FIC: Old Grey One
TITLE: Old Grey One
AUTHOR: Talepiece
RATING: 12 cert.
PAIRING: (a hint of) Leela/Zoe
CHARACTERS: Three
DISCLAIMER: Characters not mine.
SUMMARY: Leela takes Zoe to the only person who can help her.
CONTINUITY: Ties in with The Lost Children, follows on from The Blue Demons
Leela watched over the young woman as she tossed and turned in her agony. Something was causing the girl terrible pain, something related -- directly or indirectly -- to the Doctor and these blue demons. Were they gone? If they were, then this poor girl suffered something more because of the Doctor. And how had they been destroyed? Leela had hoped to defeat them herself and had stood tall and proud when it became obvious that she could not. She would go to her death with her head held high; no blue demon would take that from her, even if it took her life. Her only regret in those last few seconds had been that this girl had to die too. And then they had survived. The blue demons destroyed by some gust of hot air and a cry from far, far off.
The girl -- Leela realised that she did not even know her name -- needed help and only the Doctor could offer that. So now she was trusting this rickety old Tardis to find him. Rodan had never believed that a Tardis could do such a thing. 'They're simply machines,' she would say in that haughty tone that Leela almost missed, 'Barely any intelligence at all.' But when you had travelled in one for a while, when you knew their ways, you learned better than that. A Tardis wasn't just a machine, it was a creature, living and breathing in its own way and more than able to understand what its occupants required.
This girl seemed to have some connection with a Tardis too, certainly some understanding of them. Even in her agony and with her eyes closed she had made the console work when Leela couldn't persuade the thing to budge. Leela feared that the Tardis missed Rodan more than she did. There was a long, drawn out sigh of a sound and Leela looked up, wondering if the Tardis was reading her thoughts now. But, no, it was setting down; wherever they had been heading, now they'd arrived.
Leela dropped down to her knees at the side of the bed and reached out to the girl's shoulder. She shook gently and the girl muttered in her sleep. She was a pretty little thing, dark hair around a pale face, big expressive eyes. Leela shook her again and there was a low moan. The girl came to slowly, her pale features contorting as the depth of her pain returned to them.
'Easy, little one. We have arrived.' The small body tensed at her voice, the eyes opening wide and looking around her in panic. Leela kept a gentle hand on her shoulder until the eyes had returned to hers. She smiled, 'Do you remember what happened?'
The girl hesitated, her face screwing up in thought, then widening again as the memories returned to her. A hand went to her head, pressing hard to her temple, 'My head. Why does my head hurt like this?'
'I do not know,' Leela glanced back to the door behind her, 'but I believe we may be able to find out.'
She helped the girl to sit, then eased her to her feet, Leela's arms always around her. They stood side-by-side, the girl tucked in to Leela's side while she found her balance. Leela lead them out of the room and down the corridor back to the console room. The girl looked around her in wonder again.
'It wasn't a dream?'
'No, little one.'
'I'm not that little,' the girl said, her tone stronger, words defiant.
Leela grinned, 'Well, yes, you are but,' she hurried on, 'I have nothing else to call you. You have not told me your name,' she added when the girl stared up at her.
'Oh, sorry. Zoe. Zoe Heriot. We're not on The Wheel any more, are we?'
Leela shook her head. She flicked at a control on the console and a screen appeared. It showed some sort of lab. There were large worktops strewn with equipment, archaic equipment, Zoe thought, though it looked like a well run lab. There were more desks around the room... Zoe learned forward to study the image. There, in the far corner of the room was a large blue box. The sign said "Police Box". Whatever was that doing there? She opened her mouth to speak but Leela said, 'The Doctor!', before she could.
'The old man? Or your laughing oaf? I don't understand but, oh,' Zoe crumpled at Leela's side, 'my head.'
Leela held her up, taking her weight and guiding them to the door. It opened with that same hissing sound that Rodan swore she had eradicated. It set Leela's teeth on edge. She ignored it as best she could and carried Zoe outside. Glancing back, she saw that her own Tardis had adopted what it thought to be a suitable disguise for this location. Now there were two blue boxes in the room. Leela laughed but the sound died in her throat when the door to the room opened.
