A/N: I sent this to a friend to look over and apparently it made them scream, so make of that what you will. Also, welcome back!
A warm breeze blew gently around them, rustling her hair and leaving a trail of heat behind on her skin that slowly dissipated along with the wind, though the warm fluttering in her stomach remained. There was a pause - a brief hesitation, and the distant sound of a small metal object clanging to the floor - before he pulled her closer into him, his other hand curling around her waist and thumb brushing against her ribs, leaving a trail of sparks on her skin at the touch. He finally moved back ever so slightly and she almost followed before she caught herself, their panting breaths easily heard in the almost infinitesimal space between them as his warm breath brushed against her lips.
Her eyes fluttered open, just in time to see the ribbons of golden fire swirling around them slowly fading away into nothing. Her hands, still cupping his face, were faintly glowing, though now even that was dimming. She raised her eyes to his, uncertain what she would see there, only to find him blinking in confusion.
"Fairy-girl?" he murmured when his gaze met hers, and her heart broke and healed all at once at the name; the wisdom and loss of the long-lived once more present in his eyes just the final confirmation.
John was gone.
And the Doctor was back.
She closed her eyes tightly for a moment, then opened them again to give him a watery smile. "Hello, Doctor," she told him as the confusion began to change to concern. "It's been a while."
"I don't..." He shook his head slightly, though not enough to dislodge her grip. "Why are you crying? What's going on? Are you hurt?"
She sucked in an involuntary breath. "You... you don't remember?" she stammered, too heart-bruised and weary to even begin feeling ready to explain the last three months to him.
He furrowed his brow. "I..." He looked her over from head to toe, then scanned their surroundings and sniffed the air before returning his gaze to her. "1913, why are we in 1913?" He blinked, finally seeming to take in their incredibly close position - and its implications, as a faint pink dusted his cheeks. "And you... we..." He slid his hand carefully out of her hair to gently wipe away yet another tear that had spilled over onto her cheek.
"There's this family of hunters that found you," she told him softly. "They wanted to steal your life for their own. The only way to stop them would've been permanent, so you made yourself human to give them a chance to change. We've been here for three months, they only just found us."
His gaze sharpened with recognition. "I used the Chameleon Arch." His eyes glazed over slightly as he presumably scanned his returning memories before his gaze sharpened. "Why do I taste pear?" he grimaced, disgust wrinkling his features. "I don't remember everything yet, but I distinctly recall telling you and Martha in the video to not let my human self eat any pears, because he wouldn't know any better. Unless..."
Lyssa, who had very much not been meeting his gaze, let out a startled shriek that was abruptly muffled when he pulled her into another kiss that left her wide-eyed and breathless when he finally pulled away.
"No, it's not from you," he murmured, brow furrowed in thought. "Or at least not all from you. Which means for some reason he chose to eat it, but I would've thought the TARDIS would've left a warning against that. Unless..."
Already flustered, Lyssa had no defenses left when he turned a wounded face on her.
"Fairy-girl!"
She managed to utter something that sounded vaguely intelligible if one closed their eyes, plugged their ears, and didn't actually know what the English language was supposed to sound like. Another missile fell outside, close enough that one of the glass panes in the window cracked, and he shifted his hands to keep her upright when she stumbled.
"Right. Priorities," he mumbled, glancing out the window in the direction of the village and sounding almost disappointed as he reluctantly released her. "I suppose I should go take care of that." He bent down and swiped the now empty fob watch off the ground, sliding it into his pocket with one hand.
"What are you going to do?" Lyssa asked, taking advantage of even the minute distance now between them to shove down her muddled feelings and collect herself, though she doubted there was much she could do for her heated cheeks.
His eyes grew cold, though his touch remained gentle as he guided her forward. "They wanted the Time Lord. I'll make sure they get him," he said grimly, pulling open the door and guiding her outside, hand warm against her back even as she felt a chill run through her. Martha and Timothy were waiting outside, huddled together on a wooden bench propped up against the house, and they looked up when the door opened. There was no sign of River, though Lyssa doubted she'd left.
"Mr. Smith?" Martha asked cautiously.
He shook his head, eyes fixed on the plume of smoke rising from the village in the distance, and she collapsed back on the bench with a sigh of relief.
"What are you going to do?" Timothy asked curiously, eyes bright with interest as he studied the Doctor.
The Doctor frowned darkly as he released Lyssa. "What I should've done from the start. Stay here. I'll be back shortly," he called over his shoulder, setting off through the woods at a brisk pace.
"J-Doctor!" Lyssa hurried after him, struggling to keep up in her skirts with his long strides. He slowed, turning to face her with a closed off expression that made her bite her lip - she knew that face. Still, he let her approach, softening a little when he met her worried gaze. "What are you going to do?" she asked again, stopping a few feet away.
