Here's the next one and I have a couple more I finished without realizing I hadn't posted.

And if you've been getting emails on things saying I've updated my stories when I haven't, you can blame fanfiction .net for sending out emails when I replace chapters after doing grammar checks.

I huffed in annoyance as I wiped the sweat from my forehead for the millionth time. I had gotten no closer to civilization after having picked a direction and starting to walk through the desert. Any roads I expected to come across were nonexistent or I had nimbly avoided any sign of them somehow. It was just dry dirt, brush, and the occasional lizard or snake that I was keen to avoid. I'd been walking for hours now and was parched. Even with using my coat as shade, I could feel the intense heat of the sun beating down on me and I desperately hoped to run into someone or something soon.

I sighed, finally choosing to take a short break, and sat on a nearby rock, rubbing at my face in exhaustion. I looked up and tried to squint into the distance and see if there might be anything there other than the ripples of heat on the horizon. It was hard to tell and begrudgingly I got back up to keep walking. I would stop anytime I felt winded or tired, knowing not to push myself when I had no water or any idea of when I would. When night fell, things shifted as they always did in the desert and I curled into my coat tightly to brace against the chill, hoping no animals would make my clothes their home as I took a chance to rest.

The next morning was much the same. Idle walking and stopping, searching for signs of life, and wishing I had water. Day two came far too slowly and at that point, I was wondering if I might die out in the desert. Shit way to go considering I'm in the Doctor Who universe, I mused as I stumbled through the dirt and tripped. I grumbled under my breath in annoyance when I saw something shiny catch the light of the sun. My eyes went wide and I rushed for it, lifting up the forgotten horseshoe in hope. A bit of scrambling about showed me hoof prints in the dirt and I let out a short laugh of relief.

"Horses. Horses means people. I've got to be close."

I pushed myself back up and held tight to the horseshoe, ignoring the stinging of my hand due to the hot metal. It didn't matter when civilization was so close. I followed the prints as best I could, moving faster than I had been in my desperation, and then I thought I lost them. I swiveled around, searching for the tracks again and hoping the wind hadn't brushed them away already. I needn't have bothered as a subtle whoosh came from behind me.

It took a moment for my mind to register the sound until it happened again and I turned. It was a person coming up behind me and for a moment I felt hope. Until he vanished and appeared closer with the same sound as before. I paled, stumbling backward a few steps before turning to run. I wasn't sure where I could go but taking off in the opposite direction of the teleporting man seemed the safest bet. The only problem was that I didn't have the energy to go very far. Lack of food or water for almost three days does that, especially after being imprisoned for an unknown amount of time.

I'd gotten lucky though and could see a town in the waves of heat now. I pushed myself harder, desperately trying to get away from the person coming after me and grateful for the first signs of civilization I'd seen in days. I pulled off my coat from over my head, to keep it from blocking my vision and then I tripped.

I hadn't seen the sticks and stones lined up around the edge of town until I'd fallen over them and for a moment I thought that was it. The man had been right behind me and would surely do whatever it was he had to do, but it never came. I rolled onto my side, breathing hard and staring wearily at the fogged view of the man who'd been after me. He just teleported away though, leaving me to sigh into the dirt and close my eyes.

"How is she, Doc?"

The doctor lifted his glasses and wiped some sweat off his face with a handkerchief. "Rather dehydrated and possibly suffering heat stroke but she'll be okay. Be sure she stays somewhere cool and gets water and food when she's up."

The marshal sighed in relief, leaning against his desk and glancing over at the young woman he'd found just past the border of their town. She was resting on a cot he'd pulled out of one of the prison cells with a damp cloth over her forehead and the doctor sitting beside her checking her pulse again.

"Be sure she sips the water as well. Gulping it down won't help her any."

He nodded. "Is she… one of your people?"

The doctor shook his head. "No. She's human like you. What she was doing running out in the desert like that is anyone's guess."

"Not safe for no one with that gunslinger around," the marshal grunted before he heard someone rushing up toward his door.

"Isaac!" The man shouted once he burst in. "It's another one. A group just came into town and stopped by the saloon. One of them says he's the doctor."

Isaac glanced at the doctor seated beside the young woman before pushing off his desk and heading for the man who'd stormed in. "Where'd they go?"

