!EDITED!
A/N: was 7638 words, is now 10040! Enjoy! :D
It's been about a month since the Doctor and I left Donna and since... since we lost Rose. I'm doing better than I was but thinking about Rose still hurts... the pain is still raw. Keeping busy and spending time with Kas helps.
Yesterday, the TARDIS had let Kas and I know she'd found some plasma coils around Royal Hope Hospital. So, I had Kas admitted as a patient so we could investigate. I walk back into the ward that the Doctor is in, having just been investigating by myself. I get to his bed, smiling when I see his striped pajamas. "Find anything?" he asks, watching me close the curtain and then sit in his lap.
"No," I sigh in frustration, leaning back against him and his arms go around my waist.
"Think how I feel: stuck in bed while you go off and do all the work," Kas retorts, moving my hair and trailing kisses from behind my ear down to my shoulder.
I roll my eyes with a smile, biting my lip when he gives me a playful nip. "Yes, it must be awful to have the nurses fawning all over you," I let out a squeak when he pinches my hip. "Arse," I huff.
"Tiny," he smirks against my skin.
The curtain is pulled aside, making me jump slightly when I see Mr. Stoker and a group of medical students. "Now, then, Mr. Tyler... ah..." Mr. Stoker stops in his tracks when his eyes land on us and my face burns. "Apologies..."
Feeling as if I'm about to die of embarrassment, I move off the snickering Doctor and sit in the chair beside his bed. "Morning..." I wave awkwardly, making the Doctor snort loudly.
Mr. Stoker clears his throat, "yes, a very good morning to you both," he nods. "How are you today?" he asks Kas.
"Ah, not so bad, still a bit... you know, blah," he sticks his tongue out.
"John Tyler, admitted yesterday by his wife, Star Tyler, with severe abdominal pains," Mr. Stoker informs his students. "Jones, why don't you see what you can find? Amaze me," he deadpans and I raise an eyebrow. That doesn't seem like a very good way of teaching. How are they supposed to feel safe in their learning if you don't even believe in them in the first place?
A pretty young woman that was probably just a couple inches taller than me... and looks a bit familliar steps up to the Doctor, pulling her stethoscope from around her neck. "That wasn't very clever, running around outside, was it?" she asks him, making me frown. Um... what?
"Sorry?" Kas frowns up at her.
"On Chancery Street this morning," Jones looks between us, her eyebrows furrowed. "You came up to me and took your tie off," she points to Kas and then me. "You ran up to me, called him an idiot, and then ran after him."
"Well, he is an idiot," I smile, ignoring Kas' protest while Jones bites her lip to keep from laughing. "But why the hell would we do that for?"
"I don't know, you just did," she shrugs.
"Not me," Kas shakes his head. "I was here, in bed," he frowns before glancing at me with a smirk. "Ask the nurses: very lovely girls, so gentle and attentive," he praises, sending me a wink when I scoff and fold my arms.
"Wasn't me either, I've been dealing with this," I nudge Kas in the leg with my foot. "Which, as you can see, takes quite a bit of patience and energy," I sigh 'sadly', making the Doctor rolls his eyes and shove my foot away.
"Well, that's weird... cause it looked like you two," Jones frowns between us. "I mean, how many people have purple eyes," she looks me over.
"It's a genetic mutation, not really that rare," I shrug.
"Well, have you got a brother? Or... a sister?"
The Doctor and I immediately tense and he takes my hand in his, squeezing as I get a wave of grief. "No, not anymore... just us," he murmurs and Jones' eyes widen.
"I didn't mean-"
Mr. Stoker cuts Jones off, "as time passes and I grow ever more infirm and weary, Miss Jones," he sighs.
"Sorry... right," Jones bites her lip, using the stethoscope to listen to the Doctor's heart.
I mess with my ring, watching Jones. Her eyebrows furrow and she moves the diaphragm to the right side of his chest. Jones' hand stills and she looks between Kas and I with wide eyes. I fold one leg over the other, smiling innocently while Kas sends her a wink.
"I weep for future generations," Mr. Stoker rolls his eyes and I roll mine at his lackluster attitude. "Are you having trouble locating the heart?" Well, yeah, because there's two, not one.
"Um, I... I don't know," Jones shakes her head, still looking between us in shock. "Stomach cramps?"
"That is a symptom, not a diagnosis," Mr. Stoker rolls his eyes yet again. "And you rather failed basic techniques by not consulting first with the patient's chart," he picks the chart up that was hung on the end of the bed, only to drop it when he gets a visible electric shock from it.
"That happened to me this morning," Jones frowns.
"I had the same thing on the door handle," another student tells us.
"And me, on the lift," another puts in, making Kas and I perk up as we share a look.
"That's only to be expected, there's a thunderstorm moving in and lightning is a form of static electricity," Mr. Stoker cuts in. "As was first proven by... anyone?" he looks around at his students.
"Benjamin Franklin," Kas and I answer, smiling at each other after.
"Correct!"
"My mate Ben, that was a day and a half," the Doctor grins. "I got rope burns off that kite, and then I got soaked-"
"Quite..."
"Then you got electrocuted!" I snort loudly. "Thought poor Jack was going to have a heart attack... Rose was fussing over you for days," I sigh, my heart aching.
"Moving on," Mr. Stoker starts to usher his students away, looking rather uneasy at Kas and I. "I think perhaps a visit from psychiatric," he murmurs as they walk away.
Jones glances back and the Doctor grins while I wave happily, sending her a wink when she smiles before turning away. I stand, brushing off my pants, "I think I'm going to do another check," I press a kiss to Kas' lips. "Those shocks can't be a coincidence, so maybe I missed something," I sigh.
The Doctor leans back and puts his hands behind his head, "alright, I'll be fine here... with the nurses," he smirks.
"I hate you," I roll my eyes, walking off.
"No, you don't!" Kas calls after me and I shake my head with a smile.
***
I look around a few floors and find literally nothing to do with these stupid bloody plasma coils. Walking by a breakroom, I see Jones speaking to another medical student that was with her group. She stares at me with wide eyes and I wave, smiling when she waves back slowly. Snorting quietly, I move on down the corridor. Maybe the TARDIS was wrong about the plasma coils?
My thoughts are cut off when I happen to look out a window, stopping me in my tracks. I backtrack and my eyes widen at the rain... it was going up. "Oh, shit..." I mutter before I'm thrown against the wall when the entire building shakes violently.