"They wanted to live forever. I'm going to ensure they do - and that they live to regret it," he told her, eyes fierce. Another explosion shook the earth and his face only grew colder.
"Why?" she challenged him.
He looked taken aback. "Because that's what I do?" he said slowly. "I'm the Doctor, it's kind of my job?"
"Really?" She looked up at him, struggling to keep her expression clear. "I must've missed that part of your promise. 'Never cruel or cowardly; never give up, never give in... And make sure they live to regret it?'"
He looked away, jaw clenched tight.
"They need to be stopped, yes," she agreed quietly, slowly stepping closer to him. "But why this way? Why the Oncoming Storm, and not the Doctor?"
He struggled for words, looking everywhere but her eyes before finally biting out, "Because they made you cry."
She closed her eyes shut tight for a moment, forcing down the swell of emotions that had been threatening to spill over for the past few days. "If I'm hurt..." she started in a soft voice, finally crossing the last few feet between them and raising her hands to cup his cheeks. "Don't you think I'd need a Doctor more than a storm?"
He raised his hands and held them over hers, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath before letting it out slowly. When he opened his eyes again, the rage was gone, replaced by the determination and kindness that was supposed to be there.
She beamed at him. "Now there's the Doctor I know."
He offered her a weak but genuine smile. "Thank you for reminding me," he said quietly, squeezing her hands gently before pulling them away from his face and releasing them. "I need to go take care of this. Will you wait for me to come back?" he asked, eyes searching hers.
She felt her cheeks heat at his gaze but nodded. "As long as it takes," she promised.
His lips quirked up. "That's all I need to hear." He turned to leave, then paused and darted back, cupping her cheek with one hand and brushing a soft kiss against the corner of her mouth.
She felt her eyes flutter shut, turning slightly into his touch as his familiar smell - one that spanned regenerations, one she could never fully name as anything other than safety/comfort/home enveloped her. One hand came up to grip loosely at his sleeve, reluctantly releasing him when he finally, slowly, pulled away. He rested his forehead against hers, face close enough that it left only scant centimeters between.
"I'll return as soon as I can," he told her in a low voice, eyes dark and full of promise before he stepped away, keeping eye contact with her until he finally had to turn around and started running, quickly disappearing around the bend.
Lyssa sat down heavily on the ground the minute he was out of sight, blinking hard and struggling to catch her breath, one hand coming up to touch her tingling lips. The ground shook beneath as another missile fell and she fell forward, throwing her hands on the ground to catch herself.
"Right," she murmured breathlessly. She shook her head, trying to clear it, then stumbled to her feet and brushed off her skirts. "Should probably tell the others what's going on," she decided, taking a deep breath to try and calm herself before turning and heading back to their temporary base.
River had rejoined the others when Lyssa made it back, talking in a low voice to Martha and Timothy. She looked up when Lyssa appeared and gave her a smirk. "Ah, Lyssa, you're looking quite well. A bit flushed and starry-eyed, but then again, that's nothing out of the ordinary for you."
She gave the older woman a dirty look. "Where'd you disappear off to, then?" she asked instead of responding to the gibe.
River sobered. "The Doctor isn't supposed to meet me yet," she reminded her. "The perception filter will keep him from remembering my face, but now that he's back to his Time Lord self he'll be able to pick up on it soon enough. And I'd rather not have to wipe his memory again, you made me promise not to use the inhibitor on him after what happened last time." She shrugged. "Best to avoid messing with time too much, yeah? I understand our first meeting is a bit of a fixed point." She paused. "Well, sort of first meeting. From his perspective. That he remembers."
"You know, meeting people never used to be this complicated," Martha said in amusement. "All these qualifiers..."
River shrugged. "My relationship with the Doctor is more complicated than most. Though still not as complicated as Lyssa's."
Martha perked up. "Speaking of relationships involving Lyssa and the Doctor, is there anything you want to tell us, Lyssa?"
"Not in the slightest," Lyssa huffed, crossing her arms and avoiding everyone's gaze.
Martha shrugged. "Had to try."
"You really didn't," Lyssa grumbled, crossing to the bench and sitting down with a flounce next to Timothy, who was repressing a smile. They sat in silence for a few minutes, Lyssa nervously fiddling with the charms on her necklace as the barrage against the village continued sporadically.
Timothy flinched seconds before a closer, louder explosion filled the air, shaking the ground beneath their feet. River swayed slightly and balanced herself against the house with one hand. She glanced in the direction of the village with narrowed eyes.
"That was no missile," she pronounced as a plume of dark smoke began to rise into the sky somewhere beyond the woods. "Color of smoke, the sound... I'd say that was a ship."
