"Phone," Jessie said, holding out her hand.

Martha blinked. "What?"

"Gimme your phone."

Martha frowned, handing it over. "Why?"

"Because, if I do this . . . " She ran her sonic screwdriver over it before nodding and tossing it back. "Right! There you go. Universal roaming. Never have to worry about a signal again."

Martha's jaw dropped. "No way! This is too mad! You're telling me I can phone anyone, anywhere in space and time, on my mobile?" She checked the signal.

The Doctor chuckled. "As long as you know the area code," he joked. "Frequent flier's privilege. Go on! Try it."

The TARDIS began shaking, and Jessie yelped, hanging onto the console. "There's a distress signal!" she shouted, turning a monitor her way. "We're locking on!"

"Might be a bit of - " The TARDIS jerked again, and this time, Jessie was knocked to the floor, nearly into the Doctor, who caught her around the waist as they tumbled to the floor. "Turbulence," the Doctor finished warily, standing up. "Sorry. Come on, Martha! Bad Wolf! Let's take a look!"

"Why doesn't he call you Jessie anymore?" Martha whispered as Jessie left her coat over the rail.

"Hurts too much, I assume," she whispered back as they followed the Doctor, and Jessie reeled back. "Holy mother of Odin!" she couldn't help but exclaim.

"Whoa!" the Doctor agreed, stopping short and shaking his head. "Now that is hot!"

"Automated distress signal transmitted."

Jessie looked around the room glowing red through the steam. "Whew," Martha gasped, taking off her jacket and tossing it into the TARDIS, leaving her in her tank top. "It's like a sauna in here!"

"Venting systems," the Doctor guessed as they headed for a door. "Working at full pelt, trying to cool down. Wherever it is we are. Well, if you can't stand the heat."

He opened the door, and held it open for the two of them, when three people came barreling towards them. "Oi! You two!" the younger man shouted.

"Get out of there!" the woman yelled.

"Seal that door, now!"

Jessie quickly did, and the woman glared at the Doctor. "Who are you?" she demanded. "What are you doing on my ship?"

"Are you police?" the young man asked.

"Why would we be police?" the Doctor asked in confusion.

Jessie whacked him in the arm. "Did you not hear the distress signal going out, you idiot?" she asked, rolling her eyes before folding her arms and nodding at the woman. "We got your distress call."

"If this is a ship, why can't I hear any engines?" the Doctor asked.

"It went dead four minutes ago," the woman explained.

"So maybe we should stop chatting and get to Engineering, Captain," the older man said in a sneer with a quick glance at Jessie.

Jessie quirked an eyebrow. "Problem, mister?"

"Secure closure active."

The woman blinked. "What?"

"The ship's gone mad!" the older man shouted.

There was running, and then a woman ran through the bulkheads. "Who activated secure closure?" she shouted. "I nearly got locked into Area 27!" She then looked at the three new arrivals. "Who are you?"

"He's the Doctor, she's the Bad Wolf, and I'm Martha," Martha replied with a small wave. "Hello."

"Impact projection 42 minutes, 27 seconds."

"We'll get out of this," the captain swore. "I promise."

"Doctor?" Martha called hesitantly from a port hole.

Jessie frowned. "Martha?"

"42 minutes until what?" the Doctor asked as Jessie joined Martha at the window.

Jessie's jaw dropped, and she swallowed. "Doctor? Look at this!"

He joined them, and his eyes widened as well. "42 minutes until she crash into the sun," the captain replied grimly as they hurtled towards the yellow fiery ball.

"How many crew members on board?" the Doctor demanded.

"Seven, including us."

"We transport cargo across the galaxy," the older man said. "Everything's automated. We just keep the ship spaceworthy."

The Doctor nodded. "Call the others. I'll get you out."

"I don't think that's a good idea!" Jessie shouted as he ran back to the door. "Doctor, stop - !"

"What's he doing?" the younger man asked.

"No, don't!" the captain shouted.

Too late. The Doctor opened the door, and a whole bunch of heated steam shot out at him, knocking him down. Jessie ran over, gritting her teeth as she pushed the door closed again. "I don't think we're getting out of here any time soon, Doctor," she told him.

"But our ship's in there!" the Doctor told the captain.

"In the vent chamber?" the young man asked incredulously.

"It's our lifeboat."

"Lifeboat?" Jessie repeated. "Are you kidding me, Doctor?!"

"It's lava," the older man told them.

"The temperature's going mad in there," the young woman reported as she looked at a scanner. "Up three thousand degrees in ten seconds, and still rising."

"Even I would have trouble surviving that," Jessie told the Doctor.

"Channeling the air," the young man added. "The closer we get to the sun, the hotter that room's going to get."

"We're stuck here!" Martha told them angrily.

"So we fix the engines, we steer the ship away from the sun," the Doctor said. "Simple." He pointed. "Engineering down here, is it?"

"Yes," the captain replied.

"Right, then," the Doctor said cheerfully. "Allons-y!"

Jessie took off after him as the computer chimed again. "Impact in 40:26."

***

Jessie skidded to a halt as she took in the engines. "Good God, is this always a mess, or is this new?"

"Oh my God," the captain breathed in horror as they saw the huge mess strewn everywhere.

"Oh, it's wrecked!" the young man moaned.

"Pretty efficiently, too," the Doctor commented. "Someone knew what they were doing."

"Where's Korwin?" the captain demanded, looking around. "Has anyone heard from him or Ashton?"

