Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Rose what have you done!?”

I looked up from the floor to see Rose surrounded by golden light, her eyes glowing the same gold. I glanced at the Doctor as he looked at Rose in shock.

“I bring life,” Rose said.

I turned and saw our fallen friends take a deep breath and reanimate. They were fully alive again! How insane! I looked at the Doctor and then at Rose. She was crying. I wondered what else her power could’ve done. I was too focused on her to look and see.

“Rose!” I called. I scrambled to my feet and reached out to hold her hand and comfort her.

“Kaiden, don’t!” the Doctor commanded.

I’d already touched her hand. I turned and looked at him, and was immediately blinded by a golden white light. I shot back and slammed into some console the Doctor had been fiddling with on that ship. I slowly closed my eyes and slumped over.

When I came to, I was on the floor of the Tardis. I didn’t move. The Doctor was sitting down rubbing his temples. I glanced over and Rose was on the floor beside me.

“W-What happened? Where the hell am I?”

“You’re back on the Tardis,” the Doctor said sternly. “You two are in trouble.”

“What for?” I asked, frowning.

He sighed. “Rose looked into the Time Vortex.”

“Is that what that was?” I asked. He nodded. I looked over at Rose. “Is—Is she okay?”

“She’ll be fine now. You absorbed some of it,” he said. I looked at him in surprise. “You touched her hand and absorbed some of the Time Vortex.”

“Oh… so I’m guessing I wasn’t supposed to do that?”

“No, you weren’t,” he said, sighing softly. He rubbed his forehead. “I’ve told you two not to look directly into the heart of the Tardis like that. I shouldn’t have tried sending her away like that.”

I frowned. “Yeah, you sent her away and left me to die with you.”

“You’d already been injured,” he said. “Things were looking grim for you, pal.”

“Great,” I said flatly. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. My glasses were in surprisingly good condition. “So what now?”

“Well I can’t get rid of you lot now.”

“Why’s that?”

“You’re walking around with the Time Vortex. It’s not safe to leave you unattended for long periods of time now.”

I nodded slightly. I turned and nudged Rose. “Hey, you feeling better?”

Rose stirred, sitting up and fixing her hair a little. “Yeah I-I think so.”

I was relieved to hear that London accent again. I smiled and she hugged me tight. “Oh you’re okay! You gave me quite a scare!”

“I could say the same about you! I-I thought you would die!” she cried, gripping my jacket tighter. “I can’t believe the Doctor tried sending me away. How could he leave you behind like that?”

“He said I was dying anyway,” I said with a shrug. She broke the hug. “But with your vortex power, I guess I’m okay now.”

Rose looked over at the Doctor. “So… we’re alright? No weird side effects?”

He shrugged. “No clue. Never seen a human absorb that before, so I guess we’re learning as we go.”

I glanced at Rose and she shrugged. I looked back at the Doctor as he messed with some of the many controls on the Tardis. I wasn’t sure what was going on. This past month had been so strange and all over the place.

I still remember when that bastard scooped me up outta Galway. I’d been walking home from the pub when that noisy blue police box just appeared in front of me. I watched this bastard and Rose tumble out of it and nearly fall into me. The nerve!

“What the hell are you doing you bastard?” I’d asked.

He’d looked at me and smiled. “Fantastic! An Irishman! Say, you wouldn’t happen to know when we are, do you?”

“Sorry, when? Sounds like someone’s been drinking too much,” I said, shaking my head a little. “Who exactly are you lot?”

“I’m the Doctor, and this is my friend Rose,” he said, gesturing to himself and then to Rose.

“Kaiden!? I haven’t seen you in ages, mate!” Rose had cried, hugging me tight. I was surprised to hear that voice again.

“Seems the Tardis may have miscalculated our destination,” the Doctor said, inspecting the police box.

“What on Earth is a Tardis?” I asked, peering at the box. “That’s an ordinary police box. Don't know where you got it, since that hasn’t been around in decades.”

He turned to me and smiled. “It’s my spaceship.”

“A spaceship? You are loony,” I said, shaking my head. “Whatever, I’m too hammered to give this more thought. I’ll be on me way.”

“Oh but don’t you want proof it’s a spaceship?”

I raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think I really need proof. I don’t believe you. Hell, you sound like any other drunk bastard around here.”

He laughed. “Come on, don’t you want to see the stars?”

I will admit, the bastard was convincing. The way Rose beckoned me towards that Tardis put me at ease. If she was safe with this Doctor guy, then maybe I would be, too. I did something ballsy and hopped inside. Didn't know what I was in for, but the adventures I ended up tagging along for were more than I ever could’ve accomplished in my lifetime. I saw the past, the future, the edge of the universe, alternate realities, a plethora of alien bastards, and even this weird skin sheet named Cassandra. I’d seen so many interesting people and situations—a lot of which were incredibly stressful—only to end up like this in the end.

As I lied there on the floor of the Tardis, I listened to its humming. Rose sat beside me.

“Kaiden, get up,” she said softly, nudging me. “We should stay up and moving… y’know?”

I shrugged and stood up. I brushed myself off a little and put my hands in my coat pockets. “So where are we going next?”

“I figure I should let you see your family again,” the Doctor said. “Y’know, quick visit home.”

“Oh perfect, I can see Rose’s infamous mother again,” I said.

Rose laughed and nudged my side. “I forgot you haven’t seen my mum in a while. I think she’d like to see you again.”

I laughed a bit. “I’m still stressing quite a bit. Don’t remember the last time I saw her.”

“Rose’s mum is no trouble,” the Doctor said. “Well… not after a while.”

I chuckled nervously. The Tardis whooshed as usual until the Doctor smiled and headed for the door. Rose followed after him, and I followed after Rose. We were somewhere in London I knew like the back of me hand, although I hadn’t passed through in a while. I kept following the two until they stepped into a familiar flat.

“Oh Rose, you’re back! Y’know you could try phoning a bit more!” the woman said. She emerged from the kitchen and looked in surprise. “Kaiden? I haven’t seen you in years, mate! How’ve you been?”

“Top of the mornin’ to you, Ms. Tyler,” I said, raising my hand a bit. “Joined the adventure few months back… I think. Still fuzzy on the time thing.”

She turned to the Doctor. “Well when were you going to tell me about this?”

“I planned on doing it now,” he said with a smile. “We scooped him up pretty recently. I take it you know him?”

She nodded and turned back to me. “Well what’s new with you? Ever been arrested?”

“Mum!” Rose cried.

“It’s okay,” I said quietly. I cleared my throat. “I’ve never been arrested. I work in electrical.”

“Oh, that’s right! You went to trade school?”

I nodded. “Yeah, I was back in Dublin for it.”

“Brilliant. We need more electricians,” she said with a nod. I shifted which leg I was standing on out of awkwardness. “Well next time, tell me when you find Rose’s old primary mates!”

“Will do,” the Doctor promised.

Rose turned to me. “Hey, sorry my mum got all… aggro. She’s just protective of me.”

“Your mum really hasn’t changed. My mum was the same way,” I said, waving my hand dismissively. “Cool place.”

She smiled. “Thanks. Sometime we gotta see your family. I just know they’d love me.”

“Oh they’d adore you,” I said with a nod. We both cracked up. “They’d start insisting on a wedding!”

We laughed more and Rose’s mum turned to us. “Right, what’s so funny then?”

“Nothing mum, just a joke,” Rose said. She turned back to me. “Hungry?”

I shrug. “I don’t mind.”

Rose playfully smacked my shoulder. “C’mon, when’s the last time you had some good food? Some chips?”

I raised my eyebrows a little. “True, it has been a while.”

She smiled. “Perfect. What’s say we check out that place round the corner?”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” I said with a smile.

She went to find her mum and the Doctor talking in the living room. They stopped and looked at us when we walked by. Rose announced where we were headed and before the Doctor could say anything to stop us, Rose took my hand and yanked me out the door.

“You’re brave hurrying out before the Doctor could say something.”

“The Doctor doesn’t control me,” she said confidently, putting her hands in her pockets. “Plus we’re adults, we don’t need permission to go ‘round the corner and get chips.”

I nodded slightly. “Good point.”

“This place has really good chips. You’ll love ‘em,” she said with a smile.

I had no idea how she was walking around so casually with half the Time Vortex in her mind. I was certainly reeling over the thought that I had such power. We walked into the little diner and Rose did all the talking thankfully. I sat down at a table with her and she set the baskets of chips on the table. She started eating but I stared out the window as I watched people walk down the streets of London.

“Kaiden, you haven’t touched your chips,” she said. “You not a fan?”

“No I-I don’t mind chips,” I said awkwardly. I cleared my throat and rubbed the back of my neck. “I-I just… I can’t focus.”

She sighed softly. “Neither can I. That’s why I suggested chips, y’know… so we could distract ourselves.”

We sat in silence for a moment while picking at our chips. “It’s noisy.”

“What’s noisy?” she asked, frowning a little.

“Don’t know, just… everything,” I said, shrugging a little. “Everything is suddenly so loud, but not like a drunk yellin’ in yer face at a pub. More in me head I think.”

She raised her eyebrows and dropped the chip she was in the middle of eating. It made the paper in the basket crinkle. “So you’re… hallucinating?”

“I’m not sure, honestly,” I said, rubbing my forehead. “Felt crazy ever since you lot picked me up in that damned Tardis.”

She cracked up a little. “Oh c’mon, you’ve had fun though, yeah?”

I smiled. “Well of course. I just… I’m worried about our little vortex power. The Doctor said we shouldn’t have it and he doesn't have the slightest clue what it does to people.”

“I mean, I’m a bit worried too, but I think we can handle it,” she said. She continued to eat the chip she’d dropped.

“I’ve never been like… strong or anything,” I said nervously. “I-I don’t wanna accidentally screw it up.”

“Y’know…” she started before taking another bite of a chip. She pointed the halved chip at me. “In the entire time we’ve been adventuring together with the Doctor, you haven’t updated me on your life at all. We aren’t strangers, mate. We just… haven’t seen each other in a few years since you moved back to Ireland.”

I scratched my neck. “There’s—There’s nothing that special that happened in those years. I went to vocation school, I was an apprentice, and now I’ve been with that company a good few years. Just recently became a journeyman.”

“Kaiden, we care about you—I care about you—and you’ve never once shared anything new about yourself beyond small talk,” she said firmly. “C’mon, tell me something new about yourself.”

I scratched my beard. “Hmm… I’m really into metal music.”

“Good to see that’s never changed, huh?”

“Aye, went to one for Slipknot a couple years ago. Not many artists come to Galway,” I said. “And I can’t afford a ticket to go wherever they go.”

She nodded understandingly. “I get ya. I worked in a shop for a while and barely made any pocket change. Good thing we don’t really need money while traveling around the universe.”

I nodded in agreement and ate a few chips. “I really like traveling with you lot. Most fun I’ve had in a long time.”

She smiled. “And you’re sitting here worrying! We’ll be fine.”

“I-I’m sure we will, but it’s still scary thinking about this absurd amount of power I have,” I said. “I don’t even know what we’ll be capable of now that I have half the Time Vortex and you have the rest. Oi, what do we do?”

“We carry on,” she said confidently. “We can figure it out together, right? We both have it, and we have the Doctor to help along the way. Plus, we’re best mates! I think we can handle it.”

I nodded slightly. “You’ve got a point. I think we’ll be okay.”

“So, since you’ve caught up with my mum, we should catch up with yours,” she said with a smile.

I smiled back, not having the heart to tell her my parents had been dead for 11 years. All I’d be doing would be taking her to their graves. Part of me felt maybe it would be better she knew before we got to that point, but again, I just didn’t have the heart to tell her the truth. I didn’t want her fawning over me because I had dead parents. I’d come to terms with it. I’d managed to keep it hidden from her when we were kids, too.

“Oh totally! Like I said, they’d love you, lass,” I said, winking playfully. “They’d start plotting a wedding.”

She cracked up a little. “What would your mum suggest for a wedding in comparison to your dad?”

“My mum is a sucker for flowers, so I’d probably end up with a very flowery wedding,” I said. It felt nice to reminisce about my mum and dad, even though I was lying to my friend about their capability to plan my wedding. “My dad is more of a nature guy. He grew up on a farm, so he’d probably get us this great outdoor venue.”

She grinned. “Your folks sound sweet. You never brought me round to your place when we were kids. Now I’m dying to meet them!”

Dying was certainly a word for it, but not on her end. I smiled, trying to pretend I wasn’t upset at the thought I’d never get to bring a lass home to my parents. Rose would be able to bring me to her mum and brag about me if we ever dated. Maybe I should’ve told her about my parents, since her dad was dead and she understood the pain. I’d already hesitated too long. There was no going back and admitting they were dead now.

“Yeah, maybe someday we can go back to Galway and meet them,” I said.

“We should go now!” she said excitedly. “We can just tell the Doctor and convince him to take us.”

I felt all the color drain from my body, which is ironic because I was already a pale bastard. I swallowed nervously, hoping Rose hadn’t noticed my face looking whiter than normal. Before I could come up with some excuse, she grabbed my hand and pulled me back to her flat. Thankfully we’d finished our chips! I just went along despite knowing I should’ve said something at that point. She burst in to see the Doctor and her mom standing in the living room.

“Next time you go running off with a man, wait and make sure I say you can go out!” her mum cried. She sighed. “Where have you two been?”

“Getting chips,” Rose said. “Promise. Doctor, I have a question.”

He sighed softly, his expression still looking stern. “What is it?”

“Can we go visit Kaiden’s parents?” she asked. He raised an eyebrow. “I figured since I made him reconnect with my mum, I should meet his mum and dad. C’mon, it’ll be a quick trip!”

The Doctor glanced over at Rose’s mom, who gave him a slight nod. He smiled. “Alright, off to visit his parents!”

He led us to the Tardis and Rose hurried inside. The Doctor closed the door and turned to me. “Why wouldn’t you tell her your parents are dead?”

“How’d you know they are!? And please tell me she can’t hear us!” I cried.

He nodded. “She can’t hear us. Why wouldn’t you tell her?”

“I-I don’t know. I didn’t have the heart. She was so… excited,” I said softly. I cleared my throat. “I know I should’ve, but I just did—didn’t have it in me to break it to her.”

He sighed softly. “How old were you when they died?”

“I was 12 when me dad passed and 14 when me mum passed,” I said quietly. “I-I’m 23.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Kaiden, they’ve been gone for a long time. You didn’t think to tell her that?”

“I was so caught up reminiscing about them, that I forgot to—to mention they’d been dead for so long! I-I don’t know what I was thinking! I shouldn’t have k-kept that from her,” I explained, fumbling and stuttering more than I wanted to. “I’m sorry.”

“I can’t take you to your parents while you’re still a boy,” he said. He sighed softly. “Should we visit their old home or their graves?”

“Graves,” I said. “I haven’t visited in a wee bit, and unfortunately their house is occupied.”

He frowned. “They didn’t will it to you?”

“They did, but my stuck-up younger brother contested the will. The bastard won because he could afford a good lawyer and I couldn’t,” I said with a shrug. “So he won the house and he lives in it.”

He took a deep breath. I could tell the lad was scheming, but I was a wee bit worried about what. Finally, he said, “Okay. So we’re going to their graves?”

I nodded. “Sounds like a plan to me.”

He nodded slightly and gave my shoulder a hesitant pat. We headed into the Tardis and the Doctor got to operating. Rose stepped over to me and playfully nudged my side.

“Can’t wait to meet your folks,” she said with a smile. I smiled back. “You got a brother, yeah?”

“Aye, a younger brother,” I said with a nod. “We don’t talk much.”

She frowned a little. “Aw, I’m sorry. Maybe you can repair things someday.”

Yeah, if he wasn’t a house stealing bastard, maybe we could. I nodded slightly. The Tardis made all its funky noises and off we went. It didn’t take too long to travel back to Galway. I stepped out and we were in front of my flat.

“This your place?” Rose asked, walking up beside me.

“Aye, it’s not much,” I said.

“So where do your parents live?” she asked.

I took a deep breath. “This way.”

I walked down the street for a little bit, Rose and the Doctor in tow. We stepped into the cemetery. Rose tried getting my attention as I led them through.

“Do—Do they own the graveyard?” she asked hesitantly.

I didn’t answer. I spotted their headstones and stopped in front of them, looking down at their names engraved in the stones. Rose gasped and covered her mouth.

“There—There’s my mum and dad,” I said awkwardly. I cleared my throat. “Sorry I-I didn’t have the heart to tell you, lass. I should’ve told you.”

She hugged me tight. “I’m so sorry, Kaiden. Seriously, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry, you didn’t do anything, lass,” I said softly. She broke the hug, her hands still on my shoulders and looked at me funny. “What?”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it,” she said firmly. She hugged me again. “I’m so sorry I made you feel obligated to take me here.”

“You didn’t. I’ve been meaning to visit my parents for a while now. You pushed me to do it. Thank you.”

She hugged me a bit tighter and broke the hug, turning to the Doctor. “Okay, I think we need to do something to cheer him up.”

The Doctor smiled a little. “I agree. C’mon, I’ll take you lot somewhere fun.”

I smiled and Rose yanked me along into the Tardis. Off we went to some far away alien planet.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Wow, it’s beautiful here,” Rose said, looking around in awe. “Bit chilly.”

“I think I have some spare coats in the Tardis somewhere,” the Doctor said, gesturing behind him.

Rose and I dashed back inside and looked around for a coat. I found a nice warm, black trench coat and Rose had a nice winter coat. We headed back out and followed the Doctor as he searched for civilization. I felt nervous like we were being watched the entire time we walked through the snow. Rose walked slow, so I lagged behind to stick with her. She nudged my side and I looked over at her.

“I’m sorry about your parents.”

“It’s okay, lass. Don’t be sorry,” I said with a shrug. “Dad passed when I was 12; mum when I was 14. I’ve spent a long time without them.”

She raised her eyebrows. “Seriously? So… who was taking care of you?”

“Some friends of my parents. Old pal of mine heard the news and his parents took me in,” I said. We kept trudging along in the snow. “Stayed with them while I was a teen. Moved out and started living my own life around 19.”

She nodded slightly. “Well that’s good you had someone to look after you.”

I smiled. “Aye, I know I’m a bit scruffy, but at least I have table manners and a roof over me head.”

She laughed a little. “Yeah, I guess you are a little scruffy. Not bad though. It suits you.”

“Seriously?” I asked. She nodded. “Wow! Thanks, lass.”

“Anytime,” she said with a smile, nudging my side. She looked around a little. “I love the snow. I don’t really like being cold, but the snow is nice.”

“I also hate being cold, but snow is cool,” I said, nodding in agreement. “This planet looks incredible. It’s like how I pictured Santa’s home in the North Pole as a wee lad.”

She laughed and playfully shook me around a little. “Yes! Oh my God that’s great!”

I laughed and tripped in the snow from her shaking me so much. I looked up at her and we burst out laughing. She gave me a hand up and the Doctor turned around to see what was taking us so long.

“You two coming or what?” he asked with a smile.

We hurried along after him and we soon stumbled upon a huge city. There weren’t too many people walking around, and anyone who was was certainly hauling ass. I frowned a little, looking around at the mostly empty streets. Someone walked up to us and looked at us like we were insane.

“Where is everyone?” the Doctor asked.

“What do you mean ‘where is everyone’!? There’s a blizzard incoming!” he cried.

“Oh blizzards aren’t so bad,” the Doctor said with a shrug.

The man looked at him fearfully. “We know. The problem is what’s in the blizzard. Here, just duck into a random building as soon as you can. Every place is required to have the right kind of space and items in case of a blizzard.”

“Sounds like blizzards are almost like flash floods or something,” I said quietly.

The man frantically waved his arms a bit. “Whatever you lot do, just get inside! Quickly!”

He dashed off, hopefully into a building like he told us to do. The Doctor turned to us and smiled nervously. “Well… I suppose we listen to his advice.”

“What, the crazy bloke on the street?” Rose asked. The Doctor nodded. She shrugged. “Works for me.”

We hurried into the nearest building and the doors sealed behind us. The Doctor traced his screwdriver over the doorway a couple times and confirmed we were sealed in—likely until the blizzard passed.

“So now what?” I asked, adjusting my coat. “It’s still kinda cold in here.”

He looked around. We were just in a normal looking office building. It was obviously the first floor, so all that was around were some chairs, decorations, a reception desk, and lifts. I looked around and whistled.

“Man, I bet whoever works here makes bank,” I said, putting my hands on my hips. Rose walked over to me.

“Bet you wish you made bank, huh?” she teased. I laughed. “I vote we start a fire. It’s freezing in here.”

“Seems like there’s no central heating,” the Doctor confirmed. He sighed. “Which means we’ll likely come close to freezing. These buildings are obviously more insulated than being right outside. However, since there’s no heat, it’s still going to get cold. Maybe we should start a fire.”

“But starting a fire in a building means it’ll likely trip the fire alarm, lad,” I said, shaking my head a little. “No use starting a fire if it’ll pretty much instantly be put out. Plus, being soaked won’t be too fun when it’s cold.”

He rubbed his face. “You make a good point. Okay, maybe we can restore the heating. There’s gotta be a maintenance room or something.”

“I was an electrician back in Galway, I could probably repair it,” I said with a shrug. He smiled. “We just need to find a maintenance room or an access panel of some kind.”

“Maybe it’s in the basement?” Rose suggested, gesturing to the lifts. “That’d be my first guess.”

“Fantastic!” the Doctor said with a smile. “Let’s try the basement.”

We piled into the lift and the Doctor hit the button to take us to the basement. After a short ride in the lift, we arrived. It was slightly colder down there, but nothing serious. We roamed the halls for a short while until I found a door with a hazard warning and a sign saying it was for employees only.

“Well, I think that’s what we’re looking for,” I said. I opened the door and saw some safety harnesses, a pulley cable, and a hatch that most definitely led down a very long maintenance shaft. I sighed loudly. “Aye, well at least there’s safety gear.”

I strapped a harness to myself and grabbed one of the hardhats with a torch attached. I made sure it was secure on my head before clipping the pulley cable to my harness. I grabbed a tool belt and gave the Doctor and Rose a thumbs up.

“Wait, what if it’s dangerous down there, Kaiden?” Rose asked, frowning with concern.

“Then just hit the button on the pulley and yank me back up,” I said, pointing to the remote mounted to the wall. There was one button for lowering and one for lifting. I stepped against the edge of the door and hit the lower button. I jumped down and the pulley slowly lowered me down the access shaft. I looked around and fiddled with a few panels and boxes. Nothing was kicking on any extra power, so I figured I had to get lower and work with backup power.

I slowly moved lower and found more panels and boxes. I fiddled around with them to no avail. It kept getting colder the further down I went. I felt pieces of metal clatter down, bouncing off my hardhat. I looked up and didn’t see anything. I called up to the others to quit messing around, but I don’t think they heard me from that far down. I kept moving anyway, and the worst thing that could’ve happened to the pulley happened: the cable snapping. I dropped pretty far down, bouncing off the walls of the narrow access shaft. I finally slammed to the bottom, the cable quickly following suit and snapping down on my shoulder. I cried out in pain. When I opened my eyes, there were more panels and boxes around me. I figured I’d at least get to work while I was down there. While I was fiddling around with the strange wires and switches, my phone rang. I answered it.

“Kaiden! We heard a loud noise, are you okay!?” Rose’s voice rang out.

I wedged my phone between my ear and my shoulder as I worked. “Aye, I’m alright. Just fell all the way to the bottom.”

“You what!?” she cried. I heard her call out to the Doctor. “Doctor, he’s at the bottom!”

I heard the Doctor start panicking—which I thought was unusual for him—and refocused on my electrical work. “It’s alright, lass, I’m fine.”

I glanced at my throbbing shoulder, the fabric of my coat and shirt torn from the impact of the cable. It was obviously under extreme tension to work, and it snapped. I got hit hard. My skin broke, and a sizable gash was cut into my upper arm. I shook my head a bit and refocused on my work. The cold was unbearable, so I figured I didn’t have much more time to safely be down there.

“Are you sure? It’s so cold down here, I-I can’t imagine how cold you must be down there,” she said nervously. She suddenly started talking much quieter. “Kaiden I-I can feel your heartbeat.”

I raised my eyebrows and sat back a bit, pausing my work. I put my phone on speaker and set it down beside me. “You—You can feel it, too?”

“Yeah, almost like a second heart,” she said softly. “I don’t know why I know, but it’s yours.”

I chuckled softly. The cold started to get to me and I began to shiver a bit. “Well, I know mine’s a bit fast, but I’m just anxious all the time. I’m alright down here right now. Hardhat protected my head when the cable snapped, so I’m fine save for a few scrapes here and there from falling. It’s just… freezing cold.”

“Hang in there, Kaiden, the Doctor and I are trying to find a way to get you out without getting anyone else trapped down there,” she said.

“Kaiden, you have to listen carefully,” the Doctor’s voice suddenly rang out over the phone. “I know it’s cold, and I know you probably ache, but you have to keep working. You have to get the heat back on.”

I nodded even though he couldn’t see me do that over the phone. I shifted a little and kept inspecting the panels around me. “It—It’s quite c-cold, lad. It’s getting h-harder to move—move my f-f-fingers.”

“You gotta try, Kaiden. I know it’s hard, but you have to get the heat back on,” he insisted.

“Don’t give up Kaiden, we’re trying to help you,” Rose said. “I know we’ll be okay.”

I just had a bad gut feeling I couldn’t explain. I didn’t have the heart to tell Rose I felt that way, so I kept my mouth shut for once. I refocused on working to try and get the heat back on. I wasn’t having much luck. I was getting colder, and it was getting harder to work. I was shivering something fierce, and my fingers were hurting from the cold. After what felt like forever, I gave up. I slumped over against the wall of the narrow access shaft and took a shaky breath. I was freezing. The blood from my wound had frozen, painfully sealing the wound with an added icy chill. I was shivering worse by then.

“Kaiden? Kaiden! Hey, can you hear me!?”

I looked over at my phone on the floor that I’d left on speaker. “Y-Y-Yeah, I c-can.”

“Oh Kaiden,” she started. She sniffled a little. “Any luck?”

“N-N-Not y-yet,” I said, nervously glancing at the panels I’d been working with. “I-I’m still—still w-w-working.”

“You’re shivering so bad,” she said sadly. “I promise we’re getting you out of there soon. You won’t be cold much longer, I swear. Just please stay on the phone.”

“Well of—of c-course, lass,” I said shakily. “Y-You’re not—not getting r-r-rid of me that—that easily.”

She cracked up a little. “Why would I want that, anyway? Do you think we could throw you another cable and pull you up?”

“If—If you lot are—are okay w-w-with me being u-unable to a-assist,” I fumbled. I groaned softly. “I-I’m so—so c-c-cold.”

“I know, mate,” she said quietly. “You won’t have to be down there long, okay? The Doctor is trying to figure out why the cable snapped and if he can throw you a spare or something.”

“S-S-Sounds like a p-p-p-plan,” I said, shivering worse than before. I felt drowsy, and I knew that wasn’t a good sign. I needed to stay awake. “D-Despite this, I-I-I’m g-glad you lot p-picked me up.”

“Wouldn’t have been the same without you,” she said, chuckling weakly. “Sometimes I still can’t believe everything I’ve seen.”

“M-Me too—too,” I said quietly. “I-I don’t want t-to die—die, Rose.”

She muffled a sob. “Kaiden don’t say that! You won’t die!”

“Rose we—we have the T-Time Vortex,” I said weakly. “I-I know you f-feel it, too. I-I’ll d-d-die here.”

“No you won’t!” she cried. “You can’t give up! You—You always think of something! You’re clever, and—and you know electronics! I know you can do it. Just keep pushing.”

“Is he okay?” the Doctor asked. “I mean, obviously not but you know what I mean.”

“I-I’m f-f-freezing to d-death,” I said. I chuckled weakly. “Thanks for—for the a-a-adventures, l-lad.”

I heard something clatter over the phone. “No! I’m not leaving you down there, Kaiden. We’ve all been through so much, I’m not giving up here!”

I waited in silence, preparing myself for my inevitable death. My heart was slowing down and I felt tired. I felt kinda warm all of a sudden, but I knew enough about hypothermia to know that I was not supposed to succumb to that feeling. I had to keep my coat on despite how hot I felt. Great, I had a late stage symptom of hypothermia. I was not making it out of that shaft in time. I stared blankly at a panel of switches, buttons, and dials. I leaned forward and turned a dial. I turned to the panel I’d been fiddling with before and tore out a piece, severing the connection. I heard air ducts whir to life.

“Kaiden you did it!” Rose cheered. “You got the heat back on! You won’t freeze!”

I chuckled under my breath. “I-I d-d-did it…”

I slumped over against the wall.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“How long is he gonna be like that?” Rose asked.

I opened my eyes and saw her and the Doctor sitting on the floor of that basement bundled up in blankets. There were several blankets draped over me, and I could hear the heating in the building whirring properly.

“Hard to say,” the Doctor said softly. “He was looking pretty rough.”

“He’s so… frozen,” Rose said through her tears. “He’s pale and—and his hair is all frosty and he’s so cold. How is he supposed to come back from that?”

“We caught it before he tried taking all his layers off,” the Doctor said, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Which means the hypothermia wasn’t severe enough yet.”

She buried her face in her hands and wept. The Doctor put an arm around her and patted her shoulder. “He nearly sacrificed himself for us.”

“I know. He’s a brave friend,” he said. “He’s helped save us so many times, as have you. If it weren’t for you lot, I probably would be on my 4th regeneration.”

She sniffled and laughed weakly. “I just want him to wake up and be okay.”

“Guys?” I asked. They both looked at me in surprise. “You… got me out?”

Rose threw herself to me, hugging me tight. I laughed nervously and hugged her back. “Oh you’re okay! See, I told you you’d live!”

“Aye, you did tell me so,” I said, chuckling a little. I looked over at the Doctor and he gave me a fist-bump. “How’d you lot get me out?”

“I harnessed myself to a replacement cable and went down to rescue you,” the Doctor said. He smiled proudly but I raised my eyebrows in surprise. “You’re surprisingly large.”

I frowned. “Oi!”

He laughed. “No, not like that. I mean just… stocky.”

I cracked up a little. Rose was still clinging to me while I was lying on the floor covered in blankets. It felt nice having some body heat other than my own. “You are kinda stocky.”

“Oi! You two can’t let me live in peace, can you?” I asked. Her and the Doctor cracked up. “Thanks for getting me back up in one piece, lad.”

“Oh don’t thank me. I got us into the situation; only fair I get you out,” he said with a smile. “Well this is fantastic! You’re alright, Rose is calming down, and I’ve got my mate back!”

I tried suppressing a smile, but with Rose hugging me like she’d never do it again and the Doctor referring to me as his “mate”, I wasn’t able to. The Doctor joined the hug pile on the floor and I felt pretty happy for the first time in a long while. We stayed in our little hug pile for a wee bit until the Doctor told us we had to get back upstairs and see if the blizzard passed. Rose helped me to my feet and I brushed myself off.

“Oh your arm!” she cried, grabbing my hand and inspecting the gash from the snapped cable. “How’d that happen?”

“The cable snapped down and whipped me pretty hard,” I said. “Wound froze though, so it didn’t bleed much.”

“Okay well we’re definitely getting that cleaned up soon,” she said with a firm nod. “C’mon, let’s see if the blizzard passed.”

We followed the Doctor back onto the lift and went back up to the first floor. Outside, people were bustling about again. People started coming into the building. The guy who’d stopped us before found us in there and looked happy to see us.

“Oh you made it!” he said. He shook our hands. “Glad to see you all in one piece. Sorry I dumped a bunch on you at once like I did, but it just wasn’t safe out there.”

“It’s alright,” the Doctor said cheerfully. “So, what’s your name?”

“Junie,” he said. “Sorry, I never introduced myself.”

“I’m the Doctor, and these are my friends Rose and Kaiden,” he said, gesturing to us. I waved awkwardly and Rose smiled. “Where exactly are we?”

“You must be tourists,” Junie said with a smile. “Welcome to Greenland!”

“Greenland?” I asked. “Are you messing with me you bastard?”

He laughed. “Greenland the planet, not the country. No messing here.”

Rose nudged my side but I could tell she was holding in a laugh. The Doctor was suppressing a laugh too. “So, you guys have any motels or anything? We kinda need a spot to relax.”

“Yeah! I can take you to the closest one,” he said, motioning for us to follow.

We started walking and Rose held my hand as we walked. Thankfully, we didn’t have to go far to get to the motel. The Doctor used his fancy psychic paper and got us checked in for free before leading Rose and I to a room. It was one of those big hotel rooms with 2 bedrooms in the one room he checked into. I sat down on the bed and Rose sat beside me, anxiously looking around the room. The Doctor started practically tearing the place apart in search of some First Aid. I looked at my arm, which was starting to defrost now that I wasn’t frozen to near death.

“Wait here,” he said quickly before dashing out of our hotel room. I glanced at Rose and then stared down at the floor.

“Maybe after this planet, we should check out your flat,” Rose suggested. “I invited you to mine and my mum’s flat, so it’s only fair you invite me to yours.”

I smiled weakly. “Sounds like a plan, lass.”

She smiled back at me and ruffled my hair. I chuckled and straightened my cap out. The Doctor returned moments later with First Aid and started tending to my wound.

“Nasty slice you got here,” he said, furrowing his eyebrows in concentration. I looked at my coat discarded on the floor and the tear in the sleeve. I looked at my rolled up shirt sleeve and sighed softly. “Not to worry, I don’t think it needs stitches. This should be enough.”

“That’s good to hear, lad,” I said blankly, staring down at my coat.

Rose playfully nudged me. “Cheer up, mate. You’ll be just fine.”

I smiled at her. “I’m plenty cheered, lass, don’t worry. I’m just… tired.”

There was a thick silence suffocating the room after I said that. It seemed no one wanted to address the fact that I nearly died. Hell, I didn’t even want to. I just wanted them to stop fawning over me like I was a helpless lamb. I was a helpless lamb, but I didn’t want them to know that. I wonder if the fraction of the Time Vortex power could’ve saved me from death. Would it always save me from death? Did I just have more intuition about the future and a connection to Rose instead of that life bringing Rose had done with the full power? How much power was I wielding exactly? Could other people sense the power in me?

“Kaiden,” Rose said, gripping my shoulders. I looked at her in shock. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, sorry I-I kinda spaced out,” I said, shaking my head a little. “My bad.”

“I was telling the Doctor we should check out your place,” she said with a smile. “He said we could once we get your wound patched up.”

I looked over at him as he kept trying to wipe down my wound. It stung, but I powered through and didn’t let it show. “Almost done, I promise.”

I trusted him and looked back at Rose. “Sounds like a plan to me.”

After the Doctor finally got the gauze steady and bandaged my arm, he patted my shoulder and ruffled my hair like Rose had done moments before. I put my coat back on and we hurried to get back to the Tardis before another blizzard could’ve swept through. Thankfully we made it back to the Tardis in one piece and off we went.

I sat down in the corner and Rose sat beside me. I avoided eye contact. “I’m excited to see your flat. You’ve seen my room and all my nonsense, now I get to see yours.”

I smiled. “It’s definitely not much, but it’s my space.”

“Look alive you two! We’re here!” the Doctor announced before dashing out of the Tardis.

Rose and I got up and headed out of the Tardis after him. We were in front of my flat yet again. I led them up the stairs and unlocked any gate in our way. I finally unlocked my door on the fourth floor and led them inside. I hung up my coat and cap and kicked off my shoes. I turned on the lights and went to go sit on my couch. The Doctor eagerly sat down opposite me and looked around. Rose wandered about before sitting between us.

“Cool place,” the Doctor said, still looking around at everything.

“Thanks, lad. I try my best to make it look neat,” I said. I stood up and started pacing around. “Sorry for any clutter.”

“Why are you pacing about like that?” he asked.

I looked over at him. “What do you mean? I-I always walk around.”

“No, you shift which leg you’re standing on and often tap your feet,” Rose chimed in. “You’re pacing. You’re anxious.”

“How do you-?”

“Linked, remember?” Rose said, looking at me expectantly.

The Doctor frowned. “Linked? What do you mean?”

“Time Vortex,” I said, shaking my head a little and continuing my pacing. “I don’t know why, but I guess we’re linked together now.”

He stood up and walked over to me. He ordered us to close our eyes. “Okay, what is Rose thinking of right now?”

I scoffed. “What’s this gonna prove, lad?”

“Just answer the question. What’s she thinking of?”

I wasn’t quite sure why I knew, but it just came into my head. “She’s thinking of me when you lot fished me outta that access shaft.”

The Doctor told us to open our eyes and looked over at Rose, who was blushing a little. “Judging by that, I’d say he’s right.”

“So… what’s that mean?”

“You two apparently are linked,” he said, rubbing his forehead. “So not only are you harboring the Time Vortex, you’ve also linked yourselves together.”

“What does that mean, lad?” I asked more firmly than Rose had.

He smiled a little. “No idea! But isn’t this fantastic! We can figure it out together!”

Rose and I glanced at each other and smiled. “Together doesn’t sound so bad.”

The day wore on and I decided to get some sleep. Rose and the Doctor got my sofa and futon; I took my bed. I was looking forward to a good night’s rest.

Chapter Text

“We have a new challenger!”

I flinched and scrambled to my feet to find I was shirtless, in gym shorts, and wearing wraps on my fists and feet. It was bright, and there was a lot of noise. I whirled around and saw I was in something similar to a boxing ring, but it wasn’t perfectly accurate. I saw an announcer in the middle talking over his little mic and another guy in the other corner. I turned and saw the Doctor and Rose in the front row looking just as dazed as I was.

“Doctor! Rose!” I called out. They looked up at me in horror. “Where am I!?”

“No clue!” the Doctor replied. He hopped over his seat and Rose followed suit. They both stood at the base of the ring and looked up at me through the ropes. “What are you doing up there?”

“No clue!” I said exasperatedly.

“You could get hurt!” Rose cried. She reached out and I took her hand. “Get down from there!”

“I don’t think I have a choice,” I said. “I don’t want to find out the hard way that there’s an electric fence, lass.”

She sighed softly. “Then I’m rooting for you. My underdog.”

I grinned confidently. “I promise I’ll be alright. I’ve been in a few scraps before, so I’m sure I’ll survive.”

“Be careful Kaiden, you’re going up against aliens,” the Doctor said. “If you want, I can feed info to Rose and she can relay it through your Time Link.”

I nodded slightly. “That would probably be helpful.”

The crowd got louder and the announcer started introducing us. “In this corner, we have a Clockwork droid! In this, we have Kaiden, a human from the year 2007!”

I looked around nervously and saw the droid. The announcer counted down and then told us to fight. “Wait, how do I fight it!? It—It has weapons and I don’t!”

“Kaiden, duck!”

I ducked down right as the droid swung at me with a serrated blade. I rolled aside and stood behind it. It turned around. I looked past its shoulder at Rose and the Doctor in hopes they’d tell me how to beat it.

“Go for the mask!”

I grabbed the wig and mask it was wearing and removed them, revealing its see-through head and all the little spinning cogs inside. “Whoa, what the hell!?”

It swung the little knife again, scratching my forearm. I glanced at the little cut and held in a laugh. I grabbed the droid’s head and slammed it to the ground of the ring. The crowd erupted in cheers and boos as its head cracked. I stepped back and hoped it stayed down. Instead, it just teleported. Once someone confirmed it left the planet entirely, I was declared the winner. I dashed over to Rose and the Doctor and reached through the rings to hold Rose’s hand.

“You did it!” she said, beaming with joy. “Look at you! We didn’t even have to tell you much about it to get you to figure it out!”

I smiled. “See, I’m more clever than I let on.”

“You really are,” the Doctor said, grabbing my other hand and holding it firmly in his hands. “Good on you, mate.”

“Thanks, lad,” I said with a smile.

“Round two!” the announcer shouted. “A Dalek enters the ring!”

The Doctor’s face dropped and Rose paled. I whirled around, letting go of their hands to confirm my worst fear. A Dalek was allowed to compete? How was that fair!? They were giant tin cans with laser guns and a sole purpose to kill whatever they saw was inferior. They also knew I was affiliated with the Doctor, and the Doctor was declared their greatest enemy.

“Exterminate! Exterminate!” the Dalek shouted. It looked at me and I stared it right in the eye stalk. “Kaiden O’Halloran is an enemy of the Daleks!”

