#studio-forty-two

There was indecision on the woman’s face. She toyed with the pencils in her hand as her teeth dug into her bottom lip. “I don’t want you to go out of your way,” she said. “It’s really not a big thing.”

“Neither is buying a coffee,” she shot back brightly, grin spreading across her face. “There’s a Costa on the next corner.”

The corners of the brunette’s mouth lifted in a smile, her whole face lighting up as she nodded once. “Yeah, alright. Coffee sounds great.”

“I’m Jenny by the way,” she said as they started walking.

“Holly.”

“Lovely to meet you, even if I did literally run into you.” Jenny’s smile was cheeky now and she was delighted when it coaxed a little laugh from Holly.

“You like running, then,” Holly observed, eyes looking back up from her hands to sweep over the blonde who was in a tiny pair of running shorts and a tshirt.

“Love running,” Jenny answered. “It’s what I do when I want to get away and relax.”

“Don’t think running’s ever relaxed me.”

“What does?”

Holly was silent for a moment as Jenny opened the door to the coffee shop. “Art. Art relaxes me.”

“You’re an artist?”

Holly ducked her head. “I wouldn’t go that far. Used to be an art teacher at a school and right now I’m teaching some adult classes at the community center but it’s not like I make a living on my art.”

“Sounds like an artist to me,” Jenny declared. “I’m surprised I haven’t seen you around the community center though. I teach a class once a week as well.”

“Oh? What do you teach?”

Jenny’s smile widened. “Technically it’s a class on basic car maintenance for people who want to be able to fix their own vehicles but I teach them a bit of everything when it comes to mechanics. That’s my day job. I’m a mechanic for the big shop down on Birch Street.”

“Do you enjoy it?”

“Don’t enjoy being stuck in one place much, but I love getting my hands dirty and figuring out how things work.”

They made it to the counter and ordered their drinks. Jenny paid with the twenty quid she kept in her zippered armband with the key to her flat for when she went running and followed Holly over to the other end of the counter to wait for their orders.

“Take it you like traveling?” Holly asked, breaking the silence. “You said you didn’t like staying in one place...”

“If I could just take off and go traveling all the time I would.”

“Me too. I’ve just never really felt settled anywhere,” Holly admitted.

“We’re just two wandering souls stuck in the same spot,” Jenny said, trying to coax another smile from the artist. Her eyes had shuttered when she’d mentioned never feeling settled, like she’d been reminded of something she didn’t want to be.

The barista called out their names and they collected their coffees.

Holly shifted her weight from foot to foot as she clutched at the warm cardboard in her hands. “I suppose I should get going,” she said.

Jenny’s heart sank. “I’m going to stay here and drink this,” she said gesturing with her coffee. “You’re welcome to stay here with me, if you’d like.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’d like that,” Holly said, and just like that the smile was back on her face, chasing away the sadness Jenny had sensed.

When they left the coffee shop an hour and a half later, Jenny had decided that she would probably do anything to keep Holly smiling. She was more than a little smitten and had a number scrawled on a napkin carefully folded up and stored where her twenty quid had been when she left for her run.

She nodded. “Some stem cell tissue disappeared last week. I get that it’s a big deal, but they’ve got no proof it was hospital staff that did it. None of our badges were used or anything.”

“Stem cells?” John echoed through numb lips.

“That’s kind of an unusual thing to steal, isn’t it?” Jack asked.

“Yeah. Office gossip has been buzzing all week, trying to figure out what the point is.” Martha’s smile gleamed in the dimly lit pub. “My favourite theory is that someone is running an illegal genetics lab and needed more samples to experiment on.”

The bottom fell out of John’s stomach. He stood up quickly, nearly hitting his head on the low ceiling. Despite the fact that he’d only had one drink, he swayed on his feet for a moment.

“John?” Jack put his hand on his shoulder. “You all right?”

“Yeah, yeah,” John said, the words coming in a rush. “There’s been something going around at work though, and suddenly I don’t feel great. I should go home.”

“I’ll walk with you,” Jack offered. John nodded, and they both said their goodbyes.

Outside, John bent over and took a deep breath of the cool autumn air, hoping the churning feeling in his stomach would fade. When he thought he could stand up without being sick or passing out, he straightened and smiled wanly at Jack. “Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it.” Jack’s sharp blue eyes examined John. “So, is this about work, or…”

“Or,” John said shortly as he turned down a quiet street and headed for home.