I curl up in a ball on the floor quickly, holding my hands above my head. When the shaking stops, I stand and rush back to the window.
We... we're on the moon! Oh, my God! I hurry back to the ward and over to Kas' bed, pulling the curtain. "H2O scoop," he mutters, reaching under his bed for the suit I'd picked for him. "Blue?" he turns to me with a raised eyebrow.
"I thought you could use a change," I smile widely before peaking out the curtain to see all the patients in the ward freaking out. Understandably, as we are on the moon.
"Alright, everyone back to bed!" a voice calls and I look to see Jones come in with the other medical student she was in the breakroom with. "We've got an emergency-" I'll say! "-but we'll sort it out!" she assures the patients as she moves to the window. "It's real! It's really real! ... hold on," she goes to open the window.
"Don't!" the student grabs her arm before she can. "We'll lose all the air!"
"But they're not exactly airtight," Jones argues, making me smile. Smart girl. "If the air was going to get sucked out it would have happened straight away, but it didn't... so how come?"
"She's good," Kas hums.
I turn to see him dressed in the new suit, finished off with a pair of red converse. "You look good... I like it," I smile, making him smirk and send me a wink. Turning away so he doesn't see my pink cheeks, I pull the curtain aside, "very good point!" I tell Jones.
"Brilliant, in fact!" Kas grins, shoving his hands in his pockets. "What was your name?"
"Martha," she answers, looking between us.
"... and it was Jones, wasn't it?" he asks and Martha nods.
"Well, then, Martha Jones," I smile, moving over with Kas to look out the window. "The question is: how are we still breathing?" I raise an eyebrow, folding my arms as I turn to her.
"We can't be!" the other student cries.
"Obviously we are, so don't waste our time," the Doctor rolls his eyes and I roll my own at his rudeness. "Martha, what have we got? Is there a balcony on this floor? Or a veranda? Or...?"
"By the patient's lounge, yeah," Martha nods.
"Fancy going out?" I wiggle my eyebrows.
"Ok," she shrugs.
"We might die," Kas points out.
"We might not," Martha retorts, making Kas and I grin widely.
"Good! Come on," the Doctor grabs my hand, dragging me off with Martha behind us. "Not her, she'd hold us up," he points to the sobbing student.
"Stop being rude to the poor girl," I poke his side and he sticks his tongue out.
***
Martha leads us to the balcony by the patient's lounge and we step outside. I sigh, moving over to lean my elbows on the ledge as I look at the Earth off in the distance. Martha comes up beside me, "we've got air!" she smiles, staring in wide-eyed awe. "How does that work?"
"Just be glad it does," Kas mutters, coming up on the other side of me and wrapping an arm around my waist.
"I've got a party tonight... it's my brother's twenty-first," Martha leans forward on the ledge. "My mother's going to be really... really..." she trails off.
"Are you alright?" I glance at her.
"Yeah..." she nods, still staring at Earth with wide eyes.
"Sure?" Kas raises an eyebrow.
"Yeah..."
"Want to go back in?"
"No way!" she shakes her head quickly. "I mean, we could die any minute, but all the same... it's beautiful," she smiles.
"You think?" I tilt my head, smiling slightly.
"How many people want to go to the moon? And here we are!"
"Standing in the earthlight," the Doctor muses, making me snort quietly.
"What do you think happened?"
"What do you think?" I retort, leaning my side against the ledge and folding my arms so I could face her.
"Extraterrestrial, it's got to be," she replies before sighing. "I don't know... few years ago, that would've sounded mad, but these days? That spaceship into Big Ben, Christmas, those Cyberman things," she shakes her head and I look down, messing with my ring. All those things Kas and I had done with Rose... I feel a hand on my shoulder and put mine over Kas', squeezing. Martha's voice snaps me back, "I had this cousin... Adeola... she worked at Canary Wharf," she breathes out and my heart aches, a wave of guilt hitting me. That's why she looks familiar... the woman with the ear-pods, Addy. "She never came home," she whispers.
"I'm sorry..." Kas and I both whisper.
"Yeah," Martha sighs sadly, turning her head to wipe at her eyes.
"We were there... in the battle," the Doctor murmurs, wrapping his arms around my shoulders and resting his chin on my head as grief and guilt wash over me.
"I promise you, Mr. and Mrs. Tyler, we will find a way out," Martha turns to us, her tone becoming determined. "If we can travel to the moon, then we can travel back. There's got to be a way..."
"It's not Tyler, that's not my real name," Kas shakes his head.
"Who are you, then?" Martha frowns.
"I'm the Doctor."
"Me too, if I can pass my exams," Martha smiles, folding her arms. "What is it, then? Doctor Tyler?"
"Just 'the Doctor'," he shakes his head.
"How do you mean 'just the Doctor'?"
"Just... the Doctor..."
"What? People call you 'the Doctor'?" Martha raises an eyebrow, totally not believing him and I snort at Kas' indignant huff. "You call your husband 'the Doctor'?" she looks at me incredulously.
"Most of the time, yeah," I shrug.
"Well, I'm not," she scoffs. "As far as I'm concerned, you've got to earn that title."
"Well, I'd better make a start, then," Kas pulls away from me and looks around the balcony. "Let's have a look," he picks up a pebble and throws it.
I watch as where it hits warps with energy and the pebble bounces off. "Must be a forcefield to keep the air in," I mutter.
"If that's like a bubble sealing us in... that means this is the only air we've got," Martha gasps in realization. "What happens when it runs out?"
"Um, how many people in this hospital?" I ask her hesitantly.
"I don't know, a thousand?"
"One thousand people... suffocating," Kas mutters, unease washing over me.
"Why would anyone do that?" Martha asks in horror and anger.
"Head's up, ask them yourself," the Doctor points up.
I look to see three giant, tube-like ships arriving and I groan under my breath at them. Why them? They land and rows upon rows of aliens in heavy black armor come out, headed toward the hospital. "Aliens... that's aliens! Real, proper aliens!" Martha stares at them.
"Judoon," Kas tells her.
"Just brilliant," I sigh, running a hand through my hair.
***
The Doctor, Martha, and I head downstairs to reception and hide behind some potted plants on a ledge above that had glass railings. All of the Humans were stood around and the Judoon were cataloging them.
"Oh, look down there! You've got a little shop," Kas exclaims happily, making me shake my head with a fond smile. "I like a little shop," he beams down at me.