I took an anxious breath. “Good to see one of you bastards again. How you been?”

“I’ve been preparing,” it said. “Preparing to exterminate you!”

I felt my hear drop and put my hands up a little. “Aye, I’m sure you have, lad. I’m a wee bit different than when we first met, though.”

“Explain!”
I laughed. “Like I’d explain shit to you, you tin can.”

“Exterminate!” it shouted, wiggling its little arms around. Unfortunately one of those arms was a gun that would kill me instantly.

I stepped aside as it fired. The laser blast hit a barrier around the ring. I looked at the announcer. “Why does it get to have a gun!?”

“Can’t disable it,” he said with a lame shrug.

I dodged another blast and tripped to the floor. The Dalek looked down at me. “Explain!”

“I’ve got half the Time Vortex,” I started. “I already know the outcome of this match.”

“Tell me! Tell the Daleks!”

“Aw, but that would spoil the fun,” I said, trying to hold back a smile. I jumped up to my feet and rolled my shoulders a little. “You’re goin’ down, you laser-blasting bastard.”

“Exterminate!”

He fired and clipped me. I felt my body seize up and I hit the ground. Shit, I guess I was dying. Never thought I’d go down in an alien cage fight—and against a Dalek, no less! How embarrassing one of those bastards took me out.

“Kaiden!”

I suddenly gasped for air and rolled over onto my hands and knees, coughing as I tried catching my breath. The Dalek moved back a little, looking down at me and wiggling its arms.
“You’re not exterminated? Explain!”

“Told you, I have half the Time Vortex,” I said breathlessly. I stood back up and walked over to the Dalek. It looked at me with as weird an expression as a Dalek could pull. “Now I know how to kill you.”

“You cannot kill a Dalek! You are a weak human who works with the Doctor! Enemies of the Daleks are inferior!”

I laughed and patted the Dalek’s head. “Humans are pretty awesome. Why can’t you just let them hang around, you bastard?”

“Exterminate!” it shouted. It backed up and looked at me, priming the gun to blast me again. “Exterminate!”

I was shot again. I hit the ground and waited for my body to come back. I gasped and slowly stood back up.

“Kaiden, be careful!” Rose screamed.

I swung at the Dalek, my fist clanking loudly against the metal. I clutched my wrist and waved my hand around in pain, my fingers likely broken.

“Aye, that’s some good armor, you bastard,” I said, looking up at the Dalek. I realized I dented the metal. “Oh my God, I dented you!”

“Dalek’s have superior armor!” it announced. “Humans cannot dent a Dalek!”

“But I’m human, and I have thoughts and feelings and motivation. Besides, I did dent you,” I said. “You can kill me all you want; I’ll haunt you like the worst spirit you’ve ever seen.”

“Impossible! Exterminate!”

It shot me again. Just like the previous two times, I blacked out briefly before taking a huge breath of air and getting back onto my feet. “I have a reason to keep going! Whatever this Time Vortex has done has allowed me to use that to keep me alive!”

“Impossible! Humans are mortal!”

“Not this one!” I said back. I had to think quickly. I needed to find a way to kill the Dalek. I knew I couldn’t do it with my hands. I tried looking around for something I could use to bounce the laser back or something to drop on its stupid head. I kept getting shot throughout my scrounging. I dashed over to my corner to talk to the Doctor and Rose. “What do I do!?”

“You can’t kill a Dalek without a big gun,” the Doctor said. “Or thousands of tons of explosives. Or-”

“Alright we get it,” Rose interrupted. “We can’t kill it ourselves.”

“Well I need to think of-” I was cut off by the Dalek shooting me again. I slumped over onto the floor and snapped awake moments later. I looked at Rose. “C’mon, I know I’m immortal now, but I can’t keep doing this forever, lass.”

She smiled weakly and wiped away some tears. “I-I thought you were a goner.”

“Hey, I’m still here,” I said, patting her hand. “Like I said, you can’t get rid of me that easily.”

She laughed a little and sniffled. “You’re right, but why would I want that anyway?”

I turned to the Doctor, still holding Rose’s hand. She was lightly rubbing her thumb against the back of my hand. “You got any ideas, lad?”

“Maybe I can steal a gun off security,” he said, glancing around. “One moment.”

He dashed off and I saw him flash someone his psychic paper. I looked at Rose. “Hey, I’m gonna keep the Dalek-”

I got shot again. After a brief moment, I took a deep breath and shook my head a little, looking at Rose again. “Sorry. I’m gonna distract it until the Doctor works something out. I don’t like it being this close to you.”

She was still crying a bit and suddenly pulled me in for a kiss. I was shocked and stared at her in confusion when she stopped kissing me. “Good luck out there, underdog.”

I smiled confidently and dashed back towards the middle with the Dalek. “You can’t kill me, you stupid bastard!”

“Impossible! Humans can’t survive a weapon of a Dalek!” it shouted, waving its arms around again.

“I guess I can!” I said with a stupid grin on my face.

“Kaiden!” the Doctor called. I hurried back over and he handed me a gun. I quickly took it and blasted the Dalek, obliterating its eye stalk.

“I’m blind!” the Dalek shouted, spinning around like crazy. “Exterminate!”

It started firing wildly and I shot again, blasting through the spot where the little alien inside would sit. The Dalek fell silent and was dropped through a trapdoor in the floor of the ring.

I handed the gun back to the Doctor, who tossed it to the floor and congratulated me on my near impossible win. The next challenger was brought in, and it was a Cyberman.

“You are an inferior life form; you will be assimilated,” it announced.

“Oh you’re crazy,” I said, raising my eyebrows a little. I took a swing, again busting my hand against the metal. “Oi, you lot gotta lay off the armor!”

“Cybermen are superior to you. Hostile life forms will be deleted.”

“I thought I was being assimilated?”

“Not anymore. You will be deleted.”

It fired at me and I died yet again. I dragged myself back to my feet and went for the Cyberman’s core. I pried it out after a few tries and the Cyberman fell. I won again. That was 3 matches, so I figured I was free. I turned to Rose and the Doctor and they both looked thrilled. Instead of declaring me the winner, the announcer called a sudden 4th match. I turned to see a copy of myself. Something about him was very wrong, but I couldn’t quite place what.

“In the time it took you to defeat your last 3 opponents, we cloned you!” the announcer explained. The crowd was oddly quiet. “Now you must face your greatest enemy: yourself!”

My clone charged me, socking me in the face pretty hard. I doubled over and looked at Rose and the Doctor in confusion. I quickly turned back around and threw a punch, deflecting an attack from my clone. We fought each other for quite some time. By the time I was considering tapping out, my nose was pouring blood, my left eye was bruised and slowly swelling shut, my lip was bleeding, and I ached all over. I dove for him and held him in a chokehold, wrestling him to the ground. He didn’t speak, which surprised me a little because half the time I can’t shut up. He passed out and hit the floor. I shakily stood up and tried wiping the blood off my face, smearing it and getting it all over my hands. The announcer finally declared me the winner and I was allowed to safely climb off the ring. I fell into the Doctor, and him and Rose quickly helped me sit down.

“Careful,” he said softly. He looked around. “Do we seriously not have any bandages or anything offered to us?”

Rose looked at me, grabbing my shoulders. “Hey, you did great out there.”

I smiled a little. “Thanks, lass.”

“My underdog beat a Clockwork droid, a Dalek, a Cyberman, and a clone of himself,” she said proudly. She smiled. “I’d kiss you, but your face is covered in blood.”

I laughed a little. “Maybe we’ll save it for later then.”

She patted my shoulder. “Sounds like a plan.”

“Here, I gotcha,” the Doctor said, shoving a wad of tissue under my nose. He placed a small bandage over the cut on the bridge of my nose and the blood stopped pouring down my cheeks and chin. He gently wiped away the blood stained to my face until it was clear. “There, that’s gotta feel better, yeah?”

I nodded slightly. “Much. Thanks, lad.”

“You did fantastic out there,” he said, firmly grabbing my shoulder. “If I could’ve placed a bet on that fight, I would’ve bet on you.”

“You’re a Time Lord; you’d know the outcome,” I said. He smiled a little. “So you’d only do it because you knew I’d win?”

“Well I know it would be a smart bet, so I’d bet a lot. If I knew your outcome was lousy I’d bet less and then buy you chips after or something,” he said. I laughed and even Rose cracked up a bit.

Security walked over and pressed a button on a remote. Next thing I knew and I was in my living room again. Rose hugged me tight. The Doctor then hugged me once Rose let go.

“Glad I escaped that in one piece,” I said. “I’m gonna go uh… put on a shirt I think.”

“C’mon, I’ll help you up,” Rose said, helping me to my feet. I walked over to my room with her in tow.

I started digging around through some of my clothes so I could put on something comfier. “Man, I ache all over. Had I known I’d be put in a surprise cage fight, I would’ve packed some painkillers.”

Rose chuckled weakly. As I was digging around for something to wear, I could feel that heartbeat again. It was kinda quick. I glanced over my shoulder at Rose, who was sitting awkwardly at the foot of my bed. She met my gaze and scratched her neck. “Are—Are you okay?”

“Course I am, lass,” I said with a smile. I couldn’t see out of my left eye at that point from the swelling. “I know this isn’t my best look, but I’ve been through worse.”

She looked at me in horror. “What could be worse than repeatedly being shot by a Dalek and then getting your ass beat by a clone of yourself!?”

I shrugged and turned to keep digging through my clothes. I finally found a shirt and some sweat shorts I was in the mood to wear. I stood back up, holding the clothes I’d picked out. I sat down beside Rose and started peeling off the wraps on my hands and feet.

“Kaiden,” she started.

I was staring intently at my right foot to try and peel the wrap so I could take it off. “Hm?”

“Will you look at me for a moment?” she asked. I stopped and looked over at her, uncrossing my leg. “Oh you look miserable. You’ve been through so much in what, 2 days?”

I shrugged. “That’s how it’s always been. I’m the crew’s punching bag, aye? Every adventure we’ve gone on, I’ve gotten horribly beat up.”

“I know but that’s not fair,” she said firmly. “Why you?”

“No idea,” I said, shaking my head a little. “All I know is I’m just glad it’s not one of you two. Plus, I’m practically immortal now, so I can take it.”

“Sure physically, but mentally?” she asked. “Is that not getting to you?”

I shrugged. “Not really. I mean, I’m sure it’ll get to me eventually. For now I’m okay, but are you okay?”

“I watched you die so many times and…” she took a deep breath. “And—And I could feel it every time, Kaiden. You were in so much pain.”

“I’m sorry, Rose. I never meant for that to happen.”

She looked at me like I was insane for a moment before kissing me gently. “Don’t apologize, you dope. I was just worried about you.”

I smiled a little. “Worried about me, aye?”

“Yeah, I was,” she said with a slight smile. “We’ve done so much together with the Doctor I just… that wouldn’t have been a good end for you.”

I scratched my neck. “Seriously?”

She nodded a little. “I would hate to see a Dalek of all things kill you. We’ve seen those stupid things so many times and survived.”

“That would’ve been so embarrassing,” I said, laughing a little. She laughed with me and leaned against my shoulder. I felt myself blushing and cleared my throat a little. “Can you believe I punched it so hard it dented? I never thought I could do something like that!”

She grinned and playfully nudged me. “I never saw that coming, but it certainly looked cool.”

“Felt pretty cool aside from it also feeling like my fingers broke,” I said jokingly. I laughed a bit, but Rose did not.

“Let me see,” she said, grabbing my hand. She undid the wraps and inspected my fingers, bending each one to make sure they still worked. “Looks alright, surprisingly. You have to be more careful.”

“I just didn’t want the Dalek to potentially hurt you guys,” I said softly.

She was silent a moment, still inspecting my hands. I knew there was nothing more to see, but I figured she just wanted an excuse to hold my hand. I also wanted an excuse to hold hands, so I didn’t stop her from her inspection. “When you told it you found a reason to live and the Time Vortex was using it to keep you alive…”

“Yeah?”

“What’s the reason?”

I raised my eyebrows. “I’m not sure yet, honestly.”

“You’re lying,” she said. “You forget we’re Linked now. You can’t lie to me anymore.”

I smiled a little. “You’re right. I shouldn’t have tried that. I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

She looked up at me, still gently holding my hand. “We’ve been through so much and you’re always hurling yourself into danger—even before the Vortex.”

“I care about you and the Doctor. Simple as that,” I said with a shrug and a smile.

“Lemme help you with the wraps,” she offered. I crossed my leg again and she helped get the wrap I’d been fumbling with off of my foot. She did the same for my other foot; then the same for my hands. I put on my shorts and left the gym shorts on the floor. I started working to get my shirt on when Rose placed a hand against my chest, stopping me from doing so. I looked at her. “Wait. You’ve got so many scrapes…”

“Yeah, I-I’ve done a lot of stupid stuff,” I said, chuckling softly. “Got in a lot of scraps as a wee lad, got in a couple fights at the pub, almost got mugged once, and then of course all the times I did something stupid while on our adventures.”

“What about this one?” she asked, lightly tracing a scar on my chest right above my heart. “This looks bad.”

“Stabbed,” I said. “Luckily the bastard was drunk and too stupid to stab hard enough to puncture my heart. Narrowly missed death there.”

“And this one?” she asked, tracing a scar near my hip.

“Uh, bike accident I believe,” I said, raising my arms a little and looking down at the scar. “Yeah, I got hit on my bike.”

She placed her hands on my face and looked at me. “You’ve been through so much, but you’re not a punching bag. You’re a person.”

“I know. I was partially joking when I’d said that,” I said with a smile. She didn’t smile back or even chuckle.

“People deserve love and care,” she said softly. “Including you.”

“You and the Doctor are so kind to me, it’s okay.”

She kissed me for longer this time, slowly moving her hands to my shoulders and then wrapping her arms around them. I kissed back, but I was definitely startled. She broke the kiss and looked at me, her arms still around me.

“Good. I know I mess with you, but you’re genuinely one of my favorite people.”

I smiled. The Doctor knocked on my door and I got up to answer it.

“Oh, there you are,” he said with a smile. He grabbed my face and inspected me. “Looking better already! Fantastic! You’re absolutely fantastic, you!”

He hugged me tight, lifting me off the floor a little. I was surprised he could do that since he was just a skinny bloke and I was (slightly) taller than him. I laughed and he put me back down on my feet before brushing me off a little.

“Thanks, lad,” I said with a smile.

“I guess it’s good you’ve got some Vortex in you,” he said cheerfully. “You don’t feel like you’re burning at all, do you?”

I patted myself down and then shook my head. “Aye, can’t say I am.”

He grinned. “Fantastic! Seems splitting it with Rose kept the both of you from burning up.”

I started to smile but then froze, looking at him funny. “Come again?”

“Oh the Time Vortex usually makes it feel like you’re burning up on the inside,” he explained. “Or so I’ve been told. But, it seems splitting it with Rose kept you lot from that fate.”

I glanced over my shoulder at Rose, who was standing by one of my many shelves and looking at all my wee trinkets. I looked at him and closed the door, stepping out into the hall with him. “You’re telling me she was burning alive from the inside when she came barreling out the Tardis like that?”

“Indeed I am,” he said with a slight nod. “I think you saved her life, Kaiden. I was about to take it back from her, but it would’ve burned me up. I would’ve had to regenerate.”

I raised my eyebrows. “You’re not serious, you bastard. No way!”

“With you sharing it with her, it’s watered down. It’s a lot easier for you lot to handle when there’s only half of it inside you,” he said. He sighed softly, that usual stern look returning to his face. “Just be careful, okay? It may not burn you up anymore, but it can still eat you alive. Power like that should be impossible for two random humans.”

“We’re not random,” I said, shaking my head a little. “We were supposed to meet you.”

He looked at me quizzically. “I mean I suppose it was fate. Time can always be rewritten, but some events can’t be changed.”

“No, we were supposed to meet, lad. I can’t explain why I know, but I just do,” I said with a slight nod. “It’s no coincidence the Nestene Consciousness was in London when you met Rose. It’s no coincidence you happened to park the Tardis where I was walking in Galway. I’m glad time worked this way.”

“Kaiden, you need to be careful,” he said sternly, grabbing one of my shoulders and pointing at me. “You and her have a lot of power rolled into your small bodies. Don’t let it-”

Rose opened the door and looked at both of us funny. “Oi, quit having a man off. I can smell the testosterone.”

The Doctor and I looked at each other and broke, busting out laughing. He was still holding my shoulder. I reached out and lamely grabbed his while we laughed. Once we pulled ourselves together and stood back upright, Rose looked at us like we were crazy.

“Sorry lass, that one caught me off guard,” I said. I sniffled a little and took a deep breath.

“Right,” she said, trying to suppress a smile. “So you two, I could use a nap after the excitement.”

“I second that,” I said.

“I don’t know if I even can nap,” the Doctor said with a shrug. “Time feels arbitrary when you’re so intertwined with it.”

“Oh c’mon Time Lord, you can get some shut eye, yeah?” Rose said, playfully nudging his shoulder. He grinned. “Didn’t you sleep alright last night?”

He frowned a little. “Not sure. I knew one moment I was comfy on that futon and then I was in the crowd for that boxing match.”

“At least try,” I said with a shrug. “C’mon, you can take my bed. It’s much comfier.”

I closed the door behind him and told him and Rose to make themselves comfy. He lied there—still in his damned jacket—and stretched a little. I made sure the both of them were comfortable before starting to leave and go sleep on the couch.

“Oi, where you going?” Rose asked.

“Yeah, I thought we were sharing,” the Doctor said, sitting up a little and leaning on his elbows. “You shouldn’t surrender your bed just for us.”

I shrugged and hopped into bed. Rose sat beside me, pushing me between her and the Doctor. I lied down awkwardly and Rose immediately clung to me. The Doctor was staring up at the ceiling. I put an arm around Rose and slowly fell asleep.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Kaiden.”

I shifted a little and groaned. I rubbed my eyes a little and then opened them. “Hm?”

“Good morning,” Rose said sweetly. She kissed my cheek. “Sleep okay?”

I nodded slightly. “Aye. Man, feels like my arm is asleep.”

“Might be my bad,” she said, cracking up a little. “I’ve been all up on you all night.”

I shifted a little. “No my other arm is asleep. Weird that it—”

I looked over and the Doctor was lying on his stomach on top of my arm, his hand resting on my shoulder. I looked back at Rose in shock and she seemed equally surprised. “Oh my God, the Doctor is cuddling with you.”

“Lad’s gone, too,” I said, looking at him in surprise again. I looked at Rose. “I wonder what a Time Lord dreams about.”

“Maybe we should wake him up,” she said.

I kissed her. “Aye, probably should.”

She leaned closer and kissed me. “Maybe let him sleep a bit longer?”

“Why? Just to kiss me, lass?”

She laughed a little and kissed me again. “Yeah, maybe.”

We kissed a bit more before Rose stopped and looked at me. “Something wrong?”

“No, I just don’t think we should wake him like that,” she said. “C’mon, I’m starving.”

She climbed out of bed and yanked me with her. I took her to the kitchen and rubbed my eyes a little. “Well we got cereal, frozen waffles, uh… fruit maybe? I dunno, I just scrounge around like a feral animal whenever I want to eat breakfast.”

She laughed and opened the fridge. “Surprised he was passed out like that.”

“Me too,” I said. I grabbed some cereal and bowls for the two of us. “Lad probably needed it.”

“Definitely,” she said, grabbing the milk and setting it on the counter. “I know I needed some sleep. Anyways, how are you feeling?”

“Fine, why?”

“You died 14 times,” she said flatly. “And—And you’re bruised and beaten up.”

I frowned a little. “Aye, and?”

“So how can you be ‘fine’?” she asked. She poked my chest, backing me against the counter. “You can’t lie to me.”

“I’m not lying,” I said, putting my hands up in surrender. “Promise.”

She kissed me gently and then smiled at me. “I know. I just wanted to hear you say it.”

I smiled and kissed her forehead before pouring us some cereal. We sat down in my living room and started playing one of my video games while we ate. Rose was surprisingly good, but nowhere near as good as me. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I looked up and saw the Doctor standing behind my little TV.

“Oh, there you are Doc,” I said, pausing the game.

“Oi, I was finally winning!” Rose protested.

He smiled a little. “So, I was thinking we should check out some fun planet we’ve never been to before.”

I glanced at Rose, who smiled mischievously. I looked back at the Doctor. “Lemme just get dressed then, lad.”

I dashed back to my room and got some fresh clothes on before hurrying back out. We all hustled out of my flat and back to the Tardis. The Doctor started messing with all the controls on the Tardis and it started whirring to life. Rose and I watched in awe as per usual when he operated that thing. I leaned against the controls by mistake during some turbulence and music started playing. It wasn’t something I’d ever heard before, but it was good.

“Oi, what’d you do?” Rose asked.

I couldn’t help but laugh a little. “I guess I’m just playing some music, lass.”

It didn’t take long for the Doctor to start grooving a bit, nodding his head to the beat and rhythmically touching various controls. Rose smiled and swayed a little. I stepped away from the controls and took Rose’s hand, twirling her around a bit. She screamed at first but quickly laughed, covering her face out of embarrassment.

“Well look at you, lover boy,” she said. “You dance?”

I jumped up a little and just let loose, dancing like a total buffoon. I imitated the drums the same as the song played them. I turned to the Doctor who was doing what I could only describe as a dance someone’s dad would pull.

“’Course I dance, lass,” I said, holding my hands out. I playfully poked her sides and she laughed. I kept dancing around making a fool of myself simply because it was fun to me. She started to dance with me, playing a mean air guitar. “There it is!”

We danced around like goofs until the Tardis landed hard enough to rattle us. The music came to an abrupt stop as well, which totally killed the vibe. Even the Doctor looked disappointed our dance party was over.

“Well, I suppose we’ve arrived!” he said cheerfully before dashing out of the Tardis.

When I stepped out with Rose, we were right outside what appeared to be a busy nightclub. The Doctor was making a beeline for the entrance, so I hurried after him with Rose in tow. We hopped in line and when we made it to the front, the Doctor used his psychic paper to get us in for free and as VIPs. Inside, it reminded me of any old gay club back in Galway, but instead of an array of queers, it was aliens. There were all kinds of aliens there. A lot of them looked human, but even more looked wildly different. I thought it was incredibly cool. It was noisy, but I didn’t mind it. Rose held my hand and dragged me to the bar. We sat down and the bartender—an Ood—made our drinks. The Doctor caught up with us after a few minutes, his cheeks covered in lipstick stains.

I cracked up a little and Rose suppressed a laugh. “You’re quite a hit with the alien lasses, aye lad?”

He rolled his eyes. “I’m not here for sex and partying. The Tardis brought us here for a reason.”

“Probably because we were dancing like the most rhythmless dorks ever,” I said. Rose finally laughed a bit. “The Tardis probably figured we could do with some dancing at an alien nightclub.”

“Makes sense I suppose,” he said, trying to wipe the lipstick stains off his face with a napkin. He looked at us having drinks. “You’re actually drinking? Aren’t you both underage?”

“Nope,” I said with a nod. “I’m 23.”

“So am I,” Rose said, raising her hand a little.

He raised his eyebrows. “I guess you two seem like babies compared to me being 908.”

I chuckled a little and took another sip of my drink. It was really sweet and fruity, and I thought it was really good compared to the whiskey or beer I normally drank whenever I went out. Rose looked at me.

“Kaiden, you gotta try this,” she said, pointing at her drink. She held it out to me. I handed her mine and we exchanged sips. I got a good taste and handed it back to her. She handed mine back. “Whoa, yours is really good, too.”

“Yours was excellent,” I said. We both smiled at each other. “Man, I feel like dancing.”

“I second that,” she said with a confident grin.

The Doctor chuckled and nudged my side. “You mentioned me being a hit with the alien ladies? They’ve been eyeing you since you walked in.”

I followed his gaze to see a group of 4 people. I wasn’t sure what kind of aliens they were, but they seemed nice enough. I wasn’t interested though. I had my heart set on one lass: Rose. Didn’t care about any alien lads or lasses. Rose seemed to have noticed what the Doctor and I were looking at and she hugged onto my arm. I knew she was trying to tell those lasses to not even try, and I thought it was kinda cute.

“I’m gonna go wander about and see if I find anything unusual,” the Doctor said, grabbing his sonic screwdriver out of his pocket. “Don’t do anything stupid you two.”

“Aye aye, lad,” I said, mock saluting him. He walked away to go wander off. I turned to Rose. “So, still fancy that dance, lass?”

She smiled. “Of course I do.”

I held out my hand and she placed hers in mine. “Perfect. Let’s dance, then.”

We walked over towards the edge of the dance floor, trying to keep a space of our own and not disturb the other patrons too much. We were having a good time just grooving together a wee bit. I made her laugh a few times with my embarrassing moves and she playfully smacked my arms while begging me to stop. It was great up until one of the lasses the Doctor had pointed out started dancing up on me.

“Oi, personal space, lass!” I cried, stepping closer to Rose to get further from the alien.

She didn’t get the hint and put her hands on my shoulders, leaning close and kissing my cheek. “But you and your pal are just so sexy. You expect us to hold back?”

“Aye, I do,” I said, stepping away. She followed, still holding my shoulders and kissing my cheek and neck. It made my skin crawl, and I could tell Rose was fuming. “C’mon, lass, cut that out. Don’t make me bring my bastard over here to talk some sense into you.”

She giggled and hugged my arm as she kept kissing me. “But you’re such a handsome man. Whoever you’ve been dancing with just better learn to share.”

Before I could think, Rose was throwing a punch. She stepped back, clutching her hand in pain. I looked in surprise at the alien woman on the floor and then at Rose. “Aye, what in the fuck was that, lass?”

“Why the fuck is punching your go-to move!?” she shouted. “Christ, that hurts!”

I threw my arm around her and hugged her close, ruffling her hair a wee bit. “Good on you, lass! Your first punch!”

“It hurts!” she spat. She winced and looked at her hand. “I can’t believe you thought to punch all those things back on that boxing ring! I punch someone with normal skin and bone and I felt like my hand broke!”

I quickly escorted her off the floor and to the jacks. She waved her hand around in pain and I couldn’t help but feel a wee bit proud. “Look at you! You threw your first punch!”

She looked at me like she was about to punch me next. I laughed a little. “You don’t seriously think this is funny, do you?”

“It’s a little amusing,” I said with a shrug.

“You’re lucky we’re stuck together, otherwise I’d get rid of you.”

“Oh c’mon, lass. We both know you can’t get rid of me,” I said with a smile. “C’mon, let’s ice your hand.”

I escorted her out of the jacks and back towards the bar. I asked the lovely Ood working the bar for some ice and he obliged. Rose shoved her hand in the bag of ice and rested it on the counter, still glaring daggers at me.

“I’m sorry, lass, I shouldn’t have laughed,” I said, shaking my head a bit. “That was mean of me.”

She couldn’t help but smile a wee bit. “I’m just mad my hand hurt. Feeling better already though.”

“Aye, that’s good,” I said. I rested my head in my hand and just looked at her. She was stunning, and the colorful lighting of that alien nightclub really made her even more so.

“Why are you staring at me?” she asked.

I shrugged a little. “Just think you’re pretty, lass.”

She suppressed a smile and covered her face with her other hand. “Stop, you don’t seriously mean that.”

“Of course I do,” I said, leaning a little closer to her. “I wouldn’t say something if I didn’t mean it. Besides, you know when I’m lying.”

I pointed at my head and she giggled. She patted my hand. “I know, I know. I shouldn’t try to fool you.”

“Y’know what else I can feel because of this link?” I asked. She frowned a little. “Some of your secret little thoughts.”

She looked at me in shock and lamely pointed at me. “Y-You mean—you can… see some of my thoughts?”

“Same way you can just inherently know some of mine,” I said with a shrug. I winked playfully. “Bet you’ll never guess what we’re mutually feeling.”

“Stop, we’re in public!” she said in a hushed voice, playfully swatting my shoulder. We both cracked up. “No but you seriously know when I’m thinking about you like that?”

I nodded slightly. “I’m sure you know when I’m doing the same for you though, aye, lass?”

“Yeah, but you haven’t got any—up until now at least,” she said, a sly smile on her face. She then looked at me in surprise and jokingly smacked my shoulder again. “Oi, you’re dirty!”

I laughed. “I’m dirty? Lass, I’ve seen way worse coming from you.”

“No way!” she laughed. She took a deep breath and pulled her hand out of the ice. It had started melting. She wiped her hand off on my shirt and laughed again. “Payback. Cool it there, Lucky Charms.”

“Lucky Charms!? Oh that’s a cheap shot,” I said, shaking my head a little. “No way am I taking the piss tonight.”

She laughed again. She suddenly got kinda quiet. “So… when you were fighting that Dalek…”

“Aye?”

“You never told me what you were referring to when you told it you had a reason to keep fighting,” she said. “You kinda brushed it off as caring about the Doctor and I and then we got distracted.”

I chuckled softly. “It’s you, lass.”

She raised her eyebrows. “Me? Why me?”

“You’re the best friend I’ve had in a long time,” I started. I paused for a moment. “You and the Doctor have taken me on some glorious adventures. I trust you with my life. I don’t know, but that Time Vortex must’ve dug our friendship up so well that it used it to keep me alive. I guess as long as we’re mates, we’re immortal.”

She kissed me. “I think I can get behind that. Besides, I’m not getting rid of you anytime soon.”

“Glad to hear it, lass,” I said with a smile. “Wouldn’t want it any other way.”

“So, I have a bit of an… adventurous idea for you,” she started.

I grinned. “Let’s hear it then, lass.”
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Mm, Rose,” I said between kisses. “What if he gets mad we’re doing this in the Tardis?”

She kept kissing me like I was the very oxygen she breathed, wrapping her arms tighter around my shoulders. “Who cares what he thinks?”

I tripped and backed her against the controls to the Tardis. She looked at me and smiled slyly. “Sorry, I-I didn’t mean to-”

“Shh, it’s okay,” she said softly. She kissed me again. “You’re all cute when you’re nervous.”

I scratched my neck and awkwardly cleared my throat. “Sorry lass, I-I barely know what I’m doing.”

“Hey, relax,” she said sweetly, looking at me with her arms around my shoulders. I put mine around her waist and she smiled. “I’ll take it easy on you this time.”

I raised my eyebrows and took a deep breath. “Aye, alright then.”

She laughed. “Oi, relax! I’m not gonna kill you.”

“Well I feel my heart might stop, lass,” I said nervously. “I-I don’t know if I’m any… good.”

“You’re right nervous, huh?” she said, swaying side to side a bit. “Loosen up a little, mate. I like you, and I just wanna have a good time with you.”

I smiled. “Aye, me too. Should we really have left the Doctor unattended though?”

“Eh, he’ll be fine,” she said with a shrug. She kissed me a couple times. “Stop worrying about him and worry about us.”

“I always worry about you, lass,” I said.

“I know,” she said before kissing me a few more times. She looked at me. “Linked, remember?”

I chuckled and kissed her. “Sorry if my worrying gets… excessive.”

She kissed me again. “Don’t worry about it—well, maybe that was a poor choice of words. I think it means you care a lot, and I think that’s sweet.”

“Good to know,” I said with a slight nod.

“Okay, as cute as your voice is and as much as I love talking to you, you should shut up,” she said. She kissed me again, but with more fire this time. She looked at me. “You’re such a pretty boy.”

I laughed a little but was cut off when she kissed me more. “God, Rose… you might kill me.”

“Mm, you’ll be okay I think,” she said softly. She kept kissing me.

As we kissed, she guided my jacket off and it was discarded to the floor of the Tardis. She pressed into me more, kissing me harder. I tried my best keeping up with her, but I was a wee bit… inexperienced. Despite my nervousness, I handled myself well—or at least I’d like to think I did.

Chapter Text

“Quick, we gotta find the Doctor,” she said. I was still trying to get my wits about me after having sex with her. I followed after her through the dark nightclub and she busted down the door to VIP. “Doctor!”

He looked over at us, sitting calmly on a sofa. “About time you two showed up. Where have you been.”

“We got a little caught up on the dance floor,” Rose said, straightening out her jacket.

I stood there like a moron and just nodded in agreement. “What’d we miss?”

He looked me up and down. “Shirt’s on backwards, pal. Anyways, I found the VIP lounge.”

“Is there something wrong though?” Rose asked. I looked down at my shirt out of embarrassment. “The Tardis sent a signal-”

“Thought you two were on the dance floor?” he said. Rose sighed and stared at the floor. I avoided eye contact and rubbed my neck. “Right… different dancing. Well, I found something absolutely fantastic in here.”

“What’d you find?” I asked.

He stood up and brushed me off. He adjusted my cap and glasses and patted my cheek. “You’re quite a hit, aren’t you? While you two were ‘dancing’, I found a secret room.”

“A secret room?” Rose asked. “Seriously?”

“Yep!” he said with a smile. He patted her shoulder. “Also next time, don’t take your boy-toys into the Tardis. That’s not a place for ‘fun’ like that.”

She flushed bright red and looked away. “Right… sorry, Doctor.”

“Anyways,” he started. “I was scanning around and found a secret opening in the wall. Figured I’d wait for you lot to get back here, but you weren’t at the bar or on the floor.”

“Sorry,” I said lamely. I cleared my throat. “Anyways, should we investigate?”

He grinned and held up his sonic screwdriver. “Of course! Follow me!”

He dashed off to the corner of the VIP lounge and Rose and I followed. He scanned the area again and leaned against the wall. Nothing happened. He stepped back and looked at the wall, frowning a bit.

“Should’ve opened by now,” he said. He put his hands on his hips.

“Maybe you need to lean more weight on it,” Rose suggested. The 3 of us leaned against the wall. Still, it didn’t budge. She mirrored the Doctor and they both stood there with their hands on their hips, studying the wall.

“I think we need more firepower,” I said. They both looked at me. I waved them aside and pointed my hand at the wall, thinking of where a punch would work best. Before I could really register anything, a beam of golden light shot from my hand. The force threw me back a few feet and Rose and the Doctor immediately came to my aid, grabbing under my arms to help me up. I stared blankly at the room, my entire body numb. Everything was bright and shiny like I’d been hit with a flashbang, but that flashbang was full of golden glitter.

“Kaiden!” Rose shouted.

“Kaiden! I need you to focus!” the Doctor shouted. I didn’t know where to look. I felt his hands touch the sides of my head. “Hey! It’s okay! Come back down. Relax.”

I blinked a little and everything slowly started clearing back up. I watched him and Rose’s forms take shape again. They were still bright and golden, but I could vaguely make out where they were in relation to me. “I-I can’t see…”

“Shh, you’ll be able to see again,” he said softly, still holding my face. “Give it a moment. It’ll pass.”

I waited, looking back and forth between his and Rose’s outlines as they slowly became more visible and less like glowing shapes. I grabbed one of the Doctor’s arms and Rose grabbed my other hand. My vision finally returned to normal after a wee bit and I could clearly see the Doctor and Rose.

“I-I can see again,” I said softly.

He grinned and kissed my forehead, patting my cheeks. “Fantastic! Don’t ever do that again, by the way.”

Rose hugged me tight and kissed my cheek a few times, causing me to lean back against the floor with her on top of me. I wrapped my arms around her. “I’m so sorry, lass. I-I don’t know how I did that.”

“Don’t be sorry,” she said, still kissing my face. “You’re okay, and the secret room is open!”

I grinned and looked past her. The Doctor was staring in horror at a small group of Cybermen emerging from the room. My smile faded quickly. Rose followed my gaze and then looked back at me in fear. “Maybe I shouldn’t have opened that.”

“Don’t suppose you can do that again?” she asked. I shrugged. “Kidding. Don’t do it again. I don’t want you to explode.”

“You will come with the Cybermen,” one of them announced. “Doctor and companions.”

“What for?” the Doctor asked.

“Do not question the goals of the Cybermen. You will come with us or be deleted.”

The Doctor put his hands up and Rose and I did the same. “Okay! Okay, we’ll go with you!”

The Cybermen turned and escorted us through the dark corridor behind the wall I’d blasted. I was leaning against Rose and the Doctor as we walked.

“You’ll be fine, pal, don’t worry,” he said quietly. “I mean in terms of that exploding thing. I can’t guarantee anything about the Cybermen yet.”

I chuckled under my breath and tripped a little. The Cyberman walking behind us pointed its gun at me. “You will keep moving or be deleted.”

“Stop!” Rose shouted, whirling around to face the Cyberman. “He’s hurt! Don’t touch him.”

“Defying orders will get you deleted,” it said, redirecting the gun to her. “Keep moving.”

“Give him a minute!” she cried. I leaned against her, trying to catch my breath. “He’s hurt for God’s sake!”

“Cybermen do not worship a God,” it said.

I looked up at it. “Maybe it’s about time you do.”

“Cybermen have no concept of organized religion. Cybermen only believe in assimilating humanity into the superior life form you see before you,” it said, moving the gun back at me.

The Doctor knelt down behind us, his hands up. “Don’t shoot them. They’re just humans.”

“Cybermen do not discern who to assimilate based on species,” it said. “You will all be assimilated—or deleted if you do not comply with assimilation.”

“I know, I know,” he said, waving his hands around a wee bit. “Just don’t hurt them. I promised her mother I’d get her home safe.”

“Cybermen do not care about family,” it said. “Keep moving or you will be deleted.”

I shakily stood up. “I-It’s okay… I think I can keep moving.”

“Careful,” Rose said softly. She helped me back to my feet. It still felt like I was burning on the inside, but not as painful as when I first exploded. “I got you.”

“I’ve got you,” I said back. She smiled, blushing a little. “C’mon, let’s keep moving.”

We made our way through the hall with the Cybermen and were stopped in a giant room. How that room fit hidden in that nightclub, I had no idea. It looked like some kind of torture chamber. I looked in horror. I wasn’t even sure if my immortality would save me from the horrors that awaited us. I then wondered if Rose had the same gift, but I didn’t want to find out the hard way.

“You will stand for our Cyber Leader,” a Cyberman commanded.

I shakily stayed up on my feet, still leaning on Rose and the Doctor a wee bit. A significantly larger Cyberman walked over and declared himself the Cyber Leader. The Doctor stared at it, trying to keep his expression unreadable. I could tell he was afraid—or at least a wee bit worried. Rose looked in shock.

“Wait, why do we have to meet him?” she asked.

The Cyberman that had threatened us with a gun pushed Rose. She fell to her knees and started getting back up again. I whirled around and punched the Cyberman in the head, denting the side and also severely damaging my hand. It shot me. I dropped and it took a bit longer than normal to wake back up according to the Doctor and Rose.

“Kaiden, be careful!” Rose scolded. She looked at me seriously, her hands on my face. “I can’t lose you.”

“You never will,” I said back. “We’re tethered to each other forever. I think if we got separated between universes, I’d still know where to find you.”

She smiled a little and kissed me. “You’re hopeless.”

I smiled back. “Only for you.”

“Don’t shoot them!” the Doctor commanded. “You shoot them and you’ll have to face the wrath of a Time Lord—the last Time Lord.”

“Oh yes, the Time Lord who killed his own kind,” the Leader said. “You survive the Time War and yet you still find ways to kill.”

“I haven’t killed anyone since then! Everyone lives!”

“Oh but you have,” the Leader said, pointing at Rose and myself. “You’ve doomed them to a life of chaos. An eternal burning. Your precious companions are forcibly immortal and they burn.”

“What are you talking about!? What would you know!?”

“Look at them, Doctor,” Leader said. “Take a long look at them, Doctor. I know you see it. You’ve killed them, and you don’t even realize it.”

He stared at Rose and I and his face changed to a look of terror, and then to guilt. He faltered. He hesitated. He turned back to Leader and held out his arms. “I’m no killer! I’m a coward!”

“Yes. We heard about you declaring that to the Daleks,” Leader said. “You are a coward, but you weaponize those around you whether you realize it or not. You’ve turned them into weapons.”

“Weapons? They’re people, not weapons!” he shot back. “They’re my responsibility! My companions! I wouldn’t travel without them!”

“That will be your downfall, Doctor,” Leader said. “You’ve turned the boy into a weapon of pure destruction. He can only kill and harm. You’ve turned the girl into a weapon of love; a hopeless pacifist blinded by human love.”

I felt my heart rate slow. In fact, it felt like all my organs had slowed down. Is that seriously what I’d become? I could only harm? No, it couldn’t be true. I never hurt Rose or the Doctor. I could never and would never. I loved them and only wanted to protect them. Rose stared at me in horror.