'Oh, I say, I wasn't expecting to find anyone in here. Hello my de--' The tall, grey-haired man stopped. His twinkling eyes slipped from Leela's blue-stained face to the girl at her side. He took a step forward but Leela used her free had to draw her knife and menaced him with it. 'Easy now, old thing,' he said, his hands coming up in a placating gesture, 'easy now. It's just that that young lady under your arm happens to be an old friend of mine. Zoe? Zoe, my dear, you don't look too well.'
'Who are you?' Zoe managed to say. The pain in her head was so severe she could barely see but she forced her eyes open enough to glance at the tall man with the green jacket and frilly shirt. She didn't know him, did she? No, she'd never met him in her life. And yet...he felt so familiar. 'Do I know you?'
'Back, Old Grey One,' Leela said, her knife aimed at his chest.
'Old Grey One, well I say! I'll have you know I'm barely six hundred years old. Really, I'm --'
'The Doctor?'
He stopped, studying the armed woman carefully. There was something about her; he didn't know her but he had a feeling he would. Or had, looking at it from her point of view. 'Why not just put the knife down and let's talk like sensible people, eh?'
'You are him, are you not? One of him? I knew him when he was a big, laughing oaf. She,' Leela hefted Zoe in her other arm, 'knew him when he was a little, old man with funny clothes.'
'Yes, that would be my previous incarnation. He really did have the most infuriating sense of style. But a big, laughing oaf. I don't know that I like the sound of that at all. Certainly haven't been one of those yet. Oh dear, it's always a disappointment, how one turns out. Still, that may not be the point at the moment. Actually, my dear, the point is that thing,' he indicated the knife, 'wouldn't you say? Now, put that thing down and let's introduce ourselves properly. And perhaps even help my old friend here?' Leela reluctantly sheathed the knife. 'There now, much better. Here we are, let's make a space for Zoe.'
He cleared the equipment and notes from one of the central desks. Shrugging off his jacket, he folded it neatly and placed it on the top. Leela lifted Zoe in her arms and gently lay her on the desk. The Doctor moved the makeshift pillow until Zoe's head was resting on it. They stood side-by-side and looked down on the girl. Her eyes fluttered open and she gasped in pain.
'She has been like this since --' Leela stopped herself. These attacks had something to do with the Doctor, she was sure of it, but should she tell him? Something screamed in her mind that she should not; that alerting him would cause him, if not all of the Doctors, to do something very, very foolish. No, the blue demons were gone now and she would not make it more complicated by telling tales. The Doctor made to speak, to encourage her to continue, so she spoke up in a rush, 'since she first saw the Tardis. My Tardis,' Leela added, 'I believe her pain is related to it or to you.'
'Yes, well, setting aside whatever really happened,' he gave her a sharp look, 'and just how you've come to have your own Tardis. With a functioning Chameleon Circuit, I might note. Let's focus on poor old Zoe, eh?'
'You know what is wrong with her?'
'Yes, yes I'm rather afraid I do. Now, my dear, step aside and let me get to work.'
Leela growled her displeasure at being cast aside but he ignored it and used an arm to ease her out of his way. He walked around the desk, studying Zoe for long moments, then reached out and tested her temperature with the back of his hand to her forehead. 'I say,' he muttered, 'I'll bet the Time Lords didn't expect this at all.'
'Time Lords?' Leela stepped forward again, 'What have your people got to do with this?'
'You know my people?'
Leela felt a faint heat in her cheeks, 'I have spent some time on Gallifrey,' she admitted in low voice.
'You poor dear,' he said with a chuckle but it died on his lips as he studied Zoe's pained features. 'My people and I haven't always seen eye-to-eye. At one point they were really quite annoyed with me.'
'Only at one point, Doctor?' Leela teased.
Another chuckle, 'Yes, well, quite. Anyway, the upshot was that I was exiled to Earth and my two companions were returned to a point in their personal timelines when they had only just met me. They would only remember our first meetings and none of our subsequent adventures together.'
'But she is remembering?'
'Yes, yes, I rather fear she is. That prodigious memory of hers, no doubt; always difficult things to control, human minds. My dear girl, why are you both covered in that vile blue slime? It's quite a fetching colour but it doesn't offer the best scent in the universe. If you'll forgive me for saying so.'