"Never mind that," Martha rolls her eyes. "What are Judoon?"
"Galactic police... well, police for hire," Kas answers.
"More like interplanetary thugs," I roll my eyes. "They did have their uses, though, I guess," I murmur. My mum and dad would use them as security on all of their off-world missions and around the palace as extra protection.
"... and they brought us to the moon?" Martha frowns.
"Neutral territory," I nod, watching the poor people in reception cower away from the Judoon. "According to galactic law, they have no jurisdiction over the Earth, so they isolated us," I explain, frowning slightly when I see her blank expression. "Um... that rain? Lightning? That was them using an H2O scoop," I try to make her understand.
"What's that about 'galactic law'? Where'd you get that from?"
I sigh, shaking my head, "countless hours of education on laws and customs, courtesy of my mother," I mutter under my breath.
"If they're police, are we under arrest? Are we trespassing on the moon or something?"
"No," I snort quietly.
"But I like that," the Doctor grins over my head at Martha.
"Good thinking," I agree, sending her a small smile. "No, it's more simple... because Judoon are daft," I mutter, scratching the back of my head.
The Doctor shakes his head, chuckling softly, "they're making a catalog," he tells Martha. "It means they're after something non-Human... which is bad news for us," he gestures between me and him.
"Why?" Martha frowns, making Kas and I give her identical 'are you joking?' looks. "Oh, you're kidding me," she scoffs and we each raise an eyebrow. "Don't be ridiculous... stop looking at me like that!" she snaps uneasily.
"Come on, then," Kas mutters, standing up and holding out a hand to help me.
***
The three of us run down several corridors and we find an empty office. Kas and I rush over to the computer to hack into the hospital records while Martha hurries off to see where the Judoon are.
"They've reached the third floor," she runs in a few moments later, stopping when she sees the Doctor's sonic as he scans the computer. "What's that?"
"Sonic screwdriver," he answers absently.
"Well, if you're not going to answer me properly," Martha rolls her eyes, folding her arms.
"No, really, it is," Kas turns to her, offended. "It's a screwdriver... and it's sonic," he holds it up to show her.
"Look, I've got one as well," I hold my own up, frowning at all the empty patient files as I look through them. Idiot rhinos. Is it all of them?
"What else have you two got? Laser spanners?" Martha snorts.
"I did," Kas nods. "... but it was stolen by Emily Pankhurst, cheeky woman," he mutters.
I groan, hitting the computer monitor, "this stupid thing!"
"The Judoon must have locked it down... Judoon platoon upon the moon," the Doctor muses under his breath, making me giggle and he beams. "Cause we were just traveling past, I swear! We were just wandering," he turns back to Martha. "We weren't looking for trouble, honestly, we weren't!"
"You never are," I shake my head, smirking when he whines in protest. "But the TARDIS, she picked up some plasma coils round the hospital - that lightning, by the way, is a plasma coil - and they've been building up for two days now, so I checked Kas in last night," I explain as I continue to go through the files.
"We thought something was going on inside, turns out the plasma coils were the Judoon up above," the Doctor explains, running a hand through his hair and I smile when it sticks up all over the place.
"But what were they looking for?" Martha asks.
"Something that looks human but isn't," Kas answers.
"Like you two apparently..."
"Ding, ding, ding! Correctamundo!" I point to her.
"It just slipped out!" Kas groans, making me giggle and Martha gives me an odd look. "Like us, but not us," he sighs, reaching over to tickle my side and I squeak, making him smirk as I move away from him. Bastard.
"Haven't they got a photo?" Martha frowns.
"Photo wouldn't really help much if the alien is a shape-changer," I retort.
"Whatever it is, can't you just leave the Judoon to find it?"
"If they declare the hospital guilty of harboring a fugitive, they'll sentence it to execution," the Doctor explains.
"All of us?"
"Yes, because the Judoon are no-nonsense when they think someone's committed a crime.... they trial someone the second it happens and carry out sentencing the next," I explain.
"If we can find this thing first- oh!" Kas shouts, hitting the computer and making Martha and I both jump. "See, Star said they're thick! Judoon are thick! They are completely thick!"
"Sorry, are they thick?" I ask, biting my lip to keep from laughing.
"They wiped the records!" he groans, gesturing to the computer with both hands. "Oh, that's clever," he rolls his eyes.
"What are we looking for?" Martha asks.
"Um..." I run a hand through my hair. "Any patient that was admitted within the past week with unusual symptoms?"
"Maybe there's a back-up," the Doctor flips the monitor around and I grab my sonic, scanning the back of it.
"Just keep working, I'll go ask Mr. Stoker, he might know," Martha calls over her shoulder as she leaves.
"So... Martha's good," Kas tells me delicately as he messes with the monitor wires.
I glance at him, "I guess," I shrug, getting the hard drive out and sonicking it.
"Think she might be worth a trip... maybe a test? See how she does?"
"Maybe," I mutter, not looking at him as I work and ignoring my heart aching. "Got it!" I beam when the back-up's restored.
"Mm, that's my girl," the Doctor beams, pulling me into a quick kiss and I hum happily against his lips. "Let's go tell her," he grabs my hand when he pulls away, dragging me from the room and we almost immediately run into Martha. Quite literally and I squeak, grabbing her shoulders so we don't go flying. "Star restored the back-up!"
"I found her!" Martha stares at us with wide eyes.
"You did what now?" I frown just as a Slab comes around the corner.
"Run!" Kas and I shout, him grabbing my hand and I grab Martha's as we head down the corridor with the Slab right behind us.
***
The Doctor, Martha, and I end up on the fourth floor after running into some Judoon in the stairwell. I pull them to a stop when we pass radiology and the three of us hurry in. The Doctor slams the door and sonics it quickly while I run to the imaging room. "When I say 'now', press the button!" I call over my shoulder to Martha.
"I don't know which one!"
"Find out!" Kas shouts, coming to help me with the settings on the x-ray machine.
I take my sonic out and shove it into the port on the machine and the Doctor aims it at the door right as the Slab bursts in. "Now!" I shout and a second later the x-ray machine turns on, making the Slab glow before slumping to the floor.
"What did you do?" Martha asks warily, looking at the body through the protective window.
"Increased the radiation by five thousand percent," the Doctor shrugs.
"Killed him dead," I mutter, nudging the Slab with the toe of my shoe.
"Isn't that likely to kill the two of you!?"
"Nah, it's only roentgen radiation!"
