Symmetry

The Gemini Archives Book 5
by Jill D'Entremont

As Gemini struggles to control the strong emotions of her Time Lord side, she also struggles to be a supportive sister when James brings home a new girlfriend. Is it just her protective nature throwing a red flag, or does something not seem right about the blond beauty called Janavene?

Originally written & illustrated January 2013
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Chapter 1

I clutched my head, slipping to my knees. I slumped forward, only to arch backwards shortly after, still grasping at my hair until I let my arms fall back. My hands fell against the cold floor. I took a deep breath, seemingly in pain. As I released it, I slowly opened my eyes as I lowered my head back to look forward.

Sofia and Dawn only glanced at me through squinted eyes before they blended into the shadows.

A single spotlight focused on me, casting my shadow across the floor. My eyes darted into the audience.

"And there's a pit... all around me...
And in the pit... there is darkness...
And in the darkness... there is nothing..."

I threw my hands up as my eyes grew wide. "Except the walls... getting closer!"

I clenched my hands into fists as I rose to my knees. "And burning spears... growing longer!"

I loosened up slightly. "As I grow weaker... they grow stronger!!"

Leaping to my feet, I clutched at the air above my head as the music drove ahead and the lights around me flashed.

"Between the pit and the pendulum, hanging onto hope!
The devil in the belfry pulling on the rope!
I was caught in a stranglehold trying not to choke!
Beneath the pit and the pendulum I will come
Tumbling down—tumbling down..."

The scene played out a moment longer before I cried out my final note, and I collapsed to the ground moments before the lights went black. Applause broke out, but it stopped when a single light shone from back stage and Vance stepped onto the set.

"Mister Poe? Mister Poe," he finally found me in the center of the stage as I attempted to raise myself.

"Y—yes," I tried, shielding my eyes.

Vance seemed to shrink back. "Mister Poe, I had no alternative! In your unexplained absence but to assume... that you no longer wish to be a contributor to this magazine. You will admit there has been little forthcoming of late..."

Breathing hard, I turned away. "I've—I've been indisposed..."

Vance held up a hand. "I'm sorry to hear that. But your unpredictability has left me no choice but to appoint a new editor."

I doubled over before staggering to my feet. "What?!"

Vance began walking backwards as I struggled to reach out to him. "Your place has already been taken by a most worthy successor—the Reverend Rufus Griswold!"

I watched as the head of the Baltimore magazine stepped away from me, leaving me again alone at the center of the stage. I could only hang my head as the lights again faded to black.

I cracked a smile in the darkness. Our first performance in the Sirius Theater was going better than I could have imagined.

- - -

"James!!"

The cast was returning back stage from the curtain call, and James turned to see me racing towards him. He could only open his arms as I nearly knocked him over in a hug.

"We did it, James!" I exclaimed. "Our first performance in the Sirius!!"

"It—it w-w..." He sighed with an exasperated grin. "I—too excited," he began to laugh when he couldn't seem to continue speaking.

"It was perfect!" I said for him, to which he nodded exuberantly. "It went so well! And listen to the cheers even now!"

"C-can't believe it—almost a f-full house for a first show—we've g-got to get the balcony s—seats fixed!"

"We're gonna have to do it this weekend at this rate!" I laughed.

"Ah, there's Mistress Poe!"

I turned to see The Doctor hurrying backstage, and with a great hug, he lifted me from the floor.

"You were splendid! Splendid and brilliant and beautiful—and everyone else was spot on!" He smiled as he lowered me back down, ruffling the feathers of the jet-black 'raven' coat I wear for the final scene.

I giggled and hugged him again. "We couldn't have done any better!"

"Great job, Ace!" Athena said as she passed me.

"You too!" I replied, half-turning to face the others while still being more or less attached to my Time Lord companion. "I'm so proud of you guys. I mean it when I say we couldn't have done any better. Excellent way to start our performances here!"

The others expressed their agreement. Even Ed was over the moon in how well it had gone, and he grinned smugly in his Griswold costume.

"And as an audience member I can certainly say it was well received." The Doctor added.

While the others began to disperse and otherwise talk amongst themselves, Vance shuffled around Mioko and Sofia to reach us. "Where's Amaya?" he asked almost hurriedly.

"Ah—she's gone ahead to the party," The Doctor nodded.

"All right," Vance said simply, and he started off to the dressing rooms.

I raised my eyebrows and flashed The Doctor a look. He smirked and patted my back. "She wanted to wait for him there," he said, moments before sighing dreamily.

"It's party time, chumps!" Ed's voice could be heard all over back stage. He had dressed down slightly, quickly leaving the dressing room with a button-up shirt rather than Griswold's reverend collar. "I'll see y'all there!" He pointed his fingers in the air as he started out the back door.