"No," the older man replied.

"You mean someone did this on purpose?" Martha asked.

Jessie shrugged. "I doubt this mess could get here by itself, Martha."

The captain jabbed at the intercom. "Korwin? Ashton?" she asked. "Where are you? Korwin, can you answer?" she paused before turning back. "Where the hell is he?" she muttered. "He should be up here!"

"Oh, we're in the Torajii system!" the Doctor said gleefully, seeing a computer. "Lovely. You're a long way from home, you two. Half a universe away!"

"Yeah," Martha muttered. "Feels like it."

"And you're still using energy scoops for fusion?" the Doctor asked, turning back to the captain. "Hasn't that been outlawed yet?"

"We're due to upgrade next docking," the captain replied before turning to the older man. "Scannell? Engine report."

""No response," Scannell replied.

"What?"

"They're burnt out," he explained. "The controls are wrecked. I can't get them back online."

"Haven't you got auxiliary engines?" Jessie asked. "Get those going."

"We don't have access from here," the captain replied. "The auxiliary controls are in the front of the ship."

"Yeah, with twenty nine password sealed doors between us and them," Scannell added. "You'll never get there in time."

"Can't you override the doors?" Martha asked.

"No. Sealed closure means what it says. They're all deadlock sealed."

"So these are no use then," Jessie muttered, slapping her sonic screwdriver against her palm before sliding it into her boot.

"Nothing's any use," Scannell told them. "We've got no engines, no time, and no chance."

"Oh, listen to you!" the Doctor complained. "Defeated before you've even started. Where's your Dunkirk spirit? Who's got the door passwords?"

"They're randomly generated," the younger man said. "Reckon I know most of them. Sorry." He held out a hand. "Riley Vashti."

"Nice to meet you, Riley," Jessie told him with a grin.

"Then what're you waiting for, Riley Vashti?" the Doctor asked. "Get on it."

"Well, it's a two person job. One, a technish for the question, and the other to carry this." He held up a clamp. "The oldest and cheapest security system around, eh, Captain?"

"Reliable and simple," she responded. "Just like you, eh, Riley?"

Riley hauled on a backpack. "Try to be helpful, get abuse," he muttered. "Nice."

"I'll help you," Martha offered, taking the clamp. "Make myself useful."

"It's remotely controlled by the computer panel," Riley explained. "That's why it needs two."

"Martha?" Jessie called, and her friend turned. "Be careful."

Martha smiled. "You, too."

"McDonnell! It's Ashton."

The captain, McDonnell, ran to the intercom. "Where are you?" she asked. "Is Korwin with you?"

"Get up to the med-center, now!"

"And here we go!" Jessie shouted as she and the Doctor ran through the ship.

"Impact in 34:31."

"Yes, thank you for that!"

***

"Korwin!" McDonnell gasped as they ran into the med-center area, a man and a woman trying to hold a man down in a stasis chamber. "What's happened? Is he OK?"

"Help me!" the man, Korwin, screamed. "It's burning me!"

"How long's he been like this?" the Doctor asked.

"Ashton just brought him in," the woman replied.

The Doctor began a scan with his sonic as Jessie brought hers back out, scanning as well, just for a double reference. "What are you two doing?" McDonnell asked.

"Don't get too close," Jessie warned.

"Don't be so stupid!" McDonnell snapped. "That's my husband!"

"And he's just sabotaged our ship," Ashton added.

McDonnell stared at him. "What?"

"He went mad," he replied. "He put the ship onto secure closure, then he set the heat pulse to melt the controls!"

"No way," McDonnell denied. "He wouldn't do that!"

"I saw it happen, Captain!"

"Korwin?" the Doctor asked the man. "Korwin, open your eyes for me a second."

"I can't!"

"Yeah, 'course you can. Go on."

"Don't make me look at you, please!"

"Jessie, the gun."

Jessie took it from the tray and looked at the woman. "Sedative?" she asked.

"Yes."

Jessie injected Korwin, watching him be knocked out. "What's wrong with him?" McDonnell asked.

"Rising body temperature, unusual energy readings," the Doctor replied. "Stasis chamber. I do love a good stasis chamber."

"Oh, I can't wait to hear that story," Jessie muttered.

The Doctor winked at her before turning to the woman. "Keep him sedated in there," he told her. "Regulate the body temperature. And, just for fun, run a bioscan and tissue profile on a metabolic detail."

She nodded, turning to her controls. "Just doing them now."

"Oh, you're good," the Doctor praised. "Anyone else presenting these symptoms?"

"Not so far."

"Well, that's something."

"Rude," Jessie hissed.

"And not ginger," he shot back.

"Will someone tell me what is the matter with him?" McDonnell asked in exasperation.

"Some sort of infection," the Doctor replied. "We'll know more after the test results. Now, allons-y! Back downstairs. See about those engines. Go! Hey, go!" McDonnell and Ashton warily left, and the Doctor nodded to the woman remaining. "Call us if there's news," he told her as he went for the exit as well. "Any questions?"

"Yeah. Who are you?"

The Doctor grinned. "I'm the Doctor, and this is the Bad Wolf."

"Love from Asgard," Jessie told her with a wink before following after the Doctor.

"Heat shield failing. At twenty-five percent. Impact in 32:50."

***

"Hurry up, will you?" Martha told Riley.

"All right," Riley replied, finishing what he was doing. "Fix the clamp on."

"What are you doing?" Martha asked as she did.