Leela fidgeted, suddenly aware of the rank odour that hung around them both. She hadn't even noticed the smell before; too concerned for the girl's safety. 'There was an incident.'
'Yes. And something you absolutely don't want to tell me about, obviously. Still, I need to do a bit of quite delicate work here and you need to get cleaned up. Does that old thing of yours,' he indicated her Tardis with a tilt of his head, 'have facilities?'
'It does,' Leela said, bristling at the implication, 'thank you.'
'Then you go in and get yourself cleaned up and I'll help Zoe. Don't worry now,' he shooed her away, 'I'll take the best of care of her. You get yourself some fresh clothes and you'll both be right as rain.'
Leela held her ground for a long, drawn out moment, her eyes flitting from Zoe to the Doctor. He wasn't her Doctor -- not Zoe's either -- but he was one of them and she had to trust him. If not him, who? She glared at him, pinning him with one of her fiercest stares. He smiled back, entirely unaffected. Yes, he was definitely the Doctor. She turned back to Zoe. The small body was twitching, pain twisting her face. She needed help and she needed it quickly. With one last glare at the Doctor, Leela gave a sharp nod and turned away. She returned to her Tardis, a smile coming to her lips despite the serious situation. No matter that the Doctor's Tardis was actually malfunctioning, she had grown used to this size and shape. Each time she stepped out of her own Tardis, each time it took on a different appearance, she mourned the loss of that battered old box.
She stepped out of it only ten minutes later but this time clean of the blue slime and free from the worst of the stench. There was still a lingering odour, hiding behind the scent of soap, but it would fade. She had on her other leathers and felt much better, more herself. And apparently so did Zoe. The young woman was sitting up on the desk, her legs dangling over the edge. The pain was gone from her features and for the first time Leela saw what an attractive woman she was. Her mouth was open in a giggling laugh as the Doctor told her some tall tale accompanied by extravagant hand gestures. Her expression softened as she spotted Leela, her hazel eyes fluttering closed for a moment before her composure returned and she flashed a smile in Leela's direction.
The Doctor turned to smile at her as well. 'Ah, my dear, looking much better. And,' he sniffed deeply, 'smelling fresh as a daisy.'
'I'm afraid I need a good shower too,' Zoe said. She flushed red yet again, her eyes dropping away from Leela. 'Erm, if that would be OK?'
'Of course,' Leela said.
The Doctor looked from one woman to the next. A faint smile graced his lips but he said nothing for a moment before, 'You must rest though, my dear; you've been through a nasty scrape or two, I dare say, and you'll need time to heal.'
'I will, Doctor, thank you.'
She made to drop down from the desk and both Leela and the Doctor stepped forward to help. They stopped at the same time, each waiting for the other to move again.
'After you,' the Doctor said.
Leela helped Zoe to her feet. She held on for a moment before Zoe brushed her hands away. 'I'm all right now, honestly. Is there a bathroom in there,' she indicated Leela's Tardis.
'Next to the room you were in. I'll show --'
'I can find it.'
Leela watched her go. She felt the Doctor come to her side and they stared at the blue door long after it had closed behind the girl. A large hand came to Leela's shoulder and she felt a strange sort of calm fill her. As infuriating as he could be -- and often was -- she had always felt an odd sense of peace with the Doctor. He made you feel safe, even when he was putting you in mortal danger. Perhaps that was why so many intelligent, rational people would follow him without thought?
'You will take care of her, won't you?'
'Of course.'
The Doctor turned to her, his free hand coming to Leela's other shoulder. He smiled at her, a hint of sadness in his eyes, 'I know that travelling with me can be dangerous. Even after you've left me. Is there something else I should know? They're giving me a new assistant here, you see, and I wouldn't want the poor thing to suffer on my account.'
'It is dealt with, Doctor. I believe.'
'You bel--' he stopped himself from saying more. Instead, he said, 'Yes, well, I believe I can trust your judgment; I've obviously done it in the future.' Leela rolled her eyes and he chuckled, 'You know, you have me at a disadvantage. I don't know your name,' he clarified.
'I am Leela. It is an honour to meet you, Old Grey One.'
He gave her a very deliberate stare but his eyes twinkled as he said, 'Old Grey One, indeed! Really! Anyway, it is a great pleasure to meet you, Leela, and I look forward to doing so in the future.'