"I used to play with roentgen bricks in the nursery," Kas smiles widely and I wrinkle my nose at the slight burning I feel from him. "It's safe for you to come out! I've absorbed it all!" he calls to Martha and she comes into the room hesitantly. "All I need to do is expel it..." he starts to hop around, making me snort quietly. "If I can concentrate, I can shake the radiation out of my body and into one spot..." he mutters and I wince as the burning moves from all over to my left leg and down to my foot. "It's in my left shoe... here we go, here we go, easy does it..." he shakes his foot out and I lean against the wall, rubbing my own left foot on my right leg while I try not to laugh at my ridiculously dorky husband. "Out, out, out, out, out! Out, out! Ah, ah, ah, ah! It is- it is- it is- it is- it is hot!" he kicks his foot as he hops backward and I cover my mouth to hide my giggles. "Ah, hold on!" he takes off his shoe, along with his sock and throws them into the dustbin. "Done!" he beams at Martha and I.
"You're completely mad!" Martha stares at him in complete shock and incredulity.
"You're right, I look daft with one shoe," Kas takes off his other shoe and it joins the other in the dustbin. "Barefoot on the moon!" he clicks his teeth, wiggling his toes and I let out a very loud and very unattractive snort that has him grinning widely at me.
"So... what is this thing?" Martha cuts in, kneeling beside the Slab's body. "And where's it from? The planet Zovirax?"
"It's just a Slab," I shrug, wiping at my eyes while I catch my breath. "They're called 'Slabs'."
"Basic slave drones," Kas kneels down on the other side of the body. "See? Solid leather, all the way through..." he taps its back. "Someone has got one hell of a fetish," he raises his eyebrows, standing.
"I can see that..." I trail off, looking the Doctor over. "You'd look pretty fit in leather," I smirk, wiggling my eyebrows and he snorts quietly, sending me a wink.
"It came with that woman, Mrs. Finnegan," Martha cuts in and I pout slightly at the interruption. "It was working for her, just like a servant."
I wasn't really listening to Martha because I was staring at the Doctor, who'd taken my sonic out of the x-ray machine. The poor thing was completely fried. "My sonic screwdriver!" I gasp, taking it from him and looking it over. There was no fixing it...
"She was one of the patients, but-"
"My sonic screwdriver!" I show the Doctor, who was watching me with his bottom lip between his teeth in sympathy.
"She had a straw-like some kind of Vampire-"
"I loved my sonic screwdriver!"
"You were always scolding it-"
"I'm always scolding you and I still love you," I cut the Doctor off, giving him a look and he raises his hands in surrender.
"The TARDIS can make you a new one," he tries to soothe me, wrapping an arm around me and rubbing mine up and down.
"I just got it back not too long ago," I pout up at him, leaning my head on his arm.
"I know," he coos sadly.
"Star! Doctor!"
"Sorry," I squeak, tossing my ruined sonic over my shoulder and wincing when I hear it clang on the floor. Oops...
"You called me 'Doctor'," Kas points to her with a wide grin.
"Anyway," Martha huffs, making Kas and I share an amused look. "Mrs. Finnegan is the alien, she was drinking Mr. Stoker's blood."
"Funny time to take a snack, you'd think she'd be hiding," Kas frowns, his eyebrows furrowed. "Unless... no," his eyes widen and he grabs my shoulders, turning me to face him head-on.
"Oh, my God, yes!" my own eyes widen as I smile up at him. "She is a shape-changer!" I bounce up and down.
"Internal shape-changer!" Kas grins, letting go of me and starting to pace between Martha and I. "She wasn't drinking blood, she was assimilating it! If she can assimilate Mr. Stoker's blood and mimic the morphology, she can register as Human!"
"We've got to find her and show the Judoon," I run a hand through my hair. "Come on!" I grab Martha's hand on the way out of radiology with Kas right behind us.
***
The three of us were knelt by a water cooler while the other Slab walks past. "That's the thing about Slabs: they always travel in pairs," the Doctor sighs.
"What about you?" Martha looks back at the Doctor and me.
"What about us, what?" I frown.
"Haven't you got back-up? You must have a partner or something?"
"Humans," Kas rolls his eyes, squirming away when I poke his side. "We're stuck on the moon, running out of air with Judoon and a bloodsucking criminal and you're asking personal questions!" he scoffs.
"Come on," I stand up, slapping the Doctor on the shoulder lightly as I do.
"I like that: Humans," Martha grins as she stands. "I'm still not convinced you're aliens."
I round the corner and there's a Judoon right in front of me. The Judoon shines his scanner in my face, making my eyes widen. "Non-Human," he announces.
"Oh, my God, you really are!" Martha stares at me with wide eyes.
"Now... just wait a minute, it's not what you think," I raise my hands when they raise their guns.
"Execute the non-Human!" Chief orders.
I groan under my breath, straightening, "I order you, as Princess of Iralia, to stop!"
The Judoon pause. "The Princess is dead," Chief scoffs, narrowing his eyes at me.
"Really? Are you sure about that?" I raise an eyebrow, letting my light flow around me and I hear Martha gasp from beside me.
"Irrelevant, you no longer have authority over Judoon jurisdiction," Chief informs me, making me squeak indignantly. "Interfere with our investigation, Your Highness, and you will be punished accordingly," he warns.
"But the Judoon are loyal to my family and have been in our service for millennia! You are honor-bound to at least listen to me," I glare.
"Those arrangments no longer apply and we do not recognize your authority," Chief retorts, making me growl under my breath as my light brightens.
"Well... you leave me no choice, then," I huff, taking the Doctor's hand in mine. "And again!" I shout, turning and running in the opposite direction with Martha right behind us and the Judoon shooting after us.
***
Getting up a floor, the Doctor sonics the door behind us. I lean against the wall with my arms folded, trying to catch my breath as I glare at the opposite wall. It was not doing my lungs any favors having limited oxygen. "How can he say it no longer applies!? The Judoon worked with mum and dad and my grandparents before that! And now they are just going to execute me if I interfere with an investigation that they are not even conducting properly!?" I huff, turning and kicking at the wall. "Sorry, honey..." I mutter when Kas yelps quietly. "It's just- ugh! Those stupid bloody rhinos!"
"We'll sort it," Kas promises, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and I calm slightly as I snuggle against him. "They've done this floor, come on," he drags me along the corridor with Martha on the other side of him. "The Judoon are logical and just a little bit thick, they won't go back to check a floor they've checked already... if we're lucky..."