"Each door's trip code is the answer to a random question set by the crew," he replied. "Nine tours back, we got drunk, thought them up. Reckoning was, if we're hijacked, we're the only ones who know all the answers."

"So, you type in the right answer - "

"This sends an unlock pulse to the clamp. But we only get one chance per door. Get it wrong, the whole system freezes."

"Better not get it wrong, then," she muttered.

"OK. Date of the SS Pentallian's first flight. That's all right. Go!"

The clamp went green, and the bulkhead opened, and Martha laughed in delight. "Yes!"

"Twenty eight more to go!" Riley whooped.

***

Jessie clicked on the intercom. "Abi? How's Korwin doing?" she asked. "Any results from those bioscans?"

"He's under heavy sedation," Abi replied. "I'm just trying to make sense of this data. Give me a couple of minutes, and I'll let you know."

She switched channels. "Martha? Riley? How're you doing?"

"Are 29, at the door to 28."

"Got to move faster!" the Doctor shouted.

"We're doing our best!"

"Find the next number in the sequence 313, 331, 367," Riley announced, sounding confused. "What?"

"You said the crew knew all the answers!" Martha shrieked.

"The crew's changed since we set the questions!"

"You're joking!"

Jessie rolled her eyes. "379," she told them a second before the Doctor.

"What?" Martha asked.

"It's a sequence of happy primes," the Doctor said oddly, looking at Jessie. "379."

"Happy what?"

"Oh, just enter it!" Jessie yelled.

"Are you sure?" Riley asked. "We only get one chance!"

Jessie growled. "Any number that reduces to one when you take the sum of the square of it digits and you continue iterating until it yields one is a happy number. Any number that doesn't isn't. A happy prime is a number that is both happy and prime." She rolled her eyes as the Doctor's jaw hung open. "Oh, I learned stuff from FitzSimmons, Skye, Stark, Bruce, and Saleen, all right?" she snapped at him before turning back to the intercom. "Now type it in! I don't know! Talk about dumbing down! Don't they teach recreational mathematics anymore?"

"We're through!" Martha called.

"Keep moving," the Doctor ordered. "Fast as you can."

"And Martha?" Jessie said. "Be careful. There may be something else on board this ship."

"Any time you want to unnerve me, feel free," Martha commented.

"Will do, thanks for the permission," Jessie said cheerfully.

"Impact in 30:50."

***

"I can't believe our lives depend on some stupid pub quiz," Martha grumbled. "Is that the next one?"

"Oh, this is a nightmare!" Riley groaned. "Classical music. Who had the most pre-download number ones, Elvis Presley or the Beatles? How are we supposed to know that?"

Martha went for the intercom. "Doctor? Bad Wolf?"

"What is it now?" the Doctor asked.

"Who had the most number ones? Elvis or the Beatles? That's pre-download."

"Elvis," the Doctor replied.

"The Beatles," Jessie replied at the same time.

"No, wait," the Doctor exclaimed, and Martha began to panic. "Er . . . er . . . oh, what was that remix? Oh, I don't know! I am a bit busy!"

Martha frowned. "Fine. I'll ask someone else."

***

"Now, where was I?" the Doctor muttered. "Here comes the sun. No, resources. So, the power's still working, the generator's going. If we can harness that . . . ah!"

"Use the generator to jump start the ship!" McDonnell said cheerfully.

"Exactly!" the Doctor told her. "At the very least, it'll buy us some more time."

"That is brilliant!"

"That's what he does," Jessie told her, winking at the Doctor. "Tiny glimmers of hope."

"If it works," Scannell muttered.

"Oh, believe me," McDonnell growled at him. "You're going to make it work."

"Girl power," Jessie mouthed to her, giving a thumbs up, making the captain smile a little.

"Impact in 29:46."

"And can someone make this computer shut up?" Jessie barked.

***

Martha checked her phone before taking a deep breath and calling her mum. "Hello?" Francine asked.

"Mum?" she squeaked, shocked. It works! "It's me. It's Martha. Wow!"

"Where are you? Don't you check your messages? I've been calling you."

"Actually, a bit busy. Need you to do something for me."

"No, listen to me, we have to talk about this Doctor and his Bad Wolf."

"First off, they're not together." Wish they did already, though, she thought. "Second, mum, please, not now! I need you to look something up on the Internet."

"Do it yourself. You've got a computer."

"Oh, just do it, will you?" Martha shouted. "Please!"

"When did you get so rude?" Francine asked. "I'll tell you when. Ever since you met those two."

"I need to know who had more number ones, the Beatles or Elvis?"

"Hang on. The mouse is unplugged." Martha rolled her eyes, shuffling impatiently. "OK. I'm on. What is this, a pub quiz?"

"Yeah, a pub quiz!" Martha agreed with a quick glare at Riley.

"Using your mobile is cheating."

"Have you found it?" she asked.

"There's over 400,000 results. Give me a minute."

"Impact in 28:50."

***

"Doctor?" Jessie looked at the intercom as Abi came on. "These readings are starting to scare me."

"What do you mean?" the Doctor asked, standing from where he'd been working on the engines.

"Well, Korwin's body's changing. His whole biological make up, it's impossible!" There was a pause, then she began to call, panicked. "This is med-center! Urgent assistance requested! Urgent assistance!"

"God damn it!" Jessie shouted, jumping over Ashton and running for the door.

"Stay here!" the Doctor ordered. "Keep working!"

"Captain?" Scannell asked as he followed the Doctor and McDonnell.

