!EDITED!

A/N: so... I had a sort of fall in motivation to write, but watching Doctor Who has amped me back up for it! Was 9997 words, is now 12696! Enjoy! :D

I step out of the TARDIS after Rose and Mouse with the Doctor behind me and look around. We'd landed in what looks like a completely wrecked control room. "It's a spaceship! Brilliant!" Mouse laughs, looking around with a huge grin. "I got a spaceship on my first go!"

"Looks kind of abandoned," Rose comments, folding her arms. "Anyone on board?"

"Nah, nothing here," the Doctor waves off. "Well... nothing dangerous," he corrects himself and I raise an eyebrow, folding my arms. "Well, not that dangerous..." he trails off when I raise my eyebrow higher and cock my hip to the side. "You know what?" he turns away from me quickly. "I'll just have a quick scan! In case there's anything... dangerous," he mutters and Rose and I look at each other with smirks while Mouse snickers.

I move over to stand beside the Doctor as he walks around the control panel that's in the center of the room. "So, what's the date? How far have we gone?"

"About three thousand years into your future... give or take," the Doctor replies, pulling on a switch and lights come on with the roof opening up to a window.

"That's beautiful," I breathe out, looking out at the stars.

"51st century! Diagmar Cluster!" the Doctor exclaims. "You're a long way from home, Mickey! Two and half galaxies!" he tells him as he rifles through the pieces of junk all over, looking completely unimpressed with the tech.

I poke him in the side, making him look down at me with a raised eyebrow. "Not the TARDIS, huh?" I smirk.

"Nope," he shakes his head, making a face that's between smug and a grimace and I snort, patting his arm.

"Mickey Smith, meet the universe!" Rose moves over to where he was staring out of a porthole, grabbing his shoulders from behind. "See anything you like?"

"It's so realistic!" Mouse gasps in awe, making me roll my eyes with a smile and Rose giggles, kissing his cheek.

"Dear me... had some cowboys in here," the Doctor mutters, still looking around. "Got a ton of repair work going on!"

Seeing a diagram of the ship on a little screen, I tilt my head with a small frown, "that's odd... Doctor, look at this," I call him over and he, Rose, and Mouse come to look over my shoulders.

"All the warp engines are going! Full capacity!" the Doctor stares at the screen in shock. "There's enough power running through this ship to punch a hole in the universe... and we're not moving," he looks up through the ceiling window.

"... so where's all that power going?" I wonder aloud.

"Where'd all the crew go?" Rose asks and my frown deepens.

"Good question," the Doctor mutters, messing with the control panel. "No life readings on board."

"Well, we're in deep space," Rose points out, folding her arms. "They didn't just nip out for a quick fag," she rolls her eyes.

"Nope, checked all the smoking pods," the Doctor shakes his head, making Rose and I snicker quietly. "Can you smell that?" he asks, his eyebrows furrowed as he sniffs the air.

"Yeah, someone's cooking," Rose nods.

"Sunday roast, definitely!" Mouse smiles.

"But... who'd be cooking if there's no life on board?" I frown, chewing on my bottom lip. "Well, I guess it could be a robot or an android or something - we are in the 51st century," I mutter. "Who'd they be cooking for, though? Wouldn't they've stopped without a crew?"

"Good point," the Doctor ruffles my hair as he passes by me, still messing with the controls.

One of the buttons opens up a door from behind us and we turn to see a fireplace. I smile, walking through the door and stepping up to it. "The thing's beautiful," I smile, running my hand along the ornate mantle.

"Well... there's something you don't see in your average spaceship," the Doctor grins, coming up beside me. "18th century! French! ... nice mantle," he pulls out his sonic to scan it. "Not a hologram," his eyes widen slightly, making me raise my eyebrows in surprise. "Not even a reproduction," he bends down to examine it more. "This actually is an 18th-century French fireplace! Double-sided... there's another room through here!"

I kneel down beside the Doctor and I blink in shock. On the other side of the fireplace was a little girl - probably around seven or eight - with long, blonde hair and she was sitting in a white nighty.

Rose moves over to look out of a porthole, "there can't be, that's the outer hull of the ship... look!"

"Hello!" the Doctor beams at the little girl, making Rose and Mouse bend down a bit behind him to look into the fireplace.

"... hello?" she frowns.

"What's your name?"

"Reinette..."

"Reinette, that's a lovely name," the Doctor smiles. "Can you tell us where you are at the moment, Reinette?"

"... in my bedroom," the girl eyes him suspiciously.

"And where is your bedroom? Where do you live, Reinette?"

"Paris, of course!" she smiles.

"Paris, right!" the Doctor exclaims happily, making me roll my eyes with a smile.

"Monsieur... what are you doing in my fireplace?"

"Oh, it's just a routine... fire check," the Doctor waves off, pulling on my hair playfully when I snort loudly. "Can you tell me what year it is?"

"Of course I can!" Reinette announces proudly. "Seven hundred and twenty-seven!"

"Right, lovely," the Doctor nods. "One of my favorites! ... August is a bit rubbish," he frowns. "Stay indoors," he warns.

I roll my eyes, leaning over to his ear, "you're going to make her think you're mad," I whisper, giggling when he swats my arm with narrowed eyes.

"That's all for now," the Doctor smiles at Reinette. "Hope you enjoy the rest of the fire, nice night!" he slaps his thighs, standing up.

"Goodnight, monsieur," Reinette giggles.

Mouse looks up at the Doctor with a frown, "you said this was the 51st century," he accuses.

"He also said this ship was generating enough power to punch a hole in the universe," I retort, leaning against the fireplace.

"I think we just found the hole," the Doctor nods. "Must be a spatio-temporal hyperlink..." he muses, making me snort.

"What's that?" Mouse frowns, looking between the Doctor and me.

"No idea, just made it up," the Doctor shrugs and I roll my eyes. "Didn't want to say 'magic door'," he admits.

"... and on the other side of this-" Rose lowers her voice teasingly. "-magic door-" she smirks. "-is France in 1727?"

"Seems to be," I nod, raising an eyebrow when the Doctor takes off his coat and throws it in the corner. "That can't be sanitary," I shake my head.

The Doctor rolls his eyes, ignoring my comment, "well... she was speaking french," he shrugs, coming over and messing with the mantle. "Right period french too."

"She was speaking english," Mouse argues. "I heard her!"

"That's the TARDIS," Rose grins, wrapping an around his neck. "Translates for you," she explains.

"Like how we understood the Sycorax on Christmas," I remind him.

"But even french?" he asks incredulously.

"Yep," Rose smiles.

"Gotcha!" the Doctor laughs.

I jolt forward when the fireplace starts to move and my eyes widen when I see the fireplace rotate, taking the Doctor with it. "Doctor!" Rose and I call out.

I wince, wrapping my arms around my waist when I can't feel the Doctor anymore. Guess that him being in France and me on a spaceship in the future messes up the bond. "... I don't like that," I wrinkle my nose, my heart clenching painfully at the empty feeling.

"What? Is he hurt?" Rose asks quickly, stepping in front of me.

"No," I shake my head before frowning. "Well... I don't think so, anyway. I can't feel him..."

"What do you mean 'feel him'?" Mouse asks.

"Oh, right," I blink, turning to him. "Forgot you didn't know," I bite my lip, pushing a piece of hair behind my ear. "Um... the Doctor and I can feel each other's pain and some of each other's emotions - the negative ones," I explain.

"Don't be thick," Mouse laughs disbelievingly and Rose slaps him on the back of the head, making him yelp. "What... did he do some alien thing to you?" he asks, rubbing his head. "Is that like the Time Lord way of dating? ... or does that happen if he has se-"

"N-no!" I cut him off, my eyes widening as my face burns. "Do not finish that sentence! We- we haven't done anything!" I squeak out.

"That's what I asked the Doctor when I found out about it," Rose laughs.

"Oh, my God!" I groan miserably, burying my face in my hands.

The fireplace starts to move again and I turn to it, "Doctor!" I gasp.