"He did it, then?" Timothy asked. "He stopped the Family?"
Martha laughed in excitement, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and giving him a side hug. "He did! Because that's what the Doctor does, he stops them."
Lyssa said nothing, eyes fixed on the smoke rising ever higher. If things stayed true to the original adventure, then the Doctor had gotten the Family out of the ship before it exploded and would currently be restraining them.
"Do you think he'll be able to get Jack back?" she asked softly.
River gave her a reassuring smile. "Jack can survive anything. Trust me, it's the only thing that saves him from me sometimes. I don't like wasting energy pointlessly when he'll just bounce back as irritating as ever a few minutes later."
"Your relationship with him is more complicated than Lyssa's with the Doctor, and I don't want to know any of the details," Martha muttered.
"It's really not that complicated," River sighed. "He shows up, and I try to maim him. Very straightforward, and it seems much less complicated than whatever it is Lyssa and the Doctor have going on." She saw Martha staring at her and shrugged. "What? I'm a dangerous assassin and he's an idiot who's attracted to danger."
She paused, narrowing her eyes at a point somewhere beyond the house and stepped closer, but kept talking, one hand creeping closer to her blaster. "I suppose I should mention I'm a mostly reformed assassin by this point. I don't really do hits on anyone except Jack."
"And she is welcome to hit on me at any time," Jack purred as he stepped around the corner of the house, the crooked grin on his face a sharp contrast to the pasty-white tone of his skin and sweat beaded at his temples next to the red lump from where River had struck him while he was under the Family's control. But his eyes... Gone was the alien coldness of late, replaced with the familiar fondness Lyssa was used to.
River narrowed her eyes and stepped forward, one hand coming up to punch him in the jaw and send him sprawling while Lyssa and the others were still trying to process his sudden appearance.
"Ow! My beautiful face!" he moaned as he lay flat on the ground, lifting his head to pout at her. "Why would you do that to my face?"
"I thought you were one of the Family," River said coolly with a raised eyebrow. "I was just doing my civic duty to protect innocent civilians. Besides, didn't you just say I could hit you anytime?"
"Hit on, River, emphasis on the word 'on'!" he pleaded as he got to his feet, though he didn't really look all that upset. He sighed. "I suppose I should be more careful with my words around a former assassin." He looked around and saw the others all staring at him and sent them a smirk. "Is this the part where I say rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated?"
Already emotionally worn out, Lyssa let out a watery laugh as she leapt up from the bench and darted over to the ex-conman, wrapping him up in a tight hug. "I'm so glad you're all right," she murmured, her aching heart giving a pang at the all too fresh fear of losing him.
"Well, I wouldn't go quite that far," he chuckled, returning the embrace with equal strength. "In fact, you're probably the only one who knows me who'd label me with that. But..." He pulled back and rested his hands on her shoulders. "I'm back and handsome as ever!" He shot her a wink and she scoffed, tears pricking her eyes despite herself as she hugged him again, filled with relief.
"Too bad the Doctor couldn't do anything about your big head," River muttered, looking bored with the whole situation when Lyssa finally released him. "Might've actually done you some good."
"What, no big hug for me?" Jack pulled one hand to his heart, looking hurt. "River, I thought we had something special!"
River paused, her face softening. "You're right. I'm sorry," she apologized, stepping closer to a surprised but smug Jack as Lyssa moved away, sensing danger. "I do have something for you."
Jack winked at Lyssa. "Told you she'd fall for - ow!" He stumbled back a step as she punched him in the arm this time, one hand coming up to rub at it. "What was that for?" he sulked as he lowered his hand, clearly more offended than hurt. "You know I'm me now!"
"That was for getting yourself caught," River snapped, peaceful veneer falling away to reveal her ire. "You knew you were supposed to check in if you found anything, not go blundering in like some stupid idiot in a horror movie who dies first! Not even immortality can save you from everything, and it was pure luck that the Doctor was able to get you back." She turned away from him with crossed arms, jaw clenched. "Just my luck, that I'm constantly surrounded by stupid men who think with their ego rather than their brains," she bit out the last word.
Jack's face softened - for real, as opposed to River - and he stepped forward, resting a hand on her shoulder. "You're right. I was careless, and things could have ended a whole lot worse than they did. I'm sorry."
She scoffed, but her shoulders loosened and she turned to face him once more. "Next time be more careful. I won't always be around to protect your sorry self from the consequences of your stupidity - or to give you them."
He gave her a crooked smile. "I'm always careful. Except for when I'm around you. You just make me lose my mind sometimes," he leered, and things were back to normal.
She scoffed, falling easily back into their banter. "Push me far enough and I'll make it literal," she informed him, resting one hand on her gun at her hip. "It would probably be an improvement."