Martha stops, kneeling by the hysterical medical student who was holding an oxygen mask for an old woman. "How much oxygen is there?"
"Not enough for all these people... we're going to run out," she sighs.
"How are you feeling?" I ask Martha worriedly when she stands, noticing that she was starting to have trouble breathing as well. "Are you alright?"
"I'm running on adrenaline," she smiles.
"Welcome to our world," Kas beams, squeezing me.
"What about the Judoon?"
"Idiot rhino-boys have got huge lung reserves, so it won't be slowing them down one bit," I shake my head.
"Where's Mr. Stoker's office?" Kas asks.
"It's this way," Martha heads off in front of us and we follow. "So, um... you're a princess?" she asks when we catch up.
I throw my head back with a groan, "can you please forget you heard that?" I ask, slapping the Doctor's chest when he snickers.
"Why?" she frowns.
"It's not exactly something I like to be known for... people treat you differently when they find out you're royalty," I sigh and the Doctor chuckles under his breath, pressing a kiss to the top of my head when I pout and fold my arms.
"Alright... forgotten," Martha shrugs, making me send her a small, grateful smile. "You, um, glow?" she looks me over curiously.
"Yup!" I pop the 'p' with a bright smile. "Want to feel?" I wiggle my eyebrows, holding a hand out to her.
"... will it hurt me?" she eyes my hand warily.
"I wouldn't have asked if you wanted to feel it if it was going to hurt you, silly," I roll my eyes playfully, wiggling my fingers when she still hesitates.
Martha touches my hand and gasps, "it's so warm," she grabs my hand more confidently now that she knows it won't hurt her. "... and pretty," she smiles up at me shyly and I laugh lightly at her reaction.
"Thank you," I send her a wink for the very welcome compliment.
***
Getting to Mr. Stoker's office, the three of us head in. "She's gone! She was here!" Martha frowns, looking around the empty office.
There were shoes poking out from the other side of the desk and I move over. I gasp softly with my stomach churning when I see Mr. Stoker on the ground. His body was grey... completely void of any color whatsoever. Kas comes over, kneeling down to examine the body, "drained him dry... every last drop."
"We were right... she's a Plasmavore," I chew on my bottom lip, wrapping my arms around myself. No one deserved a death like that.
"What's she doing on Earth?" Martha frowns, trying not to look at her teacher.
"She's a criminal, she was hiding," I shrug.
"On the run like Ronald Biggs in Rio de Janerio," Kas nods, still examining Mr. Stoker. "What's she doing now? She's still not safe... the Judoon could execute us all," he frowns, standing up. "Come on," he starts to pull me from the office.
"Wait a minute," Martha stops us and goes over to close Mr. Stoker's eyes.
I smile softly, ignoring Kas' hopeful look he gives me. "One trip?" he mouths and I sigh dramatically before nodding and he beams.
I roll my eyes, pulling him from the room with Martha right behind us. "Think, think, think," Kas pulls his hand from mine and starts to pace, running a hand through his hair.
"Hm..." I tilt my head, folding my arms. "If I were a Plasmavore surrounded by police... what would I do?" I wonder aloud when a sign for the MRI catches my eye. "Oh, no..." I murmur in horror.
"Ah, she's as clever as me," Kas winces when he sees as well. "Almost," he corrects with a shrug. "Doesn't come anywhere near you, though," he sends me a wink.
"Idiot," I roll my eyes, lips twitching up.
"Find the princess and her accomplices! Execute!" Chief Judoon's voice comes booming from down the corridor. "Then find the non-Human!"
"That's a bit rubbish," I sigh.
"Stay here, we need time," Kas turns to Martha, grabbing her shoulders. "You're going to have to hold them up."
"How do I do that?" she frowns up at him.
Kas lets go of Martha and the two of us share a look. "Rock, paper, scissors?" he suggests.
"Winner doesn't have to do it?" I raise an eyebrow and he shrugs. "Kay," I smile, holding my fist out and ready.
"Alright," he narrows his eyes playfully, holding his fist out as well. "Rock, paper, scissors... shoot!"
We look down at our hands and Kas laughs, seeing he has rock and I have scissors. "Dammit," I huff, pouting as I fold my arms.
"Will one of you tell me what the hell is going on?" Martha stares between us as I we're mad... well, we are!
"Sorry, Martha," I sigh, turning to her and ignoring the Doctor chuckling. "Please forgive me, it means nothing, I promise... it could save a thousand lives," I try to explain before grabbing her face and pressing my lips to hers firmly. I was momentarily distracted by the fact that her lips are really ridiculously soft and her adorable squeak of surprise before pulling away. "Thanks for that," I smile at her dazed expression. Ha, still got it! "Be careful," I warn her before grabbing the Doctor's hand and pulling him down the corridor to the MRI room.
"You enjoyed that," the Doctor glares at me accusingly.
"What? Kissing a pretty girl to save a hospital full of suffocating people?" I raise an eyebrow. "I'd never!"
I let out a shocked yelp when my back is suddenly pressed up against the wall with Kas kissing me heatedly, his hands gripping my waist tightly. I wrap my legs around him to keep from falling and kiss back eagerly. Curling my fingers in Kas' hair, I give a hard tug and he presses against me with a groan. Kas bites at my bottom lip and I moan softly, giving him an opening to slip his tongue in my mouth. After making sure I was complete puddy, Kas pulls away and leans his forehead against mine while I pant with a beet-red face. "Mine," he presses another kiss to my lips before moving to my ear. "You don't get to enjoy kissing anyone else," he growls.
"Y-yes, sir," I breathe out.
"That's my good girl," he coos, pulling away and smirking when he sees me bite my lip. "Come on, let's go save a thousand people... princess," he winks, making me turn redder. Kas was the only one allowed to call me that and he knows how much I like it from him. Cheeky, smug bastard.
"Tease," I pout up at him.
"You love it," his smirk widens and he chuckles when I look away.
"Arse," I huff, getting down and straightening out my outfit. "Shut up," I whine dramatically when he continues to laugh. "Meanie," I grab his hand, dragging him down the corridor.
"Love you too, sweetheart," he beams.
The two of us compose ourselves before entering the room. Kas wraps his arm around my shoulders and we feign being terrified as we walk in and see an old lady that I assume is Finnegan working at the wiring behind the protective glass. "Have you seen- there are these things- those great big space rhinos! I mean, rhinos! From space!" Kas splutters with wide eyes.