"I told you to stay in Engineering!"

"I only take orders from one person round here."

"Is he always this cheery?" Jessie asked in annoyance.

***

"Elvis."

"What?" Martha asked in surprise. "Really?" She turned to Riley. "Elvis." The door opened, and Martha grinned. "Mum, you're a star!"

"Now we need to have a serious - " A scream wailed over the intercom, and Martha's eyes widened. "What was that?"

"I've got to go," Martha said hurriedly, hanging up and going to the intercom. "Doctor? What were those screams?"

"Concentrate on those doors!" the Doctor shouted in reply. "You've got to keep moving forward!"

"Impact in 27:06."

***

"Korwin's gone," McDonnell gasped as they entered the med-center.

"Oh, my God," Scannell gasped, and Jessie held a hand over her mouth when she saw the image of a human burned into the x-ray shield. "Tell me that's not Lerner!"

"Endothermic vaporization," the Doctor murmured. "I've never seen this one ferocious."

"Burn with me," Jessie quoted.

"That's what we heard Korwin say," Scannell said.

"What?" McDonnell gasped. "Do you think . . . ?" She shook her head ferociously. "No way. Scannell, tell him. Korwin is not a killer! He can't vaporize people! He's human!"

Jessie flipped through the results. "His bioscan results," she murmured. "Internal temperature . . . 100 degrees!" she gasped. "Body oxygen replaced by hydrogen." She shook her head. "I'm sorry, captain, but your husband hasn't been infected. He's been overwhelmed."

"The test results are wrong!"

"But what is it, though?" Jessie asked, turning to the Doctor, showing him the results. "Is this like a parasite or a mutagenic virus? It's got to need a host body, but how did it get inside him?"

"Stop talking like he's some kind of experiment!" McDonnell shouted.

"Where's the ship been?" the Doctor asked her. "Have you made planet fall recently? Docked with any other vessels? Any kind of external contact at all?"

"What is this, an interrogation?!"

"We've got to stop him before he kills again."

"We're just a cargo ship!"

"Doctor, if you give her a minute," Scannell began.

"I'm fine," McDonnell snapped at him. "I need to warn the crew." She went to the intercom. "Everybody, listen to me. Something has infected Korwin. We think he killed Abi Lerner. None of you must go anywhere near him. Is that clear?"

"Understood, Captain," Ashton replied.

"Impact in 24:51."

"I really hate that computer," Jessie growled.

"Is the infection permanent?" McDonnell asked. "Can you cure him?"

"I don't know," the Doctor lied.

"Don't lie to me, Doctor! Eleven years, we've been married. We chose this ship together. He keeps me honest, so I don't want false hope."

Jessie sighed, stepping forward. "The parasite must be too aggressive," she told her. "I'm sorry, Captain, but your husband's gone."

McDonnell nodded, swallowing hard. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Are you certain nothing happened to provoke this?" the Doctor asked. "Nobody's working on anything secret? Because it's vital that you tell us."

"I know every inch of this ship," McDonnell replied. "I know every detail of my crew's lives. There is nothing."

"then why is this thing so interested in you?"

"I wish I knew."

"Doctor, we're through to Area 17!" Martha called.

"Keep going," the Doctor replied. "You've got to get to Area 1 and reboot those engines!"

"Heat shields failing. At twenty percent."

"Doctor?"

"What?"

"Can I destroy the computer when we manage to get off this thing?"

" . . . no."

"Damn."

***

"Come on!" Riley hit the top of his computer in annoyance. "Everything on this ship is so cheap!"

Martha looked over her shoulder when she heard the bulkhead slide open. "Who's there?" Riley called.

Martha frowned as a figure stepped through the smoke. "Is that Korwin?" she asked.

"No. Wait a minute." The figure stepped through, wearing a helmet, and Riley sighed. "Oh, Ashton, what're you doing?"

"Burn with me!"

"Well, if you want to help - "

"Burn with me. Burn with me!" Ashton made to raise his visor, and Martha shoved Riley away. "Move!" she screamed. "Come on!"

She opened a door to a small area, and then she shut it after she pushed Riley in. "What is happening on this ship?" he asked.

"Never mind that! Where are we?"

"Airlock sealed. Jettison escape pod."

Martha's jaw dropped. "That doesn't mean us?" Riley began messing with the control panel, and Martha banged on the door. "Doctor!" she screamed.

"Pod jettison initiated."

"Doctor! Bad Wolf!" she shouted. "We're stuck in an escape pod off the Area 17 Airlock!"

***

"By the - " Jessie didn't finish her sentence as she literally dropped what she was doing and ran for the intercom.

"One of the crew's trying to jettison us!" Martha kept yelling. "You've got to help us! Tell me you can stop it!"

"Why is this happening?" McDonnell cried.

"Stay here," the Doctor ordered. "I mean it this time! Jump start those engines!" He held out a hand to Jessie. "Can you make it?"

"Try and stop me," she retorted, grabbing his hand and running with him towards the airlock.

***

"Jettison held."

Riley sighed in relief. "Thank you."

"Jettison reactivated."

Martha screamed in horror, banging on the door. "Come on!" Riley shouted, banging on the panel, trying to keep up with Ashton. "Tsilpinski sequence," he muttered. "This'll get him."

"Jettison held. Escape pod stabilized."

"You're pretty good," Martha praised.

***

The Doctor stopped, looking at Ashton. "That's enough!" he shouted at him. "What do you want? Why this ship?"

