Just a heads up, there are lots of italics in this chapter. If the italics contain conversation between the Doctor and Jessie, it's telepathy.

That is all. Enjoy "Gridlock!"

***

“Doctor,” Jessie called out in her mind as she headed for the console room. “You’re really not going to take Martha home, are you?”

“Don’t you want it to be just the two of us?” the Doctor asked.

“Really? I thought you meant one trip to the past. And maybe one to the future?”

There was silence, and then a mental equivalent of a sigh went through her head. “All right, but that’s it!”

Jessie laughed as she entered the console room, seeing Martha sitting in the captain’s chair. “So,” the Doctor said, giving her a quick nod when she entered. “Just one trip. That’s what I said. One trip in the TARDIS, and then home.” Jessie began hopping on one foot while she slipped her sonic screwdriver into her boot, and he rolled his eyes affectionately at her. “Although,” he said slowly, and Martha perked up. “I suppose we could stretch the definition. Take one trip into the past, one trip into the future. How do you fancy that?”

“No complaints from me!” Martha cheered.

Jessie smiled. “How about a different planet?” she asked.

“Can we go to yours?” Martha asked with a smile.

The Doctor stopped what he was doing, and Jessie stopped as well, looking at his posture. Rigid, tense, like someone poised to run. “Um, Martha . . . ?” she said slowly.

“Ah, there’s plenty of other places,” the Doctor said quickly.

“Come on, though!” Martha pleaded, completely ignoring the head shakings Jessie was doing. “I mean, planet of the Time Lords. That’s got to be worth a look. What’s it like?”

“Martha,” Jessie warned.

“What?” Martha snapped at her.

“Well, it’s beautiful, yeah,” the Doctor agreed.

“Is it, like, you know, outer space cities, all spires and stuff?” Martha continued.

“Martha, shut up!” Jessie snarled at her.

“I suppose it is,” the Doctor admitted, walking around the console closer to Jessie.

“Great big temples and cathedrals?” Martha continued.

“Yeah.”

“Lots of planets in the sky?”

With that, Jessie placed herself in between the Doctor and Martha. “Martha, that is enough,” she growled, reaching out and gripping the medical student’s shoulder angrily. “Do you have any idea what it is you’re talking about?”

“The sky’s a burnt orange, with the Citadel enclosed in a mighty glass dome, shining under the twin suns,” the Doctor whispered in her mind. “Beyond that, the mountains go on forever. Slopes of deep red grass, capped with snow.”

“Are you all right?”

“I’m always all right.”

Jessie glared at Martha. “You have no idea what you’ve just done,” she whispered.

“But can we go there?” Martha asked, looking over her shoulder at the Doctor.

“Nah!” the Doctor exclaimed, darting back around the console, and Jessie smirked at Martha triumphantly. “Where’s the fun for me? I don’t want to go home! Instead . . . ” He began flipping switches and doing all sorts of stuff on the TARDIS console as Jessie pushed Martha back towards the captain’s chair. The TARDIS shuddered to a halt, and the Doctor grinned. “This is much better! Year five billion and fifty-three.”

“New Earth?” Jessie asked with a grin.

“New Earth!” the Doctor confirmed with a grin. “Second hope of mankind. Fifty thousand light years from your old world, and we’re slap bang in the middle of New New York!”

“However, it’s technically the fifteenth New York from the original,” Jessie told Martha, pulling on her trench coat. “That makes it New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York.”

“How long have you been wanting to say that?” the Doctor asked.

“For a while.”

“One of the most dazzling cities ever built,” the Doctor finished out loud, opening the doorway.

Jessie squeaked and pulled her trench coat up over her head when she walked out into a dusty alley, rain pouring down on them. “Oh, yes, that’s very nice,” she shouted over her shoulder. “When did you mess up the definition of ‘dazzling?’”

“Nah,” the Doctor said, pulling up his own long coat. “Bit of rain never hurt anyone. Come on! Let’s get under cover!”

Jessie ran after him towards a sheltered area. “Well, it looks like the same old Earth to me on a Wednesday afternoon,” Martha commented.

“It’s not,” Jessie assured her, looking around. “We’re in the right place.”

“Let’s have a look,” the Doctor muttered, using his sonic on a TV.

A blond woman appeared on it with a bright smile. “And the driving should be clear and easy, with fifteen extra lanes open for the New New Jersey expressway.”

“Hey, there’s that view!” Jessie said cheerfully when she saw the flying cars in the city. “That’s what we had last time we were here!”

“This must be the lower levels,” the Doctor guessed, looking around. “Down in the base of the tower. Some sort of undercity.”

“You’ve brought me to the slums?” Martha asked incredulously.

“Much more interesting,” the Doctor told her. “It’s all cocktails and glitter up there. This is the real city!”

“You’d enjoy anything.”

“That’s him,” Jessie laughed.

The rain began to lighten, and the Doctor looked around. “Ah, the rain’s stopping. Better and better!”

“Hold on,” Martha said, stopping them and looking between the two of them. “When you say last time . . . you two have been here before?”

“Well . . . ” The Doctor turned to Jessie. “Technically.”

“Technically?” Martha repeated. “What’s that mean, technically?”

“I was a different girl then,” Jessie said briefly.

Martha looked at the Doctor. “So you’re taking me to the same planets that you took her?”

“What’s wrong with that?” the Doctor asked.

“Ever heard of the word ‘rebound?’” Martha muttered as she turned to walk off.

“He’s not taken or anything!” Jessie protested, but still, Queen Elizabeth’s words rang in her head: “And her consort, the Doctor!” What in the name of the Nine Realms was she talking about?

“Oh!” someone shouted, and a stall next to them slammed open, and the man smiled at them. “You should have said. How long have you been there? Happy. You want Happy!”

Other vendor stalls slammed open, shouting about customers and various emotions, including Mellow, Read, more Happy, Anger, more Mellow, and more Happy. “Are they selling drugs?” Martha asked.

“They’re selling moods,” Jessie replied.

“Same thing, isn’t it?”

Jessie acknowledged the point and was about to say so when a young woman in rags walked up to one of the vendors. “Come over here, yeah,” the pharmacist told her. “And what can I get you, my love?”

“I want to buy Forget,” was the reply.

Jessie raised an eyebrow as the pharmacist nodded sympathetically. “I’ve got Forget, my darling. What strength? How much do you want forgetting?”

“It’s my mother and father. They went on the Motorway.”

“Motorway?” Jessie asked.

“No idea,” the Doctor replied.