Jack followed along beside him. “And I’m guessing it’s got something to do with that stolen tissue?”

Memories of timelines washed over John, making him dizzy. It’s happening. The Time War has started.

“Yeah. I just… I’ve got to get home so I can get changed and go find my partner. We’ve been trying to figure out what’s going on for three weeks.”

“Well hey, maybe if you go out, I can keep your gorgeous roommate company.”

“Jack…” The image of Rose and Jack together did nothing for John’s still-queasy stomach.

“Unless you’re interested, Doc?”

“It’s not that.” John tugged on his ear. “But I like her too much to let her fall victim to the Harkness charm. Besides, I don’t think Rose is a one night stand kind of girl.”

A Cheshire cat grin spread across Jack’s face. “All right, I get it. Hands off the blonde.”

John groaned, but he didn’t try to argue that he wasn’t claiming Rose as his property. (And for the record, he never would, because if she found out about it, she would definitely kick his arse.) As long as Jack agreed not to toy with Rose, he could think whatever he wanted.

“Oh look, I’m home,” he said, ignoring Jack’s knowing chuckle. “Thanks again, Jack. I’ll let you know how things go.”

Rose wasn’t home, and without needing to make any kind of excuses, John grabbed his bag and left immediately. Five minutes later, he was adjusting his tie and contacting Bad Wolf.

I’ve found out what’s getting stolen from the hospitals, and it’s bad. Can we meet?

Yeah, ’course. I’m on my way to the Royal London—meet me there?

Sounds good. John took to the roofs, running and leaping towards the river.

Bad Wolf was waiting for him on a roof with a good view of the hospital. “So, what did you find out?” she asked.

“Stem cells. They’re stealing stem cell tissue.”

Bad Wolf’s eyes blinked behind her mask. “Okay… I’m not seeing how that’s bad yet.”

John sighed and sat down. “This is going to take a while,” he said, pointing to the ground beside him. When she was sitting down, he said, “So… I know we’ve always been careful not to tell each other much personal information, but I can’t explain without telling you how I became… this.”

She nodded. “That’s fine, Doctor. No more than necessary, that’s what we always said, yeah?”

“Yeah.” John drew in a breath. Hopefully Bad Wolf wouldn’t think he’d gone round the bend when he told her the story. “So, when I was eighteen, I was abducted… by aliens.” Out of the corner of his eye, John saw his partner stiffen, but he pressed on. “There was this scientist—Rassilon—from the planet Gallifrey. Gallifrey was at war with Skaro, and Rassilon’s idea was—”

“To expose humans to the power of Time, either through the unfiltered power of the Vortex itself, or through the Untempered Schism.”

John stared at Bad Wolf. He’d suspected, but hearing the trauma in her voice brought the truth home for him. He swallowed. “I was… I was made to look into the Untempered Schism,” he told her. “What about you?”

Bad Wolf leaned back and looked up at the sky. Her voice was hollow when she started her story. “They had this… this chamber. Called it the heart of the Tardis. They locked me in there, and this panel in the wall opened an’ the room filled with golden light. Oh, and music—the most beautiful music I’ve ever heard.” She sighed. “I don’t know how long I was in there, because the next thing I knew, I woke up in a bed in the infirmary. It was about a month later that I realised I could make Time do what I wanted.”

John grabbed her hand impulsively. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

His partner pulled her hand back and crossed her arms over her chest. Her withdrawal stung slightly, but John reminded himself that Bad Wolf had good reasons for wanting their relationship to remain strictly business.

“So what does Rassilon have to do with stolen stem cell tissue?” she asked.

John tapped his fingers against the ground. “Nothing, directly. But he didn’t count on my ability to read timelines telling me more about the war. Once the Kaleds of Skaro caught wind of Rassilon’s plan to build an army of Time Lords, they put their top scientist, Davros, in charge of creating soldiers equal to the Time Lords. I don’t know everything—future details are always vague—but I do know Davros is a genetic engineer. And as soon as I heard about the stolen tissue, my senses just locked in place.” John looked out into the night. “The Time War has begun.”

Bad Wolf blew out a loud breath. “All right, this is bad,” she agreed. “Especially if Rassilon finds out this Davros bloke is here—because you know he doesn’t give a damn about what happens to the Earth if he can win the war.”

John nodded. “We need to find Davros and take care of him before that happens.”

