder now though." She found that she didn't mind being in the ship either. It was cool - much cooler in temperature than the world outside had been, and it made her sigh in relief.

The Doctor hummed his agreement and when Christina glanced at them curiously, he said, "The hull's made of a special kind of steel. Turns cold when it's hot. Boiling desert outside, freezing cold ship inside." He suddenly tipped his head back all the way to stare at the ceiling, in awe. "This is a beautiful ship though, isn't it, Jay?"

She nodded eagerly, seeing the bits and pieces that lingered. Old-fashioned for sure, but in its entirety, it would have been beautiful had it been intact. "Lovely," she agreed.

Christina glanced between them, exasperated. "I'll remember that as I'm being slowly tortured," she grumbled. "At least I'm bleeding on the floor of a really well-designed spaceship!"

The Doctor ignored her, wiggling his fingers in greeting as another alien joined the first. Jay instinctively stepped closer to the Doctor, her fingers winding nervously in his sleeve. He flashed her a reassuring grin and focused back on the situation at hand as the alien touched a device it wore. "Oh, good, hello! That's a telepathic translator. He can understand us. Doesn't work the other way 'round, though…" He trailed off as the alien spoke, and then repeated to Christina, "'You will suffer for your crimes.' More along those lines. 'You have committed an act of violence against the Tritovore race.' They're called Tritovores," he added with another grin at Jay. "Don't think we've met them yet. "'You came here in the...the two-hundred to destroy us.' Sorry, what's the two hundred?"

"Number two hundred," piped up Christina. "They mean the bus."

The Doctor nodded gratefully. "I think you're making the same mistake Christina did then," he told the alien cheerfully, and Jay stared at him in exasperation. "I'm the Doctor, by the way, and these are Jay and Christina." Both waved tentatively. "We got pulled through that wormhole. The two hundred doesn't look like that normally. It's broken, just the same as you."

He rocked back as the Tritovores began speaking to one another. He beamed when the first lowered its weapon. "They believe me," he said cheerfully. Christina stared at him in exasperation, and he shrugged. "I've got a very honest face."

Jay couldn't help but snort and giggle, stifling her laughter with a hand. The Doctor glared at her lightly, though he didn't stay annoyed for very long as Jay guessed, "I'll take a wild guess and say that the translators help? If they're telepathic, they'll know you're speaking the truth."

"And my face," he insisted, which only made her stifle laughter a second time. Ignoring her entirely now, he told the Tritovores, "Right, so first things first, there's a very strange storm heading our way. Can you send out a probe?" The second Tritovore gestured him forward and the pair went to take a look at something nearby. Jay peered curiously over from her lace by Christina. It was a big piece of machinery that was blinking red. The Doctor muttered under his breath and decided kicking it would do the trick, and Jay arched a brow when all the lights suddenly flared green, signaling that it was working.

"Okay," said the Doctor after playing with a few of the controls. "Launched that probe, so let's see what we can find out…" He scampered back over, darting past them, and Jay didn't hesitate to follow with Christina and the Tritovores. He stopped as a hologram was projected from a section of wall, nearly running right into the image. The Doctor stopped so suddenly that Christina and Jay nearly ran right into him.

"The Scorpion Nebula," declared the Doctor, delighted. "We're on the other side of the universe." He flashed Christina a grin. "Just what you wanted, so far away. The planet of San Helios."

Christina looked at the planet the hologram displayed in wonder, and Jay studied her closely, suddenly uncertain. A glance at the Doctor's easy-going, but non-critical stare relaxed her, however. They weren't looking to find someone new to travel along with them. Jay felt a little guilty for being happy about it; losing Martha had been difficult, but Jay had been reassured that it had been what Martha wanted. With Donna, on the other hand...Jay knew without a doubt that Donna hadn't wanted to leave. She'd begged for the Doctor to let her stay, even as she was likely dying. It made Jay's stomach churn.

Still, it was somewhat amusing to see Christina stare in awe at the projection, unable to believe they were on another planet. As she stared, the Doctor tipped his head to listen to the Tritovores when they began chirping beside him. "The Tritovores were going to trade with San Helios," he related to Christina. "Population of one hundred billion. Plenty of waste matter for them to absorb." Christina frowned at him, a question she didn't want to ask on the tip of her tongue, and he clarified, "They feed off what others leave behind." Even Jay wrinkled her nose lightly, and the Doctor shrugged. "It's perfectly natural. They're flies."

"Just remind me never to kiss them," muttered Christina and Jay bit her lip to hide a smile as the projection shifted, showing them a beautiful city filled with trees. Jay found herself in awe, too. She'd love to visit that city. She opened her mouth to tell the Doctor as such, but he spoke before she could.

"San Helios City," he relayed. "This image was taken a year ago."

Christina studied him closely and asked, "You two...you've seen this sort of thing before." Her gaze shot to Jay, and Jay nodded. Christina furrowed her brow lightly and then eyed the Doctor warily, her fingers curling around the strap of her bag. "That lordship of yours...where are you the lord of, exactly?"