The pharmacist nodded. “Oh, that’s a swine. Try this.” She held out a patch. “Forget 43. That’s two credits.”

The woman handed the money over, and the Doctor walked up to her. “Sorry, but hold on a minute. What happened to your parents?”

“They drove off,” the woman replied.

“Yeah, but they might drive back.”

“Everyone goes to the Motorway in the end. I’ve lost them.”

“But they can’t have gone far. You could find them.” The woman swallowed and peeled the sticker off. “No,” the Doctor warned, starting forward. “No, no, don’t – !”

She stuck the tab on her neck, then blinked and looked up at the Doctor. “I’m sorry, what were you saying?” she asked.

Jessie blinked. “Your parents,” she said slowly. “Your mother and father. They’re on the Motorway.”

“Are they?” the woman asked, and Jessie blinked again. “That’s nice. I’m sorry. I won’t keep you.”

Jessie remained standing where she was, rooted to the spot, before turning slightly. “What just happened?” she asked.

“So that’s the human race five billion years in the future,” Martha scoffed. “Off their heads on chemicals.”

Jessie nodded absently when Martha screamed behind her. She turned, hand going deep into her pocket and whipping out the ICER gun she had. Another woman had a gun aimed right at her, and from the look of it, it could kill. “Let her go!” she shouted.

“I’m sorry, I’m really, really sorry,” the man holding onto Martha apologized as Martha began kicking and screaming. “We just need three, that’s all!

“I’m warning you, let her go!” Jessie snarled, trying to get a clear shot.

“Whatever you want, we can help,” the Doctor added, right at Jessie’s side. “The three of us, we can help, but first you’ve got to let her go!”

“I’m sorry,” the woman apologized. “I’m really sorry. Sorry!”

They ducked through a doorway, and it slammed and locked behind them. The Doctor cursed and ran for the door. When they were just a few feet away, Jessie reached out and grasped his arm tightly, phasing them through. Their feet pounded along the steel, and Jessie was the first one to wrench open the other door at the side. They made it out just in time to see one of those flying cars take off. “Martha!” the Doctor shouted.

Jessie looked after them. “I can try and – ?”

“Martha’s gone,” the Doctor said tightly. “I need you with me.”

Jessie nodded. “You got it.”

They ran back the way they came, and when they made it to the pharmacy area, the Doctor pounded on one of the hatches. It opened up, and the woman who sold the Forget smiled at them. “Thought you’d come back!” she said cheerfully. “Do you want some happy Happy?”

“No,” Jessie snapped.

“Those people, who were they?” the Doctor asked. “Where did they take her?”

“They’ve taken her to the Motorway,” another pharmacist pitched in.

“Looked like carjackers to me,” the woman agreed.

Yet another pharmacist joined in. “I’d give up now, darling. You won’t see her again.”

“Used to be thriving, this place. You couldn’t move. But they all go to the Motorway in the end.”

“He kept on saying three,” Jessie whispered to the Doctor.

He nodded and looked back around. “What did he mean by three?”

“It’s the car-sharing policy, to save fuel. You get special access if you’re carrying three adults.”

“This Motorway,” Jessie asked. “How do we get there?”

“Straight down the alley, keep going to the ned. You canna miss it.” Jessie nodded and turned to go when the woman continued. “Tell you what. How about some happy Happy? Then you’ll be smiling, my love.”

The Doctor bristled, but Jessie slapped a hand across his arm and glared at everyone there. “And I’m telling you what,” she growled lowly. “Cash up. Close up. Pack your bags. All of you.”

“Why’s that, then?” the pharmacist snorted.

“Because as soon as we’ve found her,” Jessie continued with her threat, knowing that she was shaking in anger by the way the Doctor squeezed her shoulder supportively. “And we will find her, then I know that at least I am coming back, and I will make sure that this street closes tonight!”

***

“Now you just settle back. It’s all going to be worth it.”

Martha slowly woke up from where she sat to the sound of fuzzy voices. She winced and raised a hand to her neck and felt a patch there, and she pulled it off, looking down at it. She wrinkled her nose and put it down.

“Yeah,” a woman’s voice added, and she saw the two people who took her talking in the front of the car. “The view from the windows. You can see all the way out to the flatlands. Clear blue sky. They say the air smells like apple grass. Can you imagine?”

“The houses are made of wood,” the man added, and Martha saw the woman’s gun just in front of her. Gotcha, she thought, reaching over for it. “There are jobs going in the foundries. Everyone says so.”

Martha grabbed the gun and sat up, pointing it at the two of them. “Take me back,” she ordered, and the two turned to her in surprise. “Whoever you are, just take me back to my friend! That’s all I want! I won’t cause any trouble. Just take me back!”

“I’m sorry,” the woman apologized. “That’s not a real gun.”

Martha narrowed her eyes. “Yeah, well, you would say that.”

“Where do you get a gun from these days? I wouldn’t even know how to fire.”

The Bad Wolf has one, and she looks like she knows how to, Martha thought dimly before shaking her head. “No, nor me,” she acknowledged, putting the gun down. “OK.”

“What’s your name?” the woman asked.

“Martha,” she replied. “Martha Jones.”

“Well, I’m Cheen, and this is Milo,” the woman introduced. “And I swear we’re sorry. We’re really, really sorry. We just needed access to the fast lane, but I promise, as soon as we arrive, we’ll drop you off and you can go back and find your friends.”

Martha blinked. “Seriously?”

“I swear!” Cheen promised. “Look.” She pulled her hair away from her neck, and Martha frowned at the patch on her neck. “Honesty patch.”

“All the same, it’s still kidnapping!” Martha snapped before walking over and leaning on the back of their chairs. “Where are we anyway?”

“We’re on the Motorway,” Milo replied.

Martha looked through the thick smoke and frowned. “What’s that, then? Fog?”

“That’s the exhaust fumes,” Cheen replied.

“We’re going out to Brooklyn,” Milo explained. “Everyone says the air’s so much cleaner, and we couldn’t stay in Pharmacy Town, because – ”

Martha saw the happy look pass between the two people, and she guessed it even before Cheen continued. “Well, because of me. I’m pregnant. We only discovered it last week. Scan says it’s going to be a boy.”

“Right,” Martha said slowly, not sure whether to congratulate them or not. “What do I do now, congratulate my kidnappers?” And now I’m saying what I’m thinking, she thought, mentally kicking herself. Nice job, Martha.

“Oh, we’re not kidnappers,” Cheen said hurriedly. “Not really.”