Silence hung over the rooftop for several long moments as the two superheroes contemplated the coming battle. Eventually though the wind cut through the hoodie Rose wore over her t-shirt. She stood, her stiff muscles telling her they’d been sitting longer than she’d realised.

“I’m gonna go home, Doctor,” she said, already dreaming about the cuppa she’d make as soon as she stepped through the door. “From now on, we’ll patrol separately to cover more ground. When one of us finds Davros, they’ll contact the other.” She glared at the Doctor. “Do not approach him alone,” she said forcefully. “If he’s anything like Rassilon…”

The Doctor nodded. “And then we’ll take care of them together. Good night, Bad Wolf.”

Rose swung down to street level and unmasked at the first opportunity. She was tired and just wanted to catch a bus home. It cut a few minutes off her travel time, and the bus was warm, leaving Rose slightly less chilled than she had been earlier.

Thankfully, John was still gone when she got home. She quickly replaced her costume with flannel pyjamas and fuzzy slippers, sighing when the soft cloth brushed against her skin.

The front door opened as she padded into the kitchen, and one look at her flatmate’s drawn expression had her offering, “Tea?”

John nodded and dropped his bag onto the floor. “Ta,” he mumbled.

Rose watched him collapse onto the couch as she filled the kettle. There was something about the way he scrubbed at his face that tugged at her heart. “Bad day at work?”

“One of the worst,” he groaned.

The kettle clicked off and Rose poured water into the waiting mugs. “Can you tell me about it?” she asked tentatively.

John sighed and let his head flop back against the couch. “I can’t,” he told her. “I wish I could… God, you have no idea how much I wish I could talk about it right now… But it’s sensitive information.”

Rose fixed their tea and handed John his. The appreciative sigh when he took the first sip brought a smile to her lips. Impulsively, wanting to make him feel better, she stood behind him and combed her hand through his hair. He hummed softly, then moaned when she scraped her nails over his scalp.

“That feels brilliant,” he said after a moment.

Rose bit her lip and considered, then pulled her hand way. John whined in displeasure, but when she sat down beside him and put a pillow in her lap, he brightened. “You are fantastic, Rose,” he said as he settled his head on the pillow.

She’d never tell John, and if anyone asked, she’d deny it to her grave, but the truth was she’d been dying to touch his hair for ages. It was gorgeous—soft and brown, and always styled to look like a cross between artfully tousled and just been shagged.

“Well, I hope you don’t think this is a freebie, John Smith,” Rose teased. “I’m taking an IOU—someday, you owe me a back massage.”

“You name the time, Rose Tyler,” John purred as she massaged his temples. “My hands are yours to command.”

Rose felt her face heat up and she was glad John’s eyes were closed. Her flatmate’s propensity for accidental flirting—cos surely he didn’t meant it—flustered her every time.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” she returned, letting a sultry note enter her voice.

John blinked and looked at her. “See that you do.”

Rose’s hand froze, and John pushed himself upright. “But listen to me, going on and letting your talented fingers soothe my horrible day,” he said. “I haven’t asked what’s got you in your pjs, drinking tea at half five in the morning.”

“Bad day at work, same as you.” Rose sipped at her tea. “Some days I really wish I could just… walk away from the charity work,” she said, referring to her cover story, the Tyler Foundation. “But I can’t quit when so many people need me.”

They were both quiet for a minute, then John took her cup and set it down on the coffee table. “It seems to me,” he said as he stood up, “that what you really need is a good night’s rest.”

Rose looked at the hand he was holding out and considered. The Doctor’s information had stirred up old memories that weren’t likely to leave her alone if she slept. On the other hand,  it had also wiped her out mentally and emotionally.

“Yeah, all right.” She let him pull her to her feet, then impulsively wrapped her arms around his waist for a quick hug. “Night, John.”

“Sleep tight, Rose.”

oOoOoOoOo

“Hello, John.”

John looked up at the indistinct figure. His rich red velvet robe with gold brocade trim seemed garish in the stark white cell, and he had to blink a few times to take in the full effect. When he was able to focus on the hated face, he snarled. “Go to hell, Rassilon.”

Rassilon gestured to someone in the hallway, and two more scientists carried in something that looked like a large, round mirror. “Today, John, you’re going to look at something for me. Do you know what this is?”

John glared at him.

“This is the Untempered Schism. It gives just the narrowest view of the Time Vortex.”