"Tell us!" Jessie demanded, stopping next to him.

Ashton slammed his fist into the keypad, and Jessie's eyes widened as alarms began going off. The Doctor strode forward angrily. "Come on," he muttered, standing nose to nose with Ashton. "Let's see you. I want to know what you really are."

Ashton raised a hand for his visor, but then he doubled over in pain.

"Airlock sealed."

"McDonnell?" Jessie shouted into the intercom. "Ashton's headed in your direction! He's been infected, just like Korwin!"

"Korwin's dead, Bad Wolf," came Scannell's reply.

***

"This thing's locked!" Martha sobbed.

"Airlock decompression completed. Jettisoning pod."

Martha's phone began ringing, and she answered it. "Yeah?" she asked.

"Martha, we'll find a way," the Doctor told her, and Martha clamped a hand over her mouth. "We'll save you!"

"I promise!" the Bad Wolf put in. "We'll save you, Martha!"

Martha nodded. "I know," she sobbed, hanging up.

***

Jessie stood shaking against the control panel, hand over her mouth as she tried to comprehend what had just happened. The Doctor's arms went around her, and she hugged him back, burying her face into his shoulder as she began to openly sob. He let her do it, not asking her to stop. He reached behind her for the intercom. "Scannell!" he called. "I need a spacesuit in Area 17, now!"

"What for?"

"Just get down here!"

"You're going out there?"

The Doctor looked down at Jessie, nodding. "I have to."

"No, you don't." She straightened, taking a deep breath. "I will."

The Doctor blinked. "What? No, you're not!"

"Doctor, she's my best friend now that . . . now that Saleen's gone," Jessie told him, looking up at him, brushing her hair out of her eyes. "I owe it to her. And I could survive out there longer if something in the suit failed. Just . . . please."

The Doctor looked at her and swallowed, nodding. "But don't you die on me."

Jessie let out a forced laugh. "Yeah, no promises there."

***

"The wonderful world of space travel," Riley sighed as they sat in the escape pod. "The prettier it looks, the more likely it is to kill you."

"They'll come for us," Martha said confidently.

"No, it's too late. Our heat shields will pack in any minute, and then we go into free fall. We'll fall into the sun way before they have a chance to do anything."

"You don't know the Doctor or the Bad Wolf," Martha told him fiercely. "My best friends in the world. I believe in them."

"Then you're lucky," Riley scoffed. "I've never found anyone worth believing in."

"No girlfriend? Boyfriend?"

"The job doesn't lend itself to stable relationships."

"Family, then?"

"My dad's dead, and I haven't seen my mum in six years. She didn't want me to sign up for cargo tours. Things were said, and since then, all silent. She wanted to hold on to me, I know that. Oh, she's so stubborn."

"Yeah, well, that's families," Martha commented.

"What about you?"

"Full works," Martha replied, sniffing. "Mum. Dad. Dad's girlfriend. Brother. Sister. No silence there. So much noise." She sniffed again. "Oh, God! They'll never know! I . . . " She put a hand over her mouth, crying. "I'll just have disappeared, and the'll always be waiting!"

Riley put a hand on hers, and he stared at her. "Call them," he whispered to her.

***

"I can't let you do this," Scannell tried again as the Doctor finished helping Jessie with the suit.

"You're wasting your breath, Scannell," the Doctor told him. "Nothing's going to stop her."

"You want to open an airlock in flight on a ship spinning into the sun. No one can survive that!"

"I'm not an ordinary person, Scannell," Jessie told him. "I've survived more heat temperatures than you could imagine. You just watch."

"You open that airlock, it's suicide! This close to the sun, the shields will barely protect you."

"If you can boost the magnetic lock on the ship's exterior, it should remagnetize the pod," the Doctor told Jessie.

She nodded. "Remagnetize. Got it."

The Doctor nodded to Scannell. "While she's out here and I'm here with her, you have got to get the rest of those doors open. We need those auxiliary engines."

"Doctor, will you listen?" Scannell shouted as the Doctor slid the airlock open. "They're too far away! It's too late!"

"Yeah?" Jessie retorted, putting her helmet on. "I'm not going to lose her."

"Decompression initiated. Impact in 12:55."

"Yeah, I'm ready to kill it, too," the Doctor muttered.

***

Martha swallowed and dialed her mother's number. "Hello?" Francine asked.

"It's me again," Martha told her. "Sorry about earlier."

"Is everything all right?"

"Yeah! Of course!" Martha lied quickly.

"Martha?"

"Mum, I . . . you know I love you, don't you?"

"Of course I do. What's brought this on?"

"I never say it," Martha sniffed. "I never get the time. I never think of it, and then . . . " She stopped. "I really love you," she finished. "Tell Dad, Leo, and Tish that I love them."

"Martha, what's wrong?"

"Nothing. I promise." Another lie.

"Where are you?"

"Just . . . out."

"With anyone nice?"

"Some mates."

"What mates?"

"Mum, can we not just talk?"

"Of course. What do you want to talk about?"

"I don't know, anything!" And Martha began to ramble. "What you had for breakfast. What you watched on telly last night. How much you're going to kill Dad next time you see him. Just . . . anything!"

"Is the Doctor with you? Or the Bad Wolf? Are they there now?"

"Mum, just leave it!"

"It's a simple enough question."

If that was what it was going to be, Martha didn't want to hear it. "I'd better go."

"Er, no, Martha, wait - !"

"See you, Mum."