There was some kind of... thing that had a knife for a hand, stuck into the mantle. The droid? has a creepy plaster-like mask with a powdered wig and was wearing 18th century dress. The droid moves around, trying to free itself. Grabbing a fire extinguisher from the wall, the Doctor blasts it, making it freeze up.

Mouse laughs, "excellent! Ice gun!" he beams.

"Fire extinguisher," the Doctor corrects, chucking it to Rose. "... that wasn't fun," he grimaces, pulling me into his arms.

I wrap my arms around his waist and press my ear against his chest, "'fun' is definitely not the word I'd use," I murmur, smiling slightly when I hear his hearts.

"Where did that thing come from?" Rose asks, looking at the droid cautiously.

"Here," the Doctor replies, squeezing me before pulling away.

"So... why is it dressed like that?" Mouse frowns.

"Field trip to France," I eye the droid, raising an eyebrow. "Some sort of basic camouflage protocol?"

The Doctor hums with a nod, moving over to the droid, "nice needlework!" he smiles. "Shame about the face..." he pulls the wig off the droid, the creepy mask going with it.

My eyes widen when intricate clockwork inside a glass, domed head is revealed. "Oh... that's amazing," I breathe, a smile pulling on my lips.

"Oh, you are beautiful!" the Doctor beams, slipping on his 'brainy' specs. "No really, you are! You're gorgeous! Look at that! Space-age clockwork, I love it! I've got chills! Tiny, look!" he pushes his sleeve up and turns to show me his arm, making me smile fondly and shake my head; he's so adorable when he gets excited about new tech. "Listen... seriously," he turns back to the droid. "I mean this from the heart - and, by the way, count those," he points between his hearts. "It would be a crime, it would be an act of vandalism to disassemble you," he shakes his head and I smirk, counting down from three with my hand. "... but that won't stop me," he holds his sonic up threateningly when I reach zero and I send a wink to Rose and Mouse, who both roll their eyes.

The droid creaks back to life and holds it's left hand to its other wrist, teleporting away in a shimmer of color.

The Doctor huffs in annoyance, "short-range teleport," he explains to Rose and Mouse. "Can't have got far... could still be on board," he mutters, slipping his sonic back into his pocket.

"What is it?" Rose asks curiously.

"Don't go looking for it," the Doctor points between the three of us sternly.

"Where're you going?" I frown.

The Doctor smiles, kissing my forehead, "back in a sec," he promises, tapping under my chin.

I watch in slight frustration as he moves to the fireplace and rotates it again, sending me a wink as he disappears to the other side. I bite my lip, whimpering slightly and wrapping my arms around myself at the lack of feeling. Mouse frowns, wrapping an arm around my shoulders to try and comfort me. "Is it really that bad?" he asks, rubbing my arm.

"It's- it's like... part of me is gone," I mutter, my heart aching. "There's this feeling of- of emptiness... it's hard to explain."

"I know something that'll make you feel better," Rose cuts in, making me turn to her and she looks down at the fire extinguisher, wiggling her eyebrows with a tongue-in-teeth grin.

"... he said not to look for it," Mouse points out.

"Yeah, he did, didn't he?" I look up at Mouse with an innocent expression.

Mouse grins, taking his arm off me and throwing me a fire extinguisher before grabbing the last one for himself.

Rose laughs, "now you're getting it!" she beams and the three of us head out.

3rd Person POV:

The Doctor steps away from the fireplace, rubbing his chest when his hearts clench painfully at the sense of... hollowness. Should've just brought her with me, he thinks to himself with a huff as he looks around the room. Reinette's bedroom looks a bit different, more mature in how it was laid out. It was now plush with a bigger bed and red and gold decorations. "Reinette," the Doctor calls out quietly, brushing his hand along a harp. "Just checking you're ok..."

A beautiful blonde - Reinette as a grown woman - walks into the room unnoticed by the Doctor. Reinette recognizes him instantly and eyes him up with a smirk before clearing her throat. The Doctor jumps and turns, his eyes widening when he notices her standing there, "oh, hello!" he puts his glasses away. "Um... I was just looking for Reinette," he tries to explain. "Uh... this is still her room, isn't it?" he frowns. "I've been away, not sure how long..."

A woman's voice calls from down the corridor, "Reinette! We're ready to go!"

"Go to the carriage, mother! I will join you there!" Reinette calls back and the Doctor smiles in realization. "It is customary, I think-" she smirks, moving toward the Time Lord. "- to have an imaginary friend only during one's childhood," she looks him over once more. "You are to be congratulated on your persistence," she teases.

"Reinette," the Doctor grins. "Well, goodness how you've grown," he comments, not believing that this was the same little girl he'd seen only minutes ago.

"... and you do not appear to have aged a single day," she notes. "That is tremendously impolite of you," she smirks, stepping closer.

"Right, yes!" the Doctor nods, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Sorry... um, listen... lovely to catch up, but better be off, eh? Don't want your mother finding you up here with a strange man, do we?"

"Strange?" Reinette tilts her head. "How could you be a stranger to me? I have known you since I was seven years old," she points out.

"Yeah, I suppose you have," the Doctor smiles. "I came the quick route..." he trails off when Reinette brushes her fingers along his cheek, making his eyes widen.

"Well, you seem to be flesh and blood at any rate... but this is absurd," Reinette frowns, keeping her hand on his face. "Reason tells me you cannot be real," she shakes her head.

The Doctor laughs awkwardly, feeling rather uncomfortable with the woman's close proximity and the physical contact. "Oh, pfft... you never want to listen to reason," he tries to joke.

"Mademoiselle!" a servant calls from outside. "Your mother grows impatient!"

"A moment!" Reinette snaps, not taking her eyes off the Doctor. "So many questions... so little time," she shakes her head.

Before the Doctor can react, she pulls him down to her and presses her lips to his in what she had hoped to be a passionate kiss. This is wrong, the Doctor snaps out of his shock after only a second and pushes the blonde away gently, making her frown. "I'm sorry, Reinette, but-" he tries to explain.

"I must say I am disappointed," Reinette cuts him off, taking in his tense stance and how he puts some distance between them. "She is a lucky woman, indeed," she smirks.

The Doctor's face burns pink and he rubs at his ear, "right... well-"

"Mademoiselle Poisson!" the servant calls again.

"I must go," Reinette sighs sadly, shaking her head. "But... I hope to see you again, fireplace man," she smiles. "Perhaps I will even meet this woman who has stolen your heart," she winks before running out.

Hearts, really, the Doctor thinks to himself with a small smile. His eyes widen, though, when it hits him what the servant had called Reinette. Said servant steps into the room, pausing when he spots the Doctor.

"Poisson... Reinette Poisson?" the Doctor asks, shocked. "No... no, no, no, no, no way!" he shakes his head, running right up to the servant. "Reinette Poisson!?" he beams, not letting the man get a word in. "Later Madame Etioles? Later still mistress of Louis XV, un-crowned Queen of France?" he grins a wide, mad grin as he runs back to the fireplace. "Actress, artist, musician, dancer, courtesan, fantastic gardener!" he laughs, not believing that he'd really just met Madame de Pompadour!

"Who the hell are you!?" the servant demands.

"I'm the Doctor, and I just got snogged by Madame de Pompadour!" the Doctor laughs, flicking the lever on the fireplace and it rotates to take him back to the ship. "Lizzie! Rose!" he looks around, only to see that there was no one there. "... Mickey?" he calls, moving forward and he huffs in anger. "Every time, every time! I tell them, I do! Rule one! There could be anything on this ship!" he shouts, only to come to a stop when he turns the corner, seeing a white horse in the middle of the corridor.

1st Person POV:

Rose and I were walking a bit behind Mouse with our fire extinguishers. Mouse apparently thought he was James Bond as he was crouched down, rolling through the corridors. Mouse stops at a security camera and I snort quietly when he scowls, "are you looking at me?"

The camera moves right up to his face and Mouse jumps back with a yelp. Rose and I share a confused look before walking over. I cover my mouth and my stomach churns when I see an... an eye inside the camera, looking between the three of us.

"Look at this," Mouse stares at it. "That's an eye in there... that's a real eye!"