“Nope,” Martha agreed, glaring at her. “You’re idiots! You’re having a baby, and you’re wearing that?” She reached over and tore the patch from Cheen’s neck, staring at it in disgust. “Not anymore,” she muttered, tossing it over her shoulder.

“This’ll be as fast as we can,” Milo told her. “We’ll take the Motorway to the Brooklyn flyover, and then after that, it’s going to take a while, because then there’s no fast lane. Just ordinary roads, but at least it’s direct.”

“It’s only ten miles,” Cheen added.

Martha looked back and forth. A long time just for ten miles? she wondered. “How long is it going to take?” she asked.

“About six years,” Cheen replied like she was talking about the weather.

Martha blinked. “What?” she asked.

“Be just in time for him to start school,” Cheen said happily.

“No, sorry, hold on,” Martha said slowly. “Six years? Ten miles in six years? How come?”

***

The Doctor sonicked the door to the Motorway, and he opened it for Jessie to step through. She did and looked around, and her eyes widened. “Oh my God,” she gasped, looking at the stacked lanes of nonmoving traffic.

The Doctor started hacking and coughing behind her, and she took a sniff, then began coughing herself. “Exhaust fumes,” she said in her head.

“Not very nice to breathe in,” the Doctor agreed, sounding hoarse.

“Hey! You daft little street struts!” She looked up to see a figure in the doorway of one of the cars, dressed in what seemed to be a World War II flying jacket and goggles with a white scarf across its face. “What are you doing standing there? Either get out or get in! Come on!”

“Go,” the Doctor told her.

She grabbed his arm and led them down to the car and shoved the Doctor in before jumping in herself. “Oh, sweet clean air,” she gasped, leaning against the door.

“Did you ever see the like?” the man asked.

A dark-haired woman smiled at them and pulled out an oxygen mask, handing it to the Doctor first, since he was the worst of the two of them. “Here you go.”

“Just standing there, breathing it in!” The man removed his scarf and goggles, and Jessie blinked, seeing that it was actually a cat person. “There’s this story. Says back in the old days, on Junction 47, this woman stood in the exhaust fumes for a solid twenty minutes. By the time they found her, her head had swollen to fifty feet!”

“Fifty?” Jessie asked incredulously.

“He’s making it up,” the woman told her.

The Doctor took the oxygen mask off and put it to Jessie’s mouth, and she started inhaling as well. “A fifty foot head!” the cat continued. “Just think of it! Imagine picking that nose.”

“I wouldn’t,” the Doctor thought.

“Me neither,” Jessie agreed.

“Oh, stop it,” the woman groaned. “That’s disgusting.”

“What?” the cat asked. “Did you never pick your nose?”

The woman suddenly straightened instead of answering. “Bran, we’re moving.”

“Right,” the cat said, straightening as well and taking the controls. “I’m there. I’m on it.”

Jessie nearly toppled into the Doctor when they shot forward a small distance. They stopped again, and the cat nodded. “Twenty yards. We’re having a good day,” he commented before turning to them. “And who might you be, sir and ma’am? Very well dressed for hitchhikers.”

“Thanks,” the Doctor commented. “Sorry. I’m the Doctor.”

Jessie removed the oxygen mask and handed it back to the woman. “Thanks,” she told her. “I’m the Bad Wolf.”

“Medical man!” the cat exclaimed with a smile. “And a sidekick. My name’s Thomas Kincade Brannigan, and this is the bane of my life, the lovely Valerie.”

Valerie smiled. “Nice to meet you.”

“And that’s the rest of the family behind you,” Bran added.

Jessie pulled back a curtain, and her eyes brightened when she saw the kittens in a basket. “Oh, they’re adorable!” she squealed, picking one up and letting it nuzzle her neck.

“Hello,” the Doctor whispered to another one before turning back to Bran. “How old are they?”

“Just two months,” Valerie replied.

“Poor little souls,” Bran sighed. “They’ve never known the ground beneath their paws. Children of the Motorway.”

“Wait, what?” Jessie asked in surprise, looking up.

“They were born in here?” the Doctor asked.

“We couldn’t stop,” Valerie replied. “We heard there were jobs going, out in the laundries on Fire Island. Thought we’d take a chance.”

“So you’ve been driving for two months?” the Doctor asked in surprise.

Bran snorted. “Do I look like a teenager? We’ve been driving for twelve years now.”

Jessie’s jaw dropped. “Say what?”

“Yeah!” Bran smiled. “Started out as newlyweds. Feels like yesterday.”

“Feels like twelve years to me,” Valerie commented.

“Ah, sweetheart, but you still love me.”

“Twelve years?” the Doctor asked. “How far did you come? Where did you start?”

“Battery Park,” Bran replied. “It’s five miles back.”

Jessie’s mind whirled from everything being told. “You traveled five miles in twelve years?”

Bran turned to Valerie. “I think they’re a bit slow.”

“Where are you from?” Valerie asked.

“Never mind that,” the Doctor snapped, putting down his kitten, and so did Jessie. “We’ve got to get out. Our friend’s in one of these cars. She was taken hostage. We should get back to the TARDIS.”

“You’re too late for that,” Bran said, and Jessie’s hearts sank. “We’ve passed the layby. You’re passengers now, Sonny Jim.”

“When’s the next layby?” Jessie demanded.

“Oh . . . ” Bran tilted his head back and forth. “Six months?”

“Doctor?”

“Yes?”’

“What’s the Gallifreyan word for damn?”

***

“How many cars are out there?” Martha asked, looking out the window.

“I don’t think anyone knows,” Cheen admitted, handing Martha a biscuit. “Here we go. Hungry?”

“Oh, thanks,” Martha replied, taking the biscuit. “But how far down is it to this fast lane?”

“Oh, it’s right at the bottom, underneath the traffic jam,” Milo replied, driving the car. “But not many people can afford three passengers, so it’s empty down there. Rumor has it you can reach up to thirty miles per hour.”

Martha, still getting used to the whole six years in ten miles thing, said sarcastically, “Wow. That’s, like, crazy. But how are you supposed to live inside this thing? It’s tiny!”

“Oh, we stocked up,” Cheen replied as Martha took a bite of her biscuit. “Got self-replicating fuel, muscle stimulants for exercise, and there’s a chemical toilet at the back. And all waste products are recycled as food.”

Martha stopped chewing and stared at her biscuit in disgust. Ew. “OK,” she said slowly before dumping it into a bin.