The familiar wheezing of the TARDIS filled the clearing before he could retort, faint outlines of the ship flickering into view. Lyssa closed her eyes with a smile as her bond with the ship finally reconnected, affection flowing both ways - along with some very smug amusement from the ship's end, for some reason.
"And that's my cue to leave," River announced, giving Lyssa a quick hug. "I'll see you again soon, Lyssa. Hopefully without the stupid lump next time."
"You know you love me!" Jack shouted as she nodded in farewell to Martha and Timothy before disappearing in a bright flash of light seconds before the Doctor opened the TARDIS door.
"Are you talking to yourself again, Jack?" he asked in amusement as he stepped outside. "You know that isn't considered normal to most people, right? You'll end up scaring them off."
Jack snorted. "It's all right. My raw animal magnetism will draw them in anyway."
The Doctor looked doubtful, but didn't press. "At any rate, it's all taken care of. Time we moved on."
"So what happened to the Family, then?" Martha asked curiously as she stood up.
The Doctor looked over at Lyssa, who made eye contact with him and went bright red before ducking her head. "I pulled them out of the bodies using something very clever and siphoned them into a containment unit for now. I left the bodies in the village for a proper burial." He nodded at Jack. "Jack came back as soon as the father was out, then used a vortex manipulator to get back. The TARDIS isn't ready for him yet."
"Not many can handle me at my hottest," Jack nodded sagely.
The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Like I said, time we moved on."
"Not so fast, Doc," Jack warned him, sobering. "There's some things we've got to talk about first."
The Doctor looked at him, judging his expression, then nodded. "Might as well find out what I missed."
"Nothing good, Doc," Jack sighed. "Nothing good."
xXx
The Doctor was not happy when Jack finished explaining what had drawn him to find Lyssa. He was even less happy when Lyssa brought up what she'd seen when she'd tried looking forward and the strained fixed point. In the end, it was only the fact that Lyssa was sitting right next to him, clearly unharmed - and refusing to leave until everything was sorted - that kept him from sweeping her off into the TARDIS and running a barrage of tests.
"So how come the watch affected the human you when you were holding it?" Lyssa asked, glancing up at him briefly before returning her gaze to the ground, knowing there was a very good chance she'd lose all ability to talk if she made eye contact for too long, his presence beside her alone already enough to fluster her. "And Martha, too, but not me or Timothy?"
The Doctor frowned, tightening his grasp on her hand. "As of right now, my guess would be because John Smith and Martha were un-augmented humans. You're human plus, and Timothy is time sensitive. Makes it just that little bit harder to influence you. Whatever is hunting you seemed to be limited to affecting just regular humans, at least for now, perhaps because of the distance. Now that I'm back and the TARDIS is awake you should be better protected, but I'll have to look into setting up some stronger protective measures."
Martha humphed. "And why didn't our Mr. E warn us about that? Fat lot of good he was. Telling us a backstory that ended up being hardly relevant, but not that you're being hunted by evil psychopaths from another universe."
"Your mystery what now?" Jack frowned.
"No, it's a name," Martha corrected him. "Mr. - oh." She scowled. "If I ever meet him I'm going to give him a good smack, just for that."
"Sorry, does anyone mind explaining?" Jack spoke up. "What are you talking about?"
Martha sighed. "Better to just show you. Hold on," she muttered, disappearing into the TARDIS and reappearing a moment later with the envelope, handing it to Jack. "I suppose it helped us keep up with John Smith's story, but I rather think knowing about the hunters would've been more useful."
"So, uh," Jack looked up from skimming the letter and took a few careful steps away from Martha. "I have some good news and some bad news," he stated, handing the letter to a curious Doctor to look over.
"And what's that?" Lyssa raised an eyebrow, eyeing him suspiciously.
"The good news is, I know who wrote it," he offered, taking another step away from Martha, causing her to narrow her eyes at him. "The bad news is... it was me. I haven't written it yet, but that's my handwriting."
Martha's eyes went wide, and a moment later she stepped forward with a glare and smacked his arm. "That was you?" she demanded.
"Ow!" Jack rubbed his arm defensively with a pout. "Why are all the single and attractive women in my life so violent?"
"You made me third-wheel to these two," Martha hissed, thrusting a hand out to encompass Lyssa and the Doctor, "for three months! Do you know what I had to put up with?"
"But look at all the good it did in the end!" he tried to defend himself.
"After three months!" she repeated shrilly.
"Should we... intervene?" Lyssa asked the Doctor in a hushed voice as Martha scolded Jack.
"Nah," he shook his head. "Jack brought it on himself. Besides, she's complaining about us. I don't know about you, but I'm not exactly keen for her to turn that onto us."
"Ah." Lyssa grimaced. "Right."