The eye-camera slides back into the wall and I shudder slightly. There's a soft thumping sound, making me frown with furrowed eyebrows. I follow the sound to a little, circular door in the middle of the wall. I try to open it, hissing and pulling my hand back when it burns my hand - it was scolding hot. I pull my jacket sleeve over my hand and pull the door off quickly so I could see inside. "Oh, my God..." I whisper in horror at the heart that was wired up into the ship.

"What is that?" Mouse peers over my shoulder with Rose. "What's that in the middle there? It's like it's wired in..."

"That's a heart, Mickey," Rose mutters, her voice shaky. "That's a Human heart," she swallows hard.

I close the little door, biting my lip... what happened on this ship? Is this where the crew went? Did the droids do this? But... why would they kill the crew and wire them up to the ship?

A feeling of anger and annoyance rushes over me and I wince, "... brilliant," I huff, making Rose and Mouse look at me curiously. "Whatever the Doctor was doing in France, he's back and angry with us," I rub my temples as a slightly stronger pang of anger hits me. "Ok... very angry," I correct myself. "Lovely!"

"That's his problem," Mouse shrugs, walking off.

"Yeah, he's the one who left," Rose smiles, following after him with me behind her. "Should've known, really," she snickers.

***

The three of us had been looking through the ship for a while now and the Doctor had disappeared again, only to come back a few minutes later.

"... maybe it wasn't a real heart," Mouse breaks the silence.

"Course it was a real heart," Rose retorts.

"Is this, like, normal for you?" Mouse stares between us. "Is this an average day?"

"Pfft, like we could have normal with the Doctor," I roll my eyes with a smile.

"Life with the Doctor, Mickey - no more average days," Rose grins.

I stop at a floor to ceiling window into France. It was an extremely posh room. Rose and Mouse step up on either side of me. "It's France again," Mouse comments. "We can see France."

"I think we're looking through a mirror," Rose frowns.

The door in the room opens and a man with two servants walk in, making my eyes widen.

"Blimey, look at this guy!" Mouse scoffs. "Who does he think he is?"

"King of France," I answer, jumping slightly when there's an echo.

"Oh, here's trouble," Rose rolls her eyes, smiling up at the Doctor. "What you been up to?"

"Oh, this and that," the Doctor shrugs, looking through the mirror over my head. "Became the imaginary friend of a future French aristocrat, picked a fight with a clockwork man-" he's cut off by a horse neighing and I raise an eyebrow. "Oh, and I met a horse!" he smiles.

A beautiful white horse trots around the corner, making me smile widely. "He's so cute," I squeal quietly, moving over and holding my hand out to him. "Hey, pretty boy," I coo, smiling when he pushes his nose into my hand. "You're a sweetheart, aren't ya?" I scratch his nose and he snorts, making me giggle.

"What's a horse doing on a spaceship?" Mouse gapes at it.

"Mickey, what's pre-revolutionary France doing on a spaceship? Get a little perspective," the Doctor scoffs.

I sigh, pressing a kiss to the horse before moving back over to the Doctor and poking his side. The Doctor squirms away from me, rolling his eyes when I send him a glare. I tilt my head, though, frowning when I see color on his lips... is that lipstick?

"See these? They're all over the place, on every deck," the Doctor taps the glass. "Gateways to history, but not just any old history - hers," he nods to the mirror and I look to see a pretty blonde walk in. "Time windows deliberately arranged along the life of one particular woman... a spaceship from the 51st century, stalking a woman from the 18th... why?" he frowns.

I look between the woman and the Doctor, noticing that the shade of lipstick she was wearing was similar to the one that was on him and my heart sinks into my stomach. The Doctor's eyebrows furrow and he looks down at me before his eyes widen slightly and he wipes at his mouth. I turn to the mirror, wrapping my arms around my waist as I chew on my bottom lip, a pang of guilt hitting me.

"Who is she?" Rose asks curiously, watching the woman talk to King Louis XV.

The Doctor clears his throat, "Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson... known to her friends as Reinette," he answers, making my frown deepen... he kissed Reinette? "One of the most accomplished women who ever lived," he explains.

"So has she got plans of being the Queen, then?"

"No, he's already got a queen," the Doctor shakes his head. "She's got plans of being his mistress," he explains and I give a derisive snort, rolling my eyes.

"Oh, I get it! Camilla," Rose jokes, making Mouse laugh.

"I think this is the night they met - the night of the Yew Tree ball," the Doctor muses, watching Reinette interact with the king. "In no time flat, she'll get herself established as his official mistress with her own rooms at the palace... even her own title-"

"Madame de Pompadour," I cut in, watching the king leave and Reinette come up to the mirror. "She became an advisor to the king and a patron of art and philosophy," I mutter, picking at the side of my jacket.

Of course, the Doctor would kiss her. She was beyond gorgeous, refined, accomplished, experienced... and I'm just me. I huff quietly, angry with myself at the tears that prickle my eyes. I'm so incredibly stupid. It's not that I'm Human, it's that I'm too ordinary.

"Queen must have loved her," Rose snorts.

"Oh, she did... they got on very well," the Doctor murmurs, another pang of guilt hitting me along with hurt but I ignore it.

"The king's wife and the king's girlfriend?" Mouse asks skeptically.

"France, it's a different planet," the Doctor waves off.

There's a loud ticking sound coming from inside the room... but I notice the clock is broken and there was a figure in the corner. Reinette turns to it, "how long have you been standing there? Show yourself!" she demands.

The figure faces her and my eyes widen at the clockwork droid. The Doctor grabs Mouse's fire extinguisher and swings the mirror around. Rose, Mouse, and I are quick to follow him into the room. "Hello, Reinette! Hasn't time flown!" the Doctor smiles.

"Fireplace man!"

The Doctor sprays the droid with the fire extinguisher, freezing it in place. Tossing it back to Mouse, he moves toward the droid to get a better look at it while it clicks and whirs.

"What's it doing?" Mouse asks.

"Switching back on, melting the ice," the Doctor mutters.

"... and then what?"

"Then it kills everyone in the room," the Doctor rolls his eyes.

The droid shoots out a knife from its hand and I squeak and drop my fire extinguisher, grabbing the back of the Doctor's blazer and yanking him back. The Doctor stumbles a bit, but looks back at me with a smile, "thanks, tiny!"

"... sure," I nod, stepping away from him to stand by Mouse and wrapping my arms around my waist.

The Doctor winces, a pang of hurt hitting me, "I can explain, just... just... just give me a tick," he gives me a pleading look before turning back to the droid. "Who are you? Identify yourself," he orders.

Rose frowns between the Doctor and me, but I shake my head, wrapping my arms around myself tighter. Mouse frowns but shifts his fire extinguisher so he can wrap an arm around me and give me a comforting squeeze, making me smile a bit. I look at the droid when it stays silent, my eyebrows furrowing when it just tilts its head to look at the Doctor.

The Doctor groans in annoyance, turning to Reinette, "order it to answer me."

"Why should it listen to me?" she frowns, staring at the droid.

"I don't know, it did when you were a child," the Doctor shrugs, moving over to stand beside Reinette. "Let's see if you've still got it," he whispers in her ear and I roll my eyes, looking back to the droid determinedly.

"Answer his question! Answer any and all questions put to you!" Reinette orders the droid.

The droid lowers its arm, "I am repair droid seven," it answers in a robotic voice.

"So, what happened to the ship, then?" the Doctor asks, moving to stand back in front of the droid with his hands in his pockets. "There was a lot of damage," he points out.

"Ion storm, eighty-two percent systems failure," it answers.

"That ship hasn't moved in over a year," the Doctor retorts. "What's taken you so long?"

"We did not have the parts..."

"Always comes down to that, doesn't it? The parts," Mouse snorts.

"What's happened to the crew? Where are they?" the Doctor asks.

"We did not have the parts..." it repeats, making my face pale as I realize what it means.

"There should have been over fifty people on your ship," the Doctor huffs, not getting it. "Where did they go?"

"They didn't have the parts," I whisper as the droid repeats itself, my stomach churning as I press a hand to my mouth. "Oh, God..." I breathe out.