“Oh, another gap,” Milo said happily. “This is brilliant.”

“Car sign in,” a computer voice said.

Milo spoke into the radio. “Car Four-Six-Five-Diamond-Six, on descent to fast lane, thank you very much.”

“Please drive safely.”

***

Jessie kept her sonic aimed at the communications system as the Doctor spoke into the radio. “I need to talk to the police.”

“Thank you for your call. You have been placed on hold.”

Jessie blinked. “But you’re the police!” the Doctor protested.

“Thank you for your call. You have been placed on hold.”

The Doctor growled, abandoning the radio and turning to Bran. “Is there anyone else? I once met the Duke of Manhattan. Is there any way of getting through to him?”

“Oh, now, ain’t you lordly?” Bran asked sarcastically.

“I’ve got to find my friend!”

“You can’t make outside calls,” Valerie told them. “The Motorway’s completely enclosed.”

“What about the other cars?” Jessie asked.

Bran brightened. “Oh, we’ve got contact with them, yeah. Well, some of them, anyway. They’ve got to be on your friends list.” He pulled up a screen and took a look at some of the car designations. “Now, let’s see . . . who’s nearby? Ah! The Cassini sisters!” He picked up the radio. “Still your hearts, my handsome girls.” Jessie snorted at that, and the Doctor rolled his eyes. “It’s Brannigan here!”

“Get off the line, Brannigan,” an old woman’s voice said. “You’re a pest and a menace.”

“Oh come on, now, sisters,” Bran whined. “Is that any way to talk to an old friend?”

“You know full well we’re not sisters. We’re married!”

“Oo, stop that modern talk. I’m an old-fashioned cat. Now, I’ve got two hitchhikers here, call themselves the Doctor and the Bad Wolf – ”

The Doctor took that opportunity to grab the radio. “Hello! Sorry,” he added to Bran apologetically. “I’m looking for someone called Martha Jones. She’s been carjacked. She’s inside one of these vehicles, but I don’t know which one.”

“Wait a minute,” another voice said. “Could I ask? What entrance did they use?”

“Where are we?” Jessie asked Bran.

“Pharmacy Town.”

She took the remote. “Pharmacy Town,” she said into it. “It was about twenty minutes ago.”

“Let’s have a look . . . ”

“Just my luck to marry a car spotter,” the first woman said.

“In the last half hour, fifty three new cars joined from the Pharmacy Town junction,” the other said.

“Anything more specific?” the Doctor asked.

“All in good time. Was she carjacked by two people?”

“Yes, she was. Yeah!”

“There we are! Just one of those Cars was destined for the fast lane. That means they had three on board. And car number is Four-Six-Five-Diamond-Six.”

“That’s it!” the Doctor crowed. “So how do we find them?”

“Ah. Now there, I’m afraid I can’t help.”

The Doctor turned to Bran. “Call them on this thing. We’ve got their number! Diamond Six.”

“But not if they’re designated fast lane,” Bran denied. “It’s a different class.”

“You could try the police,” the woman suggested.

“They put us on hold,” Jessie grumbled.

“You’ll have to keep trying,” the first woman said. “There’s no one else.”

The Doctor sighed. “Thank you.” He turned to Jessie. “I think I might just tell you a few more colorful things to say in Gallifreyan at this rate.”

“Tell me about it.”

***

“See?” Milo asked as they kept driving down. “Another ten layers to go. We’re scorching.”

There was a growling sound, and Martha frowned, looking around. “What’s that?” she asked. “It’s coming from underneath.”

Cheen seemed to curl up. “It’s that noise, doesn’t it? It’s like Kate said. The stories. They’re true!”

Martha turned to her. “What stories?”

“It’s the sound of the air vents,” Milo said. “That’s all. The exhaust fumes travel down, so at the base of the tunnel, they’ve got air vents.”

“No, but the stories are much better,” Cheen insisted. “They say people go missing on the Motorway. Some cars just vanish, never to be seen again, because there’s something living down there in the smoke. Something huge and hungry. And if you get lost on the road, it’s waiting for you.”

There was another distant roar, and Milo shook his head. “But like I said. Air vents. Going down to the next layer.”

“Except look out there,” Martha pointed out. “Does it look like the air vents are working?”

Cheen swallowed. “No,” she squeaked out.

“So what’s that, then?” Martha asked.

“Nah,” Milo insisted. “Kid stuff.” He took the radio. “Car Four-Six-Five-Diamond-Six on descent.”

***

“We’ve got to get to the fast lane,” the Doctor said. “Take us down.”

“Not a million years,” Bran said.

“You’ve got over three passengers,” the Doctor insisted.

“I’m still not going,” Bran denied.

“She’s alone and she’s lost,” the Doctor growled. “She doesn’t belong on this planet and it’s all my fault! I’m asking you, Brannigan, take me down!”

“That’s a no, and that’s final,” Valerie shot down instantly, turning. “I’m not risking the children down there.”

“So what’s the risk, then?” Jessie challenged. “What happens down there?”

“We’re not discussing it,” Valerie grumbled. “The conversation is closed.”

“So we keep on driving,” the Doctor said.

“Yes, we do,” Bran agreed.

“For how long?”

“Till the journey’s end.”

“Nope,” Jessie commented. “Not doing that.” She reached over for the radio. “Mrs. Cassini, this is the Bad Wolf. Sorry to bother you again, but here’s a question. Tell me, how long have you been driving on the Motorway?”

“Oh, we were amongst the first,” one woman replied. “It’s been twenty three years now.”

“And in all that time, have you ever seen a police car?”

“I’m not sure,” the woman with the logs replied.

“Look at your notes,” Jessie insisted. “Any police?”

“Not as such,” came the reply.

“Or an ambulance?” Jessie insisted, and the Doctor looked at her. “Rescue service? Has there been anything official at all?”

“I can’t keep note of everything!”

Jessie looked at the Doctor and swallowed before saying, “What if there’s no one out there?”

The Doctor’s eyes widened in understanding, and Bran snatched the mic back. “Stop it!” he snarled at her. “The Cassinis were doing you a favor!”

“Someone’s got to ask, and she did the right thing in doing it, because you might not talk about it, but it’s there in your eyes,” the Doctor said, supporting Jessie fully. “What if the traffic jam never stops?”

“There’s a whole city above us,” Bran said. “The mighty city state of New New York. They wouldn’t just leave us!”

“In that case, where are they, hmm?” the Doctor quizzed. “What if there’s no help coming? Not ever? What if there’s nothing? Just the Motorway with the cars going round and round and round and round, never stopping forever?”

