The Doctor paced around the console, Rita sat in the jumpseat cross-legged with her eyes fixed on the Doctor, they had been to many amazing planets, between when she had met Sarah Jane Smith and now what excited her, even more, was that those adventures were never 'episodes' back in 'her world'.

Rita was excited for another adventure like she normally was now. It had been exactly Two months since the four had the encounter with the Krillitane, the Doctor was still confused about what was happening to his brunette companion, this scared him a little. Over the past two months he had grown to enjoy the company of the brunette, he could tell Rose was enjoying having a new close friend her age as well.

They dropped Mickey off home to 'pack' really the Doctor just wanted a few more adventures with Rose and Rita before Rick- Mickey joined them.

"Right then" The Doctor looked at the brunette and then at Rose who was standing next to her. "Where shall we go next?" He raised a brow at them both.

"Maybe we should go get Mickey?" Rose suggested. "We did lie to him and say that we were only going to be waiting in the TARDIS."

"I didn't think you wanted him to come?" The Doctor crossed his arms and leant against the console opposite to the girls.

"We did promise him" she ignored his question.

"Doctor she's right" Rita backed the blonde up. "Poor Mickey thinks he's just a tin dog," she added.

"Oh all right" He sighed moving away from the console.

"Try to get around a few hours after we left." Rita rolled her eyes. "I know what you did to Rose's mum. Poor woman, you deserved that slap." The Doctor shot her a playful glare in her direction.

"I was close" He defended himself turning dials on the console. "Twelve months is close to Twelve hours" he protested.

Rose burst out laughing Rita also then started to laugh as well speaking in between her fits of laughter. "For a Time traveller, you can't tell the big difference between twelve hours and twelve months."

"Can we just go and pick up your boyfriend Rose" the Doctor groaned.

"Oh, now you want to pick him up" She laughed again.

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"I did say for you to try and get the dates correct" Rita patted the Doctors shoulder, them both slowly walking in the TARDIS with Rose and Mickey bickering behind them.

"It was my idea to actually come back for you!" She grumbled.

"Two months!" He shouted. "Two months I waited, I didn't think you were actually coming back"

"I told him to make sure it was only a few hours" Rita pointed out speaking over her shoulder.

"For someone so smart you don't know when to be quiet" the Doctor whispered into her ear.

"I could say the same for you" she whispered back grinning.

"Well you're here now aren't you!" Rose shouted at Mickey then crossed her arms and walked away from the console and into the hall obviously heading for her room.

"Great she hates me now" he dragged himself over then plopped him body down onto the jump seat. Rita whimpered a little seeing her seat she had grown to become attached to be stolen away from her.

"You'll get it back soon" the Doctor promised.

"I better or someone's going to loose a hand, and this time it won't grow back," she said cheekily grinning up at him. "I'm going to go and sleep" she then stated yawning a little. "You two" she pointed to Mickey meaning for him and Rose "Sort it out before I wake up"

"Yes ma'am" He rolled his eyes and gave a salute to her before she headed off.

"She's trouble" the Doctor chuckled shaking his head.

"I know that kind of laugh" Mickey crossed his arms narrowing his eyes at the Doctor. "What are you to her"

"No," he said coldly turning away shutting himself off. "I made that mistake once already, that isn't going to happen again"

"Mistake?" Mickey raised a brow.

He continued to look away from Mickey. "I'm a TimeLord, 900 years old Mickey, she's human and no I don't." He spoke harshly with no emotion just like his eyes currently looked starting into the ground. "I'm going to the library," he began to walk off then pointed at Mickey. "Don't touch anything."

"Yes boss" Mickey nodded.

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"So where are we off to now then?" Rita asked cross-legged on the jump seat watching the Doctor mess around with the console, Mickey and Rose were both still asleep and thankfully now on 'good terms' after Rose explained it was actually the Doctors idea for leaving Mickey.

