...

Ia moved the torch obediently, although she lowered it when the lights came on. “Great!” A wide smile spread across her face. “And, with this, I’ll be able to use the elevator, right?” A bit of the urgency left her, now that she knew there was a chance of this getting fixed.

Stella nodded. A moment of calm came, mixed with almost a bit of melancholy. Stella spoke softly. "So... you'll be going home, then." This girl had a home, somewhere with still-living family and friends, to return to. Stella bowed her head. "I'm glad we got to meet, Ia."

"Oh, yeah. Don’t worry about them seeing you. This isn’t a fixed point in time, so nothing too bad can happen." Flawed logic of course, but he didn’t follow the same rules that he used to. "You better go out ahead of me though. They trust you." He knew that he couldn’t risk getting shot just because he was from a different world. "And make sure they won’t shoot me!"

"Well, if you’re sure …" Ia frowned, but nodded. "Come on then." She returned to the room, holding out the makeshift torch carefully. "Is this what a generator looks like?" Ia got closer to the contraption, eyeing the buttons. It looked too complicated to her. "Have you ever seen anyone operate it?"

Stella blinked and nodded, leading her into the same old cabin. She had been working on getting it a bit nicer (heating, for example, would be nice), but it was mostly the same. She had it set up for two again now- now, she had someone to be with.

Her efforts were not wasted on Ia, who moved to get a blanket from where it had been the last time. “It’s nice in here,” she said, smiling widely. Not sure what to do with the second sweater she had brought (she didn’t want to bring it home with her), she simply hung it on a chair nearby as she sat down. “So, let’s see … Well, how about I teach you some Christmas carols? They’re songs. I came prepared this time!”

"Christmas carols?" Stella tilted her head, sitting across from her. "...Okay. But what are Christmas carols for?" Surely they had some sort of meaning to them. 

((I’m one away from 100 followers :D VERY EXCITING~))

"…Hm." Well, she wasn’t exactly the poster child of arts and crafts, but she could at least try. Although she didn’t know any techniques, and there wasn’t anyone around to teach her. Stella nodded. "I can try and make something for you." What she would make was beyond her at the moment, but it didn’t matter.

"If it comes from the heart, that’s all that matters~!" Ia clapped her hands together. "Hey, if you don’t know anything about Christmas, that means you don’t know about Christmas tress! Or Christmas carols, or … Wow! There’s so much to tell you about!" She paused, shivering. "But, first, could we go inside somewhere?"

Stella blinked and nodded, leading her into the same old cabin. She had been working on getting it a bit nicer (heating, for example, would be nice), but it was mostly the same. She had it set up for two again now- now, she had someone to be with.

Stella nodded, forcing herself up in a standing position. “I was built with superhuman strength. I will be just fine. You don’t have to worry.” Despite this, Stella herself was internally worrying. She had never really been in a situation like this before. “Let’s just work on getting you home.” She could take care of herself.

"We can wait." Ia found herself wishing that they hadn’t destroyed the only chair in the place. "If that is the generator, it will still be there in five minutes. Or ten. Sit down for a few minutes." For someone to go from almost falling to standing was simply not healthy.

There was something wrong with that. Stella thought for a moment. "...The fire will burn out," she pointed out. If it did, she would have to light it again, and that would only make this worse. "Once we get this resolved, I can rest. I want to focus on getting you home safe." It wouldn't do to allow her new friend to be trapped in this world, this frozen over hell, like she had been for so long.

"Okay," he said, walking back to the console of the Tardis. "We’ll go to that time, and we can go over to them, and we’ll have to save them there, before you get back from wherever you went." He started to get the Tardis ready for flight.

A problem came to her. “…They were on a plane.” Could he land his ship on a plane? It seemed unlikely. And it wasn’t as if they could wait until they landed.

"No problem, I can get us on that plane, as long as there’s enough space. Just enter the date here" He said indicating to what looked like an old fashioned typewriter. "The Tardis can find this plane with a general area, and then with some careful calculations, we’ll be there."

"Okay." She started to enter the date, but paused. "...They might not like it if an alien suddenly teleports onto their ship. Actually, they'll probably try to shoot you." That could be a problem.

"Okay," he said, walking back to the console of the Tardis. "We’ll go to that time, and we can go over to them, and we’ll have to save them there, before you get back from wherever you went." He started to get the Tardis ready for flight.

A problem came to her. "...They were on a plane." Could he land his ship on a plane? It seemed unlikely. And it wasn't as if they could wait until they landed.

The Doctor saw her expression, and his hearts broke for her. Then a thought occurred to him. “Is there any other time I could go to?” He might not be able to save them all, but he could at least save some of them. “I want to save someone. So tell me a time when there were at least some humans left.” He was determined to help this girl that he could relate to so much.

She thought. “…When I woke up, they were there.” She didn’t explain who “they” were. Her mind drifted to her comrades. What she would give to see them one more time…

"Okay, let’s go save ‘them’ then." He said. "Now tell me, when do I go?"

"Well, I was woken up on the 25th of September, 2051… Does that work?"

"Well, we can’t let you see yourself, so, can you think of any other way to go about it?" He asked. of course he still had to follow the rules.

Stella thought, then frowned. "...We separated for a bit on the mission in Moscow." She still felt guilt at this. If she hadn't split up with them, she would have been there to fight the aliens off... She could have saved them.

The Doctor saw her expression, and his hearts broke for her. Then a thought occurred to him. “Is there any other time I could go to?” He might not be able to save them all, but he could at least save some of them. “I want to save someone. So tell me a time when there were at least some humans left.” He was determined to help this girl that he could relate to so much.

She thought. “…When I woke up, they were there.” She didn’t explain who “they” were. Her mind drifted to her comrades. What she would give to see them one more time…

"Okay, let’s go save ‘them’ then." He said. "Now tell me, when do I go?"

"Well, I was woken up on the 25th of September, 2051... Does that work?"

The Doctor saw her expression, and his hearts broke for her. Then a thought occurred to him. “Is there any other time I could go to?” He might not be able to save them all, but he could at least save some of them. “I want to save someone. So tell me a time when there were at least some humans left.” He was determined to help this girl that he could relate to so much.

She thought. "...When I woke up, they were there." She didn't explain who "they" were. Her mind drifted to her comrades. What she would give to see them one more time...