“Shut up!” Valerie snapped, close to tears, and Jessie swallowed. “Just shut up!”

The screen flickered on, and a pretty blond woman smiled at them. “This is Sally Calypso, and it’s that time again! The sun is blazing high in the sky over the New Atlantic, the perfect setting for the daily contemplation.”

Jessie frowned at the recording. “Daily contemplation?” she muttered. “Who says that?”

“You think you know us so well, Doctor,” Bran said. “But we’re not abandoned. Not while we still have each other.”

“Amen,” Jessie whispered.

“This is for all of you out there on the roads,” Sally added. “We’re so sorry. Drive safe.”

A choir singing came over the radio, and it chilled Jessie to the bone. She squeezed her eyes shut and turned, feeling the pent-up emotions. The Doctor’s arm wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her to him, and she buried her head in his chest, feeling his double heartbeat. “She said they were sorry,” she whispered in his head. “Why are they sorry?”

“I’m going to find out,” he told her determinedly. “Whatever it takes.”

***

Martha watched through tears as Milo and Cheen finished with the song, and the computer’s voice came on. “Fast lane access. Please drive safely.”

“We made it,” Milo said incredulously. “The fast lane!"

***

The Doctor gritted his teeth and pulled away from Jessie. “If you won’t take me, I’ll go down on my own,” he said, taking out his sonic and fixing the floor.

“What?” Jessie exclaimed.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Bran protested.

“Finding my own way,” the Doctor replied. “I usually do.”

The trapdoor in the floor popped open, and the computer announced “Capsule open.”

The Doctor looked down at the halted car below, then nodded. “Here we go.” He shrugged his overcoat off and handed it to Jessie. “Look after this,” he told her. “I love that coat.” He grinned. “Janis Joplin gave me that coat.”

Her jaw dropped. “You can’t go down there alone!”

“I can, and I will,” the Doctor told her, taking her chin and making her look up. “I need you up here with them, so if I can contact you, I’m able to.”

She swallowed and nodded. “And you say I’m jeopardy friendly.”

He cracked a grin at her before crouching down. “But you can’t jump!” Valerie protested.

He snorted. “If it’s any consolation, Valerie, right now, I’m having kittens.”

“This Martha,” Bran mused. “She must mean an awful lot to you.”

The Doctor swallowed. “Hardly know her,” he admitted. “I was too busy showing off. And I lied to her. Couldn’t help it. Just lied.”

“Go find her, Doctor.” He looked up at Jessie, and she nodded at him. “Good luck.”

He swallowed and nodded. “Bye, then!”

***

Jessie laughed as he dropped down without further ado. “He’s completely insane!” Valerie shrieked.

“That,” Jessie laughed, leaning on the back of their seats and beaming. “And a bit magnificent!”

***

“Try again,” Cheen told Milo.

Martha watched as Milo kept trying different exits. “Brooklyn turnoff one, closed.”

“Try the next one.”

“Brooklyn turnoff two, closed.”

Cheen whimpered. “What do we do?”

“We’ll keep going round,” Milo replied. “We’ll do the whole loop, and by the time we come back round, they’ll be open.”

There was another growl, and the car shuddered. Martha raised an eyebrow at Milo. “You’re still calling that air vents?”

“What else could it be?” Milo asked.

There was another growl, and Cheen looked around fearfully. “What the hell is that?”

“It’s just the hydraulics!”

“It sounds like it’s alive,” Martha pointed out.

“It’s all exhaust fumes out there,” Milo insisted. “Nothing could breathe in that!”

“Calling Car Four-Six-Five-Diamond-Six,” a woman’s voice said frantically. “Repeat! Calling Car Four-Six-Five-Diamond-Six.”

Milo picked up the mic. “This is Car Four-Six-Five-Diamond-Six,” he replied. “Who’s that? Where are you?”

“I’m in the fast lane, about fifty yards behind,” came the reply. “Can you get back up? Can you get off the fast lane?”

“We only have permission to go down. We need the Brooklyn Flyover.”

“It’s closed. Go back up!”

“We can’t! We’ll just go round.”

“Don’t you understand? They’re closed! They’re always closed!” Martha looked at the radio fearfully. “We’re stuck down here, and there’s something else out there in the fog. Can’t you hear it?”

As if on cue, there was a loud roar, and Milo swallowed. “That’s the air vents.”

“Jehovah, where are you?” the woman snapped. “Get out of here!”

There was a thump, and Milo frowned. “What was that?”

“I can’t move!” the woman gasped. “They’ve got us!”

“But what’s happening?” Milo asked.

Martha grabbed the mic. “What’s got you?” she demanded. “What is it?”

“Hang on!” the woman shouted off, and Milo grabbed the mic back, and they heard more thumps and screams. “It’s here! Just drive, you idiots! Get out of here!”

“Can you hear me?” Milo asked, but this time it was just static. “Hello?”

“Just drive!” Martha shouted at him. “Do what she said! Get us out of here!”

“But where?”

“Just straight ahead, and fast!”

“What is it?” Cheen wailed as Milo kept going. “What’s out there? What is it?”

***

The Doctor dropped into the final car, and a man in a bowler hat turned to him in confusion. “Excuse me, is that legal?” he asked.

“Sorry,” the Doctor said, taking the bandana he’d taken from another car away from his mouth. “Motorway Foot Patrol. Whatever.” He coughed a little. “Have you got any water?”

He nodded. “Certainly.” He moved to a water dispenser. “Never let it be said I’ve lost my manners.”

He handed the cone to the Doctor, and he drank it in one gulp. He looked around. “Is this the last layer?” he asked.

“We’re right at the bottom,” the man confirmed. “Nothing below us but the fast lane.”

“Can we drive down?”

“There’s only two of us. You need three to go down.”

Should’ve brought her, the Doctor thought in annoyance. “Couldn’t we just cheat?”

“Well, I’d love to, but it’s an automated system. The wheel would lock.”

“Then excuse me,” the Doctor said, moving to the hatch in the bottom.

“You can’t jump,” the man insisted. “It’s a thousand feet down!”

The hatch opened. “No, I just want to look,” he replied, looking through the fumes and hearing lots of growls. “What’s that noise?” he asked.

“I try not to think about it.”