The party in question was a grand opening celebration for our theater that also doubled as an after-show party. The cast would get to meet and greet the patrons of our first show—many of which had chipped in a few extra gold pieces to help us get to this point. It was only fair that we hosted something for the community of Fortanya, and we couldn't have asked for anything more. Out in the cool of evening, beneath strings of electric lights that spanned the gap between the theater and the small stable for tying up horses, we would be meeting a modest crowd with deep appreciation.

"Sounds like a plan," The Doctor said, pulling me closer. "Do you need a date for the party?"

"Why yes, my dear," I chuckled, playfully fanning myself like a proper lady.

"Or would it be odd for Poe to be on the arm of another man..." he jested.

I shoved him playfully as we started towards the door. "I'm sure most people have it figured out already anyway..."

"What, that we're in love?"

I blushed. "That I'm a girl."

"And you're not just any girl. You're my girl!"

"And you're my guy." I smirked.

"Come on, love birds," Mioko grinned as he set his hands on our shoulders. "Let's keep it moving!"

We hurried out the back door with Mioko, James, and the others behind us. It was going to be quite an evening—and, as always, quite an adventure.

---

Chapter 2

Dorian had set himself up behind a small sound system that we had initially used for the Sirius before collecting enough money to purchase a better one. He had begun playing music for the patrons at the party, but no one was actually dancing—or paying much attention in the first place. Most of them were chatting it up with each other while they drank punch and wine and snacked on Dawn and Athena's baked party treats. A few patrons had tracked down members of the cast to talk to, and the others were already on their way home after briefly saying hello and thank you.

One particularly excited patron had found me, and he was talking my ear off on how he had always been a fan of Edgar Allan Poe's work.

"...But what really got me was how you portrayed Poe."

I leaned back slightly, expecting the worst. I had already been inspected by an elderly woman who confirmed my gender and huffed in my general direction before leaving the party. "Got you... in a good way?" I asked carefully.

"Good? Why, you were outstanding!" he waved his arms. "That was the best portrayal of Poe I have ever come across! It was as if you were channeling Poe himself—like you had met him and got tips!"

Smiling at how close the man was to being right, I nodded kindly. "Thank you."

"You seemed so real... you didn't make him out to be some... old depressed gentleman. He had life! He had character! And of course he had his demons—but I'm telling you, I think Poe himself would be honored to know how you're keeping his memory alive."

I couldn't help but nod again, feeling flattered. "Thank you, sir. That means a lot to me." From the corner of my eye, I caught sight of Vance and Amaya. I smiled at them before the exuberant fan continued to speak of Poe's works of fiction.

Vance was having a hard time making conversation as he stood beside Amaya near the punch bowl. Amaya had initially surprised him when he had gone out to the party that evening. She had positioned herself just outside the doorway, so that when he stepped outside, he couldn't help but notice the oracle in one of Dawn's dresses. Amaya wasn't quite as curvy as Dawn, but the long, sequined midnight blue dress fit her quite well.

His face still flushed, Vance nodded as Amaya continued speaking of her favorite parts of the performance. She seemed more or less oblivious to how potent her surprise had been on the younger Edwards brother, but the more she acted like it was no big deal, the more comfortable Vance became.

She turned towards him, leaning closer. "Do you think Dawn would give me this dress?" she said softly. "I really like it."

Vance again blushed from the closeness of the young woman he was attracted to, and he cleared his throat before bringing his cup of punch up to his lips. "It is... pretty. You look... great."

Amaya beamed, her own cheeks turning red. "Thank you."

Dorian put on a livelier tune over the sound system, and he finally drew Athena out to the floor with the length of her dress held in one hand. Once she began to dance, others finally began to take notice of the music and the option of dancing. Sure enough, one brave couple clasped hands and started to dance, and a few others began to follow.

The Doctor finally sauntered back over to me as the Poe-fanatic continued his explanation of the symbolism behind the "Pit and the Pendulum."

"That scene in particular was exactly as I like to see "Pit and the Pendulum"—see, it mirrored the story with Poe's life as a whole. That whole tortured feeling... being caught and torn between two evils—and not knowing where to turn or what to do!"

"Yes, that was our plan," I said, shooting The Doctor a look. Thankfully, The Doctor caught it and stepped around to me.

"Ah Gemini! I was looking for you. Seems there's a sort of technical thing Dorian's run into at the booth." He said, putting his arm on my shoulder.

The excited fan didn't seem fazed. "Technical! Ha—our Poe here would be smart enough to understand technical. But do you think, if he were alive today, Poe could live in such a complex society?" Before either of us could answer, he continued, "I mean, I understand where he lived is quite a bit different from ol' Fortanya, Spades, but you got to wonder how he'd take to living somewhere with technology like this!"