"They're taking him to the edge of town."

Isaac grunted and took off through the town, hoping to prevent an innocent from getting dragged into this mess. Already he could hear the gunslinger getting closer and he pulled out his gun and fired it into the air to get everyone's attention.

"You, bow tie," he addressed the stranger who was on the other side of the barrier. "Get back across that line. Now."

To emphasize his point Isaac moved his coat to show his marshal badge and the man lightly stepped back into safety as the gunslinger vanished once more.

"Isaac, he said he was a doctor. An alien doctor," a young man argued and Isaac frowned at him.

"That a reason to hand him to his death?"

"Isaac, it could be him."

"You know it ain't," he huffed, greeting the woman who'd come with the stranger as he stepped past her and returned to his office.

The trio who'd arrived followed after him, undoubtedly seeking answers. What he didn't expect was for them to recognize the woman he'd just helped a moment ago.

"Oh, my God. Doctor, it's Asher!" The red-headed woman—Amy—pointed out and the Doctor rushed over to her and gave her a once-over before frowning at him.

"What happened?"

Isaac shrugged. "She ran into town like you folk and collapsed. Heat stroke and lack of water I suspect," he said, fibbing a bit, given that the alien doctor was hiding in the back of the prison cell to stay quiet and out of sight. "You know her?"

The Doctor's frown softened and his care toward the young woman was made very apparent. "Yes. She's a close friend. We don't always meet up at the same place. I have a tendency of being late, it seems."

"Well, glad you found her. No one should be wandering the desert alone like that much less with the gunslinger around."

The trio sent him questioning looks so he explained.

"Showed up three weeks back. We've been prisoners ever since. Your friend showed up just this morning. See that borderline stretching 'round the town? Woke up one morning, there it was. Nothing gets past it, in or out. No supply wagons, no reinforcements. Pretty soon the whole town's going to starve to death."

"But you let us in," the other man who'd come with them—Rory—pointed out.

"You ain't carrying any food. Just three more mouths to feed. We'll all die even sooner now," Isaac offered poorly as the Doctor hummed.

"What happens if someone crosses the line?"

Isaac tossed him a hat where there was a hole punched through the middle.

"Ah, well, he wasn't a very good shot, then," the Doctor scoffed, poking a hole through the hat before passing it to Rory beside him as Isaac sighed.

"He was aiming for the hat."

"He shoots people's hats?"

"It was a warning shot," Amy informed.

"Ah, no, yes. I see. Hm."

Seeing the Doctor's usual uselessness as his eyes drifted back toward Asher lying on the cot, Amy jumped in to ask the questions.

"What does he want? Has he issued some kind of demand?"

"Says he wants us to give him the alien doctor," Isaac answered with a shrug.

"But that's you. Why would he want to kill you?" Amy asked, eyeing the Doctor who frowned in confusion as well.

"And how could he know we'd be here?" Rory added. "We didn't even know we'd be here."

"We were aiming for Mexico," Amy explained to Isaac. "The Doctor was taking us to see the Day of the Dead Festival."

"Mexico's two hundred miles due south."

"Well, that's what happens when people get toast crumbs on the console," the Doctor scolded Rory before hopping up on Isaac's desk. "Anyway, I think it's about time I met him, don't you?"

"Who?"

"The chap outside said I could be the alien doctor, but you said I wasn't, so you already know who it is. Two alien doctors. We're like buses. Resident eighty-one, I presume, so beloved by the townsfolk he warranted an alteration to the sign. Probably because he rigged up these electrics, and I'm guessing he's in here because if half the town suddenly wanted to throw me to my death, this is where I'd want to be."

"I don't know what you—" Isaac was cut off by the doctor in the cell taking off the blanket that was hiding him.

"Isaac, I think the time for subterfuge has passed. Good afternoon. My name is Kahler-Jex. I'm the doctor."

The Doctor grinned, thrilled, and shook the man's hand vigorously. "The Kahler. I love the Kahler. They're one of the most ingenious races in the galaxy. Seriously, they could build a spaceship out of Tupperware and moss."

"God, you're fuckin' loud," a tired voice spoke up, making him release Jex immediately and rush over to Asher as she brought a hand to her head and swayed a little upon sitting up.