'It was a great pleasure, Doctor. In between the murderous magicians, deadly glowing creatures and rebellious robots.'
'Well that all sounds quite exciting. I look forward to it.' His expression shifted again, his tone serious when he said, 'Should I ask where you got that Tardis from? No? No, quite right too. Would you like to stay for a while? No. You will take care of her? And yourself. Perhaps even let her take care of you? I suspect that isn't entirely in your nature but you might want to consider it. Zoe really is quite remarkable. But, then, you obviously are too.' He leaned forward and dropped a kiss to her cheek, smiling at the blush that flared up where his lips had touched her skin. 'Take care, Leela.'
His hands lifted again and pressed to her cheeks, cupping her skin. There was a terrible sadness in his eyes but it faded as quickly as the thought passed through Leela's mind. She patted the hands at her face and pulled back from his grasp. She took a few steps back and saw the focus change in his eyes, saw the knowledge of her fading away. She had cut across his timeline, something even the most cavalier Time Lord would do his best to avoid; knowing her now might change how he dealt with matters later and that could cost them both their lives. Another step back and he barely seemed to be registering her presence at all. Leela felt a stab of pain in her heart, even as a strange sort of relief washed through her mind.
She turned away and walked to the Tardis without looking back. The door closed behind her with that same infuriating hiss but she ignored it and strode through the console room, setting the controls to take them out in to time and space once more. She left the console and walked out to the corridor beyond. She could hear the noise of the shower and the faint sound of Zoe's off-key singing. She should have asked him what he had done, Leela realised; how much did the young woman know? What more could Leela safely tell her and what more might break her mind again? But the Doctor wouldn't have left the girl in danger and she was obviously old enough and intelligent enough to make up her own mind on these things.
The sounds from the shower room caught her attention again. This girl, Zoe, what would happen to her now? Leela needed to decide what to do next. She thought about it for a few moments more before she made her decision; she would ask the girl to remain on board. A Tardis was a lonely place for a solo traveller and the universe was a much smaller place with someone by your side. Yes, she would ask the girl to stay with her and they would see what adventures they could find for themselves.
AUTHOR: Talepiece
RATING: 12 cert.
PAIRING: (a hint of) Leela/Zoe
CHARACTERS: Three
DISCLAIMER: Characters not mine.
SUMMARY: Leela takes Zoe to the only person who can help her.
CONTINUITY: Ties in with The Lost Children, follows on from The Blue Demons
Leela watched over the young woman as she tossed and turned in her agony. Something was causing the girl terrible pain, something related -- directly or indirectly -- to the Doctor and these blue demons. Were they gone? If they were, then this poor girl suffered something more because of the Doctor. And how had they been destroyed? Leela had hoped to defeat them herself and had stood tall and proud when it became obvious that she could not. She would go to her death with her head held high; no blue demon would take that from her, even if it took her life. Her only regret in those last few seconds had been that this girl had to die too. And then they had survived. The blue demons destroyed by some gust of hot air and a cry from far, far off.
The girl -- Leela realised that she did not even know her name -- needed help and only the Doctor could offer that. So now she was trusting this rickety old Tardis to find him. Rodan had never believed that a Tardis could do such a thing. 'They're simply machines,' she would say in that haughty tone that Leela almost missed, 'Barely any intelligence at all.' But when you had travelled in one for a while, when you knew their ways, you learned better than that. A Tardis wasn't just a machine, it was a creature, living and breathing in its own way and more than able to understand what its occupants required.
This girl seemed to have some connection with a Tardis too, certainly some understanding of them. Even in her agony and with her eyes closed she had made the console work when Leela couldn't persuade the thing to budge. Leela feared that the Tardis missed Rodan more than she did. There was a long, drawn out sigh of a sound and Leela looked up, wondering if the Tardis was reading her thoughts now. But, no, it was setting down; wherever they had been heading, now they'd arrived.
Leela dropped down to her knees at the side of the bed and reached out to the girl's shoulder. She shook gently and the girl muttered in her sleep. She was a pretty little thing, dark hair around a pale face, big expressive eyes. Leela shook her again and there was a low moan. The girl came to slowly, her pale features contorting as the depth of her pain returned to them.