"And we're on the moon!" I yelp, holding onto the Doctor tightly, my eyes wide. "Great big space rhinos with guns on the moon!"
"And I only came in for my bunions, look," Kas lifts up one of his still bare feet. "They're alright now, perfectly good treatment.. nurses were wonderful," he shrugs and I fight the urge to roll my eyes. Does he really have to praise them so much!? "I said to my wife 'I'd recommend this place to anyone', but then we end up on the moon! And did I mention the rhinos!?"
"Hold them!" Finnegan orders and her last Slab grabs hold of us with a hand each, restraining us in its... shockingly tight grip. What the hell did she design this thing off of?
Finnegan goes back to messing about with the wiring of the MRI and I wince at the electricity already coming off it and the static noises it was making. Kas glances back at it, "that thing... that big machine, is it supposed to making that noise?"
"You wouldn't understand," she waves off, continuing her work.
"Isn't that a magnetic resonance imaging thing?" I frown, my eyebrows furrowed.
"Like a ginormous sort of magnet?" Kas asks, making her look over at us suspiciously. "We did magnets GCSE together, how we met! Well, I failed... too distracted, I suppose," he smiles over at me and I bite my lip to keep from giggling. "But all the same!" he shrugs.
"The magnetic setting is now at fifty thousand Tesla," Finnegan explains.
"Ooo... that's a bit strong, though, is it not?" I raise my eyebrows.
"I can send out a magnetic pulse that will fry the brain-stems of every living thing within two hundred and fifty thousand miles," she smiles. "Except me, safe in this room," she goes back to work.
"But... hold on, hold on," Kas frowns. "I did geography for GCSE, I did pass that one! Doesn't that distance include Earth?"
"Only the side facing the moon, the other half will survive," Finnegan waves off and I fight down a growl at that. "Call it my little gift," she smirks.
"I'm sorry, you'll have to forgive me... I'm a little out of my depth," Kas shakes his head, anger and disgust washing over me. "I've spent the last fifteen years working as a postman - hence the bunions," he sighs. "Why would you do that?"
"With everyone dead, the Judoon ship will be mine to make my escape," she explains, her smirk widening.
"Now, that's weird... you're talking like you are some sort of an alien," my eyes widen as I look her over.
"Right-o!"
"No!" Kas' eyes widen as well.
"Oh, yes," Finnegan nods.
"You're joshing us!" the Doctor gasps and it takes actual effort to keep from laughing this time. Dork.
"I am not," she shakes her head.
"You're serious? We're talking to a proper alien? In hospital?" I ask incredulously.
"What? Has this place got an ET department?" the Doctor mutters.
"It's the perfect hiding place: blood banks for a midnight feast and all this equipment I'm ready to arm myself with should the police come looking."
"So.... those rhinos are looking for you?"
"Yes, but I'm hidden," Finnegan assures us, holding up her hand to show a black 'x' on the back of it.
"Ah, yes, course you are," I nod before tilting my head, squinting with a slight frown. "John... do you think that's why they're increasing their scans?"
"They're doing what?" Finnegan asks sharply, starting to panic. Good... bit more...
"Big Chief rhino-boy, he said: no sign of a non-Human, we must increase our scans... up to setting two?" Kas frowns, his eyebrows furrowed.
"Then I must assimilate again," she mutters, tapping her fingers on the counter.
"What does that mean?"
"I must appear human," she explains, eyeing us.
"Well, you're welcome to come home with me and the wife!" the Doctor grins widely.
"We'd be honored! I can make cake!" I beam.
"Why should I have cake? I've got my little straw," Finnegan smirks, grabbing a little handbag and pulling a... bendy straw from it. Really?
"That's nice... milkshake? I like banana," Kas grins nervously as Finnegan moves toward us.
"You're quite the funny man... and yet, I think laughing on purpose at the darkness," she smirks. "I think it's time you found some peace," she coos. "Steady him!"
The Slab moves to where it has an arm wrapped around me firmly, holding my arms to my side and it pushes the Doctor to his knees harshly by his shoulder. My eyes widen and I whimper as I start to 'panic'. Come on... little more.
"What are you doing?" Kas stares up at Finnegan with wide eyes, his voice shaking.
"I'm afraid this is going to hurt," she smiles in 'sympathy' as the Doctor's head is tilted to the side by the Slab, its hand in his hair and pulling roughly, making me wince slightly. Ok, ow. "But if it's any consolation, the dead don't tend to remember," she strokes along his jugular and Kas looks at me 'nervously'. "Now, don't worry about the wife... she'll be next, can't have witnesses," she assures him before stabbing her straw into his neck.
I bite back an actual whimper of pain as she starts to suck his blood from him. Come on, come on, come on! "Stop it, please," I beg as fake tears well up, watching the Doctor groan in pain through his teeth. "No! John!" I scream as his eyes start to droop and the color starts to drain from him.
The Judoon burst into the room and Kas slumps to the floor as Finnegan turns to them with the straw still in her mouth. I stare down at him and try to keep my mind off the fact that he looks deathly pale by thinking about how I can still feel him... though, very faintly. He's really weak... oh, Kas.
"Now, see what you've done! This poor man just died of fright!" Finnegan gasps, backing away from the Judoon.
"Scan him!" Chief grunts and runs his scanner along the Doctor's body. "Confirmation: deceased!"
"No, he can't be! Let me through! Let me see him!" Martha pushes her way through rhino-boys, stopping when she sees the Doctor lying on the ground.
"Stop, case closed," Chief holds her back.
"But it was here! She killed him!" I glare at Finnegan, glancing at Martha quickly.
"The Judoon have no authority over Human crime," Chief waves off.
"Stupid bloody-" I huff, tears sliding down my cheeks from when I was pretending to cry. It was working in this situation, though. "I am telling you to scan her! Look... you will not take orders from me, I get that! But that is my husband on the ground, so scan her! She is not Human!"
"Oh, but I am, I've been cataloged," Finnegan smirks, holding up her hand.
"But she's not! She assimil-!" Martha cuts herself off and her eyes widen, making my lips twitch up. Very good, Martha. "Wait a minute... you drank his blood? The Doctor's blood?" she takes a scanner from one of the Judoon.
"Oh, alright, scan all you like," Finnegan scoffs.
"Non-Human," Chief announces.
"What!?"