“Kaiden, you’re not a weapon,” she said quickly, grabbing my shoulders. “Do you hear me? You’re you, and you are not a weapon!”

I stared at her blankly. “He’s right. I’ve never taken the safe route like you do. I-I just… attack.”

“No, you just think quicker than me,” she said quickly. “That’s all, I promise you. I know you, Kaiden. You could never be a weapon. Weapons can’t discern their enemies. Weapons wouldn’t be here letting me hold you or—or letting the Doctor kiss your forehead like he had.”

I swallowed, my throat feeling tighter. My heart felt like it was being strangled by my own arteries. My lungs were shriveling, my stomach was tying itself up, my kidneys were stretching thin, and my brain was melting. I felt like I couldn’t even look at her correctly anymore. Where was I? Who was I? Why did her and the Doctor have me around?

“Kaiden, if you were a weapon, I wouldn’t have brought you,” the Doctor said firmly, kneeling beside me. “I don’t fight like that anymore, so why would I keep a weapon on board?”

He was right. Was he right? I wasn’t sure. Who was I? Who was I? What was I? What. Was. I.

“Seems he’s realized who he’s become,” Leader said. “He would make for an excellent Cyberman.”

“No!” Rose cried, standing up and turning to face him. “You’re not going to hurt him!”

A Cyberman shot her and she dropped. I caught her and just stared at her in horror. My first thought was to kill that Cyberman. To slaughter everyone in the room save for her and the Doctor. They all deserved a thousand deaths for taking her from me. I was waiting for her to wake back up, but so far, no dice. I just held her tight, leaning forward and burying my face against her. I needed to cry. I needed to mourn, but all I could do was plot revenge instead. Why couldn’t I be more like her? So collected, calculated; peaceful. The embodiment of negotiating peace rather than jumping to war. The Doctor dropped beside me, rubbing my back. I ignored him, but I didn’t have the heart to shrug his hand away. I leaned more upright when she suddenly gasped for air.

“Rose!” I cried. I hugged her tight. She blinked a bit and slowly pulled herself together. “Oh you’re alright!”

“Of course I am,” she said softly. “We’re linked. Tethered. Intertwined. Whatever you want to call it, that’s what we are now. Just as you found an anchor to come back, so have I. I just didn’t have a chance to show it off yet.”

I looked at her, my arms still around her. She cracked up and I couldn’t help but laugh with her. “You have no idea how happy I am that you’re still here, lass.”

“I can tell,” she said. She paused for a moment, clearly trying to think. “No, I can feel. Your joy is my joy, as mine is yours.”

“Enough!” Leader shouted. “This proves my point! Kaiden immediately thought to kill us all, and Rose is here talking about sharing emotions with him. You have created a weapon and his totem of immortality, Doctor. Might I suggest you free them of their burden? Maybe let them finally rest.”

The Doctor looked in confusion. “I can’t take it from them! They’ve split it! Taking her half could kill him, and vice versa!”

Leader laughed. “Foolish humans. Absorbing the Time Vortex. I could sense it on them the moment you set foot in this club.”

“Well did you sense this!?” I asked. I exploded again, my ears ringing and my vision completely whited out again. I hit the floor and shook a bit, fire coursing through my veins. I felt someone pick me up over their shoulder and I could feel them running. My eyes burned and the tears streaking down my face didn’t hurt any less.

I felt myself getting thrown down on something soft—probably one of the sofas in the VIP lounge. I stared blankly at my whited out vision. Someone grabbed my hands and that was when my hearing had mostly come back.

“Kaiden, breathe! You have to slow yourself down!” the Doctor ordered. “You’ll be okay! You just have to slow back down.”

“Just take a breath, it’s okay now,” Rose said softly. She kissed my cheek a few times. “C’mon, you can do it.”

My vision slowly started coming back like it had before, and by then all my hearing was back. I stared up at the Doctor holding my left hand tightly in his hands and Rose clutching my right. I took a deep breath, relieved to actually have enough air in my lungs again.

“See? You’re okay,” the Doctor said. “You’re safe.”

“B-But the Cybermen,” I said, my voice hoarse. “I-I proved their point and—and I don’t even know if I actually killed them, lad.”

“Shh, don’t worry about it,” Rose said softly, still lightly kissing my face. “What’s important is you’re still alive.”

I took a shaky breath and nodded a little. “Y-You’re right.”

“You’re in pain.”

I thought he meant to say it like a question, but his expression didn’t affirm that for me. “No I-I feel okay.”

“Wasn’t a question,” he said, shaking his head a little. “C’mon, I think this has been enough excitement for one day. We gotta run.”

“Doctor, he’s in no condition to be running anywhere,” Rose said.

He let go of my hand and stood up, that shit-eating grin on his face again. “I’ll just carry him again.”

“You almost dropped him. Twice,” Rose said, standing up with him. “Can’t we give him a moment to recover?”

“Probably not, lass,” I said. They looked over at me. “Those Cybermen are probably pissed, and I bet they’re coming any minute now.”

“Then what do we do?” Rose asked.

The Doctor sighed and pointed his sonic screwdriver at me. He bumped the screwdriver with the base of his palm. “Hmm… it doesn’t want to read you.”

Rose knelt beside me again, gently holding onto my hand. “Do you think you can walk?”

“Maybe. Help me up, lass?”

She pulled me to my feet and I stretched a little. “Look at you!”

“Look at me!” I said cheerfully. I hugged her tight. “Oh look at us!”

“Oh, back on your feet!” the Doctor said excitedly. I hugged him next, unintentionally lifting him off his feet a wee bit. I put him back down and he smiled. “Fantastic! Now run!”

We started hurrying out of the club. Rose took my hand as we ran. I hadn’t realized we started glowing until the club got quiet and the Doctor looked at us in horror.

“What?” Rose asked. She glanced behind us. “There’s no one following us!”

“You’re glowing! Turn that off!”

Rose and I glanced at each other and cracked up a little before looking back at the Doctor. “Glowing? I mean maybe a little, but-”

“Turn it off now or I’m throwing Kaiden overboard before we go somewhere else!”

“Oi!”

“Doctor!” Rose cried.

We kept running until we left the nightclub. I was relieved to finally get back on board that damned blue box. The Doctor sat down, staring blankly at the Tardis console. Rose hugged me tight, kissing my face repeatedly.

“Someone’s feeling awful sweet, aye?” I asked. She laughed a little and leaned into me more.

The Doctor was staring at me. He didn’t look angry, but he didn’t look too thrilled either. He suddenly cleared his throat loud enough to get Rose’s attention. “I think I should take you two home for a little while.”

“Aw, why?” Rose asked. She stepped off me a little, settling for just standing next to me and holding my hand. “Have we done something wrong?”

“I just think a little break will do us some good,” he said.

“What about you though, Doctor?” I asked. “Where will you go?”

“Where I always go,” he said. “Everywhere and nowhere. Anytime and no time. Here and there.”

“Doctor-”

He waved his hand dismissively and started messing with various controls on the Tardis. “Don’t you lot worry about me. Been travelling alone for a while. You lot need a break.”

“We don’t need a break,” Rose said. “Doctor, I like travelling with you! Don’t spoil the fun!”

“No, I’m sorry, Rose,” he said, his expression now full of hurt. “I can’t have him blowing up twice and then joining me on an Earth four thousand years into the future.”

“But what about me? I’m fine!” she insisted.

He looked at her sternly. “Rose, you’re linked with him now. You share emotions, thoughts, expressions, hell even mannerisms now.”

He gestured to me copying the way Rose was standing. Obviously it was a wee bit… feminine since she was a lass. I straightened out a little and cleared my throat. “There’s nothing wrong with that, lad.”

“Kaiden, your very souls are intertwined now,” he said, gesturing wildly as he often did. “I can’t have you killing yourselves every day. Do you know how painful it is watching people you love die knowing you have to continue on without them?”

I frowned. “Aye, I do know. Lost my parents as a wee lad knowing I’d have to grow up without them. Besides, Rose and I can’t die. We’re immortal like you now!”

“That’s exactly the problem!” he barked. “I’ve damned you two to an eternity of pain!”

“Doctor, I know this is about that Leader bastard’s nonsense ramblings. You haven’t damned us. Rose wanted to come with you despite your warnings, as did I. This has been more fun than the last of my life. Now, I want to spend the rest of it travelling time and space with my closest friends. We’ve already been through a lot together. You can’t throw away our bonds and—and everything we’ve been through all because a Cyber bastard tried getting under your skin, lad!”

He stared intently at me, purposely trying to make it hard for me to tell what he was feeling. “Kaiden, you’re immortal. That’s not a blessing for a human. That’s a curse. You have to watch your species grow old, die, mutate, change, evolve, devolve, and repeat. Forever.”

“We’ve already seen a lot of that though!” Rose protested. “You’ve shown us incredible things humanity became! We literally got handcuffed in a freezing cold room with a Jagrafess together! I-I saw Cassandra and the Face of Boe and—and Daleks! You can’t seriously just dump us back!”

“I’m sorry, Rose,” he said, shaking his head a little. “You have to leave for a little while. I promise I’ll be back someday, but for a while, you two need a break.”

I knew there was no more arguing—especially since he landed the Tardis and walked out. We were back at Rose’s flat. I hesitantly left the Tardis with Rose in tow, following the Doctor. Rose went inside her flat and called out to her mum.

“Oh you’re back already!” Ms. Tyler said, emerging from the kitchen. “Glad to see you still in one piece. Oh and hello to you, Kaiden. You don’t look so hot, mate. Sit down, get comfortable.”

I waved awkwardly. “Hello Ms. Tyler.”

“Aw, don’t be so formal, mate. Just call me Jackie,” she said. She smiled cheerfully. “You two look like you could use some tea! I’ll go put some on.”

She went back into the kitchen. I leaned against the wall and crossed my arms. The Doctor went into the kitchen and I could hear him chatting with Jackie. Rose turned to me, leaning over the back of the couch a bit.

“Come sit,” she said. “You’re allowed to chill in my house.”

I smiled a little and sat beside her. “Sorry, lass. I’m not the best with social rules.”

“Don’t be sorry, it’s okay,” she said with a smile, putting an arm around me and leaning against me. “I think you’re doing fine. People are hard. But, my mum did tell you to sit and you didn’t. I think you’re just bit awkward.”

“People are hard,” I said, nodding in agreement. I laughed a little. “And yes, I am awkward.”

She kissed my cheek. “It’s okay.”

She suddenly leaned back a little and looked at me funny. “What is it?”

“My mum was right, you really don’t look so hot,” she said. She pressed the back of her hand against my forehead. “You’re a bit warm. You sure you feel okay?”

I nodded a little. “Aye, of course. I feel just fine.”

She started to say something, but Jackie walked in with tea and the Doctor. She sat on the chair and I awkwardly took a sip of my tea. The mug was nice and warm for my cold hands.

“So, what have you lot been up to off in time and space?” Jackie asked.

“Saw some cool alien planets,” Rose said with a smile. She shifted a bit, no longer leaning against me. I missed the feeling. “Watched Kaiden single-handedly save us from freezing to death on one planet and then danced with him at a nightclub on a different planet.”

She raised her eyebrows. “Wow, you must be brave.”

“No, I’m actually just dangerously selfless,” I said with a slight nod. Rose elbowed my side and I tried playing it cool. “I mean, I guess I’m brave.”

“You must be if you saved them from freezing and went dancing,” she said. She turned to Rose. “How’s his dancing?”

“Dorky!” Rose said, bursting out laughing. I looked at her in shock and heard the Doctor suppressing a laugh. “He dances like a total goof!”

“Oi!” I said in protest. “Says you!”

“You are a bit dorky, pal,” the Doctor said. I glared at him and he cracked up a little.

I sank into the couch, clutching my mug. “Didn’t think I’d be so disrespected here.”

“Oh relax, mate, we’re just teasing,” Rose said, hugging my arm. “You know I love you.”

Jackie looked at me a moment. “So I’m assuming you lot were at the nightclub last? Why do you look so… beat up?”

I nervously glanced at Rose, who gave me a slight nod. I looked at the Doctor and he did the same. I looked back at Jackie and awkwardly cleared my throat. “Well, Rose kinda absorbed the Time Vortex and then I accidentally absorbed half of it from her.”

“Time Vortex? What’s that mean?”

“Something too complicated to get into,” the Doctor said. “But humans usually burn up from that kind of power. You can see everything.”

Jackie looked at us all in horror. “And you two are walking around with that!?”

“No, he saved her from burning,” the Doctor said quickly. “I was going to take it back and just regenerate to keep them from harm, but he took half before I could take all of it.”

“So Rose didn’t melt or whatever because he decided to melt?”

“No, I didn’t melt,” I said with a smile. “Still the same scruffy bastard I’ve always been.”

“Well that’s good to hear,” she said.

“I should be going,” the Doctor said. “I’ll see you lot around.”

He walked away before Rose or myself could really try and say anything or try to stop him. I nervously rubbed my face.

“Rose, would you mind grabbing my phone? I think I left it in my room somewhere,” Jackie said. Rose shrugged and got up to go look for her mum’s phone. Jackie suddenly leaned very close to me, lowering her voice. “I can’t thank you enough for keeping my daughter safe, Kaiden. You’re a good bloke. I trust you with her. You absorbed something you knew would burn you alive just to keep her from burning.”

“I’m not burning.”

“You’re radiating heat, mate,” she said. “Like a space heater. Ha! Get it? Sorry, not funny. Just… be honest with her. Tell her what you feel.”

“She can feel what I feel,” I said with a shrug. “We’re tethered because of splitting the Vortex.”

“Then be honest,” she insisted. “Tell her about your feelings. She may be able to feel them, but she can’t have your reaction to it. Do you have a place to stay?”

“Yeah, back in Galway,” I said, tilting my head a little. “I guess the Doctor just planned on dumping me here.”

She smiled a little. “You’re welcome to stay until he comes to collect you guys again. I mean, is your family okay with it?”

I sighed softly. “Haven’t got family.”

“What!?” she cried. She hugged me and I was confused to say the least. “Oh your poor thing!”

“Mum? What are doing?” Rose asked. “I found your phone, by the way.”

“When were you going to tell me you dragged in a stray dog?” Jackie asked, breaking the hug.

Rose frowned and looked around the room. “Stray dog? What are you talking about?”

She gestured to me. “This poor thing.”

Rose looked at me in confusion and I smiled weakly, shrugging a little. Rose looked back at her mum. “He’s not a stray dog, mum, he’s a person.”

“You know what I mean, love,” she said. “This poor boy’s been dragged around through hell, and part of it was for you! I expect you treat him well.”

“Of course I treat him well, mum,” Rose said, unable to resist smiling a bit. “He’s my mate.”

“Good,” Jackie said, pointing at her and sitting back down. “How long are you going to be staying?”

Rose shrugged. “I’m not sure. The Doctor just told us we needed a break and he’d collect us eventually.”

“I think you two need it,” she said with a nod. “After tea, I think you two should get some sleep.”

I kept sipping on my tea and chatting with Jackie for a wee bit. Eventually, Jackie ushered us to bed and I very awkwardly stepped into Rose’s room. She turned to me as she was taking out her earrings. “Make yourself comfy.”

I looked around at her various posters, lights, and decorations. I sat down at the foot of her bed and nervously tapped my feet.

“Oi, I said get comfy, not freak yourself out,” she said. “I wish I could offer you some spare clothes, but I don’t think you’re my size.”

I laughed a little and scratched my neck. She pulled a clean shirt over her head and looked at me. “You just wanna see me in a shirt that doesn’t fit, huh?”

“Kinda, yeah,” she said with a nod. She handed me a shirt. “Please? Just indulge me a little.”

I laughed and rolled my eyes. “Oh since you asked ever so nicely, lass.”

I took my shirt off and put on the one she handed me. It was definitely not my size. I had big shoulders, and Rose did not. I couldn’t even put it on all the way. Half my torso was showing as if I were wearing a cropped shirt. Rose was dying, leaning against her dresser and laughing her ass off.

“Oh look at you!” she said, pointing at me through her laughter. “You look so dorky!”

I crossed my arms. “That’s so not fair! You’re the one who told me to wear it.”

“You could’ve said no!” she said, finally catching her breath and ending her laughing fit. She brushed me off. “Jeez, you really aren’t my size.”

“Or you’re just not mine,” I said. I could barely move my arms out of fear I’d tear her shirt in half. “My shoulders are too wide.”

She giggled. “It’s okay, you can take it off now. I won’t keep screwing with you.”

I fumbled a bit but managed to get the shirt back off without tearing it or anything. It was probably a wee bit stretched out, but it was still wearable. She tossed it aside onto the floor and put a hand against my chest.

“What’re you doing?”

“I dunno, I just like touching you,” she said. “Not even in a sexual way. I just… it’s comforting being able to feel you.”

I smiled. “Your hands are soft, lass.”

She smiled and wrapped her arms around my shoulders. “Yours aren’t, but it’s okay.”

“Hey, I was a tradesman before I joined you lot in that Tardis,” I said. “My hands got a wee bit weathered.”

“It’s okay, it’s… familiar,” she said. “I don’t mind it, really.”

“So, are you tired or are we just sharing mine?”

She laughed. “I’m pretty tired, yeah.”

“Then I think we should take your mum’s advice and get some rest,” I said. “I know I ache all over.”

“I know you do,” she said. “I can feel you’re hurting, I just can’t physically feel it myself.”

I nodded slightly. “Makes sense I guess. So, bedtime?”

“Sure,” she said with a smile. “Maybe tomorrow the Doctor will grab you some stuff from your place so you aren’t stuck in the same clothes forever.”

Rose climbed into bed and I awkwardly lied down beside her. “Night, Rose.”

“Night Kaiden,” she said softly as she snuggled against me.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The next morning, I woke up to Rose clinging to me and Jackie barging into the room. “Oi, you two! Can’t sleep all day! Oh, by the way, the Doctor is out front. He wants to talk to Kaiden.”

She walked away, leaving the door cracked. I was stretching and rubbing my eyes a wee bit and Rose just hugged me tighter. “Morning.”

“Morning,” she said back. “Go see what the Doctor wants.”

“Alright,” I said tiredly, climbing out of bed. I nearly dragged Rose with me because she didn’t let go soon enough. I made my way to the door and opened it, seeing the Doctor standing there. “Oi, what’re you doing back, lad?”

“Realized I forgot you and Rose don’t live together,” he said. He shoved one of my large duffel bags in my hands. I only used that when I went on holidays as a wee lad, so I hadn’t touched it in forever. “Figured you’d like having some clean clothes and all that.”

I set it next to my feet and rubbed my eyes. “You forgot I’m Irish and she’s not?”

“Plenty of Irish blokes live in London,” he said with a shrug.

“I took you lot to my flat.”

“Right… well anyways, I just kinda grabbed some stuff,” he said lamely. “By the time you’re out of stuff to wear, I’ll probably be back to pick you two up.”

I glanced over my shoulder and back at him, leaning against the door frame. “So why are you getting rid of us in the first place?”

“For your safety of course,” he said with a firm nod. “Can’t have you exploding like that all the time. By the way, you need to work on getting that under control.”

“How can I get it under control if I don’t even know what it is?”

He scratched his neck. “Right. I guess we’ll get to that after your break, yeah? Well, you look fantastic compared to yesterday, pal.”

I frowned a little. “I look like I crawled out a rubbish bin.”

“Well you make the rat look work,” he said with a smile. “Anyways, I better get back to fixing things and keeping time moving and whatnot. Say hi to Rose and Jackie for me.”

“Why can’t you tell them yourself, since you’re here?”

He shook his head. “Just came to see you real quick. If anyone asks, tell them I left the bag on the front step with a note.”

“What note?”

He looked around a bit and held up his finger. “One moment please.”

He hurried off and I heard the Tardis whir to life. I closed the door and stood in front of it, looking around to see why he was going. Next thing I knew and he walked back over.

“What were you doing, lad?”

“Wrote the note and stuck it in the bag before handing it to you,” he said. “So now it’s in there and you have an excuse.”

“No, you have an excuse,” I said, poking his shoulder. “You can’t face them, can you?”

“Not good with families. Plus, Jackie did smack me once.”

“She cares about her daughter,” I said with a shrug. “You’re lucky my mum’s dead already.”

He sighed softly. “Did you want to at least see them again?”

“Well of course,” I said. I crossed my arms. “But I thought we weren’t travelling for a while?”

“You’re not,” he said firmly. “But, maybe when your break is over, I can take you to at least see them.”

“Seriously? You’d do that?”

“Sure, why not,” he said with a shrug. “We took Rose to meet her dad and nearly broke time because she saved him.”

I nodded slowly. “Right, right.”

“The one rule would be that you can’t interact with them; just watch,” he said. “Because you could create a paradox if you meet your younger self or your parents.”

“Yeah, I got it,” I said with a nod. “Sure you didn’t want to say hi to Rose and Jackie?”

“Positive,” he said flatly. He hugged me tight. “Don’t let it go to your head, but I just came to see you, pal.”

“Aw, someone cares about the bastard he’s stuck with,” I said. He laughed and broke the hug, stepping back a bit. I rubbed my neck. “So is that all?”

“Yep, think so,” he said with a nod. He patted my shoulder. “Catch you around, Kaiden.”

I waved and he turned and walked away. I went back inside and took my bag into Rose’s room. She looked at me.

“There you are,” she said. “What took you so long?”

“Oh I got distracted and starting zoning out,” I said, rubbing my neck.

“What’s the bag for?”

“Apparently the Doctor thought to bring me some of my clothes and stuff, but didn’t stop by and say hello,” I said. She frowned. I held up the note he’d put in one of the outer pockets of my duffel bag. “Left a note though.”

She walked over and grabbed it, reading it over. “This is psychic paper.”

I looked at her funny and then the paper. “Aye, why’d he give me that? How’d you tell?”

“Because it says ‘I love you, lass’ on it,” she said, holding it up to me.

“No, it says ‘I want to…’—oi, is this your doing, lass?” I asked, frowning in concentration at the paper.

She looked at the paper and frowned. “Now it says ‘you’re weird’.”

We both burst out laughing. “Where does he get all that psychic paper?”

“Beats me, but I bet he has some kind of alien office supply store,” she said. I laughed harder.

“I bet he buys those big reams of printer paper, but it’s all psychic!” I managed through my laughter.

She leaned into me, laughing just as hard as me. “I bet he has one of those big paper cutters to slice it and make it fit in that little wallet.”

We kept laughing until our sides hurt, leaning on each other for support. I finally got myself together and grabbed some fresh clothes out of my duffel bag. “Where’s your shower?”

“Down the hall,” she said, tilting her head a bit.

“Aye, back in a bit,” I said. I kissed her forehead and left.

I took a nice shower, making sure I didn’t use all their hot water. Felt good to scrub the alien dirt and my own self-loathing away. I realized the Doctor didn’t bring any of my soaps or towels once I was rinsed and figured I’d just use what was in there. After my shower and putting on some actual clean clothes, I headed to the kitchen to see if Jackie wanted help with breakfast or anything.

“Oh Rose could you—oh! I’m sorry, I thought you were Rose,” she said, turning to face me. She’d been a bit startled at first, but quickly smiled and relaxed.

“Why’d you think I was Rose?”

“You smell like her,” she said. She cracked up a little. “You just showered, yeah?”

I nodded slightly. “Aye.”

“You smell like Rose,” she said, still laughing a bit. “Y’know, you smell all girly now.”

I felt awkward and rubbed my neck. “The Doctor brought me clean clothes, but not my soap or anything. Lad remembered my deodorant, but nothing else.”

She cracked up a little. “Don’t be sad though, mate. At least you don’t look like you crawled out of a rubbish pile anymore.”

“Aye. Anyways, want a hand with breakfast?” I asked awkwardly. “I figure if I’m suddenly thrown into your household, I should help a wee bit.”

“Oh you’re the guest, you don’t have to,” she said, playfully smacking my arm. “But if you insist. I’m making pancakes if you want to lend a hand.”

“Just tell me what you need done, lass,” I said with a slight nod.

For a good while, I just worked in the kitchen with Jackie to make breakfast. It was pretty fun. I hadn’t cooked with a woman old enough to be my mother since I was a wee lad. Jackie seemed to like having me around. For a wee moment, it really felt like I was somebody’s son again. Jackie tossed some flour at me after I smudged some batter on her nose. We both laughed a little. We started cooking up the pancakes when Rose walked in. She looked at me and frowned a little.

“You smell so girly,” she said.

Jackie burst out laughing and I stared at Rose. “That’s exactly what I told him!”

“Well it’s not my fault I showered in a flat belonging to lasses,” I said, crossing my arms. “Rose, you’re not getting any pancakes for making fun of me.”

“Oi, but my mum does!?”

“She’s your mum,” I said with a shrug. “I can’t sass her like I can you.”

Jackie laughed a little and patted my shoulder. “I like this one you’ve dragged in, Rose. Keep him.”

She turned back to the stove and I stared at Rose for a moment. She was looking down at the floor, blushing quite a lot. I patted her shoulder and turned back to help Jackie with the pancakes. I tried showing off a wee bit by sauteing the pan to flip the pancake. I successfully landed it, but I also burned the ever loving shit out of my hand because I grabbed the handle too close to the actual pan. I managed to not fumble it, but I scared the life out of Rose and her mum when I started waving my hand around like a madman and dropping some curses in Irish. I stepped out of Jackie’s way and assured her I was okay.

“Oi, you need a hand, mate?” Jackie asked, reaching out to me.

I shook my head a little. “No, it’s alright. Thank you though. I just need a minute to recover.”

Rose grabbed my wrist and inspected my hand. The inner parts of some of my fingers and my thumb were a little burned, already forming red marks. “Kaiden, your hand!”

“I’m fine, lass,” I said dismissively. “Seriously, I’ll be okay.”

“Well I know but does it not hurt?” she asked.

“Aye, it does,” I said with a slight nod, lowering my voice so that maybe Jackie wouldn’t hear me. “But, like I said, I’ll be alright.”

She shot me a look. “I know, but admit you’re in pain. I’m linked to you, stupid. You can’t run away from feelings anymore.”

I raised my eyebrows. “I-I don’t ‘run away’ from my feelings.”

“You absolutely do,” she said firmly. “And I’ve had enough. You’re allowed to be hurt and scared and upset, Kaiden.”

“The first aid’s in the bathroom,” Jackie said. “Kaiden, you need to go take care of yourself, mate. Rose, would you mind dragging him there?”

“I got it,” Rose said, pulling me along to the bathroom. She made me sit on the closed toilet and hold out my hand. She closed the door and started rummaging around for some supplies. “Why do you always act invincible?”

“We kinda are invincible, lass.”

“You know what I mean,” she said, still digging around. “Why can’t you just admit you’re a scared, hurt bloke every now and then?”

I stared blankly at my burned hand. “That’s a good question. I don’t know.”

She walked over and knelt in front of me, preparing to tear open some burn cream that looked like a condiment packet. “I think you need to face yourself better.”

“I’ll certainly try for you, lass.”

“That’s sweet, but do it for you. Don’t do it for me,” she said, gently dabbing some of the burn cream onto my fingers. “You’re still all busted up from that surprise boxing match and that exploding thing you did… twice. I think I understand why the Doctor wanted us to rest. We’re both hurt.”

I put a hand on her face and she looked at me. “I’m sorry, lass. I love you.”

She couldn’t fight her smile and kissed me gently. “I love you, too. So, bit of an odd question, but why do you pretend you’re okay all the time?”

I shrugged and she gently wrapped some Band-Aids around my fingers. “No clue. It’s just my automatic response.”

“You never really talk about your past, but you’re so troubled,” she said softly. “You’re like the Doctor in that way. You two are always trying to be silly and interesting, and you both seem to be running from nightmares.”

“I can’t speak for him on this, but I certainly don’t do that,” I said, shaking my head a little. She looked at me funny. Very know-it-all look, but I understood why. “Promise, I’m not running from anything.”

“I don’t believe you, but the link isn’t helping me root around,” she said, staring intently at me. “We’re linked and yet I’m still so blocked off from you.”

I shrugged. “Can’t control it. Doctor says we can work on that once we’re done recovering here.”

She smiled. “Good. Okay, your fingers should heal easier. Do they hurt less?”

“Aye, it’s much better,” I said, wiggling some of my fingers around. “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it,” she said, playfully smacking my arm. “C’mon, I’m dying for some of those pancakes.”

“Oi, didn’t I say you couldn’t have any because you made fun of me?”

She was already out of the bathroom, trying to race me to the table. I hurried after her and found Jackie had finished cooking the pancakes. I sat at the table across from Rose and thanked Jackie before I started eating. Breakfast was cool. Jackie was poking fun at Rose, I joined in a few times, and we all just had a laugh. I couldn’t stop thinking about what Rose and the Doctor had said. The way they spoke to me was… different. When I’d first met that lad, he was kinda standoffish. He didn’t seem to like me as much as he liked Rose back then. I felt like Rose’s old boyfriend, Mickey. The Doctor didn’t seem to like the two of us, but eventually Mickey moved on to do his own thing and I stayed with the Doctor and Rose. Now, here I was, with my soul partially belonging to Rose and the Doctor visiting me in secret and offering to let me see my parents again. After breakfast, I was watching the telly with Rose while Jackie went to work. Rose was hugging me, resting her head on my shoulder. I was pretty happy and comfortable.

“We should go out today,” she said. I looked at her and frowned. “Like normal people do. Y’know, go walk around town and window shop with your mates.”

“Like a proper date?”

She smiled. “Sure, a proper date. You’re paying then, mate.”

We both cracked up and got ourselves ready to go out. It was nice just walking around town with Rose. She lived there all her life, so it wasn’t exciting. I only passed through on holidays as a wee lad, so I was thrilled getting to see it again. As we rounded a corner, all of the people walking about were suddenly gone. I turned to ask Rose about it, but she was gone now too. Okay, time to panic!

“Rose! Rose?” I called out. I didn’t see her anywhere. “Rose!”

I retraced some of our steps, all the other people and Rose still missing. I went back around that corner where everyone initially vanished in hopes she’d reappear. No dice. I wandered around in search of her—or at least anyone who could help me find her. Instead, I saw my parents standing and looking in a shop window.

“Oi, what’s going on!?” I demanded.

They turned to me. “Kaiden?”

“Mum?”

“My how you’ve grown,” she said. “You were just a wee lad last I saw you.”

“No way… this—this isn’t real,” I said, shaking my head a little. “You’ve been dead for almost a decade!”

My parents vanished and the street suddenly went dark. I whirled around to make sure no one was about to jump me. I saw my brother. “Dave?”

“Surprised you’re speaking to me,” he said, crossing his arm. “I thought we weren’t cool anymore.”

“You stole the house out of mum and dad’s will from me,” I said, throwing my hands up. “Of course we aren’t cool anymore you bastard.”

He threw a punch. I stumbled back and hit the pavement. I looked around and realized I must’ve been whisked away to the Tardis. The Doctor must’ve rescued us. I looked around and saw him standing over me. I saw Rose and Jack as well.

“There you lot are,” I said. “Nice to see you again, Jack.”

“Murderer,” he spat.

I frowned. “Aye?”

They all started insulting me, calling me a murderer, a savage, a feral beast, and a lot of other cruel names. I rolled on my side and curled up a bit, covering my ears in hopes their voices would fade. It was like they were coming from inside my ears because I could still hear them. When I finally opened my eyes again, we were back on that space station when Rose absorbed the Time Vortex. I watched the Doctor frantically fiddle with all those cables and wires. I looked down and saw a sizable gash in my wrist. I was bleeding out. I didn’t remember that, but the Doctor was right that things had been looking grim. I watched the Tardis take Rose away and the Doctor ignore me.

“Doctor…”

He looked over at me. “I’m sorry, pal.”

“Don’t be,” I said, shaking my head a little. I leaned against the various consoles to help me walk over towards him. I slumped over on the floor beside him while he was crouched down and working. “Not your fault the Daleks tricked us.”

“Kinda is. Fought them in the Time War,” he said, still working. “I’m sorry I can’t send you away with her.”

“I understand. Can’t have me bleed out in front of her,” I said.

“She can’t see that, no,” he said. “You’ll be able to rest soon, pal. No more running around for us, no more protecting. Just rest.”

I sighed softly. “Sounds enticing, but what about you? Someone’s gotta keep your arse covered, lad.”

“You shouldn’t worry about me,” he said, stopping his work. He sat beside me. “I knew I was screwed the minute I even thought of this plan. Best I send Rose back to safety so she can live in peace with her mum. You and I are done.”

“Done?”

He nodded slightly. He still wouldn’t look at me. “It’s been fun, pal. Seriously, it’s been fantastic having you tagging along.”

“Seriously?” I asked, frowning a little. I sniffled. “I thought you hated me at first.”

“I didn’t hate you, Kaiden,” he said, shaking his head a little. “I actually really like having you around.”

“Oh,” I said weakly. I looked at my wrist, my hands trembling. I was losing blood way too fast. “Well I’ve had a great time with you, you old bastard.”

He finally looked at me and grinned. “At least we’re dying together. No one I’d rather die with.”

I smiled back, but it was getting harder to focus on what he was saying to me. “Y’know what, I feel the same, lad. I’ll miss Rose, but I’m glad we’re dying together instead of one of us alone.”

“I think Rose really fancies you, pal,” he said. I scoffed. “Seriously, have you seen the way she looks at you?”

“No way,” I said, shaking my head. “If anything, I think Rose would fancy you. You’ve given her a life people could only fantasize after getting into some comic book series or something. You’ve given me the same. I’d say I’m satisfied dying this way.”

“Me too,” he said with a nod. “Sure I wish it wasn’t Daleks, but at least Rose is safe and I’ve got a fantastic mate to die here with.”

That was when the Tardis was supposed to arrive, Rose barreling out with her glowing, life-bringing light. Instead, we still sat there in that dingy server room. The Daleks on screen were still watching our defeat. Jack and everyone who helped us was still dead. I was getting weaker, and the Doctor was seemingly bracing himself for his death. Accidentally having my wrist slit was a cruel way to die. Slow, painful, scary. I knew I was dying and had to prepare myself. I guess the Doctor’s death was cruel as well. Knowing he wouldn’t regenerate, knowing it was his enemies he’d fought an entire war against, knowing he didn’t properly say goodbye to Rose.

I closed my eyes, feeling myself slip into death. I suddenly gasped awake, standing in the rain. I looked around. I was back in Galway, standing in the car park of the pub I frequented. I was slumped against a light post, staring blankly at the pavement. I blinked, trying to get the rain out of my eyes. I felt invisible hands grab my jacket collar.

I refocused and saw the Doctor grabbing my collar. I stared blankly at him. He was colorful and my vision was blurry. “Kaiden! Can you hear me?”

“I-I think…” I managed. “W-Where am I?”

“Tardis,” he said. “What happened?”

“I-I don’t know,” I said. I cracked up a little and put my hand on his face. “You’re so… colored.”

He held back a smile. I could tell he wanted to laugh at me. “What did you take?”

“Take? I took a walk with Rose,” I said, frowning a little.

“You’re wasted, pal,” he said. “What did you take?”

“I-I didn’t…” I started. I thankfully had enough conscious thought to turn away before I threw up all over the floor of the Tardis. I was glad the Doctor was still grabbing me, since I completely blacked out after throwing up.

Chapter Text

“Feeling better?”

I sat up and opened my eyes. “W-What the fuck…? Where the hell am I?”

“Back at Rose’s flat,” he said. “Rose is in her bed. Wasn’t sure if she’d want you in her bed, so I kept you here on the sofa.”

“But we were just walking down the street,” I said. My head was pounding and I pressed my palm against the spot. “Christ, my head is killing me.”

“I bet. You got dosed,” he said. “You and Rose. I found you both in an alley with your eyes glossed over and kinda frothing at the mouth.”

I grimaced and rubbed my eyes. “Aye, of course you did. I don’t know what happened. I turned a corner and everyone vanished and—and then shit got all weird. My mum said hi to me, my brother tried beating my arse, I got insulted by you and Rose and Jack, I-I watched us die against those Daleks because Rose never came back, and then I-I was standing in the rain outside a pub back home.”

“You were hallucinating, pal,” he said. He sat down on the floor beside the sofa, crossing his arms against the middle cushion and resting his head on his arms. “Someone dosed you, and they got Rose, too. Thankfully they didn’t seem to harm you guys at all. I don’t understand why you two were dosed.”

I lied back down. “Man, I wish the Vortex could’ve taken away headaches. Thanks for swooping in, lad.”

“Don’t mention it,” he said. Not only had Rose picked that up from me, but now it seemed he had as well. It was kinda strange hearing my own phrases repeated at me by my mates. “Aside from your headache, how do you feel?”

“Alright I guess,” I said with a shrug. “I feel tired, and my stomach hurts.”

“Yeah, you hurled in my Tardis,” he said, grimacing a little. “You owe me big time for that.”

I laughed. “I’ll get right on it, lad.”

“No but otherwise, you feel fine?”

“Aye, I think so,” I said with a nod. “How’s Rose?”

“She was fine when I scanned her a few minutes ago. I guess she just hasn’t woken up yet. Probably best to let her rest, yeah?”

“Yeah, probably.”
“So you were tripping on alien hallucinogenics,” he said, sighing softly. “Did you see anything weird?”

I frowned. “I watched us die to those Daleks.”

He raised his eyebrows. “What?”

“I was reliving memories for the most part, but they were so severely altered. I was mostly just seeing little bits of them scattered in random places they had no business being in,” I explained. “Well the only thing that was relatively real and consistent was when you had sent Rose away in the Tardis and we prepared to die together.”

“You… remember that?” he asked.

“Apparently I did somewhere deep in my brain,” I said with a slight nod. “I just wasn’t expecting to feel like I was there again. Tell me Doctor, was that real?”

He stared at me for a moment, this time not bothering to hide how upset he was. “Unfortunately, yes. We did prepare to die together.”

A thick silence hung in the air, choking us with awkwardness. I just lied there staring at the ceiling, knowing the Doctor was staring at me the entire time. “Tell me Doctor, did you mean what you’d said?”

“Mean what exactly?”

“That I was someone you were okay with dying with.”

“Of course I meant it. I wouldn’t have said it to you. Besides, I was more than okay dying with you,” he said. I looked at him funny. “You’re a fantastic mate to have on board. Rose loves you, you’re helpful, and you’ve kept us safe more than I care to admit. It would’ve been an honor.”

I smiled. “It’s weird hearing you get all sappy, lad. I like it though.”

“You and Rose just… bring out a sappy feel,” he said with a smile. We both cracked up. “You scrappy kids are just great to have around.”

I playfully nudged him and laughed a little. “Alright, you’re giving me cavities, lad. Thanks for saving us.”

“Told you don’t mention it,” he said. I chuckled. “Once you two feel better, I think we should go somewhere fun.”

I grinned. “I’m all for it, lad.”

“Fantastic,” he said. He stood up. “I’m checking on Rose again. By the way, you look good—er, much better than earlier I mean.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Thanks…”

He nodded slightly and dashed off to check on Rose. He was certainly a strange lad, but I thought it was cool. I lied there and stared at the ceiling. After a few minutes Rose collapsed into me, hugging me tight.

“Oh thank God you’re okay,” she muttered. She kissed my cheek a few times. “I saw such horrible things! I-I thought you were dead.”

“I’m right here, lass,” I said softly. “It’s okay.”

The Doctor and I made eye contact. He looked… jealous? I wasn’t quite sure. I opened an arm and he smiled. He joined the hug pile and I felt pretty nice hugging both of them.

“I say we should go somewhere cool to treat you two,” he said once we stopped hugging. “Once you two feel all better, of course.”
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rose and I both took a long nap and then hopped along in the Tardis with the Doctor. I was looking forward to this “New Earth” the Doctor kept talking about. Once we got there, of course we started wandering around in awe. After a short while, we decided to just sit around in a field of grass and watch all the flying cars zoom by. It was nice lying on some fresh grass with Rose snuggling up with me and the Doctor lying beside me. But, it didn’t take long for us to get curious about a large building. We walked in and it seemed like a hospital, but not a normal one. There were these humanoid cat nuns working the place, and a lot of people wandering about. We even ran into the Face of Boe! At one point, Rose got separated from the Doctor and I because we went on separate lifts. I started worrying pretty much instantly.

“We’ll find her, don’t freak out,” he said. “She probably just got off on the wrong floor. It’s okay.”

I took a deep breath and nodded. “Right, right. You’re right, lad. Logically, she just got off on the wrong floor.”