Jay groaned at the silly grin that appeared on the Doctor's face, full of pride and smugness. "Of time. I'm from a race of people called Time Lords." Christina stared at him and he shrugged, pouting a little. "You don't have to kiss me either."

"You look human," she said, confused.

"You look Time Lord," he replied, and Jay felt a flicker of grief flash through her. The conversation made her think of Donna.

So, to distract herself from the grief, Jay cleared her throat and pointed at the projection. "Doctor," she said quietly as the city dissolved into nothing but desert. "Look." The light indicating where they stood didn't change. "We're...did something happen to the city? We're where it should have been."

The Doctor's expression softened as she met his gaze. Dread coursed through her at the look on his face. The voice managed to break through the screams that were endless for just a moment, urging her to run, and Jay fought back a shiver as the Doctor took her hand tightly and reluctantly admitted what he'd clearly been trying to keep from everyone.

"I said there was something in the sand," he said as gently as he could, and Jay frowned as she searched his gaze. "The city, the oceans, the mountains, the wildlife...one hundred billion people. They all turned to sand. Those voices in Carmen's head...in Jay's head," he added, glancing at the horrified Christina. "Those screams...they're hearing all of those people die."

Jay felt sick. Her fingers tightened on his hand, her nails digging into his skin. "Oh," she choked out. "Oh." It was one thing to know the screams were those of the dead, but to know they came from the moment in which they died...

She really wished she'd tucked that crystal into her pocket.

The phone in Jay's pocket rang and made her jump. The Doctor released her hand in favor of making a quick gesture, and she pressed the phone into his hand immediately. He answered it without hesitation. "Malcolm!" he sang, frowning at the hologram. "Tell me the bad news!" He paused as Malcolm answered. "How can it get bigger by itself?"

Jay listened to the one-sided conversation for a few moments, her eyes scanning the image before her and watching for changes. Christina tried to demand answers when the Doctor suddenly answered a beep - a new incoming call. She could feel it in her gut that something wasn't right when the Doctor exhaled sharply through his nose, but he wouldn't answer Christina's demands and prompting.

"Doctor," she said sharply when a monitor beeped, capturing her attention. The Tritovores uttered a cheerful chirp, signaling that they'd found something new. Jay studied the monitor, realizing that the probe had reached the storm they'd noticed earlier. Her stomach twisted at the flashes of metal and she realized immediately that they weren't staring at a storm, but at a swarm. The creatures that writhed and twisted as they surged over the landscape were large and metallic-looking, glimmering in the hot sun. There were countless numbers of them.

The Doctor ran a hand over his hair as he stared at the creatures the probe was showing them, rasping, "There's billions of them."

Even the Tritovores jumped when one of the creatures suddenly lunged at the probe. All they caught was a flash of razor sharp teeth, and then the probe's image was gone. The Doctor winced. Christina, wide-eyed and uncertain, demanded, "How far away is that swarm? Do you know?"

"Hundred miles," the Doctor said immediately. "It'll be here in twenty minutes at that speed though." One of the Tritovores chirped, and the Doctor answered grimly, "They're not just coming for us. They want the wormhole."

"They're heading for Earth," whispered Jay, horrified. She made a small sound of despair at the idea, those screams echoing in her ears. Shaking them off as best as she could, she hesitantly touched the Tritovore closest to her on the arm and said, "Could you pull up a hologram of one?"

The Tritovore chirped its agreement and went to work. She ignored the Doctor's proud look for the time being. They'd saved lives in less time before, she thought, remembering several instances. There's been the Titanic, plummeting towards Earth, and the spaceship in which they'd had just over forty-minutes to save before it fell into the sun. They'd figure this out, too.

"So, they make wormholes?" questioned Christina. The Doctor nodded slowly, thinking, and she added, "But how? They don't exactly look like technicians. And if the wormhole belongs to them, why are they one hundred miles away?"

"Good question," the Doctor mused. His gaze searched the empty air as he sought answers. Jay impatiently swept golden hair over her shoulder as the Tritovore chirped again, telling them that it was almost ready. She smiled at it gratefully. He thought it over for a few moments, and then blinked when Jay gave a triumphant sound and beamed at the holographic form that had appeared before them all, spinning slowly and moving in a lazy, natural way. He flashed Jay a delighted smile that she smugly returned. "Good work, Jay," he said cheerfully, leaning in to peek at the creature alongside everyone else.

"Billions of them," he murmured. "Flying in formation, all around the planet…"

Jay prodded his arm lightly and said slowly, "Doctor, what about their speed? They're moving quickly, right?"

His eyes lit with realization. "They're flying faster, and faster, and faster, 'til they generate a rupture in space!" he cried. "The speed of them, and the numbers...the size, all of that rips the wormhole into existence. They're literally creating a wormhole to cross through. It's getting bigger as they get closer."

