Last of Their Kind

by ThyWanderer

Worn down from years of strife as the last of her kind, Madison once believed happiness was far from reach. Everything begins to change when she meets a man called the Doctor. As secrets and sorrows are shared between them, the pair finds comfort together amidst the stars. Madison can only hope that this time things will be different, even if the universe has other plans for her.

53. Chapter 53

Hello everyone! Here for another update! I hope everyone enjoys the newest chapter.

CW: This chapter deals with some sensitive issues dealing with racism. I tried to tackle it the best I could. I don't claim to be an authority on this topic, I simply wanted to address some of the problems I saw within the season where this section of the fic takes place. I wanted to have the characters discuss these issues because they neglected to in the show. If they are not addressed well, I do apologize as I did try my best.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story and thank you for your patience with me on these topics and long update periods. I appreciate all of you!

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Chapter 53

Madison noticed how quiet Mathra became as they strolled down through the corridors together. No doors had come up just yet, meaning the TARDIS must still be working on creating a room for the new companion. That, or the ship was merely giving Madison time to speak with Martha more privately. Something Madison was grateful for.

"I do apologise for what the Doctor had said. It wasn't right of him," Madison finally said after a moment, glancing Martha's way to see how tired the young woman appeared to be.

There came a large yawn from Martha as she gave a sleepy, crooked smile. "It's alright. It's not like I haven't heard that one before." There came a grimace from the woman then, as though she had not meant to say such a thing out loud and so casually.

"You're told you're not a priority often?" Madison asked gently, feeling there was much to Martha's statement. Something lying just beneath the surface that Martha so desperately tried to keep hidden.

There came a small puff as Martha exhaled, avoiding Madison's gaze for the moment. "You could say something like that," muttered Martha. As Madison continued to stare at the woman, it seemed eventually Martha knew that the Mer would not be satisfied with that answer alone. "Not that I want to tell my whole life story, but . . . When you have an older sister who's the popular one, a younger brother who's the baby of the family, and two parents who could barely stand each other for years, you get used to everyone's attention being on everything else but you."

Starting to see the picture—recalling the scene outside of the traven—Madison made a small noise of understanding. "Ah. I see. Middle child difficulties. Are you also the one who normally has to try and keep the peace between everyone around you?"

"Ugh, yes! Don't even get me started on that one." Martha gave a quick glance of surprise then towards Madison. "How'd you know?"

Madison gave her a sympathetic smile. "I've been around a while. You learn a thing or two when it comes to family dynamics."

"Family, and—well, I did mention before, not exactly white, am I? So it's not just my family telling me I'm not the priority," muttered Martha.

Nodding gravely, Madison felt for the woman beside her. "Yes, I've seen what prejudices others have faced over the years. Not that I'm claiming to understand what you or anyone else has been through. I'm aware that I will never experience discrimination based on skin colour, given what I was born looking like . . ." Trailing off, Madison felt her words rambling on a bit as she was uncertain how to show support for Martha.

As a Mer, mistreating others based on appearance alone was such a strange notion. In the memories passed down through the eras, Mer came in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and colours. Because thoughts and emotions were shared so easily amongst each other, Mer lived together in harmony. The concept of such petty bigotry had come from humans, leaving many Mer repulsed and unwilling to integrate into humanity for some time until it became impossible to live freely in the seas. Although Madison had experienced hostility based on her gender, where she grew up, and even her hair colour, she would never truly understand the animosity humanity felt for one another.

Though, in the end, she knew it wasn't about her feelings. It was more important to be kind to those affected by humanity's hatred, to call out the bigotry whenever and wherever she saw it. Even if she couldn't change the world, couldn't change everyone's minds, she hoped that she could at least help in some small way.

"You don't have to think too hard about it," Martha interjected, breaking Madison from her thoughts. "I know he didn't mean it like that or anything. I've already guessed that it's just a protective . . . boyfriend thing."

"Still though, it doesn't make his words right. I'll make certain he apologises in the morning," Madison assured Martha.

There was a small twitch in the young woman's face, showing a slight smile just there. "Were you the one to make him apologise for the kiss?"

"Well, yes. It was awfully rude of him to kiss you without permission."

"Hmm. That, and he's your boyfriend. Can't have him go around kissing random strangers, can you?"

Madison noticed the teasing smile on the woman's face, feeling her own smile creeping forward. "Yes, there is that one, too," she said as she chuckled.

Glancing up ahead, she smiled as she noticed a door suddenly appearing. One with the golden words of Martha Jones written across the wooden door. She came to a halt beside it, making Martha swiftly stop as well when noticing Madison's pause. "Seems your room is ready," Madison said, gesturing towards the door for Martha to enter. She stood to the side as Martha opened the door and stepped into her new door. Madison had to suppress her laughter as Martha gasped loudly and exclaimed 'Oh my god!'

"This can't be real! It looks just like my flat!" Martha continued to explore her new room.

Madison couldn't help herself but to peek around, seeing it was an ordinary flat like any other back on Earth in the London area. It seemed the TARDIS felt Martha's tastes were sensible, that of basic comforts. Nothing as wild as what Jack's room had been. "I did mention that she reads your thoughts to see what you'd like, didn't I?"

"Yeah, but . . . I didn't think it'd be an exact copy," Martha replied with a shake of her head. "This is incredible."

Madison chuckled lightly as she saw Martha give a large yawn. "Well, I'll leave you alone now. You get some rest. I'll see you in the morning."

"Is there even morning or night now with this ship being a time travelling machine? I can't imagine being able to keep my days straight."

"It can be difficult, yes. But the TARDIS is good at accommodating needed sleep schedules."

With waves and goodbyes given, Madison soon left the new companion to get some sleep while heading straight for her and the Doctor's room. The TARDIS had the room close by to Martha's, opening the door for Madison even before she touched the doorknob. She gave a smile and soft thanks to the ship before entering the room fully. The moment she stepped inside and closed the door behind her, she saw that the Doctor was already there. He sat hunched over on the edge of the bed. Head in his hands as he seemed to be in a weary state. He raised his head somewhat when hearing Madison come into the room, giving a tired smile.

"Hello, cowgirl," he said quietly. His smile dropped then as he grimaced. "I, ah, was rather rude again, wasn't I?"

Madison gave him a nod. "Yes, you were."

"I should apologise, shouldn't I?"

"Yes, you should."

With a heavy sigh, he slowly buried his face into his hands once again, gripping at his hair this time. "I'm sorry," she heard him mumble.

A sigh of her own, Madison went over to him and sat beside him on the bed, gently rubbing a hand in circles on his back. "Oh, spaceman. Don't apologise to me. You need to apologise to Martha. Your words hurt her deeper than I think even she realises."

Shifting again, the Doctor turned his gaze onto her. "What do you mean?"

"Well, for starters, she admitted, in not so many words, that she's made to feel less important by her family. Being a middle child and all, that does tend to happen at times."

A hum and a grimace, the Doctor nodded slowly. "Right."

"There's also the factor of, well, since she is a woman of colour, she's used to that sort of message from those who are, um, well, to say it plainly, are racist and bigoted." Now she knew she had confused the Doctor. There was a furrow in his brow as he blinked in surprise.

"What?" he uttered in shock.

With a stern eye, Madison shook her head. "Come now, spaceman. You've travelled to Earth countless times. Even you must realise what it could appear to mean by telling a black woman she's a lesser priority than a white woman, and being told so by a white man. Even though Martha and I both know you didn't intend for that sort of message to be made, she did admit to me that it is a thought that crossed her mind."

His mouth opened and closed for a good beat. Eventually, he snapped it shut and blew out a long breath. Shaking his head, he bowed his head in shame. "I . . . never even thought of that. And I should have. You're right. I'm sorry."

Madison gently grabbed onto one of his hands, rubbing soothing circles on his skin. "It's alright, spaceman. Please don't be so hard on yourself. As I said, Martha knows you didn't intend for it to come across that way." They both remained quiet for a moment, sitting in calm silence. Gradually, Madison asked, "I know you've told me a Time Lord can regenerate into any gender, with any sort of skin colour. Have you ever been a person of colour yourself?"

"No. I've always been a white male. Which just shows my privilege when it comes to these sorts of things, I know." He leaned his head against her shoulder and she gave the crown of his head a tender kiss. "I just . . . mmm . . . I don't . . . no, I can't lose you again. That's why you've got to be a priority."

"But I cannot be a priority. Not when it comes to our companions on the TARDIS. Humans especially. They're so much more fragile than you and I. They must always come first. You know this."

A grunt then a sigh, the Doctor eventually nodded. "Right. You're right. I know. I just—just can't . . ." His hand in hers tightened around her fingers. The emotional tremor could be heard in his voice.

She kissed his head again. "Remember what I promised? I'm not going anywhere. Not again. And if I do, I'll fight the universe itself to make my way back to you."