Rita had to threaten the Doctor to tell Mickey that the blonde was telling the truth since he didn't believe her, it was either telling the truth or the Doctor hand being cut off. He knew she wouldn't really but her face said otherwise.

"Where do you want to go?" He looked up at her and paused what he was doing. "You haven't picked anywhere yet have you?"

She thought for a moment then tilted her head. "I guess not. I honestly don't mind where we go anywhere is exciting with a new adventure" The Doctor grinned at her answer. "But if you're going to ask" she tapped her chin and looked up for emphasis while she thought. "How about around three thousand years into Rose and Mickey's future two and a half galaxies away from Earth." She grinned mischievously.

"That's oddly specific." He frowned while grinning.

"Secrets" she tapped her nose then jumped out of the seat uncrossing her legs. "Why do they sleep for so long" she threw her head back and groaned.

"Welcome to my world" the Doctor chuckled shaking his head. "Your fault for sleeping earlier, though."

"I didn't want to put up with any more arguing when you had to put up with two people you care about arguing over someone you also care about it annoys you a little" the Doctor smiled a little at her comment. "What?" She frowned a little noticing his expression.

"Nothing" he shook his head changing the expression on his face to one that was blank.

"Hello" Rose stretched out yawning a little in a new pair of clothes.

"Finally your up" Rita bounced around the console like a small overly excited puppy.

"Someones itching for an adventure" Mickey scratched his head walking into the room and over to the console.

"Being stuck in here with you both sleeping is boring. I don't know how he does it" she pointed her thumb in the Doctors direction then heard a low groaning from around the four in the TARDIS. "Your not boring" Rita patted the console. "Those two are"

"Well, we didn't sleep earlier. We had to sort it out before you chopped his hand off" Mickey protested.

"Enough arguing" Rita groaned again.

"I agree with Rita, let's go" he pulled down a lever then grabbed onto part of the console as it jerked him and the three humans in a direction. Rita managed to regain her balance, helped Rose with hers then jumped into the jump seat (very ironic name since Rita jumped into it a lot) and held on tight.

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"It's a spaceship. Brilliant!" Mickey exclaimed following Rose out of the TARDIS after the Doctor and Rita. "I got a spaceship on my first go."

"Let's hope it's not Dalek" Rita joked. Rose and Mickey stared at the brunette in horror. "It's not Dalek" she reassured them shaking her head.

Rose began to walk around exploring the area they were in. "It looks kind of abandoned. Anyone on board?"

"Nah, nothing here." The Doctor backtracked a little "well, nothing dangerous. Well, not that dangerous." Rita shook her head chuckling. "You know what, I'll just have a quick scan, in case there's anything dangerous."

"With you the smallest of things can be dangerous" Rita grinned.

"That's only the bits in between" he winked smirking a little.

"So I'm told" she raised her brows at him. "Best go get that scan done Doctor"

"So, what's the date?" Rose asked. "How far we gone?"

"About three thousand years into your future, give or take." The Doctor walked around a bit explaining to them both knowing Rita already knew all this information. He then found a switch and flicked it triggering the light to turn on.

He walked over to a small window and looked out smiling. "Fifty-first century. Diagmar Cluster, you're a long way from home, Mickey. Two and a half galaxies."

"Mickey Smith, meet the universe." Rose chuckled as they both looked out of  small port hole like window. "See anything you like?"

"It's so realistic!"

"Tell me about it" Rita laughed. "Thought those two were in a dream when I first saw them."

"Dear me," the Doctor walked over to what looked like a table. He began to pick stuff up and move around. "had some cowboys in here. Got a ton of repair work going on."

"Could make a show out of that" Rita chuckled lightly. "Cowboy builders, in space." She waved her hands above hers and the Doctors face as if she could imagine the show's title. "There's a show back home like that, obviously not in space" she scratched the back of her head the Doctor grinning at her like the Cheshire cat. "Not that grin again" he then frowned.

"What's wrong with my grin?" He asked sounding offended.