"Fifty people don't just disappear! Where-?" the Doctor stops as horror washes over me. "Oh... you didn't have the parts, so you used the crew," he breathes.

"... the crew?" Mouse frowns.

"We found a camera with- with an eye in it and there was a heart... wired into machinery," Rose tells the Doctor shakily, her face paling and she tightens her grip on her fire extinguisher.

"They were just doing what they were programmed for," I whisper, my heart aching at the thought of the crew being torn apart and used as... as parts. How scared, how terrified they must have been. "They were repairing the ship any way they could, with whatever they could find..."

"... no one told it the crew weren't on the menu," the Doctor mutters. "What did you say the flight deck smelt of?"

"Somone cooking," Rose whispers, looking like she was going to be sick.

"Flesh plus heat - barbecue," the Doctor nods.

"Don't... please?" I hold my stomach, trying to fight off the urge to throw up.

"... sorry," the Doctor glances back at me with an apologetic look. "But what are you doing here?" he asks the droid. "You've opened up time windows; that takes colossal energy! Why come here? You could have gone to your repair yard," he points out. "Instead, you come to 18th century France? Why?"

"One more part is required," the droid replies, tilting its head toward Reinette.

"Why haven't you taken it?" I ask, eyebrows furrowed.

"She is incomplete."

"What? So that's the plan, then?" the Doctor scoffs, rolling his eyes. "Just keep opening up more and more time windows? Scanning her brain, checking to see if she's 'done yet'?"

"Why her?" Rose cuts in, shifting on her feet a bit when everyone looks at her. "... you've got all of history to choose from - why specifically her?"

"We are the same," the droid answers.

"We are not the same," Reinette glares. "We are in no sense the same!"

"We are the same."

"Get out of here!" Reinette shouts. "Get out of here this instance!"

"Reinette, no!" the Doctor and I try and stop her, but the droid teleports away.

"It's back on the ship," the Doctor groans. "Rose, take Mickey and Arthur, get after it," he turns to her. "Follow it, don't approach it, just watch what it does," he orders.

"Arthur?" I frown.

"Good name for a horse," the Doctor shrugs, grinning.

"No, you're not keeping the horse!" Rose tells him sternly.

"I let you and Lizzie keep Mickey!" the Doctor retorts, making me glare at him. "Now go, go, go!" he shoos them off.

"What about me?" I raise an eyebrow, watching Rose and Mouse hurry out of the mirror. "What am I supposed to do? Stand here and watch you - what exactly?" I look up at the Doctor, folding my arms.

The Doctor winces, turning to me, "Reinette, what happened when you kissed me?" he asks her, not looking away from me.

I bite my lip, looking away as my heart clenches and a small pang of hurt and guilt hits me. I knew it'd happened... but to hear him say it out loud? I feel the Doctor tilt my chin up so I was looking at him when Reinette answers, "you pushed me away," she replies, sounding confused and I relax a bit in relief.

"You-" I stop as my voice comes out a bit shaky, clearing my throat. "... you did?" I ask quietly.

"Oh," Reinette gasps, peering around the Doctor and eyeing me. "This is her," she smiles, her eyes lit up.

"Um... her?" I frown, my eyebrows furrowing.

"Lizzie, was it?" she asks and I nod mutely. "You are a very lucky woman, Lizzie," she smirks between us.

"... th- thank you?" I bite my lip, my cheeks burning.

The Doctor snorts, a smile playing on his lips as he runs his thumb over my now red skin, "right, now that that's taken care of," he taps under my chin before turning to the future French aristocrat. "Reinette, you're going to have to trust me," he moves to stand in front of her. "I need to find out what they're looking for and there's only one way I can do that... won't hurt a bit," he assures her.

Reinette nods her consent and I watch as the Doctor places his hands on either side of her face, his fingers on her temples. I tilt my head, looking between them curiously. The Doctor's used his telepathy to show me things and to block our connection, but he's never tried to enter my mind before. The two of them close their eyes and Reinette gasps softly, her eyebrows furrowing. "Fireplace man... you are inside my mind," she whispers.

"Oh dear, Reinette, you've had some cowboys in here," the Doctor frowns.

"You are in my memories, you walk among them," Reinette breathes in awe.

"If there's anything you don't want me to see, just imagine a door and close it - I won't look," the Doctor promises, smiling slightly. "Ooh... actually... there's a door just there," he teases and I raise an eyebrow, curious at what he's seeing but not wanting to know at the same time.

Reinette opens her eyes and looks at me, wiggling her eyebrows playfully. I bite my lip to keep from smiling and she sends me a wink before closing her eyes again. The Doctor raises an eyebrow - his eyes still closed - and he grins, "you might want to clo- ooh... actually, several!"

"To walk among the memories of another living soul," Reinette sighs. "Do you ever get used to this?"

"I don't make a habit of it," the Doctor mutters.

If I had the ability to see others' memories and thoughts... I don't think I'd make a habit of it either. I shift on my feet, looking between them when how intimate the process must be for the Doctor occurs to me. I shrink down a bit, suddenly feeling like I'm intruding on something extremely private and my stomach knots up at the thought. The Doctor glances over, sending me a reassuring smile that calms me slightly before he closes his eyes again.

"How can you resist?" Reinette asks quietly.

"What age are you?" the Doctor frowns.

"So impertinent a question," Reinette smirks, her eyes still closed. "... and in front of your Lizzie? Shame on you, fireplace man," she scolds teasingly, making my face burn.

"No, not my question," the Doctor shakes his head, his eyebrows furrowing. "Theirs. You're twenty-three and for some reason, that means your not old enough," his frown deepens and Reinette gasps softly, flinching. "Sorry, you might find old memories reawakening," he soothes her quickly. "Side effect," he explains.

"Oh... such a lonely childhood," Reinette breathes, making me frown.

"It'll pass," the Doctor assures her gently. "Stay with me."

"Oh, Doctor, so lonely," Reinette frowns. "So very, very alone..."

"What do you mean 'alone'?" the Doctor scoffs lightly. "You've never been alone if your life-" his eyes snap open and fear washes over me. "... when did you start calling me 'Doctor'?"

"Such a lonely little boy," Reinette opens her eyes, staring up at the Doctor with sad eyes and I watch them carefully. "Lonely then and lonelier now after you lost her... your royal star," she whispers, making the Doctor pale and my frown deepens as a massive mix of emotions hits me. "How can you bear it?"

The Doctor backs away from Reinette, looking about ready to make a run for it, "how did you do that?" he asks, his voice cracking slightly.

"A door - once opened - can be stepped through in either direction," Reinette replies simply.

I refrain from stepping between her and the Doctor. She... she used their mental link to search around in his mind?

"Oh, Doctor..." Reinette steps forward. "... our lonely Doctor," she glances at me with a small smile. "Dance with me," looks up at him.

"I can't," he denies, his voice low in warning.

"Dance with me," she repeats with a smirk.

"This is the night you dance with the king," the Doctor shakes his head.

"Dance with us," Reinette nods to me, her smirk growing.

My eyes widen slightly when the Doctor falters, his face contorting as another wave of emotion washes over me - the most potent being grief and guilt. "I can't," he whispers.

"Ok, that's enough," I stand in front of the Doctor, facing Reinette and reaching back to take the Doctor's hand in mine, which he grips onto tightly.

"Doctor..." Reinette ignores me, looking up at the Doctor with her eyebrows furrowed. "Doctor who? It's more than just a secret, isn't it? ... but it wasn't from her?" she frowns.

I hear the Doctor's breath hitch as his hand tightens on mine. "What did you see?" he asks, his voice quiet and vulnerable.

"That there comes a time, Time Lord, when every lonely little boy must learn how to dance," Reinette smiles softly. "Now come, Lizzie," she takes my free hand, pulling me from the Doctor and his hand just falls limply from mine. "We must find you a dress fit for a ball," she grips both my hands in hers, practically radiating excitement.

"Um..." I frown, looking back to the Doctor as Reinette starts to pull me out of the room. "I- we can't- uh..." I trail off, my eyebrows furrowing. "That's not- not necessary," I shake my head, pulling my hands back while the Doctor just stands there silently, wave after wave of emotion hitting me.