And with that, they left Jack to his fate.
xXx
One original version of 'Mr. E's' letter - which Martha was still cross about - and a promise that he was all right later, Jack made his farewells and left to set everything up for their past selves, promising to drop in sometime, much to the Doctor's overwhelming joy. After a quick stop to grab their items, they headed into the Vortex, planning to take care of the Family before returning to say a final goodbye.
"So, what do we do with the Family?" Martha asked with a sigh as she leaned against the railing, still clad in her dress, though she looked eager to be out of it as she shoved the sleeves up to her elbows.
The Doctor sighed, casting a long glance over at the containment unit strapped to the jump seat. "They have less than a day to live on their own. A few hours, at most. I'm..." His hands clenched around the console so hard his knuckles turned white. "The Family of Blood has had their blood. Now I'm going to give them a chance to be a family again. I'm going to take them back to their planet and seal it off, just long enough for them to pass on." He swallowed hard. "They won't die alone, I can grant them that much."
It was a somber group that watched from the TARDIS as the Doctor placed the containment unit outside on the ground before returning inside and pressing the button to release the Family. Lyssa felt the Doctor's hand wrap around hers and squeeze tightly as a heavy mist began to appear, cloaking the device in a cloud of dark green. When it faded, transparent versions of the Family in their stolen forms could be seen looking around them in surprise before they fixated on the Doctor, eyes narrowing.
"Don't bother trying anything," the Doctor said coldly. "I've placed a Tetrin Shield around this area and it will last for the next week. Nothing gets in, nothing gets out." He glared at them. "I would be well within my rights to take you to the Shadow Proclamation, although I doubt you'd make it to trial." He glanced back at Lyssa, watching silently by the console, and his face softened a little as he turned back to the Family.
"But instead I'm going to give you a chance. Not a chance to kill again," he added sharply. "But a chance to be a family. An actual family. You spent so long trying to find a way to live longer that you never actually lived your life together. Too focused on killing rather than living. It's not how long you live, it's what you do with that time." He sighed. "You still have a short time left. Spend it with each other and just live for once."
Lyssa sucked in a breath, the familiar words bringing up flashes of memories of another painful adventure where people had sought to live longer at the expense of others. Where the Doctor had once again given them the chance to do better one last time rather than sending them off to face trial. She raised a hand to the cheek that had been so horribly bruised and taken so long to heal before lowering it to her necklace, which currently rested atop her blouse, and clutching her snowflake charm.
"Is that it then?" Martha asked, breaking Lyssa out of her thoughts. She looked up to find the doors shut and the Doctor standing by the console. "No way off?"
The Doctor nodded with a somber expression as he sent them off into the Vortex, the ship's familiar groaning and wheezing causing Lyssa to relax ever so slightly. "They can't break through that shield without the proper technology, which I've ensured they have no access to. It'll dissipate naturally in a week."
Martha shook her head with a sigh. "I just... all those lives lost, just because they wanted to live longer. And they wasted what time they did have together hurting others to try and live a little longer. Why can't people be content with what they're given, or... or find ways that don't come at the cost of others?"
The Doctor reached out and squeezed one of her shoulders with an understanding expression. "Because not everyone cares like you do. And that's what people like me are there for - to stop them." He paused, glancing over at Lyssa. "And that's why I bring along people like you two - to remind me that there's still good out there, and that there's more than one way to stop people like them."
Martha's lips twitched in what might have been a smile. "And see that you remember it," she told him smartly. "I came aboard for more than just the chance to sight-see, you know. My whole job is about helping people. I didn't stop just because I'm a time traveler now."
The Doctor gave her a small smile. "And you did an excellent job of that these past three months. So let me make it up to you a little." His fingers began to spin over the console controls. "What say two weeks at the Elenth Spa on the luxury planet Relisse, widely renowned as being the best spa in the seventeen galaxies around it? I'll send you at the height of its popularity and most peaceful year." He glanced up. "It's the least I can do. Thank you, Martha. Really."
She laughed a little. "That sounds amazing, and just what the med student ordered. If it's really as great as you say it is, consider it forgiven." She turned to Lyssa. "What say we shower and change real quick and meet back here? We still need to say goodbye to Timothy."
Lyssa nodded, as eager to be out of the restricting dress and everything it represented as Martha seemed to be. "Sounds good, see you both shortly!" she called, avoiding the Doctor's gaze and fleeing the room. The TARDIS gave her the equivalent of a raised eyebrow and she flushed as she made her way through the hallways to her room for the first time in months. "Oh hush," she muttered. "It's not like you were any help at all. Matter of fact, I'd say you were interfering a fair bit." She snorted when she got a strong wave of smug amusement and feigned denial. "Yeah, that's what I thought."