"Nothing's wrong with it" she couldn't help but smile. "It's when you do it for too long it starts to creep me out"

"I'll do it more often then" he winked then looked over at what look a little bit like a computer but Rita knew very well that it definitely wouldn't have the latest windows update.

"Now that's odd. Look at that." He frowned pointing to the 'not computer'. "All the warp engines are going. Full capacity. There's enough power running through this ship to punch a hole in the universe, but we're not moving. So where's all that power going?" He asked obviously rhetorically and over to Rita since Rose possibly wouldn't know and Mickey definitely would not have a clue.

Rose looked around then frowned in wonder "Where'd all the crew go? "

"Good question." He pointed out nodding then looking at the 'not computer' "No life readings on board."

"Well, we're in deep space." Rose frowned "They didn't just nip out for a quick fag."

"No, I've checked all the smoking pods." He said sounding serious, not understanding her sarcasm. "Can you smell that?" He asked the three.

"Yeah, someone's cooking." Rita shivered knowing it was quite literally. The Doctor noticed this and stepped a little closer to the brunette.

"Sunday roast, definitely." Mickey guessed sniffing the air.

The Doctor used the 'not computer' to open a door behind the four which revealed a beautiful fireplace with a blazing fire.

"Well, there's something you don't see in your average spaceship."

"Says the one who has a ship disguised as a 1950's wooden police box with a swimming pool inside" she raised her eyebrows at him smirking slightly.

"Fair enough" he nodded not arguing due to knowing that she wouldn't back down, plus she was right. "But this is Eighteenth century. French. Nice mantle. Not a hologram. It's not even a reproduction. This actually is an eighteenth-century French fireplace. Double sided. There's another room through there."

Rose looked out of a porthole in the same wall of the fireplace. "There can't be. That's the outer hull of the ship. Look."

The Doctor knelt down beside the fireplace ignoring Rose. Rita copied him. "Hello." He waved smiling warmly.

"Hello." A young girl Rita knew as Reinette crouched down on the other side of the fireplace the flame flickering between the Doctor, Rita and Reinette.

"What's your name?" The Doctor asked looking behind the girl trying to figure out where she was.

"Reinette." She replied.

"Reinette," he said in thought. "That's a lovely name. Can you tell me where you are at the moment, Reinette?" He asked. The girl frowned as if the question was stupid and the answer was obvious.

"In my bedroom."

"And where's your bedroom?" Reinette frowned even more when asked this question. "Where do you live, Reinette?"

"Paris, of course."

"Paris, right!" He opened his mouth in an 'o' shape. Rita looked at him then rolled her eyes.

"Monsieur, Madam, what are you doing in my fireplace?" She now questioned them.

"Oh," he thought if some excuse to use. "It's just a routine fire check. Can you tell me what year it is?"

"Of course I can." She smiled. "Seventeen hundred and twenty-seven."

"Right, lovely. One of my favourites." Rita lightly elbowed him and whispered into his ear "She probably thinks you're mad"

"And two people watching a girl in a fireplace in her bedroom isn't mad?" He raised a brow at her in question.

"Good point" she rolled her eyes not wanting to further question.

"As I was saying. August is rubbish, though. Stay indoors. Okay, that's all for now. Thanks for your help. Hope you enjoy the rest of the fire. Night, night." He waved.

"Goodnight Monsieur. Goodnight Madam." Reinette said as the two stood up. Mickey frowned in confusion.

"You said this was the fifty-first century."

"I also said this ship was generating enough power to punch a hole in the universe." The Doctor pointed out. "I think we just found the hole. Must be a spatio-temporal hyperlink."

"What's that?" Mickey slightly tilted his head.

"No idea." He shrugged then told the truth. "Just made it up. Didn't want to say magic door."

"I think 'magic door' sounds better" Rita tilted her head to the left smirking a little.

"And on the other side of the magic door is France in 1727?" Rose asked for confirmation.