Christina frowned at the creature they were looking at, her lips pursed. "But how do they get through? That wormhole's a killer. We've seen it."

A flash caught Jay's eye and she realized, "Metal. They're made of metal. Look at them. They can protect themselves from the wormhole that way, right?"

Christina hummed, nodding to herself. That made sense. She turned to the pair beside her and the Tritovores, pointing out, "The thing is, Doctor, you're missing the obvious. We came here through the wormhole, but our Tritovore friends didn't. They came here to trade with San Helios, so why did they crash?"

The Tritovores glanced at one another, and then one gestured eagerly for them to follow. As the second lingered behind, studying the metal creature, the first led the trio through the ship until they came to a rather large drop in the floor. They carefully peered over the edge, and Jay's face paled immediately. Instinctively, she grabbed the Doctor's sleeve, drawing comfort from the fact that he was there and would most certainly not let her fall.

He smiled reassuringly at her and then peered back down into the hole. "Gravity Well. Goes all the way down to the engine. So what happened?" The Tritovore chirped, explaining, and he said, "He says the drive system stalled. Ten miles up, they fell out of the sky. But what caused that?" The Tritovore shrugged and Jay supposed it didn't know. Regardless, the Doctor nodded and said hopefully, "That's a crystal nucleus down there, yes? It looks like it survived the crash. If that crystal's intact...that's much better than diesel."

Jay's lips twitched upwards into a smile in realization. "The bus."

"The spaceship's a write-off," he confirmed, "but the two hundred's small enough."

"How does a crystal drive a bus?" Christina muttered, but the Doctor was already on the move again, muttering to himself as he turned to the Tritovore. He began firing off questions and comments, and the Tritovore responded in turn.

Eventually, he decided, "You two stay here. Keep an eye on that shaft. Tell me if anything happens." He pressed something into each of their hands, tapped his ear, and then turned and ran, the Tritovore hurrying after him. Jay stared after him, frustrated. She had no idea what he'd meant, no idea how to put the damn thing on.

Christina cleared her throat as she dropped her bag, shuffling through it and dropping to sit on the edge of the giant drop. Jay swallowed thickly, absolutely refusing to go any closer than necessary. "You don't know what you're doing with these, do you?" said Christina, putting her own device in her ear.

"No, not really." Jay made a face, and Christina flashed a grin as she began digging in her bag. She listed a few instructions and Jay was delighted when she heard the Doctor's voice start rambling in her ear.

"-see a panel opening in that shaft, let me know," he was instructing, and Jay narrowed her eyes. He better not have expected her to be watching that shaft for such things. There was no way in hell she was going anywhere near that damn drop. She blinked when she realized that Christina was pulling things from her bag.

She furrowed her brow as the Doctor and Christina began exchanging comments back and forth about things that weren't happening. Jay barely noticed as Christina clipped a harness over her body, tied her hair up, and it was at the point that Christina clipped a cable to her harness that Jay realized what was happening. "So let me get this right. You need that crystal?" drawled Christina, attaching a small flashlight to her harness. "Then consider it done."

"Wait just a second," Jay realized, her heart skipping a beat as Christina rose to her feet. "What are you doing?"

"Jay? What's happening? What's she doing? Christina?!"

Christina flicked her ponytail out of her face and smirked over her shoulder at Jay. "The aristocracy survives for a reason. We're ready for everything."

Jay heard footsteps rushing towards them and she snapped her head around in time to see the Doctor burst through a doorway, lurching forward. Jay turned her attention back onto Christina in time to see her take a rather graceful dive over the side. Jay shrieked in alarm, horrified. The Doctor darted past her, sonic screwdriver already out and buzzing, and the cable seemed to smoke lightly when it stopped ripping through the metal pieces attached to it. The Doctor breathed a sigh of relief.

"Is she okay?" Jay fretted, refusing to step any closer despite her concern for Christina.

The Doctor bent over the side of the large drop with care. "Yes," he confirmed, sighing once again in relief.

"I decide when I stop, thank you," said Christina, displeased, and Jay rolled her eyes. She could have throttled her for being so reckless! Especially when the Doctor scowled and pointed out a security grid she'd been about to hit. Christina merely hummed, "Excellent. So, what do I do?"

Drily, Jay muttered, "Let me guess. Try the big red button?"

The Doctor beamed at her and Jay was relieved when Christina chirped, "Well done."

As Christina continued her work on retrieving the crystal they'd need to get back through the wormhole, the Doctor casually turned an interested look onto the bag Christina had kept so very close to her for the entire time they'd been on San Helios. "Quite the mystery, aren't you? Lady Christina de Souza, carrying a winch in her bag." He cleared his throat quietly, gesturing towards it when he had Jay's attention. She frowned in disapproval, gesturing back. You do it. She didn't want to dig through someone else's things.

"No stranger than you, spaceman."