She pushed open her door and couldn't help a smile as the lights turned on automatically, kicking off her boots as she grabbed the clothes the TARDIS had set out for her on the bed. She tugged off her dress and carefully hung it up in her closet, certain the TARDIS would return it to the Wardrobe, then hurried into her attached bathroom for a quick shower. Knowing her hair would take ages to take down, wash, and set, she left it alone for the time being and instead luxuriated in having a proper shower as opposed to the less than comfortable baths available at the school.
Tugging an oversized blue sweater over her camisole, she pushed her left hand through the sleeve and paused when the light caught on her ring. Feeling a sudden pang in her heart, she traced a finger over the jewelry, memories of all the times John had done the same flashing through her mind. She supposed she didn't really need to wear it anymore - John was... gone. Just another part of the Doctor's memories now, same as all his past regenerations, except she'd never see that particular him again. The need for hiding was over.
And yet she found she wasn't quite ready to take it off yet, to say goodbye so soon. She knew she'd have to eventually, and sooner rather than later, but not now, when the ache was still so fresh. She wrapped her other hand over it and clutched both hands to her chest, tears pricking her eyes. The TARDIS sent her a wave of comfort and she smiled weakly, swiping a hand across her eyes.
"Thank you," she murmured, slipping on a pair of blue ballet flats and resting one hand against the wall. She pulled her necklace out to rest atop her sweater and clutched her snowflake charm as she left her room and returned to the console room, feeling the Doctor land the TARDIS on her way there.
Martha and the Doctor were waiting for her when she got there, the Doctor back in his pinstriped suit and tan overcoat, a look that once more tugged at her over-emotional heart, and Martha wearing a black jacket and jeans. She'd also managed to pull her hair back into a more modern ponytail, thoroughly removing all traces of her time in 1913.
"So, how are we going to find Timothy, then?" Martha asked, tilting her head to one side. "We don't exactly blend in anymore."
"Martha, Martha, Martha," the Doctor grinned, pushing the door open and leading the way out.
"He's time sensitive, remember? He'll find us."
Lyssa followed him and Martha outside, scrunching her nose as the feeling of a near-broken fixed point once again began to itch, and shivering a bit when the wind gusts swirled around them. The Doctor had parked them on a field a short distance outside the school, and the lack of cover meant that they had no protection from the weather. Still, it was only a few minutes before Timothy appeared, a familiar little girl behind him as they trudged their way through the muddy field.
"Is that... Lucy Cartwright?" Lyssa asked in surprise, wondering why she'd joined Timothy, though she gave the young girl a smile as they grew closer.
"Doctor. Martha. Lyssa." Timothy nodded at all of them in greeting, not looking startled in the least at their modern clothing. "I just wanted to say good-bye. And thank you, because I've seen the future and I now know what must be done. It's coming, isn't it? The biggest war ever."
"You don't have to fight," Martha pointed out quietly.
He shook his head. "I think we do."
"But you could get hurt," Martha objected, looking over his slight frame with worry.
He gave her a small smile. "So could you, traveling with him. But that's not going to stop you, is it?"
"Do what your conscience tells you is right, Timothy," Lyssa told him, though she felt as worried as Martha, hating the thought that a boy as young as him would be fighting for his life for the next few years. "And don't forget to have fun every once in a while. It's good for you."
He laughed and nodded. "I'll remember." He glanced behind him at Lucy, who was nervously chewing on her thumbnail.
She looked up and met Lyssa's gaze, and Lyssa tried to give her an encouraging smile. Lucy stepped forward and shyly looked up at the Doctor, who dropped down to one knee so his height would be less intimidating.
"Did you find your magic?" she asked him in what was likely meant to be a whisper, but still loud enough to be heard by all. "Miss Devons said you were going to use it to stop the bad guys, but you couldn't use it yet."
He smiled at her and lifted up his hand, using just enough of his regeneration energy to let his hand glow a bright gold, smile growing wider when she gasped in delight. "Miss Devons and Miss Jones helped me find it and stop the bad guys. They're the real heroes here."
She beamed up at him. "Thank you for saving me from the scarecrow!" She darted forward and pulled him into a hug, which he returned after a startled second. Pulling away, she did the same to Lyssa. "I knew you were a good fairy!" she exclaimed as she let go a moment later.
Lyssa laughed. "And you found our secret ship!" She gestured to the TARDIS. "We have to go soon, but I'm glad I got to see you again!"
Lucy nodded excitedly. "The good fairies always have to go help more people at the end of their stories. Maybe I can tell this one to people someday!" Her eyes lit up with excitement and the itch at the back of Lyssa's mind abruptly faded. She frowned, but let the thought stray for the moment when Lucy gave her another hug before darting off - apparently it was almost time for lunch, and fairies or not, food came first.