I raised a hand. "A very good question that I'm not sure I'd know the answer to. I'll actually be back in a bit, if you don't mind." I smiled politely and excused myself with The Doctor. The excited fan merely waved happily, not disgruntled in the least by my exit—mostly because he quickly discovered another woman carrying a book of Poe's poetry.

"Thank you..." I said, hugging The Doctor's arm. "As much as I love discussing Poe, I was about ready for that conversation to move on..."

"When I hadn't noticed you in a while, I figured you must have been trapped." The Doctor smiled. "Though we should check on Dorian just to be safe."

We walked past James, who was standing off to one side to watch the group of dancers now taking up a larger amount of space than before. He nodded to us as we went around to Dorian, and he then turned his attention back ahead.

It wasn't long before a tall young woman with long blond hair and a fairly short skirt stepped up to him with a wine glass in her hand. James had to look twice before he realized she was looking at him.

"Hey there," she said calmly, "Enjoying the party?"

James immediately grew embarrassed as he tried to speak. "Y—yes it's... it's going w-well."

She smiled and stepped closer. "Don't get nervous, handsome, I'm just making conversation."

"I just," James looked down and grinned sheepishly, "c-can't always talk..."

"Oh, that's all right." She said, bringing a hand to her curled hair, "I can't always dance, but I'm willing to try."

James looked at her as if she had spoken another language. "With... m...me?"

"Of course, you. Come on!"

He watched as she took another sip of wine and set the glass on a small table nearby. She then held out a hand to him and then pouted playfully.

Taking a deep breath, James downed the last of his wine and nearly tossed the glass behind him. He took her hand and hoped she couldn't feel his pulse in his wrist as she pulled him in.

"Finally..." Dorian commented, looking out into the mass of dancing. "Now it looks more like a party."

"Leave it to Athena to get everyone moving." I smiled, scanning the crowd. Vance and Amaya looked like they were deciding if they were going to dance or not. Ed had pulled Dawn in and the two quickly blended in to the rest of the dancers. Mioko and Raeya stood by, obviously waiting for a slower song, while Mioko's sister Sofia was dancing and cutting up with Athena. And then I caught sight of James—dancing with a tall, blond woman. "...Doctor, do you see that?"

"Yes! That man was trying to dance with Athena and Sofia, and they turned him down!" he said.

"Do you see James?" I clarified.

He turned and looked off to the side, where James had been previously. Confused when he didn't see him, he turned back to the crowds. His eyes then lit up. "Oh! Look at him! I didn't know he could dance!"

"James is dancing?" Dorian asked, standing up.

"Who is that he's dancing with..." I squinted, at once feeling defensive.

The Doctor chuckled. "She's quite a looker, that's for sure."

"Who is it?" I stepped closer.

The Doctor linked his arm around mine. "He's having fun, leave him be! Besides—I don't see why we should miss all the fun."

I turned to look at him. He grinned and held out one hand to the dance floor.

"Would you like to?" he asked, his brows raised in anticipation.

I hesitated. "I don't know..."

"Oh come on—if James is dancing, there's no excuse for you!" With that, he pulled me around the sound system and we entered the dance. We then stood facing each other awkwardly with our hands clasped. Finally The Doctor tilted his head. "Well, come on, you're the actor: do something!"

"I'm not very good at this kind of dancing," I said in reply. "Besides—you're the Doctor; you've had nine-hundred years to learn how to dance!"

"Dancing is not a skill Time Lords are known for," he said exasperatedly. He looked around to see how the others were dancing. Since it was a faster song, everyone was bobbing around, stepping in an intricate pattern of movements, or simply moving their bodies in some way to the beat. The Doctor released my hands and began to shuffle his arms back and forth as he leaned from side to side. "Come on, now you!"

Rolling my eyes a bit, I couldn't help but smile as I joined in. I felt just as awkward as when we were simply standing still, but at least we looked like we were enjoying ourselves.

And then the music ended. We both stopped moving and looked at each other. The others clapped among themselves and looked prepared for the next song, which immediately became a slow love song. I could almost hear Dorian chuckling at how awkward he was making it for me.

Immediately, every couple moved closer and swayed slowly to the waltz. Arms were clasped around waists and shoulders, feet slid across the floor in time, and eyes looked lovingly into the eyes of the other, unless their head leaned lovingly against their chest.

The Doctor, watching this for only a moment, stepped in closer and brought his hands around my waist. "Well?"