"Well, she was speaking French. Right period French, too." The Doctor told them.

"She was speaking English, I heard her." Mickey protested.

"That's the TARDIS," Rose explain to him. "Translates for you."

"Even French?" Mickey asked.

"Yeah"

"Why wouldn't it?" Rita asked.

"Gotcha!" Said the Doctor pulling a lever causing the fireplace to start to spin.

"Oh no, you don't!" Rita shouted jumping on the Doctors back. The two spun around on the fireplace while Rose shouted both their names.

When the fireplace stops Rita jumps off his back. "God you're heavy" he mumbled quietly earning a playful slap on his arm by the brunette. "That's for trying to get away and for saying I was heavy"

"You didn't have to come" he whispered walking over to the window and moving the curtain to see outside that it was around midnight and snowing lightly outside. The pair spun around to see the young girl Reinette sitting up in her bed with s very paced breathing and a shocked and scared expression.

"It's okay." The Doctor placed out an arm towards her. "Don't scream. It's just us. It's the fireplace people." He spoke slowly and calmly not to scare the young girl. "Look. We were talking just a moment ago. We were in your fireplace." The Doctor reaches into his brown coat pocket slowly not taking his eyes of the young girl who was now a lot calmer than before. He took out the sonic screwdriver and pointed it at a candle then lightened it.

"Monsieur, that was weeks ago." She paused. "That was months."
"Really?" He looked at Rita who nodded at him backing the girl up. "Oh. Must be a loose connection. Need to get a man in."

"You are a man" Rita rolled her eyes

"Who are you two?" She looked between the Doctor and Rita then asked them another question. "And what are you doing here?"

The Doctor noticed Rita staring at the broken clock on the mantle of the fireplace.

"Okay, that's scary." He said reaching out to Rita's hand beside him and placing his hand in hers.

"You're scared of a broken clock?" Reinette tilted her head ever so slightly due to being confused.

"Just a bit scared, yeah. Just a little tiny bit." He walked over to the clock pulling Rita with him. "Because, you see, if this clock's broken, and it's the only clock in the room, then what's that?" He put his hand not holding the brunettes in the air signalling for Rita and Reinette to listen closely and of course they could hear a ticking that sounded like a normal clock, however, Rita knew fully well that this wasn't a normal clock like you would have on the wall in your kitchen.

"Because you see, that's not a clock. Rita stays right there, whatever happens, do not move" he let go of her hand and slowly walked away from her towards Reinette who was sitting on her bed. "You can tell by the resonance. Too big. Six feet, I'd say. The size of a man."

"What is it?" Reinette asked her voice shaking a little.

"Reinette don't be scared the Doctor won't let anything hurt you" Rita tried to reassure the girl.

"Now, let's think." He turned to Rita standing still not moving. "If you were a thing that ticked and you were hiding in someone's bedroom, the first thing you do, break the clock. No one notices the sound of one clock ticking, but two? You might start to wonder if you're really alone."

Rita nodded in agreement understanding what he was saying. He then turned to Reinette. "Stay on the bed. Right in the middle. Don't put your hands or feet over the edge."

The Doctor slowly crouched down and rested his head hovering just above the cold floor. He waved the sonic screwdriver under the bed to scan and light it up. The screwdriver was forcefully knocked out of his hand.

Slowly the Doctor started to get up. "Rita" he spoke in a whisper. "Stay there." He told her again even though she had no plans of ignoring his request the first time.

After poking his head up he noticed the clockwork droid behind the girl. "Reinette" he whispered. "Don't look round." He then turned his gaze towards the droid again directing his words to it.

"You, stay exactly where you are." The Doctor moved forward towards Reinette and placed his hands on her head looking deeply into her eyes trying to figure out what the droid wanted with her. "Hold still, let me look."

The Doctor pulled away a moment later looking at the droid. "You've been scanning her brain. What, you've crossed two galaxies and thousands of years just to scan a child's brain? What could there be in a little girl's mind worth blowing a hole in the universe?" He asked narrowing his eyes at the droid. Reinette then turned round facing the droid.