It was silent again, with only a small noise made by the Doctor. Soon he lifted her hand and gave it a lingering kiss before letting go. He gradually stood with a sigh. "I need to go and apologise to Martha."

"Shouldn't you allow her to sleep first?"

"No, something this important needs to be done sooner than later." He smiled at her then. "You go ahead and get into the bath. Don't worry about waiting for me. I can tell you're tired and need the rest."

With a wave, he was soon gone with the door closing right behind him. From there, it didn't take Madison long to get undressed and into the bath. She stretched out to her fullest, letting her tail sway happily under the warm waters of her bath. It felt soothing, the gentle water against her skin and the ability to fully layout. She did try to stay awake for him, wanting to be there to soothe him of any further emotional turmoil. But her eyes grew heavy as she lay there under the water of her bath, worn from the long day she had experienced. It did not take long for her to give in, falling into a deep slumber.

XxXxXxXxXx

When she woke again—mind and body well rested—she found the Doctor sitting in a chair beside the bathtub, reading a book peacefully. She could tell, just by watching him while underwater, that he was much more at ease than he had been. His features were relaxed; his posture laid back into the chair he sat in. He must have felt her eyes on him as he looked down and gave her the brightest smile. She was quick to sit up in the tub to greet him.

"Good morning, cowgirl!" he said brightly as she began to drain the water from the tub.

"Good morning yourself, spaceman," she replied. "Did you happen to get any sleep?"

"Hm, oh, yes, a few hours, maybe," he responded absently as he set aside his book and pulled out a few towels from under the sink across the room. He handed them to Madison once all the water was out of the tub and she began to dry herself.

Feeling more pressing matters, she glanced at him while trying her best to get all access water off of her tail. "I'm sorry, I fell asleep before you got back. How did your talk with Martha go?"

"Nah, no need to worry, I knew you were tired. As for Martha, I think we had a good talk. I apologised, and then we went on a bit discussing, erm, things."

Raising a brow, she turned to him curiously. "What sort of things? Was it a good discussion? I do hope you didn't ramble on all night keeping her up," she said, teasing him lightly with a smirk.

"Nah, you know me. I never ramble," he joked, giving her a wink as she chuckled. "No, we just talked about space and time travel. She's very curious about almost everything. Sort of, erm, reminds me of myself if I'm honest."

She saw how he rubbed at his earlobe, seeming discontented suddenly. "Is that a bad thing? I thought you enjoyed those who have such wondrous curiosity?"

"I do, it's just . . . Um, never mind." With a shake of his head, he stood up and walked out of the room momentarily. Not long after he was back again with some clothes for her in hand.

Madison hurried to dry her tail the rest of the way. Even with the Doctor assuring her that she could take her time. But she did not wish to take her time. She was excited for the next adventure the Doctor had planned and also did not wish to keep Martha waiting. There was a bit of sadness, though, with knowing it was the new day. The Doctor had only promised one more trip, then it was back home on Earth for Martha. Would that mean never seeing Martha again? Madison hardly thought the Doctor would want to explore further companionship with someone they hardly knew all that well. Shaking this thought away for now, she watched as her tail split in two, her scales and fins shrinking and forming back into a pair of legs. She wiggled her toes, shifting her legs around as she tried to work out the tingles that came from turning back into her human form. The Doctor helped her out of the tub as she wobbled onto her feet. Unsteady as per usual from the transformation. It only lasted a few moments though before she was dressed again.

"So, what is it that you have planned for today?" Madison asked curiously as she sat on the bed. The Doctor was currently sitting behind her, brushing her hair and braiding it for her.

"Well, I was thinking breakfast first. The rest, eh, will come to me as I go along," he answered. He kissed the side of her head after finishing with her hair. "Come on. I told Martha to meet us in the kitchen last night. She should be awake by now."

She followed him as he bounced from the bed and went to the door. He held her hand as they strolled through the corridors, coming into the galley to see Martha already there. Apparently, she had brewed some coffee for all three of them, sitting down at the island counter and sipping patiently at her cup.

"Good morning, Martha," the Doctor and Madison greeted together at the same time. Something which made the woman raise her brow.

"Don't tell me you two are the type of couple who finishes each others' sentences," Martha remarked as she took another gulp of coffee.

"No, well, maybe, sometimes," answered the Doctor awkwardly before clearing his throat hurriedly while Madison chortled beside him. "Anyway, breakfast?"

After a quick breakfast made by the Doctor, it was a short time of chatter before the Time Lord ushered the two women into the console room. "Alright! As I promised, one trip into the past and one into the future," he said as he went to the console and began hitting different switches and levers.

"How far are we going?" Martha asked excitedly, standing beside the console near Madison.

"Oh, far off from your time. And, maybe, on a different planet?" The Doctor gave a knowing smile at Martha, apparently amused by the gasp of surprise from the woman.

"Can we go to yours? I know Maddie says she's from Earth and all, but I'd love to see where you come from," Martha blurted out excitedly.

Next to the woman, Madison tensed. Her eyes darted towards the Doctor, ready for a negative reaction from him. She remembered what his reaction had been when Rose first pushed for answers about Gallifrey and his past. Though that had been a different face. A different man. So she thought quickly of what she might need to say to intervene on his behalf as she saw the light dimming in his eyes and the smile on his face lessen. He ducked his head, looking down at the console as he walked around to move further away from her and Martha.

"Nah, there's plenty of other places," he responded casually.

"He's right. Billions of planets in the universe and all," Madison added in, shifting on the spot as she felt shame in trying to divert the conversation. Just as she and the Doctor did yesterday. Something which Martha pointed out was disrespectful to her. And she was correct, of course. Madison knew that the girl deserved an honest answer for once when it came to her and the Doctor's past. Their origins and history. However, Madison was worried of it being too soon into the companionship between them and Martha. Would explaining these things so early be beneficial or harmful?

"Come on. I mean, the planet of the Time Lords. That's got to be worth a look," Martha countered, glancing between the Doctor (who was distant and withdrawn now) and Madison (who was currently biting the inside of her cheek, at a crossroads of what to do). "Have you ever been to his planet?" Martha asked Madison suddenly, startling the Mer out of her thoughts.

"Ah . . . no, I haven't," Madison replied quietly.

"See? Perfect opportunity for us to go," Martha stated then, looking eager for the Doctor's response. Martha went over closer to the Doctor then, seeming to ignore the two's strange reserved behaviour. "What's it like?" Martha questioned the Doctor.

"It's beautiful, yeah," the Doctor responded absently, fiddling with a few switches in front of him.

This response surprised Madison, making her pull back from her internal back and forth to glance his way. She didn't think he would respond at all. Or would have changed the subject entirely as he had in the past. He appeared calm and collected at the moment, not meeting Martha's gaze as he worked on checking something on the console monitor. However, while his body and facial features remained steady, Madison could feel a fleeting simmer of emotional instability from him. Again, Madison wondered if she should say something to distract Martha, or let this continue on.

Martha pressed on. "Is it like, you know, outer space cities, all spires and stuff?"

"Suppose it is," the Doctor answered offhandedly, eyes still locked on the console monitor.

"Great big temples and cathedrals?"

"Yeah."

"Lots of planets in the sky?"

It took a beat for the Doctor to answer this question. He eventually lifted his eyes away from the monitor to look up at the time rotor in the centre. His gaze grew distant as he spoke. "The sky's a burnt orange. With a citadel enclosed in a mighty glass dome . . . shining under the twin suns. Beyond that, the mountains go on forever. Slopes of deep red grass, capped with snow."

He trailed off after that, looking back down at the console with brown eyes sombre. Unable to remain idle in place, Madison went over to him, touching his hand that rested on the console. He didn't look at her, but there was a brief moment of his presence in her mind. Seeming to want to seek comfort but unable to bring himself to do so. There had been times of he told her about Gallifrey and what it had been like. And every time has been the same, the pain heard in his voice whenever he spoke of Gallifrey. It was deep and it tore at Madison's heart for him. She wished she could take all the pain away. Allow him to speak on Gallifrey with happiness in remembrance. But she knew this kind of pain, even with all her abilities, could never be erased.

"Can we go there?" she heard Martha asking. The woman's words were much softer than before. She glanced at the companion, seeing how Martha looked between the two, seeming to recognise that something was amiss by their solemn behaviour.

The Doctor glanced Martha's way as well, seeming to hurriedly push aside everything as he replied, "Nah! Where's the fun for me? I don't want to go home." He pulled his hand from Madison's (though not before squeezing her hand) and began rushing around the console. "Instead . . ." He pumped a lever, turned a dial, and yanked another lever down. The entire TARDIS jolted to the side, making Martha and Madison clutch at the console. "This is much better. Year five billion fifty-three. Planet New Earth. Second home of mankind. Fifty thousand light years from your old world, and we're slap-bang in the middle of New New York."