'Easy, little one. We have arrived.' The small body tensed at her voice, the eyes opening wide and looking around her in panic. Leela kept a gentle hand on her shoulder until the eyes had returned to hers. She smiled, 'Do you remember what happened?'
The girl hesitated, her face screwing up in thought, then widening again as the memories returned to her. A hand went to her head, pressing hard to her temple, 'My head. Why does my head hurt like this?'
'I do not know,' Leela glanced back to the door behind her, 'but I believe we may be able to find out.'
She helped the girl to sit, then eased her to her feet, Leela's arms always around her. They stood side-by-side, the girl tucked in to Leela's side while she found her balance. Leela lead them out of the room and down the corridor back to the console room. The girl looked around her in wonder again.
'It wasn't a dream?'
'No, little one.'
'I'm not that little,' the girl said, her tone stronger, words defiant.
Leela grinned, 'Well, yes, you are but,' she hurried on, 'I have nothing else to call you. You have not told me your name,' she added when the girl stared up at her.
'Oh, sorry. Zoe. Zoe Heriot. We're not on The Wheel any more, are we?'
Leela shook her head. She flicked at a control on the console and a screen appeared. It showed some sort of lab. There were large worktops strewn with equipment, archaic equipment, Zoe thought, though it looked like a well run lab. There were more desks around the room... Zoe learned forward to study the image. There, in the far corner of the room was a large blue box. The sign said "Police Box". Whatever was that doing there? She opened her mouth to speak but Leela said, 'The Doctor!', before she could.
'The old man? Or your laughing oaf? I don't understand but, oh,' Zoe crumpled at Leela's side, 'my head.'
Leela held her up, taking her weight and guiding them to the door. It opened with that same hissing sound that Rodan swore she had eradicated. It set Leela's teeth on edge. She ignored it as best she could and carried Zoe outside. Glancing back, she saw that her own Tardis had adopted what it thought to be a suitable disguise for this location. Now there were two blue boxes in the room. Leela laughed but the sound died in her throat when the door to the room opened.
'Oh, I say, I wasn't expecting to find anyone in here. Hello my de--' The tall, grey-haired man stopped. His twinkling eyes slipped from Leela's blue-stained face to the girl at her side. He took a step forward but Leela used her free had to draw her knife and menaced him with it. 'Easy now, old thing,' he said, his hands coming up in a placating gesture, 'easy now. It's just that that young lady under your arm happens to be an old friend of mine. Zoe? Zoe, my dear, you don't look too well.'
'Who are you?' Zoe managed to say. The pain in her head was so severe she could barely see but she forced her eyes open enough to glance at the tall man with the green jacket and frilly shirt. She didn't know him, did she? No, she'd never met him in her life. And yet...he felt so familiar. 'Do I know you?'
'Back, Old Grey One,' Leela said, her knife aimed at his chest.
'Old Grey One, well I say! I'll have you know I'm barely six hundred years old. Really, I'm --'
'The Doctor?'
He stopped, studying the armed woman carefully. There was something about her; he didn't know her but he had a feeling he would. Or had, looking at it from her point of view. 'Why not just put the knife down and let's talk like sensible people, eh?'
'You are him, are you not? One of him? I knew him when he was a big, laughing oaf. She,' Leela hefted Zoe in her other arm, 'knew him when he was a little, old man with funny clothes.'
'Yes, that would be my previous incarnation. He really did have the most infuriating sense of style. But a big, laughing oaf. I don't know that I like the sound of that at all. Certainly haven't been one of those yet. Oh dear, it's always a disappointment, how one turns out. Still, that may not be the point at the moment. Actually, my dear, the point is that thing,' he indicated the knife, 'wouldn't you say? Now, put that thing down and let's introduce ourselves properly. And perhaps even help my old friend here?' Leela reluctantly sheathed the knife. 'There now, much better. Here we are, let's make a space for Zoe.'
He cleared the equipment and notes from one of the central desks. Shrugging off his jacket, he folded it neatly and placed it on the top. Leela lifted Zoe in her arms and gently lay her on the desk. The Doctor moved the makeshift pillow until Zoe's head was resting on it. They stood side-by-side and looked down on the girl. Her eyes fluttered open and she gasped in pain.