"Nonsense," Reinette smiles. "I insist," she grabs my hand again, pulling me more forcefully this time with the Doctor following quietly, his hands shoved in his pockets.

***

Reinette's maids had found me a dress and then the woman herself sat me at her vanity to do my hair and makeup. "Reinette... this really is too much," I protest as she uses a diamond pin to pull the right side of my hair back.

"Hush, my dear," Reinette rolls her eyes before leaning back and eyeing me carefully, making me shift in the seat. "There, absolutely perfect," she smiles and I flush at the compliment. "Now, it is time to show your Doctor," she winks.

"Oh... he- he's not... mine," I bite my lip, looking down at my hands in my lap.

"But you are his," Reinette replies and I look up to see her staring at me, her head tilted to the side. "... he did not even try to deny that you are when I was teasing him," she smirks.

"Well... he was- was thinking of- of other things," I push a loose piece of hair behind my ear.

"Oh, yes, he did have a great many other things on his mind," Reinette laughs and my eyebrows furrow. "Now, come with me," she grabs my hands, pulling me up and over to the door. "Stay here," she orders as she steps out of the room. "Come on out, Lizzie!" she calls after a moment.

My stomach knots up and I pull on the dress - the corset accentuated my curves and it was more low-cut than what I normally wear. The dress itself was gorgeous but I felt like a little girl playing dress-up. Not like Reinette, she was made for this sort of dress; beautiful, poised, a proper lady... I felt silly and exposed and I just wanted to put my jacket back on and hide. "I think I'll... I'll s-sit this one out!" I call back, folding my arms.

"I'm sure you look lovely," the Doctor speaks up.

I close my eyes, taking a deep breath and opening the door to step through. Looking down at the ground, I pull on the lace of my right sleeve as I feel my face burn, "I... I look ridiculous," I shake my head, wanting to go back into the room.

"No, not at all," the Doctor says, making me look to see him eyeing me up. "Lizzie..." he trails off and moves forward to grab my hand, stopping my fidgeting. "You look beautiful," he smiles softly.

I let out a squeak, biting my lip in embarrassment when the Doctor chuckles. "Dame Elizabeth, would you care to accompany me to the ball?" he raises my hand, pressing a kiss to the back of it with an eyebrow raised and my face burns more, my blush moving to my ears and down my neck as well... God, I'm going to catch fire at this point.

"Ye-" I clear my throat when my voice breaks. "Yes, I- I'd love that," I nod, wanting to just disappear when the Doctor sends me a cheeky wink.

"Lovely!" the Doctor beams, letting go of my hand to hold out his arm.

I place my hand in the crook of his elbow, giggling when he wiggles his eyebrows dramatically. The Doctor snorts quietly before holding his other arm out to Reinette. "What about you, Reinette?"

"I would be honored, Doctor," she laughs, placing her hand around his other arm.

***

At the ball, it was so much more than I had expected. The Doctor and Reinette had danced for a few songs and I had found a lovely dance partner - a tall man with blonde hair and blue eyes who was a proper gentleman. The Doctor had come out sometime later with a banana, creating a fuss over the fruit as they had never seen one before and he started a new drinking craze. It was amazing and I'd nearly died laughing at how smug and ecstatic he was over the whole thing.

I was talking to Reinette - who was actually hilarious and extremely clever and just absolutely wonderful - when I feel a tap on my shoulder. I turn to see the Doctor and he drops down into a low and dramatic bow, "may I have this dance, mademoiselle?" he asks in a posh tone, holding his hand out to me.

I bite my lip, trying not to laugh, "you certainly may, monsieur," I answer in an equally posh tone, dropping into a curtsy before taking his hand.

The Doctor smirks, pulling me to him and twirling us into the crowd. I laugh as we get to the middle, shaking my head at how ridiculously dorky he is. Giving me a wide grin, he places his right hand on my waist and holds my right with his left. I smile a bit shyly, placing my left hand on his arm and we begin to move with the crowd... well, sort of.

"You know, we haven't properly danced since the Blitz," the Doctor smiles, pulling me closer.

"... you're right," I realize, my eyes widening slightly.

"Course I am," he smirks, making me giggle as he twirls me out and then spins me back to him quickly. "It should become more of a habit, don't you think?"

"I'd like that, yeah," I nod with a blush, making him chuckle.

I smile, scooting closer and leaning my ear against his chest to hear his hearts.

The Doctor sighs, "I'm sorry," he murmurs, pulling me flush against him as his thumb brushes my side and I fight off a shudder.

"What for?" I frown, not moving as we sway about.

"... for earlier," he mutters.

I pull away enough to look up at him, "don't be," I shake my head. "I was..." I trail off, sighing as I look away. "I was being stupid and just... it's fine," I mutter.

"You do look beautiful, Lizzie" the Doctor changes the subject, making me smile as my face heats up. "Stunning, really," he tilts my chin up, smiling softly. "The dress suits you perfectly," he runs his thumb along my jaw.

"Th... thank you," I whisper, making him smirk and I huff slightly before smirking myself. "You look very handsome, Doctor."

"I'm..." the Doctor frowns, looking down at himself. "I'm wearing the same suit I always wear," he points out.

"Hm... are you?" I make a show of eyeing him up, raising an eyebrow. "I hadn't noticed," I smile innocently.

"You," the Doctor narrows his eyes, pulling me against him again. "Are a cheeky little thing," he smiles.

"Yes, I am," I smile up at him. "... old man," I tease.

"Tiny," he smirks.

"Twig," I shoot back, giggling when he grimaces.

"Rude," he pouts.

"Not ginger," I shrug.

"Now who's impossible," the Doctor rolls his eyes with a smile.

"Me," I reply simply, making him snort.

I squeal in delight when I'm suddenly dipped over his arm, looking up at the Doctor as he beams down at me. The Doctor brings me back up and lifts me, spinning us around quickly, both of us laughing. Setting me down, he pulls me back to him as we dance with the other guests giving us strange looks.

"We should really go," the Doctor sighs.

"... yes, we should," I nod, smiling when neither of us moves.

The Doctor shakes his head with a smile, "is it wrong that I don't want to leave?"

"Very," I snort. "We're both horrible, bad people," I bite my lip.

"The worst," he agrees, twirling me out one last time.

***

After saying goodbye to Reinette and getting back into my own clothes - Reinette had insisted I keep the hairpin as a gift, though - the Doctor and I were back on the ship. Rose and Mouse had gotten captured by the clockwork droids and I was trying really hard not to freak out. The Doctor didn't seem too worried, so that was helping keep me calm. "... you've got a plan, right?" I ask quietly as we move through the corridors.

"Course I've got a plan," the Doctor rolls his eyes and I raise an eyebrow, folding my arms. "Well... a thing," he corrects, tugging on my hair when I snort loudly. "Help me look drunk," he orders, coming to a stop.

"Yes, sir," I salute, smiling up at him.

"No, don't salute," he groans miserably with a grimace.

"You gave me an order," I tilt my head in 'confusion' and he shoots me a look. "Is it the saluting or the 'sir' that offends you?" I ask curiously.

The Doctor clears his throat as his cheeks turn pink, making me frown slightly, "the saluting," he answers.

"Ok..." I trail off, deciding to leave that reaction for another conversation. "Well, come here cause I can't reach you all the way up there, you giant," I grab his shoulders, bringing him down a bit.

"You're just small," he smirks.

"Hush," I narrow my eyes, poking his shoulder. "Meanie bastard," I huff when he chuckles.

I take off his tie, wrapping it around my neck and then ruffling his hair more than it usually is. The Doctor watches me while I work with his jaw clenched but I ignore him. Chewing on my lip nervously, I take the tie from my neck and tie it around the top of his head. I giggle at how silly he looks, stepping back and the Doctor straightens, slipping on a pair of sunglasses from his pocket.

"Hm... it's missing something," I frown, looking him over.