"Oh? We're going here again?" Madison asked, curious as to why the Doctor felt the need to come to a planet they had visited only a year ago. She would have assumed he didn't travel to the same place often.

The Doctor beamed at her. "Yep! Thought of it last night. You didn't really get a chance to see the city like you wanted the last time, so I thought I'd bring us straight to the city this time!"

This made Madison frown ever so slightly. Well, that didn't seem fair to her. This was supposed to be a trip for Martha. Not for Madison herself. Martha deserved to go somewhere brand new that neither Time Lord nor Mer had been to before. That way it was an equal trip and no one was left out of the wonders that a new place could bring. However, as she glanced Martha's way, there was no sign of disappointment in the companion's eyes. Rather, there was only pure excitement.

"'New New York'?" Martha asked as she and Madison both went over to where the Doctor was—currently getting his tan overcoat on by the TARDIS door.

"Well, technically speaking, it's fifteen New Yorks since the original, so it's New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York. One of the most dazzling cities ever built." With his coat on, he grinned at the two women before opening the TARDIS door and swiftly ushered them all outside.

A startled gasp escaped Madison as she and the others were met with rain. A downpour, more like it, as she was almost completely soaked in the mere moments of her heart beating. Swiftly she felt herself wrapped within the Doctor's coat, keeping some of the rain off of her. Though not by much.

"Come on!" the Doctor shouted over the sound of rain. He was close to running as he hurried Madison out of the alleyway they had arrived in. She barely saw where they were going as she struggled to stay dry within his coat and keep up with him at the same time. Before long, she felt the Doctor pulling her to the side and suddenly the rain over her head stopped. She blinked, looking up to see he had found an awning to hide underneath. It wasn't much, or even that big, but it was enough to keep them away from the rain.

The Doctor was quick to pull away his coat from her, inspecting her hurriedly. "Are you alright? You didn't get that wet, did you?" he asked.

Madison tried to say she was fine. She thought perhaps they had reacted swiftly enough. But as she opened her mouth, she felt the pain in her legs and feet. Already she could feel how they swelled, on the verge of forming into her tail but not quite wet enough to do so. A small groan of pain escaped her as she bent over, placing her hands on her knees to will the pain away. It was really her feet which hurt far worse. Her boots were restrictive, keeping her feet confined from forming into her fluke.

"What's wrong?" she heard Martha saying beside her. "Maddie, are you alright? Are you in pain?"

"Yes, un–unfortunately," Madison hissed through her teeth. The pain was becoming too much.

She heard Martha gasping next to her, making her turn her head to see Martha's wide-eyed stare. Madison followed the companion's gaze, seeing how Martha had caught the sight of her scaled and webbed hands. Oh, dear. It looks as though she had been found out. Now she was in trouble. Caught, she tried to swiftly think of what to do or say, but nothing came to mind. She couldn't brush it off as though it were nothing. Even though a part of her wished to. Her heart thumped fast under her chest as she went over different scenarios that could happen if Martha knew the full truth. Though her mind was rather dramatic with the visions it came up with. Shaking her head, she pushed aside her fears and worried thoughts as she took a breath to steady herself.

"Ah . . . See, about that, it's, um, she's—she's just . . . hmm," she heard the Doctor sputtering, trying to come up with an excuse.

"Don't worry, Doctor. It's too late to avoid the truth any longer," she sighed. "Here," she held out a hand to him, "help me stay standing. I need to take my boots off. They hurt too much." He kept her steady as she pulled each boot off along with her socks—which had stretched so far they lost some of their shape in the process. Soon, she was standing the best she could on her feet, both of them elongated and blue-scaled. Looking more like some strange sort of flippers for swimming instead of human feet. Her face heated up tremendously as she stood stiffly in place. Humiliated to be caught like this. Not even properly transformed. Just in a compromising half-state.

"Um, are you still in pain?" Martha questioned, sounding as polite as possible.

Looking at the young woman now, Madison could see how Martha's eyes were still wider than normal. Though Martha seemed to be trying to quell her curiosity for now in concern instead for Madison's wellbeing. It suddenly warmed Madison's heart, making her smile at the woman beside her. Her earlier fears began to melt away as she knew, deep inside, that she could indeed trust Martha with this secret.

"Yes, but not as much as before," Madison answered truthfully. She gave the young woman a shy smile. "I'm certain you have many questions . . ."

Martha nodded, though her earlier shock seemed to be melting away. "I'm not sure where to even start," she admitted.

"Then why don't I start for you?" Madison straightened, glancing around the area they were in to make certain they were indeed, truly, alone. She had looked around before taking her boots off, but now she gave a more thorough look. It seemed to be empty, the small, rundown square they had arrived at. Through the haze of rain, she could see no one. And the rain was loud enough to mask whatever words she was about to say. So, in the end, she told Martha the truth.

"I'm a Mer, as I've said. But humans have named my kind long ago as 'mermaid'. A mermaid from Earth, who can shapeshift between human and Mer whether or not enough water is present on me," she explained, waiting patiently after she finished talking for Martha's reaction.

There was another moment of Martha's eyes going wide. But she was swift in settling her shock as she seemed to process this information. "So . . . mermaids are real, then? Like, actually real?" Seeing Madison's nod, Martha let out a small laugh. "That's unbelievable. How does that all work? The shapeshifting and everything? How come no one on Earth knows about there being mermaids? Do you have to be careful around water all the time, or is it like you have to be actually wet to change? What's the anatomy like for your people? What's the difference when you change back and forth? Why do you—"

"Martha, that's enough for now," the Doctor suddenly spoke up sternly. He wrapped an arm around Madison's waist, pulling her in closer to him.

Madison gave the young woman an apologetic smile. "Sorry, he's right. We're far too out in the open. I don't want anyone to spot or overhear us."

"Oh, I get it. You're like from a secret society of mermaids living under the oceans," Martha responded with a lowered voice, but with excitement clearly heard in her tone.

Feeling her heart sink, Madison couldn't help but look away in sombre response. ". . . Something like that, yes." She felt the Doctor's arm giving her a short squeeze before he cleared his throat.

"Cutting this short, we need to get Madison dry before anything else. Here," Madison felt him moving, looking at him to see him taking out some sort of portable hair dryer from his coat pocket. "Been keeping this on me in case of something like this. It'll get you dried up in no time," he assured her as he moved to crouch by her legs and feet, already turning the device on to begin his work. It was almost instant relief as she felt the warm air blowing on her feet. The webbing and scales recede after mere minutes. She was surprised by how quiet and efficient the device was. Perhaps it was something from the far future?

She sighed as her feet were back to normal, wiggling her toes on the damp ground. "Thank you. That's much better. I do hate when I'm stuck in a half-formed state. It's always unpleasant." She crouched down, starting to place her socks and boots back on. Though she would have loved to run around barefoot, she didn't want the chance of stepping onto something unpleasant. "I see we're not in the most . . . sought after part of the city. Are we somewhere that some might consider . . . unsavoury?" She stood up straight after managing to get her boots on, looking at the Doctor for answers.

"Looks an Undercity to me. They're a popular way of housing the lower class from the upper class in cities like this," the Doctor explained, glancing around the area they had come to.

Giving more time for her own observation, she could see through the blurry haze of rain that the area seemed rather . . . rundown judging by the state of things. Then, as she inhaled the air around them—smelling the rain—she could tell something was off about it. Was it the difference between planet Earth and this one? She held out her hand to the rain, bringing back some of it to give it a taste. Yes, it was most certainly different. Something about it felt, smelled, and tasted . . . artificial. "When you say 'Undercity', do you mean to say that the upper class forces the lower into a section of the city underground?" she questioned.

"Yep," the Doctor replied with a pop at the end of his response. When he saw Madison's expression of disgust, he made a face as well. "Yeah, I don't like it, either."

"Wait, so, we're underground? But it's raining. How does that work?" Martha asked then, looking at the rain falling around them. "Is it some kind of, um, artificial thing or something? Like a giant sprinkler system?"

"Close. It is real weather. Just simulated through an artificial sky. Which, now that I'm thinking about it, is still not, exactly, real. Erm, anyway," the Doctor muttered, rubbing at his ear for a moment before turning around to face the wall behind them.

Madison turned as well, watching as he pulled out his sonic and began to scan a screen that was on the wall. Obviously some sort of computer screen. For what purpose, she received her answer shortly when the face of a blonde woman appeared. She looked to be a news reporter with the way she dressed and the symbol of the Statue of Liberty shown beside her. The screen was fuzzy at first, making the Doctor hit the edge of it a few times to get the picture to clear up. Though it was still somewhat distorted. Apparently, this particular interface had seen better days.

". . . and the driving should be clear and easy," spoke the woman, "with fifteen extra lanes open for the New New Jersey Expressway." The image changed then, apparently showing them what the airways were like in the city above them. It looked almost the same as Madison recalled from the time on that hilltop when she, Rose, and the Doctor had first visited. A beautiful city, with massive skyscrapers and flying cars travelling all over the place.