“See? Nothing to stress over,” he said, patting my shoulders. “C’mon, let’s go catch up with her.”

Thankfully we found her pretty easily, but something felt off to me. She was in some weird narrow halls full of pipes and all that crap. I thought it was even more suspicious she’d popped an extra button on her shirt. I figured I was just a perv for looking and minded my business. We were roaming around investigating the place and how it could be possible all diseases were eradicated when Rose diverted me from the Doctor, backing me against the wall.

“Oi, we’re doing this now?” I asked, keeping my voice down.

“Oh c’mon lover boy,” she said, looking intently at me. “Don’t act like you weren’t looking.”

I blushed and scratched my neck. “I-I mean yeah, but not—not like that.”

She put her arms around my shoulders and I just stood there nervously holding my arms by my sides like wee T-Rex arms. “I-I don’t think we should do this here, lass. Not with the Doctor trying to keep an eye on us. Plus I-I’m so beat up. I don’t think I could go long.”

She moved her hands to my face and kissed me, pressing her body against mine. I was shocked and pushed her back. “Why’d you stop?”

“Rose we—we can’t do that now,” I insisted. “The Doctor will immediately come back looking for us and I’d really rather not have him see me like that, lass.”

“Oh like he’d mind,” she said. Something about her voice was off, but I couldn’t really place it. “I bet he’d enjoy it. Make him a bit jealous.”

“Jealous? Of what, lass?” I asked, looking at her in confusion. She gently moved her hands back down to my shoulders. She was slowly rubbing my shoulders and starting to reach my chest but stopping just to tease.

She kissed me again. “Forget the Doctor and just kiss me, lover boy.”

I was so put off I gently moved her aside and caught up with the Doctor. He didn’t question why I’d been gone. We ended up finding tanks with people in them, each person infected with some horrible diseases. One of the feline nuns found us.

“It’s cruel keeping these people here!” the Doctor cried. “You infect all these people just so no one else gets sick!?”

“Think about the bigger picture here, Doctor,” she said. “No one gets sick and dies anymore. This is for the good of humanity.”

“These are people too, Sister!” he insisted.

I frowned. “That’s inhumane!”

The Doctor glanced at us and frowned a little. He turned to the nurse. “What have you done with Rose?”

“I don’t know what you mean,” she said, frowning a little.

“What did you do with her?” he asked more firmly.

“I can assure you, we’ve done nothing with her,” she said quickly, stepping back.

The Doctor turned to Rose. “Who are you and what have you done with Rose?”

She rolled her eyes and leaned in close like she were about to kiss him. “The last human.”

“Cassandra?” he asked, looking at her funny once she stepped back. I made a face. “Why would you-?”

“Wake up and smell the perfume,” she said, spraying something in his face. She turned to me. “Sorry gorgeous.”

I got sprayed, too and collapsed onto the floor like the Doctor had seconds before me.

When I came to, I was back in that room where we’d initially found Rose. I saw the Doctor getting back up as well and quickly jumped to my feet.

“I should’ve known! Rose doesn’t talk to me like that,” I said, pointing at Cassandra. She turned to me and raised an eyebrow.

“Give her up, Cassandra,” the Doctor said. She turned to him. “Leave Rose alone.”

“Well I still need a body,” Cassandra said. She breathed out and a pinkish mist flew towards the Doctor. Rose stumbled back and I helped steady her. The Doctor stretched out a bit and stepped funny. “Oh my… feels weird being in a man.”

Rose looked at me. “What?”

“Cassandra,” I said with a slight nod.

Rose sighed and looked at me flatly. “Seriously?”

“Afraid so, lass,” I said. She looked a bit sad. “You feel okay?”

“Yeah I-I think so,” she said with a nod. “I just feel bad. I know she wasn’t nice to you.”

The Doctor walked over, his mannerisms all feminine. It was funny watching him walk around kinda like a runway model. “This body is great! Oh and so many wonderful thoughts in here.”

“Get out of him!” Rose cried.

“No way!” Cassandra shot back. “This is great!”

“Get outta the bastard, lass,” I said firmly. “You’re technically a man right now, so I can hit you.”

She raised her eyebrows. “Whoa, okay. Jumping to violence as usual, hm, lover boy?”

I stared intently at her. “Quit calling me that. It’s weird.”

“Okay, so should I call you… darling instead?” Cassandra asked.

I felt my face heat up a little. Rose called me that, and only when we were… y’know. Rose grimaced. “You’re weird.”

“I was inside your head, dear,” Cassandra said, pointing at Rose. “I know what you think about that boy.”

“Why do you keep calling me lover boy anyway?” I demanded. “It’s really weirding me out.”

“Because you’re the beloved boy,” she said, stepping closer to me. Rose stepped in front of me and she pushed her aside. It was weird arguing with Cassandra but looking at the Doctor. She wrapped her arms around me. “You’re just absolutely to die for.”

She kissed me and I pushed her away. Rose took a swing and crossed her arms. “Quit touching him, Cassandra!”

“Oh, you’ve got some fight,” she said, rubbing the Doctor’s face. “Maybe I should take your boy for myself. I think he’d be fun to walk around as.”

I stared in shock but couldn’t stop her from possessing my body. It felt like I just fell asleep. By the time she hopped out of me, I was in an entirely differently place, not wearing my coat or my shirt, and Cassandra’s little henchman was standing around. I blinked and rubbed my eyes. Rose knelt beside me and gently kissed my cheek.

“Cassandra’s gone,” she said softly. “Well, from us at least. She’s in her assistant.”

“Please don’t tell me she told you guys all my secrets,” I said tiredly.

She laughed. “No, she didn’t spill too much. She just kinda overshared our sex life to the Doctor, which was really embarrassing, but nothing too secretive.”

I sighed. “Fantastic. Now he knows all about it.”

She giggled. “She did also briefly possess him again and kept confessing love for you and I, but she hopped back into you before you could register what was going on.”

I looked over at the Doctor talking to the Face of Boe and then back at Rose. “The Doctor? No way.”

“No I’m serious,” she said, raising her eyebrows. “She kept talking about all she could see in his head and said she saw thoughts of us.”

“There’s no way he likes me,” I said, shaking my head a little. “I mean I could see him crushing on you, but me? No way he’d like a lad like me, lass.”

She rolled her eyes and laughed. She kissed me gently. “Maybe we should give him a shot?”

“A shot at what?”

“I realize that sounds really weird. I mean a shot to tell us himself,” she said. I nodded understandingly. “Like give him a chance to tell us he fancies us like Cassandra was going on about. If he does it himself, then he means it. We can’t trust what Cassandra says.”

“True,” I said with a nod. “I’m just so embarrassed. She kept calling me darling in his body. It was… so weird.”

She cracked up a little and kissed my cheek a few times. She kept her voice lower. “Oh don’t worry, I know you’re my darling.”

I took a deep breath, feeling myself blushing horribly. “Don’t kill me, lass. I’ve already lost so many cool points in front of him today. Also question: where’s my shirt and jacket?”

“Doctor has them,” she said, gesturing to him. I noticed my clothes draped over his shoulder. “While Cassandra was using your body, I guess she decided to tease him by taking your shirt off.”

“Great,” I said flatly. I cleared my throat. “Well, at least this kinda reassured me I’m hot, right?”

She laughed and kissed me a few times. “Was I not convincing enough?”

I laughed a little. “Oh you’re plenty convincing, love. I just wasn’t expecting Cassandra to put on such a show to fluster you two.”

“Oi, you two,” the Doctor called, waving us over. He handed me my clothes back and I started putting them back on. “Glad to see you two back to your normal selves.”

“Sorry if she said something weird using my body, lad,” I said awkwardly, rubbing my neck a bit. “I-I don’t remember a thing between her possessing me and waking back up without her.”

“It’s alright, pal, don’t worry,” he said, patting my shoulder. “Maybe we should go somewhere with less people.”

“I second that,” Rose said. “Maybe there’s some cool alien botanical gardens or something.”

The Doctor lit up. “That sounds fantastic! Back to the Tardis so I can find one!”

We followed him back out of the hospital building and to the Tardis. He started messing around with some of the controls and jumped with joy when he found what Rose suggested. I felt off after that endeavor with Cassandra. I know she said some embarrassing shit about me and I had no way to cover my arse, but something just felt wrong. Something was bothering me. I could tell the way Rose and the Doctor looked at me. I felt out of place for the first time in my travels with the Doctor and Rose. I leaned against one of the odd shapes and stared at my boots. Why would Cassandra screw with us like that? What would happen between the 3 of us now? Could I really believe her saying the Doctor fancied Rose and myself? I mean, Rose I get, but he never mentioned it since Rose had started flirting with me. I still couldn’t understand why Cassandra said he liked me. Why would he? If this were a company, I’d be an OSHA violation—hell, every violation in the book. I was nothing but a liability. If I’d just let the Doctor regenerate like he said. He’d still be the Doctor… right? I wouldn’t be harboring half the Time Vortex, and Rose wouldn’t be stuck with me. Shit, did she even like me or was it just because of the Time Vortex being split between us?

“Hey, you alright, mate?” Rose asked. “You’ve been quiet.”

“Yeah I just… zoned out,” I said, shrugging a little. “Sorry.”

She hugged me. “Don’t be sorry. I was just worried about you is all.”

“Don’t worry about me, I’ve got myself handled,” I said with a smile.

The Tardis shook around a wee bit and the Doctor excitedly ushered us out of it. We stepped into a hedge maze, but it was full of all kinds of flowers, plants, vines, and trees. It was wonderful. More gorgeous than anything I’d ever seen. We roamed around for a short time, taking in all the neat plants with the Doctor geeking out and explaining each one to us. Rose held my hand as we walked about; a comfort I didn’t know I needed. At a point, we met some groundskeepers tending to a few of the plants. They were Ood, as workers often were. I always felt bad even though everyone always told me they had to work or they’d die. Imagine only existing to work. I guess I didn’t really have to imagine. People had to work or they’d run out of money and likely die—just much slower than an Ood probably would. I wished I could’ve tipped the bastards or something. Y’know, slip them a quid or two every now and then. Then again, what would they even do with Earth money on other planets?

“Kaiden, check this out,” the Doctor said, waving me over. I jogged over and looked at the little plant. It was a tiny flower dancing around like it were a sentient being. I knelt down beside the Doctor and looked at it with him. “Isn’t that just fantastic? It’s dancing!”

“Do you think it hums to itself or do you think other songs make it dance differently?”

“Only one way to find out,” he said with a shrug, glancing at me with a slight smile on his face.

Together, the Doctor and I very poorly sang the little bastard a song. To my surprise, the flower actually did dance differently than it had been. We both burst out laughing at the result of our little test. Rose was across the path looking at some color changing flowers and trying to see what influenced the color changes like we’d done with our flower’s dancing. The Doctor put his hand on my shoulder, shaking me gently.

“Oh, fantastic! Singing’s not so bad, mate,” he said. I cracked up. “Seriously, not bad.”

“Thanks, lad,” I said. I playfully nudged his side. “Not so bad yourself.”

We looked back at the little dancing flower, moving a little bit with it. I stood and turned to get Rose’s attention to check out the flower. “Hey Rose, check this—“

The floor gave out below us, sending the Doctor and I down a dirt tunnel and into a small cavern. He landed on top of me, draped across my stomach. I rolled him down my legs and climbed off the floor, brushing myself off after. I gave him a hand up and we looked around.

“Well it’s certainly dark,” he said, scanning the room with his sonic. “Also unstable as hell. We’d better find a way out quick.”

“Aye, already thinking,” I said, staring intently at our surroundings. I peered up the tunnel we slid through and saw it was already sealed back up. “No dice going up the way we came in. What the hell are we supposed to do then? Just sit here and wait for help like a couple poor bastards?”

“Thinking, mate,” he said, still scanning. “There’s gotta be something down here to help us get back out. I mean, considering how easily we fell, people must’ve accidentally fallen in before, right? Maybe they set up a safety feature.”

“Why would this even be here in the first place?” I asked, holding my arms out. I dropped them at my sides. “Like, this is a deathtrap; a liability waiting to happen. Guarantee this is a trap.”

“Intentional,” he said blankly, still staring at a pebble he’d scanned. “You’re smart. This definitely was. Question is: why didn’t they snag Rose, too?”

I frowned, looking up at the dirt ceiling I couldn’t even see in the darkness. “That can’t be right. Rose was with us and literally has the other half of the Time Vortex. Why wouldn’t they want her?”

“I don’t know,” he said softly. He looked around some more, still scanning. “I’m trying to find a way out—a flaw of some kind. Maybe some safety features like you suggested.”

“Doctor, there’s probably nothing,” I said, leaning against the wall. “You said it yourself, you agree this is a trap for us.”

“I know that,” he said quietly, still trying to scan every millimeter of the room. “But traps have flaws. They have weak points; you just have to know where to look.”

“We’re underground in some alien botanical gardens,” I said tiredly. “Good luck with your flaws. I’m calling Rose.”

I pulled out my phone but saw I had no service. I sighed loudly and the Doctor chuckled to himself. “No service?”

“Lucky guess you old bastard,” I said, putting my phone away. “Well shit. So, our sorry arses are stuck down here unless we miraculously find this trap is flawed?”

“Pretty much,” he said, turning to face me. “So, wanna help or just stand there and brood?”

“I don’t brood,” I said, frowning a little. I started feeling around for any obvious physical flaws while he scanned for the not so obvious ones. “Do I seriously brood?”

“You definitely do, pal,” he said. The sound of his sonic was starting to drive me mad, but I had to tune it out so we could focus on escaping. “I’m not saying it like it’s a bad thing, by the way.”

“Then why’d you say it?”

“So maybe you’d understand how you come off,” he said. I heard him shuffle on the dirt as he moved about to scan. “You act like this big scary bloke to try and scare the danger away, but I know you’re just a normal bloke, right? You want what any other human would want: a normal life. A house, a partner, maybe some kids and a dog, nice car to compliment the mid-life crisis.”

I cracked up a little. “I never wanted that.”

He stopped, and despite the darkness, I knew he was looking at me. “You fascinate me. Humor me, then. Why not?”

“Because I saw what a quote unquote ‘normal human life’ does to people,” I said, still feeling around. “Killed my parents, left me alone with my brother, drove us apart, got me adopted by a lovely family and their lad I was mates with back in school, but look where that got me. I was lonely. I was so alone, Doctor.”

“You’ve got Rose,” he said softly. “Hell, you could even count me, pal.”

“I mean before I met you lot,” I said. “Y’know why I was hammered when you met me?”

“No.”

“I wanted to kill myself,” I said flatly. I cleared my throat. “Couldn’t do the slow life anymore. All I did was wake up, work, come home to my stupid little flat, eat the same cheap food, lie awake with insomnia until my sleep meds took me, then I’d wake back up and do it all again the next day. That’s no life. I don’t dream of working and marrying and settling down. I like exploring time and space with you and Rose. It’s more of a life than I’ve ever had, and now I get to do it forever with my newfound immortality.”

I felt him hug me and I hesitantly hugged him back. “Y’know, I worried the Time Vortex was too much for you, Kaiden. But, now I think it was exactly what you needed. A chance to leave it all behind and be an immortal time traveler.”

“I may not be a Time Lord like you, lad, but I’m happy to travel around like one,” I said. “What made you change your mind?”

“Watching you and Rose together with me,” he said, breaking the hug and resuming his scanning like we hadn’t just poured our hearts out. “Maybe humans can handle immortality.”

“As long as you keep things interesting, lad,” I said with a smile. I couldn’t see him, but I could tell he was smiling back.

“Say, you think you could do that glowing thing again?” he asked. “Would be real handy.”

“I don’t know,” I said with a shrug. “I-I got kinda close with Rose and didn’t even realize we were glowing.”

“What specifically did you do before you started glowing?”

I thought for a moment. “She—She took my hand while we were fleeing.”

“Okay,” he said. He was quiet for a moment, which worried me deeply. Meant the bastard was scheming. He grabbed my hand in his hands and held it gently. He just stayed like that for a moment. “Hm, you’re still not glowing.”

“It’s probably because Rose and I have both halves of the Time Vortex,” I said with a shrug. “Your hands are soft though.”

“I blame Cassandra’s constant moisturizing,” he said. I laughed. He was still holding my hand in his. “Well maybe we should try an emotion rather than an action. What did you feel when she held your hand?”

“Loved,” I blurted. I cleared my throat. “Y’know as—as friends.”

“Right,” he said. “You two can’t possibly be simply friends anymore. Your souls are combined.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Damn.”

He let go of my hands and scanned me with his sonic. The brief thought of missing his touch flashed through my mind. “You fry my sonic every time I scan you, Kaiden. I just can’t ever get a reading on you anymore. Rose, sure. You won’t scan.”

“Oi, why not?”

“I’m not sure,” he said. I could feel him staring through me. He was studying me like his sonic. Maybe he thought he’d get something unlike his sonic. “You’re so… strange. I don’t mean this like it’s bad. I think it’s fantastic. Strange things fascinate me.”

“Why would I not be scanned though? That doesn’t make sense. It’s clearly not the Vortex, since you can still get readings on Rose.”

He was silent a moment, and I could still feel him staring at me. “There’s nothing wrong with you being so unreadable, but maybe I’ll get through someday. I’ve been traveling with Rose a bit longer.”

“By like, a couple weeks,” I said, playfully punching his shoulder. He laughed. “Okay, while it’s great feeling you stare at me like I started my period before a class presentation, I think we should focus on getting out. It’s stuffy as hell in here.”

He laughed again and playfully punched my shoulder in return. “Maybe we can dig our way back out and wedge the hatch back open.”

“No way it’s stable,” I said, shaking my head. “Not worth it. Rose has probably noticed we’re gone and alerted one of the Ood working nearby. Maybe they’re going to rescue us.”

“No use sitting on our asses waiting to find out,” he said with a shrug. “There’s gotta be something. There’s always something.”

“Maybe we should focus on making me glow so we can see better,” I said. “Once we can see down here, then it’ll be easier to find a way out.”

“Good point,” he said. “Okay, try thinking of Rose and seeing if it’ll make you glow.”

I thought for a moment of Rose’s precious smile, her blonde hair, the way she carried herself, her confident eyebrow raises. It made me feel all fuzzy inside, but I certainly wasn’t glowing. I shrugged. “I got nothing, lad. I tried.”

“Can you reach out to her somehow?”

“No, only when I’m asleep. Sometimes when we’re asleep, we can hang out in each other’s dreams,” I said. He seemed surprised given how quiet he was. “I don’t think I can just telepathically tell her to drill us out of here or something.”

He was still silent. “Okay, new plan. We need to find a way to make you glow. Maybe pain will do the trick.”

“Maybe what will—oi, you bastard!” I cried, cut off by him twisting my arm. “Are you trying to break my arm you sick bastard?”

“No, just hurt you a little,” he said. “Still not glowing. Maybe if you cry?”

“I can’t cry on command and I’m certainly not crying in front of you, lad,” I said, shaking my head a little. I waved my wrist around and thankfully it was okay. “Christ, you better not have fucked up my wrist.”

“If I did, I’ll get it fixed,” he said dismissively. He sighed. “Okay, maybe fear?”

“What’re you gonna do, shout ‘boo’ like I’m a wee lad?” I asked. “Nice try, think of something else.”

“You’re very afraid, Kaiden,” he said. I looked at him funny. “You’re just good at hiding it.”

“Stop it,” I said flatly. “Everyone’s afraid. I just don’t let it get to me.”

“But it does,” he said, stepping closer to me. “You are scared. What exactly is it you’re afraid of? The dark? Any of the aliens we’ve become enemies with?”

“No and no,” I said, crossing my arms. “I’m not afraid of stupid shit like that.”

He stepped closer. “Then what are you afraid of?”

“How should I know? You said it yourself that I’m good at hiding it.”

“So good you’ve hidden it from yourself?” he challenged.

“Would you quit that? You’re not getting me to admit being afraid of something you bastard,” I said firmly. “You’re actually just pissing me off a wee bit.”

“Not trying to do that. I need to make you admit whatever it is you’re afraid of now,” he said. “Is it your past? Missing home? Regret? I know you humans experience a lot of random regret and guilt even though you didn’t make a mistake worthy of it.”

“How about you quit getting under my skin and help us get out of here?” I shot back.

He sighed. “Stop getting angry. The faster you just think of this fear and embrace it, the faster we get out.”

“Fear isn’t going to make me glow,” I said, staring intently at him. I wanted to swing on the bastard, but that wouldn’t help us. “Maybe try pain again.”

“You want pain,” he said. “If you wanted pain so bad, why not get me to hit you?”

“Because I don’t want it like that you bastard,” I said tiredly. “I don’t want pain. I was saying maybe it’ll trigger the glowing.”

“You feel you should be punished,” he said. “But for what?”

“I never said that!” I shouted. I felt something flicker through me, briefly illuminating the room and revealing that bastard’s smug little smile. “You fucker, you’re taking the piss outta me? Seriously? In a time like this? Just help us get out instead of fucking with me!”

I could still feel that smug expression. “Just tell me what you’re afraid of, pal. Just say it.”

I felt a burst of fire shoot through me. I doubled over, crying out in pain. My spit glowed gold when it hit the floor. The Doctor knelt in front of me and made me look at him. “Stop this! It—It burns!”

“Then let it out!” he insisted. “You’re fantastic, Kaiden! You only have to release! Stop holding it all in! Tell me what you fear! Make me feel it!”

I swung, punching him in the face. He stumbled back and hit the dirt. I stood back up and yelled a curse. Light poured from my body and finally illuminated the room enough. I stared at him and was surprised to see him grinning proudly.

“W-What?”

“Fantastic! Oh you’re—you’re just… heavenly,” he said, staring at me in awe. I looked at him funny. “Seriously I-I feel like I’m staring at a God.”

“You’re a Time Lord and intimidated by me?” I asked. “I-I don’t get it.”

“No Kaiden, I’m not intimidated,” he started. He stood up and grabbed my hand. “I’m enamored. I-I’m awestruck. You glow so bright.”

I looked at my trembling hands beaming with the glowing light. “It—It burns, Doctor.”

“It’s okay, it’ll stop soon,” he said. “I just need enough time to get us out of here. Do you think you can hold on?”

“I-I’ll try for you,” I said softly. I stood there staring blankly at the wall trying to focus on keeping the light. My veins burned, my muscles felt like they were being overexerted, and my eyes burned. I could do nothing but cry, and my tears still felt like fire pouring down my face. “D-Doctor…”

“Hang in there, Kaiden,” he said quickly, frantically moving around the room. I could barely see anything. A brief flash of our fate came to my mind. The place would cave in. Part of the trap. “I’m almost done.”

“Doctor!” I cried. “Duck!”

The ceiling came crashing down. I caught it on my shoulders, preventing us from being crushed instantly. The Doctor had to stay low, but at least he was alive. I screamed. The burning doubled. “Kaiden, hold on!”

I gritted my teeth and slowly stood up, holding the entire piece of the ground on my shoulders. He had to crouch a bit, but again, at least he was alive. “I’m afraid, Doctor! I-I’m afraid!”

“What are you afraid of?” he asked quickly.

“I’m afraid I’ve become a killer,” I said softly. “I’m no longer a man; I’m a murderer.”

“No, you’re not, Kaiden,” he said. “Take it from me.”

I stared at him, my eyes burning. “I can’t see you, Doctor. Tell me, will I survive this?”

“Of course you will!” he cried. I’d never heard the lad sound desperate before. “You always survive, Kaiden.”

I took a shaky breath, straining to hold up the chunk. “Climb out, Doctor. I can’t hold this much longer.”

“I can’t leave you!” he insisted. “I have to help you!”

“Go!” I snapped. “Go find Rose. Take her to safety. Tell her… t-tell…”

He sighed softly. “Are you sure?”

“I wouldn’t tell you if I wasn’t sure,” I said through gritted teeth. “Now go!”

He looked up at me for a brief moment. He kissed me gently and climbed out of the openings created from the cave collapsing. Once I was sure he was gone, I exploded again like I had back with the Cybermen. Instead of just accidentally whiting out my vision, I was unconscious.

Chapter Text

I woke to the faint hum of the Doctor’s sonic screwdriver. My body ached like I worked out too much at once. I slowly opened my eyes and saw the Doctor and Rose looking down at me.

“Kaiden!” she cried, hugging me tight. I groaned softly and she let go, looking back at me again. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to…”

“It’s alright, lass,” I said softly. My throat hurt. “D-Don’t be sorry.”

“Glad you’re okay, pal,” the Doctor said.

I saw the screwdriver in his hand. “Still no reading?”

“No, I got one,” he said, smiling a little. “You’ll be fine, you just need time to heal up.”

I chuckled softly. “Fantastic.”

“W-What even happened?” Rose asked, wiping her tears away. “One—One minute you two were there and then you were missing! I-I tried finding an Ood to help and—and they had no idea what happened! Then the ground caved in and I-I thought you were dead!”

I weakly reached out and put my hands on her face. “Rose, it’s okay. We’re okay. I-I’m just glad we’re okay.”

“No, you’re glad the Doctor and I are okay,” she said, gently grabbing my wrists. “You didn’t care about yourself, did you?”

“He did,” the Doctor said. Rose looked at him in surprise. “He did care about himself. He admitted his fear to me and used it to get us out. Maybe it wasn’t the route he anticipated, but he rescued us nonetheless.”

Rose gently held my hands in hers. “My hero. You have to stop exploding though, Kaiden.”

I laughed weakly. “I’ll certainly work on it.”

The Doctor was staring at me for a moment. Clearly he wanted to talk about something. “I’m taking you two back to Rose’s flat. You need to rest.”

“You know you can’t make us stay away long, Doctor,” I said softly. He sat down to my left while Rose was on my right. I weakly reached out and tried playfully punching his shoulder. It didn’t work. “Sooner or later you’ll come back for another adventure.”

“I know,” he said. “Which is why I’m just saying you need rest. Once you feel better, we can go adventuring again, okay?”

“Promise?”

He grabbed my hand in his and patted it. “Promise, pal.”

I sniffled and looked over at Rose, weakly reaching out to pat her shoulder. “You know I love you, right?”

“Well of course,” she said, holding my other hand. “I love you, too.”

I smiled and lied back a wee bit more. “Feels much better now that my entire body isn’t burning up.”

“I’ll bet,” the Doctor said. “You were brave.”

“I wasn’t brave,” I said, shaking my head a little. I sighed. “I was shaking like a wee lad worrying about the monster under his bed.”

“No, you were brave,” he insisted. “Because despite shaking with fear, you stayed put and worked through it.”

“Doctor, what exactly happened down there?” Rose asked, glancing over at him. “Y’know, before the whole thing collapsed.”

“I confessed I’m afraid I’ve become a murderer,” I said. She stared at me in shock. “All I do is destroy. I resort to violence.”

“You—You’re just protective,” she said. “It’s not your fault it’s kill or be killed half the time.”

“I also kinda enable you,” the Doctor said sheepishly. “I’ve fought an entire war and yet I allow you to fight like you’re in one. That’s not fair to you.”

I sighed. “I’m the one who jumps to attacking.”

“You do it because you love us,” Rose said. I looked at her. “You do it from a place of love and care, right?”

“Aye, of course,” I said. “I-I wouldn’t let anything happen to you guys.”

She couldn’t help but smile. She cleared her throat. “See? You’re not a murderer or a monster or whatever else you think you are. You’re just bursting with love.”

I couldn’t hold back a smile. Even the Doctor was smiling back at me. “I suppose you’re right, lass. Okay, I feel like my insides have melted. Can I go home?”

“C’mon, pal,” the Doctor said, hoisting me up bridal-style. I didn’t have the energy to tell him how embarrassing it was to be carried like that. Rose kept up alongside us, occasionally ruffling my hair. We got back to the Tardis and he gently set me down on the floor against some railing. Rose knelt beside me and the Doctor got to work piloting the Tardis. It didn’t take too long to get us back to Rose’s flat. I’d said home and he brought me there. Maybe that was my home after all. He lifted me up again and followed Rose to her flat. Once we got inside, Jackie walked over, crossing her arms.

“Well where have you boys been?” she asked. Rose slipped by, trying to avoid a scolding. Jackie glanced at her. “You’re not off the hook either, Rose.”

“Thought I’d treat them after all the chaos and it went a little haywire,” the Doctor said, still carrying me. I weakly pointed up.

“Can you please put me down, lad? I’m tired of being carried around like I’m your wife.”

“Right, sorry,” he said quickly, awkwardly putting me down on the couch. He leaned over me, his arms still around me. “You’ll be alright. I promise.”

“You don’t have to promise me anything,” I said, weakly patting his cheek. “Now get off me.”

He laughed a little and stood back up. “Right then! Kaiden’s fantastic! He saved my life again.”

“You have to stop pushing that poor boy,” Jackie said, pointing a stern finger at the Doctor. “This is the second time I’ve seen him on the edge of death!”

While the Doctor and Jackie argued about my condition, Rose knelt beside me, gently messing with my hair. I smiled at her, especially now that the Doctor and her mum took their arguing to the kitchen.

“Thanks for saving us again,” she said.

“Don’t thank me, lass,” I said softly. “Besides, I owe you one, aye?”

“No, you don’t,” she said quietly, frowning a little. “You don’t owe us anything. I just hate to see you throwing yourself around like you do.”

I nodded slightly. “I get it. It’s definitely not fun, and I don’t mean to either. It just sorta happens. It’s like the universe is out to get me.”

“If the universe were out to get you, I think the Doctor would have thrown you into the sun or something,” she said. We both couldn’t resist laughing a bit. “C’mon, you know nothing’s out to get you, mate.”

“Probably right,” I said, nodding slightly. I weakly reached out and she gently held my hand, occasionally giving it a light squeeze. “Y’know I love you, aye?”

She smiled, blushing a little. “Of course I do. You don’t have to say it all the time for me to know. I’m glad we’re stuck together.”

“So am I,” I said with another nod. “You’re a great lass to have my soul combined with.”

She grinned and then leaned in and kissed me. “I’m seriously so glad you’re okay, Kaiden. I love you so much.”

I chuckled softly and she kissed me a couple more times. “Careful, your mum’s in the other room.”

“Oh she won’t care,” she said softly before continuing to kiss me. “She’s too busy threatening the Doctor’s life. She won’t mind.”

She put her hands on my face and kissed me more. I couldn’t breathe and my heart felt like it was going to explode like an old generator, but I definitely wasn’t complaining that I got to kiss her.

“Rose? Rose, I talked some sense into that Doctor,” Jackie started, quickly walking into the room. “Oi! Rose!”

Rose looked up at her mom in surprise and brushed some of her hair aside. “Hey—Hey mum, I-I didn’t hear you coming in.”

“Leave the boy to rest,” Jackie said firmly. “Anyways, I talked some sense into the Doctor. He’s not going to let Kaiden do that anymore, right?”

The Doctor sighed softly and leaned against the back of the couch. “Right.”

“Good, all in agreement,” Jackie said, sitting down on the chair. “You need anything, mate? Some tea, some water… anything?”

“No, thanks though,” I said weakly. My voice was hoarse. It felt like I was sick with 20 different diseases and 20 new, alien ones. “I think I just need to rest a bit, aye?”

She nodded slightly and got back up anyway. She walked off to the kitchen. I looked up at the Doctor and he smiled a little. “Sorry again, pal. I didn’t mean for that to happen.”

“Not your fault you old bastard,” I said, weakly reaching up to playfully punch his shoulder. I didn’t get my point across as well as I’d hoped. “Shit happens, aye?”

“I suppose so, yeah,” he said with a slight nod. He rubbed his neck. “So I think you two need to stay here for a while. Rest up. No more excitement for a little while. I can’t in good conscience drag you both around time and space while you’re this fresh with the Time Vortex.”

“Probably for the best,” Rose said, nodding slightly.

“But the adventure,” I protested. “This is the most fun I’ve ever had, Doctor. I don’t want it to end.”

“It won’t since you’re immortal now. But, it’s temporarily on pause,” he said. He patted my arm. “I’ll come back for you lot. Promise. For now, you need a break.”

I sighed, knowing that I was outnumbered on this one. “Aye, it’s for the best.”

“Fantastic,” he said cheerfully. He smiled and gave Rose a hug. He then ruffled my hair and walked off.

Jackie came back in and set a glass of water on the table for me. She sat back down in her seat and looked over at me. “Where’d the Doctor go off to?”

“He’s leaving us here to relax for a little while,” Rose said. “So he said his goodbye and left.”

“It’ll do you two some good taking a break,” Jackie said. “Drink that water, mate. You look dehydrated.”

“I’m not-”
“You so are,” Rose said. I looked at her funny and we both cracked up. “Just drink it, mate.”

I sat up on the couch and leaned against the arm. Rose sat beside me and leaned against me. I made sure to drink all the water over the few hours we were sitting in the living room. I mostly just listened to Rose and Jackie talk about their lives. I had nothing to add, and I didn’t mind listening. In fact, most of the time, I preferred listening. I wasn’t much of a talker.

“What about you, mate?” Jackie asked me. “You have any fun stories?”

I started to panic, trying to think of something. I sighed. “Oh I dunno… I’m trying to think of one.”

“Tell us something—anything,” Jackie said sweetly. “I just want to get to know you a little more, mate.”

I was silent for a moment, trying to think of something. “Well, I-I’m not sure if this is remotely interesting. Back when I was just a wee lad, I used to go exploring a lot just outside my Uncle’s farmland. It was cool. Sometimes I’d see wee animals or learn about new plants. Well one day I was off exploring and found one of those fairy rings. Touched it and I-I swear I saw the woods fill up with spirits. Ran as fast as I could. Told my Uncle and he didn’t exactly believe me.”

“That’s pretty interesting Kaiden; don’t sell yourself short,” Jackie said. “Did you ever find out anything else about it later?”

“Nope. After my parents died, my Uncle stopped having me come over. Something about seeing his sister in me,” I said tiredly. “So one of my mates found out my parents were gone and invited me to stay over. He was really sweet. We—We haven’t talked in a while since I moved out around 18. I feel kinda bad. I was actually planning to see him before I got scooped up by this one and the Doctor.”

“I’m glad we took you with us,” Rose said with a smile. She kissed my forehead. “It’s been so much fun. You’re a good mate to have on board.”

“If only I weren’t exploding every goddamned day,” I grumbled.

Jackie looked at me funny and Rose elbowed my side. I pretended I didn’t notice either of them and sipped on my water.

“What do you mean ‘exploding’?” Jackie asked.

“Well remember when we tried explaining how we have the Time Vortex?” I asked. She nodded. “So we split it. Rose grabbed it from the Tardis and came back to rescue mine and the Doctor’s sorry arses. I didn’t know I would take half of it from her, but I did. Now we both kinda have a superpower. I don’t quite know how to use it yet, so—so I usually explode.”

“So you have some weird time junk in your bodies?” she asked.

“Yeah, it’s really connected us,” Rose said. “The Doctor is always saying our souls are all tangled up.”

Jackie raised her eyebrows. “So you’ve gone and combined your soul with some random boy?”

“I did,” Rose said with a nod. “I trust him with my life, mum. Besides, you love Kaiden. You know it wasn’t a bad idea.”

“True, but you two have to be more careful,” Jackie insisted. “I can’t imagine what you’ve done that you aren’t telling me about.

I waved my hand dismissively. “Nothing too crazy, Ms. Tyler. I do my best to keep her safe.”

“Well that’s nice and all, but do you keep yourself safe?”

“Aye, I do my best.”

Rose and Jackie went back to watching the telly and talking about old memories while I mostly sat in silence. I thought too much about the Doctor telling me I brood, so I tried to make sure I wasn’t sitting there with an RBF. As it started to get late, Jackie suggested we go to bed a wee bit early. Figured there was no use arguing against her, so I agreed and headed off to bed with Rose. I knelt down to dig through my duffel bag for something to wear to bed and leaned against the wall for support. Rose knelt beside me, gently hugging me.

“You don’t have to guard me, Rose,” I said softly.

“I know. I’m not guarding you,” she said. She took a deep breath. “I’m just being here for you. I like being with you.”

“Well aren’t you sweet?” I said. She kissed my cheek. I grabbed my clothes and stared to get back up, but I couldn’t due to my own exhaustion and Rose clinging to me.

“Hey, easy,” she said softly. She kissed my cheek again. “You can take a minute. I know you’re hurting.”

“It—It’s not bad,” I said softly. “I mean I do hurt, but it’s not unbearable.”

She shot me a look and sighed softly. “You don’t have to lie, mate. I know you’re in pain. It’s okay if it’s unbearable.”

“It’s not,” I said firmly. I patted her arm and stood up. I changed into my pajamas and sat down on Rose’s bed. I rubbed my eyes a bit and felt her sit beside me. “You don’t have to watch over me, lass.”

“I’m not,” she said. She playfully nudged my side. “Promise.”

I dropped my hands against my lap and looked at her. She had the prettiest smile on her face. I couldn’t help but smile back at her. “Y’know you’re just… gorgeous, aye?”

She blushed and looked away for a moment. Before I could say anything more, she leaned in and kissed me gently, her hands on my face. I smiled and looked at her. “You’re not so bad yourself, pretty boy.”

I cracked up a little and sighed softly. “Sorry I keep exploding and freaking you out, love.”

“Aw don’t worry about it,” she said dismissively, staring intently at me. “It’s not like we can help it, really. I guess all we can do is learn how to control it better, yeah?”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” I said with a smile.

She wrapped her arms around my shoulders and leaned in again. “Now shut up and kiss me.”

I closed the distance between us and kissed her. She kissed me back, shifting closer to me. She stopped and looked at me. “Did—Did I screw that up?”

“No, you’re still a good kisser, silly,” she said, cracking up a little. “I just don’t think it’s good for you right now.”

“But it was nice,” I said softly. “I like kissing you.”

“I think we should save it for later when you aren’t so sick,” she said. “C’mon, just lie down and get some rest. I’m right here with you.”

I sighed softly and finally gave in, lying down on her bed. She lied down beside me and wrapped her arms around me. It was nice finally feeling like I was getting a wee bit of rest and I got to have her with me the whole time. I knew she was there—even if she hadn’t been clinging to me. I slept a lot and didn’t even realize. When I was finally woken up, it wasn’t for good reason.

“Kaiden,” Rose said softly, shaking me a wee bit. I shifted and looked at her.

“Mm? W-What is it?” I asked groggily.

She hesitated for a brief moment. “N-Nothing I… sorry, I-I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“Are you sure?” I asked. “You shook me awake, are you sure you didn’t need something, lass?”

“I just needed to know you were still here with me and—and alive,” she said nervously. “I’m sorry I woke you.”

“Aw, no need to apologize, lass,” I said. I kissed her cheek. “I understand.”

We cozied back up for bed and I passed out again.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I stayed around with Rose and her mum for a couple weeks when the Doctor came back. I heard the TARDIS whirring outside in the alley by Rose’s flat. I looked at Rose and we dropped our spoons back in our cereal bowls, dashing outside to see what the Doctor was there for.

He stepped out of the TARDIS right as we were about to head in. “Oi, you lot sure are eager. Kaiden! Looking better, pal.”

I grinned excitedly and cross my arms. “I’m feeling better, Doctor. I suppose some rest was in order.”

He playfully nudged my shoulder. “See, this old Time Lord knows what he’s talking about sometimes. So… I was thinking we could check out some snowy forest or a beach. Couldn’t decide between the two.”

I glanced at Rose who grinned playfully. “Beach.”

He pointed at us. “Beach it is.”

We all dashed into the TARDIS and the Doctor quickly went to his shenanigans at the console. It whirred to life and Rose and I leaned on some railing.

“Oh my mum is going to be so mad,” she said, shaking her head a little. She shrugged and ruffled my hair. “Oh well. I can always phone her.”

“Aye, you can,” I said with a smile. “I’m excited! I haven’t been to the beach in a long while.”

“Same here,” she said, nodding a little. “Can’t wait to watch you get taken out by a big wave.”

I cross my arms. “I would not get swept up by a big wave, Rose. I’m not a scrawny wee lad.”

She playfully elbowed my side. “We’ll see about that, mate.”

The Doctor cracked up a little and landed the TARDIS. He grinned excitedly and held out his arms. “Here we are! My favorite beach in the universe!”

“Out of all beaches in the infinite universe, this one’s your favorite?” I asked.