The two scientists set down the portal, then grabbed John’s arms and dragged him in front of it.

“Look into it, John. Tell me what you see.”  

A cool hand on his forehead and a firm voice calling his name wrenched John from his sleep. His arm swung out, but the stranger hovering over his bed caught his fist easily and wouldn’t let him go.

“John! John, it’s me, Rose!”

The blonde woman had to repeat herself three times before he recognised her as his flatmate. Shame rolled over him when he realised he’d nearly hit his friend. He pushed himself upright and wrapped his arms around his knees.

“I’m sorry, Rose, I don’t… I didn’t…”

“John, how many times have I tried to hit you when you woke me up from a nightmare?”

John leaned back against his headboard. “I don’t know.”

“I don’t either, but I know it was more than once.” Rose paused, and John sneaked a glance at her through his eyelashes. She had her bottom lip between her teeth and an adorable furrow between her brows. “I was having trouble sleeping too,” she said finally. “Everything at work yesterday reminded me of how I lost my parents, and I just… I’m afraid that if I close my eyes…”

“Yeah,” John said, his voice hoarse. “That’s… yeah, me too.”

Rose shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “Would it help… would you mind…”

Her gaze flicked over to the opposite side of the bed, and John cottoned on to what she was saying. “You maybe want to sleep in here, with me?” he asked, trying to sound casual.

“Could I? I just think… Maybe if we knew there was someone safe close by, the nightmares wouldn’t be so bad.”

“As long as you’re okay with the risk that I might hit you in my sleep.”

Rose rolled her eyes. “It’s just as likely that I might hit you. But let’s hope for a non-violent night, yeah?”

John flipped back the duvet. “Come on,” he invited. “Just try not to steal all the covers.”

Rose made a face at him as she walked around to the other side of the bed and got in. “You’ve never even slept with me and you’ve already decided I’m a cover thief?”

John turned off his lamp and laid back down. “Well, I guess I’ll find out.”

oOoOoOoOo

There was a warm weight resting on John’s chest when he woke up. He lay still in bed, trying to recall everything that had happened the night before. When the weight shifted and he felt soft hair brush against his nose, he remembered—Rose.

Rose, who was a cuddler, not a cover hog. She’d been scooting closer to him in her sleep even before he’d fallen asleep. It shouldn’t surprise him that he’d woken up with her actually in his arms.

What did surprise him was how loath he was to let her go.

But he was wide awake now, and that left him with no excuse to hold her. Additionally, he had a hunch that she would be mortified if she woke up and discovered she’d curled up next to him in her sleep. If he could sneak out of the bed without waking her up, he’d spare her that (unnecessary) embarrassment.

Rose slowly opened her eyes when she felt John shift out from underneath her and stand up. The sound of the shower was her cue to hustle out of the bed.

In her own room with the door shut behind her, she sank onto her bed and buried her face in her hands. Had she really done that? Suggested sharing a bed to the man she fancied the pants off of? And then woken up curled up against him? He didn’t seem bothered when he woke up, but he hadn’t signed up for a cuddle buddy.

She groaned—this was not good. Especially because she knew they had both slept better with the other in the bed than they had alone. It would be hard to find an excuse to avoid him from now on.

Rose flopped back onto her bed. Why did this have to be so difficult? She remembered John’s screams from the night before, and some of her embarrassment faded. John said that his nightmares were about his family, but he hadn’t once mentioned a fire.

A frown crossed her face. What was it that haunted his sleep?

After a moment, she sighed, stood up, and wrapped her dressing gown around her waist. When she pushed open her door, she could smell John’s body wash and hear him singing in the shower.

Well, at least he’s in a better mood today, she thought with some amusement.

Rose filled the kettle with enough water for both of them and poured herself a bowl of cold cereal. John appeared in the doorway with towel-damp hair just as the kettle went off, as she’d known he would.

“Good morning, Rose Tyler!” he chirped, bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet. “What do you have planned for the day?”

“Nothing,” Rose mumbled, still not completely awake. “Maybe take a walk through the park—it’s gorgeous out there.”

“Indeed it is.” The kettle clicked off and John poured water into the waiting mugs. “Would you mind if I came with you? I think we could both do with a relaxing day.”

Rose nodded and took her tea from him. “Sure.”