"That's more like it! That's the view we had the last time. Remember, Maddie?" the Doctor said, looking over with a grin.

"Can we go up there?" Martha asked, looking between the Doctor and Madison. "You've both been there before. You could show me all the best places to visit."

"Actually, we never got a chance to visit. We were stuck in a hospital under quarantine because of a massive outbreak of plague carriers who had been secretly grown there under a terrible medical facility," Madison explained offhandedly. On seeing Martha's bewildered expression, Madison gave a dry smile. "Long story. Probably best left for another time."

"Besides, why would we want to go up there?" the Doctor said as he turned off the interactive screen. "It's much more interesting down here. It's all cocktails and glitter up there."

"We would get a better perspective of what city life is truly like for the average person. A much better experience in my book," Madison agreed, feeling thrilled at the prospect of getting to know what the city of New New York really had to offer.

Martha stared at the two beside her in humour. "You'd two enjoy anything."

"That's us!" replied the Doctor brightly.

"Always looking on the bright side," added Madison, winking at Martha. She looked outside of their small haven under the awning, seeing the rain slowly beginning to end. She sighed in relief. "The rain is stopping. Good. Means I can actually enjoy this adventure with you both."

"Perfect! Although, just in case, maybe I should go back to the TARDIS to grab an umbrella," remarked the Doctor as he stepped out from under the awning. "I know I have one nearby. I just can't remember where—" He was suddenly interrupted when a man opened up the window to a stall that Madison just now noticed. The man's eyes lit up at the sight of the trio.

"Oh, you should have said! How long have you been there?" exclaimed the man cheerfully. "Did you mention having a memory problem? I've got just the fix for you, then! Memory! You'll want memory. Or happy. Everyone loves happy." Before the trio could get a word in, two more stalls opened up. This time with two women at the front.

"Customers, customers! We've got customers!" yelled one black woman with a white bandana around her head.

The other white woman was yelling at someone who apparently was working in the back of the stall built into the wall. Then, all three people were speaking, shouting over each other, all at once. It was difficult to even understand what exactly they were saying. Though the intent of these people was clear enough. Drugs. Some sort of New Earth substances ready to be sold and handed out. Oh, dear. Even in the year five billion and still, some things never change. Shaking her head as the Doctor muttered a negative response to the man in the stall closest to them, Madison took the time to inspect these three people closely. All of them wore white. In fact, they wore white chief's coats. Though the white had been stained, damaged, dulled, and worn down. Dirt and grim were in the creases on the coats. Even on the hands, arms, and faces of these people as well. Even the man in the stall had a cut above one of his brows. Was it from a scuffle, or something else entirely?

"Are they selling drugs?" Martha questioned.

"I think they're selling moods," replied the Doctor, keeping his voice low as he looked around at the three people who were still calling out to the trio.

"Same thing, isn't it?" Martha muttered sourly.

Madison touched the Doctor's arm, earning his attention. "Doctor, do you see? They have the green crescent moon symbol all around their stands. Has the hospital resorted to selling drugs after we've stopped their human clone farm?" She glanced at the Doctor, seeing his shoulders slump in disappointment.

"Oh," he groaned, "I'd hoped that maybe, without the Sisters, that humans could take their medical advancements and go even further into the future. Not this."

Madison sighed heavily. "That is a rather typical human mindset. Go straight to whatever gets you the most profit." Realising how her words sounded, she was quick to give an apologetic glance at Martha. "No offence intended towards you, Martha."

"Don't worry. I actually agree with you at the moment," Martha said, still staring at the three vendors in disgust.

Madison sensed a distressed presence suddenly and looked over where it was coming from, seeing a woman walking through the heavy steam which was coming out of the pipes in the brick walls. She wore entirely dark, grey clothing, with a long worn scarf wrapped over her head like a hood. The expression on the woman's face was desolate. Clear signs of experiencing heartbreak and woe recently. When the drug vendors began calling over to the woman, and Madison saw the woman starting to head towards one of them, she acted quickly, stepping in front of the woman's path.

"Excuse me, but you don't need to purchase anything from them. Erm, I have something for free that can help you," Madison said, thinking swiftly about how to guide the woman away from having to resort to using substances. She ignored the disappointed groans from the vendors.

The woman, appearing rather taken aback by Madison's approach, took a moment to regard the Mer before speaking. "I don't think you can offer what I want."

"What is it that you want, though? If you tell me what's wrong, I might be able to help you," Madison offered kindly, feeling the woman's pain. The gloom coming from the woman was heavy, hard for Madison to focus.

"It's my mother and father. Then went on the motorway, and I want to forget," said the woman.

"I got forget, love! Forget forty-three would do the trick easy. Only two credits," said the woman vendor closest to them.

Madison glared at the vendor, trying to gently steer the sullen woman away. But the woman moved away from Madison's steering hold, going to the vendor and exchanging credits for a plastic card. Once again, the symbol of the green crescent moon was on the small plastic card. It made Madison wonder if it was some sort of patch to place on.

"Wait, please, you don't have to do that. My partner is right, she can help you better than any drug could. Just tell us what happened to your parents," the Doctor spoke, coming closer to the woman, standing beside Madison.

"They drove off," the woman told them, saying this as though the trio should understand her woes.

"Yeah, but they might drive back."

The woman ever so slightly shook her head. "Everyone goes to the motorway in the end. I've lost them."

Confused, the Doctor's brow furrowed. "But they can't have gone far. You could find them."

With a solemn stare, the woman kept her eyes on the Doctor just for a beat before lifting the plastic patch up towards her neck. Madison reacted fast, pushing the woman's hand away.

"Wait, please, I understand you're upset. But, please, let me try to help you. I can't remove all of your pain, but I can ease the burden which inflicts you," Madison explained hurriedly.

Again, the woman shook her head, staring at Madison with such a hopeless expression. "You don't understand. I just want to forget." The woman then placed on the clear patch before anyone could stop her. Almost instantly the woman's facial expression eased and she had a dreamy smile on her face. The mindset changed and Madison felt . . . nothing. It was as though the woman's mind had been altered completely into a state of emptiness. It was . . . unsettling. It made her shudder.

"I'm sorry, what were you saying?" the woman asked then, still smiling at them.

"Your parents. Your mother and father. They're on the motorway," the Doctor told her, seemingly trying to get through the drug in hopes of understanding better.

However, the woman's smile remained the same. "Are they? That's nice. I'm sorry, I won't keep you." The woman then walked away, departing completely from their presence through the steamy haze. Moving closer to the Doctor, Madison stood beside her partner as they both watched the woman vanish from sight.

"I could have helped her," she sighed sadly, heart heavy with the thought of failing the woman.

"You can't help people who don't want help to begin with," mumbled the Doctor, taking Madison's hand in comfort.

"So that's the human race five billion years in the future? Off their heads on chemicals," Madison heard Martha muttering bitterly behind them.

There was a moment where Martha sounded as though she were about to say something else, but soon let out a startled scream. Madison turned around in an instant, eyes widening when seeing a man holding Martha against him, arm wrapped around the young woman's neck in a tight hold. Another came up just as swiftly—a woman—holding up a large handgun pointed straight at Madison and the Doctor. Immediately Madison began to swiftly think of what to do. There was yelling on both sides—from the man, the woman, Martha, the Doctor—everyone was shouting demands. But none of that mattered. All Madison could focus on was the distress that Martha was under. Her fright. Her terror as she cried out as she was being dragged backwards. Madison moved to step forward, to possibly get close enough to the woman carrying the gun to get the weapon away from her somehow. Without a weapon, there was a higher chance of Martha being saved. But the woman saw her movement, changing her aim straight at her instead of the Doctor. Madison could feel the woman's distress as well. Even the man's. They were just as frightened as Martha was. They were repeating apologies over and over as they shouted. Were they under some sort of duress? In desperate need of capturing people for something?

Confused by the mixture of fearful emotions coming from the humans, it was too late for Madison to think of a plan before the man and woman dragged Martha through a door, slamming it shut with a click. The Doctor rushed to it first, yanking it for a few moments before hurrying to pull out his sonic screwdriver and unlock the door. Together, he and Madison sprinted down the dirty corridor they came to, filled with garbage scattered around. It was dark, hard to see the three figures far ahead of them. Madison could hear Martha shouting, sounding as though she were putting up a fight against her captures. Madison pressed on harder, going as fast as she could while avoiding tripping over the obstacles lying in the way. The Doctor kept on leaping over whatever crossed his path, far ahead of Madison at the moment. He reached the far-end door which the captures and Martha had gone through. Madison heard the Doctor shouting Martha's name just as she reached the door. She went out just in time to find a hovering vehicle speeding away and going out of sight between brick buildings.