"I don't understand." She spoke honestly scared and confused. "It wants me?" She looked at the Doctor then turned back to the droid. "You want me?"

The droid then spoke for the first time snapping its head towards Reinette making the noise of a machine moving as it did so. "Not yet. You are incomplete."

"Incomplete?" The Doctor repeated. "What's that mean, incomplete?" He waited for the droid to answer. "You can answer her, you can answer me. What do you mean, incomplete?"

"Doctor" Rita warned him. The droid walked round Reinettes bed standing before the TimeLord a blade shooting out of its hand. Rita pulled the Doctor away just before the blade touched him.

"I told you to stay there," he said through gritted teeth not meaning to be as angry "I'm not letting you become a shish kebab" she gritted her teeth back. The Doctor then looked at her in a way making her feel slightly guilty. "Sorry" she muttered.

"Madam, Monsieur, be careful." Rita could sense the terror in Reinette's voice.

"Just a nightmare, Reinette, don't worry about it. Everyone has nightmares." The droid went to attack the Doctor neck again. Once again Rita pulled him away. "Thanks" he looked at Rita then at the droid. "Even monsters from under the bed have nightmares, don't you, monster?"

Rita noticed that they were both pressed up against the fireplace, the Doctor standing between her and the droid. She also noticed that the blade was now stuck in the beautiful mantle.

"What do monsters have nightmares about?" Reinette asked.

"Me!" The Doctor flicked the lever again and then leant into Rita who gave a squeak at the sudden contact and movement of the fireplace as it spun round back to the ship.

"Doctor, Rita!" Rose shouted to them both seeing the Droid stuck in the fireplace. The Doctor jumped off the fireplace freeing Rita who moved back. He then grabbed the fire extinguisher and sprayed it over the droid which then froze in place.

"Excellent. Ice gun."

"Fire extinguisher." The Doctor threw it over to Rose who then caught it.

"You okay?" He walked over to Rita placing a hand on her arm.

"Yeah I'm fine, you?"

"I'm always okay" he grinned at her.

"Where did that thing come from?" Rose interrupted gesturing over to the frozen Droid.

"Here."

"So why is it dressed like that?" Mickey asked.

"Field trip to France. Some kind of basic camouflage protocol. Nice needlework, shame about the face." The Doctor complimented it then removed the face to reveal the clockwork beneath. His eyes grew larger and shone at the sight. "Oh, you are beautiful! No, really, you are. You're gorgeous!" Rita rolled her eyes but did have to admit that the clockwork did look amazing considering it would have most likely killed her after the Doctor.

"Look at that. Space age clockwork, I love it." He pointed showing Rita and the others then showed the brunette his arm. "I've got chills!" she giggled lightly at his comment. The Doctor then turned to the droid "Listen, seriously, I mean this from the heart, and, by the way, count those," he pointed to his chest. "It would be a crime, it would be an act of vandalism to disassemble you. But that won't stop me." The droid then beamed away obviously not liking the idea of being taken a part which was quite ironic considering what it had done to the ships crew.

"Short range teleport. Can't have got far. Could still be on board."

"What is it?" Rose asked.

"Rita?" the Doctor looked over to her.

"Hmm?"

"You coming?" he asked. Rita remembered what happened now and honestly didn't want to witness  Madame de Pompadour shove her tongue down the Doctors throat. Not that she had an issue with it at all he could have whoever's tongue he wanted down his throat but Rita did not want to witness that in real life let alone think about it.

"Erm." She scratched the side of her head. "I'll stay here with Rose and Mickey."

"Is someone scared" he mocked her grinning.

"What?! No!" She shouted and narrowed her eyes in protest.

"Well come on then" He stood next to the fireplace waiting.