'She has been like this since --' Leela stopped herself. These attacks had something to do with the Doctor, she was sure of it, but should she tell him? Something screamed in her mind that she should not; that alerting him would cause him, if not all of the Doctors, to do something very, very foolish. No, the blue demons were gone now and she would not make it more complicated by telling tales. The Doctor made to speak, to encourage her to continue, so she spoke up in a rush, 'since she first saw the Tardis. My Tardis,' Leela added, 'I believe her pain is related to it or to you.'
'Yes, well, setting aside whatever really happened,' he gave her a sharp look, 'and just how you've come to have your own Tardis. With a functioning Chameleon Circuit, I might note. Let's focus on poor old Zoe, eh?'
'You know what is wrong with her?'
'Yes, yes I'm rather afraid I do. Now, my dear, step aside and let me get to work.'
Leela growled her displeasure at being cast aside but he ignored it and used an arm to ease her out of his way. He walked around the desk, studying Zoe for long moments, then reached out and tested her temperature with the back of his hand to her forehead. 'I say,' he muttered, 'I'll bet the Time Lords didn't expect this at all.'
'Time Lords?' Leela stepped forward again, 'What have your people got to do with this?'
'You know my people?'
Leela felt a faint heat in her cheeks, 'I have spent some time on Gallifrey,' she admitted in low voice.
'You poor dear,' he said with a chuckle but it died on his lips as he studied Zoe's pained features. 'My people and I haven't always seen eye-to-eye. At one point they were really quite annoyed with me.'
'Only at one point, Doctor?' Leela teased.
Another chuckle, 'Yes, well, quite. Anyway, the upshot was that I was exiled to Earth and my two companions were returned to a point in their personal timelines when they had only just met me. They would only remember our first meetings and none of our subsequent adventures together.'
'But she is remembering?'
'Yes, yes, I rather fear she is. That prodigious memory of hers, no doubt; always difficult things to control, human minds. My dear girl, why are you both covered in that vile blue slime? It's quite a fetching colour but it doesn't offer the best scent in the universe. If you'll forgive me for saying so.'
Leela fidgeted, suddenly aware of the rank odour that hung around them both. She hadn't even noticed the smell before; too concerned for the girl's safety. 'There was an incident.'
'Yes. And something you absolutely don't want to tell me about, obviously. Still, I need to do a bit of quite delicate work here and you need to get cleaned up. Does that old thing of yours,' he indicated her Tardis with a tilt of his head, 'have facilities?'
'It does,' Leela said, bristling at the implication, 'thank you.'
'Then you go in and get yourself cleaned up and I'll help Zoe. Don't worry now,' he shooed her away, 'I'll take the best of care of her. You get yourself some fresh clothes and you'll both be right as rain.'
Leela held her ground for a long, drawn out moment, her eyes flitting from Zoe to the Doctor. He wasn't her Doctor -- not Zoe's either -- but he was one of them and she had to trust him. If not him, who? She glared at him, pinning him with one of her fiercest stares. He smiled back, entirely unaffected. Yes, he was definitely the Doctor. She turned back to Zoe. The small body was twitching, pain twisting her face. She needed help and she needed it quickly. With one last glare at the Doctor, Leela gave a sharp nod and turned away. She returned to her Tardis, a smile coming to her lips despite the serious situation. No matter that the Doctor's Tardis was actually malfunctioning, she had grown used to this size and shape. Each time she stepped out of her own Tardis, each time it took on a different appearance, she mourned the loss of that battered old box.
She stepped out of it only ten minutes later but this time clean of the blue slime and free from the worst of the stench. There was still a lingering odour, hiding behind the scent of soap, but it would fade. She had on her other leathers and felt much better, more herself. And apparently so did Zoe. The young woman was sitting up on the desk, her legs dangling over the edge. The pain was gone from her features and for the first time Leela saw what an attractive woman she was. Her mouth was open in a giggling laugh as the Doctor told her some tall tale accompanied by extravagant hand gestures. Her expression softened as she spotted Leela, her hazel eyes fluttering closed for a moment before her composure returned and she flashed a smile in Leela's direction.
The Doctor turned to smile at her as well. 'Ah, my dear, looking much better. And,' he sniffed deeply, 'smelling fresh as a daisy.'