"No!" she shouted, feeling despair in knowing she had failed another companion. She had let Martha be taken, and placed in danger, breaking her promise to keep the young woman safe. An angry cry left her as clutched at the railing of the small stairs they had come to. "No, no, no!" she said through gritted teeth. Seething, her mind raced to think of what to do, of how to save their newfound friend. They couldn't possibly let this happen. There just had to be a way of saving Martha.

"We've got to save her. We cannot let those people get their hands on her. I can't even bring myself to imagine what they want with her," Madison spoke then, turning to the Doctor for answers as he stood stiffly in place. His eyes were still locked on the place where they had last seen the hovering vehicle. "Please tell me you have something in mind to reach her. My mind is a muddled mess for any ideas of my own. I . . . I don't want to let someone else down. I–I . . . I don't . . . I can't break my promise." Her voice broke towards the end as her emotional state was too much for her. She tried to keep steady, to focus on her anger instead. Anger could keep her on track to save Martha. She couldn't allow herself to break down when there was still a chance of saving their new friend.

The Doctor glanced her way, eyes sharp and filled with fury. Though she knew none of this was directed her way. No, rather, it was him allowing her to see just how affected he too was by Martha's capture. "Come on," he said, his voice low and filled with heated anger. He turned with a swish of his coat, sprinting back down the corridor, back to where they had come from. Madison was hot on his trail, managing to keep up this time. When they had reached the open area where the vendors were (not surprising to see how the three had quickly closed up shop when the commotion had occurred), the Doctor pounded on the closed stall with his fist until the woman slowly opened up the stall once more.

The woman smiled at him eagerly. "I thought you'd come back. Do you want some happy-happy?" she asked.

"Those people, who were they? Where did they take her?" barked the Doctor, ignoring the woman's disappointed expression.

"They've taken her to the motorway," said the male vendor who opened up his stall as well.

"Looked like carjackers to me," said the woman in front of them.

"I'd give up now, darling. You won't see her again," said the other woman vendor.

"Why? Why won't we see her? What do they plan on doing with her?" Madison asked hurriedly, in a rush for answers. She felt that they had little time to save Martha. That time was ticking by so fast now, and with her and the Doctor unable to catch up.

"They probably wanted a third passenger for the fast lane," said one woman vendor. "You get special access if you're carrying three adults."

"And no one comes back from the motorway. Once you're there, you're stuck," said the other woman.

"Used to be thriving, this place. You couldn't move," said the male, seeming sad in remembrance. "But they all go to the motorway in the end."

"This motorway, how do we get there?" questioned the Doctor, looking around at the three for faster answers.

"Straight down the alley, keep going to the end. You can't miss it," said the woman in front of them. Madison felt the Doctor grabbing her hand as the two hurried forward, heading into the rising steam in the air. "Tell you what, buy some happy-happy. Then you'll be smiling, my love," called out the woman behind them.

In all intents and purposes, Madison had planned to merely ignore the woman and press onwards. But she was halted when the Doctor swiftly pulled back, turning around to step closer to the vendors again. She could feel his anger rising further than before. "A word of advice, all of you. Cash up, close down and pack your bags," the Doctor spoke through his teeth.

"Why's that, then?" replied the one woman, her expression finally shifting to that of annoyance.

"Because as soon as we've found her alive and well, and we will find her alive and well, then I'm coming back. And this street is closing. Tonight!" the Doctor told them strictly, shouting towards the end as he glared at all three of them. Glancing his way, Madison could see the look of the Oncoming Storm swirling within his eyes. Knowing all too well that these three better listen to the Time Lord. They most likely would, too, given the paleness of their faces now.

She couldn't help but smirk as she and the Doctor turned and sped off. "Way to tell them, spaceman. You should have seen the looks on their faces," she said after a moment, pleased and in some humour with that quick interaction.

"Thanks. I thought I'd handle two birds with one net," the Doctor replied quietly, seeming more at ease now that they were on their way to save Martha.

"Um, I believe the saying is to kill two birds with one stone?"

The Doctor blinked, briefly looking at her in surprise. "What? Really? Hmm, well, I like mine better. Less violent. Anyway, let's hurry. Who knows what those people were really planning to do to Martha." He sped up his pace, making Madison hurry along with him.

Now that she was calmer—her head less muddled by all those conflicting emotions overwhelming her—she had a clearer mind in what had occurred. Leaving her to feel much less panicked and upset about the situation. "Actually, now that I've had time to process, I do believe those two had meant no harm towards Martha. They were just as frightened as Martha was, and I felt no ill intentions from them during the scuffle."

"Hmm, alright. That does make things a little easier. But just in case, we should still hurry. I want to get to Martha as fast as we can."

"Agreed. I honestly don't like the sound of this motorway. Why can't people leave it? Is it actually a motorway, or some code word for a cult or something?"

There was a small laugh from the Doctor. "A cult? You've been watching too many horror films lately."

"I am being serious here. With everything we've seen during our travels, a secret underground cult is one of the more pleasant occurrences I can imagine."

With a hum, there was a moment of the Doctor seeming to contemplate this scenario for a moment. Then, he shook his head. "Nah. Though, tell you what, ten quid says it is a motorway."

"Now there's a laugh. One, it would be an easy win for you given that the chances are actually a motorway. Two, I don't have any money," Madison chortled. "I'm just as lacking in funds as you are, spaceman."

"Couple of broke travellers we are," the Doctor added, just as humoured as her.

Their humour faded away as they saw the metal door down at the end of the alleyway. Focusing herself again, she prepared for the worst, ready to face anything. It was hard telling what this 'motorway' was even like given how cryptic everyone was being about it. It could be just a simple motorway, with fast-driving cars zipping around easily. It could be a trap for these people where some unseemly entity was ready to have its clutches on unexpecting victims. Either way, Madison felt well ready for whatever it was she and the Doctor had to face. She let go of his hand as they approached the door. It was heavily locked, so it took the Doctor a moment with the sonic to even get it open. Once it was, the Doctor held out a hand for her to wait as he stepped through it first. She could hear the honks of cars echoing as though they were in a vast tunnel. This must be the case since they were in an underground city, after all.

"Come on, it's safe," said the Doctor as he grabbed Madison's hand and led her through the doorway.

Almost immediately Madison was hit with an overwhelming, powerful odour. A stench so powerful, it made her eyes water and her entire throat feel as though it were trying to close. It was like sulphur, with the fumes of it wafting all around them. She knew it was exhaust fumes from the massive wall of floating vehicles in front of them. She could see the gaseous smoke coming out of the pipe in the back of the hovering vehicles. And there were so many. The entire tunnel they came to—standing on a high platform overlooking the area—was filled with bumper-to-bumper square vehicles. Each one looked like a van more than a car. The smog of fumes was so heavy from them all, that Madison wasn't able to see through most of it. The red lights from the vehicles were a clear indicator that the massive gridlock went on for miles.

That was about all she could observe before her eyes stung too greatly to keep open any longer. She hadn't even realised she had been coughing until her throat began to burn and feel raw from the extent her body was trying to relieve itself from the pollution. Mers never mixed well with pollutants and toxins created by humans. It was another reason Mer had left the seas, rivers, and lakes long ago. They had all been contaminated by humans at one time or another, to the point where Mer had been too sick to stay within the waters. Now, the same was happening to her as she couldn't get a lungful of air in. Everything was beginning to spin and her limbs felt weak as she kept coughing, hunched over from the exertion. Vaguely she could hear the Doctor coughing hard beside her as well before she felt his hands on her and yanking her along. She heard voices. A man and a woman. Talking to them.

"N-no. She," a cough, "she needs it more. Give," another cough, "give it to her."

Soon, she felt something press against her face and a wave of pure air hit her. Her hand came up automatically, pressing what she hoped was an oxygen mask to her face. She gulped down the air as fast as she could, still coughing with every breath as her lungs greedily sought out the fresh, clean air. She managed to pry her eyes open, fighting against her body's desire to keep them shut. They still burned and watered, but not as badly as before. Her vision was blurry for a moment before eventually clearing, allowing her to see that the Doctor had brought them inside one of the vehicles they had seen from the platform. A woman with short, dark hair, wearing a jumper that looked roughly handmade, and a man wearing a cloth mask and goggles over his eyes, stared at her. She felt the Doctor beside her, still coughing. She took a lungful of air from the oxygen mask, handing it then to the Time Lord beside her.

"H-h-here," she coughed, already struggling to breathe again. It looked for a moment that the Doctor would simply refuse. But at the stern eye she gave him, he took the clear mask to take a few gulps of air before handing it back over to her. He was firm when he pressed it up to her face and wrapped the mask's strap around her head.

"I can't believe you two were just standing there, breathing it in," said the man, beginning to remove his makeshift mask and leather goggles.