I un-button his blazer and un-tuck half of his shirt and then step back again. Tilting my head from side to side, I smile, "you look perfectly smashed," I decide, nodding in satisfaction at my work.

"Right," the Doctor clears his throat, pulling out a wine glass from his pocket and I raise an eyebrow as he pours some sort of liquid in it. "Now, your job is to just stay beside me and act really annoyed with me," he tells me.

"Oh, so I get the easy job, then?" I smile up at him, my hands behind my back as I rock on my heels.

"Oi!" the Doctor protests, pouting.

"What's in the wine glass?" I grin, eyeing the glass.

The Doctor rolls his eyes, lips twitching up, "ah, but that would be telling, dear Lizzie," he smirks, tapping my nose.

"Hm, can't have that," I giggle, wrinkling my nose.

***

The Doctor had used the sonic to track down where the clockwork droids are and we were getting close. The Doctor has his arm around me, leaning heavily against me and singing horribly offkey. To try and distract myself from his body being so tightly pressed to mine, I was listing the periodic table of elements in my head... it wasn't really working, though as my face is beet red.

"Ever heard of the Daleks?" Rose's shaky voice comes from the room they were in. "Remember them? They had a name for our friend! They had myths about him and a name! They called him the..." she trails off.

I yelp as the Doctor knocks us into the wall, sending some... thing crashing to the ground. "I could've danced all night!" he sings loudly, spinning us into the room. "I could've danced all night...!"

"They called him the... they called him the... the..." Rose tries again, staring at us.

My heart speeds up when I see her and Mouse strapped to tables - a clockwork droid holding its knife way too close to Rose's neck for my liking. It took every ounce of my willpower not to run over to her. The Doctor spins me out and then back to him, wrapping his arm around my waist tightly to keep me from doing just that as he continues with his singing. "... and still have begged for moooooore! I could've spread my wings and done a thou- have you met the French?" he looks between Rose and Mouse with a wide grin. "My God, they know how to party! Isn't that right, tiny?" he beams down at me, wiggling his eyebrows.

"What were you thinking, dragging me to a party when we're busy?" I glare up at him. "And then you go and get yourself drunk!"

"Oh, look what the cat dragged in," Rose glares. "The Oncoming Storm," she rolls her eyes.

The Doctor grimaces, looking between us, "oh, you girls sound just like your mother," he pouts.

"What've you been doing!?" Rose shouts.

"Well... among other things, I think I just invented the banana daiquiri a few centuries early," the Doctor beams, actually proud of himself and I bite my lip to keep from smiling and Rose lays back against the table with an exasperated sigh, making me wince slightly. "Do you know, they've never even seen a banana before!" he laughs, pulling me over to Rose and leaning over her to whisper. "Always take a banana to a party, Rose... bananas are good," he advises.

I huff in 'annoyance', "you're a bloody moron," I roll my eyes.

"You wound me, sweetheart," the Doctor pouts before brightening. "Oh, ho, ho, ho, ho, brilliant!" he pulls me over to the droid that its knife to Rose, throwing me a wink over his shoulder as my face burns bright at the pet name. "It's you!" he laughs, looking the droid over. "You're my favorite, you are! You are the best! Do you know why? Cause you're so thick! You're Mister Thick Thick Thickety Thick Face from Thicktown, Thicania," he pulls me away from the droid. "And so's your dad," he adds for good measure over his shoulder.

"Yes, insult the killer clock droids, makes perfect sense," I scoff, folding my arms.

The Doctor squeezes me briefly, "do you know what they were scanning Reinette's brain for?" he asks, snickering.

"Her milometer," I answer. "They want to know how old she is," I roll my eyes.

"That's my girl," the Doctor beams. "I love when you go all clever for me," he coos dramatically, kissing from the top of my head to my cheek. "... and red," he murmurs against my skin with a smirk. "Know why?" he straightens, leaving me a red and flustered mess as I breathe out slowly. "Cause this ship is thirty-seven years old and they think that when Reinette is thirty-seven - when she's 'complete' - then her brain will be compatible," he explains. "So, that's what you're missing, isn't it? Hmm?" he asks the droid mockingly. "Command circuit! Your computer! Your ship needs a brain and for some reason, God knows what, only the brain of Madame de Pompadour will do!"

"The brain is compatible," the droid replies.

"Compatible?" the Doctor snorts, letting go of me and stepping up to the droid. "If you believe that, you probably believe this is a glass of wine," he removes the droid's wig and mask, pouring the 'wine' into the clockwork before replacing the mask, patting the droid's head condescendingly. "Multigrain anti-oil - if it moves, it doesn't," he explains.

"You know, you didn't have to act like such a complete idiot," I roll my eyes, trying not to smile.

The Doctor pulls a lever, deactivating the other droids, "yes, well, you didn't have to be such a nag," he rolls his eyes back. "Besides, you seemed to enjoy it," he sends me a wink and I scoff lightly even as my face burns. "Now, you two," he turns to Rose and Mouse. "That's enough lying about..." he trails off, patting down his pockets with a frown.

"Looking for this?" I smile innocently, holding up the Doctor's sonic.

The Doctor turns, staring at me wordlessly while I release Rose and Mouse from their restraints. "You ok?" I ask Rose, pulling her into a tight hug.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she laughs, holding me close.

"Mouse?" I ask worriedly, pulling away from Rose and looking him over.

"Yeah," Mouse nods, pulling me to him. "You're amazing," he laughs, squeezing me tight.

"How- when- but... but... but!" the Doctor splutters, making me snort as I pull away from Mouse. "You nicked my sonic screwdriver!" he points at me, his mouth hanging open.

"Yes I did," I smile widely, tossing it up in the air before catching, sending Rose and Mouse a wink as they snicker.

"You- but I-" the Doctor huffs. "... time we got the rest of the ship turned off," he grumbles, snatching the sonic from me and going over to the control panel.

"Are those things safe?" Mouse asks, looking at the deactivated droids cautiously.

"Yep," the Doctor nods while I fix his tie and he pushes the sunglasses up on top of his head. "Safe, safe and thick - way I like them," he taps under my chin when I'm done, moving to mess with the controls. "Ok, all the time windows are controlled from here... I need to close them all down," he feels his pockets, frowning. "Zeus plugs... where are my Zeus plus? I had them a minute ago," he looks around for them. "I was using them as castanets," he mutters, making me roll my eyes while I try and help.

"Why didn't they just open a time window to when she was thirty-seven?" Rose asks.

"With the amount of damage to these circuits, they'll be lucky to hit the right century," the Doctor replies.

"Trial and error after that," I shrug, flipping a lever back and forth. "The windows aren't closing," I frown. "Why won't they close?"

An ominous pinging sounds around the room, making my frown deepen. "What's that?" Rose asks.

"I don't know," the Doctor shakes his head. "Incoming message?" he guesses.

"From who?" Mouse frowns.

"Report from the field..." I mutter, my eyebrows furrowed. "One of the must be with Reinette!" I gasp, eyes widening.

"That's why we can't close the windows! There's an override!" the Doctor groans.

There's a sudden whirring sound and I look to see the main droid springing back to life. It expels the multigrain anti-oil from its finger all over the Doctor's shoe, making him step back with a grimace. "Well, that was a bit clever," he admits as the rest of the droids spring to life as well. "Right... many things about this are not good," he shakes his head and the pinging sounds again. "Message from one of your little friends? Anything interesting?" he asks the droids, raising an eyebrow.

"She is complete! It begins!" one of the droids answers before they all teleport out.

"... just got a bit worse," I wince.

"What's happening?" Rose frowns.

"One of them must've found the right time window and now it's time to send in the troops," the Doctor answers. "... and this time they're bringing back her head."

"Not everything needs to be said," I roll my eyes.

"Right... Rose," he turns to her. "Go and warn Reinette that they're coming," he orders.

"What? But she doesn't even know me!" Rose argues.

"Well, I need Lizzie's help once we find the time window, now go! Tell her when she's thirty-seven. I'll be there, promise. The droids are programmed to listen to her... she can't stop them, but she might be able to stall them a bit," he rattles off quickly and Rose nods, running off.