Walking with John beneath the warm October sun, Rose could almost forget about her other life. For the first time since she’d escaped Rassilon’s captivity, she wanted to forget about being Bad Wolf. Just for an afternoon, she wanted to be Rose Tyler.

So when John grinned mischievously and gathered a huge pile of yellow and red leaves, Rose grinned back and ran and jumped into them. When he took her hand and pulled her to her feet, Rose didn’t let go, letting their joined hands swing between them as they continued through the park.

They explored for hours, only stopping when the sky above the western horizon turned pink. “I suppose it’s time to be getting home,” John said. At the edge of the park, he turned towards the bus stop, not really fancying a walk home, especially since the temperature was already dropping.

Rose followed, but he thought she looked a little… wistful, like she didn’t want the day to end any more than he did.

“Yeah… I’m ready for dinner anyway,” she said, glancing up at him.

John tilted his head as he pretended to consider. He was ninety percent certain she was hinting that she’d like to stop for dinner on the way home.

“Well… we could always get something, while we’re out?” he half-asked, half-suggested.

Rose squeezed his hand. “That’d be nice, yeah.”

“And I don’t have to ask what you want,” he teased her. “It’s always chips with you.”

“I eat other things,” Rose protested.

John raised his eyebrows. “Right… shall we get curry then? Pizza? Kebabs?”

Rose let go of his hand to cross her arms over her chest and pout at him. “Just because I want chips today… that doesn’t mean I never eat anything else,” she grumbled.

“Of course not,” John agreed, trying to hide the smirk that tickled the corners of his mouth. Judging by the glare she shot him, he didn’t succeed. “Come on, there’s a chippy around the corner.”

“All right, but you’d better have your wallet with you this time.”

John rolled his eyes at the reference to the first time they’d gone out to eat together. “Are you ever going to let me forget that?” he asked, letting a teasing whine enter his voice.

Rose smiled, and he valiantly tried to ignore the hint of tongue peeking through her teeth. “Nope!”

oOoOoOoOo

For the first time since he’d become the Doctor, John didn’t look forward to putting on his mask for his evening patrol. The elevated stakes turned the adrenaline-filled fun of being a superhero into a duty performed with much nail-biting.

And in the end, the anxiety was for naught. With the exception of a few incidences of petty crime, there was nothing needing his attention in London. When he checked in with Bad Wolf on his way home, she confirmed that her night had gone the same.

On a whim, John sent Rose a quick text when he reached his alley. Her response made him smile, almost as much as the  cuppa she had ready for him when he walked in the door.

“Thanks for this,” he said as he traded his bag for the cup. “Tonight was brutal.”

“What’s going on at work right now that’s making it so hard?”

John pushed his tongue against the back of his teeth. “Well… I’ve got a project I’m working on, and it’s moving more slowly than I’d like. I can’t really do anything else until I make some kind of headway there… and I know it’ll have a huge impact on the rest of my work.”

“So you’re tired of waiting for the one piece that hasn’t come yet?”

“More or less.” He wanted to argue that it was more than impatience, but since he couldn’t exactly tell his flatmate that the fate of the world might rest on whether he and Bad Wolf stopped the Daleks in time, he had to let it slide.

They finished their tea in silence, both too exhausted to chat. Rose stood up first and waved a tired goodnight to John.  His chest tightened as he watched her disappear into her room; he’d hoped… well, he’d thought that maybe they could continue their sleeping arrangements from the previous night. But if Rose didn’t want to… He heaved a sigh and took himself off to bed.

An hour later, her cries pulled him from his sleep, interrupting his own unpleasant dreams. He was in her room almost before he woke up fully, his unconscious mind recognising her voice and prodding him out of bed, still half asleep.

John’s gut clenched when he looked down at Rose. Her tearstained face was twisted into a grimace, and he wished he could wipe away the memories as easily as he wiped away the tears.

He sat on the edge of her bed and took both her hands as a safety precaution. “Wake up, Rose,” he called gently. Her moans softened and trailed off, and she tugged at her hands, but he held them tight. “Come on, wake up,” he cajoled, and finally, her brown eyes opened.

She stared up at him for a moment, then sighed and sat up, her messy blonde hair falling down around shoulders left bare by the thin straps of her pink pyjama top. “My turn tonight, I suppose.”

“Seems that way.” John refrained from mentioned his own dreams. “So…” He tugged on his ear. “It seems there’s only one way either of us is going to get a full night of sleep.”