He nodded and slid a chest towards us with his foot. “This place is absolutely fantastic! You’ll see why once we get out there. Right then, in there are some swimsuits. Pick what you like and we can go.”

He dashed away to another room in the TARDIS, leaving Rose and myself in the main room alone. She shrugged and knelt down, opening the chest. She laughed and held up some swim trunks with flamingos on them. I sighed.

“Oh c’mon!”

“No, I’m not wearing flamingo shorts,” I said, crossing my arms and shaking my head. “I have a wee bit of dignity left.”

“Oh whatever, mate,” she said, rolling her eyes. She pointed at her temple. “I’m inside your head, remember? You like them!”

“I do not,” I said firmly. “But I suppose for you, I’d wear them.”

“Just wear the shorts, pal!”

Rose and I cracked up laughing and found the swimwear we wanted. I changed with my back to Rose and her back to me. After that, the Doctor came dashing out from whatever weird corner the lad was in, wearing the same swim trunks. I threw my hands up in exasperation.

“You’ve got to be joking, lad,” I said tiredly. “The same shorts?”

He nodded a little. “Indeed. Aren’t they fantastic?”

He was wearing a dorky swim shirt too, but to be fair, he always looked dorky. Rose burst out laughing and I crossed my arms. “Doctor, why are you matching with me, lad?”

“Didn’t realize I had duplicates,” he said with a shrug. He rubbed his hands together. “So, are we going swimming or what?”

Rose playfully elbowed my side. “C’mon, lighten up. You guys are twinning!”

I stood next to the Doctor and crossed my arms. “We are not twinning. He’s wearing a shirt and I’m not.”

She snapped a picture with her phone, trying to hold back laughter. “Yeah? We’ll see what my mum and some of my mates have to say.”

“You are so dead,” I grumbled, pointing at her. The Doctor looked at me. “What’re you looking at you bastard?”

He cracked up a little. “I don’t understand why us matching is so funny.”

“Because you’re a 900-something, quirky, Time Lord and I’m just some bastard from the 2000s,” I said crossly. “Plus, you look like a dork.”

“I think I rock the flamingo shorts,” he said, crossing his arms. “And so do you, pal.”

I raised an eyebrow. “You’re screwing with me, aye?”

“Nope, no screwing here,” he said, grinning cheerfully. I glanced over at Rose, who was eagerly texting all her mates about the ordeal, laughing her arse off. He nudged me. “Let her have her fun, pal. No harm.”

“I know, it’s just embarrassing,” I said, crossing my arms again. “No way am I similar to a 900 year old.”

“Technically 908-”

I put my hand up and he stopped talking, cracking up a little. I grabbed a towel and headed out of the TARDIS, stepping onto a nice sandy beach. I looked out at the water, which was such a bright, clear blue. I’d only seen ocean water that vibrant in those vacation commercials during my game shows. Rose nudged me.

“Race you.”

“You’re on!”

I set my towel aside and booked it for the shore. I found some nice rock formation and quickly scaled it, running off the edge and jumping into the water. I had meant to do a cannonball, but I got so caught up in trying to beat Rose to the water that I didn’t pay enough attention and flopped right in. It felt like I got slapped across my entire front with a giant fly swatter. I sank into the water and resurfaced, shaking some of it off my head. Rose was laughing at me, as predicted.

“God, you suck at this,” she said, nudging my shoulder.

The Doctor jumped in after me, sticking his landing much better. He grinned playfully and floated on his back. I looked down at the water below, and to my surprise, I was able to see pretty far down.

“Wow, this water’s so clear!” I said. “It’s like those holiday commercials to some resort or someone’s drawing online.”

The Doctor chuckled. “That’s part of why it’s my favorite beach. Check this out.”

He shifted so he was treading water again. He took a deep breath and went underwater. I watched the lad sink down to the sand a good few feet below us. He waved and beckoned us to come under with him. I looked at Rose and shrugged before sinking under the water. She followed suit.

“You can breathe under here!” he said excitedly.

I frowned. “Then why’d you take a deep breath?”

“To mess with you,” he said. “Anyways! It’s much quieter down here. It’s like being at a pool and going underwater to avoid hearing all the noise of everyone around you.”

I nodded a little and looked at Rose, who was looking around at everything in awe. “This is pretty neat.”

“Where’s all the fish and stuff?” Rose asked, looking over at the Doctor. “I see plenty of plants and—and coral, but no fish.”

“We’re not on Earth, Rose,” he said with a shrug. “That’s not coral, and those aren’t the same sea plants you have back home. This isn’t even saltwater. It’s not freshwater, either. Just some sweet, crystal clear, blue water. There’s plenty of sea life here, just not the type you’re used to on Earth.”

I looked around some more and spotted a strange looking crustacean. “What kinda crab is that?”

“Looks like a primitive crab from the Cambrian age. Y’know, that point in Earth’s history where all those freaky sea creatures were around?”

I nodded a little and looked at some of the other strangely shaped fish. “That’s so cool… I never thought I’d meet sea life like this.”

“How could there be fish from a time on Earth here on some other planet?” Rose asked.

The Doctor frowned a little. “If I had to guess, probably like an aquarium. Someone picked them up and put them here like one big exhibit.”

“So we’re in a great, big fish tank?” I asked.

He shrugged. “Possibly. That could also be the natural evolution of this planet’s sea life.”

“Either way, it’s cool seeing such strange-looking creatures,” Rose said, still looking around in awe at everything.

“I’m still amazed by how clear this water is,” I said, scratching my head. “Never seen anything like it in my life.”

“It’s quite rare, to be fair,” the Doctor said. He sank lower against the sand along the seafloor and looked around at some rocks and plants. “In fact, all of this is quite rare.”

I looked around and spotted Rose looking at a strange creature walking along the seafloor. She looked so… lovely. The light in her eyes as she observed the life around us had me head over heels. Oh my God, was I in love with her? I’d never thought of that. I mean, our souls were stuck together. Something in me was ignited, a fire I couldn’t ever dream of putting out. I hadn’t stopped to actually consider how I really felt about Rose. I knew I loved her, but I hadn’t realized it was like that. Shit, she probably thought it was like that and I had no idea. She turned and looked at me, smiling sweetly. God, the light in her eyes was even brighter when she looked at me. Was I seriously that important? I was just some bastard off the streets of Ireland. She could make heads turn. Hell, she did make heads turn. She kicks ass. She seemed to keep the Doctor more grounded than before, and with her half of the Time Vortex, she kept me alive. How could you not love a lass like that?

“Kaiden?” she asked, grabbing my shoulders. I looked at her in surprise and she cracked up a little. “Thought I lost you there. Is something wrong?”

“No, nothing at all,” I said quickly. “Just… got lost thinking again.”

She sighed with relief and hugged me. “Good, I’m glad!”

I turned over my shoulder to see the Doctor scanning me. He smiled sheepishly. “Making sure you were okay, pal. Not snooping.”

“How could you snoop—never mind, I don’t wanna know,” I said, putting my hands up. “Sorry lad, I was just lost in my head.”

“Don’t be sorry, I get lost in mine all the time,” he said, grinning playfully. “The mind is a fun place sometimes.”

“Not mine,” I muttered. I cleared my throat. “Well anyways, sorry to derail the fun with my overthinking. What’re we exploring next?”

“Why not check out some of the little caves or more freaky sea creatures?” Rose said excitedly. “I mean, I’ve always wanted to go diving.”

“Same here. As a wee lad, I wanted to swim with sharks so badly,” I said. “Now I get to swim with prehistoric sea creatures!”

“C’mon, let’s investigate around!” the Doctor said excitedly.

Rose and I followed him through the water, exploring the more shallow side of the beach. We looked under random rocks and inside plants, admiring the sea life. A strange fish came over towards me and I followed the wee thing around for a bit, dancing with the fish. I wasn’t far off from Rose and the Doctor, but before I could even call out to them and show them the fish, I was knocked out.

When I came to, I was in a cave the water didn’t reach. I was tied to a post much like a cross. I opened my eyes and tried figuring out where the hell I was. “W-What…?”

“We meet at last, Kaiden,” a voice echoed. I blinked my eyes into focus and looked in the direction of the voice, seeing a man wearing a suit, a trench coat, and long gloves and boots. He had goggles resting on his forehead and he leaned towards me. “In case you don’t remember me, I was on board Satellite 5 when your… companions brought an entire Dalek fleet right to us.”

“We didn’t bring shit, you bastard,” I shot back. “Besides, we wiped them out. We saved your stupid satellite.”

He punched me in the face, knocking my glasses clean off. I heard them clatter across the cave floor. “You lot damaged so much of our Satellite and left a bunch of Dalek scraps and bodies littered about!”

“Rose saved them!” I spat. “She nearly burned herself alive to save everyone on board!”

“Oh right, your faithful blonde companion,” he said mockingly. He sat down on a stool in front of me. “She’s probably wondering where you are by now, but the poor girl won’t find you. Neither will that Doctor.”

I tugged at my restraints, shouting obscenities at the man. “Let me go! What did I do to you!?”

He sighed and pulled a small baton out of his coat pocket. Great, I was going to get hit. He poked it at my stomach and it electrocuted me. I cried out in pain and slumped forward. He put the taser away. “I ask the questions; you answer them. Clear?”

“Crystal,” I said through gritted teeth.

“Excellent,” he said. He sat back down and grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him. “You’re an interesting fellow, Kaiden. You have half the ‘Time Vortex’ in your little human body. Normally that should kill someone, no? Just like it nearly killed Rose?”

I narrowed my eyes and spat in his face. “Leave her alone! She saved the Doctor and I, and I saved her!”

He shocked me again and I screamed in pain. “Why did you take half from her, and what does it do for you!?”

“I-I don’t know,” I said weakly. “I didn’t—didn’t want to see her hurt… I didn’t think and reached out to reassure her. We accidentally s-split the Time Vortex.”

“You accidentally split the Time Vortex!?” he asked in shock. He burst out laughing and shocked me again. I screamed and slumped forward a little, my skin burning. “How do you accidentally split such a power!?”

I groaned softly. “I-I don’t know, you bastard. Even the Doctor doesn’t know.”

“Are you sure he doesn’t know? What if he’s just keeping it from you?”

“He doesn’t have a reason to do that to us,” I said, shaking my head a little. “Please… let me go.”

“Not happening, boy,” he said darkly. He grabbed my hair and tipped my head up to look at him. “My, you are just remarkable. Some random man off the streets of Ireland and now you’re immortal and capable of leveling cities. Don’t you get it? You could rule the world!”

I frowned a little. “I… don’t want to. I’d rather die than hurt innocent people.”

“But you have the half of the Time Vortex that ends. Rose brought life; you take life. It’s like yin and yang. You can’t have one without the other. You seem to be the unlucky one that can take life,” he said. He gripped my hair tighter and I grimaced. “You need to embrace this, Kaiden! You’re capable of so much more than being a pacifist hippie!”

I chuckled breathlessly. “I’m quite happy being a quote unquote ‘pacifist hippie’, lad. I like people, and I like helping. I’ll never stop using my half of the Time Vortex for good.”

He jabbed me with the taser a good few times and I nearly fainted. He stopped and punched me in the face until my nose started dribbling blood down my face and onto the cave floor. He groaned loudly. “My God, kid, fight! Learn to fight! Take what’s yours! Fight!”

“I won’t,” I said weakly. “I’d rather die.”

“Then die!” he shouted. He pressed the taser against my chest again, this time holding it for a while. I couldn’t do anything but scream in agony as my body locked up and burned, my nervous system frying. I felt my vision go out and I slumped over, dead.

I woke back up just moments later and gasped for air. I woke up and he was laughing. I struggled at my restraints. He looked at me.

“My, you are remarkable,” he said. “You were dead and yet now you’re not. Fascinating seeing it in person.”

I spat on his face. “Let me go!”

“Oh but we’re going to have so much fun together,” he said.

And then he spent the next undetermined amount of time killing me repeatedly. I felt my body drop off the post I was chained to. I slumped over on my hands and knees, trying to gather my bearings. Rose had the man tied up to a chair and the Doctor had been the one undoing my restraints.

“Doctor?” I asked weakly. He knelt beside me, gently holding my shoulders. “How—How did this happen?”

“Some kind of advanced trap. It’s like the man knew you were coming,” he said tiredly. He draped my arm across his shoulders, holding my wrist tightly. His other arm went around my waist and he helped me stay upright. “Easy, pal, it’s alright.”

I gritted my teeth in pain, trying to keep my cool. I blinked slowly and Rose walked over, brushing her hands off. “Well, he’s all taken care of.”

The Doctor looked at her handiwork and smiled. “I never knew you were good at that, Rose.”

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me,” she said with a smile. She put her hands on my face and looked at me. “Oh Kaiden, you look awful. What did that guy do to you?”

“Shocked and beat me,” I said tiredly. “He was trying to convince me to be evil since I have the opposite power you have.”

She frowned a little. “What?”

“You bring life with the Time Vortex; I end,” I said. “He explained it like yin and yang. He was trying to convince me that I should level cities and rule the world. I told the bastard to his face that I didn’t want to and would never do such a thing.”

She sighed softly with relief. “Good to know. I guess that explanation does make sense, huh Doctor?”

“Unfortunately, yes. That was the piece I was missing. Rose brought life back on Satellite 5, and you’ve always been exploding and easily mowing down Cybermen and the lot,” the Doctor said, gesturing to each of us. “Time must be balanced and you both are the balance for each other.”

I looked at Rose and she pulled me in for a kiss. I was surprised, but obviously not complaining. “Kaiden, I’m so glad you’re alright.”

“I’m glad you’re alright,” I said, chuckling weakly. “We got separated and I assumed the worst.”

“Are you kidding? We assumed the worst!” Rose cried, still holding my face in her hands. “God you’re lucky we’re connected.”

“I know I am,” I said, smiling sweetly. “I really am lucky to have you.”

“Doctor, is he okay?” Rose asked, glancing at him.

The Doctor looked me over and gave me a quick scan with his sonic. “Poor bloke is always getting killed, but all things considered, he doesn’t look half bad.”

“Thanks,” I said flatly. I rubbed my temples. “Well, I think I’ve had enough fun for today.”

“Right, back to the TARDIS!” he said cheerfully.

We climbed out of the cave I’d been held hostage in and swam up to the surface. Once we were in the TARDIS, I was drying off and putting my old clothes back on. Rose came up to me as I got my shirt over my head.

“Hey, are you sure you’re alright?”

I nodded a little. “Aye, of course. Time Vortex kept me kicking, y’know?”

She smiled. “Yeah but do you feel alright?”

I ruffled her hair a little. “You worry about me too much y’know.”

“I worry just enough,” she said firmly, playfully smacking my shoulder. “Actually I probably don’t worry enough.”

I rolled my eyes and put my coat back on. I headed back over to the Doctor and leaned against his back, looking over his shoulder at the little screen he was looking at. He flinched when I touched him. “Sorry, did I spook you lad?”

“Yes, you did,” he said flatly. He frowned a little.

“What?”

“Well I tried flying the TARDIS back to your time period so we could roam around and eat or something, but it seems we’ve landed in the 1700s,” he said tiredly, rubbing his temple. “We were not supposed to do that, but it seems the TARDIS took us here for a reason.”

“How far back are we exactly?” I asked.

He pointed at the monitor. “Looks like 1768. What say we roam around and see who we meet?”

“Sounds like fun!” I said excitedly, shaking him a little.

He grinned and led Rose and I out of the TARDIS. Rose reached out and held my hand as we walked. It was comforting. We roamed around the streets looking completely out of place, but nobody really said anything about it. As we were looking around and getting a history lesson from the Doctor, someone stopped me dead in my tracks with a hand to my chest.

“Oi you bastard! What gives?” I said, brushing myself off.

“You sir! Unhand that lady!” he commanded. He looked like a founding father without the wig, and pictures of those bastards always cracked me up for some reason.
I frowned a little and remembered I was holding Rose’s hand. “Oh her? She’s me… uh…”

“Partner,” Rose finished, smiling at me. “What’s the problem?”

“The problem is I fancy this lovely lady,” he said, kneeling in front of her and kissing her other hand. Rose raised an eyebrow and yanked her hand away. He stood back up.
“Careful, lad, she bites.”

“Don’t trip yourself over a lady who doesn’t know you,” the Doctor said, bouncing on his feet a little. The lad was a wee bit too interested in where this was going. It made me nervous.

He looked me up and down. “You dress like a rapscallion! I challenge you to a duel for the fair maiden’s affections.”

I looked at him funny. “A what?”

“A duel, sir!” he said, stepping up to me. “Unless you are a coward.”

I swallowed nervously, remembering the Doctor’s choice to be a coward over killer. I knew duels were usually to the death. I was a coward—or at least I wanted to be. Why couldn’t I be a pacifist like the Doctor? A man so angry and yet he always tried to protect people and prevent death if he could. Of course I understood sometimes it was out of his control, but he always did his best. I didn’t want to fight, but I wanted the bastard to piss off.

“Fine,” I said. “We can duel. We shall duel for Rose’s hand.”

Rose grabbed my shoulder and turned me around. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

I shrugged. “I figure I’ll beat his arse and send him crying to his mum and then we can get back to it.”

“Duels are to the death you numb-skull! Blimey, you did not think that through at all!” she said in one of those hushed yells. I sheepishly scratched my neck. “Since you’re so tough, go duel for my hand or whatever. Maybe it’ll earn you a kiss. I’d be embarrassed if you lost.”

I saluted her and turned to face the man. “Alright, I accept.”

“What is your name, sir?” he asked. “I am Sir Thomas.”

“I’m… Kaiden,” I said awkwardly. I cleared my throat. “I use he/they pronouns.”

Rose sighed loudly, rubbing her temples. “I don’t think he knows what a pronoun is.”

“Of course he does! Trans people have been around forever,” the Doctor said. “He just probably isn’t used to a cis man openly handing them out.”

“Well then! We shall duel in the square at high noon,” he said. “Don’t be late.”

He turned on his heel and walked away. I turned to Rose and the Doctor completely dumbfounded. “What on Earth was that?”

“He fancies Rose apparently,” the Doctor said. “You just agreed to fight to the death to prove you like her more.”

I bit my lip. “I see.”

“If you get killed, I’m laughing at you,” Rose said firmly, crossing her arms. “Dueling for my affections as if I can’t choose for myself.”

“Hey, it was his idea,” I said, putting my hands up in surrender. “What else was I supposed to say?”

“You could’ve said no!”

“But then he probably would’ve hauled you off to go pop out 7 kids and then die of Scarlet Fever,” I said, holding my hands out. “I know you can hold your own, but I can’t let that happen.”

She sighed and kissed my cheek. “You’re lucky I like you, mate.”

I thought I’d had more time to stall or maybe just ditch, but the Doctor—being the weirdo he is—knew it was high noon. I headed into the town square where that dork was waiting around.

“Ah there you are!” he said. He drew a huge gun. It wasn’t a bayonet, but a pistol that reminded me of one. “We shall take 10 paces back and then quick draw.”

“Great,” I muttered, rolling my eyes.

“You can do it, Kaiden!” Rose cheered.

The Doctor took someone’s pistol and tossed it to me. I looked at it. “What the fuck is this thing?”

“A flint-lock! You can figure it out!”

I pointed the gun to the ground, my finger away from the trigger as I learned in my gun safety training. He turned around and I followed suit. We both took 10 steps forward on his count. I was nervous. My palms were sweating. I put my finger on the trigger and prepared to shoot him. I whirled around to fire but didn’t. He shot me, and it was a sizable bullet wound. I tripped back at least a foot and slumped on the cobblestone pavement. I wasn’t sure why I was dying so slowly, but it hurt and I hated every second of it. When I did finally die and come back, I gasped for air and groaned. I slowly got back on my feet and looked at the guy.

“Blimey! Are you involved in witchcraft!?” he demanded.

“No, it’s Time Vortex magic,” I said. “You don’t know what that means. Anyways, how about we call it a draw?”

“No sir! We duel for her hand!” he said, pointing the pistol at me. “You mustn’t touch the fair lady with your witchcraft! Die, fiend!”

He shot me again and I died instantly that time. Bastard blew my brains out. I gasped for air and picked myself up off the ground again. I rubbed my temple. “Oi, I’ve got a headache.”

“Witch!” he cried again. “I shot you clean in the head!”

“Yeah, I gathered,” I said, rubbing the back of my head. Thankfully my head was in one piece. “Give it a rest, will you? The lass doesn’t know you.”

“Nonsense!” he said. “I will win the fair maiden’s hand!”

Rose stormed over to him, a cane in hand. She whacked him in the face and he leaned forward, dropping his pistol and screaming in pain. She bopped him on the back of the head, adding insult to injury and making him drop on the pavement. She hit him again in the face, causing him to fall onto his back, blood spraying from his nose. She threw the cane down at him as he writhed in pain and marched over to me.

I took a step back, worried I was next. “Hey whoa, I promise I tried-”

She grabbed my coat collar and kissed me. I looked at her in surprise. “There, you’ve won my affections.”

I smiled like a total moron and looked at her. “My God that was so hot.”

“I don’t want to hear another word outta you,” she said, crossing her arms.

The Doctor walked over. “Boy that… sure was something, pal.”

I rubbed my neck. “I couldn’t kill him. I-I thought of what you said one time. ‘Coward, any day’.”

He raised his eyebrows. “You… really thought about that?”

“Aye, I did,” I said with a slight nod. “I couldn’t kill him. After he called me a coward, that was all I could think of. I don’t want to be a killer. I want to be a coward.”

He smiled and kissed me. I stared blankly in shock. “Saw Rose do it. Felt right.”

“Easy, Doctor,” Rose said, holding my hand again. She stepped a little closer and patted my chest. “This immortal doofus is mine.”

The Doctor laughed and led us back to the TARDIS. He dropped us at Rose’s place again and left before we could stop him. Rose kissed me, grabbing my coat collar.

“Rose? Is that you?” Jackie said, coming round the corner. Rose clearly hadn’t noticed since she was still kissing me. “Oi, Rose!”

She whirled around, awkwardly smoothing out my jacket and smiling. “Nothing mum, I was fixing his coat.”

“You are a liar,” Jackie said. “Where’s the Doctor?”

“Beats me,” I said with a shrug. “We had fun though.”

“Well that’s good,” she said with a smile. “Nothing bad happened, hm?”

Rose and I shook our heads. “Nope, no danger for once. We actually just relaxed.”

“That’s great!” she said cheerfully. “Well, I’m leaving for work. I’ll catch you kiddos later.”

“Bye Ms. Tyler,” I said, waving as she walked out the door.

“Bye mum!”

I turned to Rose. “Are you mad at me?”

“Of course not! I mean I was a little mad,” she said, brushing some of her bangs aside. “I can’t blame you too much. You fought for my honor.”

“Are you kidding? You fought for mine!” I cried. “I got my arse handed to me.”

She looked at me and swallowed nervously. “I watched that guy quite literally blow your brains out. It was rough. I was scared.”

“Aw, I’m sorry,” I said softly. She wrapped her arms around my shoulders. “I-I didn’t mean for that to happen. But, as I told the Doctor, I just couldn’t kill him.”

“You’re so stupid but you’re so brave and pretty and strong and loving and pretty and sexy,” she listed.

“You said pretty twice,” I said. She kissed me gently.

“I know,” she said softly. “I’m just feeling lovey with you.”

I laughed a little. “I never would’ve guessed.”

She cracked up a little and kissed me again. “Since we’ve somehow managed to never have a moment’s peace, I vote we have one now.”

“I agree,” I said with a nod. “Were you thinking like a movie or something?”

“Movie sounds nice,” she said, grinning excitedly. “I can go put on some popcorn, you go take it easy.”

“Oh c’mon, I got shot twice, I’m not crippled,” I said, holding my arms out.

She playfully smacked my chest and tilted her head towards the couch. “Go take it easy, mate. You deserve it after fighting so hard for my honor.”

I laughed and ruffled her hair a little. I sat down on the couch and slumped over a little. I waited around patiently, looking around at the living room. I always liked how Rose and her mum decorated. Made me wonder what living with Rose would be like. I mean, I guess we practically already lived together considering how often we were traveling around with the Doctor. To everyone here in London, it felt like we’d been gone for just a few minutes. To us on the TARDIS, it felt like we’d already spent a lifetime together. Rose set a bowl of popcorn on the coffee table and went over towards the TV, rifling around through an impressive collection of DVDs.

“What’re you in the mood for, mate?” she asked, glancing over her shoulder at me. I ate a couple pieces of popcorn. “Oi, wait until we start the movie!”

I laughed a little and put my hands up in surrender. “I’m good with anything, love.”

She shot me a look but couldn’t resist a smile. “You’re impossible. How about a horror movie?”

“I love me some good horror,” I said with a slight nod. “What have you got?”

She held up each DVD as she listed off her horror movies. “I’ve got The Ring, Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, Heathers—which isn’t scary, honestly, I don’t know why it’s in the horror section—I’ve got Scream, Blair Witch, and Chucky. Pick your poison.”

I thought for a moment, surprised by the amount of movies she had. “I can’t decide between Blair Witch and The Ring.”

“We can flip for it,” she said, grabbing a coin off the table. “Call it.”

“Tails,” I said as she flipped the coin into the air. “Tails always wins for me.”

“Heads,” she said, holding it out to me. She grinned. “Blair Witch it is.”

“I remember they tried marketing the movie like it was totally real,” I said. I shook my head a little. “Had me pissing myself I was so afraid.”

She laughed and sat beside me, grabbing the remote and setting up the movie. “I was pretty scared too. I barely slept the night I first watched it. My mum thought I was totally lame.”

“My friend’s mum thought we were crazy for being so scared,” I said, laughing a little. “She had to reassure us we wouldn’t die.”

Rose laughed a little and leaned against me, hugging my arm. “Well remind me to never rely on you in a horror movie situation then, Mr. Tough Guy.”

“I could survive easily in a slasher situation, but anything with ghosts or—or evil recordings of any kind? I’m screwed,” I said, shaking my head a little.

“That’s good to know,” she said. I looked at her and she smiled. “You handle the scary guys with chainsaws and knives and I’ll handle the demons and curses. Fair trade, right?”

I shrug. “Aye, I suppose so. If it keeps me away from cursed VHS tapes and spooky recordings of ghosts, I’m good.”

She cracked up and hugged me a little tighter. “You’re comfy.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, you’re actually really huggable and snuggly,” she said, smiling. She sighed contentedly, her gaze fixed on the movie. “It feels like it’s been a while since I could properly sit with you like this and do something more… normal.”

“We’re far from normal, Rose,” I said softly. “We travel around in a police box with a Time Lord, and we’re immortal now. I can’t say I mind it though. I like being connected to you.”

She hummed softly and smiled. “You do know we practically share souls now, right? Like, there’s no going back on at least being my mate.”

“Oh I know, love,” I said with a slight nod. “I don’t mind. I guess I’m just glad I’ve got you around.”

“So… this may be a weird question, but um… oh boy how do I say this?” she started, rambling on a little. She cleared her throat, clearly hesitant. She kept rubbing my arm a little as she hugged me. I could tell something was bugging her, so I blurted something out first.

“We should live together,” I said. She looked at me a little surprised.

“Seriously?”

“Aye, I like having you around,” I said with a smile. “Plus, I’ll need a roommate if I’m to stay here in London.”

She smiled and kissed me gently. “That’s a lovely idea, but not what I was trying to ask you.”

“Oh? What is it then, love?”

She swallowed nervously. “That. Kaiden, I need you to be honest. Do you think we could be compatible?”

“I think we’re plenty compatible, Rose. What do you mean?”

“I meant more in a… dating instance,” she said hesitantly. “I-I know we’ve shagged a couple times and kissed a lot, but we haven’t agreed on what we are.”

I smiled a little. “I’m honestly okay with anything, so long as we’re mates at the core. We share souls, so I shouldn’t be surprised that I love you.”

She raised her eyebrows. “You mean it? You… love me?”

“Aye, I do,” I said, smiling more. “I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it.”

“For once, I’m actually floored,” she said, avoiding eye contact. She took a deep breath and nervously fixed her hair. “I truly don’t know what to say.”

“Well do you love me, too?”

She nodded quickly and looked at me. “Of course I do. You’re sweet, you’re funny, you’re pretty, and you’ve saved my sorry ass more times than I can count.”

I chuckled nervously, feeling myself blush. “Aw, well you’re such a flatterer. You’re kind, you riff off my jokes really well, you’re stunning, and you’ve saved my sorry arse, too.”

“See what I mean, Kaiden? There’s no way we’re just mates anymore,” she said excitedly. “Even the Doctor was telling me it was weird we weren’t dating.”

I raised my eyebrows a little. “Oh really? He said that?”

“Yeah, he was telling me about how truly connected you and I are, mate,” she said. “He was surprised we weren’t madly in love.”

“Well aren’t we madly in love?”

She raised her eyebrows. “I-I mean… of course we are. I-I just thought it—it was one-sided is all.”

“You thought I didn’t love you back!?”

She shook her head a little. “No, for some reason I wasn’t sure. I think I was just being all nervous.”

“Probably got that from me,” I said with a nod. She cracked up a little. “I wasn’t sure how to go about the subject. I suppose I was just worried you felt… obligated to like me because of the Time Vortex.”

She looked at me in shock. “Seriously? Kaiden, I love you so much it’s not even funny. I’m sorry if I gave you any other signal than that.”

“No it’s not your fault, love,” I said quickly. “I was being a stupid bastard thinking like that. It’s not at all on you.”

“You’re not stupid, Kaiden,” she said, shaking her head a little. “You’re pretty much the love of my life.”

I raised my eyebrows but cracked up a little. “Who says I can’t be both?”

She laughed and playfully swatted my shoulder. “Oi, you’re not stupid!”

I shrugged but didn’t mention it further. I knew there was no winning that argument. She hugged me tighter and I put an arm around her as we watched The Blair Witch Project. It was lovely. It made me feel all warm and fuzzy seeing how comfy Rose was with me. She suddenly hugged me a little tighter.

“Hm?”

“What? Oh, nothing, sorry,” she said, shaking her head a little. “I just wanted to hug you more.”

I smiled a little and kissed the top of her head. She hugged me tighter. “What’s got you being all snuggly, love?”

“Nothing in particular,” she said with a shrug. “I’m just really enjoying this. We’ve never had a proper moment together. You’re safe and alive and here with me. I’m so tired of watching you die, Kaiden.”

I sighed softly. I knew a conversation like this would come up at some point; I just didn’t think it was then. “Ah, yeah… I-I’m sorry about that, love. Truly, I’m so sorry.”

She frowned a little. “No don’t apologize, I know it’s not-”

“No it—it is partly my fault. I could do better to actually keep myself out of harm’s way,” I said. She looked at me in surprise. “I-I really should try harder to not get killed.”

She kissed me, gripping my collar. She looked at me. “Kaiden, it’s not your fault. Please don’t feel guilty. I promise I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant I was tired of all the bad guys we run into immediately jumping to killing or torturing you. Do you even know what that guy in the ocean did to you?”

I shook my head. “Not really, no. I was in and out of death.”

“That’s exactly the problem. He just kept killing you and beating you,” she said shakily. She hugged me a little tighter. “You don’t deserve that.”

“I know, but better me than you,” I said.

She looked at me in shock. “Excuse me!? No way you just said that. I’m immortal too!”

“I know but I just… I’d hate to see you hurt,” I said awkwardly, avoiding eye contact.

“I hate seeing you hurt! Don’t you get it!?” she cried. I raised my eyebrows. She grabbed the collar of my shirt. “Kaiden, you’re a person, too! You deserve safety as much as the Doctor and I do! Please, I know it’s not your fault and don’t blame yourself, but please promise me you’ll be more careful.”

I stared at her in shock for a moment. “I promise, love. Scout’s Honor.”

“You were never a Scout,” she said crossly. I cracked up a little. “But, I believe your honor.”

I smiled a bit. “I swear on me mum I’ll be more careful.”

“Okay maybe don’t swear on your dead mother,” she said. I shrugged. “Did you not like your mum or something?”

I shrugged again. “I didn’t hate her.”

She frowned a little. “Did your parents hate you or something?”

I shook my head. Didn’t have the heart to tell her my relationship with them was rocky up until they died. “No, we didn’t hate each other. I just feel I didn’t know them very long, so it’s hard to say I liked them or hated them.”

“Right…” she said. She cleared her throat. “Well, how about we get some sleep? All this adventuring we’ve been doing has me exhausted. Plus, being linked to you makes me sleepy, too.”

I laughed a little. “Really? The link gets you tired?”

“We share souls and most feelings,” she said. “Tiredness isn’t an exception.”

“Fair point,” I said with a nod. “Well then, lead the way.”

She turned off the TV and I followed her down the hall to her room. It felt like it had been ages since I’d been there, but to her mum, we’d only been gone at least a couple hours. She stretched a little and changed into something comfier. She looked around and gestured to the duffel bag the Doctor had brought me last time we tried relaxing. I threw on something comfier as well and lied down beside her. She instantly glued herself to me, hugging me tight. I put my arms around her. Shortly after, we drifted off to sleep.

Chapter Text

The next morning, I sat up in bed expecting Rose to nearly get dragged with me. Instead, I was alone. I was standing in a football field. I turned and looked over my shoulder and then turned back forward. “Where the hell am I?”

“We meet again, Kaiden,” a voice said. I turned in the direction of the voice and saw that bastard from the ocean cave. “I suppose I’ve never properly introduced myself. I’m Patrick.”

“Kill yourself,” I said flatly. Learned that one from the Doctor.

“That’s no way to talk to an old friend, is it?” he asked mockingly. He punched me in the face and I stumbled back. “Y’know what we’re gonna do today? I’m going to learn more about that Vortex power of yours. We’re really going to put it to the test.”

He then began to fight me, throwing punches and kicks. I’ve been in enough scraps as a wee lad and in pubs to hold my own. I fought back as best I could. He must’ve known a martial art of something like that, because I was not holding my own as well as I thought I would. Did that stop me from fighting back though? Hell no. He eventually pulled out a taser and shocked me. I collapsed on the ground and writhed in pain. He looked down at me, pointing a gun at my face.

“I wonder if this will bring you to the other side.”

An echoing bang rang out across that field shrouded in fog and rain. I came to shortly after and scrambled to my feet, almost slipping in the slick grass.

“What does your power do aside from resurrect you!?” he demanded. “Show me something!”

“No way, bastard!”

“Then I’ll keep killing you until you show me!” he barked. He shot me in the chest until the chamber was empty. I slumped over and died a little too slowly for comfort.
Unfortunately, I did in fact get sick of dying repeatedly. I swung at him. He stumbled back, dropping the gun. I kicked it aside and punched him down to the ground. I grabbed his jaw and he struggled, scratching at my arm and trying to bite my hand.

“Enough! I’m sick of you, you bastard!” I shouted. I felt that fire shoot through my very being like when the ground collapsed in that botanical garden. My body began to ache. My hands burned and my veins glowed gold. He looked at me in horror. “Rose may have brought life, but I take it!”

I braced myself and exploded, increasing that fiery feeling. I shot back, losing my grip on the guy. I quickly ran back to him and grabbed his collar, his jaw broken. He looked at me, tears falling down his cheeks. “You’re unlucky, lad. Rose could heal that for you. I can make it worse.”

I blasted again, killing him instantly. I stumbled back and collapsed, spending all my Vortex power.

“Wake up!” a voice shouted. I flinched and looked up to see blank white, a faint outline visible to me.

“Doctor…?”

He patted my cheek. “Hey, stay with me, pal.”

I blinked slowly and shook my head a little. “I-I can’t see.”

“You’ll see again soon, I promise. You blew a fuse again,” he said softly, his hand gently holding my face. “I promise.”

“I believe you,” I said, hesitantly reaching out and clumsily grabbing his forearm. “Doctor… what happened?”

“That guy who kidnapped you in the ocean planet. He beamed you in your sleep to a football field in Manchester,” he said tiredly. “He kept killing you.”

I nodded slowly. “I-I remember. He baited me into using my Vortex power.”

“He didn’t bait you, pal. You defended yourself.”

“No, he baited me,” I said, shaking my head a little. I could sort of make out a slightly clearer outline of the Doctor. “He kept beating and threatening me and killing me until I used it.”

“That’s not being baited; that was defending yourself,” he said softly. “He antagonized you.”

I sniffled a little, searing hot tears beginning to fall down my face. “Doctor, don’t you get it? All I can do is kill. I’m not capable of negotiating or talking down like you are. I snapped so easily and killed that bastard. I killed him brutally and I don’t regret it. I’m a monster.”

“No, Kaiden, you’re not a monster,” he said firmly, his other hand holding my face now. I gently grabbed onto that forearm, too. “You’re a wonderful, bright, guy. I truly love having you on board. You may think you’re a liability, but I still took that chance. Rose needs you now because you’re linked. I… need you. You’re a wonderful companion, pal.”

I raised my eyebrows a little. “I-I still can’t see. Doctor, I can’t even see you.”

“I know,” he said softly. I heard him sit down and scoot a little closer. “I’ve got you.”

I collapsed into him, crying into his shoulder. I just couldn’t stop it. I couldn’t have tried holding that cry in even if I wanted to. “Why can’t I be like you, Doctor? Why can’t I stop killing!?”

“Shh, it’s alright,” he said softly, hugging me close. “You kill to protect us. You don’t kill millions like I did. You don’t kill for revenge. You don’t even kill out of anger. You kill to keep us safe. Somehow, you kill out of love. Kaiden, you are so full of love and compassion for Rose and myself that you jump at a chance to keep us out of harm’s way. You got the part of the Time Vortex that brings the end of time. Rose got the part that brings the beginning of time. That’s why she can heal and you can kill. It’s a balance. I’ve finally figured you out. A normal human isn’t supposed to have those capabilities, so it’s only natural your outcome would be death.”

“I’m a murderer, Doctor! God, I can’t fix it!” I cried before sobbing louder against his stupid leather jacket. He hugged me a little tighter and gave my back a reassuring pat. “God, Doctor, I should’ve died on that satellite!”

“Kaiden!” he cried, breaking the hug. He kept his hands on my shoulders, holding onto them firmly. “Don’t you ever say something like that, do you hear me?”

I looked at him in surprise—or at least I hoped I looked at him—and nodded a little. “I-I don’t…”

“You mean the world to me, Kaiden. You and Rose. I-I could never forgive myself if either of you two got hurt, let alone killed,” he said firmly. “Please, Kaiden, don’t get yourself killed.”

“Y-You what…?” I fumbled. I was finally starting to slowly recover my sight. “Doctor I-I just want you and Rose to be okay. I-I don’t… I don’t mean to kill. I would never hurt you guys.”

“I know, Kaiden,” he said softly. He pulled me a little closer, practically holding me in his lap. He wrapped his arms around me. “I promise I’ve never thought you’d hurt me. You’re a kind bloke you are. Please, just take a minute. Relax.”

I sniffled a little and clumsily wiped away some more burning hot tears. “Does—Does Rose know what happened?”

“Not yet,” he said, keeping his voice low and gentle. “She’s still asleep. I found out you were missing and came to help.”

“How—How’d you k-know, lad?”

“That’s not important now,” he said, hugging me a little tighter. “I just need you to take it easy now, pal. Take a rest. Please, just breathe. Go easy on yourself.”

“I-I don’t know how,” I mumbled. I gripped his jacket tightly in my fists as he held me like I was a wee baby. “I can’t do it.”

He hugged me tighter and patted my back a bit. “Shh, it’s okay. You’ll learn. You’re so, so young, Kaiden. You and Rose are learning. You both have all the time in the universe to learn and grow and figure things out. I promise you’ll get there.”

I gripped his jacket tighter and cried into his shoulder some more. I spent so much time sitting there bawling against the Doctor while he held me like I was a wee lad. It was oddly comforting. When I finally calmed down, I could still barely see. My sight was much better than before, but it still wasn’t clear. Eventually, I just slumped over on my back on the floor of the Tardis, unintentionally pulling the Doctor with me. He raised his eyebrows in surprise and quickly shifted so he was sitting beside me.

“Doctor, it’s okay,” I said softly. I couldn’t tell very well, but I’m pretty sure he was smiling. “Sorry, I just… ache.”

“You’ve had too much excitement for one day,” he said. He chuckled softly. “I should probably uh… get you back to Rose now before she worries.”

“Aye, that’s probably best,” I said with a nod. “Plus, I’m pretty tired anyway.”