He wore mostly brown leather, actually. Dressed as a 1920s aeroplane pilot. When he finally removed all items that were obstructing his facial features, Madison was surprised to see the man was catkind like that of the Sisters. She wondered what his species name actually was, shamed by the realisation that she had never bothered to ask.

"There's this story. It says back in the old days on Junction forty-seven, this woman stood in the exhaust fumes for a solid twenty minutes. By the time they found her, her head had swollen to fifty feet," the cat man rambled for a moment to the woman in the front passenger seat.

"Oh, you're making it up!" scoffed the woman.

"A fifty-foot head. Just think of it. Imagine picking that nose." The man walked over to his seat, at the wheel and ready.

"Oh, stop it. That's disgusting."

"What, did you never pick your nose?"

The woman looked out of the front window, through the only spot that wasn't coated in a thick layer of grime. "Bran, we're moving."

"Right, I'm there. I'm on it," replied Bran as he made the vehicle move but a few feet. When the vehicle stopped, Bran looked at the woman seated next to him. "Twenty yards. We're having a good day." Bran then turned to look at Madison as she was still coughing. The cat man's face furrowed in concern. "Are you alright there, ma'am?"

Madison nodded, holding a thumbs up. She then pulled away the mask slightly so that she could be clearly heard. "My kind doesn't do well with pollution," she explained.

But the moment her words left her, she stiffened, realising that she had let slip that she was not human. Then, she relaxed as she did not feel . . . fearful. Not as she used to be. It made sense, after all, to allow herself to be more open with these people. It was the far future where species and races of all sorts had come together to live. Humans were past the whole dissecting and capturing things with other species. (At least, she hoped that was the case) Perhaps, with this in mind, future times could be a good place for her to allow herself more freedom in being who she is. Not that she would tell them what she was or explain her history to random strangers. That would still be locked away in her heart only for those who truly deserved to know the truth.

"Understandable. I don't think most people do well in those sorts of fumes," said Bran, giving her a nod and smile. He looked between the Doctor and her then. "And who might you two be? Very well dressed for hitchhikers."

"Thank you for your help," the Doctor said, gently urging Madison to place back on the oxygen mask as she started to cough again. "Sorry, I'm the Doctor, and this is my partner, Madison."

"Medical man? And a married one at that!" Bran responded enthusiastically. He glanced at Madison, giving her a crooked grin. "You've got a lucky find there," ending his words with a wink.

Chuckling, Madison said, "Indeed I have." She winked right back at him in good humour, apparently pleasing Bran with this response.

"My name's Thomas Kincade Brannigan, and this is the bane of my life, the lovely Valerie." Bran smiled sweetly at the woman beside him.

Valerie gave both the Doctor and Madison a kind smile. "Nice to meet you."

"And that's the rest of the family behind you," said Bran then, nodding his head towards the back of the vehicle.

Now that Madison had the time to ease from her struggles with breathing, she finally was able to look at the space she and the Doctor had come to. It was a tight fit for all four of them given how little room there was. It reminded her of those tiny homes that were slowly becoming popular back in her time. There was a fluorescent light over them through a metal grate for the ceiling. A thick curtain separated the front of the vehicle from the back, making the Doctor pull the cloth aside to see what other family was there.

What Madison had been expecting was maybe other people or even children. What she had not been ready for was a basket full of kittens resting on top of a small, thin bed. Some of the kittens meowed as the Doctor crouched over to look at them. Some moved around, out of the basket to play with the blankets on the bed. One kitten clearly said 'mama' as they stared at the Doctor. So . . . certainly not kittens like back in her time. She had thought children of the catkind would be larger when born, like that of human babies. It made her wonder what their growth cycle was like then as she smiled sweetly at the cute kittens.

"Aww, look at the wee ones. Aren't they adorable," she cooed as she finally could breathe well enough without the oxygen mask. She moved around the Doctor's elbow, holding out her hand for one of the kittens to give her a sniff. There was a brief moment of a strange pang that went through her when the kitten close to her hand said 'mama' again.

"You can pick one up if you want. They're okay to be held," Valerie said.

Madison didn't hesitate to do as such, picking up a kitten who was mostly black. All the kittens were different colours, in fact. Again, she wondered about the catkind's biology but assumed it would be impolite to ask such questions. She instead held the kitten close to her chest with gentle care, feeling the small baby purring happily as it kneaded at her chest. Apparently, the soft jumper she wore was appealing to the kitten's taste for comfort.

"How old are they?" Madison asked as she continued to pet and hold the kitten in her arms. Her heart felt full of content in being able to hold such a precious creature. However there was still that odd pang that twisted inside her when she looked back at Bran and Valerie, seeing the soft gaze the two had when staring at their babies.

"Just two months," Valerie said, reaching out to scratch under the kitten's chin that Madison held.

"Poor little souls. They've never known the ground beneath their paws," added Bran with a regretful tone just there in his words. "Children of the motorway."

Madison exchanged a look with the Doctor, seeing how she too was not the only one bewildered by this thought. Bran and Valerie had children while stuck in this gridlock? How many others in all the different vehicles also had children while on the motorway? Just how long had they been travelling?

"What, they were born in here?" the Doctor asked then as Madison continued to pet the kitten in her arms.

"We couldn't stop," said Valerie, giving a small nod. "We heard there were jobs going, out in the laundries on Fire Island. Thought we'd take a chance."

"You've been driving for two months?" the Doctor blurted out in surprise.

Bran laughed. "Do I look like a teenager? We've been driving for twelve years now."

Floored by such a casual statement, Madison blinked in utter shock. "Wait . . . Twelve years? You've been stuck in traffic for twelve years? How is that even possible?"

"Well, we started out as newlyweds, and decided to take the chance leaving behind Battery Park. It's five miles back." Bran said, nodding his head towards the direction that they had apparently travelled from.

Now Madison was even more bewildered. "What?" she gasped.

"You've travelled five miles in twelve years?" said the Doctor, sounding just as shocked as she felt.

Bran made a face, looking at his wife. "I think they're a bit slow."

Shaking off this comment, Madison gave the kitten one more scratch under the chin before gently setting them down into the basket. "There you go. Play with your siblings," she whispered before standing straight and turning to Bran and Valerie once more. "Pretend we are slow, then. Explain to us like we're children how the motorway works." She saw how Valerie and Bran exchanged uncertain looks with each other.

Valerie was the one to answer her. "Well, we're in the only tunnel that can take us to the upper levels. There's fifty lanes of traffic. Not sure how many cars are out there now. There used to only be a few hundred, I heard. People could go almost thirty miles an hour."

"Ha! Can you imagine?" Bran laughed.

"And has anyone ever been able to exit the motorway?" Madison asked then.

All humour was gone then from Bran as he replied, "No, the exits, they've been under construction."

Frowning, Madison shook her head. "Twelve years. That's a long time to be under construction. Do you know what's taking so long?"

There came a noise from Bran as he turned to face the window ahead. "It's been longer than twelve years. Almost thirty years for some motorists."

Pondering for a moment, Madison glanced at the Doctor, seeing how he too was just as puzzled by this. He nodded to her, eyes darting at the husband and wife in the front. She had to wonder what exactly was going on here. Why was the motorway closed off from the upper city? Was it some sort of classist thing? Did the upper levels suddenly decide they wanted to remain separated from the lower? She recalled that happening on Earth many times in the past. Even recalling some futuristic cities the Doctor took her to that had a similar set-up that they had to put a stop to. Perhaps this was just another case of that? The only question now was how the hell were they going to get into the city of New New York if it took so long to travel on the motorway.

However, the true concern now was just how long those carjackers wished to keep Martha. Had they truly planned on keeping Martha for years to come? Though she had felt no ill intentions from them, she could not help but to think of just how cruel it was to kidnap someone and hold them hostage for years. She shuddered when remembering cases such as Martha's back on Earth in their time, with such horrific outcomes for those who had been held against their will. More determined now than ever, she pushed aside the motorway troubles for now, wanting to instead focus on saving Martha. She could tell the Doctor had the same thought as her as he shook his head for a second before he turned his focused gaze onto the married couple.

"Putting that aside for now, we've got to get out of here," the Doctor told the two. He bent forward to look out the front window. "Our friend, the reason we're here, she's in one of those cars. She was taken hostage."

"'Carjackers' is what the drug vendors had called them," Madison added with a nod.

"Well, the pharmacists were right. Happens more than you think. People stealing others to get to the fast lane," Bran explained. "You'll have a hard time trying to get your friend back. She could be miles down by now."

"Then we need to get back to the TARDIS," said the Doctor as he held Madison's hand and began to pull her to the vehicle's sliding door. Once he opened it, the fumes outside hit them both again. Each one of them coughing, with Madison feeling her throat tightening all over again. With eyes watering, she couldn't see as she bent over in her coughing fit. Before long she heard the door shutting with a snap and felt the oxygen mask pressed to her face again. She gulped down the clean air, sighing in relief as her lungs no longer burned after a minute or two. When her vision cleared, she saw the Doctor standing before her, staring at her in concern.