Jay flinched as if a bullet had struck her, hating that the word came from someone else's mouth. She could practically hear what Donna would have said at the moment, as the Doctor cautiously dragged the bag closer to him and crouched beside it, beginning to dig through it. He didn't visibly react, but he did say quietly, "We had this friend once. She called me that."

"And was she right? Do you zoom about the place in a rocket?"

Jay took a deep breath and forced herself to ease out of the pain of loss from her heart. Christina likely hadn't meant to upset them in such a way. How could she have possibly known about that? She cautiously edged closer as the Doctor answered, curious when his expression shifted to one of shock. "A little blue box, actually. Travels through time, too, Christina. Oh, the places we've been. End of the universe, even." He flashed Jay a wicked grin that made her roll her eyes once again. That had been her least favorite journey to date. Well, between that and the trip aboard the Crucible, but even that hadn't been as bad as her time aboard the Valiant. "And," continued the Doctor, lifting out a beautiful golden chalice that caught Jay's eye immediately. He showed it to her with a wry smile. "The court of King Athelstan in nine-twenty-four A.D. But I don't remember you being there, so what are you doing with this?"

"Excuse me. A gentleman and lady never go through a lady's possessions."

"What is it?" Jay questioned, reaching out to gently touch the golden chalice. "It's beautiful."

"It's the Cup of Athelstan," he told her. "Given to the first king of Britain, as a coronation gift from Hywel, the king of the Welsh. But it's been held in the International Gallery for two hundred years, which makes you, Lady Christina, a thief."

"I like to think I liberated it," chirped Christina without a lick of remorse. A sudden screech filled their ears, and Jay thought it must have been loud indeed for them to catch it through Christina's headpiece. "What the blazes was that?"

"We never did find out why the ship crashed. Christina, I think you should come back up," said the Doctor urgently. Christina denied doing so, determined to get the crystal she was getting close to, and the Doctor exhaled sharply. "Careful. Slowly." He glanced at something over Jay's shoulder, and she jumped when she realized the Tritovore that had accompanied them stood there, watching curiously. "Have you got an open-vent system?" It chirped and he sighed. "I thought so."

Christina suddenly grunted in a rather unlady-like manner. "One of the creatures. It's not moving - I think it's injured."

The Doctor rose quickly, and Jay anxiously shifted back and forth as he said grimly, "It got trapped in the vents and caused the crash. It's dormant, because it's so cold down there, but your body heat is raising the temperature, Christina, and you need to get out now."

"Almost there…" Christina's voice was tight as she struggled with what she was doing. "Got it!"

Jay's breath caught when she heard the odd screech again, and the sonic screwdriver lit up and buzzed as the Doctor pointed it at the metal piece connecting the cables. Within an instant, Jay knew Christina was flying up the massive drop, and Jay shifted anxiously back and forth as she waited to see what would happen. The Doctor laughed suddenly as he peered down and when Christina shot up to the top the Doctor was ready to help her get free of the harness and bindings. Christina was grinning as she passed the crystal in her hands to the Tritovore that rushed to grab it, chirping cheerfully.

"Well done," praised the Doctor, and she merely smiled wickedly at him, as if she'd never considered that she might not be capable of doing such a thing. Christina grabbed her bag, ensuring her precious cup was where it should have been, and shouldered it as the Doctor took off. The Tritovore and Jay bolted after it with Christina hot on their heels.

The other Tritovore chirped in greeting as they came flying towards it. The Doctor grinned back at it. "Commander!" he said cheerfully. "Mission complete! Now we've got to get back to the two hundred, all of us." The Tritovores glanced at one another and uttered a chirped protest, but he scoffed. "Don't be so daft. A captain can leave his ship if there's a bus standing by."

Jay glanced above them when the ship seemed to rumble its disagreement all around them. "Doctor?" she breathed, and the Doctor grimaced. Her face paled when he threw her a pointed look, indicating that she'd need to be ready to run.

"If you hit a swarm…" he mused.

"There's more?" snapped Christina, and he shrugged.

"This ship's built inside a metal sleeve," the Doctor told them. "They can move through the infrastructure, all around us." To back up his words, there was a nasty sounding series of crashes as the creatures slammed into the walls all around them. Jay felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up as she yanked anxiously at his arm, keen on getting out. Clearly they were hungering for the group dwelling in the ship. "Right, time to go. Commander, you've got to come with us. Both of you."

The Tritovores glanced at one another and then nodded curtly. Without a word, the Doctor turned to leave, Christina at his shoulder. It was Jay who suddenly gave a cry, noticing a flash of metal as it descended upon them, dropping heavily upon one of the Tritovores. The Tritovore was gone within seconds, devoured, and the other followed when it desperately tried to help its companion.

"Go," the Doctor shouted, grabbing her shoulder and shoving her forward. They flung themselves forward, the Doctor ushering the two women ahead of him, until they burst out into the desert. Jay swore loudly, scowling at the heat even as she ran. It was hard work, running across open sand dunes in which they sank partially and slipped down the other side, sometimes nearly tumbling head over heels. As they were running, Jay could practically picture the creatures snapping after them, trying to catch them in their sharp teeth. Jay yelped when the phone in her pocket started ringing, but didn't bother answering. They didn't have time to answer a phone right now.