"Ash! You're up. Lovely. How are you feeling?"

"Tired, parched, and like someone with a big stupid head of floppy hair is pounding a little jackhammer into my skull. Do you know how to lower your voice?" She complained making him bring a finger to his lips as she leaned slightly to look at Rory. "Good, the nurse one is here. Can you take over before I do actually hit him?"

Rory raised a brow. "You've not hit him yet? Bit surprised, honestly."

Asher closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'm really not a violent person."

Amy snorted. "Yeah, his head says otherwise."

"Then, he deserved it," Asher grumbled as Rory went over to check on her and Isaac handed her some water to drink from a flask. "Thanks. Carry on with whatever story-telling you were about to do. I'll pretend I'm listening."

The Doctor offered Isaac and Jex a small smile. "Don't mind her. She's always cranky when she first wakes up."

"You're lucky I have nothing to throw," Asher threatened making him hold up his hands in surrender as Amy sighed.

"Anyway, how did you get here?" She asked Jex as he sat down behind Isaac's desk.

"My craft crashed about a mile or so out of town. I would have died if Isaac and the others hadn't pulled me from the wreckage."

"And you stayed as their doctor," the Doctor added.

"On my world, I was a surgeon, so it seemed logical. And it gave me an opportunity to repay my debt to them."

"Listen to him. Talking like it was nothing. Tell them about the cholera," Isaac pressed.

"Now, Isaac, I'm sure our guests are—"

"Two years after he arrived, there was an outbreak of cholera. Thanks to the doc here, not a single person died," Isaac said despite his protests.

"A minor infection we'd found a treatment for centuries ago."

"No, no, what, what do you call them? The electrics?"

Again, Jex explained humbly to the Doctor the lights that had been set up all over town. "Using my ship as a generator, I was able to rig up some rudimentary heating and lighting for the town."

"So why does the Gunslinger want you?"

"It don't matter," Isaac said as Asher piped up.

"It does if he's holding a town hostage because of him."

"America's the land of second chances. We called this town Mercy for a reason. Others, some round here, don't feel that way," Isaac countered.

"Yeah, it's also the land of shoot first ask questions later," Asher huffed. "Point is, your town is dying a slow and painful death because someone wants to kill someone else. It's nice that he helped you. Whoop-de-doo. But last I checked, people running from something—or someone—tend to be kind to others on the way when they're making up for something shitty they've done."

"It don't matter," Isaac pressed. "He's saved people and they're suddenly saying we should hand him over."

"They're scared, that's all," Jex calmed him, though he gave Asher a small side glance. "You can hardly blame them."

"Them being scared scares me. War only ended five years back. That old violence is still under the surface. We give up Doc Jex, then we hand the keys of the town over to chaos."

The Doctor was suspicious too. "Did you try to repair your craft? Surely someone with your skills—"

"It was really was very badly damaged."

"We evacuate the town. Our ship's just over the hills, room for everyone. I'll pop out, bring it back here, Robert's your uncle," the Doctor offered instead as Amy raised a brow.

"Really? Simple as that. No crazy schemes, no negotiations."

"I've matured. I'm twelve hundred years old now. Plus I don't want to miss The Archers."

Asher snorted, earning a look from him as Amy hummed.

"Oh, so you're not even a tiny bit curious?"

"Why would I be curious? It's a mysterious space cowboy assassin. Curious? Of course, I'm not curious," the Doctor fibbed as Isaac looked at him like he was mad.

"Son? You've still got to get past the gunslinger. How you going to do that?"

"With a little sleight of hand," the Doctor hummed, putting the stetson Rory abandoned onto his head. "Here's the plan."

"How are you feeling?"

I glanced up from where I was seated on the edge of Isaac's front steps, lifting a newly refilled flask at Amy's question. "Better now that I've gotten some water. Sorry, for being a pain."

Amy raised a brow, sitting down beside me. "Yeah, how new are you? The Asher I know wouldn't apologize for something like that."

I snorted. "Would you believe only a few days? Or, well, probably longer. I lost track of time a little bit ago. Got locked up in a cell."

"What!" She shouted, making me wince. "Where the hell was the Doctor!"

"Late, apparently," I replied awkwardly. "But, uh, second time meeting you, so there's that."

"Only your second time?"