“What are those lights?” the Doctor insisted, squinting as if he could see through the fumes. “What’s down there? I just need to see . . . ”

He turned to the computer and began working at it. “There must be some sort of ventilation! If I could just transmit a pulse through this thing, maybe I could trip the system, give us a bit of a breeze.” He cut through some wires and began cross connecting them. “That’s it!” He went back to the hatch and looked down. “Might shift the fumes a bit, give us a good look.”

The fumes moved around, and the Doctor stared at the dark shapes. “What are those shapes?” the man asked.

“They’re alive,” the Doctor replied.

Claws snapped at them, and the man’s jaw dropped. “What the hell are they?” he gasped.

The Doctor knew. “Macra,” he growled.

***

The car jerked, and Martha yelped. “Go faster!” Cheen wailed.

“I’m at top speed!” Milo replied.

“No access above,” the computer said primly.

“But this is an emergency!”

“Thank you for your call. You have been placed on hold.”

Inspiration hit Martha, and she turned to Milo. “Turn everything off.”

Milo gaped at her. “You’ve got to be joking!”

“But listen, it’s all fog out there, so how can they see us?” Martha asked. “Maybe it’s the engines, the sound, or the heat, or the light. I don’t know! Turn everything off. They might not be able to find us.”

“What if you’re wrong?”

“It can’t be worse than this! Just do it!”

Milo flipped a few switches, and everything went dark, and Martha relaxed when all noise outside of the car stopped. “They’ve stopped,” Cheen whispered.

“Yeah, but they’re still out there,” Milo pointed out.

Cheen looked up at Martha. “How did you think of that?”

“I saw it on a film,” Martha admitted. “They used to do it in submarines.” She frowned. “The trouble is, I can’t remember what they did next.”

“Well, you’d better think of something, because we’ve lost the air con,” Milo told her. “If we don’t switch the engines back on, we won’t be able to breathe.”

Martha swallowed. “How long have we got?”

Milo sighed. “Eight minutes maximum.”

***

There was a cutting from above, and Jessie snapped her head up. “Oh, just what we need!” Bran snapped. “Pirates!”

“I’m calling the police,” Valerie declared, reaching for the mic.

A cat’s head poked down. “The Doctor,” she demanded. “Where is he?”

Jessie frowned. “Hold on a minute, how do you know the Doctor?”

The cat dropped down, looking her over, before she gasped. “It’s you!” she breathed. “He was right! You survived!”

Jessie blinked. “Um . . . sorry?” She blinked again at the gun in the cat’s hand. “And what’s with the gun?”

“I only brought this in case of pirates.” The cat looked at her. “Bad Wolf, you’ve got to come with me.”

Jessie blinked for the third time. “Do I know you?” she asked, putting the Doctor’s coat on the back of Valerie’s car.

The cat smiled. “You’ve changed a lot, but you still look young.” She looked herself over. “Time has been less kind to me.”

Jessie frowned, looking her over, and then it clicked, and she grinned. “Novice Hame!” she gasped, hugging the cat before realizing what she was doing. “No, get off,” she said, pushing her back. “Last time we met, you were breeding humans for experimentation.”

Hame swallowed. “I’ve sought forgiveness, Bad Wolf, for so many years, under his guidance. And if you come with me, I might finally be able to redeem myself.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Jessie said firmly. “The Doctor still needs me. I’m his only way of communication!”

“You’ve got to come with me,” Hame said firmly, “right now.”

“No, I’m not!”

Hame swallowed. “I’m sorry, my friend, but the situation is even worse than you can imagine.” She grabbed Jessie’s wrist. “Transport!”

“Don’t you dare!” Jessie shrieked. “Don’t you – !” The floor disappeared under her feet, and she landed hard on a different floor. “Gah,” she grumbled, sitting up. “That’s not a nice teleport. Ow.” She pointed at Hame as the cat stood up. “So you can go straight back down and teleport people out. And you know what? Start with Martha.”

“I only had the power for one trip.”

“Then get some more!” Jessie swallowed, turning and looking around. “Where are we?”

“High above, in the over city.”

Jessie smiled. “Good, because you can tell the Senate of New New York that I want a word with them. There’s thousands, millions of people trapped down there on the Motorway!”

“But you’re inside the Senate, right now,” Hame said, and Jessie blinked in confusion. “May the goddess Santori bless them.”

She pressed a button on her bracelet, and the lights in the place turned on, and Jessie turned in a circle, resisting the urge to retch up her breakfast as she saw the skeletons all around them. “What in Odin’s name happened?” she breathed.

“They died, Jessie,” Hame said, going back to her name. “The city died.”

“How long has it been like this?” Jessie asked, crouching next to a skeleton.

“Twenty four years.”

“All of them?” Jessie looked around. “Everyone? What happened?”

“A new chemical,” Hame replied, crouching next to her. “A new mood. They called it Bliss. Everyone tried it. They couldn’t stop. A virus mutated inside the compound and became airborne. Everything perished. Even the virus, in the end. It killed the world in seven minutes flat. There was just enough time to close down the walkways and the flyovers, sealing off the under city. Those people on the Motorway aren’t lost, Jessie. They were saved.”

Jessie shook her head. “So the whole thing down there is running on automatic?”

“There’s not enough power to get them out,” Hame agreed, standing up. “We did all we could to stop the system from choking.”

“Who’s we?” Jessie asked, standing as well. “And how did you survive?’

“He protected me,” Hame replied. “And he has waited for you and the Doctor these long years.”

And a welcome voice and presence filled her mind. “Jessie Nightshade . . . ”

Jessie’s eyes widened, and she ran past Hame and around the corner to see the Face of Boe in a tank amongst wires. “Boe,” she gasped, running to him. “Jack!”

“I knew you would come,” Boe whispered.

Jessie crouched next to him and placed a hand on his tank, swallowing back tears. “Back in the old days, I was made his nurse as penance for my sin,” Hame told her, joining her.

“What happened to you?” Jessie whispered.

“Failing . . . ”

“He protected me from the virus by shrouding me in his smoke,” Hame explained. “But with no one to maintain it, the city’s power died. The undercity would have fallen into the sea.”

Jessie smiled. “You saved them, Jack.”

“The Face of Boe wired himself to the mainframe,” Hame added, and Jessie saw the wires leading to his tank. “He’s giving his life force just to keep things running.”

“But there are other planets out there,” Jessie said in confusion. “You could have just called for help!”

Hame shook her head. “The last act of the Senate was to declare New Earth unsafe,” she whispered. “The automatic quarantine lasts for one hundred years.”

Only 76 more to go, Jessie thought, shaking her head. “So you two stayed here all on your own for all these years?”