Lyssa had to agree.
"Tim, I'd be honored if you took this," the Doctor said, breaking into Lyssa's thoughts as she stood up and holding out the fob watch to Timothy.
Timothy took it and held it up to his ear with a curious expression. "I can't hear anything," he said after a moment.
The Doctor shook his head. "No, it's just a watch now. But keep it with you. For good luck."
Timothy glanced down at it before slipping it into his pocket. "I was wrong, earlier," he said quietly. "When I saw you in the watch. Because you are ancient and powerful. And capable of many terrifying things."
The Doctor watched him silently.
"But you're more than that," Timothy continued with a glance at Lyssa. "You're a good man, Doctor. Don't forget that."
"I'll try not to," the Doctor gave him a half smile and clapped him on the shoulder.
"It was nice to meet you, Timothy," Lyssa said quietly with a smile when he turned to her.
He gave her a small smile in return. "And you, Miss." He stepped closer and lowered his voice a little. "Your touch can't harm him, you know. Your time is shared." He paused, then continued on a different track while she was still trying to understand. "And you should know that when I looked into the watch, when I saw the Doctor and all the good that he does, and all that he cares about, I saw you, too. You were there, at the center of him."
"Oh," she said blankly. "Um. Th-thank you?" she stammered uncertainly, cheeks heating up as she avoided Martha and the Doctor's questioning gazes.
He looked back at the school, then back at them, retreating a few steps. "I have to go. And so do you, I think."
"Someone does owe me a spa trip," Martha nodded, eying the Doctor before shooting Timothy a smile. "Look after yourself," she instructed him, giving the boy a hug before turning and heading back into the TARDIS."
"You'll like this bit," the Doctor grinned, placing his hand on Lyssa's back and ushering her towards the TARDIS.
Lyssa rolled her eyes fondly and gave one last smile to Timothy. "Always the showing off with this one," she teased, giving him a quick wave before disappearing inside, followed by the Doctor.
"Right, then," the Doctor declared, moving to the console and starting to input data. "Elenth Spa, 34th century, here we come!" He flipped a lever with relish and looked up with a grin as the time rotor began to move with a groan, sending them off into the Vortex.
Lyssa let out a laugh as she gripped onto the railing to keep herself standing. "Is it weird to say I missed this?"
"Nope!" Martha grinned as they landed. "I love the ability to go to spas whenever you want. One of the best things about being aboard." She glanced over at the Doctor. "I suppose you're all right, too." She darted up the stairs but paused at the landing to thrust a finger at him. "I'm going to go grab my things, don't you dare leave without me," she ordered him before disappearing further inside.
He snorted. "Nice to know I'm only kept around for my ship." He turned to Lyssa. "What about you, fairy-girl? Aren't you going to come to my defense?"
She looked up, her gaze briefly meeting his before falling to his mouth and turning bright red as she looked down at the floor again. "Well, I mean, to be fair the TARDIS does have a massive library and a swimming pool. And technically you don't."
He sputtered. "It's my ship!"
Lyssa let out a snicker at the TARDIS' response to that in their bond. "Apparently the TARDIS doesn't think so. Apparently you're her pilot, and she stole you."
"Borrowed!" he responded automatically.
"She doesn't plan on returning you anytime soon, so good luck with that," she muttered.
"Doctor, can you come help me with this?" Martha called from somewhere down the hallway, cutting off his response.
He narrowed his eyes. "Probably has a load of bags for me to carry, they always do."
Lyssa snorted as he turned towards the stairs. "Careful, Doctor, or I'll ask you to help me, too."
He paused at the top and turned to look down at her. "All you have to do is ask," he said seriously. "And I'll be there."
Lyssa forced herself to meet his gaze despite herself and sent him a shy smile, hearing - knowing - the truth in his voice. "I know," she said softly. He disappeared inside and she turned away, blowing out a long breath. "How am I going to do this?" she whispered to herself. "I can barely look him in the eye, how am I supposed to carry on a full-blown conversation about what happened, let alone about... what could happen?" Her voice dropped even lower at the last part, face heating worse than ever.
The TARDIS sent her a comforting nudge and she gave her a wan smile. "Thanks, old girl. I missed you while you were gone." She looked up as clattering footsteps grew louder, only to find Martha run into the console room, panting slightly.
"You're still here, good. The Doctor needs your help," she said breathlessly. "Apparently he's a bit stuck, and I think some teamwork might be needed here."
"Stuck?" Lyssa repeated with concern as she followed Martha up the stairs. "Is he all right? What happened?"
"Oh, he's totally fine, just stuck, like I said," Martha assured her. "I think the TARDIS might be a bit miffed at him, because she's not doing anything to help. She likes you, though, so maybe she'll let up when you get there?"