"First was with the angels," I reminded her. "Bounced to a future him, then younger him, and now here. Be nice if I actually stuck around for a while after a trip though. I need to get in shape with all the running."

"God, I feel that," she groaned. "We run too damn much."

I chuckled a little. "Just a bit. I'd be more into it if I wasn't dying every few feet. Or, well meters, I guess."

"You're so American," she joked and I was grateful that she was joking.

We didn't seem to really get along early on but apparently, that got smoothed out between the angel trip and now. It was nice. I didn't like being in the middle of confrontations and drama, especially when I wasn't meaning to be involved in it. I was the type of person who adjusted myself to get on okay with just about everyone in order to avoid problems with people. It was helpful in my career choice but also meant I didn't handle confrontations well. Avoiding my problems wasn't the answer but it was all I knew how to do and it worked, so I kept doing it.

"What do you think about all this then?" She asked, quickly holding up a hand at my cautious look. "Sorry, you're early. Not trying to pry into the future knowing, just curious what you think. Hints or whatever. I know you've said before you forget things sometimes."

"How does that work, exactly?" I asked instead. "Me telling people that I know some future events. I honestly think I'd rather keep it a secret given… Well, given how I expect people to react."

"Sorry," she apologized with a wince, giving me an answer without meaning to.

"Didn't react well, I take it?" I hummed, sipping again at my water as she huffed.

"Well, what was I supposed to think? The Doctor is the one who blurted it out."

"Course he did," I grumbled. "Please tell me it's at least kept secret from those that don't like me. If I get some weird title like 'The Seer' or 'The Fortune Teller' because some Daleks or something found out—"

"Oh, no. The Doctor's really strict about it. Even when we found out, he gave us this whole lecture on the dangers of knowing the future and the risks of it getting out to anyone. Not that I didn't say some stupid stuff back then, but I figured it out… It's hard, right?"

I nodded, silent for a moment. "Thanks," I offered. "For understanding."

She cracked a smile and slapped my back, making me wince. "We're friends, Ash. I got your back. Rory too."

I hummed, staring out across the desert and debating something before giving in. "Don't trust Jex."

"What's that?" She questioned, looking a bit hesitant.

"He's lying, about a lot," I warned her. "Not saying he's a bad person or a good person, just that…" I frowned lightly, trying to think of how to word it. "He's made a big mistake and he's scared." I glanced over at her. "Fear makes people do stupid, dangerous things."

"Yeah, I know I said to warn me but that's a bit… ominous."

"Sorry. I'm just trying not to give too much away. It doesn't help I was walking for two days in the desert with no food or water after being imprisoned. Really makes it hard to think straight."

"Two days? Why didn't you say something!" She said, looking worried. "The Doctor—"

"Has other things to focus on," I brushed off lightly. "I'm fine other than a headache and probably some sunburns." I lifted my water flask. "I'm drinking slowly like I should and I can grab something to eat back at the Tardis."

She huffed. "Yeah, if you don't disappear before you get there."

"Shut up. You'll jinx it," I complained as she chuckled and gestured to the marshal's office door.

"I'll see if Mr. Sheriff has anything you can eat."

"Just be careful," I cautioned her and she gave me a little salute.

"Will do."

It was a relief to at least tell her that much. Even though I knew she didn't get hurt because of Isaac showing up, it felt… good to at least warn her a little. If I can just keep giving little hints like that, hints that don't change anything, then maybe I'll feel a tiny bit better about what I have to let happen. I thought of Donna briefly and winced, taking another sip from the flask of water. No. That's not true at all, is it? Just me being selfish and hoping to be happy about my decisions even though people are hurt and killed by them. It's just a poor excuse for redemption. I still can't do anything, even now. Isaac is supposed to—

An alarm blared through the desert, loud enough that I grimaced as it made my headache flare, and Amy and Jex stepped outside.

"That's the alarm on my ship," Jex breathed out as Amy hummed, unconcerned.

"Maybe the Doctor wants to get it working again?"

"But that wasn't the plan. He's not following the plan."

"Welcome to our world," Amy scoffed, glancing down at me as Jex hurried inside. "Sorry, Ash. I couldn't find anything for you to eat."

I shrugged, not really bothered. "They said they were slowly starving. I didn't expect much."