He nodded a little and dashed around the console, flying the Tardis back to Rose’s flat. Once he was done dashing around, he stayed on the floor with me, holding onto my arm through the turbulence. Once we landed, he helped me up. I immediately stumbled against him, bracing my hands against his shoulders. He put his arms around my waist to keep me upright and chuckled nervously. I laughed a little.

“Sorry, pal,” he said, putting an arm around me to steady me. He helped practically drag me to Rose’s front door. When we got there, he pulled out his sonic screwdriver, fiddling with the frequencies to try and unlock her door. I leaned on him harder than I wanted to admit. “Hang in there, Kaiden. I promise I’ll get you home safe.”

“It hurts, Doctor,” I mumbled. He turned to me and kissed me. I was extremely surprised and looked a him in shock. “W-Why’d you…?”

“Kaiden, I love you,” he blurted. I stared at him in confusion. “I love you and—and I love Rose. Please don’t ever leave.”

I swallowed painfully and smiled. “Relax you old bastard, I’m not going anywhere. Rose and I are immortal now, which means you’re stuck with us forever.”

He grinned, keeping me standing upright. “I don’t think I could ever complain about that, pal.”

Rose opened the door, rubbing her eye. “Doctor? What’re you doing here with my boyfriend?”

“Just returning him,” the Doctor said cheerfully.

“Did he wander off or something?’ she asked sleepily.

“Ah, more or less,” he said. I blinked slowly, my entire body feeling heavy and on fire, and my vision still a bit too whited out. It was like getting hit by a flashbang in a video game, but the effect wasn’t wearing off fast enough. “Kidnapped in a van would be more like it.”

Rose stood up straighter and put her hands on my face, looking at me with concern. “Oh my God, what happened?”

“Remember that ocean guy that kept killing me? Well he kept killing me again and baited me into using my Vortex power. I kind of exploded… twice.”

“Twice!?” her and the Doctor shouted.

“You blew up twice?” Rose asked fearfully.

“You did not tell me you blew up twice!” the Doctor said sternly. “Oh my God, no wonder you still can’t see and you’re barely standing!”

I chuckled nervously. “It’s not so bad. I feel… fine, all things considered.”

“No, come here,” Rose said, putting another arm around me, gently gripping my wrist. “You need rest.”

Her and the Doctor basically dragged me to Rose’s room and laid me back down in bed. I grimaced, trying to hide how much pain I was in. Rose and the Doctor looked down at me.
“How much pain are you in, pal?”

“Not much, lad,” I said, literally lying through my teeth. I took a shaky breath and tried relaxing. Rose glanced at the Doctor and he nodded slightly.

“Kaiden, don’t lie,” Rose said softly. She lied down next to me, gently snuggling up with me. I smiled at her. “You’re hurt.”

“It’s… tolerable,” I managed. I clenched my fists and grit my teeth again.

The Doctor scanned me and knelt beside the bed. “You’re in rough shape, pal. Everything will be fine though.”

He gently brushed some of my hair aside and Rose gently rubbed my chest. “You’ll be fine, mate. I promise.”

She kissed my cheek and I felt some of the pain ease. Unfortunately it wasn’t a significant amount of pain and maybe I was just crazy, but I couldn’t complain. The Doctor kissed my other cheek, and it was oddly reassuring.

“Did—Did you want me to stay or…?”

“You don’t have to stay,” I started. “You-”

“No, Doctor, you should stay,” Rose said quickly. “Come relax. I think he could use another mate.”

The Doctor smiled and stayed knelt at my bedside. He gently held my hand while Rose was clinging to me like she’d never hold me again.

“Guys, I promise I’m fine,” I said softly. The Doctor raised an eyebrow. “Don’t give me that look, lad. I saw that.”

“I wasn’t giving you any look, Kaiden,” he said, holding back a smile. The bastard was lucky he was too blurry for me to swing on. I could practically smell the smugness in that smile of his. “Promise.”

“You’re so full of shit, lad,” I said, shaking my head a little. Rose cracked up and kissed my cheek. I yawned loudly and it was nice when I finally drifted back to sleep.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I killed a few days with Rose and her mum while Rose and I tried looking online for any places for rent. Unfortunately most of those listings were from random blokes renting a room, not actual flats. One afternoon, we were sitting around watching the aftermath of a UFO crashing into Big Ben.

“Bet you the Doctor’s already investigating that,” she said, gesturing to the TV.

I laughed a little. Jackie walked in and sat on the chair. “Oh you’re watching the UFO stuff? I heard the Prime Minister is having some kind of meeting about it.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Huh. Who would’ve thought?”

“Oh c’mon, mate, I know you’ve met aliens before,” Jackie said. I laughed a little. “Wonder what kind of alien they found in there.”

“Rose punched an alien who danced with me in that nightclub,” I said, smiling a little.

“I’m about to punch you,” she said firmly, eyes fixed on the TV. “She was dancing on you, Kaiden, I had every right.”

“We weren’t even dating,” I said with a shrug.

She crossed her arms. “I know. I just felt a little… jealous, I guess.”

“So wait, are you two dating now?” Jackie asked. “I mean, you two seem awful close, but maybe it’s that Time thing you were talking about.”

“Yeah, the Time Vortex,” Rose said. “And yes, I think we are dating now.”

“Took you long enough,” Jackie said. Rose and I looked at her in surprise. “Don’t look at me like that! You lot were all over each other even before.”

“No way we were!” I cried.

“You totally were, mate,” she said. She leaned against the arm of the chair and smiled at us. “I see the way you look at each other. I see the way the Doctor observes you two. You lot are in love.”

“Mum!” Rose cried, holding her hands out. “We—We weren’t all over each other!”

“You were, Rose, and you know it,” Jackie said, shaking her head a little. “I caught you kissing that boy so many times.”

She crossed her arms. “So?”

“So you clearly love him—at least a little!” Jackie said back. “Surprised it took you two this long to figure out.”

I chuckled nervously and rubbed my neck. “I’m not exactly the brightest lad around, unfortunately.”

“Nonsense, mate. You’re plenty smart,” Jackie said. “You’re a delight you-”

“Wait mum, quiet,” Rose said, leaning forward to get a better look at the TV. “They’re talking about nuclear weapons.”

“What?” Jackie asked in shock. “Nuclear weapons? Against aliens? Where’s that Doctor fellow of yours when you need him!”

I swallowed nervously and glanced out the window. Boy how I wished that crazy bastard would walk in and ask us to come investigate with him. I’d only been relaxing a few days, but I missed the lad and his antics already. I was itching to investigate the alien crash landing.

“He’s probably off investigating it without us,” I said. “The lad can’t resist his mysteries, but he was complaining I needed to relax or whatever.”

“You exploded twice, Kaiden,” Rose said flatly, still intently watching the news. “He had every right to abandon us here for a few days.”

“He exploded? How does he do that?” Jackie asked nervously.

“Time Vortex,” I said. “Rose got the half that starts time and I got the half that stops it to put it in easier terms. I explode a lot.”

Rose elbowed my side. “Which he needs to stop doing.”

“I’m with Rose on this one,” Jackie said with a shrug. “No more blowing up. I’ve seen what that does to you, mate.”

“I can handle it,” I said.

“You were blind for a solid day and a half starting on Tuesday,” Rose said. She glanced at her wrist as if she were wearing a watch. “It’s Saturday.”

I crossed my arms. “I wear glasses anyway.”

“Speaking of which, did you still need help getting a new pair?” Jackie asked me. “I saved a little extra in case you needed it.”

I raised my eyebrows. “You did? Oh Ms. Tyler, it—it’s okay. I have this backup pair.”

“Isn’t it your old prescription though?” she asked. I shrugged. “C’mon mate, let me get you a proper pair. That jerk broke your glasses.”

“Let my mum buy your glasses,” Rose said, still closely watching the news. “Man, I’d kill to go check that out. I’m so curious.”

I smiled a little. “If only the Doctor hadn’t deserted us.”

“If only you hadn’t exploded twice,” Rose said back. “He probably felt guilty about it and is avoiding us.”

I swallowed nervously. He was probably avoiding us because he confessed his love for me the night he dragged my half-dead body back to Rose’s flat. “I really want to go check this out. I’d kill to know what’s going on in Downing Street.”

“Weird nobody’s seen the Prime Minister apparently,” Rose said, frowning a little. She brushed some of her hair aside and I thought it was cute. “They’ve got someone else taking his place right now, but I hope he’s alright.”

“That can’t be good,” Jackie said.

I heard that familiar whirring of the Tardis coming from the street down by Rose’s flat. I glanced at Rose and we both grabbed our coats and dashed outside before Jackie could stop us. Rose grabbed my hand and nearly ran right into the Doctor as he stepped out of the Tardis.

“There you lot are,” he said, crossing his arms. “Couple of lazy bones you are.”

“Oi, you told us to relax,” Rose said, punching his shoulder.

He grinned playfully. “True, I did. Figured you lot would’ve been restless by now. Promise your boyfriend is done exploding?”

I sighed loudly. “Yes, Doctor. I’m done exploding.”

“Fantastic! Let’s go then,” he said, gesturing to the Tardis.

Instead of being able to step inside, police lights surrounded us and a helicopter’s spotlight shone down. A voice on a loudspeaker commanded us to put our hands up. I obliged and even got on my knees. The Doctor smacked me upside the head.

“Get up. You’re not about to be executed, pal,” he said. I stood back up.

“Sorry I’m not exactly jumping at the idea of being taken into custody by Brits,” I shot back.

“Why would you be worried in the first place? We didn’t do anything, so we’re probably fine.”

I shot him a look. “In case you’ve forgotten, I’m Irish. The Irish and Brits don’t exactly go back a long way as mates.”

“Well you’re still not about to be killed,” he said back. A policeman escorted us into the back of a car and we sped off to Downing Street. “See? Not getting killed.”

I crossed my arms. “Pardon me for assuming I was under arrest because we were surrounded by police.”

Rose smacked both of us upside the head. “Knock it off. You two are arguing like an old married couple. Kaiden, you’re overly anxious, but you do have a right to be. Doctor, I know you were trying to comfort him, but maybe work on the delivery. There, can we get along now?”

“Fine,” the Doctor said, crossing his arms and looking out the window. His sulking didn’t last long because he turned to us excitedly. “Can you believe we’ve been personally invited to Downing Street? I guess technically I have, but you guys get to come along as my plus two.”

“Isn’t it normally plus one?”

“Well there’s two of you, right?” he asked. I nodded. “Then that makes it a plus two. They’ll just have to take it or leave it because my companions come with me.”

I smiled and Rose looked around in awe. “I can’t believe I get to go to Downing Street.”

“Me neither,” I said. “We really get the inside knowledge of what’s happening in Parliament during an alien invasion.”

“I already did some digging,” the Doctor said. “The ‘alien’ in the shipwreck was a decoy. Poor creature was a normal Earth pig in a space suit. Soldiers killed the poor thing. I can assure you I ripped them a new one for it. Now they want to meet with us! I’m ready to dig around some more.”

“You and your sleuthing,” I said, playfully nudging his side. He smiled. “So what do we do when we get inside?”

“I guess we’ll find out.”

As we arrived, we were swarmed by the press taking photos. We walked in past all the reporters and followed the Doctor through. Some security and soldiers were lined up all about the room. One man frantically trying to gather everyone handed the Doctor a badge and escorted him away.

“Whoa, hold on,” the Doctor said. “I can’t go without my companions.”

“I’m sorry, but they’ll have to wait out here,” he said. “They don’t have clearance.”

“It’s fine, Doctor,” Rose said with a smile. “We can kill time here until you’re done.”

A woman walked up to us. “I can keep an eye on them. Harriet Jones, MP Flydale North.”

We were quickly ushered away, walking around with Harriet Jones. “Nice to meet you. I’m Rose. This is Kaiden.”

“Don’t look at anyone and keep your voices down, just follow me,” she said, walking us around to another room. “I saw them. I saw who they are. They make this horrible blue light and unzip peoples’ skins to show their alien forms.”

Rose and I exchanged a nervous glance. “What?”

Harriet nodded a little and sniffled. “It’s true. I saw them! We have to do something.”

“We can’t get in there, lass,” I said, patting her shoulder. “What are we supposed to do?”

“There’s gotta be another way through,” Rose said, glancing around. “Something weird is going on.”

“Come, quickly,” Harriet said. “I might be able to get us in another way.”

We followed her through some hallways and got to the main cabinet. She showed us a red briefcase with all the plans in case of alien invasion. I looked around in wonder. I’d never been in anything more than a city hall or an NDLS office. It felt pretty cool being in such an important place.

“Look, they’ve got the nuclear launch codes and they’re just waiting for the UN to clear it,” Harriet said, showing Rose some of the documents. “I think they’re going to blow up London.”

“Kaiden, come here,” Rose said, waving me over. I dashed over. “Look, they’re gonna blow up the city.”

I raised my eyebrows. “My God. What do we do?”

“We’ve got to stop Joseph, Margaret, and Asquith taking over for the Prime Minister. We should probably start by trying to find the Prime Minister.”

I scratched my neck and looked around the room like an idiot. “Could they have stashed the lad somewhere?”

“Maybe, but what would they have to gain from that?”

“I think we should go find the Doctor,” I said. “He probably knows much more than us.”

We dashed around the halls and slipped past some guards to go find the Doctor. I knocked out one guard and dragged him aside before hurrying into the room where the Doctor was meeting with the Prime Minister’s replacements. Instead, I found everyone in the room—including the Doctor—being electrocuted, and 3 massive aliens standing at the front of the room instead of those replacements.

I dashed over to the Doctor, and without thinking, grabbed his badge to tear it off of him. It worked, but I couldn’t let go of it. I screamed and sank to my knees before collapsing on my back. The Doctor went to pose up on the aliens at the front of the room, demanding they stop hurting everyone. They hopped back into their skin suits right as some soldiers walked into the room. General Asquith turned off the lightning.

“How could you let this happen?” Joseph demanded. “Someone sabotaged this meeting!”

“They’re all dead,” one soldier announced.

I lied there on the floor trying to catch my breath. “Christ, that hurt.”

“Kaiden!” Rose cried, kneeling beside me and grabbing my hand. Harriet looked around in shock.

“My goodness, is he alright!?”

“Aye, I’m fine, lass,” I said tiredly.

“What were you thinking, pal?” the Doctor demanded. He grabbed my shirt collar and looked at me intently. I wasn’t expecting such an intense reaction. “Why would you do that?”

“I-I didn’t think enough,” I said, frowning a little. “I just wanted them to stop hurting you.”

“Enough of this! None of you are supposed to be here!” Joseph cried. He turned to Asquith. “What say we hunt?”

“That can’t be good,” Rose said nervously. “Can you stand?”

“Aye, I think so,” I said. The Doctor let go of my shirt and I slowly got back to my feet. “Okay, we’d better run.”

“I second that,” Harriet said, raising her hand a little.

A bright blue light filled the room and we all booked it through the halls again. We were right at the cabinet again and the Doctor was threatening to splash alcohol on them, claiming it was some kind of acid.

“Now, who are you guys?”

“We are the Slitheen,” one said.

“Great, now why are you invading?”

“Invading? As if we’d want to invade this rock,” one said.

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. “Okay so you’re not here for invasion. Real estate?”

“Precisely,” another Slitheen said. “We plan to sell the nuclear waste after we blow this planet up for fuel.”

“I’m guessing you’ve sent a signal out then?” the Doctor asked. They all nodded.

“Did you know that’s just alcohol and not an acid you can charge with that screwdriver?”

The Doctor handed it back to Harriet. “Here, you’ll need it.”

She passed it to Rose without taking a sip. Rose just awkwardly held it. I took the bottle and took a sip. I grimaced. “Yikes, what kind of drink is this?”

“Smells like old bourbon,” Rose said, sniffing the bottle and making a face.

“Well, bye then!” the Doctor said, stepping back and pressing the button to seal us in the room. “Okay, impenetrable walls. They can’t get in.”

“So how do we get out?” Rose asked.

His smile faded and he cleared his throat. “Right… okay, well we need to figure out their weakness. I need to know what planet they’re from. Quick, tell me whatever you’ve gathered about them!”

“If you’ll pardon my language, they fart a lot,” Harriet said.

“Narrows it down!”

“They only use bodies of fat people,” I said.

“Narrows it down!”

“They’ve got awful breath,” Rose said.

“Narrows it down!”

“They’ve got all those long arse names,” I said. “I heard them talking about each other as we were sneaking in.”

“Narrows it down!” he cheered again. “I’ve got it! Raxacoricofallapatorius!”

“Gesundheit,” I said.

He shot me a look. “No, that’s their home planet. They’re just a family, not the species! But, they share a weakness, which is acetic acid!”

“That’s… vinegar, yeah?” Rose asked. The Doctor nodded. She pulled out her phone and called her mum. “Mum? No I-I’m fine. Yeah, we’re all safe here. Listen, if any freaky aliens get into the house, splash them with vinegar. I’m not saying any will come after you, but if they do, throw vinegar at them. Okay, I know. I’ll be home for dinner. Promise. Yes, Kaiden is fine, too. He hasn’t exploded. Love you too.”

“Okay, we need to destroy Downing Street,” the Doctor said.

“What!?” Harriet and I cried.

“We need to get rid of them,” he said. “While they’re waiting around for me to open these doors, we can blow this place up and eliminate them.”

I raised my eyebrows. “It’s worth a shot.”

“We need missiles, then,” Harriet said. “And we don’t have access to computers in here!”

“I know someone with a computer,” Rose said, dialing on her phone. She put it on speaker and set it on the table.
“Rose?”

“Mickey! I need a favor, mate,” she said. “Can you hack into some missile launches?”

He sighed loudly. “Let me see what I can do.”

“Attaboy!” the Doctor said. I walked up to him while Rose and Mickey chatted. “What’s up?”

“Why were you so… intense back there?” I asked. He looked at me, his expression softening. “I’ve never seen you grab me like that, lad.”

“I’m sorry, Kaiden,” he said quietly. He turned around and I followed suit. “I-I was scared. I don’t handle fear well.”

I raised my eyebrows. “You? Scared? I’ve watched you stare down a Dalek fleet, rescue me from a frozen maintenance shaft, rescue me again in an ocean cave, take on Cassandra twice, and fight countless aliens when we were clearly outnumbered.”

“It’s true. I get scared just like you,” he said with a shrug. “My only problem with this plan is that I could lose you guys.”

“We’re immortal, Doctor. You couldn’t lose us even if you tried,” I said, smiling and nudging his side. “Besides, the walls in here are thick metal. No way would it blow us up.”

“True,” he said with a slight nod. “I don’t know, I just forget you two are immortal. I’m not used to my companions being able to stay with me.”

“Is that why you push us away so much?” I asked. He raised his eyebrows. “C’mon, lad. Don’t deny it.”

“Yeah, I think so,” he sighed. “It’s… tough realizing that I can’t retreat into my little Tardis instead of facing you guys.”

I patted his shoulder. “Says the ballsy son of a bitch who kissed me a few days ago.”

He laughed a little. “How’s the blindness?”

“Gone,” I said. “I think my prescription got worse and now Ms. Tyler is insisting on buying me new glasses. Makes me feel… guilty.”

“Kaiden, you’re allowed to accept kind gestures,” he said.

“Doctor! Mickey needs a passcode!”

Harriet rattled off a couple options and Rose went back to supervising the call with Mickey. I sighed softly and crossed my arms. “Don’t start analyzing me, lad.”

“I analyze you every time I look at you, pal,” he said, mirroring me. “Whether you like it or not, I read you.”

“I’m not sure how I feel about that.”

“Rose? Kaiden?”

“Ms. Tyler?” I asked, turning around.

“There’s one of those aliens trying to break down Mickey’s front door!” she cried.

The Doctor dashed over. “Mickey, Ms. Tyler! They’re calcium based! Splash some vinegar on them!”

“Mickey, where do you keep vinegar?” Jackie asked.

“Kitchen!”

I heard the commotion of them scramble into the kitchen. Jackie started digging around. “Mickey, where is it?”

“Should be in the cupboard!” he said. “And if it’s not, I’m fresh out.”

“Doctor, there’s no vinegar!”

“Do you have anything pickled?” he asked. “Like pickled onions or something like that?”

I heard some clattering as they searched the fridge. “Got it! There’s eggs, onions, and gherkins!”

“Splash it on that Raxacoricofallavatorian once it gets in!”

“The what!?”

“The big green alien!” he said tiredly.

Rose grabbed my hand out of fear, holding it tightly in her hands. “C’mon, mum… c’mon Mickey…”

I looked at her. “How on Earth did you kiss that lad when you were dating?”

She cracked up a little and elbowed my side, still tightly holding my hand. A loud pop sound followed by splattering was heard. Mickey and Ms. Tyler sighed loudly. “We got it.”

Rose sighed with relief and hugged me tight. “Oh thank goodness.”

“Maybe I should go keep an eye on them for you,” I said.

“No, don’t go,” she said, hugging me tighter. “Please don’t go.”

I raised my eyebrows in surprise and the Doctor shot me a look. “Alright, alright. I won’t go.”

“Okay Doctor, I’m in the Navy missile list,” Mickey said. “Just say when.”

The Doctor looked around the room. “We need a spot to hunker down.”

“The closet might work!” Harriet chimed in. “I was hiding there from them before when I found out they unzip the human suits.”

“Perfect, everyone in then!” the Doctor said.

Rose hugged me tighter and grabbed her cell. “Alright mum, I promise we’ll be alright.”

“C’mon, Rose, we gotta take cover,” I said, nudging her along.

She hurried to the closet with Harriet, passing her phone to me. I stepped over to the Doctor. “Any more instruction, Doctor?”

“Fire that third option,” he said. He glanced at Rose and Harriet. “Fire it now.”

“Doctor are—are you sure?” Mickey asked. “Are you guys able to take cover?”

“Yes, we’re in the cabinet room and it has impenetrable walls. We’ll be fine,” he said, swallowing nervously.

I heard Mickey typing a little and click. “Fired. You’ve got maybe 5 minutes until it reaches Downing Street.”

“Doctor, come on,” I said, grabbing his arm. “To the closet.”

“Not yet,” he said. “I need to make sure it’s coming and that everyone else here evacuates.”

“Doctor!” I said more firmly. “Let’s go!”

He closed Rose’s phone and shoved it into my hands. I put it in my coat pocket. “Kaiden, do you trust me?”

“Aye, of course I do,” I said, frowning a little with concern. “What are you planning, Doctor?”

“I have to make sure everyone evacuates,” he said. “We have a few minutes until it arrives. I’m going to go alert everyone still here.”

“Are you crazy!? The Slitheen are right out there!” I barked, gripping his arm more firmly. “Besides, there’s other monitors in this place. Someone will be alerted and make sure everyone is evacuated!”

“Kaiden, I have to be sure.”

“Doctor!” I said, stopping him as he tried turning away. He tried yanking his arm away. “Doctor, stop! What is up with you, lad? You’ve been so hot and cold with me lately! Just take cover! Everyone knows by now there’s a missile headed our way!”

“Kaiden, let go!” he commanded, still trying to pry his arm from my grasp. “I have to-”

I started dragging him to the closet by his arm, struggling with him the entire time. Talk about bullheaded! I kicked him right into the closet and he collapsed in. I stepped in afterwards and handed Rose her phone before sitting down beside her under a shelf. She instantly clung to me.

“I was starting to worry!” she said. She kissed my cheek a few times and I couldn’t help but smile like an idiot.

“Sorry, I had to basically drag the Doctor in here,” I said. “He was worried the place wasn’t evacuated and kept trying to run out there where the Slitheen are.”

She raised her eyebrows. “That’s crazy! Don’t they have other ways to scan missiles?”

“Aye, they do. Saw a bunch of computers out there,” I said. I leaned closer to her. “I think something’s up with him.”

“Really?” she asked. “Well, I think now is a bad time to be addressing this considering we’re about to blow up.”

I nodded a little. “Aye, good point.”

She hugged me tighter, burying her face against me. I put my arms around her. The Doctor was sulking in the corner next to Harriet, all of us hiding underneath shelves. I closed my eyes, waiting for the inevitable explosion. The missile hit, the explosion ringing out around us. The walls caved in and we tumbled through the closet as Downing Street was blown up. I lied down where I landed slumped against the wall. I opened my eyes as the dust settled and looked around. Rose and the Doctor were on top of me.

“Kaiden… Doctor…?” Rose asked. She coughed a little and waved some of the dust away. She picked herself up and sat on her knees, trying to gather her bearings. “Kaiden!”

“Mm?” I muttered. I took a sharp breath. “What happened? Did—Did we do it?”

“Yeah, we did it, pal,” the Doctor said, quickly kneeling beside me. “You’re alright.”

I frowned a little and looked at both of them. “Something happened.”

“Hang in there Kaiden,” Rose said softly, rubbing her thumb against my cheekbone. “We’re going to get you out of here.”

“What’s happened to—oh my God,” Harriet cried, covering her mouth with her hands. “Doctor, he has rebar through his…”

“Yeah, I’ve noticed,” the Doctor said. He grabbed my hand and looked at Rose. “We have to pull him off.”

“Doctor he’ll die!” Harriet protested.

“No, he won’t stop dying unless we pull him off of this,” the Doctor said firmly. He looked at Rose and firmly grabbed my arm. She followed suit. “Count of three.”

Rose looked down at me. “You’ll be okay, I promise.”

They counted down and on three, they both yanked, pulling me off the ground. The piece of rebar that had punctured my chest ripped back through me as they pulled. I cried out in pain and my vision very quickly went out.

I opened my eyes to see Rose glowing gold and the Doctor staring in awe and fear. Harriet was also pretty shocked. “Live, goddammit! I said I bring life, now bring it, please!”

She slammed her fists against my chest out of frustration. I gasped for air and looked at Rose. “My God… you’re sexy in glowing gold.”

She hugged me tight and sighed with relief, the glow fading. She looked at me and kissed me. I was a bit surprised, but I couldn’t complain. “Kaiden, I love you.”

“I-I love you too, Rose,” I said weakly, trying to catch my breath.

“You are so brave, Kaiden,” the Doctor said. “I could only dream of that.”

“Oh stop, you old bastard,” I said. I looked around nervously. “Where’s Harriet?”

The Doctor tilted his head to her running out to the street to talk to the press and the police. “Over there preparing to be Britain’s next Prime Minister. The best one, actually.”

Rose chuckled softly and hugged me tighter, lightly kissing my cheek. “Of course you managed to die on us, love.”

“Sorry, I’ll aim for the slab of solid concrete next time,” I said. She couldn’t help but laugh a little. I heard her sniffle and felt her tears land on my neck. “Hey, don’t be so sad, Rose. I’m right here.”

“I know,” she mumbled, somehow hugging me even tighter. She gripped my denim jacket and my shirt tightly. “I just fear if I let you go, you’ll be gone.”

“Rose, you saved my sorry arse yet again. Thank you. And watch where you’re grabbing, you’ll tear the patches off me jacket,” I teased. She nudged me. “Sorry, I thought I’d try and be lighthearted.”

“Alright Rose, let the boy go,” the Doctor said. “You guys had better get back to Rose’s mum. I’m sure she’s worried sick considering we just blew the place up with us inside it.”

“Yeah, I guess he’s right,” Rose said softly. She kissed my cheek. “I’m not done with you yet though.”

I laughed a little and she helped me up. I brushed myself off and stretched a little. “Wow, amazing how this Vortex power heals. You wouldn’t even know I had a hole through my chest a second ago.”

Rose playfully smacked my shoulder. “Not funny.”

“C’mon you two, let’s get you home,” the Doctor said cheerfully.

We stepped out of the rubble and he walked us back to Rose’s flat. He stepped into his Tardis and it vanished. Rose walked me back up to her flat and the minute we stepped in, Jackie was all over us.

“Oh Rose! I’m so glad you’re okay!” she said, hugging her tight. “I was so worried!”

“I’m fine, mum. Thankfully the Doctor knows what he’s talking about,” she said.

Jackie came up to me and hugged me. “I’m glad you’re alright, too, mate! You’re always getting hurt. I’m surprised you’re even back here in one piece!”

I chuckled nervously. “Aye, it’s a wonder. We hunkered down in what was essentially a bunker. We’re all good.”

Rose smiled a little and I returned the gesture. Jackie broke the hug and patted my shoulders. “Okay, you two had better get cleaned up. You’re covered in dust.”

“Aye aye,” I said, saluting her. Rose rolled her eyes and smiled. I headed down the hall and stopped at Rose’s room to grab something clean to wear. Thankfully, the Doctor had brought me just enough. I grabbed some clothes and headed off to shower.

It was nice taking a long, hot shower. I scrubbed away a lot of dirt and felt much better. I looked in the mirror and realized I needed a shave. I figured the Doctor didn’t think to bring my clippers, but it wasn’t a big deal. The lad was inevitably going to be back in a couple days. I could just ask him then. I went back to Rose’s room and she kissed me.

“Mm, Kaiden,” she said softly. She wrapped her arms around my shoulders. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

“Of course I’m okay, love,” I said, smiling a little. I put my arms around her waist and she pressed closer to me. “You know I’m not going anywhere.”

“Good, you’d better not,” she said. She kissed me and let it linger that time. “Here, come sit.”

I shrugged and sat down on her bed. She turned the lock on her door and excitedly sat beside me, wrapping her arms around me again. “Someone sure is touchy, aye?”

She chuckled softly and kissed me again. “We’ve never had a moment to ourselves, Kaiden. I can’t believe I’ve had to wait this long.”

“To kiss me?” I asked. She kissed me again. “We literally hooked up in the Tardis not too long ago, love.”

“I know, but that was just desperation, Kaiden,” she said softly. “We had alcohol on an alien planet. Are you really surprised we hooked up?”

I nodded slightly. “Aye, good point. So we’re… not hooking up now?”

“No, it’s not hooking up if we’re dating,” she said, cracking up a little. She kissed me again. “Besides, wouldn’t you rather be kissing me than asking questions?”

I smiled a little. “Hey, cut me a break, love.”

“Since you’re so pretty, I guess I can do that,” she said, smiling slyly. “How are you feeling after the whole incident at Downing Street?”

“I feel great, surprisingly,” I said. “I guess it helps when someone else heals you rather than resurrecting yourself.”

“I’ve never used my half of the power like that before,” she said. She kissed me. “But boy am I glad I did.”

I smiled. “I’m glad, too.”

“How glad?” she teased. I raised an eyebrow. “I think you should tell me all about it.”

“You’re baiting me, but I can’t say I mind, love,” I said softly. She chuckled softly and hugged me, sitting in my lap.

She sighed. “Oh c’mon, humor me!”

“Rose! Dinner!”

Rose groaned and leaned her head against my shoulder. “Damn!”

“Hey, at least we didn’t get too far, aye?” I said. She shot me a look and playfully pushed me. I laughed and looked over at her. “That’s hardly fair!”

“Why’s that?”

“I died today,” I said, crossing my arms. “So I wasn’t ready to get shoved.”

She laughed and leaned over, kissing me gently. I put my hands on her face and she kissed me more, grabbing my collar. She just kept kissing me, and I certainly wasn’t complaining.

“Rose! Kaiden!”

“Mm, Rose… your mum,” I said. She kissed me more. “You know she’s gonna come barging in, love.”

“I know,” she said softly before kissing me again. “You’re just so damn sexy.”

I laughed a little. “I’m flattered, but I’d rather not get dragged out of the flat by your mum. Let’s go eat.”

She kissed my cheek a few times. “Oh but what’s the harm in a little fun?”

“I think I should give you something to look forward to,” I said, standing back up. She sighed loudly. “C’mon, love. I’m starving.”

She smiled and followed me to the kitchen. We sat down with her mum and had some dinner together. Throughout the dinner, Rose kept shooting me looks and I nearly choked the first time. Thankfully, all went well and Ms. Tyler didn’t suspect anything. She didn’t even suspect anything when Rose immediately dragged me to her room afterwards, locking the door behind her. She kissed me hungrily, wrapping her arms around my shoulders.

“God that was killing me,” she muttered between kisses. “You’re just too sexy.”

“You flatterer,” I managed. She pushed me onto her bed and I looked at her in surprise. “Well goddamn.”

She smiled and practically tackled me, kissing me gently. “Sorry, I just like having you around, love.”

I laughed a little and kept kissing her. “I like being around, in this case.”

“Great, now shut up and kiss me,” she said, kissing me roughly.

I obliged and had the absolute time of my life.

Chapter Text

A few days passed and we heard that familiar sound of the Tardis. Rose booked it, taking me along with her. The Doctor greeted us cheerfully and held up bottles of alcohol.

“What’s this for?” I asked, gesturing to one of the bottles.

“Celebrating of course!” he said, grinning excitedly.

Rose frowned. “Celebrating what, Doctor?”

“Why us of course! You and Kaiden are alive and well, I’m having a grand time as always, and things are great!” he said, still looking oh so cheerful. He patted my cheek. “You’re Irish, yeah?”

I raised an eyebrow. “And you’re weird. Are we stating the obvious still?”

He laughed and nudged my shoulder. “You could out drink the both of us, huh?”

“What’re you getting at here, Doctor?” I asked, smiling slyly.

“Oh nothing,” he said, setting the bottles on the console. He grabbed some glasses from God knows where and set them out. He poured some of the Jameson and handed me a glass. “Just wondering how good you are at holding your alcohol.”

I laughed a little and held up my glass. “Cheers, lad.”

“Cheers,” he said back, holding up his glass. We both started drinking. Rose walked over and started sipping a glass. “So what have you two been up to since Downing Street?”

Rose and I glanced at each other and I stifled a laugh. She covered her mouth to try and hide a smile. “Oh y’know… hanging out.”

“Yeah, like we always do,” Rose said, hesitantly scratching the back of her neck.

“Dancing?”

Rose and I nodded. “Yeah, lot of dancing.”

He laughed a little and nudged Rose’s shoulder. “Look at you go!”

“You’re… congratulating me on sleeping with Kaiden?” she asked.

He shrugged and took another sip. “He’s cute. Who wouldn’t hit that?”

Rose and I looked at each other in surprise. “Doctor!”

“I’m just being honest!” he said defensively, shrugging and putting his hands up. “You’re lucky, pal.”

“Luck of the Irish I suppose. I am quite the ‘dancer’, I’d say,” I said. I took another sip of my drink. Rose playfully swatted my arm. “Oi, he’s right! I am a lucky bastard.”

“I never said bastard,” the Doctor chimed in.

Rose and I laughed. She patted my shoulder. “If anything, I’m lucky.”

“Luck of the… Londoner?” I offered.

Rose laughed and patted my shoulder. “Don’t say that again.”

The Doctor and I laughed a little. The Doctor poured more Jameson and handed me a glass. I downed it pretty quickly and he must’ve taken that as a challenge.

“Oh, you think you can drink faster than me?” he challenged.

I raised an eyebrow. “I know I can, Doctor.”

“You forget I’m over 900 years old, Kaiden,” he said, quickly downing another glass. He poured him and myself some more. “I’ve been drinking longer than half your family tree.”

I laughed a little and quickly drank my new glass. “Is that why you brought Jameson? Because I’m Irish, aye?”

“Figured you’d enjoy it,” he said with a shrug.

He poured Rose some more and she slammed it back faster than the Doctor and I had. She rolled her eyes. “You lot are embarrassing letting a girl out drink you. Pour me another.”

The Doctor cracked up a little and obliged, pouring us all some more Jameson. “Normally I like just sipping whiskey like you’re supposed to, but I can’t deny I love competing like this.”

“I’ve also got a six pack of some cheap beer,” he said, gesturing to the beer on the floor under the console. He held up another bottle. “I’ve also got Pink Whitney. We can do shots.”
Rose looked at me and I tried pretending I wasn’t thrilled I was going to get blackout drunk with my girlfriend and time-traveling side-hoe. She shook her head a little and smiled. “You’re gonna be so hungover tomorrow, love.”

I shrugged. “Not like we’ve got much going on. Plus, you should’ve seen me in uni.”

She laughed a little. “No way were you a party guy in uni!”

“You’ve never been to uni,” the Doctor said, frowning a little. “I thought you did a trade?”

“Aye, but you have to go to school for a trade. I went through a uni to learn,” I said. I took another drink and grimaced. “Man, it’s starting to bite.”

Rose laughed a little. “You guys have been out drinking me. Gimme a chance to catch up.”

“If I get fucked up, you’re probably getting fucked up,” I said, letting the Doctor pour me another glass. “I’m sure the link doesn’t end with sobriety—or I guess lack of sobriety.”

“Alright, let’s pace ourselves here,” the Doctor said. “Last call on the Jameson so no one starts puking in my Tardis. I’m still mad you hurled a few weeks ago.”

I rolled my eyes and leaned on the console. “In my defense, I’m pretty sure Rose and I got dosed. I was tripping balls.”

He shrugged and we stood around briefly while we waited for the Jameson to really hit. Rose was leaning on me the entire time, gently holding my hand. The Doctor leaned on the console and chuckled to himself.

“You don’t happen to remember that button you pushed that played music do you?” he asked me.

I laughed. “No, unfortunately I don’t remember. I stumbled into it during some turbulence.”

“Damn,” he said, shaking his head a little. “I’ve had this Tardis a long time and I don’t even know how you played music! In my defense, I did technically steal this thing.”

I raised my eyebrows and glanced at Rose in surprise. “Seriously? Never thought you’d commit Grand Theft Tardis.”

Rose cracked up and playfully swatted my arm. “That was corny as hell, mate.”

“Have to agree with Rose on this one,” the Doctor said with a nod.

“You lot are ganging up on me,” I said, crossing my arms. I shook my head a little. “I can’t believe this.”

They both laughed at me and the Doctor poured us some shots. Rose ended up being the one who stumbled into the music button, but since all of us were drunk, we had no idea what button she pressed. Some trashy 2000s party music played and it was great! At one point, I was slumped over against some railing, Rose was lying across the seat and laughing whenever we made eye contact, and the Doctor was squinting intensely at a monitor on the Tardis console. I laughed a little and pointed at him.

“Don’t even think about driving this thing, lad,” I said, trying to be serious. Rose cracked up and it broke my composure. “You’re wasted, Doctor!”

He laughed and leaned on the console, switching a lever. The Tardis whirred to life. “You mean like this? Why not go back to Earth in the 1800s? Wouldn’t that be fun?”

Rose laughed and leaned over to kiss my temple. “C’mon, mate. The Tardis is sentient, so it’ll make sure we don’t die or anything.”

I shrugged and leaned against the side of the seat. Rose was draped over it, her arms dangling off the sides. She gently played with my hair with one hand. The Doctor steered the Tardis for a while until we heard sirens. Rose and I looked at each other, frowning with concern and confusion.

“Doctor,” Rose started, glancing over at him. “What’s that…?”

“Highway patrol for time and space,” he said, sighing loudly. “Can you two pretend to be sober so I can get this guy off our case?”

Rose sat upright and nodded. I sat beside her and we just sat there leaning on each other, watching the doors as the Doctor opened them. A strange alien dressed in a police uniform stepped just on the edge of the doorway.

“License and registration, please,” he said gruffly.

The Doctor held up his psychic paper on his left, declaring it his license. He then switched and held it up on his right, declaring it the registration. The officer raised an eyebrow. “All good officer?”

“I’m gonna need to breathalyze you, Mr… Smith,” he said, eyeing him suspiciously. He pulled a breathalyzer out of his coat pocket and held it up to the Doctor. The Doctor’s smile faded and if he could get any whiter, he would’ve. The cop looked past him at Rose and myself. “I’ll need them to blow, too.”

The Doctor sighed and blew into the breathalyzer until it beeped, the officer whistling at the result. He motioned for Rose and I to step up. We played it really cool and took turns blowing into it. He shook his head disappointingly and cuffed all three of us.

Next thing I knew and we were being hauled off to a prison planet. The ride there was super awkward. Rose and I were cuffed side by side by our ankles and wrists, the shackles attached to one large base. The Doctor was also on a similar set of shackles, but his cuff buddy was a Cyberman. The Cyberman turned to look at him.

“Hello, Doctor,” it said. “Are you also being assimilated?”

“More like incarcerated,” he said bitterly.

“Nothing sobers you up quite like cold handcuffs that are too tight,” I said. I sniffed. “And also the smell of hotel air conditioning obviously full of mold.”

Rose grimaced. “Gross. Your hands are for sure too big for this thing.”

I wiggled my hands around and we both cracked up. “My stupid man hands.”