Martha hung up, and she began to sob. Riley hugged her tightly, starting to cry as well, and they both clung onto each other as they hurtled towards their deaths.

***

"Impact in 11:15. Head shield failing. At ten percent."

"Good luck," the Doctor told Jessie before sliding the inner airlock closed.

Jessie nodded, taking a deep breath and opening the outer airlock. She winced when unfiltered sunlight streamed in, and she held a hand over her eyes. She reached around and climbed out onto the hull of the ship, finding the buttons she needed to press. She looked around for a handhold, then gritted her teeth and got out as far as she could before anchoring herself with her leg. "Come on," she muttered. "Come on!"

"Bad Wolf?" Scannell asked. "How're you doing?"

"Almost there!" she called back. "Not sure how much further I can go!"

"Martha needs you, Bad Wolf!" the Doctor told her. "Don't give up now!"

Jessie gritted her teeth, then grabbed onto the box covering the lever she needed to pull, and she yanked the lever down.

***

The pod jolted, and Martha fell back, and Riley checked the computer. "We're being pulled back!" he gasped.

"I told you!" Martha cheered. "I told you they'd do it!"

***

Jessie pulled herself back around to the airlock when she felt something push into her head. She grimaced, looking back at the sun, and she got it. Her mouth dropped open. "Oh my God," she whispered. "Doctor! It's alive!" she shouted. "It's alive! It's alive!"

"What is?" the Doctor shouted back before Jessie closed her eyes tightly as the force pressed against her mind even more. "Jessie, what is?"

She didn't answer, trying not to scream in pain.

***

"Airlock recompression completed."

Jessie fell out of the airlock, curling up and taking off her helmet. The Doctor dropped next to her. "Bad Wolf?" he asked worriedly.

"Doctor!" Martha shouted as she emerged from the escape pod with Riley. "Bad Wolf! Are you OK?"

Jessie's eyes shot open, and the Doctor's eyes widened when white light shot out for a second before she quickly closed them again. "Stay away from me!" she shouted.

"What's happened?" McDonnell asked.

"It's your fault, Captain McDonnell!" Jessie sobbed. "All your fault!"

"Riley, get down to Area 10 and help Scannell with the doors," McDonnell ordered. "Go!"

"You were mining that sun!" Jessie gasped out, and the Doctor looked up at the sun, narrowing his eyes. "Stripping its surface for cheap fuel! You should have scanned for life!"

"I don't understand," McDonnell said, shaking her head.

"I do," the Doctor whispered. "It's alive."

"Doctor, what's she talking about?" Martha asked.

"That sun is alive," the Doctor replied. "A living organism."

"They scooped out the heart, used it for fuel, and now it's screaming!" Jessie added, throwing her head back, and the Doctor had to use all of his strength to keep her from seriously harming someone.

"What do you mean?" McDonnell asked. "How can a sun be alive? Why is she saying that?"

"Because it's living in me," Jessie gasped out.

"Oh my God," McDonnell whispered.

The Doctor shook his head. "Humans," he spat. "You grab whatever's nearest and bleed it dry! You should have scanned!"

"It takes too long!" McDonnell protested. "We'd be caught! Fusion scoops are illegal."

The Doctor growled. "I don't have time for this," he muttered. "We've got to freeze her, now."

"What?" Martha asked.

"That stasis chamber," the Doctor replied, picking Jessie up carefully bridal style. "We've got to get it below minus two hundred, freeze it out of her."

"It'll use me to kill you if you don't," Jessie wheezed, still keeping her eyes tightly shut. "The closer we get to the sun, the stronger it gets - " She broke off with a sharp cry.

For the Doctor, it was a double blow to both hearts. "Med-center, quickly!" he snapped. "Quickly!"

"This way!" Martha said, sounding panicked, and they ran for the doors.

"Impact in 7:30."

***

Martha grabbed the instruction manual and began flipping through it. "I can do it."

"Doctor?" Jessie wheezed.

The Doctor nodded, laying her down on the bed to put her in the stasis chamber. "I'm right here," he told her. "Martha and I are both here."

"Minus two hundred, right?" Martha asked.

"Yes," the Doctor replied.

"No! You don't know how this equipment works!" The Doctor growled at McDonnell, but she wasn't fazed. "You'll kill her! Nobody can survive those temperatures!"

"She's not human," Martha replied bluntly. "If the Doctor says she can survive, then she can. And she will."

"Let me help you, then!"

"You've done enough damage," the Doctor snapped, then looked at Martha. "Ten seconds. That's all she'll be able to take. No more."

Jessie let out a sharp scream, and the Doctor winced. "Jessie!"

"It's burning me up," she sobbed, and she grabbed the Doctor's hand, tightening her grip on it for all she was worth. "I can't control it! If you don't get rid of it, I could kill you all!" She screamed again, this one sounding inhuman, making even the Doctor cringe. "I'm scared! I'm so scared!"

"Just stay calm, Jessie," he whispered to her. "I lost you once, and I'm not going to lose you again. You got that? Just believe in us."

"It's burning through me," she gasped. "Then what'll happen?"

"We've got you," the Doctor assured her before looking at Martha. "But if this doesn't work, there's this process, this thing that happens if we're about to die - "

"Shush," Martha told him. "Quiet now. Because that is not going to happen." She looked at Jessie. "Are you ready?"

"No," Jessie half laughed, half screamed.