She nodded back to the door. "You coming?"

I hesitated for a moment, knowing that the second we'd step through those doors Jex would have a gun pointed at us. I don't like guns. I lived a good twenty-some-odd years with my father trying to stuff them down my throat; dragging me to gun shows, shooting ranges, and taking me out to the desert to shoot at targets. Doesn't help the shit that was happening in the US while I was back home. I… don't know how I'd react to a gun pointed at me other than my usual silent panic. Could I… Should I risk trying to disarm him? I know the general idea of how to shove the gun aside and take it but I've never actually done it. Amy or I could get hurt, whereas if I just let this play out, then neither of us should. I glanced back out up the road. So long as Isaac comes back in time and Jex isn't threatened by having two hostages instead of one. Or I could just wait here…

I sighed lightly, slowly getting up. "Yeah, alright." Damn bleeding heart can't let her deal with him alone.

Sure enough, we stepped in and as Amy closed the door behind us, I was faced with the barrel of a gun. She turned around as well, seeing the situation as Jex pulled back the hammer to arm it.

"I'm sorry, Amy, Asher. He really should have followed the plan. Don't move," he ordered, keeping the weapon pointed at us both as he slipped into the cell to gather what little he had. "Isaac says he doesn't care about my past, but things may have been uncovered that even he might struggle to forgive, so it's best we beat a hasty retreat."

"We? W-We're coming with you?" Amy questioned as he stepped back out.

"It's unlikely the Gunslinger will shoot if I'm with you. As far as I can tell, he's programmed to take innocent lives only if absolutely necessary." His gaze shifted to me. "Though I do only need one hostage."

"Fucking delightful," I muttered, hands shaking but my voice somehow steady despite the internal panic welling up in me. "So, what? What are you going to do? Shoot me?"

He looked hesitant, letting me know that while he was someone who made killer cyborgs, the man himself wasn't full of enough conviction to actually kill someone. "Just… Just don't move," he said, backing up and opening the door behind him only for yet another gun to rest against his back.

"Doc? What are you doing?" Isaac questioned as Jex held up his hands in surrender. "Give me the gun."

He did easily and I let out a shaky sigh, relieved, as Jex backed up against the wall and faced Isaac apologetically.

"It was stupid of me, I realize that now. I just thought I'd put you all in enough danger—"

"That's not what you said," I pointed out, taking a seat and frowning at him. "You said you were scared Isaac would find out what you did and wouldn't forgive you. You only cared about yourself, not the town."

He scrambled to try and counter what I said but the Doctor stepped in, looking rather angry himself.

"He's lying. Every word, everything he says, it's… all… lies. This man is a murderer."

"I am a scientist," Jex argued.

"Sit down," the Doctor ordered, having backed him up to a chair before raising his voice. "Sit down! Tell them what you are."

"What am I? A war hero," Jex said proudly as I scoffed.

"You're selfish, is what you are."

"Okay," Isaac cut in, confused and sensing a possible fight brewing. "Somebody want to tell me what is going on?"

"The Gunslinger is a cyborg," the Doctor explained.

"A what?"

"Half man, half machine. A weapon. Jex built it. He and his team took volunteers, told them they'd been selected for special training, then experimented on them, fused their bodies with weaponry, and programmed them to kill."

"Okay. Why?" Isaac turned to Jex, hurt and disappointed. "Why would you do that, Doc?"

"We'd been at war for nine years. A war that had already decimated half of our planet. Our task was to bring peace, and we did. We built an army that routed the enemy and ended the war in less than a week. Do you want me to repent, to beg forgiveness for saving millions of lives?"

The Doctor bristled but I spoke up first.

"I'd at least like you to act like you're sorry for the people you hurt first," I said a bit harshly. "Like, I get it. War has to be tough, dealing with people—friends, family—dying and knowing that there's a way to fix it just out of reach because of, of ethics or morals or whatever. Thing is, the reason the Doctor is so pissed off is you are taking pride in hurting people. You are calling yourself a hero without even bothering to apologize or even face the Gunslinger at the edge of town to show him your remorse. Gloating about killing people, about turning them into something that makes their own family hate them? That just makes you a shit person."

Jex's gaze shifted to the ground as Rory spoke up.

"What happened then? How come you're here?"