"At last!" called Nathan as they flew over a dune and came to the bus. He and Barclay were outside, eyes shaded as they watched them race for the bus. "Where have you been?"

"Jay!" barked the Doctor, yanking at the crystal he carried. He unhooked something from it, already attaching it to the bus's wheel by the time he finished his demand. "Get them inside. Get them sitting down." He unhooked three other pieces, and then chucked the crystal over his shoulder. Christina squawked in outrage, horrified that she'd apparently risked her life for no reason.

"Right," said Jay as he dove for the second wheel. She bolted for the two outside and ushered them in. The occupants of the bus all looked confused and startled as Jay directed them into various seats, away from the driver's seat. With good reason, too, thought Jay as the Doctor slammed through the door a few moments later and bolted right into the seat.

Christina clung to the back of the seat, and Jay perked up when he demanded a hammer. Christina passed him one from her bag of endless tools, and then after taking a breath to steady himself, the Doctor ordered, "Jay, can you redial that number Malcolm called from?"

"Yes," she said confidently, doing so. She passed him the phone.

"Malcolm!" the Doctor cried, studying the bus's machinery with an intent look. "We're trying to get back, but there might be something following us. You need to find a way to close the wormhole!" A pause, the hammer held aloft. "You're brilliant!" He hung up after that and threw the phone at Jay. She snagged it and put it in her pocket, taking a breath herself.

The steering wheel sparked and the Doctor yelped, ripping his hand away. Jay listened to a loud clunk and informed him, "They're not compatible, Doctor. The systems. The bus can't run properly."

"We need to weld them together," the Doctor murmured, frowning. "I need something non-corrosive, something malleable. Ductile. Something gold." He suddenly beamed at Christina and her face paled at the very idea of what he was suggesting. "Come on, Christina, what's it worth now?"

"Christina," Jay said gently. "It's the cup or us. We can't get back to Earth without that cup."

Christina looked at her, and then the Doctor, and then over her shoulder at the other nervous passengers. In the back of the bus, Carmen was whispering to herself, shaken. Finally, she handed the cup over to the Doctor, warning him, "It's over a thousand years old. Worth eighteen million. Promise you'll be careful."

"I promise," the Doctor said, and it was the twitch of his lips that told Jay otherwise. As soon as it was in his hands, he winked playfully at her, and then tipped the cup upside down and began to slam the hammer into it as hard as he could, drawing a horrified, choked sound from Christina.

It took the Doctor a couple, precious minutes to fix the bus, and when it was ready, he grinned wildly. "This is your driver speaking: hold on tight!"

Jay stared at him for only a moment and hurled herself into the seat behind him, immediately latching onto the closest secure piece. She chose the back of his seat. She hadn't forgotten the hell that they'd gone through coming through the wormhole the first time. "Ready," she told him, and the Doctor glanced over his shoulder with another smile.

"Do as he says!" Christina ordered the others over her shoulder before whispering, "What are you doing?"

"Just sit!" said Jay impatiently, yanking her down to sit beside her. Christina grunted softly as she fell into the seat. They watched intently as the Doctor began trying to start the bus again, laughing in delight when it suddenly rumbled to life and began rattling loudly around them. Everyone in the seats behind them gave varying sounds of amazed astonishment as the bus finally lifted from the sand and into the air. Barclay pressed his face to a cracked window, grinning in disbelief.

"He's flying the bus!" cried Lou, peering out himself.

As the Doctor swung the bus around to face the wormhole, Jay snapped her head back. The screams were louder, and the voice in her head was telling them to go, go, go. Determined, Jay hurtled over the back of the seat and bolted to join Carmen and Lou at the back, ignoring Christina's call of confusion. Carmen looked petrified as she stared out the back window, her hand clutching Lou's. "They're coming," she whispered.

Sure enough, Jay could see the storm on the horizon. She whipped her head around. "Doctor," she shouted, "go!"

The Doctor slammed his foot on the gas and the bus lurched forward, barreling into the wormhole. Jay clutched the seat closest to her, flinching when the world erupted around the bus, shaking it violently. She hung on tighter until suddenly, the bus burst through the other side in a flash of light and soared into the beautiful nighttime sky. Everyone immediately began cheering at the sight of the world below with its sparkling electrical lights.

"We're back home!" cried Angela, sobbing in relief.

"Jay!" the Doctor suddenly called. "Get Malcolm to close that wormhole!"

Jay didn't hesitate to rip the phone out of her pocket and redial the number they'd called several times that day. She pressed it to her ear, ducking down when a few bullets being fired by guns below struck their bus, glancing off of three creatures that had managed to come through. "Hello, Malcolm," she said cheerfully when he answered, "this is Jay, on behalf of the Doctor. Close that wormhole!"