"No Doctor I'm going to stay- here!" she shouted the last word in a high-pitched shriek due to the Doctor pulling her onto the fireplace then flicking the switch to spin the fireplace.

"I hate you sometimes" Rita muttered stepping away from the fireplace once it stopped. "Why did you make me come with you?" She groaned.

"You can help me figure out why they want Reinette, foreknowledge and all."

"Fine" she groaned. The Doctor called out the girls name and played a string on the harp. After the sound of the harp stopped there was a slight cough in the room like someone was clearing their throat.

"Oh. Hello." The Doctor rubbed the back of his neck. "Er, I was just looking for Reinette. This is still her room, isn't it?" he gestured to the room they were currently in "We've been away, not sure how long." Rita rolled her eyes finding it unbelievable how the Doctor could not piece two and two together.

There was a faint voice down the corridor calling for the now older Reinette not looking away from the Doctor called back and the Doctor now had a shocked look on his face. "Go to the carriage, Mother. I will join you there." She turned back to the Doctor and Rita who slowly was backing up close to the fireplace finding the way Reinette was looking at the Doctor a little uncomfortable. She never really was one to be around people when this sort of thing was going around, she never knew what to do. However, the Doctor being well the Doctor didn't notice her gaze at all.

"It is customary, I think, to have imaginary friends only during one's childhood. You both are to be congratulated on your persistence."

"Reinette!" He grinned. "Well. Goodness, how you've grown."

"And you do not appear to have aged a single day. That is tremendously impolite of you." She stepped a little closer to the Doctor.

"Right, yes, sorry. Listen, lovely to catch up, but better be off, eh?" He noticed her slowly moving forward closer to him. "Don't want your mother finding you up here with strange people, do we?"

"Strange? How could you be a stranger to me? I've known you both since I was seven years old."

"Yeah, I suppose you have. We came the quick route."

She reached a hand up and touched his face, her eyes burning into his. Rita just stayed by the fireplace rocking on the heels of her shoes back and forth feeling very ignored. "You seem to be flesh and blood, at any rate, but this is absurd. Reason tells me you cannot be real."

"Oh, you never want to listen to reason" he chuckled.

"Mademoiselle! Your mother grows impatient." A male voice called from the hall Rita looked at the ground feeling uncomfortable with what was about to happen.

She turned her head towards the door then shouted. " A moment! So many questions. So little time." Reinette then pulled the Doctor in for a kiss that was quite long, the pair stumbled back, almost hitting Rita who only just managed to get out the way, however, something was wrong the Doctor wasn't doing anything he was just frozen. He looked like he had frozen and Rita could swear that for a moment she saw him try to push her off.

Reinette pulled away seeing that the Doctor was not enjoying it and then ran off out of the room.

"Mademoiselle Poisson!" The same voice from earlier called out just as Reinette ran out, the voice then was joined with its body the man's eyes growing wide seeing Rita just standing there and the Doctor mouth open and wide-eyed.

"Poisson? Reinette Poisson?" He scoffed. "No! No, no, no, no, no way. Reinette Poisson? Later Madame Etoiles? Later still mistress of Louis the Fifteenth, uncrowned Queen of France? Actress, artist, musician, dancer, courtesan, fantastic gardener!" He spoke way too fast for the man to keep up.

"Who the hell are you?!" He demanded looking at the Doctor

"I'm the Doctor, this is Rita by the way" he pointed at her who then waved. "And I almost snogged Madame de Pompadour. Ha, ha!" he flicked the switch and the two spun back around to the spaceship.

"Almost" Rita raised a brow.

The Doctor shrugged not replying. "I wasn't expecting it," he spoke cold and distant while he walked on not looking at the brunette who was slightly confused.

'Somethings don't play out how they look.' She repeatedly told herself over and over in her mind thinking back to how she thought she saw the Doctor try and push Reinette away from him. The Doctor continued to walk not talking and Rita followed a little bothered by the silence since she knew this Doctors regeneration was most definitely not the quiet type.