“We had no choice.”

Jessie smiled softly. “Yes, you did.”

“Save them, Jessie,” Boe whispered. “Save them!”

***

“How much air’s left?” Cheen asked numbly.

“Two minutes,” Milo replied.

“There’s always the Doctor,” Martha said, more to herself. “That friend of mine. He might think of something.”

“Martha, no one’s coming,” Milo told her.

“He looked kind of nice,” Cheen commented.

Martha couldn’t help but smile. “He’s a bit more than that.”

Cheen looked at her. “Are you and him – ?”

Martha scoffed. “Sometimes I think he likes me, but sometimes I think it’ll never be me.”

“That blonde with him,” Milo said. “Is he with her?”

Martha snorted. “I doubt it.”

Cheen smiled. “I never even asked. Where’s home?”

Martha smiled back. “It’s a long way away. I didn’t really think. I just followed the Doctor and the Bad Wolf, and they don’t even know where I am.” She took a shaky breath, that reality hitting her. “My mum and dad. If I died here, they’d never know.”

Milo looked at her. “So, er . . . who are they, then? This Doctor and the Bad Wolf?”

Martha shrugged. “I don’t know. Not really. There’s so much they never say.”

Cheen looked at her incredulously. “But that means that the only hope right now are complete strangers.” She turned back around. “Well. That’s no use.”

“It is, though, because you haven’t seen the things they can do,” Martha insisted. “Honestly, just trust me, both of you. You’ve got your faith, you’ve got your songs and your hymns, and I’ve got the Doctor and the Bad Wolf.”

Milo stared straight ahead before some determination took over him, and he nodded firmly. “Right.”

He began flipping switches, and the power turned back on. “Systems back online.”

He turned to Martha. “Good luck.”

Martha nodded. “And you.”

***

Jessie grinned at the computer she had working. “Car Four-Six-Five-Diamond-Six,” she said. “That’s it! It still registers! That’s Martha right there!” She turned to Hame. “Novice Hame, hold that in place,” she ordered, pointing to a lever before closing her eyes. “Think, think, think . . . take the residual energy, invert it, feed it through the electricity grid . . . ”

“There isn’t enough power,” Hame insisted.

Jessie grinned at her. “Trust me, you’ve got power. Me! Add to the new Time Lord knowledge I’ve got, and that makes me brilliant with computers!” She made a face. “Good Odin almighty, I’m beginning to sound like him,” she said in disgust before snapping back. “Right! Hame, every switch on that bank up to maximum,” she ordered. “I can’t power up the city, but all the city needs is people.”

Hame did as she was told, and turned to Jessie. “So what are you going to do?”

Jessie smiled. “This!” She pushed back a huge switch, and the power promptly went out. “What?” she shrieked. “No!” She ran for a computer, using her sonic to check everything. “The transformers are blocked.” She cursed in Gallifreyan, ignoring Hame’s questioning look. “The signal can’t get through!”

“Bad Wolf . . . ”

Jessie waved a hand. “Yeah, yeah, just a second.”

“I give you my last . . . ”

The power came back on, and Jessie watched numbers fly, and she grinned, turning to Hame. “Hame, look after him,” she ordered before pointing to Boe. “Don’t you go dying on me now, my friend. You’ve got to see this. The open road. Ha!”

***

The Doctor nearly went careening into the wall. “What in Jehovah was that?” the man asked.

The Doctor looked around. “It’s coming from above!” he replied.

“What is it?” the man asked in a panic. “What’s happening?”

***

Bran opened up the hatch and looked up, and he gasped. “By all the cats in the kingdom!"

He watched as the Motorway roof began to open. “What is it?” Valerie asked. “What is it?”

***

The Doctor laughed when he saw what was happening. “Oh, yes!” he cheered, jumping up and down. “Yes!”

***

“It’s the sun!” Valerie gasped, turning and putting the kitten basket in her lap. “Children, it’s the sunlight!”

There was a flicker on the monitor, and a familiar blonde popped up. “Sorry, no Sally Calypso,” the Bad Wolf said cheerfully with a wave. “Just a hologram. My name’s the Bad Wolf.”

“She’s a magician!” Bran breathed.

“And this is an order.” The Bad Wolf smiled. “Everyone drive up, right now.”

“Is she serious?”

“I’ve opened up the roof of the Motorway. Come on! Throttle those engines and drive on up! All of you! The whole undercity. Drive up, drive up, drive up, and drive fast!”

Bran laughed as he worked the controls. “Here we go!”

“We’ve got to clear that fast lane and the one underneath,” the Bad Wolf said. “Drive up and get out of the way.”

***

Martha smiled at the image of the Bad Wolf on screen. “Hey!” the Bad Wolf added. “Car Four-Six-Five-Diamond-Six. Martha, drive on up!”

“That’s the Bad Wolf!” Martha cheered.

“We can’t go up! We’ll hit the layer!” Milo protested.

“Just do what she says!” Martha told him. “Go up!”

“You’ve got access above,” the Bad Wolf said. “Now go!”

Milo obeyed, and Cheen laughed when they saw the light. “It’s daylight,” she gasped before she began laughing even more. “Oh, my God, that’s the sky! The real sky!”

“She did it!” Martha cheered, hugging the two of them. “I told you! She did it!”

***

“And Doctor,” Jessie continued in a teasing tone, and the Doctor grinned at his best friend. “I’ve got a lock on your TARDIS key. You’re a hard man to find, so a friend’s told me. But, I have, so I really would appreciate it if you joined me up here."

“Oh, that brilliant girl,” the Doctor sighed in appreciation.

***

“Did I tell you, Bad Wolf?” Jessie grinned as Bran’s voice came over. “You’re not bad, ma’am. You’re not bad at all! Oh, yee-hah!”

She laughed. “You keep driving, Brannigan, all the way up! Because it’s here, just waiting for you. The city of New New York, and it’s yours. And I don’t want to risk the Doctor’s wrath because I left his coat with you.”

“I reckon that’s a fair bargain, ma’am.”

“Car Four-Six-Five-Diamond-Six, Doctor, I’ve sent a flight path,” Jessie added. “Come to the Senate.”

“On my way,” Martha replied.

“Same here,” the Doctor added.

“It’s been quite a long time since I’ve seen you both,” Jessie commented.

“Bad Wolf!”

Jessie whirled, and her face blanched when she saw the cracks spreading on Boe’s tank. “No!"

***

The Doctor entered the Senate building, looking around when he heard running. “Doctor!”