A light blush suffused Rose’s face. “I suppose,” she mumbled.

“Well, if sleeping with me is so unpleasant…” John teased, hiding the slight hurt he felt at her reluctance in a joke.

Rose’s eyes opened wide. “It’s not that!” she said on a rush. “It’s just… I hate feeling like I can’t handle this on my own.”

Ah. He should have known. “Rose, it isn’t just you,” he reminded her for the dozenth time. “Come on, let’s get to bed.”

She looked at his hand, then up at him, then at her own bed.

“Oh no,” John said, easily reading her thoughts. “Your bed is nice and soft, but mine is bigger.” He waggled his fingers, and after rolling her eyes, Rose took his hand and got out of bed.

In his room, she walked around to the same side of the bed she’d slept on the night before. Try as he might, John couldn’t ignore the intimacy of the situation—especially not after realising today that he was falling for her. She was lying on her side facing away from him, and he had to bite his tongue to hold back an invitation to curl up beside him like she had the night before.

Come on, John, don’t be a wanker, he counselled himself as he got into bed. This is purely platonic bed-sharing, just so you can both sleep without nightmares. You will not try to put the moves on your emotionally vulnerable flatmate.

“Good night, Rose,” he murmured as he switched off the bedside lamp.

“Sleep tight, John.”

oOoOoOoOo

The next evening, Rose waited until John left for work to change into Bad Wolf’s t-shirt and hoodie. It was easier now to get out of the flat without him seeing her than it had been in the first few months they’d lived together. Much as she hated seeing him tired and worn out, his increased workload had certainly come at a convenient time for her.

She checked the list of London hospitals as she left the flat, before putting her mask on. Hmmm… Barts tonight, I think, she decided. It ranked high on the list of possible targets.

But she’d barely set out when the Doctor called for her. I’ve found Daleks at London Bridge Hospital. Rose changed direction just slightly, continuing west instead of crossing the river.

She could hear the Doctor before she could see him. “So what are you anyway? Rubbish bins with eyestalks? Pepper pots carrying a plunger? It’s like someone built a robot with random bits purchased at a charity shop.”

Rose rolled her eyes at the taunt. The Doctor’s flippant attitude was going to get him killed one day. She peered around the corner, taking in the situation. The Doctor stood beside the familiar van, three Daleks pinning him there.

“We are the Daleks,” the creature answered, its voice chillingly electronic. “We were created to be superior.”

“At what? Scrubbing toilets?”

“Exterminate!” The Doctor rolled to the left, dodging the laser beam. “Surrender, Doc-tor,” the Dalek ordered. “You have no means of escape.”

That’s my cue. Rose stepped out of the shadows. “Who needs escape when you’ve got a helping a hand?”

John felt the funny shiver in the air when she put the Daleks in a time bubble. “And that’s my cue to leave,” he said cheekily, saluting the frozen Daleks.

Bad Wolf had her hands on her hips and a smirk on her face when he turned around. “Fine, don’t even say thank you—rude, you are.”

“Rude and not ginger, that’s me.” She rolled her eyes, and he let some sincerity show on his face. “But thank you, Bad Wolf.”

“You’re welcome, Doctor.” She glanced at the overgrown pepper pots behind him. “I can’t keep them like that for much longer; we should go.”

John gestured for her to lead the way, and he followed her out of the neighbourhood and up to a safe rooftop. When they were sitting on the gravel, she glared at him.

“Now, what were you thinking, approaching them by yourself? I thought we agreed that when we found the Daleks, we would call the other and wait until the arrived. They could have killed you, Doctor.”

“Awww, Bad Wolf! Would you have been upset to lose me?” Her lips tightened, and he hastily back-pedalled. “I wasn’t sure how long it would take you, and I thought I could confront the Daleks alone before Davros came out of the building. Which, I’d like to point out, I did.”

“Oh yes, you did a brilliant job confronting the robots with death rays,” Bad Wolf said sarcastically.

John rubbed at the back of his neck. “In my defence, I didn’t know about the death rays at the time. I didn’t want the one lead we’d found in a month to roll away without the chance of following it up.”

“Well, did you learn anything from them?”

John clenched his jaw. “I did. Rassilon is here.”

Even in the dim light, he could see Bad Wolf blanch. “Has it occurred to you… I mean, it seems likely that he’ll try to recapture us,” she stammered.

John froze. “They’ll take us back over my dead body,” he spat out.