'I'm afraid I need a good shower too,' Zoe said. She flushed red yet again, her eyes dropping away from Leela. 'Erm, if that would be OK?'
'Of course,' Leela said.
The Doctor looked from one woman to the next. A faint smile graced his lips but he said nothing for a moment before, 'You must rest though, my dear; you've been through a nasty scrape or two, I dare say, and you'll need time to heal.'
'I will, Doctor, thank you.'
She made to drop down from the desk and both Leela and the Doctor stepped forward to help. They stopped at the same time, each waiting for the other to move again.
'After you,' the Doctor said.
Leela helped Zoe to her feet. She held on for a moment before Zoe brushed her hands away. 'I'm all right now, honestly. Is there a bathroom in there,' she indicated Leela's Tardis.
'Next to the room you were in. I'll show --'
'I can find it.'
Leela watched her go. She felt the Doctor come to her side and they stared at the blue door long after it had closed behind the girl. A large hand came to Leela's shoulder and she felt a strange sort of calm fill her. As infuriating as he could be -- and often was -- she had always felt an odd sense of peace with the Doctor. He made you feel safe, even when he was putting you in mortal danger. Perhaps that was why so many intelligent, rational people would follow him without thought?
'You will take care of her, won't you?'
'Of course.'
The Doctor turned to her, his free hand coming to Leela's other shoulder. He smiled at her, a hint of sadness in his eyes, 'I know that travelling with me can be dangerous. Even after you've left me. Is there something else I should know? They're giving me a new assistant here, you see, and I wouldn't want the poor thing to suffer on my account.'
'It is dealt with, Doctor. I believe.'
'You bel--' he stopped himself from saying more. Instead, he said, 'Yes, well, I believe I can trust your judgment; I've obviously done it in the future.' Leela rolled her eyes and he chuckled, 'You know, you have me at a disadvantage. I don't know your name,' he clarified.
'I am Leela. It is an honour to meet you, Old Grey One.'
He gave her a very deliberate stare but his eyes twinkled as he said, 'Old Grey One, indeed! Really! Anyway, it is a great pleasure to meet you, Leela, and I look forward to doing so in the future.'
'It was a great pleasure, Doctor. In between the murderous magicians, deadly glowing creatures and rebellious robots.'
'Well that all sounds quite exciting. I look forward to it.' His expression shifted again, his tone serious when he said, 'Should I ask where you got that Tardis from? No? No, quite right too. Would you like to stay for a while? No. You will take care of her? And yourself. Perhaps even let her take care of you? I suspect that isn't entirely in your nature but you might want to consider it. Zoe really is quite remarkable. But, then, you obviously are too.' He leaned forward and dropped a kiss to her cheek, smiling at the blush that flared up where his lips had touched her skin. 'Take care, Leela.'
His hands lifted again and pressed to her cheeks, cupping her skin. There was a terrible sadness in his eyes but it faded as quickly as the thought passed through Leela's mind. She patted the hands at her face and pulled back from his grasp. She took a few steps back and saw the focus change in his eyes, saw the knowledge of her fading away. She had cut across his timeline, something even the most cavalier Time Lord would do his best to avoid; knowing her now might change how he dealt with matters later and that could cost them both their lives. Another step back and he barely seemed to be registering her presence at all. Leela felt a stab of pain in her heart, even as a strange sort of relief washed through her mind.
She turned away and walked to the Tardis without looking back. The door closed behind her with that same infuriating hiss but she ignored it and strode through the console room, setting the controls to take them out in to time and space once more. She left the console and walked out to the corridor beyond. She could hear the noise of the shower and the faint sound of Zoe's off-key singing. She should have asked him what he had done, Leela realised; how much did the young woman know? What more could Leela safely tell her and what more might break her mind again? But the Doctor wouldn't have left the girl in danger and she was obviously old enough and intelligent enough to make up her own mind on these things.
The sounds from the shower room caught her attention again. This girl, Zoe, what would happen to her now? Leela needed to decide what to do next. She thought about it for a few moments more before she made her decision; she would ask the girl to remain on board. A Tardis was a lonely place for a solo traveller and the universe was a much smaller place with someone by your side. Yes, she would ask the girl to stay with her and they would see what adventures they could find for themselves.