"Yes, ma'am," he said cheerfully in her ear. "My pleasure!"

Jay grinned, stumbling cautiously up the aisle of the bus to report, "Malcolm's working on it-" She yelped when the bus lurched sideways, struck by a bullet that glanced off one of the clamps keeping it afloat. The others shrieked and cried out. Swearing, Jay managed to right herself. The Doctor carefully guided the bus further away, unwilling to go further. The Doctor threw her a pointed look and she dialed the number again, passing the phone to him.

The second Malcolm picked up, the Doctor questioned, "Malcolm?" The Doctor sputtered a moment later, annoyed. "He's hung up on me!" Despite the situation, Jay grinned at his offended look and tried again, pressing the phone to the Doctor's ear for him while he tried to keep the bus out of the way of bullets. As she held it there for him, Jay glanced over her shoulder; everyone was ducked down, trying to stay as safe as they could.

The Doctor flashed her a grateful look as he ordered, "Malcolm! Listen to me! I need that signal. We've got billions of those things about to fly through." The Doctor paused as Malcolm spoke. "Loop it back through the integrator, and keep the signal ramping up. Five hundred Bernards. Do it. Now!" He grinned when Malcolm clearly gave him some good news only a moment later.

"Look out!" shouted Nathan suddenly, peering out the window. "Doctor, there's one coming for us!"

The Doctor shoved the phone away and immediately cranked the wheel around, instead slamming the creature when the bus swerved. Jay winced at the crack of metal on metal. She peered out the bus's windshield, watching flashes of light as the soldiers on the ground each shot at the creatures. A small missile slammed into one, and it finally did the trick. Before long, they'd destroyed all three.

Everyone cheered when the Doctor declared, "Looks like we're safe now!"

Christina flashed Jay a wicked smile, and Jay smiled back.

---

It didn't take long for the bus to land, and everyone was pleased to be safely on the ground again - on Earth's ground. Poor Lou looked as if he'd kiss the ground beneath their feet. Carmen was smugly smiling at him, cheerful about their safe return from a strange place filled with screaming voices in her head.

"Alright?" the Doctor asked Jay as she took a deep breath and looked around at everyone, who'd begun to stand up. Christina had risen, too, and was brushing herself off. He searched Jay's gaze closely, concerned about any incoming attacks that might strike her down. He wasn't too happy with the idea of seeing her in pain again after the last one she'd endured. It had been brutal, following her staving it off for so long. The Doctor had gone so far as to worry that she might not be able to recover at all, with her inability to breathe or do anything but convulse in pain for several minutes.

But Jay's face melted into a bright, warm smile, and he couldn't help but smile back at her fondly. "Yes," she promised, touching his hand, and the Doctor found he quite liked the feeling of her hand in his.

The moment was interrupted when Christina cleared her throat to catch his attention, her dark eyes sparkling with excitement over what had just happened. "Did I say I hated you?" she rasped, and he blinked, alarmed when she seized him by the lapels of his suit jacket, grinning. "I was lying."

The Doctor was bewildered when she dragged him into a long, rough kiss that had everyone else on the bus whistling, cheering, and clapping playfully. When she pulled back, he blinked at her for a moment, stunned. His mouth opened and closed a few times. It hadn't been the first time such a thing had happened, and instinctively, he told himself it was simply adrenaline. Christina had been overwhelmed by it, and in the excitement, had given into some impulsive thought-

For some reason, he felt the sudden desire to glance at Jay, and he furrowed his brow in concern when he found her staring hard at her feet, looking a little confused and hurt. Worried, he decided to shoo everyone off the bus, using his sonic to open the bus doors. Within moments, everyone was piling out, belongings tucked to their chests and under their arms. The Doctor grumbled as he found himself swept off the bus alongside the rest of them. Jay followed them all, ensuring that everyone was off, and murmured something to Carmen, who smiled in a friendly manner towards her.

A soldier was there waiting for them, and the Doctor straightened, knowing immediately what was coming. "Welcome back," the soldier said with shocking warmness, pleased to see that all had made it back safely. "If you could step away from the bus to be safe. As fast as you can. It's standard procedure. We need to screen you, and then you'll all be taken to debriefing."

The Doctor didn't hesitate to reach behind him and grab Jay's wrist, tugging her up beside him. "We don't count," he said immediately, fishing around for his psychic paper. He showed it to the soldier, and without prompting, led his friend away from the others. She waved over her shoulder at Lou and Carmen, who waved back. The others all waved, too, shouting farewells. Only Christina stepped after them, startled, but a soldier stopped her before she could go anywhere.

"Jay-" the Doctor began, intending to ask her if she was truly alright, but he was interrupted again by someone shouting, "Doctor!" He looked up and blinked at the sight of a man and woman approaching them. One was clearly a soldier, but the other...the Doctor grinned. "You must be Malcolm," he said cheerfully, and then grunted as he was tackled in a hug. The Doctor sputtered, unprepared. "I love you," he declared several times, and despite whatever had upset her, Jay cracked a smile and laughed softly.