“Speak for yourself,” the Doctor said, wiggling his hands around. We all cracked up. The Cyberman just stood there silently, clearly incapable of humor.

After a short ride, we arrived at whatever planet the cop was sending us to. We had our wrist shackles kept on, but were let free from the ankle ones and marched through for mugshots. I couldn’t tell if I was still drunk or what, but I made silly faces for my mugshots. After that, we were sat on a bench in a holding cell for processing. It didn’t take long for that cop to come back with a tablet in hand.

“Kaiden O'Halloran?” he started. I raised my hand and he looked back at his tablet. “You’ve got several warrants out for your arrest. You’ve damaged public property, private property, government property, committed several counts of assault, and you destroyed an entire TV satellite… twice.”

“What!?” I cried. I stood up and the armed guards just outside our cell pointed their guns through the bars. “I’ve never done that!”

“And you, Doctor, have a warrant as well,” he said. He tapped at his tablet a couple times. “Genocide, grand theft auto, evading arrest, fake ID and expired tags, DUI, assault, parking in no parking zones, and inciting violence.”

The Doctor sighed and stared at the floor. I nudged him. “You have to register the Tardis?”

“Yes. We’re gonna have to go to the IDMV,” he said tiredly.

Rose frowned. “The what?”

“Interdimensional Department of Motor Vehicles,” he said calmly, nodding slightly.

“Doesn’t America have a DMV?” I asked. He nodded. “So why would the space version be based on the DMV?”

“Americans made it to space first, so they got dibs on the name for that one,” he said with a shrug. “Well, if we don’t get tried and sentenced now, then our next stop is the IDMV.”

“Gross,” I said.

The cop cleared his throat. “And you, Ms. Rose Tyler, don’t have any prior charges to my surprise. Considering this is your first offense, we’re willing to let you off with a minor fine.”

“Oh, uh… okay,” she said hesitantly. “What about them, though?”

He sighed and looked at his tablet again. “The Doctor and Kaiden O'Halloran are both being sentenced to death.”

“Death!?” we all cried.

“Come with me,” he said. The guards grabbed the Doctor and myself and Rose was released. She was taken elsewhere to deal with that fine, yelling out to us the entire time.
I turned and looked at the Doctor as we were hauled outside. It was pouring rain. We got soaked almost instantly. It was raining harder than I’d ever seen it rain back in London or in Ireland. The rocky ground was already covered in water and the Doctor and I luckily had nice boots with decent traction. The guards hauled us forward and removed our shackles. I looked around despite the darkness and heavy rain.

“Doctor! Where are we!?”

“Looks like the planet Gevora’s 12th moon, Retreron! It’s a prison moon! It follows all the codes of the universe, but they’re sketchy about it!” he called out. We both got released from the cuffs and shoved to the ground on our knees. “I guess they’ve been keeping tabs on us!”

“No shite, lad!” I replied. “How else would they know all those things we were charged with!?”

“Fair point! My next question is where’s our trial!” he shouted. A loud crack of thunder sounded and a huge bolt of lightning struck in the chasm that was apparently a good few meters away. “Isn’t there always supposed to be a trial and a jury!?”

“Aye, it’s a right in most countries!” I called back. “So now what!? I know I’ll live, but will you!?”

He shrugged and shook his head a little, trying to get some of the water off. “I’m not sure! Honestly I’m not even sure you would survive! They must have ways to skirt around immortality!”

“Then we’re not truly immortal are we!?” I said back. He looked at me funny and shrugged. “They can’t just play judge, jury, and executioner! It’s inhumane!”

“It goes against the Shadow Proclamation!” he answered.

“What the fuck is that!?”

“I’ll tell you all about it later, pal!” he said. The guards had guns to the backs of our heads as we knelt on the slick stone ground. “Right now’s not a good time!”

“Fair enough!”

“Kaiden O'Halloran and Doctor!” a man shouted. “For the aforementioned crimes, the moon of Retreron finds you guilty on all charges with a penalty of death. Any final remarks?”

I looked at the Doctor and he shook his head at me. I turned back to look at the man. “See you in hell, you bastard!”

“And you, Doctor?” he asked. The guard pointing a gun at me nudged the back of my head with the barrel of the gun and I turned back to face the chasm before us.

“I choose peace and the way of a coward!” he said. He shook his head. “I think you lot need to learn from that!”

“Where’s Rose!?” I demanded, turning back again. “You let her go, aye!?”

“Yes, Mr. O'Halloran, Ms. Tyler was released,” he said tiredly. “We were able to let her off with a warning. She’s being escorted to her home planet.”

I felt my heart drop. I needed Rose to come save my sorry arse, and she was being hauled off the damned planet. I stared down at the ground, the rain pouring down on us. It made my skin cold and my clothes stick to me everywhere they possibly could. The Doctor and I exchanged nervous glances.

“If those are your final words, then please make your sway to the ledge there,” the man ordered, gesturing in front of us. The men with guns turned on the flashlights, revealing the ledge. More lightning crashed down in the chasm we were about to be pushed down. I swallowed nervously and did as instructed. The Doctor followed suit and we stood on the edge of the chasm with our hands up. “Alright boys, on my count…”

I tuned the executioner out, staring at the massive drop before us. I looked over at the Doctor. “Well… it’s been fun, lad.”

“I agree, Kaiden,” he said with a nod. “So… is this really how this ends?”

“Kinda lame, aye?” I said. He nodded again. “I hope Rose is alright. That’s really all I care about. I wish I could save you, too, but it looks like that’s not happening.”

“One… two… th—what the hell!?”

I whirled around to see Rose running out into the commotion. “Stop! Don’t kill them, please! That—That’s my boyfriend and my best friend! You can’t kill them!”

“How did you get here!?” the executioner demanded. “We’re in the middle of the execution!”

“Exactly! Don’t kill them!” she pleaded. “I-I can’t go without them! Kaiden and I are literally soulmates and the Doctor is my best friend! I can’t go back—back to my old life!”

“Then step aside or I’ll kill you, too!” he shouted. “Move, bitch!”

“Bitch!?” I asked, whirling around. I started marching towards him. “Hold on a minute you bastard! Nobody calls my girlfriend a bitch!”

I swung on him. He spun around and hit the ground completely unconscious. I had a mean right hook and knew where I had to catch him to knock him out. I turned to Rose and she hugged me tight. The Doctor dashed over and we invited him into the hug.

“You’re both gonna catch a cold out here!” Rose said. “Blimey, how does it rain this much!?”

“It’s one of Gevora’s moons! It’s the 12th one!” the Doctor answered. “Very rainy planet and moons!”

Rose nodded, making a face. “Right, that clears it up for me!”

I laughed. “I missed your sarcasm in the maybe 15 minutes we’ve been apart!”

“I missed hearing you call someone a bastard!” she said back. She kissed me. I’d never kissed someone in the rain before, and honestly, it does feel quite romantic like the movies make it look. “Okay, the Tardis got impounded here! I stole someone’s keys so we can get it back!”

“Oh Rose you are fantastic!” the Doctor said excitedly, hugging us tighter.

“Leaves one problem though!” I said. I broke the hug and pointed at the guards pointing guns at us. “Those bastards!”

Rose stared blankly at them. “Well… is this a good time to assume the fetal position and start bawling!?”

“I’m with you on that one!” I replied.

The Doctor stepped forward and put his hands up. “Your boss is out! You don’t need to follow his orders now! Just let us go and we’ll be out of the way!”

“Nice try geek!”

“Geek? Did he just call me a geek!?”

I shoulder checked the Doctor and he easily slipped and hit the ground. I was shot dead by both the guards. I slumped over right next to him and saw him scramble away in horror before I actually died. I snapped back seconds later like I always do and stood back up. The guards pointed their guns at me and I quickly put my hands up.

“Don’t shoot!” I begged.

“We’ve got a special punishment for tricks like that!” one of the guards shouted. The other guard grabbed the back of my shirt collar and started making me walk towards the ledge. I wobbled and waved my arms like a dope to avoid falling in. A bolt of lightning hit the bottom of the chasm.

“Kaiden no!” Rose shouted.

“Kaiden!” the Doctor called. They dashed over, but the guards quickly threatened to open fire and kept them back. “Kaiden, don’t do it! You—You’ll think of something, right!?”

I swallowed nervously, unable to turn and face them. “I’m sorry, Doctor!”

The guard not gripping my collar kicked me in the back. I lurched forward off the ledge. I tumbled down the chasm a little before wedging myself between both ends. I gripped a thick root on the opposite side and kept my feet planted firmly against the wall of the side the guards were still on. I could feel the utter anguish Rose was in. I swung myself to the root entirely, gripping it with both hands. I hoisted myself up to the ledge of the opposite end and rolled onto my back, panting a little. I stood back up and leaped, diving back to the original ledge I’d been kicked off of. Lightning struck and nailed me. I felt my back burn, that sensation quickly spreading. My body seized, the voltage too high to handle. I stared in horror at Rose and the Doctor running up to the ledge to assist, only to realize I’d died mid air. I fell, and when I came to, I was barely able to stop myself hitting the bottom. I did the same thing as before, extending myself across the distance between both ledges. The rocks were slick and sharp, slicing up my hands and making it much harder to grip. Before I could try and grab something better or hoist myself up, I felt someone’s arms wrap around me.

“I’ve got him!” Rose shouted. She hugged me tighter and buried her face in my shoulder. “I’ve got you, love.”

My heart skipped at the affectionate term, given she’d only ever called me by name or “mate” all the time. Slowly but surely we were being lifted up, and that’s when I realized an entire spotlight was shining down on us.

“Rose!? How did you get down here!?” I cried.

“Bungee cable!” she replied, hugging me tighter. “Why do you have to be so stocky!? The Doctor made carrying you look easy!”

“Sorry, should I suck it in!?”

She laughed a little. “No, I mean you’re broad and awkward to hold!”

I laughed weakly and kept myself ready to catch us against the rocks just in case. “So how are we being lifted!?”

“Doctor stole a helicopter!” she said.

“That fast!?”

“Yeah, there was a commotion and I guess they forgot to confiscate his psychic paper, so he told all the guards a mistake was made and we were supposed to be set free until that guy counting you down screwed it up! So they let him take a helicopter to rescue you!”

“That was nice of them!” I said sarcastically.

We were hoisted all the way up to the helicopter. The Doctor put a headset on me and Rose so we could actually hear him speak. “Glad you two could join us!”

“You clever old bastard!” I said cheerfully. “Thanks, lad!”

“Don’t mention it! Besides, I owe you lot big time!” he said. He motioned to the pilot and asked to take us to the impound lot. He must’ve had a separate channel for the pilot, since I read his lips to decipher that part. He turned to us and Rose helped me into the middle seat. She buckled herself in and the Doctor reached over to buckle me while she was occupied with her harness. “You alright, Kaiden!?”

“Fine, thanks!” I said back. I looked down at my bloody palms and quickly hid them. Thankfully it was dark, so there’s no way he could’ve been able to tell it was blood and not rainwater on my hands. Rose gently held my hand and I felt bad she was getting blood all over hers. It stung, too, but was I going to stop holding her hand? Absolutely not! The helicopter pilot took us to the impound lot and flew off to land. The Doctor waved to him and dashed to the gate to get to the Tardis. Rose handed him the keys she stole off a guard and he unlocked the gate. Rose and I chased after him and stepped into the Tardis, sighing with relief. I slumped over on the chair the way Rose had been when we were drinking. She knelt beside me and gently brushed my sopping wet hair away. The Doctor wasted no time to pilot the Tardis back to our time period.

“Back to your flat or Kaiden’s?” he asked.

I blinked tiredly, not answering and just staring at Rose’s jacket. She was shivering. I took off my patch jacket and draped it over her shoulders, since it was the least wet article of clothing on me. The denim just didn’t get wet that easily I guess. She smiled a little and kissed my forehead. “My flat. My mum’s probably worrying, and you know how she gets.”
“Rose’s place it is,” he said with a smile. He resumed steering the Tardis, this time fully sober. He stopped it inside the room we were processed in. He stepped out and was gone a few minutes. When he came back, he held out our wallets, keys, and jewelry. I smiled and put everything back in my pockets aside from my piercing jewelry.

“Here, let me help,” Rose said, gently taking my eyebrow ring from my hand and putting it back through the piercing. She did the same for my septum ring and my earrings. I put my snakebites in myself so she wouldn’t have to put her fingers in my mouth. Not the worst thing I’ve had in my mouth, but she’s not a fan of that and I didn’t want to put her up to it.

“There, looking as punk as always.”

I smiled weakly and patted her shoulder. “Thanks, love. Much easier than a mirror.”

“So what’s up with you two?” the Doctor asked, not turning away from his console. “Are you finally dating?”

I laughed a little and glanced at Rose. She was blushing a little, but smiling ear to ear. She nodded slightly. “We are dating.”

“I was surprised when you called him your boyfriend when you came to rescue us,” he said. He still wasn’t turning to face us though. “Congrats! That’s absolutely fantastic!”

I smiled and looked at Rose again. I felt like a pathetic wet rodent. For the rest of the trip home, we rode in silence. The Doctor escorted us up to Rose’s flat and Rose let us in.
“Rose! Where have you been!?” Jackie cried.

“Prison planet,” she said.

“Doctor got a DUI,” I said, gesturing to him. He tapped me upside the head and I laughed.

He rolled his eyes. “It wasn’t that bad.”

“Y’know what? I don’t even want to know,” Jackie said. I waved at her. “Kaiden, your hands are bleeding, mate.”

“Oh?” I asked. I looked down at my palms, pretending I had no clue they’d been bleeding. “Well damn, they are.”

Rose looked at her hand. “Oh that’s what that was when I was holding your hand!”

“Why are you lot soaking wet?” Jackie asked, crossing her arms.

“It was raining a lot,” Rose said, adjusting my jacket draped on her shoulders. “They were about to be executed, and for some reason it was outside.”

“Executed!?” Jackie cried. She hugged me tight. “Oh you poor boy! Are you alright?”

“Aye, just… fine,” I said quietly. I swallowed the lump forming in my throat. “I’m fine, Ms. Tyler. Just cold and wet.”

“C’mon, go get yourself dried off and changed, mate,” she said, patting my shoulder and breaking the hug. Rose took my hand and led me through the flat to the bathroom. “Now I need to have a word with you, Doctor.”

I cracked up a little. “Doctor’s in trouble. Your mum is scolding him.”

“When is she not scolding him?” she joked back. “Okay, c’mon. A hot shower would do us some good.”

“Mm, and some clean, dry clothes,” I said dreamily. “That was truly terrible.”

“I agree,” she said with a nod. We grabbed some clean clothes from her room and headed to the bathroom. She kissed me gently. “God I was so scared, Kaiden.”

“I was pissing myself, too,” I said, shaking my head a little. “I was worried about you.”

“You worried about me!?” she cried. “You were about to be executed!”

I shrugged. “Doctor and I had it under control.”

She groaned. “Never leave men to keep anything under control. You two were about to be killed.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. She had a point. We took a hot shower and put on some pajamas before heading back to the living room. Jackie and the Doctor were arguing.

“Rose is my daughter, Doctor! You promised you’d keep her safe!”

“I know, and I have been! It’s Kaiden taking the fall for everything!” he yelled back, gesturing wildly. His voice broke and he took a shaky breath. “Kaiden has no family to look out for him but us! I wish I could keep the bloke safer, but our circumstances are just not like that!”

“You can’t do anything to keep him safer!?” she demanded. “Seriously!? He’s a person, too, Doctor! Just because he doesn’t have a mum to yell at you the way I do doesn’t mean he should be allowed in harm’s way!”

“I’m trying to keep him away from harm, Jackie!” he cried. I’d never seen the lad actually weep before, but all over me…? It made me feel immeasurably guilty. “I love both of them, Jackie! I just want to keep them safe!”

“Then do that!” she cried. “You can’t be as carefree and all over the place as you were before meeting them, Doctor! You have to take into consideration that you have companions now! You have other humans to look out for, regardless of immortality!”

He sat on the chair and buried his face in his hands. “I’ve failed to care for them this entire time, Jackie. Kaiden nearly died with me on the satellite with the Daleks, Rose came back with the Time Vortex and nearly died, and now they’re both incapable of death and yet they die so much. I just… I can’t fix that. There’s nothing I can do to fix it.”

“Well this is awkward,” I said. Jackie and the Doctor looked at me in horror. Rose playfully smacked my chest. “I get the stress, but I promise I’m alright. Look, I’ve even got me hands patched up.”

I held up my hands with small bandages wrapped on them from the scrapes. He buried his face in his hands again. Jackie looked at me sadly. “Kaiden, mate, not now.”

I frowned. “I don’t get it.”

“Now’s not the time to be funny and lighthearted,” Rose muttered to me.

The Doctor stood up and left the flat abruptly. The rest of us ran out after him. “Doctor!”

“No, you two are staying here and that’s final!” he commanded, pointing at the ground. “Enough traveling!”

“Why?” I asked, stepping up to him. “Why are you sending us away?”

“You’re not safe with me, and I’m tired of watching you two get hurt!” he snapped. He poked my chest. “Kaiden, I can’t in good conscience let you keep taking all the hits for us! Rest! Stop getting hurt!”

I balled my fists at my sides. “I’m your companion, Doctor, and so is Rose! We can’t be separated now, so does that mean you’re abandoning her, too?”

“If I have to, then so be it!” he shot back. “And quit glowing!”

I groaned. “God, Doctor, we aren’t leaving you! This is the best time I’ve ever had in my whole life!”

“I don’t care! You and Rose are staying here and that’s final!”

I stepped closer, ready to swing on him. He grabbed my shirt and kissed me. I stared in shock. “Y-You just…?”

“I’m sorry, Kaiden,” he said softly. Rose caught up with us and held my hand. “I think you two need a long break. Traveling isn’t for everyone, and I can’t let you guys keep tagging along right now.”

I took a deep breath and stared at the ground. “Fine.”

I turned on my heel and headed back into Rose’s flat. It took a few minutes before Rose caught up with me, closing the door behind her. “Hey, it’s alright, love.”

Jackie hugged me and I was surprised. I glanced at Rose and she giggled. “I know it sucks having him leave, but weren’t you and Rose looking for places together? Now you can focus on that and—and building your future together.”

I hesitantly hugged her back. “You mean you want me in Rose’s life?”

“I may not understand the whole Vortex thing and—and sharing souls, but I think you’re good for Rose and you help out around the flat,” she said softly, hugging me tighter. “If there were anyone I’d want my daughter hanging around, it would be you. You’re an excellent guy, and you deserve a moment to relax.”

I took a deep breath and nodded slightly. “Aw, Ms. Tyler! How kind.”

She let go and patted my shoulders. “Why don’t you and Rose go get some sleep? It’s pretty late and—and that was a big fight.”

I nodded again and headed to Rose’s room. Rose followed after me and hugged me tight. We settled into bed for the night in silence.

Chapter Text

About 6 months passed since that incident and Rose and I were doing great. We had our own place there in London only a few kilometers from Rose’s mum. It took a bit to get into the flow of things. I was back to work as an electrician again but for London this time. Rose was working in a shop again, and she seemed quite happy with it. It was quite frustrating flying out to Galway to move all my stuff with a company and come back to London with Rose. During that wee trip, Rose told me she’d felt bad I was moving so far away from Ireland. I told her there was nothing left for me there except all my crap.

One Saturday, we were both off work and sleeping in. I woke up and stretched a little before getting up and heading to the kitchen. I started making Rose and myself some breakfast. While the eggs were cooking, I felt someone hug me from behind.

“Morning, love,” she said softly.

“Morning,” I said cheerfully.

She patted my back and looked over my shoulder at the stove. “Ooh, eggs and bacon? You’re too good to me.”

I laughed a little. “Oh stop. Sit and relax. I’ve got breakfast covered.”

“Aren’t I supposed to be the one cooking for my man?”

“Not in my eyes,” I said, flipping the bacon over. “I love you, I love cooking, and I love cooking for you.”

She smiled and leaned against the counter. “Well aren’t you sweet? How did I get so lucky?”

“Guess the Doctor was a good matchmaker, aye? An unintentional matchmaker I guess.”

“Speaking of which, where has that guy been?” she asked, frowning a little. “It’s been what, half a year?”

I nodded slightly and poked at the eggs a little more to make sure they were cooking all the way through. “Aye, a whole six months. We found a place and got stable jobs in the time since he left us.”

“I’m sure he’s roaming around on alien planets saving lives and hanging out like he always does,” she said with a shrug. “Couldn’t handle two newly immortal blokes in the UK, huh?”

“Guess he couldn’t,” I said, shaking my head a little. I finished the eggs and bacon and plated them up. I set the plates on the table and sat down, Rose joining me. “Sucks to suck, in that case. I think we’re pretty great.”

She smiled and kissed my cheek. “Honestly, I don’t miss it much. I like having a quiet life with you.”

I smiled back and took a bite of my eggs. “Why, cause I make you bacon and eggs?”

“Not just that,” she said, cracking up a little. “You’re also sweet, and funny, and a good roommate, you cook, you clean, you come up with elaborate dates, and our souls are kinda still tangled together. I love you.”

“I love you, too,” I said with a smile. We ate breakfast in peace and started trying to plan what we wanted to do that day. The familiar whir of the Tardis rang out in the neighborhood. I looked at Rose in shock. “No fuckin’ way.”

“What is the Doctor doing here?” she asked in surprise. “How did he even get our address?”

I scratched my neck. “Probably asked your mum or he’s insanely lucky.”

“Shall we check it out then?” she asked.

I shrugged and we both went to get dressed. We dashed outside to find the Doctor looking around all confused. He scratched his head but grinned when he saw us. “There you lot are!”

“What’re you doing here, Doctor?” I asked, crossing my arms.

He smiled and patted my shoulder. “Cool jacket. New patches?”

“Aye, I got a couple. What’re you doing here?”

“Can’t I visit my newly immortal mates?” he asked. Rose and I glanced at each other and shot him the same look. He sighed. “Okay, I had some time to think and—and I realized it was unfair of me to dump you guys behind like that. I’m sorry. I know you’re both angry and upset, and you have every right. I’m not used to having companions that can’t ever die or grow old while I don’t. I was afraid to face the fact that you lot can actually stay with me and actually want to. I couldn’t face the fact that I loved—no, love you guys.”

I stared at him in shock and I glanced at Rose, who had a similar look on her face. “That was… wow, okay…”

“Yeah I-I’m not sure what to say,” Rose said. She cleared her throat. “I-I mean, not like I found that weird or anything, just… at a loss for words.”

“I understand,” he said with a slight nod. “You don’t have to say anything. I just wanted to apologize for abandoning you guys the way I did. I shouldn’t have done it, but now I’m back if you want some more adventure.”

I smiled and glanced at Rose. “Well as long as we can still make it to work on time on Monday, then sure.”

Rose nodded in agreement and the Doctor raised his eyebrows in surprise. “What, you didn’t think we’d settle down in the six months you were gone?”

“Honestly, time is so arbitrary to me, that I felt I was gone for 20 minutes. I wasn’t obviously, but it felt like a chunk of time as small as 20 minutes,” he said. He waved his hands dismissively. “Anyways, what say we go on another adventure?”

“Where to?” Rose asked.

“How about a nice rainforest exploration?” he suggested, opening the Tardis doors for us.

“What like the Amazon?” Rose asked.

He grinned and dashed to his console as we stepped inside. “More like a planet where the entire surface is all rainforest! Doesn’t that sound fantastic?”

“Sounds like fun!” I said excitedly.

“Count me in!” Rose said.

The Doctor kept dashing around the console, steering the Tardis through time and space to the aforementioned rainforest planet. Rose leaned on me, holding my hand in hers. Once we landed, the Doctor dashed past us out of the Tardis. We stepped out onto some lush grass, the treeline so high there was barely any sunlight—if there was any at all—seeping through to the floor. Instead, there were plenty of lanterns along the worn path and stuck on the trees. I whistled, marveling at the beauty of the forest.

“If we ever get married, I’m asking the Doctor to pick our honeymoon destination,” Rose said, nudging my side.

I laughed a little, surprised at her suggestion. “Well, I’ve always wanted to honeymoon on Mars.”

She laughed and patted my chest. “Not on your life, mate.”

“Right then! Shall we find some civilization?” the Doctor asked, stepping up beside us.

I smiled and patted his shoulder. “Let’s do it.”

He seemed startled by my shoulder pat, but he kept his composure and led the way through the forest. Rose and I walked along with him, Rose holding my hand and occasionally giving my hand a light squeeze. I always found that really reassuring. Especially in our 6 months of domestic life when we started having nightmares and issues of minor paranoia. The Time Vortex we shared made us a wee bit on edge, constantly aware of the hum of daily life. While we were happy and busy and living normally, we were always somewhat aware of the very rotation of the Earth. We could feel weather patterns, the timeline for the seasons, big shifts in historical events like a new political leader somewhere, and things like that. It was funny hearing about the election in the States and both of us immediately clocking who won without having seen the results yet. Shame the Americans had Bush.
Rose and I were so in sync and yet we still had plenty of space for ourselves. It was like the Vortex knew how we flowed and what we wanted when we wanted it. I couldn’t complain. I actually quite liked some domestic life with Rose. We were both happy that way. Sure we’d missed the Doctor and the adventures, but we needed to have lives outside of that. I wanted to at least try dating Rose like we were normal people.

“Well look at that,” the Doctor said, stopping and looking through a cluster of branches and bushes. Rose and I caught up with him and peered through as well. “Isn’t that fantastic?”

An array of tree houses and buildings were on the other side of the trees and plant life before us. They bustled with activity and the lights were truly stunning. The Doctor glanced at Rose any myself. “What do you think, Doctor?”

“I think we should check it out,” he said, grinning excitedly. “C’mon then!”

He pried some branches apart and started crawling through a thick shrub. A branch he was holding apart snapped back, knocking him onto the grass between Rose and myself. Rose stifled a laugh and I helped the lad back to his feet.

“Maybe we should just climb over it,” I suggested, stepping over some branches.

“Easy for you to say. You’re tall,” he said crossly.

I rolled my eyes. “I’m barely taller than you, lad.”

“How tall are you, Doctor?” Rose asked.

He put his hand against the top of his head and slid it out, studying it closely. “Not sure. How much would you say?”

Rose studied him for a moment. “Maybe 177 at least.”

The Doctor frowned, still moving his hand to try and gauge his height. I climbed back over the bushes and stood next to him. “I’m 182.”

“Then the Doctor is about the same height,” Rose said, eyeing us closely. “Maybe he’s at least 180. Man you lot are tall. I’m only 165.”

I laughed a little and ruffled her hair. She playfully swatted my hand away. “It’s okay, you reach the low places I can’t, and I reach the high places you can’t.”

“We get it, you lot are perfectly balanced and in sync,” the Doctor said sarcastically. He smiled sweetly. “Anyways, off we go!”

He climbed over the thick bushes and low branches. I glanced at Rose. “Did he sound…?”

“Jealous?” she finished. We both looked at each other worriedly. “Well, off we go I guess.”

I smiled and climbed over the branches and bushes. I got through and found it was a straight drop down a hill. I tumbled down and landed on top of the Doctor’s legs. He sat up a little and looked at me.

“Who gave you your license, pal?” he asked. We both cracked up. Rose met up with us quickly, casually walking up to us.

“And this is why we look before crossing,” Rose teased. She held out her hands and helped us up. I brushed myself off. She looked around. “So… where exactly are we?”

“Planet called Asiapra 34Y,” the Doctor replied. “Part of a system of 50 planets orbiting the star Yuvara. Truly massive, lovely star.”

I looked around in awe. “This is gorgeous.”

“It really is,” Rose said in agreement and reached out to hold my hand. Our fingers laced together and she gave my hand a light squeeze.

We walked through a small field to the bustling town below. As we roamed about the markets, Rose and I would occasionally hold up weird or cool stuff to each other, usually following it up with a joke along the lines of “you would rock this” knowing damn well it was ugly. At one point we went into a shop and the shopkeeper ran up to us in shock.

“Where are your guys’ formal wear!?” she cried. “Come, come. We must get you ready before the gala tonight.”

“Gala?” I asked. “What do you mean?”

“Wow, an Irishman! Never seen one up close!” she said excitedly. “Come, come! I need you fitted in a suit in time for tonight! My associates will fit your friend and the lady as well.”
I was dragged off to another room and told to stand in front of some mirrors. The woman instructed me to strip to my pants, which was a wee bit awkward, but I knew she was just doing her job. She grabbed measuring tape and started jotting down measurements.

“So… what exactly am I being fitted for, lass?” I asked.

“For the gala of course!” she said cheerfully. “Every harvest there’s a gala, and you have to be dressed appropriately. Since you seem from out of town, I can hook you up with a discount.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Wow, thanks. So what’s the gala about?”

“To celebrate the end of summer and enjoying the start of harvest season!” she said excitedly. She looked me up and down for a brief moment, tapping her pen against her chin. “I think you would look dashing in something pumpkin themed. I think I know just the thing.”

She hurried off to a space behind a curtain and I listened to the steady hum of a sewing machine. I stood there for what felt like a couple hours. Rose and I were passing notes via the Time Vortex, and Rose was keeping it secret what they were sewing together for her. Hours passed and I was fitted in a really nice suit. I stepped out and saw the Doctor in an equally dashing suit. He looked at me in surprise, a slight blush on his face. His suit was nicely fitted with a mostly green color scheme. His shirt was a pale sage green, paired with a more pine/forest shade of green for the blazer and slacks. Instead of a tie, he had one of those wee scarf things, which was emerald with gold swirls and patterns. He looked quite nice, albeit a wee bit out of place.

“Goodness, pal, you pull that off,” he said, smiling a little. “The orange and brown really suits you.”

I grinned and adjusted my sleeves. “I really like it. The greens suit you, lad.”

I looked my suit over in a mirror. I had an orange dress shirt with a dark brown blazer. The blazer had leafy patterns on it in dark green. I had a regular black tie and slacks that matched the shade of my blazer, just without the leafy patterns. Upon closer observation, I realized they put some makeup on the Doctor.

“Doctor, I dig that eye shadow on you,” I said, pointing at his face. He grinned proudly. “Really makes your eyes pop.”

“Have you seen yours, pal?” he asked. He grabbed my shoulders and turned me to a mirror where I could actually see my face. I had some nice dark orange and glitter across my eyes and nose.

I turned around to ask him something when Rose walked out. She was absolutely stunning. Her dress wasn’t big like a ballgown, but it was still right stunning. Hers was a more red color scheme. The brown color lining her dress was a bit lighter than my shade of brown. She had a nice wee pair of cherry boots, too. I hadn’t realized how long I’d been staring until the Doctor elbowed my side.

“I take it the dress came out good?” she asked. I nodded slowly. She smiled and hooked her arm with mine. “Let’s go then, mate.”

I followed alongside Rose and the Doctor followed alongside me. We left the tailor and were quickly whisked through the town by the crowd heading for where I figured the gala was. As we walked along, I couldn’t get my eyes off Rose. God, she was stunning. The gala was almost as stunning as her. A lovely outdoor area filled with tables of food, live music, and plenty of people in outfits just as extravagant as ours.

“No wonder we got given outfits for free,” I said. “We’d be horribly under dressed around everyone.”

Rose cracked up a little and held my hand. “This place is truly gorgeous.”

I nodded in agreement and smiled. “Aye, it’s wonderful.”

“You look all dorky in that suit, Doctor,” Rose said, playfully nudging him. He blushed, but it was hard to tell from his makeup. “It suits you though—no pun intended.”

We kept roaming about and Rose grabbed my hand. “You think you can handle a dance?”

I crack up a little. “I know I’ve got coordination issues, but I bet I could do it.”

“Show me what you got then,” she said. We danced together and for the most part, I kept good time, silently counting to myself. “Aw look at you! You’re not stepping on my feet or your own!”

“I’ve been counting the entire time,” I admitted. She cracked up a little. “All that practice paid off.”

She laughed and smiled sweetly at me. “You’re hopeless, y’know that?”

“Aye, but I’m not hearing any complaints,” I said, grinning mischievously. “Plus, getting better at music has really helped with my timing.”

“I can’t lie, it’s cute how good you’ve gotten,” she said. “You’re always humming something or keeping a rhythm of some kind. It’s like I’ve always got the radio on because of our Vortex link.”

I laughed. “So I literally get songs stuck in your head?”

She cracked up, smiling sweetly. “Yeah, pretty much. I like it though—even the repeats.”

I grinned playfully and she kissed my cheek. Before either of us could think, we got whisked away with other people. I looked over my shoulder and laughed as I tried keeping time with the new dance partner. Rose smiled in return, clearly cracking up a little. That went on for a bit until I landed with the Doctor.

“Well look at that,” I said, smiling a little. “You do look pretty nice in that suit.”

He laughed a little and leaned closer to me. “I think something fishy is going on.”

“Of course you do,” I said. I took an awkward step back before trying to step in time again. “Maybe you should be thinking of keeping time rather than conspiracies. It’s like you’ve got two left feet, lad.”

He laughed and looked down at his feet until he was more in time with me. He looked up at me again and smiled. “That better?”

“Aye, much.”

“As I was saying, I think something strange is going on here,” he said quietly. “Something just doesn’t feel right.”

“What doesn’t feel right is your time,” I said tiredly. I grabbed his hands more firmly and guided his steps. “Like this, lad. Christ, you’re worse than me. Rose was always taking the piss out of me every time we tried dancing.”

He rolled his eyes and smiled anyway. “You’re impossible. Maybe I should’ve thrown you overboard a year ago.”

“Oh but then we wouldn’t be here now,” I said. “We wouldn’t have saved you.”

He looked at me, a brief flicker of sadness. “You also wouldn’t have been completely damned.”

“Would you quit acting like mine and Rose’s immortality is a curse?” I asked, groaning with annoyance. “I’m actually quite happy, and Rose tells me all the time how happy she is.”

He leaned close to me as we danced. “You and I both know you’re not happy, pal. Rose might be, but you? C’mon.”

I raised an eyebrow. “What are you getting at, lad?”

“Every time I look at you there’s just this… sadness to you,” he said. “Even when you’re looking at Rose and being all lovey with her. You still look profoundly sad.”

I let go of his hands and stepped away to to one of the tables. I grabbed a glass of punch and took a sip. The drink was oddly smooth and sweet, but it wasn’t bad. It didn’t taste alcoholic either, so I figured I was in the clear about accidentally getting wasted. I tried getting close to Rose again, but someone else started dancing with me first.

“Hey, I’m Juniper,” she said kindly.

“Kaiden,” I said, nodding slightly. “This place is lovely.”

“What’s that accent? I’ve never heard it before.”

I frowned a little but played it off. “You’ve never met an Irishman before?”

She shook her head. “No, never. The Irish people were wiped out centuries ago.”

I raised my eyebrows and stared in shock, messing up the timing of the dance. I stepped away from the crowd and she followed after me. “You alright there?”

“Aye, I’m fine,” I said with a nod. “Just… startled I guess.”

“Startled? By what?”

“Well… I didn’t know the Irish were gone here.”

She nodded slightly. “Yeah, the Potato Famine got them all. Real shame. I guess a few must’ve survived then if you’re Irish.”

“Ah…” I said, unsure what to say next. “I’d better go find my partner.”

She suddenly sprayed something like perfume into my face. Everything got blurry and I stumbled into something before hitting the floor.
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I opened my eyes with a wicked headache. I was tied to a chair in a dimly lit room. Juniper walked over, holding something in her hands that I couldn’t make out.

“Real shame you survived the famine,” she said. She grabbed my chin and looked me over. “The Irish weren’t supposed to survive that. We sabotaged you vermin and banned your language and yet here you are. How?”

“Time travel,” I said tiredly. “You’d better let me go. My partner and our friend will be here any minute ready to kick arse.”

She chuckled softly and swung the object she’d been holding, which was apparently a small whip. It snapped against my chest, tearing my shirt and then my skin. I cried out in pain and gritted my teeth. “Vile thing. I’m not worried about your partner or the friend. Like they could hurt me.”

The door slowly opened, the Doctor left kneeling down as he’d been picking the lock with his sonic. Rose quickly ran in and punched Juniper. I grinned confidently. “Go Rose!”

She pointed a stern finger at me. “You’re next.”

The Doctor dashed over and started untying my restraints. “How do you always manage to wander off and get yourself into trouble, pal?”

“I don’t mean to,” I said. I rubbed my wrists chafed from the ropes. “Damn that hurts.”

“I bet this does, too,” he said, lightly running his fingers across the whip mark on my chest.

I inhaled sharply. “Then don’t touch it, lad.”

“What’d she do to you?” Rose asked, gently grabbing my face and looking me over.

“Nothing, love,” I said softly. “I’m alright.”

She touched the whip mark and I winced again. “Sorry! I couldn’t tell what it was.”

Juniper slowly stood up and I quickly stepped in front of Rose and the Doctor. “You goddamned Irish bastard! Why won’t you die!?”

“I’m immortal, lass,” I said, holding up my hand. “Eat shite and die.”

I blew up and knocked her out cold. I shot back into a bookcase, a couple books dropping down on my head. I groaned and waited for the blindness to fade. I blinked slowly and Rose and the Doctor were both holding onto me.

“Why do you always blow up?” the Doctor asked tiredly.

“Protect you guys,” I mumbled. “Have to.”

“That’s not your job, Kaiden!” he said harshly, gripping my arms. He gently shook me. “Stop killing yourself right in front of us!”

I blinked slowly again. “I’m not killing myself.”

“You are!” he shouted, shaking me again. “I-I can’t bear to see you and Rose getting hurt so much!”

I stared intently at him. “I’m fine, lad. I’m right here.”

Rose hugged me tight and repeatedly kissed my cheek. “Thank God you’re okay. Oh thank God.”

I chuckled softly and ruffled her hair. The Doctor kissed my cheek, too and I patted his shoulder.

Chapter Text

Rose and I got more into a routine. We worked Monday through Friday like most normal people, but on the weekend, we adventured with the Doctor. The best part is he’d drop us off back at our flat on the same morning he came and got us so we’d still have the weekend to relax. One day, a bunch of strange events unfolded on the telly. I was tuning my guitar and absentmindedly listening to the news when a headline caught my eye.

I was so startled by the broadcast that I turned a tuning peg too hard and snapped a string. Rose walked over and gently cupped my face. “Oh be careful. You snapped it on your cheek.”

“Sorry I just… take a look at the news,” I said, gesturing to the telly and turning up the volume. Rose stared in horror.

“There’s Cybermen… here in Britain?”

I furrowed my eyebrows with worry. “Apparently so. All this right after those ghosts everyone was talking about makes me nervous.”

My cell rang and I set my guitar aside. I answered. “Aye?”

“Kaiden, it’s the Doctor,” he said. “I need you and Rose for this.”

I turned to Rose and she looked at me worriedly. “Ah, we’ve got nothing going on. Just tuning my guitar until I broke a string.”

“Bummer, pal,” he said. “Anyways, I’ll be there in… now.”

I hung up and grabbed Rose’s hand. We dashed outside to the TARDIS and stepped inside. The Doctor was at the console dashing around and flipping all kinds of levers. “What’s the problem, Doctor?”

“There’s a strange sphere in Canary Wharf I’ve been asked to look at, and Cybermen are currently ripping their way into this timeline.”

Rose and I looked at each other nervously. “Is that what the ghosts were?”

“Exactly,” he said, still dashing around. “They weren’t supposed to seep out of that timeline, and yet here they are. There must be a weakness somewhere.”

Rose and I stood around nervously until the TARDIS arrived. It didn’t take long for us to get separated from the Doctor. Rose and I stared at the large copper sphere, pondering what on Earth it could even be.

“Maybe a giant left their marble between time and it ended up here?” I suggested.

She laughed and elbowed my side. “Maybe someone was going to make coins and lost their copper.”

I cracked up and reached out to touch the orb. Rose smacked my hand away. “Oi!”

“Remember the last time I touched a strange object? I set a Dalek loose in that rich guy’s basement and it nearly killed everyone.”

I took my hand away and grimaced, remembering being hunted down by a Dalek. It was definitely a scary sight—and especially scary knowing it basically used her for a hostage negotiation. I paced around, growing restless being in that room while the Doctor did all the brainy stuff with his goofy 3D glasses upstairs. Apparently, Canary Wharf had been opening and closing a rift in time, which is what created the “ghosts”. They were thin visions of folks from another timeline partially stepping into ours. As the Doctor and folks at Canary Wharf came to realize, it was Cybermen. They were quickly moving throughout the world and close to invading Canary Wharf, even.