He grinned and turned, scooping Martha up in a hug. “Martha Jones!” he exclaimed. “It’s been a while!”

“Yes, it has,” Martha agreed as they walked into the Senate building. “So where do you think she – ?”

The Doctor stopped short, seeing all of the skeletons. “Oh, no,” he whispered.

Martha swallowed. “Bad Wolf?” she called.

A thick voice called back. “Over here!”

The Doctor followed her voice, and he stopped short at what he saw. Jessie looked away, her eyes red and tears streaming down her cheeks as she and Novice Hame kept watch over the Face of Boe without his tank. Martha followed behind. “What happened out there?” she asked before stopping.

“Hey,” Jessie whispered.

The Doctor slowly approached. “Hello, old friend,” he whispered.

“What’s that?” Martha asked.

“It’s the Face of Boe,” Jessie replied. “It’s all right, come and say hello.” Martha slowly walked over, but she remained standing as the Doctor crouched by Jessie. “And that’s Hame. She’s a cat, but don’t worry.” She smiled at the Doctor. “He’s the one who saved you. Not me.”

Hame looked at the Doctor. “My lord gave his life to save the city, and now he’s dying,” she mourned.

“No,” the Doctor denied, looking at Boe. “Don’t say that! Not old Boe. Plenty of life left!”

“It’s good to breathe the air once more,” Boe rasped.

“Who is he?” Martha asked.

The Doctor shrugged. “I don’t even know,” he admitted. “Legend says the Face of Boe has lived for billions of years.” He turned to Boe. “Isn’t that right? And you’re not about to give up now.”

“Everything has its time. You know that, old friend, better than most. Was I not right before? About her?” The Doctor swallowed, not looking at Jessie. “Keep faith, Doctor. She is not entirely gone.”

“What’s that mean?” Martha asked in confusion. “Who’s he talking about?”

“The legend says more,” Hame said.

“Don’t,” the Doctor said sharply, even as Jessie stared at Boe in confusion. “There’s no need for that!”

“It says that the Face of Boe will speak his final secret to a traveler,” Hame insisted.

“Yeah, but not yet,” the Doctor said. “Who needs secrets, yeah?”

“I have seen so much,” Boe rasped. “Perhaps too much. I am the last of my kind, as you are the last of yours, Doctor, with the best at your side.”

Jessie gave a weak smile, even as the Doctor nodded. “That’s why we have to survive,” he pleaded. “Both of us. Don’t go.”

“I must,” Boe whispered. “But know this, Time Lord, Asgardian.” He spoke his last words out loud. “You . . . are not . . . alone.”

Jessie gasped and her hand flew to her mouth, and the Doctor blinked in shock. Boe closed his eyes, and Hame began to openly cry. Jessie let out a strangled sob, and she buried her face in her hands. The Doctor slowly stood, looking down at his dead friend, the last words ringing in his head.

“You are not alone.”

***

“All closed down,” Jessie said happily as they walked through Pharmacy Town.

“Happy?” Martha asked.

“Happy happy,” the Doctor agreed. “New New York can start again, and they’ve got Novice Hame. Just what every city needs. Cats in charge.” He clapped his hands. “Come on! Time we were off.”

“But what did he mean, the Face of Boe?” Martha asked. “You’re not alone.”

“I don’t know,” the Doctor admitted.

“You’ve got me,” Martha offered hopefully, and Jessie narrowed her eyes. “Is that what he meant?”

“I have Bad Wolf, too,” the Doctor pointed out, and Jessie didn’t miss the crestfallen expression Martha had on. “Sorry.”

“Then what?”

“Doesn’t matter,” the Doctor replied, turning. “Back to the TARDIS. Off we go!”

Jessie followed when she heard a clatter. She turned back to see Martha sit down in a chair, crossing her legs and her arms. “You’re staying, then?” she asked dryly.

“Till you talk to me properly, yes,” Martha replied, and the Doctor turned as well. “He said last of your kind. What does that mean?”

“Martha, it doesn’t matter,” Jessie insisted, seeing the Doctor’s strained face. “Now come on!”

“I wasn’t asking you,” Martha snapped.

“Martha,” the Doctor began.

“No,” Martha nearly shouted, turning to him. “I’m not going to let some blonde boss me around when it’s clear you’re the one in charge! You don’t talk, and you never say because she’s backing you up? Why?”

Jessie swallowed. “Martha – ”

Soft singing came from above, and Martha looked up. “It’s the city,” she whispered. “They’re singing.”

Jessie turned to the Doctor, seeing defeat on his face. “You don’t have to,” she said softly.

He shook his head. “I do,” he told her, then turned to Martha. “I lied to you,” he began, and Martha tilted her head in confusion. “I lied to you because I liked it. I could pretend, just for a bit, I could imagine they were still alive, underneath a burnt orange sky.” He looked up, taking a deep breath, and Jessie slipped her hand into his, lacing their fingers together. He let out the breath. “I’m not just a Time Lord. I’m the last of the Time Lords.” He shook his head. “The Face of Boe was wrong. There’s no one else.”

“Isn’t the Bad Wolf a Time Lord?” Martha asked.

“No one full-blooded Time Lord,” Jessie corrected.

Martha turned back to the Doctor. “What happened?”

The Doctor pulled up a chair, and Jessie crouched down, sitting cross-legged, her hand up on his knee to support him. “There was a war,” he continued. “A Time War. The last Great Time War. My people fought a race called the Daleks for the sake of all creation, and they lost.” He shrugged. “They lost. Everyone lost. They’re all gone now. My family. My friends. Even that sky.” He grinned. “Oh, you should have seen it, that old planet. The second sun would rise in the south, and the mountains would shine.” Jessie closed her eyes and felt the image rise, and her breath caught in her throat at how beautiful it was. “The leaves on the trees were silver, and when they caught the light every morning, it looked like a forest on fire. When the autumn came, the breeze would blow through the branches like a song.”

Martha had tears in her eyes, and Jessie slowly opened hers, hearing the song end. She took a deep breath, then stood. “Let’s go home,” she said softly.

For once, Martha didn’t disagree with her.

 ***

Martha never really seems to understand. You can bet there's going to be more confrontations in the next interlude. Excited for that?

Oh, these next two are going to be fun to write. :D It'll be a while, though, because there'll be a long hiatus while I'm on vacation and going everywhere. Who liked Jessie in this chapter? I know I did. The Doctor seemed to like her a bit better today. We'll see how long that keeps up. ;)

Until some time soon!