The soldier, who must have been Erisa, stared at him in exasperation. "Back to your station, Dr. Taylor," she ordered, and he saluted playfully.

"Yes, ma'am," he chirped, starting back for a small trailer that the Doctor suspected contained his lab. He turned as he walked, moving backwards, and pointed at the Doctor, shouting once more, "I love you!"

Jay laughed again as the Doctor grinned back at him and pointed as well before focusing on Erisa. She saluted him, and the Doctor scowled, but Erisa said, "I salute you, whether you like it or not. Now, I take it we're safe from those things?"

The Doctor ran a hand over his head, frowning thoughtfully. His hair was mussed more than usual when he dropped his hand. "They'll start again. Generate a new doorway. It's not their fault, it's their natural life cycle. But we'll see if I can nudge the wormholes on to uninhabited planets. Closer to home, Captain," he continued, gesturing towards the group. "Those two lads over there, very good in a crisis…" He paused when Jay suddenly swiveled her head around. She ducked away, making a beeline for some covered object nearby, and he frowned curiously, but finished. "Nathan needs a job, and Barclay's good with engines. You could do a lot worse. Privates Nathan and Barclay, UNIT's finest...Jay, what are you doing?"

She looked over her shoulder at him, her white teeth flashing in a bright smile. "Saying hello," she chirped as she ran her fingers along the tarp, yanking at it until it fell away. The Doctor lit up when it revealed the TARDIS. The blue box seemed right at home in the nighttime lights, muted and calm. "Much better than a bus," she said happily as he bolted over to join her with a joyful sound, Erisa trailing after him.

"Found in the gardens of Buckingham Palace," commented Erisa pointedly, looking between the pair with sharp dark eyes.

Jay ran her fingers fondly over the blue box, and the Doctor listened to the TARDIS's pleased hum. It always made him happy to know that the TARDIS was so fond of his companions. Usually. There had been some instances in which the TARDIS had been annoyed with a friend here or there. Mostly Donna lately, in the moments Donna had insulted her a bit more than the TARDIS was okay with.

"Now," said Erisa with a hint of amusement. "I've got three dead alien stingrays to clean up. I don't suppose you fancy helping with the paperwork?" The Doctor gave her a playful smirk, and she sighed with a shake of her head. "Didn't think so. Until we meet again, Doctor." She gave another salute, and the pair shook hands. "It was a pleasure to meet you as well," she added to Jay, shaking her hand, too.

"Likewise," said Jay cheerfully. "And thank you for all your help."

As Erisa left, Jay folded her arms and rocked back on her heels, leaning back on the TARDIS. The Doctor, relieved to finally be able to speak without being interrupted, glanced at her. "Are you sure you're alright, Jay?" he prompted. He knew something had upset her, though he couldn't exactly confirm what. Of course, now that he was looking at her a few minutes after she'd looked upset, she seemed less so and more confused and frustrated then upset. As if she'd realized something and didn't know what to do.

Jay picked her words carefully, and he knew she wasn't being entirely truthful when she finally murmured, "I think so. I'm fine now. I'll figure it out later." She paused, and then admitted, "I think...I think I want to speak with someone, but I need to make sure they're able to talk with me first." The Doctor was befuddled, and catching the confusion on his face, she smiled with enough warmth that he let it go, even as she took his hand, squeezed it tightly, and murmured, "I'm fine. Nothing to worry about, I don't think. Besides," she nodded at Christina, who suddenly broke away from the others and bolted in their direction.

The Doctor pressed his mouth into a hard line, already guessing at what Christina wanted. And he knew what his answer would be. Jay startled him, however, when she leaned into his shoulder and whispered, "Be kind to her. She's no different than Martha, Donna, or even me. She wants to see the stars, too."

The Doctor knew that, but appreciated his friend's concern for someone else's feelings regarding what she'd already known he would say. He squeezed her hand back and then stepped forward to greet Christina as she stumbled to a halt, panting lightly. The Doctor eyed several officers approaching, even as she said cheerfully, "Little blue box, just like you said! Right, off we go. Come on, Doctor, show me the stars."

It was always hard denying people what he'd always wanted, what he knew Jay loved, what Donna and Martha and Rose and so many others had loved. But he still said quietly, "No."

"But...I saved your lives," Christina said, astonished. "And you saved mine." The Doctor said nothing. "We're surrounded by police. I'll go to prison!" she cried.

He did feel somewhat bad about that. Perhaps she'd been stealing things she ought to go to prison for stealing, but...she'd not seemed like a bad person. Her priority had been getting everyone home safely, and she'd even gone so far as to give up her treasure to ensure it. Jay bit her lip, clearly feeling the same as the Doctor simply gave a curt nod.