"Confirm analysis," Cheif runs a more in-depth scan.
"Oh, but it's a mistake, surely! I'm Human... I'm as Human as they come!"
"He gave his life so they'd find you," Martha breathes in realization and I try not to wince, especially with the fact Kas still isn't breathing. You better not really die on me, twiggy!
"Confirmation: Plasmavore," Chief finishes his scan. "I charge you with the crime of murdering the princess of Patrival Regency Nine."
"She was just a child! A sweet little girl who could not have harmed a fly, you bitch!" I glare at Finnegan.
"She deserved it!" she snarls, glaring right back. "Those pink cheeks and those blonde curls and that simpering voice," she mocks, making me growl as my light starts to flow around my clenched fists. "She was begging for the bite of a Plasmavore!"
"Do you confess?" Chief cuts in.
"Confess? I'm proud of it!" she scoffs. "Slab, stop them!"
The Slab lets me go and I kneel beside the Doctor, running my light along his chest to keep him warm. Chief shoots the Slab before it can get very far and it disintegrates. "Verdict: guilty! Sentence: execution!" he turns to Finnegan.
"Enjoy your victory, Judoon, because you're going to burn with me!" Finnegan glares, going behind the protective glass and flicking the switch on the MRI.
All of the Judoon shoot at the glass together, melting it and disintegrating Finnegan, who screams 'burn in hell!' as she dies. "Case closed," Chief nods as they holster their guns.
"What did she mean 'burn with me'?" Martha frowns. "The scanner shouldn't be doing that..." she points to the MRI, which was now shooting out blue electrical currents. "She's done something!"
"It's fine, Martha, their jurisdiction is over," I glare at Chief and he grunts in reply. "I can fix it... let them leave," I mutter, keeping my light flowing over Kas.
"Judoon will evacuate," Chief agrees before calling into his wrist comm. "All units withdraw!" he orders and he and his group leave.
"Martha, the Doctor isn't dead," I tell her as calmly as I can manage while I start to do chest compressions and she looks down at me with wide eyes. "... he was severely drained of blood, but he's still alive. I need you to do CPR while I fix the MRI. Can you do that?"
"I- I-"
"Can you do that!?" I repeat, trying not to freak out. The Doctor's hearts haven't been beating for so long and he was getting paler by the second.
"... yes," she nods, kneeling on the other side of the Doctor.
"Two hearts," I remind her as she takes over compressions, breathing heavily as the lack of oxygen starts to get to me.
Grabbing the Doctor's sonic, I crawl on my hands and knees to the MRI controls and sonic them before sitting down beside them, panting. "Star... she stopped the scanner..." I hear Martha get out weakly.
My vision starts to blur, but I see Kas crawling his way to me. When he gets to me, he cups my face in his hands and looks me over worriedly before sighing in relief that I'm alright. "Miss me?" he smiles, stroking my cheek with his thumb.
"Yes," I wrap my arms around his neck and nuzzle my nose against his cheek.
Kas chuckles, pressing a kiss to my shoulder before standing with me in his arms. I lean against him as he carries me out of the room bridal-style and we get to a window. "Come on, come on, come on... come on, Judoon, reverse it," he mutters and we beam when it starts to rain. "It's raining, El! It's raining on the moon!" he laughs.
"Mmm, that's nice," I giggle, closing my eyes and leaning my head against his shoulder. So... so, sleepy.
***
The Doctor and I had laid low while the authorities showed up and while I was getting my strength back. The two of us head to the TARDIS and I see Martha getting checked by an ambulance. I wave to her, making her smile before the two of us head into the TARDIS. "Hi, sexy," I smile, running my hand along the railing as I walk up the ramp and she hums happily in reply.
"So, what do you want to do?" Kas grins, throwing his coat on his favorite coral beam and rushing up to the console. "We can set the coordinates on random, or... we can pick up Martha for her test trip?" he asks, turning to me with a hopeful grin.
"Well... I had something else in mind," I smirk, going up to him and pulling his tie out teasingly.
"What's that?" he raises an eyebrow.
"Shower... you... me-" I cut off with a squeal when I'm suddenly thrown over the Doctor's shoulder. "Kas!" I giggle as he starts to carry me down the corridor toward our room.
***
After a very long and very pleasant shower, Kas and I get dressed. Then... well, distracted and we had to get changed again. Really, it's not my fault that my husband is so amazingly gorgeous and such a tease.
Now, the two of us were picking up Martha. I was a little nervous to have someone in the TARDIS after Rose and after Donna turned us down. But she'd been right... I do need someone to stop me and Kas can't do it on his own. It was not a good idea for us to travel just the two of us either. Things could get out of hand if we don't have someone to sort of... keep us in check.
The TARDIS tracked Martha down at a pub, so we land in an alleyway close to where it is. When we get to the entrance of the alley, I see Martha outside with who I assume is her family. They were all arguing and her dad was chasing after some orange woman... a really, really orange woman and Martha's mum was chasing after them both. Martha shakes her head and then spots us, her eyes widening. I grin widely and motion for her to come over with a crook of my finger. The Doctor and I move back to the TARDIS and lean against her, his arm going around my shoulders as we wait for Martha to come.
She runs around the corner, stopping when she sees us, "I went to the moon today," she smiles, walking over with a burgundy leather jacket over her arm.
"A bit more peaceful than down here," the Doctor notes.
"You never even told me who you are," Martha looks between us.
"The Doctor," he shrugs.
"Star Tyler," I smile, playing with my ring.
"What sort of species? It's not every day you get to ask that," she laughs lightly.
"I'm an Iralian, but I was sort of... chosen to be a Star... that's why I have the name and why I glow," I explain.
"Ok... guess that makes sense... sort of," she shakes her head, making me snort quietly. "And you?" she looks up at Kas.
"I'm a Time Lord," he replies.
"Right! Not pompous at all, then," Martha laughs and I smile widely as the Doctor rolls his eyes, pinching my arm lightly.
"We just thought since you saved my life, you might fancy a trip," Kas shrugs, trying for nonchalance.
"What? Into space?" Martha's eyes widen as she looks between us.
"Well..." Kas smirks.
"I can't, I've got exams, I've got things to do," she shakes her head and I nod, chewing on my bottom lip. "I have to go into town first thing and pay the rent, I've got my family going mad-"
"If it helps, we can travel in time as well," I cut her rambling off, smirking when she immediately quiets.