"I'm sorry. I don't know why it's affecting me this badly," Madison mumbled, ashamed of her unnecessary reaction to the fumes. It felt odd to her that vehicles in the future would even produce exhaust such as this. She would have assumed that all vehicles in the future would be energy-efficient and clean. Then again, these were all people from the underground city. The lower class may not be able to afford the nicer vehicles that are clean energy.

"You're too late for leaving now. We've passed the lay-by," Bran told them.

"And I wouldn't put your lungs through too much stress," Valerie said, staring at Madison in concern.

Shaking her head, Madison placed the oxygen mask away. "I'm fine. Please don't worry about me."

"When's the next lay-by?" the Doctor questioned while reaching out to touch Madison's back, giving her some support when she let out another hard cough. She smiled softly at him when feeling his worried mind reaching out to her, giving him reassurance back that she was indeed fine. It was merely the last bit of tickle in her throat that irritated her now.

"Oh . . . six months," Bran told them, making both Time Lord and Mer look at the cat man in horror.

"That can't be," Madison gasped.

"I'm afraid it is. You're both passengers now of the motorway. Welcome aboard." Bran gave her a beaming smile. As though being in this situation was something to be happy about.

Hearing the Doctor let out a small growl of frustration, Madison glanced his way to see him tugging at his hair. "There's got to be another way," he muttered before straightening and letting go of his hair. "Communication. Where's your nearest portal to New New York?"

Bran and Valerie pointed to the computer screen built into the back of the vehicle right behind the small bed. The Doctor was swift on kneeling on the bed, using his sonic on the computer screen for a moment before grabbing the computer's connected handheld radio receiver. He tried his best to connect with the police of New New York, but the computerised response kept repeating that he was placed on hold.

"Is there anyone else," the Doctor pressed when he came back over to the group. "I once met the Duke of Manhattan. Is there any way of getting through to him?"

"Oh, now, ain't you lordly?" Bran replied sarcastically.

Annoyed, Madison curtly said, "Bran, we're simply trying to think of a way to reach our friend. If your children, or Valerie, were under duress, wouldn't you do the same?"

With a nod and a guilty expression, Bran replied, "You're right. I'm sorry."

"You can't make outside calls anyway. The motorway's completely enclosed, remember?" Valerie mentioned to them next.

"What about the other cars?" the Doctor tried next, obviously hopeful for some source that could get them to Martha again.

Nodding, Bran said, "We've got contact with them, yeah. Well, some of them anyway. They've got to be on your friends' list." Bran turned in his seat to face forward, grabbing a corded radio end as he looked at the front screen of his front computer. "Now, let's see, who's nearby?" He looked at a list of numbers on the screen that Madison assumed were the different vehicles around them. He tapped on one of the numbers, bringing up an image of two elderly women. "Ah, the Cassini sisters!"

Holding the handheld, Bran grinned as he spoke into the radio, "Be still your hearts, my handsome girls. It's Brannigan here."

"Get off the line, Brannigan. You're a pest and a menace," came a curt reply through the radio.

"Come on now, sisters, is that any way to talk to an old friend?"

"You know full well we're not sisters. We're married," replied the elderly woman in annoyance.

"Ooh! Stop that modern talk, I'm an old-fashioned cat." Bran was grinning and chuckling, while Valerie seemed amused and rolled her eyes. "Now, I've got two hitchhikers here, one calls himself the Doctor." Bran handed over the receiver to the Doctor then.

The Doctor wasted no time in pressing the side button to speak. "Hello. Sorry, my partner and I are looking for someone called Martha Jones. She's been carjacked. She's inside one of these vehicles, but I don't know which one."

There came another elderly woman's voice over the radio then. "Could I ask what entrance did they use?"

The Doctor looked at Bran for the answer to that one, which the cat man gave. "Pharmacy Town, about twenty minutes ago," the Doctor soon told the woman.

"Let's have a look." There was a sound of paper shuffling, like that of a book's page being turned. They could vaguely hear the woman's wife muttering something in the background before the woman continued to speak. "In the last half hour, fifty-three cars joined from the Pharmacy Town junction."

"Anything more specific?"

"All in good time," came the woman's voice, sounding as though she were patiently speaking with a child. "Was she carjacked by two people?"

"Yes, she was. Yeah."

There was a pause as the woman seemed to be looking at her notes. "There we are! Just one of those cars was destined for the fast lane. That means they had three on board. And the car number is four-six-five-diamond-six."

Eyes lighting up as they now finally had some answers, the Doctor pressed on, "That's it! So how do we find them?"

"Ah. Now there I'm afraid I can't help."

Letting go of the radio button, the Doctor looked then to Bran. "We can call them on this thing. We've got their number, Diamond-six."

"Not if they're designated fast lane. It's a different class," Bran explained.

Crossing her arms, Madison shook her head. "Well, that just seems classist." She heard a chuckle of agreement from Valerie and Bran.

"You could try the police," came the woman's voice over the radio.

"They put me on hold," the Doctor told her.

"You'll have to keep trying. There's no one else," came the other woman's voice.

Madison could see the frustration, could feel it, coming from the Doctor. He was beginning to become agitated by the situation. He gave his thanks to the two women over the radio before giving back the radio end to Bran. She reached out then, both mentally and physically, touching the Time Lord's arm as she tried her best to send soothing waves his way. He touched her hand on his arm but did not look her way. Showing that he did appreciate her trying to ease him, but was too upset about their situation to wish to calm down.

"We've got to go to the fast lane. Take us down," the Doctor said then, moving out of Madison's touch to lean over the seats of Valerie and Bran. It was at this moment that Madison felt tense emotions from the two in front. Neither one of them looked at the Doctor or her.

"Not in a million years," Bran answered sternly.

"You've got four passengers," the Doctor pointed out.

Bran remained firm. "I'm still not going."

Madison could see the Doctor's jaw working, knowing that he would be grinding his teeth together by now. She touched his arm again when he began to open his mouth, making him glance her way. She gave him a look and shook her head, then turned her attention to Valerie and Bran. "You're both scared. I can sense it. What is it? What has you so fearful of the fast lane?"

Both husband and wife looked at one another for a beat before Valerie shook her head. "No, we're not discussing it. And that's final," the woman said firmly, turning away to stare out the window. "I'm not risking the children down there."

"Please, we need to know. Our friend could be in serious trouble and we need to be prepared for whatever we must face to save her," Madison tried to reason with the woman.

"I said 'no'. The conversation is closed," Valerie responded, her words tight and rigid, still refusing to look at the Doctor and Madison again. Time Lord and Mer then looked at each other, both of their brows furrowed as each of them was equally puzzled by such a strong response.

"So we keep on driving?" the Doctor asked.

"Yes, we do," answered Bran tightly.

"For how long?"

"Till the journey's end."

With a small growl in the back of his throat, the Doctor reached over the two and yanked back the radio into his hand. He pressed the button to speak. "Mrs. Cassini, this is the Doctor. Tell me, how long have you been driving on the motorway?"

"Oh, we were amongst the first," answered one of the wives. "It's been twenty-three years now."

"And in all that time, have you ever seen a police car?" The Doctor looked hard at Bran and Valerie, who now stared at him warily. Again, Madison could sense their uneasiness at the Doctor's words.

The Cassini couple did not answer him for a moment until the one who was a car-spotter replied nervously, "I'm not sure."

"Look at your notes. Any police?"

Again, a delayed response. "Not as such."

"Or an ambulance? Rescue service? Anything official, ever?"

"I can't keep a note of everything," came the short response.

"What if there's no one out there?"

Yanking the radio from the Doctor, Bran slammed it back into place. "Stop it. The Cassinis were doing you a favour."

"Someone's got to ask, 'cause you might not talk about it, but it's there, in your eyes," the Doctor pressed further, staring hard at Bran. "What if the traffic jam never stops?"

"There's a whole city above us. The mighty city-state of New New York. They wouldn't just leave us," Bran scoffed.

Frowning, Madison tried to think of everything she and the Doctor had learned that day. All the little signs and details. Things just didn't add up. Her earlier thought of the upper city locking away the lower did not entirely make sense. There would have been some evidence of the city above still having a presence around them. It would be impossible for the city above to not have some sort of effect on the one below. It only made her wonder . . . Did the city above even exist anymore?

"What if . . . What if something happened to the upper city, though? Have you ever thought of that?" Madison offered in thought. She caught Valerie and Bran's eye, seeing the nervous looks just there in their eyes. "What was the last news which left the city? Do you remember?"

"We get news every day from Sally Calypso. She always gives us reports," Valerie told Madison.