"When the war ended we had the Cyborgs decommissioned, but one of them must have got its circuitry damaged in battle. It went offline and began hunting down the team that created it until just two of us were left. We fled, and our ships crashed here," Jex explained and Rory looked at all of us.

"So, what do we do with Jex?"

Isaac frowned. "What do we do with him?"

"Yeah. I mean, he's a war criminal."

"No, he's the guy that saved the town from cholera, the guy that gave us heat and light."

Amy took a half step forward. "Look, Jex may be a criminal and yeah, kind of creepy—"

"And still in the room," Jex muttered.

"—but I think we should put aside what he did and find another solution."

"Another solution?" Rory questioned in disbelief. "It's him or us."

"When did we start letting people get executed? Did I miss a memo? Doctor, tell him," Amy demanded but the Doctor was lost in his thoughts.

"Hmm? Yes. I don't know. Whatever Amy said."

Jex opened his mouth but I shot him a look.

"Don't say anything," I demanded. "Right now, the last thing you want to do is open your mouth and try to get sympathy from the Doctor or anyone else here. You'll just dig your own grave."

"So you're siding with me," Rory concluded and I shook my head.

"No. I'm just preventing a migraine. Doctor?"

He was frowning at the ground, not really listening and I huffed. Honestly, I don't know why I'm even trying to prevent this. He needs to learn when he's gone too far and Jex needs to understand that he should care and actually try repenting properly for what happened.

"Looking at you, Doctor, is like looking in a mirror, almost," Jex said, drawing his attention and mine as I whipped around to him and stood.

"I told you to shut up."

He didn't though, just rattling on angrily. "There's rage there, like me. Guilt, like me. Solitude. Everything but the nerve to do what needs to be done. Thank the gods my people weren't relying on you to save them."

"No," the Doctor murmured before stepping closer. "No, but these people are... Out! Out! Out!"

He hauled Jex to his feet and pulled him out of the building as I groaned, storming out after him.

"This is why I told him to shut up. Why is it always my job to get people to see common sense?" I spat, squinting against the sun reflecting off the desert and watching as the Doctor shoved Jex over the border around the town and snatched a gun off one of the townspeople who'd gathered to see what was happening.

"Get over, and don't come back," the Doctor ordered and Jex eyed the gun.

"You wouldn't."

"I genuinely don't know."

Isaac called to the Doctor as I grimaced and begrudgingly took his gun from his holster and fired a shot up in the air, wincing at how loud it was. It did the trick though, catching everyone's attention.

"Let him back over the line, Doctor."

The Doctor eyed me but was hesitant. "Or what? You won't shoot me, Asher."

"Yeah, I won't. Hate guns, honestly but last I checked, so did you. So what the hell are you doing?"

"We can end this right now. We could save everyone right now," he pressed as I handed Isaac back his gun and headed toward the Doctor.

"Everyone who?" I asked, eyeing him. "Because this isn't about you right now. This about Jex and this town and the Gunslinger."

"Jex has to answer for his crimes."

"And you seriously think killing him is the way to do that? Really? You're handing a pig to slaughter and guess what? It won't fix the anger that the Gunslinger is feeling. It won't make him or you feel any better."

"But they keep coming back, don't you see? Every time I negotiate, I try to understand. Well, not today. No. Today, I honor the victims first. His, the Master's, the Dalek's, all the people who died because of my mercy!" He argued and I snapped right back at him.

"Your mercy is what makes you a good man! Any damn person can get revenge or, or condemn someone but it takes a hell of a person to forgive people who've done something wrong. To forgive people and give them a chance to be better! What happened to that Doctor? What happened to the Doctor who had to give his enemies a chance no matter what! A doctor saves people! You sentence him to death as a, a way to get back at all your enemies, and all you're doing is punishing yourself! And for what? Caring about people? God, you're so just— This is fucking stupid!"

I was visibly shaking now and had a hand pulling painfully on my hair. I was angry and upset and could feel the frustration trying to make tears well up as I squeezed my eyes shut and spat curses under my breath.