Lyssa frowned, nudging her bond with the ship and finding equal parts mischief and determination, though no real annoyance. "Well, she's definitely up to something," she agreed. "Not sure if it'll change just because I'm there."
Martha stopped in front of an ordinary-looking door. "Well, here we are," she gestured, jiggling the locked knob fruitlessly. "He's inside. Maybe it'll unlock for you?" she suggested.
Lyssa furrowed her brow and reached for the knob, sure it would be equally useless - when the TARDIS wanted to teach someone a lesson, she tended not to let others interfere. To her surprise, it opened easily at her touch, swinging into the small room with barely a sound and revealing a floor that stood at least a foot below the doorway, and a restless Doctor pacing back and forth a few feet away, though he whipped his head towards them when the door opened.
Before she could say anything or move to help, two hands gave her a gentle push just as the floor beneath her feet turned into a downwards ramp instead of a flat surface. She let out a startled cry as she stumbled forwards - and downwards - into the room, only to have her fall arrested as the Doctor leapt forward to catch her, her hands wrapping around his shoulders to steady herself. She took a moment to re-orient herself then looked up and froze, realizing his face was only inches away from hers.
He seemed just as startled as she was, one hand at her waist and the other at her upper back and holding her close to him. Both of them went pink at finding themselves in the same pose they had just a few hours earlier, his gaze briefly dropping a few inches further down her face before returning to her eyes as her heart began to pound in her chest, hard enough that she was sure he could hear it.
"I'll let you two figure it out from here," Martha's smug voice broke into the little bubble that had fallen around them, causing them both to flinch and look up at her, Lyssa's eyes wide. She smirked down at them. "I told you teamwork was needed, I just didn't tell you that it was mine and the TARDIS's, not yours and mine. Sorry about the confusion."
"Martha!" the Doctor started, eyes narrowing.
"The TARDIS seems to think you two need a good, long, uninterrupted chat, and I concur," she informed them in an excessively cheery tone. "And luckily for you both, I'm going to be gone for two whole weeks at this delightful little spa, you may have heard of it, as payback for dealing with you two for three months." Her voice became a little threateningly cheerful before returning to a more teasing tone. "Don't worry, I'm sure the TARDIS won't let you starve." She wiggled her fingers at them. "Have fun!"
She pulled the door shut with an ominous sounding click, her footsteps retreating down the hall seconds later.
Lyssa and the Doctor stared at each other in silence for a long moment before she abruptly realized he was still holding her close to him and hastily stepped back with flaming cheeks. "So, uh, I'm guessing we won't be able to get out that way anytime soon?" she asked, eyes fixed on the ground as she fiddled with her fingers.
"Considering the TARDIS just removed the doorknob, I'd say so," he said flatly, his hand falling easily from her waist though he remained close.
Lyssa glanced up in surprise and found the ship had, indeed, removed the doorknob - and hadn't stopped there, going so far as to remove the door, the outline fading into the wall even as she looked.
"You know, there's such a thing as too much," she snorted, poking the TARDIS through her bond and getting only smug amusement back.
"I think she's trying to tell us something," the Doctor said dryly. "Considering she just revealed another door on the other side of the room."
Lyssa followed his gaze to the simple door that hadn't been there a minute earlier, just a few feet away - the room really was small, more the size of a decent closet than an actual room.
She sighed, drawing her courage and holding her left hand out to him. "Once more unto the breach?"
He took it, thumb automatically rubbing over her ring the same way John did whenever he held her hand. "Once more, dear friend," he finished the quote distractedly, appearing not to see her gaze fixed on their joined hands. His grip on hers tightened slightly. "All right, love, let's see what this is about."
She sucked in a breath and tightened hers in return. "Allons-y?" she offered in a quiet voice.
He looked down at her and smiled. "Allons-y."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: Martha definitely locked them in a closet as payback. Also, when he came back, all the Doctor knew at first was that he was kissing Lyssa and he 100% went for it.
I'm so sorry this took so long! I've gotten sick more this winter than I have the in the past few years, and that combined with several other factors of craziness (along with me still having no idea how to write a kiss lol) meant that this chapter took way longer to finish than it should have. Unfortunately, I can't guarantee when the next chapter will be up, but we're getting close to the end of this book, and I'm very excited for the remaining chapters. It should be lots of fun! ;D
Foreshadowing is fun! Anyone who spots them gets a cookie (::)
Special thanks to everyone who's voted and followed, and shout -out to all my reviewers, your encouraging comments were so kind and 1000% what kept me going when I was struggling to write.
Thank you all for reading, and I hope you enjoyed! :)
Procrastination Disclaimer: I'll get around to it eventually