***

"Found the window!" I call when I find a window into the palace ballroom where there were droids surrounding a crowd of people and the Doctor and Mouse come running over. "I can't get in, though," I shake my head, looking around the edge of it. "... can you fix up an audio link?" I ask, not being able to hear what's going on.

"Yeah, hold on a tick," the Doctor mutters, pulling out some of the wires and sonicking them.

"Mouse, go get Rose," I tell him while I try and find a way into the window.

***

The Doctor finally gets the audio on the time window working, but I wince at the guests screaming.

"You found it, then?" Rose asks, running up.

"They knew we were coming, they blocked it off," the Doctor groans as we work.

"I don't get it," Rose frowns, looking through the window. "How come they got in there?"

"They teleported - you saw them," I mutter.

"As long as the ship and the ballroom are linked, their short-range teleports will do the trick," the Doctor explains.

"Well, we'll go in the TARDIS!" Rose suggests.

"We can't use the TARDIS, we're part of events now," the Doctor shakes his head.

"Well, can't we just smash through it?" Mouse asks.

"Hyperplex this side, plateglass the other," I explain.

"We'd need a truck," the Doctor groans.

"We don't have a truck," Mouse points out.

"I know we don't have a truck!" the Doctor snaps.

"Well, we've got to try something!" Rose shouts.

"No, smash the glass, smash the time window," the Doctor shakes his head. "... there'd be no way back," he mutters.

"Can everyone just calm down, please?" Reinette's voice comes through and I look up to see her being pulled into the ballroom. "Such a commotion! Such distressing noise! Kindly remember that this is Versailles, this is the Royal Court, and we are French!"

I jump slightly when I hear a horse neigh and I turn to see Arthur there. I look between him and the Doctor and the time window before moving over to the horse and grabbing his reins. I pull him over to the Doctor, who was watching me with slightly wide eyes, "there'll be no way back," he warns, taking the reins.

"... I know," I nod, tears welling up. "But you have to," I wrap my arms around his waist, leaning my ear against his chest.

The Doctor would never forgive himself if Reinette was killed and he could've done something. Besides, she was history... she couldn't die yet. And I couldn't watch Reinette being so incredibly brave while facing death when I could do something about it.

"What's going on?" Rose demands, not understanding.

The Doctor pulls away and cups my face in his hands, wiping a tear away, "I'll be back," he promises, leaning down and pressing a kiss to my forehead. "I'll come back to you," he murmurs against my skin before pulling away and ruffling my hair.

I smile sadly, watching him as he mounts the horse and jumps through the time window. The second the glass shatters, I can't feel the Doctor anymore and I wrap my arms around myself, whimpering quietly as tears stream down my face. Please... please come back, Doctor.

"What happened? Where did the time window go?" Mouse asks, staring at the broken window. "How's he gonna get back?"

Rose snaps out of her shock, wrapping her arms around me, "he'll come back, he promised," she mutters, rubbing my back.

I sigh, snuggling into Rose as I wrap my arms around her. I was so incredibly lucky to have her as a baby sister.

Mouse looks between us, his eyebrows furrowed. "We can't fly the TARDIS without him," he points out. "How's he gonna get back?"

3rd Person POV:

In the ballroom, two droids come up on either side of Reinette and push her to her knees, holding their knives to her neck. The main droid approaches and also points its knife at her. Reinette just glares up at the droid defiantly. "You think I fear you," she scoffs. "But I do not fear you even now, you are merely the nightmare of my childhood! The monster from under my bed and if my nightmare can return to plague me? Then rest assured," she lowers her voice to a whisper. "So will yours," she sneers.

The sound of a horse neighing along with hooves is heard in the distance. Reinette, the droids, and the guests all look around for the source of the sound to find nothing. Suddenly, the large glass mirror high up on the wall shatters and the Doctor - atop a white horse - comes through. The guests all shriek and Reinette's mouth drops open as the Doctor calmly trots past her, sending a cheeky wink her way. Arthur comes to a stop off to the side and the Doctor hops down. "Madame de Pompadour, you look younger every day!" he grins, ignoring his hearts aching painfully.

"What the hell is going on?" King Louis XV demands.

"Oh..." Reinette smiles, nodding to her king. "This is my lover - the King of France," she introduces.

"Yeah?" the Doctor raises an eyebrow. "Well, I'm the Lord of Time," he retorts smugly, wincing slightly when his mind conjures up the sound of Lizzie giggling at his stupid joke. "... and I'm here to fix the clock," he ignores that and turns to the main droid, removing the mask and gaining a gasp from the crowd as they see the clockwork. "Forget it," he scoffs when the droid aims its weapon at him. "It's over... for you and for me," he looks up at the broken mirror. "Talk about seven years bad luck, try three thousand," he sighs. "The link with the ship is broken, no way back," he looks back to the droid. "You don't have the parts," he mocks. "How many ticks left in that clockwork heart, huh? A day? An hour? It's over, accept that. I'm not winding you up."

The droids all wind down, one of them falling backward and shattering its head. The Doctor ignores the panicked crowd and holds his hand out to Reinette, "you alright?" he asks gently.

"What's happened to them?" she looks around at the droids, allowing the Doctor to pull her to her feet.

"They've stopped, they have no purpose now," the Doctor explains.

***

The Doctor stands by a window, holding a glass of wine and looking up at the stars - he was thinking of his Lizzie. The Doctor frowns, his eyebrows furrowing slightly... his Lizzie? Since when did he become so possessive over her? Not that the idea of her being his didn't appeal to him but now they were separated and he'd have to wait for years and years and years before he could even attempt to try and make it back to her.

"You know all their names, don't you?" Reinette comes up beside him with her own glass of wine, snapping him from his thoughts. "I saw that in your mind: the name of every star," she smiles.

"What's in a name? Names are just titles," the Doctor shrugs, not looking at her. "Titles don't tell you anything..."

"Like 'the Doctor'," she raises her eyebrows.

"Like 'Madame de Pompadour'," the Doctor's lips twitch up as he glances at the blonde, making her laugh.

"I have often wished to see those stars a little closer," Reinette sighs, looking out the window. "Just as you have, I think," she smiles.

"From time to time," the Doctor mutters, sipping his drink and grimacing at the taste.

"In saving me, you trapped yourself here," Reinette comments. "Did you know that would happen?"

"Mm, pretty much," he nods absently.

"... did Lizzie?" she asks carefully.

"Yeah," the Doctor whispers, rubbing his chest at the empty feeling.

"Yet still you came," Reinette frowns.

"Yeah, I did, didn't I? Catch me doing that again," he scoffs lightly. "Course she... gave me a little nudge, wouldn't have let me live it down if anything had happened to you," he smiles slightly.

"She's very kind, your love," Reinette comments, smiling slyly to herself when the Doctor doesn't deny what she'd said. "There were many doors between my world and yours, can you not use one of the others to get back to her?"

"When the mirror broke, the shock will have severed all the links with the ship," the Doctor shakes his head. "There'll be a few more broken mirrors and torn tapestries round here, I'm afraid; wherever there was a time window," he explains. "I'll... I'll, um... pay for any damage," he winces, making Reinette chuckle under her breath. "Um... oh, there's a thought," he frowns. "I'm gonna need money... I was always a bit vague about money. Where do you get money?"

"So here you are, my lonely angel, stuck on the slow path with me," Reinette smiles.

"Yep, the slow path," the Doctor forces a smile. "Here's to the slow path," he sighs, raising his glass to clink with Reinettes.

"It's a shame you won't be here for it," Reinette sets her glass down.

"I'm not going anywhere," the Doctor frowns.

"Oh, aren't you?" Reinette smirks. "Take my hand," she smiles, holding out her hand and the Doctor's frown deepens as he takes it.

***

Reinette leads the Doctor to her bedroom and stops in the doorway. "It's not a copy, it's the original," she smiles, seeing the Doctor's eyes widen. "I had it moved here and was exact in every detail."

"The fireplace... the fireplace from your bedroom," the Doctor mutters in shock, walking up to it. "When did you do this?"