"Get out of here!"
"We can!" Kas grins.
"Come on, now! That's going too far!" she scoffs.
"We'll prove it," I send her a wink, grabbing the Doctor's hand and pulling him into the TARDIS. "She said Chancery Street, yeah?" I ask, setting the coordinates.
"Yep," Kas nods, popping the 'p' as he helps pilot. "Ready?" he raises an eyebrow when we land.
"Ready!" I smile, only to groan in annoyance when he rushes out the door without me. "Oh, come on," I pout, chasing after him.
I run down the pavement, pushing through the large crowd of people and see the Doctor up ahead. He was taking his tie off in front of a startled and confused Martha. I'd be confused too if some weird - and hot - bloke came up to me and took off his tie. I rush over as he runs off and I stop in front of Martha. "Sorry about him, he's a total idiot... really shouldn't let him loose," I sigh 'sadly', shaking my head.
"What?" Martha stares at me incredulously.
"See ya," I wink before running off.
I round the corner and yelp when a hand grabs my wrist and I'm pinned to a brick wall. Kas smirks down at me, one of my wrists above my head in his grasp and his other hand on my hip. "You left me behind," I pout up at him.
"Hm, I'm so sorry, love," he leans down, rubbing his nose against mine and I wrinkle it with a giggle. "Let me make it up to you," he smirks, pressing his lips to mine.
I hum happily against his lips and lean up on my tip-toes so my poor giant of a husband doesn't have to bend down so far just to kiss me. Stupid short body. I pull away when Kas glides his tongue along my bottom lip and he pouts down at me. "We've a new test companion waiting for us," I remind him and he groans in disappointment.
"Fine," he sighs heavily, giving me one last chaste kiss.
***
Kas and I get back to our Martha and step outside to see her staring at the TARDIS in complete shock. "Told you!" Kas grins, holding up his tie.
"But... that was this morning! But, did you-" she gapes at us while I tie the Doctor's tie for him. "Oh, my God! You can travel in time!" she laughs before frowning. "Hold on, if you could see me this morning... why didn't you tell me not to go into work?"
"Crossing into established events is strictly forbidden," the Doctor shrugs.
"Except for cheap tricks," I smirk, patting the Doctor's tie when I finish with it and he kisses the top of my head in thanks.
"... and that's your spaceship?" Martha asks, coming over and touching the TARDIS door, jumping slightly when she hums.
"She likes you," I smile, rubbing the door and she thrums under my fingers.
"Ok... you've got an alive spaceship," she shakes her head.
"She's called the TARDIS: Time And Relative Dimension In Space," I explain.
"Your alive spaceship's made of wood," Martha raises an eyebrow as she turns to us. "There's not much room... we'd be a bit intimate," she points out.
With a smirk, Kas pushes the door open, "take a look," he nods inside.
Martha heads in and we follow, leaning against the railing by the door. Martha - with wide eyes and her mouth hanging open - runs back outside. Probably to run around the TARDIS to make sure she really is just a box. The Doctor and I share an amused look.
"Oh, no, no! But it's just a box! But it's huge! How does it do that? It's wood!" Martha knocks on the doorway before coming back in and looking around in awe. "It's like a box with that room just rammed in-" Kas mouths her next words with her, making me giggle. "It's bigger on the inside!"
"Is it? I hadn't noticed," Kas folds his arms, sending me a wink when I cover my mouth. "Did you notice, El?"
"Nope, can't say I ever have," I shake my head, smiling as I pull the Doctor up to the console and he throws his coat over a coral beam on the way. "Right, then! Let's get going!"
Martha walks around the console, looking at all the different controls, "but is there a crew? Like a navigator and stuff? Where is everyone?" she asks curiously, making Kas and I both tense as I get a wave of grief.
"Just us..." I mutter, holding my hand behind my back and messing with my ring.
"All on your own? Just the two of you?" she frowns.
"Well... sometimes we have guests," Kas glances at me, putting a hand on the small of my back. "I mean... some friends, traveling alongside... we had- there was recently-" he cuts himself off, looking down at the console.
"Rose... her name was Rose," I murmur, tears welling up. "And... we were all... we were together... anyway!" I bite my lip, looking at the monitor and pretending to type at the keyboard.
"Where is she now?" Martha asks a bit hesitantly.
"Away... happy, she's fine," I wave off, refusing to look at her and Kas presses a kiss to the back of my head.
"Not that you're replacing her," he points to Martha sternly, wrapping an arm around my shoulders from behind.
"Never said I was," she retorts.
"Just one trip to say 'thanks', you get one trip and then back home," I glance at her.
Martha scoffs lightly and leans against the console, folding her arms, "you're the one that kissed me," she reminds me and my head snaps to her.
"That was a genetic transfer!" I squeak out, my face burning.
She smirks teasingly and eyes the Doctor up, "and if he will wear a tight suit..."
"Now- don't!" Kas narrows his eyes, pulling me against him tighter.
"And then the two of you travel all the way across the universe just to ask me on a date..." she bites her lip. "Is that what you do when you get bored? Find a Human to spice things up?" she tries not to laugh when I squeak again, covering my beet-red face.
"Th-that isn't- we don't do that!" I protest.
Martha laughs, shaking her head, "for the record? I'm not remotely interested," she assures us. "I only go for Humans," she smirks.
"Good!" Kas grins, squeezing me before letting me go. "Well, then, close the gravitic anomalizer!"
"Fire up the helmic regulator!"
"And finally: the handbrake!" Kas places his hand on it. "Ready?" he asks Martha.
"No," she snorts loudly.
"Off we go!" the Doctor cheers with a wide grin, pulling the handbrake.
The TARDIS immediately jolts and starts to shake, Kas and I making it extra turbulent since Martha's new and it was fun to tease first-timers. I laugh when Kas falls back on the jump-seat at a particularly hard jolt.
"Blimey, it's a bit bumpy!" Martha holds onto the console to stay upright.
Kas gets back up and reaches his hand over the console to Martha, "welcome aboard, Miss Jones," he beams.
"Honor having you," I giggle.
"It's my pleasure, Mr. and Mrs. Tyler," she laughs, shaking the Doctor's hand.
A/N: Martha has joined the crew! I love her, she's amazing and I can't wait to rework this season. So close to being done and then we've got the Master three-parter! Which I am SO freaking excited for and what I have planned! Anywho, thanks for reading and let me know what you think by dropping a comment or a vote! :*