The Doctor slid her completely into the stasis chamber, and Martha typed 200 into her keypad before pressing the green button. The Doctor cringed as Jessie's bloodcurdling screams rang through the med-center. He watched the temperature drop - and then stop at 70 degrees below. "What?" he shouted. "Martha, you can't stop it! Not yet!"

"What happened?" Martha asked, tapping the keypad.

"Power's been cut in Engineering," McDonnell replied, checking a few readouts.

"But who's down there?"

McDonnell's face hardened. "Leave it to me."

"Impact in 4:47."

"Listen, Martha, you've got to go," the Doctor told her.

"No way," she denied.

"I've only got a moment," Jessie told her, the frost disappearing from her body. "You've got to go!"

"Get to the front," the Doctor ordered. "Vent the engines. Sun particles in the fuel. Get rid of them."

"I am not leaving her!" Martha shouted.

"And neither am I!" the Doctor shouted back. He took a deep breath. "Martha, I don't want a repeat of Canary Wharf. I need to stay with her, see if there's something I can do. But you've got to give back what they took."

"Martha, please, go!" Jessie sobbed, straining.

Martha nodded. "But I'll be back for you," she warned before heading off.

"Impact in 3:43."

***

The Doctor stayed by the doorway, watching as Jessie struggled before she fell out of the stasis chamber. He resisted the urge to go to her, knowing he had to stay back. "Fight against it, Jessie," he told her. "That's the only way this can be solved."

"I can't fight it," she gasped. "Give it back - or burn with me!" She raised her gaze, eyes opening and blazing white, and the Doctor looked away, holding a hand over his eyes. "Burn with me, Doctor!"

***

Martha ran through the areas and quickly made it to Area 1, seeing Scannell and Riley working. "Collision alert. 58 seconds to fatal impact."

"Vent the engines!" she ordered as she ran in. "Dump the fuel!"

"What?" Scannell yelped.

"Sun particles in the fuel," she explained, moving around. "Get rid of them. Do it. Now!" The men nodded and began to help her, and Martha took a shaky breath. "Come on, Bad Wolf," she whispered. "Hold on!"

"Fuel dump in progress. Fuel dump in progress."

***

The Doctor watched as the light faded from Jessie's eyes, and she keeled over backwards, slumping against the floor, panting hard. He ran over, crouching next to her and looking at her eyes. "Jessie, it's gone," he told her. "It's gone."

She was shaking, hard, too, and the Doctor pulled her into his arms, feeling how limp she was, and he shook his head, clutching her closer.

There was the sound of running, and Martha skidded in, and her hand clapped over her mouth when she saw Jessie huddled in the Doctor's grip. "Get her coat," the Doctor told her, handing her his key. "She needs it."

Martha didn't argue. She just nodded and left as the Doctor held Jessie close until her breathing regulated, and she buried her face further into his shoulder. "I've got you," he whispered. "You're all right."

***

"This is never your ship!" Scannell denied, looking at the TARDIS.

"Compact, eh?" the Doctor asked brightly, patting the side of the TARDIS. "And another good word. Robust! Barely a scorch mark on her."

"We can't just leave you drifting with no fuel," Martha said, her arm around Jessie, who was pale and not saying anything, staring at her boots, her trench coat tight around her.

"We've sent out an official mayday," Riley told her. "The authorities'll pick us up soon enough."

"Though how we explain what happened - " Scannell began.

"Just tell them," Jessie interrupted, her voice cracking. "That sun needs care and protection, just like any other living thing."

The Doctor held out his arm to Jessie, and she stepped into the TARDIS, and he made to follow, but he stopped inside the door when he heard Riley keep talking. "So, er . . . you're off, then. No chance I'll see you again?"

"Not really," Martha laughed. "It was nice, not dying with you. I reckon you'll find someone worth believing in."

"I think I already did."

"Oh, just kiss already!" Jessie shouted from where she sat in the captain's chair.

The Doctor couldn't help but laugh and checked the monitor to see Martha kiss Riley before pulling back and punning, "Well done. Very hot."

The Doctor chuckled as she entered the TARDIS. "Nice job," he told her.

"So did you," she told him before looking at Jessie. "I could check you out in the med bay if you want?" she offered.

Jessie shook her head. "Might want to visit Muspelheim, though," she muttered. "It's bloody freezing."

"TARDIS can draw you a hot bath," the Doctor told her.

Jessie nodded, standing. "If there's something you two want to do, I'll sit this one out."

The Doctor nodded. "Do what you need to do."

She scuffed off, and the Doctor nodded, clapping his hands and turning to Martha. "Now! What do you say? Ice skating on the mineral lakes of Kur-ha. Fancy it?"

"Sounds fantastic!" Martha replied with a grin.

"Oh, and by the way . . . " He pulled a TARDIS key out, on a chain and held it out to Martha. "You'll be needing this."

Martha grinned. "Thank you!" she told him, taking the key.

"Frequent flier's privilege," the Doctor told her before turning serious. "And . . . it's me who should be thanking you. About the Bad Wolf."

Martha nodded. "I'll go check for skates."

He nodded and let her run off before hearing her shout, "Oh, no! Mum!"

He chuckled, setting the TARDIS coordinates before hearing a hum of approval from her. "How's she doing?" he asked.

"She appreciates what you have done," the TARDIS replied. "But your fight for her is not over."

"Yeah," the Doctor sighed. "I figured you'd say that."

***

"It's me again," Martha told her mum as she looked around in the TARDIS wardrobe.

"Three calls in one day," Francine remarked.