Christina stared at him pleadingly. She couldn't believe what he was telling her, and the Doctor felt even worse about it. "But you were right, it's not about the money. I only steal things for the adventure, and today...I want more days like this. I want every day to be like this."

The Doctor took a deep breath before saying firmly, "People have traveled with me, and I've lost them. Lost them all. Never again." When Christina gestured to Jay, trying to protest, the Doctor opened his mouth to explain, but Jay cut him off.

"I don't count," she said simply, and the Doctor couldn't say he liked it when she continued, "I'm running on borrowed time." She extended her arm, showing Christina the black veins that crept along the crease of her elbow. The Doctor made a note to study them closer at a later time, wondering if they'd increased since the last time they'd had a serious talk about what was happening to her.

"Lady Christina de Souza!" announced a man in a uniform as he finally reached them, accompanied by several other officers. She ignored him, staring helplessly at Jay and the Doctor as he grabbed her hands and began handcuffing them behind her back. "I have waited a long time to say this," he told her as he did so. "I am arresting you on suspicion of theft."

The Doctor and Jay watched as she was led away, her head hanging in defeat, and he felt a flicker of guilt. He never felt right about such things. He was still watching after her when Jay suddenly cleared her throat and nudged him with her elbow, nodding at something. The Doctor looked over and found Carmen and Lou approaching, arm in arm. His face immediately melted into a warm smile.

"Thanks for everything," said Lou sincerely.

"It was nothing," Jay answered, eyes sparkling with delight as she touched Carmen's elbow and said farewell.

Carmen smiled hesitantly at her in turn, somewhat shy before she turned to the Doctor with a serious look. "You take care now, Doctor," she said rather sternly. "Because your song is ending, sir."

The Doctor's cheerful look vanished immediately, replaced with shock and alarm, and Jay uttered a sound of surprise as he said warily, "What do you mean?"

Her words so closely resembled those of Ood Sigma's. "I think your song must end soon." It unnerved him now just as much as it had frightened him then, for the idea of his own era coming to an end upset him greatly. He clenched his jaw as Carmen searched his gaze seriously and warmed, "It is returning. Through the dark. And then...oh, but then, Doctor, he will knock four times."

Warning stated, she shook her disturbing thoughts away, bid them a final farewell, and then left with Lou. The Doctor's breath seemed to be stuck in his throat as he stared after her. He couldn't think past the words she'd uttered to him, regarding his song, the knock. It was all rather menacing, if he was being perfectly honest, even for the Doctor, who'd been through such things before - and likely worse.

But there was nothing he wanted less than to become a new Doctor. He liked who he was, what he looked like. And there was Jay, too. She'd stated over and over that even if he changed faces, she'd still be there, but the thought of how long it had taken even Rose to accept that he truly was the Doctor, even if he looked, sounded, and acted a little differently…

He didn't think he was ready to lose Jay, too.

Softly, Jay whispered, as if knowing exactly what he was sitting there fretting about, "It's just like last time someone said that. I'll be here, regardless of what you look like. You're the Doctor, no matter what happens." In a slightly more playful manner, she added, "You're stuck with me, whether you like it or not."

He did like it, of course. The Doctor loved having her along. It was nice to have someone who shared in his grief for Donna. And while it didn't make it any less, it eased the pain to know that he wasn't alone. Still, the Doctor murmured his gratitude. "Thank you," he told her simply, and she smiled like he'd given her the entire universe. He liked that smile; she often wore it when they were together.

Jay changed the subject then. She gave him a sharp jab with her elbow and pointed at where Christina was being pointed towards a police car. "Help her out already," she told him with a mocking sigh, rolling her eyes. "And when you're done, hurry up and come back to the TARDIS. I'm hungry, and I want to see if you actually know how to make half of what you say you can make."

The Doctor looked insulted enough with the accusation that he couldn't make anything that Jay tossed her head back and laughed before sweeping back for the TARDIS. She didn't even need to unlock the doors; the TARDIS did it for her. When she'd disappeared safely inside, the Doctor merely ran a hand through his mussed dark hair and shook his head.

He'd fight that apparent fate. His song couldn't be ending - it couldn't.

He'd make sure of it.

The Doctor wasn't quite ready, he realized, to stop running just yet.

---

I love this episode. It took me forever to find it the first time I watched it, but when I did...oof, it's a favorite for some reason. I don't actually care much for Christina though.

ANYHOW thank you for your patience, and I hope you enjoyed! :) I haven't decided about "The Waters of Mars" yet. I'm wavering between yes or no, but we'll see. I DO have one final original chapter planned for the tenth Doctor. I think everyone will like it. ;) It'll have a very big cameo from someone we all love.

EchoMoment, regarding my thoughts on the Doctor and Rose...I love the idea of them having a relationship, but I can see how it might be viewed otherwise. The two seasons with Rose are some of my favorite to watch, and I definitely like them together, but I can see how others might not agree. :)

Thanks to reviewers (EchoMoment and savethemadscientist!) as well as those who favorited and followed!