"Many years ago, in the hope that a door once opened, may someday be opened again," Reinette smiles. "One never quite knows when one needs one's Doctor," she jokes, making the Doctor grin. "Though I believe Lizzie needs you much more than I do, and I have a feeling you need her," she smiles and the Doctor's features soften. "It appears undamaged, do you think it will still work?" she asks hopefully.

"You broke the bond with the ship when you moved it... which means it was offline when the mirror broke - that's what saved it," the Doctor explains. "But..." he trails off, moving closer to the fireplace and looking it over. "The link is basically physical and it's still physically here," he starts to tap along the mantle. "Which might just mean... if I'm lucky... if I'm very, very, very, very, very, very lucky..." he beams as he finds the spot he's looking for. "Aha!"

"What?" Reinette asks eagerly.

"Loose connection!" the Doctor laughs, sonicking the mantle. "Need to get a man in!" he bangs on the top of the mantle and a mechanical whirring sounds. "Wish me luck!" he beams, flicking the switch to rotate the fireplace.

"Good luck!" Reinette calls after him.

Back in the ship, the Doctor sighs in relief when his connection with Lizzie comes back. He cringes, though, when he feels her sadness. "Sorry, tiny," he whispers, hating that he caused her pain even if she was the one who pushed it. "Madame de Pompadour," he kneels down in front of the fireplace, smiling when Reinette crouches down on the other side. "Still wanna see those stars?" he asks, thinking it was the perfect gift for her and Lizzie both.

"More than anything," Reinette breathes out.

"Give me two minutes, pack a bag!"

"Am I going somewhere?"

"Got to the window and pick a star, any star," the Doctor smirks before running off.

1st Person POV:

I perk up when I can suddenly feel the Doctor again, "he's back!" I squeal, making Rose and Mouse jump.

"Lizzie!" I hear the Doctor shout, making my heart beat in my chest rapidly. "Rose! Mickey!"

Rose and I beam at each other before I run off in the direction his voice came from. I find him outside the room where the fireplace was and I run over, jumping on him and wrapping my arms around his neck, my legs going around his waist. "You're back!" I giggle as he wraps his arms around my waist, spinning us around.

"Told you I would," the Doctor squeezes me tightly before pulling back enough to look at me. "How long did you wait?"

"Five and a half hours," I narrow my eyes, but couldn't help smiling.

"Right, always wait five and a half hours," the Doctor smiles.

"No," I shake my head, burying my face against his neck.

"No?" the Doctor repeats incredulously, burying a hand in my hair.

"That was way too long... it felt like forever," I mutter, tightening my hold on him. "I hate not being able to feel you," I whisper, my voice cracking.

"I'm here, it's alright," the Doctor whispers in my ear, kissing the side of my face before setting me down but not letting go.

"How long was it for you?" I ask curiously.

"A few hours," the Doctor shrugs.

"Ok, lovebirds," Rose cuts in, pushing us apart and my face burns. "I missed you!" she glares at the Doctor playfully, making him laugh as she pulls him into a tight hug. "Where've you been?" she pulls away, looking up at him.

"Explain later," he waves off. "Into the TARDIS, be with you in a sec," he orders, making me frown. "Not you," he wraps his arm around my waist as Rose and Mouse head in, confused. "You are coming with me," he smiles, leading me to the fireplace.

"Are... are we bringing Reinette with us!?" I ask, smiling widely as I bounce up and down.

"Oh, yes!" the Doctor beams, rotating the fireplace and I squeak, clutching onto him and he laughs.

***

On the other side of the fireplace was a bedroom that was completely dark. The Doctor looks around with a slight frown before pulling me into the corridor.

"Reinette?" I look around, only to pull the Doctor to a stop when I see King Louis XV standing by a window, staring out of it.

"Oh, hello," the Doctor smiles awkwardly.

"You just missed her... she'll be in Paris by six," Kind Louis replies.

"Ah..."

The king turns to us, his eyes widening, "good lord, she was right! She said you never looked a day older," he shakes his head. "So many years since I saw you last, Doctor, yet not a day of it on your face," he walks over to a side table and opens a drawer, taking out two letters. "She spoke of both of you many times," he tells us, making my smile fade as realization hits me... oh, no. "Often wished you'd visit again, you know how women are," he holds out a letter to each of us.

I take the letter, seeing my name written in elegant writing. Tears prickle my eyes and I get a wave of grief as the Doctor grips his own letter, his hold on my waist tightening. I jump when there's the sound of a whip cracking, followed by the neighing of horses.

"There she goes, leaving Versailles for the last time," Kind Louis XV sighs sadly, looking back out the window. "Only forty-three when she died," he whispers and I turn into the Doctor, wrapping my arms around his waist as tears roll down my cheeks. "Too young... too young. Illness took her in the end, she always did work too hard... what does she say?"

I clutch onto my letter tighter, using my other hand to clutch onto the Doctor as he pulls me closer.

King Louis XV sighs, "of course, quite right..."

The Doctor leads me away as I continue to cry silently, a continuous wave of grief washing over me.

***

When we get back to the TARDIS, I walk up to the jump-seat and sit down, pulling my knees up with my letter clutched in my hand. The Doctor goes over to the console, not saying anything.

Rose sits beside me, frowning between us and wrapping an arm around me. "... why her?" she asks quietly. "Why did they think they could fix the ship with the head of Madame de Pompadour?"

"We'll probably never know," the Doctor shakes his head. "There was massive damage in the computer memory base... probably got confused," he shrugs. "The TARDIS can close down the time windows now the droids are gone; should stop it causing any more trouble."

"... are you two alright?"

"Fine," I nod, wrapping my arms around my legs.

"I'm always alright," the Doctor sends her a small smile that doesn't reach his eyes before he starts to fiddle with the controls.

"Come on, Rose," Mouse cuts in, grabbing her hand and pulling her up. "It's time you showed me around the rest of this place," he nods to the corridor.

"... ok," Rose nods, kissing the top of my head before following Mouse out reluctantly.

The second they're gone I get up and move to stand behind the Doctor, placing my hand on his back. The Doctor grabs my hand and pulls me between him and the console, wrapping his arms around my waist and lifting me so I was sitting on the console. I snuggle into his embrace, leaning against his chest to hear his hearts as he buries his face against my neck.

"Do you want to read them together or alone?" I whisper.

"Whatever you want," he answers quietly.

"Together..." I pull away slightly, looking down at my hands. "I... I don't want to read it alone," my voice cracks as tears start to fall again.

The Doctor moves his hand to cup my cheek, tilting my face up so I'd look at him. "Then you won't," he assures me, kissing my forehead and wiping away a tear with his thumb.

I breathe out slowly, pulling away and looking down at my letter. "Can... can you go first?" I ask quietly.

The Doctor nods, opening his own letter and leaning his forehead against mine as he reads aloud softly:

My Dear Doctor,

The path has never seemed more slow, and yet I fear I am nearing its end. Reason tells me that you and I are unlikely to meet again. But I think I shall not listen to reason. I have seen the world inside your head, and know that all things are possible. Hurry though. My days grow shorter now, and I am so very weak.

God speed, my lonely angel.

The Doctor slips his letter in his pocket, closing his eyes as a tear slides down his cheek. I reach up, wiping it away before opening my own letter and reading it aloud:

Dearest Lizzie,

I grow weary that I am never to see you again, but I am happy to have sent your Doctor back to you. I would not have dreamed of separating two people who care so deeply for one another. I hope to see you again someday, my most treasured friend. But if I do not, know that I love you dearly and wish you all the happiness life can give you. Wear the hairpin I gave to you and think of me? It would make me so very happy to think that I'm with you in your thoughts out there while you see the stars. Our lonely angel needs you, take care of him.

With all my love and affection,

Reinette

The letter falls through my fingers and I clutch onto the Doctor, choking out a sob. The Doctor shushes me gently, wrapping me up in his arms and rubbing my back.

A/N: welp, that's that chapter finished! Anyone tear up at the end? Cause I sure as hell did while I was writing it (both times)! Poor Lizzie and Doctor... anywho! Thanks for reading and let me know what you think by dropping a comment or a vote! :*