"I'm sorry about earlier," Martha apologized. "Over emotional. Mad day."

"What are you doing tonight? Why don't you come round? I'll make something nice and we can catch up."

"Yeah, tonight," Martha agreed, before wincing. What was the day there? "Do my best. Er . . . just remind me, what day is it again?"

"Election Day."

"Right," Martha agreed. "I'll be round for tea. Roughly."

"And what about - ?"

"Anyway, I've got to go! See you later! Love you."

She hung up and found a pair of skates that fit her and went back to find something warm to wear.

She didn't think about how awkward her mother had been.

Almost as if someone else had been listening in.

***

Jessie wasn't sure how long the Doctor and Martha had been gone as she sat curled up by the fire in the library, a mug of hot chocolate in her hands. Soon, though, her phone rang, and she took a look at the Caller ID. Smiling, she answered. "How's half of the science bros doing?" she asked.

"Remarkably well, after Agent Simmons chewed us out," Tony admitted, and Jessie laughed softly. "Are you all right?"

"I've been better," she admitted. "Sort of got possessed by a sun today, though."

"A what?!"

"Not the Doctor's fault," she quickly told him. "I just wanted to save Martha, and the sun just . . . " She cleared her throat. "Well."

There was silence. "But you're all right?" Tony asked again.

Jessie sighed. "I don't know," she whispered, feeling tears well up in her eyes. "It's just been so different since Canary Wharf. It's scary just how different it's been."

"Bruce and I are here if you ever need to talk to us, Jessie," Tony told her firmly. "And if you ever feel the need to . . . there's a place here at Stark Industries for you."

Jessie smiled. "Thank you, Stark," she told him honestly before swallowing. "I might take you up on that."

"Well, here, it's almost night, so . . . good night, Jessie."

"Night, Tony."

She hung up, staring at the photo of Tony before closing her eyes and leaning back against the couch cushions. There were footsteps behind her, and then someone sat down next to her. "Hello," the Doctor told her.

She swallowed. "Hi."

"I probably know the answer to this . . . but how are you doing?"

Jessie opened her eyes, tilting her head to the right to see the Doctor looking at her in genuine concern. She laughed softly. "I could be worse," she replied. "Could've stuck me in the pits of Helheim or frozen me in Jotunheim, but . . . I could be better, too."

The Doctor took a look at the white spaghetti strap nightgown she was wearing, then looked past the dark blue robe she wore over it, and his eyes narrowed. She realized what he had seen and tried to shy away, but he reached over and stopped her. She swallowed and let him push the heavy fabric off of her shoulders, feeling his fingers brush over bruises and scars that had carried over from her last body to this one. "I didn't know," she whispered. "I never paid attention at first. And then a little before Martha came on board, I noticed them. They're fading, but they're still there."

"I never noticed," the Doctor whispered, "and given how often your coat is off . . . " He sat back. "Is that why you wear it?"

Jessie shrugged the velvet back onto her shoulders and gave a weak shrug. "Suppose so," she replied. "Partly because it just feels . . . right." She shook her head. "I don't know who I am anymore," she told him. "I know I was born on Earth, and I lived there for twenty years of my life before I met you, someone who could change his face. I thought nothing would change." She shook her head. "And then came Torchwood, and it all just went . . . " She made a motion and a sound effect that would've made Jack proud. She shook her head, slumping back. "God, I just don't know anymore."

"What's different?" the Doctor asked.

"I want to fight," she replied. "I want to get out and do something, but it's not always the right thing." She pinched the bridge of her nose. "And I just can't . . . "

He reached around and pulled her to him. "If it helps," he told her casually, "that's what it's been like for me . . . " He counted off on his fingers. "About nine times now."

"You get more experience," she muttered, her voice muffled by his jacket.

She could sense his smirk. "Yes, I do."

"But today . . . that just scared the living Hell out of me."

"And it's all right to be scared," the Doctor told her. "I was scared you'd die again. And I didn't want to see it happen when there was something I knew I could do."

"Doctor?"

"Hmm?"

"Let's make a pact."

"OK."

"Neither one of us dies again without the other's permission."

He burst out laughing. "I can handle that."

"Good. Now don't move."

"Why?"

"You're comfortable."

***

That was how Martha had found them a half hour later, the Bad Wolf curled into the Doctor's side, her blonde hair tumbling over her shoulders, the Doctor watching her sleep. He held up a finger to Martha, warning her not to make a noise.

Martha nodded and backed out, and waited until she was a good deal away, before silently squealing and celebrating in her head.

Finally!

***

Little did Martha Jones know that that was the last comfortable moment she'd see the Doctor and the Bad Wolf in as themselves for a long time.

***

Hehehehehe, and here comes the MAJOR climax of the whole series, I think! :D The human arc! This is going to be so much fun!!!! But I will already give you a clue: they will not be falling in love with each other (unfortunately).

But I can tell you this . . . Sally Sparrow was looking at Jessie's hands for a reason. And it was right after this arc that "Blink" happened. ;)

"Invasion of Asgard" sort of reminds me of what's going on here, because Asgard is on the brink of being destroyed by the Dark Elves, plus, it sort of personifies what happens to Jessie with the sun. Who saw that coming, by the way? Jessie going out instead of the Doctor?

I'll leave you on that. But unfortunately, you'll have to wait until "The End of the World" for Apocalypse Rising is posted for "Human Nature."

But who knows? If I get comments, I might get to writing faster.