"Is that the woman with the blonde hair on the fake news background?" Seeing Valerie and Bran looking wary before nodding, Madison hummed, thinking that one over. "But she could be automated, couldn't she? I know that was a favoured feature for short updates of news stations. What about official news from the city? News from people who may have called relatives living in the upper city?"

"It's been so long, I don't really think anyone remembers that," said Bran. "Besides, nothing could have happened. It's New New York! The most powerful city on this side of the galaxy."

Humming again, Madison shook her head. "Even the most mighty cities can fall." She crossed her arms, head tilted back as she stared at nothing in particular, thinking hard. "If something did happen . . . It would make sense for them to close off the lower city. Keep the disaster from reaching everyone. That's what I would have done," she mumbled to herself.

"Right. That would be one theory. Unless the gentry of New New York passed some sort of law which outlawed any lower income families from travel," the Doctor muttered, seeming to give other theories a voice.

Madison gave him a nod. "Yes, I thought of that, too. Keep the lower population out of the way so that only the upper class have all the resources. Lock away the lower city until everyone soon runs out of food, water, and medical supplies; kill off the unwanted until all you've got left is the 'perfect' society. Make others suffer for your own gain. Seems just like the gentry to—"

"Make the cars go round and round and round the motorway. Forever," the Doctor grumbled loudly.

"Shut up! Just shut up!" Valerie suddenly exclaimed, making the Doctor and Madison snap out of their pondering conversation.

Madison heard the shakiness in the woman's voice and immediately felt guilty. She sighed, touching the woman's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Valerie. We were only trying to think of a solution to your occurring problem."

"Well," Valerie responded, shrugging off Madison's hand, "you could have gone a different way about it."

"You're right. I am sorry. Truly. It was careless of me to speak out of turn."

Suddenly, there came a sound of static, with an image soon popping up on the computer screen in the front of the vehicle. The same one Bran had used to call the Cassini wives. Madison recognised the image of the woman on the screen. The very same blonde woman from the computer the Doctor had used in Pharmacy Town.

"This is Sally Calypso," said the woman with a bright smile, "and it's that time again. The sun is blazing high in the sky over the New Atlantic. The perfect setting for the daily contemplation."

"You think you know us so well," Bran spoke then to Madison and the Doctor. "We are not abandoned. Not while we have each other." He glanced back at the two before he and his wife locked eyes on the screen before them.

"This is for all of you out there on the roads. We're so sorry. Drive safe," said Sally, not seeming to be sorry at all from Madison's point of view.

It made her wonder, was Sally truly a sign of the city being fine above them? If something had indeed happened to New New York, even automated systems would have turned off by now, wouldn't they? Could Sally truly be real, giving these people false hope of a future outside the motorway? Music began to gently play on the computer screen. Then, Valerie and Bran began to softly sing, staring ahead through the window as Madison heard the sound of voices coming from everywhere around them. The swell of emotions came from everyone on the motorway. Their song was filled with hope for the unforeseen future. Her breath caught in her throat, feeling it become tight, as she listened to all the singing voices around her.

It was a hymn. An old one at that. Old Rugged Cross she recalled. She remembered when the song was first sung, inside a church in Michigan. She had been sitting outside, in the snow, her back leaning against the wall of the building, silently crying as she had listened to the church members inside singing. It had been a cold day then, in 1913. The day of the anniversary of her and David's meeting. It had been only a few years since David's passing on that day. But it had been one of the hardest for her as she had felt so lost without him, and her parents had suggested they move soon away from the cabin David and her had built together. The idea of leaving the cabin back then had been unimaginable for her. She didn't even know what had brought her to that church that day. But that song . . . something about it had helped her make the decision to move on. To get away from the memories which seemed to linger so heavily in Michigan. And hearing it again, after so long . . . She found herself silently crying once again.

She felt a hand touch her shoulder, rubbing soothing circles on her. Looking over, she found the Doctor staring at her in concern, his brow furrowed in confusion. She could feel him silently questioning if she was alright. She did her best to smile at him and send him back reassurance that she was indeed fine.

" Just old memories. Nothing to worry about ," she spoke in his mind.

There was a tight-lipped response from him as he nodded and let go of her shoulder. Only to grab her hand soon after and remain firm in his grasp. She knew he must sense that she was still emotional from the motorway's song—which by now had finished. Still, she shook away all of this as she instead tried to refocus on their main goal at hand. Getting to Martha and making certain she was safe. There was still that lingering fear from Bran and Valerie of what would occur in the fast lane. Something she knew they wouldn't share with either of them. What should they do, then? What could they do? She felt desperation for an answer, but none which she could think of at the moment.

"If you won't take me," she heard the Doctor saying then to Bran and Valerie, "I'll go there on my own." This response bewildered Madison as she felt him letting go of her hand before turning and walking over to the middle of the vehicle.

"Doctor? What are you planning?" she asked, curious of what he meant.

The Doctor lifted a run off of the floor, revealing a bottom small shaft door. He began to use his sonic on the doorway. "I'm going to jump from car to car until I reach the fast lane. Simple, really."

Gasping in alarm, Madison swiftly walked over beside him as he remained crouched. "You couldn't possibly . . . It's much too dangerous. What of the pollution outside? Won't it make you too sick to carry on?"

"Nah, superior biology. My lungs will filter out anything too harmful for me," the Doctor assured her as he managed to get the small hatch open. An electronic voice spoke on the open door as the Doctor stared down at the thousands of cars below.

The smell from the cars' fumes reached Madison then, making her throat tighten and her eyes water. But she thrust aside the need to cough as she crouched near the Doctor, already looking for the best vehicle for them to jump to. "Alright. So we leap from car to car until we reach the bottom. Then what?"

"Don't know. I'll think of that when the time comes." The Doctor blinked before frowning at Madison. "Hold on, 'we'? No, no, no, no. You're not coming."

"Of course I—" But the small bit of fumes that were coming from the bottom were already too much. She began coughing hard, hurrying to move away from the opening. Valerie handed Madison the oxygen mask almost right away.

"You can't go out there. Not with those lungs of yours," Bran told the Mer with a shake of his head.

"But," Madison gasped, looking frantically over to the Doctor.

The Time Lord stared evenly back at her. "You can't come. Not this time. Bran's right. I can't risk you getting sick from the pollution." Her expression must have spoken of her distraught emotions as he smiled softly. "Don't worry. I'll find Martha and I will come back for you. I promise." The Doctor then pulled off his overcoat, tossing it over to Madison to grab. "Here. Now I'll have to come back. That coat means the world to me. Can't go leaving it behind, now can I?" He winked at her, earning an eye roll from her.

"Just be safe. Please," she said, pushing aside the mask from her face to be heard clearly. "And give Martha a hug from me when you do find her."

With a click of his tongue and another wink, he looked then at Bran and Valerie. A steely flash within his brown eyes. "Keep her safe."

"You have my word, Doctor. No harm will come to your wife," Bran promised then.

Surprised how the Doctor didn't correct Bran on the statement of 'wife', Madison watched as the Doctor dangled his legs over the edge of the shaft door before dropping down onto a vehicle which hovered right below Bran and Valerie's. Madison gasped in alarm, looking through the open doorway to see the Doctor crawling across the top of the vehicle he had landed on, opening another door on its top before disappearing from view.

"He's completely insane," Valerie said as she leaned over her seat to see where the Doctor had gone.

With a sigh and a shake of her head, Madison went over to the small door and closed it tightly shut. "Yes. Yes, he is. Suppose that's why I love him so much."

"I can see why you do. He's a bit magnificent as well," Bran said with a grin thrown Madison's way. "This Martha. She must mean a lot to you and him."

"Hmm. Well, about that, we actually have only known her for three days now. But we protect those who travel with us. No matter how long they've been with us," Madison explained as she moved the rug back to its original placement on the floor before sitting down. Now that the Doctor was gone, she couldn't help but to bite the inside of her cheek, worried greatly for his and Martha's safety. Would the Doctor reach Martha in time before she reached the terrifying fast lane? What was his plan then to come back?

"Don't worry too much. I'm certain a man like that will be just fine," Bran said after a moment, his gaze locked on Madison, observing her carefully.

With a sigh and a nod, Madison replied, "Yes, you're right. More than you even realise. He's been through much worse situations than this one."

"Still . . . you can't help but worry, can you?" Valerie noted.

"Oh . . . I always worry about that brilliant man. And it's almost every day with him, really," Madison said in humour, trying to feel more at ease with the situation at hand. No matter how she looked at it . . . she couldn't keep away the creeping fears that something wasn't right. That the Doctor was heading straight towards something he shouldn't face on his own. Feeling rather useless and helpless with everything, Madison could only lean her back against the metal walls of the car, closing her eyes as she tried her best to remain calm and think of what she could do for the Doctor from here.

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Thank you for reading!

I hope this chapter turned out well. I'll be posting the other chapters here soon. Might not happen today, but I promise it will be soon.

Thank you all again! Have an amazing day!