“Do you feel something?” Rose asked.

“Always.”

We slowly turned to the sphere, watching it open up with a hiss. We stared in surprise, but it quickly turned to horror when 4 Daleks emerged from the sphere, along with a strange thing that looked a lot like an empty Dalek shell without the head.

“We are the Cult of Skaro!” the black Dalek announced. “I am Dalek Sec! These are Daleks Caan, Jast, and Thay!”

I immediately readied myself, but Rose held my wrist. “Wait! Don’t kill us!”

“We aren’t going to exterminate you yet,” Dalek Sec declared. “We wish to speak with the Doctor!”

“He’s upstairs I think,” I said, gesturing over my shoulder. “We were just stuck here looking at the sphere so security wouldn’t find us.”

Rose elbowed my side. “I thought we wiped out all the Daleks?”

“’We’?” Dalek Caan asked.

“Aye, more like her,” I said, gesturing to Rose and smiling proudly. “She wiped out the Daleks.”

Sec approached us, eye level with Rose. “You are responsible!?”

“Yep, and I met the Emperor,” she said with a nod.

“The Emperor… survived?” Sec asked. If a Dalek could be shitted, he most definitely was.

Rose nodded slightly, a sly smile on her face. “Yeah… until he met me.”

“You killed the Emperor!?” Caan exclaimed.

She looked at Caan, grinning mischievously. “I did. Killed him and a whole fleet of Daleks.”

My cell rang and I answered it. “Aye?”

“Kaiden, how’s it going down there? Has the sphere changed?” the Doctor asked.

I grimaced and inhaled sharply. “Aye, it definitely changed.”

“What do you mean?” he asked nervously.

“Four Daleks claiming to be—sorry, what are you lot again?” I asked.

“The Cult of Skaro!”

“The Cult of Skaro,” I said over the phone. The Doctor was oddly silent. I leaned to look past Sec. “They’ve got a weird case that looks like a headless Dalek shell.”

“I’ll call you back!” he said quickly. I closed my phone and put it back in my pocket.

I turned to Rose, who was still confidently posturing up with a Dalek. It made me a bit nervous, but at least she was immortal like me. We stood around talking with Daleks until the Doctor appeared on a large monitor across the room.

“Kaiden! Rose!” he called. We both turned to the screen, and the Daleks followed suit. “Let them be, Sec!”

“The Doctor must be exterminated! Enemy of the Daleks!” Sec shouted. “We have more!”

“There’s only four of you lot!” he shouted.

Dalek Caan hovered over with the empty shell. “We have a whole army!”

The Doctor’s face dropped. “No…”

“That’s right, Doctor,” Sec said. He laughed. I didn’t really know a Dalek could laugh, so it was quite unsettling. “It’s a prison ship!”

Rose turned to me and pulled me aside. “Do you think maybe we could just blow these guys up?”

“Probably not a good idea,” I said, shaking my head. “Knowing the Daleks, they probably have that prison ship set to open up once one of ‘em dies.”

She huffed. “Then what do we do?”

“The Doctor is investigating that rift thing they’ve been opening and closing,” I said. “Maybe he’ll come up with something.”

“Kaiden, Daleks and Cybermen are here!” she cried. “And those four are about to unleash who knows how many Daleks to be free!”

“I’m sure he has a plan, and I’m sure we can get through this.”

Boy was I wrong. Daleks and Cybermen met, swapped insults, and then declared war on each other. It was an all-out brawl in the streets between those bastards. Rose and the Doctor and I were fooling around with that rift, trying to find a way to get rid of the Daleks and Cybermen.

“I think I’ve got an idea,” the Doctor said, scanning the wall with his sonic. “I think if we leave the rift open long enough and I fiddle with enough parts, we can force those Daleks and Cybermen into that other timeline. They’ll be sucked back into it like a vacuum, and then it’ll seal. They’ll likely disintegrate in the process.”

“That’s great, Doctor!” Rose said cheerfully.

“Yes but the only problem is that anyone who’s ever been to that timeline will be sucked in, and all of us have been there,” he said darkly.

I instantly started digging around. “If there’s extra cables lying around, I can make a makeshift rope and you lot can hold onto me. How’s that?”

“Kaiden, no,” he said firmly. “You guys hold me. I’m not risking your life.”

“I’m immortal, I have no life to risk,” I said. He grabbed my arm and turned me around. “Doctor, let go.”

Rose grabbed the cables I was gathering and tied one to the Doctor’s waist. “You and I are immortal. He isn’t. We can hold onto him.”

“Fine,” I said, still intensely staring at the Doctor. He kept his gaze.

Rose grabbed onto the Doctor and I stepped over to the second lever. The Doctor nodded slightly and we pulled the levers. I held on tight to mine, and Rose gripped the Doctor as he held his lever. It started slow, with a few stray Daleks and Cybermen flying into the bright light on the wall. Next thing I knew and they were pouring through the gateway. The Doctor and I looked at each other triumphantly as we knew we’d sealed away most of the enemies. My smile faded when Rose slipped, tumbling back towards the gateway. I immediately dove after her, brushing her hand and missing. The gateway immediately sealed and I slammed against the wall. The Doctor dashed over, hesitantly placing his hands on my shoulders.

My hand was burning and my chest hurt. It felt like I’d gotten my chest crushed, my ribs smashed into my vital organs. I couldn’t breathe. I was breathing, but it didn’t feel like it.

“Oh Kaiden,” he said softly. “I’m so sorry, pal. I-I tried to grab her. I really did.”

“Shut up!” I shouted. I started crying. I slammed my fists against the wall. “It’s not fair! Let her go!”

“Kaiden, she’s gone,” he said firmly. “She’s sealed over there.”

I couldn’t stop sobbing. My tears burned. I slammed my fists against the wall again. “Shut up, Doctor! It’s not fair! I-I can’t be without her!”

I slumped over against the floor again, still bawling. It wasn’t fair. Why her? Why not me? Hell, why any of us? I was inconsolable.

I spent the rest of the day on the TARDIS per the Doctor’s insistence. I sat in the wee spare bedroom he’d set aside for Rose and myself. I sat there clutching a hoodie of hers in my fists. I needed her back. My chest still ached. I couldn’t speak. I was breathing without breathing. I drank so much that day. I got into the Doctor’s liquor cupboard and drank until I passed out asleep.

“Oh God, Kaiden,” the Doctor said quietly. I opened my eyes, my head and stomach now aching from a hangover. He put his hands on my shoulders. “What have you done, pal?”

“I can’t do it, lad,” I said softly. I remained slumped over on the floor. “She took my heart with her.”

To my surprise, he hugged me. “She took one of mine, too. I’m so sorry, Kaiden.”

“And now she’s sealed off in some other timeline with her mum and Mickey,” I said shakily. “I-I feel like a dead man walking.”

“You’re not dead, Kaiden,” he said softly, still hugging me. “You’re alright. She’s alright. I’m sure there’s a way we can get her back; it just won’t be happening for right now.”

“You said it yourself that it was sealed off, Doctor!” I shouted, shouldering him off me. I stood up and grabbed a bottle I’d passed out in the middle of drinking. I took a long sip and then pointed at him as he sat there in surprise. “Don’t fuckin’ lie to me you heartless bastard!”

“I-I wasn’t lying. I would never,” he said firmly, standing up in front of me. “I’m sure there is a way, we just haven’t found it yet.”

I pointed at him again, the whiskey sloshing in the bottle as I did so. “Shut up! You’re so full of shite, y’know that!? Always getting us into trouble! Always so needy for her and I! You haven’t spoken to me since yesterday when she left!”

“I figured you—you needed some space,” he said sheepishly. I’d never seen the lad so timid before. That brave, “throw caution to the wind” demeanor was gone. All that remained was a pathetic Time Lord who ruined my life. “I wanted to let you have some time to-”

“You and your time!” I barked. He flinched. I took another long drink and grimaced. “If it weren’t for you always needing us as your travel companions, this never would’ve happened!”

“I don’t need you two, I just-”

“No, you’re just hopelessly in love with my girlfriend!” I interrupted. He raised his eyebrows in surprise, but not that kind of surprise. More like an angry, accusatory kind of shock.

“Aye, I said it! You have a stupid crush on Rose and so you always had to come back on some scheme just to spend time with her! Don’t think I never noticed those longing wee gazes!”

He threw his hands out. “I was looking at you, too, you daft man! Christ, you never realized? I love the both of you! I-I couldn’t bear to part with you! That’s why I’d sent her back in the TARDIS when you and I were dying on Satellite Five! I couldn’t lose you both!”

“I don’t care what you think of me!” I shouted. I was sobbing uncontrollably at that point. “Don’t you get it! My literal other half is gone! She’s never coming back!”

He stared blankly at me for a moment. He hesitantly reached out and I smacked his hand away. He genuinely looked upset by it, and I enjoyed it. “There’s a chance we can get her back, pal. It’ll just take some time, I swear. Just… you can’t immediately drown your sorrows in alcohol.”

“Don’t tell me what I can and can’t do.”

He nudged a bottle with his foot and it bumped into a few more. “Christ, how much have you had to drink?”

“Not enough,” I snapped. I took a sip from the bottle I was holding and he tried taking it from me. “Back off!”

“No! Give me the damn bottle!” he yelled back, trying to snatch it from me. He grabbed my shirt in his fist and kept trying to reach for the bottle.

I shouldered him as hard as I could and he stumbled back to the floor, dragging me with him since he was still holding my shirt. I landed on top of him, my bottle of whiskey hitting the floor. He glanced at it and kicked it away. I went for it and he tackled me. I turned and thrashed around, trying to get him off me.

“Fuck off!” I shouted, trying to wrestle him off.

“No! I will not let you destroy yourself on my TARDIS!” he barked.

I socked him in the face and he rolled off me, clutching his face. I grabbed the bottle and looked down at him. “I’d rather destroy myself.”

“You fucking idiot,” he grumbled. He stood up and punched me right back. The bottle flew from my hands when I stumbled back, shattering against the floor. I knelt by my bed, my nose beginning to bleed. He knelt beside me. “You’re bleeding.”

“And you’re a dick,” I said, wiping some of the blood away. “Are we done stating the obvious?”

He sighed tiredly and rolled his eyes. “You’re never going to get better if you refuse to even try.”

“Why do you care?”

“Because I love you,” he said bluntly. I looked at him funny. “I hate to see you like this, and I want you to know I’m here for you. I’m sorry if that’s not what you wanted to hear, but I said it anyway.”

I stared at him in confusion, furrowing my eyebrows. “Y-You what?”

“I love you, Kaiden,” he said again, reaching out and grabbing my shoulder. “I love you, and I love Rose.”

I stared at him, unsure what to say. He remained silent. “I-I’m actually speechless.”

“That’s okay, we can discuss this further when you’re sober,” he said, helping me up. He pushed me onto my bed and I slumped over. He dragged my beanbag closer to the bed and sprawled himself out on it. “Night, pal.”

It didn’t take long for the alcohol to pull me to sleep.
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My next day was spent with a wicked hangover and being miserable on the TARDIS with the Doctor. The day after when I felt physically better, he knocked on my doorjamb and leaned in the doorway.

“What’s up, lad?”

“Got an idea,” he said. “We have to get that Vortex power of yours under control.”

I furrowed my eyebrows. “Now?”

He held out his hand. “If you want any hope of saving Rose or helping her and I again, then you’re coming with me to learn control.”

I took his hand and he yanked me to my feet. “Where to, lad?”

“To a remote island on a remote planet,” he said, dragging me along to the console. He started his usual shenanigans with the levers, dials, and switches. The familiar whirring of the TARDIS rang out and I braced myself against the seat. “We need to get that power of yours under control, and I know you’re a bit… explosive with it. That’s why we’re going somewhere remote. C’mon then.”

He made his way out of the TARDIS and stepped onto a huge range of rocky, grassy highlands. I looked over at him. “Ireland?”

He nodded slightly. “Ireland circa alternate timeline where it’s uninhabited.”

I held my arms out, enjoying the breezy air. “No wonder it felt familiar.”

“So, time to get started on your training,” he said, clapping his hands together. “You need to get your vortex power under control. What better way than to learn as we go?”

I turned to him and crossed my arms. “Perfect, what’s first?”

“Show me what you got.”

I stood at the ready, holding up my hand. I took a deep breath and exploded like I always do. I slumped back in the dewy grass and waited for my vision to come back, my entire body burning. He gave me a hand up, yanking me to my feet.

“Again, but this time, tamper down the power,” he commanded.

I shot him a look. “Fuck do you mean tamper it down? I can’t control it!”

“That’s exactly why we’re here,” he said. I waited until the blindness completely faded and blinked my eyes back into focus. “I see you can see again. Perfect! Now, take that power but don’t let it all out at once. Hold some of it in or learn to channel it to other parts of your body.”

“How come I’m the one who has to learn to harness this?”

“Because Rose starts time and you stop it,” he said, crossing his arms. “Starting time doesn’t need training because it’s not as hard as stopping time. The end of time comes with resistance from the universe. That’s why you always get so hurt or like you just got hit with a flashbang.”

I nod slowly. “Aye, I guess that makes sense.”

“Now, you’re an electrician right?” he asked. I nodded. “Imagine your body is a circuit. You don’t want to overload it by bringing all the voltage to your hand. You need to distribute and divert some of the power to other loads and then cycle it back if you need it.”

I nodded slowly, actually kind of understanding it. “Ah, that actually makes sense.”

He grinned. “See? We just needed to find a proper approach for you. Now, when you fire up that Vortex power, distribute the power to other areas and see if it helps limit the damage when you fire off from your hand. Go.”

I took a deep breath and planted my feet. I fired up my Vortex power and aimed my hand out. I blasted and shot back, blinding myself yet again. I groaned. “Fuck!”

“Again! Go!”

It went that way for a while. I tried thinking of diverting the power, but I couldn’t figure it out. It was like there was an open contact somewhere in my circuit that made it not work. I kept blowing a fuse over and over. It felt like I was never going to get it right. Finally, as I was about to give up, I managed to pull it off. I let out a small blast and slid on my feet, which sparked with the golden fire I fired from my hand. I didn’t pass out, I didn’t lose my sight, I didn’t blow out my ears; I didn’t screw it up.

I looked at my smoking limbs and let out a weak laugh. “I-I did it.”

“Fantastic!” the Doctor shouted, dashing around in excitement. “Attaboy!”

I looked at him triumphantly and threw my fists up. “I did it! I diverted the current!”

“Yes you did!” he said excitedly. He hugged me tight and pulled back, still grabbing my shoulders. “And, I think I’ve got a great way to relax after this.”

“Aye?”
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I tipped my head back and blew smoke before coughing a little bit. I looked over at the Doctor and passed the joint back to him. “Christ, that’s good shite. Where’d you even get it, lad?”

“Dispensary on a planet from the Axis system,” he said. He took a hit and blew smoke, coughing a bit as well. “What do you think?”

“I’ve only smoked like, twice before,” I said. “Usually I get paranoid, but this strain is actually really good.”

“What’s the craziest thing you did while high?”

I thought for a moment. “I got so high I made 12 sandwiches by accident. I made one, set it on a table and went to grab a drink. Forgot where the sandwich was, so I made another thinking I’d eaten it and forgotten. Repeated that until I remembered to eat the sandwich. Next morning I was confused to see 11 sandwiches scattered about my flat.”

He burst out laughing and shook his head. “Oh God! How did you manage to lose that many sandwiches!?”

“I was stoned, lad,” I said. “I took edibles and didn’t realize how high the dose was.”

He burst out laughing again and sighed, setting the joint in the ashtray and slumping over in my bed more. I remained cozy on my beanbag chair. He got up and rubbed his eyes.

“I’m gonna grab some snacks. Want anything?”

“Aye, surprise me,” I said. He left the room and I waited for his footsteps to recede. I grabbed the folder out from under my bed and continued looking through it. I kept scribbling away in it, jotting notes and ideas. I was plotting to bring Rose back from the fault in Cardiff. I was one wee human, not an evil space laser or plot from Blon Fel Fotch. I figured I could peel open that fault a wee bit, reach in for Rose, and pull her back into our timeline. In theory, it was possible and easy enough. But, easier said than done. I was working frantically to try and figure out a way to pull it off in the frame of electrical circuits. To me, it was one big electrical system. I kept drawing circuit diagrams to dumb it down for myself and see how I could make it work and piece together what everything was. I heard his footsteps approach and threw the folder back under the bed.

“I’ve got root beer and some pretzels,” he said, holding up the large bag of pretzels and the cans of root beer. I took one and cracked open the can, taking a sip. He slumped over on my bed again. “We should do this more often, pal. You deserve a chance to relax.”

“Aye, I know,” I said, waving my hand weakly. “You nag me constantly to rest.”

He pointed a pretzel at me. “Yep, I nag you for a reason. Surprised you haven’t worked yourself to the bone.”

I waved my hand dismissively again. “Aye, whatever.”

“I’m serious! You and Rose found a place to live and got actual jobs in the six months I’d left you lot alone,” he said. “That’s a lot of hard work.”

I shrugged and ate a pretzel. “It’s pretty normal for humans, lad.”

“You don’t give yourself enough credit,” he said.

“I’ll start giving myself credit when you quit stressing over me all the time.”

He laughed a little and put his hands up. “Alright, alright. You’ve got me there. Good thing this is some good weed.”

I laughed and nodded in agreement.

Chapter Text

Weeks went by and I figured out how to get Rose back. I didn’t tell the Doctor, obviously. He’d come get me every weekend just like he did with Rose and I. One weekend, he came to get me but I wasn’t home. I was in Cardiff at the rift. I had what I needed. I’d stolen parts off the TARDIS and basically used them as a makeshift amplifier. I took a deep breath and prepared to reach through the rift and get Rose back. Hopefully she knew where to go. As I was preparing, I heard the familiar whir of the TARDIS. The Doctor leaned against it, but I didn’t turn to face him.

“What’re you up to there, pal?”

“Nothing, lad. Just hanging out,” I said.

“You’re a lousy liar,” he said flatly. “And I know you took parts.”

“So?”

“What are you using it for?”

“Nothing of your concern.”

He said it more firmly this time. “What are you using it for?”

“I said nothing of your concern,” I said back. I strapped the device to myself like a large battery and powered it on. I fired up my newly-trained Vortex power and took a deep breath.

“You’re not trying to do what I think you’re doing…?” he asked quietly. For the first time in a long time, he sounded genuinely scared.

“I’m getting her back.”

I groaned in pain and fell to one knee as the device combined with my Vortex power, ripping open the fault in Cardiff. I couldn’t see just like when I overload, but I wasn’t collapsing like normal thanks to my device. I started to see the cracks in time and reached through one. My arm burned as I reached in. I stepped forward and reached in further. I felt the Doctor grab onto me.

“Kaiden, no!”

“Let go, Doctor!”

“No! I can’t let you do this! You’ll rip yourself apart, and I can’t let that happen!”

“I need Rose back!” I called back. My voice echoed through time itself back around to us. “Let go!”

“Never!” he shouted back. He started trying to yank me out of the fault. I kept reaching in. He kept pulling on me, desperately trying to get me out of the rift. “Kaiden, please stop! You’re going to tear your entire body to shreds!”

I kept going until I saw Rose. She turned to me in shock and immediately kissed me. “Kaiden, stop! You’ll tear yourself apart!”

“Take my hand,” I said to Rose, holding my hand out. She grabbed my hand and I quickly pulled her against me before pulling myself back into our timeline. I stumbled back against the Doctor and he fell over. Rose knelt down for a moment to catch her breath. My entire body burned and felt like it was being ripped apart. Shit, maybe the Doctor was right. I wasn’t getting my vision back. I felt someone rip the makeshift battery off my chest and heard it clatter to the ground. I blacked out.

When I came to, I was on board the TARDIS once again. I was lying on a cot in what I assumed was a med bay. I couldn’t move and my head was pounding. Rose was slumped over asleep at my bedside, her hand on top of my bandaged arm. The Doctor was also surprisingly slumped over asleep beside her, his hand on top of my bandaged leg. I swallowed, my throat dry. My vision was blurry, but I silently hoped it was just from the headache.

“Rose? Doctor?” I managed.

The Doctor stirred and quickly shook Rose awake. She sat up a little confused but immediately hugged me tight. I groaned softly and she kissed my face a few times.

“Oh Kaiden! Thank God you’re okay!” she cried. She sniffled. “Oh my God don’t you ever do something like that again!”

I chuckled weakly. “Then don’t you go disappearing to other timelines, love.”

She kissed me gently and grabbed my hand. “You’re lucky to be alive. I can’t heal you.”

“What exactly happened?” I asked.

“You burned yourself with time itself,” the Doctor said, gesturing to me. “You aren’t supposed to reach through timelines unprotected like that. You’re in rough shape, pal.”

I sighed and stared at the ceiling. “My head is killing me.”

“I told you, you were going to rip your being apart,” he said, crossing his arms. “You shouldn’t have done that. I-I told you we’d find another way to get her back.”

“What’s he talking about, Kaiden?” Rose asked nervously. “There—There was another way?”

“I don’t know-”

“Of course there was another way!” the Doctor shouted, throwing his hands up. He grabbed my shirt collar and I grimaced with pain. Rose instantly jumped up and put her hands against his shoulders. “You just had to go and nearly kill yourself again! Have you no self-preservation!? Do you just not care about what would happen if you died!?”

“I’m immortal, lad.”

“Bullshit!” he shouted. “You may be immortal, but when you’re messing with time like that, you can get yourself killed! I can’t believe you’re that stupid!”

I stared blankly at him. “Let go of me, lad.”

“No! If I had let go of you, you would’ve been shredded between timelines!” he cried. He shook me and I cried out in pain. Rose pushed him back a little and he let go of my shirt. I slumped against the bed and groaned. “You’re a bloody fool! You’re such a lovable, selfless, fool!”

I furrowed my eyebrows. “Lovable?”

“Yes, because despite this, goddammit I still love you two!” he cried. I could barely see, but I’m almost certain the lad was about to cry. “First I lost her in that other timeline, and now I’ve almost lost you between them! Why can’t you see how much I love you two!?”

“Doctor! He doesn’t need you yelling at him right now!” Rose snapped. “He needs us here for him! Look at him!”

“Yeah, he’s covered in literal time burns!” he shot back. “I-I can’t stand to see him like this…”

“You think I can stand it either!?” Rose demanded. “You think I like finally being back in my proper timeline with him on his deathbed after a bloody coma!?”

The Doctor ran his hands over his hair and sighed loudly. “I-I can’t… I should’ve done more to deter him… I-I should’ve stopped him.”

“Well you didn’t, and now you have to be there for him,” she said angrily. She turned back and sat beside me again, gently holding my hand. She kissed my bandaged knuckles and I could barely feel it. “You’re alright, love. I promise.”

“Why do you guys have to fight over me?” I asked. I winced. “I’m just some fuckin’ average bastard.”

“Shut up, you’re the love of my life,” Rose said. She turned to the Doctor. “Doctor, you can’t just threaten him after he saved me.”

“I wasn’t threatening him,” he said, his voice unsteady. “I-I just… I don’t know what to do. I can’t fix this. I’m supposed to be the one who saves the day! I’m supposed to be the man that fixes things!”

Rose and I exchanged a worried glance. “What do you mean, lad?”

He turned to face us. “I was supposed to take the Time Vortex from Rose and just regenerate! I don’t even know how you absorbed half, and—and I don’t know what to do with the fact that you saved me, Kaiden! You and Rose saved me!”

“I don’t see how that’s a bad thing,” I said.

“Yeah, me neither,” Rose said, furrowing her eyebrows. “I mean obviously we know we weren’t supposed to play with the Time Vortex, but why is it bad that we saved you?”

He stepped a little closer and gestured to himself. “Don’t you get it? I’ve always been the one to save the day! I’ve rescued countless races and species and planets! I’ve done everything in my power to protect people! Of course the only people I can’t protect are you two!”

“Doctor, you’ve protected us countless times,” Rose said, looking at him with confusion.

“Yes, but you two have protected me more than that! I’m supposed to look after my companions, and I can’t even do that!” he insisted.

“Oh come here, lad,” I said tiredly. “I’m not dead, Rose isn’t dead, and you’re not dead. Can we please just enjoy that?”

He sighed and sat beside Rose again, gently reaching out and holding my other hand. “You—You’re right. I’m sorry, pal. My freak-out isn’t what you need right now.”

“Thank you,” I said, sighing with relief. “So, how bad are my injuries?”

“Well reaching through time like that damages your body and your soul,” he said. “Your very being is burned down to your soul. Any part of you that reached through timelines burned. You aren’t supposed to go through those pockets between time and space to reach into time and space.”

I coughed a little. “I gathered.”

Rose squeezed my hand gently. “It’ll be okay, love.”

“My eyes kinda burn,” I said, weakly reaching up to rub my eyes. “Christ, what did I do…?”

“Shh, it’s alright now, pal,” the Doctor said. He kissed my knuckles. “You’re safe now. It’s going to be a long recovery, but you’ll make it. Rose and I are right here, and we’re going to stay here while you get better.”

I smiled a little and dozed off before I could say anything else.
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I woke up to see the lights dimmed in the TARDIS’s med bay. Rose was asleep on another cot with a blanket over her. The Doctor was sitting on a chair next to my cot, staring blankly at me.

“Doctor?”

He perked up a little and smiled. “Hey, pal. How you feeling?”

I shrugged weakly. “Kinda lousy. Tired.”

“You hungry at all?” he asked. I shook my head. He chuckled under his breath and shook his head. “C’mon, pal. You haven’t had anything in days. You don’t want anything?”

I shrugged again. “Not really, lad. I just feel… weak and sick.”

“It’s alright, pal. I understand,” he said softly. “Did you want some water or anything at least?”

I held up my arm. “You got me on an IV, lad. I think I’m fine.”

He sighed softly. “I’m trying to look after you, pal. Rose is a wreck seeing you like this after just getting back in our timeline. I feel awful seeing you like this, too. I-I should’ve done more to try and get her back without hurting you.”

“I think no matter what, it would’ve hurt me,” I said softly. “Knowing our luck, a proper plan still would’ve required me being a human battery or I’d accidentally get myself killed doing something stupid.”

“You’re not nearly as stupid as you like to say you are,” he said bluntly. I raised my eyebrows a little. “You’re a smart fellow, and you’re a delight when you’re not brooding.”

“I don’t brood.”

“Yes you do,” he said with a slight nod. “C’mon, there’s not one meal you want right now?”

I shook my head. “No. I don’t feel hungry.”

“No, you’ve gotta eat something,” he said firmly. He reached out and put his hands on my head, his thumbs against my temples.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“Shush,” he said, furrowing his eyebrows a little. He suddenly stood up, letting go of my head. “Be right back.”

I stared in disbelief as he left the room. I slumped back in the bed a little and looked over at Rose. She was dreaming of her short time in the alternate timeline. I wasn’t intentionally poking in her dreams. The Time Vortex link just made it happen. After a few minutes, the Doctor walked back in holding a plate of pasta. I furrowed my eyebrows.
“Where the hell did you get that from, lad?”

“Doesn’t matter,” he said, holding it out to me more. “Just eat it.”

“I told you I’m not hungry,” I said, smiling weakly.

He sat down next to my cot again and held out the plate again. “Humor me. Please?”

How was I supposed to say no? That stupid bastard had some mean puppy eyes—whether he did it intentionally or not. I begrudgingly took the plate and set it in my lap. I poked some with the fork and shakily lifted it towards my mouth. I took a bite and suddenly it felt as if I were a caveman who hadn’t eaten in a week.

“Told you so,” the Doctor said smugly as I started practically inhaling the food. “Slow down, you’ll make yourself sick.”

“Shut up,” I said between bites. “I feel like I’m starving.”

“Well you haven’t eaten while you were comatose,” he said. Despite his demeanor and expression, there was a deep sadness to his tone. “Obviously I had you on an IV so you wouldn’t completely wither away, but you haven’t had a proper meal in a while.”

I glanced at him and swallowed what I’d been chewing. “How long was I out?”

“Week and a half. Give or take,” he said, tilting his hand side to side. I raised my eyebrows in shock. “Yeah, that got you good, pal. I—We were worried sick.”

I chuckled weakly and took another bite. I suppressed a burp, lightly tapping my chest. “Sorry, mate. How’s Rose holding up?”

“She’s obviously really upset, but I finally convinced her to get some sleep a few hours ago,” he said, glancing over his shoulder at her. She was still fast asleep on the cot across the room. Somehow she was out cold in jeans and a sweatshirt. I hated when I accidentally fell asleep in my trousers, which I thankfully didn’t do often. I couldn’t help but smile seeing her. “She’s been a mess.”

“I can imagine,” I said, staring down at my food in shame. “I-I feel terrible.”

“No, don’t feel bad, Kaden,” he said, shaking his head a little. “You saved her. You risked your life for someone you love.”

I sigh softly. “I know, but at the cost of my very being.”

“You’re alright, pal,” he said. He reached out and gave my hand a firm squeeze. “It’ll take a while for you to get back to your old self, but you’ll be just fine.”

“Define ‘a while’,” I said, taking another bite.

He sheepishly rubbed his neck. “Ah, could be anywhere from a few months to over a year.”

I nodded slowly and took another bite. “Great.”

“Aw, buck up, pal,” he said encouragingly. “You’re the most stubborn, determined bloke I’ve ever met. I know you’ll pull through.”

I chuckled weakly and took another bite. I pointed my fork at him, my hand trembling. “I can barely hold a fork, Doctor. I’m not looking forward to recovery.”

“Oh c’mon, you’ll make it,” he said with a confident grin. “Trust me, you’ll be alright. I’ve got full faith in you.”

I smiled a little and took another bite, finally finishing the pasta. The Doctor quickly took the plate and set it aside on a table. He shifted in his chair and sighed. “Thanks, lad.”

“Don’t mention it,” he said with a smile. His smile faltered and he took a deep breath. “Sorry I freaked out on you yesterday. The last thing you needed was me yelling at you. It isn’t your fault you got hurt. I didn’t clarify just how risky it was, and I didn’t make enough of an effort to stop you.”

“Don’t start blaming yourself, ya bastard,” I said, trying to playfully punch his shoulder. He laughed a little. “I did something dumb and now all we can do is handle the consequences head-on.”

He grinned confidently. “Damn straight.”

“Did I miss anything exciting in my coma?”

“Nah, nothing crazy,” he said, shaking his head a little. “Just Rose and I being sad sacks and her mum being worried sick.”

I grimace. “She knew, didn’t she?”

He nodded slowly. “Jackie somehow knew pretty much exactly what you did. She got so heated she slapped me for a second time in my life and insisted I keep my TARDIS parked outside her flat.”

“Seriously?” I asked.

He nodded again. “Yep. She was worried sick.”

I chuckled nervously in complete disbelief. “Ms. Tyler was worried about me?”

“She adores you, pal,” he said with a nod. “You’re like her favorite bloke on Earth.”

I couldn’t help but smile a little. “Well that’s actually pretty reassuring. I always worry that she wouldn’t necessarily approve of Rose and I dating.”

He waved his hand dismissively. “She’d be a fool to disapprove. You’re good to Rose, and it’s clear she really loves you.”

I scratched at some of my bandages and he gently moved my hand away. “So… I really need to hit the jacks, lad.”

He laughed a little and nodded. “I can help you walk there, but I’m not helping you aim.”

I laughed and punched his shoulder. “Oi, like I’d even ask that.”

“Alright, c’mon, pal,” he said, putting an arm around me. I slid off the cot to my feet and faltered. He kept his arm around my shoulders and firmly pressed another hand to my chest. I took a sharp breath and he lightly patted my chest. “Easy, Kaden, easy. I’ve gotcha.”

I took a deep breath and sighed. “Thanks, Doctor.”

He started taking slow steps with me, keeping me upright. “No need to thank me. I owe you and Rose all my possible regenerations for all the times you and her have saved my sorry ass. I owe you more than my life.”

I chuckled weakly and groaned softly as the Doctor helped me hobble to the bathroom. “What the hell did that time shite do to me?”

“Nearly shredded you apart,” he said, pressing his hand more firmly against my chest and his other arm more firm around my shoulders. “You literally ripped time open from that fault in Cardiff where I usually charge the TARDIS. Obviously that’s not supposed to happen, and now you have to pay the price. I’m so sorry, pal.”

I leaned against the wall and he turned around in the doorway of the bathroom. I awkwardly cleared my throat as I went about my business. “So… does it affect my Time Vortex power?”

“No, it shouldn’t,” he said. “At least I wouldn’t think so. You still feel connected to Rose, yeah?”

I nodded slightly even though he couldn’t see me. “Aye, I do. She’s dreaming peacefully.”

He chuckled softly. “Well, then I’d assume your Vortex power is intact. Much to my dismay.”

“What was that?” I asked, not catching what he mumbled at the end there.

“Nothing, mate, just grumbling to myself,” he said. We stood in silence for a moment before he spoke again. “Y’know, I’m rather fond of you over Mickey.”

“Seriously?”

He nodded. “Yeah, Mickey wasn’t the worst obviously, but he was always acting like I was gonna get Rose killed. I defended her with my life. They broke up before you joined us.”

“I did know Mickey though,” I said. “I grew up with Rose. Mickey was a mate of one of my mates back in early secondary—like maybe around Year 8. Anyways, I barely knew the bloke, but he didn’t seem too bad.”

“Did you fancy Rose back then?” he asked.

I shook my head and turned around, leaning against the wall. He turned and put an arm around my shoulders and a hand against my chest again. “No, she was my best mate. I didn’t even consider I had feelings for her until Year 13, but I went off to vocation school and she got to work. We hadn’t talked in a long time until I got swept up on the TARDIS with you lot.”

“I remember one of the first places I took us with you was to your parents’ graves,” he said. “How did she not know they were dead?”

“Never told her,” I said. “I was good at hiding it.”

“Makes me wonder what else you’ve been doing a good job at hiding,” he said. He helped me lie back down on the medical cot. I glanced over at Rose, still sound asleep on her own cot. I sighed. He followed my gaze and turned back to me. “You worry about her a lot, don’t you?”

I nodded. “Aye, I do. I love her, and we’re connected with the Time Vortex.”

“So how does she not know all you’re hiding from her?” he questioned. He sat back in his seat, crossing his arms. He looked a bit smug, and I eyed him suspiciously.

“I’m not sure,” I said with a weak shrug. “Maybe the Time Vortex just keeps certain things hidden or maybe she just hasn’t brought ‘em up yet.”

He nodded slowly. The TARDIS rumbled softly. “I’d better get some maintenance done.”

“Ah, alright then,” I said awkwardly. He got up and walked out. The rumble and the Doctor’s footsteps woke Rose. She climbed out of the other cot and came over to me. “Hey, love.”

“Hey, you,” she said softly. I smiled a little and she smiled weakly. “How you feeling now?”

“Still pretty awful,” I said with a shrug.

She awkwardly cleared her throat. “Uh, permission to come aboard?”

I scooted myself over a bit and patted the space beside me. “Granted.”

She smiled and hesitantly sat down next to me. She reached out and cupped my face in her hands. “Oh, Kaiden. You look—“

“Awful? I know.”

She shook her head, furrowing her eyebrows a little. “No, I wasn’t going to say that. I was going to say you look like you survived hell.”

“I didn’t survive shit. I ripped apart time and space just to find you.”

“I know, and I almost wish you hadn’t,” she said sadly, rubbing her thumbs against my cheeks. “You’re in agony and I hate seeing you like this.”

“Did I really get burned that badly?”

She looked at me in horror. “No! I’m not saying you look horrible or—or ugly! You still look like you. You still look like that sweet boy I met in Year 8. I can still see that boy in you. Burns or no burns, you’re the same bloke I fell in love with.”

I swallowed and sheepishly rubbed the back of my neck. “I’m not that lad anymore, Rose.”

“I know, but I can still picture him perfectly,” she said. She sniffled. “You had that silly haircut and—and those cargo pants you wore. You had the softest eyes and those dorky glasses with the camo print.”

I smiled weakly. “I was a right dork in school.”

“You were the best dork,” she said sweetly. She kissed my cheek over some of the bandages on my face. “I knew I wanted to be your mate when some of my other mates said you looked weird.”
“You wanted to be friends with me despite that?”

She nodded. “I thought you seemed cool and sweet, so that’s why I went up and talked to you.”

I smile a little. “Well I’m so grateful you did.”

She kissed me gently and smiled. “Please don’t ever do something that stupid again. I can’t bear to lose you.”

“You can’t lose me,” I said softly. “We’re stuck together.”

“I know, but that was stupid dangerous,” she said firmly, furrowing her eyebrows. “I don’t care what’s happened; don’t do something like that again. I was so scared you’d never wake up.”

“You have me word,” I said. She lied on her side and hesitantly shifted closer, settling against me. I winced trying to put an arm around her. She gently took my hand and pulled my arm around her better. She gently messed with my bandaged fingers.

“This was the hand you reached to me with?”

I nodded slightly. “Aye, it was.”

“It’s so… burned,” she said sadly. “You’re like a mummy all wrapped up in your bandages.”

I laughed a little and playfully nudged her. “Should I start walking around the TARDIS trying to spook the Doctor?”

She cracked up laughing and playfully swatted my shoulder. “You should not do that. I bet you can hardly walk with your weakness and the burns on your leg.”

I sighed softly and hugged her closer to me. “I know. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry. I can’t even blame you. You gave me my life back,” she said softly. She kissed me gently. “I owe you big time.”

I smiled a little and chuckled softly. “You don’t owe me anythin’, Rose. You would’ve done the same for me, aye?”

She nodded slightly. “Hey I uh… I’ve got something for you.”

I furrowed my eyebrows. “Aye?”

She shifted onto her back and reached into her sweatshirt pocket. She held up my iPod, the earbuds still plugged in. I raised my eyebrows a bit in surprise. “Kept this warm for you.”

“Oh, Rose,” I said softly. I couldn’t help but smile. I reached out and shakily held my iPod, punching in that little passcode and seeing the familiar home screen with a couple games, the notes, a browser, and of course, my huge music library. “It’s all still here, too.”

She nodded. “I uh… I’ve been listening to your music since you brought me back to my proper timeline. You’ve got a surprising amount of music on there. How do you afford all that? Doesn’t it usually cost a couple quid?”

I chuckled softly and nodded. “Aye, usually. There’s this fun thing I can’t recall the name of, but for some strange reason it makes me want to sail the Seven Seas.”

She cracked up laughing and playfully nudged me. “You pirated all your music?”

I nodded again. “Aye, of course I did. No way am I paying a couple quid per song. A few of ‘em I did pay for, but I got real sick of paying and just pirated the reset.”

“That’s so on brand for you,” she said. She kissed me gently. “Should see if the Doctor’s got aux in his TARDIS.”

I laughed a little. “Like the bastard would let me on aux.”

“You’ve got good music! I haven’t even heard of some of these guys, but they sounded great,” she said with a smile.

“Really?”

She nodded. “I recognized all the mainstream artists of course—especially the British artists obviously—and maybe some of the more punk-specific ones. Although some of those rock and metal bands I’ve never heard before. Not completely my style, but since they’re all your favorites, that makes me enjoy them more.”

I smiled. “You’re just too sweet, y’know that? One of these days you’re going to give me cavities.”

She kissed me gently and smiled. She held out her hand and I set one earbud in her hand. I put the other in my ear and we looked at the iPod together. “I’m still surprised you’ve got an iPod touch.”

“Same, honestly,” I said, still browsing my music library. “I don’t normally splurge on these things, but I remember mentioning to somebody that I thought an iPod would be a nice investment. Y’know, like the wee colorful ones with the buttons. Someone gifted me this entire iPod touch. It’s incredible. I can watch YouTube on here, write a shopping list, browse the internet, check my Facebook, and even play some games.”

“I miss MySpace,” she said. We both laughed a little. “It was so cool.”

I nod in agreement. “It was incredible.”

She suddenly sighed softly and kissed my cheek. “I wish I could heal you. I’d use all my power to heal you if I could.”

“I’d never ask you to do that,” I said firmly.

She shrugged and kissed my cheek again. “You wouldn’t have to ask. I’ll always defend you as you defend me.”

I couldn’t help but smile and I leaned in to kiss her cheek. I yawned loudly. “Mm… sorry.”

She laughed softly. “Don’t be. You have every right to be tired, love.”

I dozed off pretty quickly and easily.