"Ash. Asher—"

"No. You…You shut up," I bit out at the Doctor as I grit my teeth and brought my other hand up to press both my palms into my eyes—making sparks dance under my eyelids. "This is stupid. Don't you see how stupid this is? Both of you are just—"

Arms wrapped around me and pulled me tightly to the Doctor's chest as he sighed, holding out the gun for Isaac to take. I lightly tried to push away, feeling all the pent-up emotions starting to come through as tears because of his hug which only made my stomach churn with shame. He didn't let go though, muttering quietly under his breath by my ear.

"Oh, Ash. I'm sorry. We'll think of something else, okay? Take a deep breath."

I did, though it shuddered as I held it and let it out slowly and he pat my back, pulling away with an apologetic smile.

"Better?"

I wiped at my eyes and glared at him without any real anger. "Asshole."

His eye twitched at the curse. "Yes, well, I'm sure there are more polite things you could call me but I deserved that." He turned toward Jex then, holding out a hand, and the smile quickly faded at the Gunslinger standing right behind him. "Jex, move over the line. Now."

Jex slowly turned around to face the Gunslinger though, terrified as the cyborg pointed his weapon at him.

"Make peace with your gods," the Gunslinger grumbled and Jex tried to reason with him.

"Kahler-Tek, isn't it? I remember all your names, even now. I'll never hurt anyone again. I'm even helping people here."

"Last chance. Make peace with your gods."

Jex closed his eyes, knowing there would be no escaping it now, only for a shout to ring out as Isaac threw himself forward.

"No!"

He was hit with the blast meant for Jex and the Doctor hurried to him, lightly handing me over to Rory and Amy as I stared at Isaac in shock and guilt. I had forgotten completely that Isaac sacrificed himself for Jex so I hadn't even tried to stop it. I mentally tried to argue with myself that even if I wanted to, Isaac was probably someone I couldn't and shouldn't save because of how influential he was in the town and how that might change the Gunslinger's future. I couldn't even think of how I could have prevented him getting shot because stopping him meant Jex dying and the Gunslinger dying as well with the whole town against him. I was so lost in my thoughts I hadn't even noticed I was back in the marshal's office until something was placed in my hand.

I blinked at the granola bar as the Doctor curled his hand around mine to hold it. I looked up at him as he offered a small smile.

"It wasn't your fault."

I was quiet for a moment, looking back down at our hands. "I forgot."

"It will happen sometimes," he said softly, giving my hand a squeeze. "Always at inopportune moments, same with anyone. That doesn't mean it's your fault and what could you have possibly done? You would have gotten hurt or killed, or Jex would have. And after all that effort you put in to get my idiot head to see how wrong it was for him to die, how would that have made anything better?"

"I know," I muttered, already knowing he was right with everything I'd just thought of. "I know but… it still feels like it's my fault. I couldn't have done anything. Shouldn't even think about it half the time but I'm just… I don't know what I can do. I wish I could just save everyone but I can't and I get that but then they're right there in front of me a-and I have to tell myself all the reasons why I can't. Over and over again but they always feel like excuses. I-I haven't even been to any of the places where stuff gets really bad. What then? W-What about when it's a friend or a planet or a species? What will I—"

"Asher," the Doctor pressed, clasping my face between his hands as tears freely flowed and his thumb lightly brushed them away. "We'll face things together. Okay? The both of us. This isn't some burden that you're meant to carry alone. It's hard and it won't always be easy, not even with me, but I know you do a good job. A great job just by being you. Everything will work itself out, I promise. Okay?"

Slowly, I nodded, again feeling that shame bubbling forth at having a breakdown in front of him, but the thought vanished when he kissed my forehead; drawing my surprised gaze up to him as he gave my hand a squeeze and smiled.

"Eat. I know it's not much but I doubt you've had anything recently. Soon as everything is worked out, I'll make you whatever you want, okay?" He offered, wiping at my face with a handkerchief before handing it over when I lightly swatted at him. "Clean yourself up and then sleep. I'll come up with a plan and we'll start tomorrow. You have plenty of time to relax for a bit."

I nodded begrudgingly and muttered a small thanks as he went to sit back in Isaac's chair behind the desk and work up a plan. Granola bar eaten, I moved to the cot from the spare cell and laid down, not expecting to fall into such a deep sleep so quickly after everything that had just happened. Yet, I did and any and all nightmares faded away as the soft weight of the Doctor's coat soon settled onto my shoulders.