My face flushed and I brought my hands to his shoulders. It was one thing to be romantic when we were alone, but it was another when there was the potential for hundreds of eyes to be watching. The Doctor didn't seem to care, and when he leaned one way to get us started, I focused on him and allowed him to lead. The words of the song came in softly around us, and before long, he was all I could see.

>

If I caught the world in a bottle
And everything was still beneath the moon
Without your love would it shine for me?
If I was smart as Aristotle
And understood the rings around the moon
What would it all matter if you loved me?

One day you’ll meet a stranger
And all the noise is silenced in the room
You’ll feel that you're close to some mystery
In the moonlight and everything shatters
You feel as if you’ve known her all your life
The world’s oldest lesson in history

Somewhere along the way he had taken one of my hands, and he gently stepped away. I spun back towards him, resting with my back to him. He then twirled me away and stepped forward to scoop me back into his arms.

Here in your arms where the world is impossibly still
With a million dreams to fulfill
And a matter of moments until the dancing ends

Here in your arms when everything seems to be clear
Not a solitary thing do I fear
Except when this moment comes near the dancing’s end

I was so close against him now. My arms were wrapped around his body as his held tightly onto mine. We swayed together as the song rose around us. I could hear the double heartbeats beneath his chest.

Oh, if I caught the world in an hourglass
Saddled up the moon and we would ride
Until the stars grew dim
Until the time that time stands still,
Until...

The note faded, but we did not move. There was movement around us, but neither of us paid any mind. I finally drew my eyes up to look at him, and he smiled so kindly back at me. We leaned together to kiss. I had never imagined feeling anything like this before. Nothing else mattered.

I lost concept of everything else for a split second—or perhaps longer. I heard The Doctor humming softly, then louder, and then he had to pull me away to snap me out of it.

"Yes, Edward?" The Doctor said, his face flushed as he held me at arm's length. I hung in his arms with a dumbfounded expression.

"I was... just letting Ace know Dawn and I were heading out—if you wouldn't mind helping the others clean up afterwards." Ed eyed us with an odd expression to his face, and it was intensified when he looked at me.

I wiped my face and stood up. "Yeah... sure." I said, back to reality. "So you're backing out on us?"

"I think it's time for someone else to do some work around here." He said, almost deadpan in delivery. If he hadn't smirked before turning away and waving, I would have been tempted to smack him in the face. "See y'all!"

I stood idly, watching as he met up with Dawn, took her by the waist, and headed out towards the street. After a moment, I sighed and turned to The Doctor. Neither of us spoke, but we decided to retreat to the sidelines as the next song continued to play.

---

Chapter 3

Amaya sighed dreamily. "And then he asked me if I wanted to dance... and I said yes! ...And then I realized he hadn't even said it yet, but when I said yes, he said that he was going to asked me to dance, and I said yes again—so we went out to the dance floor and we danced!"

"Sounds extraordinary." The Doctor grinned. He then reached down to pick up a few leftover napkins from the ground. On the other side of the party grounds, Raeya and Sofia were doing the same.

The oracle spun around in her long blue dress. "He's such a good dancer, too! He said he couldn't, but he could dance better than I could!"

"You two looked like you were doing fine when I saw you!" The Doctor stuffed more trash into his bag, looking up briefly when Vance and I came out from the theater.

Amaya laughed, unable to speak further when she caught sight of Vance. Vance noticed her too, and he smiled before turning to help me carry in another of the speakers from the sound system.

Dorian was gathering up the electrical cord, looping it like a lariat in his hand. "Well, our generator lasted the whole night; I was worried about that one."

"We still may work on getting a backup," I said in reply, "Unless we can get approval from the city to hook in to their line."

"Wasn't James going to work on that?"

I strained as I helped Vance lift the speaker. "I thought so." Vance and I shuffled back inside with the speaker and set it near the dressing room. "Course, I thought James would be here helping us pick up, and I haven't seen him in a while,"

"I saw him standing near the front of the theater with a really tall blond girl earlier," Vance replied, leaning backwards to stretch. "Maybe he finally found himself a date." He smiled.

I couldn't find it in me to smile back. "Hmm," was all I could say.

We started outside and had to quickly move out of the way as The Doctor and Mioko carried the last speaker inside. Dorian handed me the electrical cord and started over to help Athena with the tables. I shrugged and followed the others back inside.

"That was awfully nice of Ed to leave us picking all this up ourselves," Mioko was saying as I entered. "Not trying to be rude, but we could have used another guy to help move all this—so you wouldn't have to."

"I don't mind lifting things," I said. "And you have every right to be annoyed at him. I think he left out of personal vendetta against me."

"You?" Mioko stood up as The Doctor scooted the speakers into perfect alignment against the wall.

"He's just ticked that I haven't been around as much as he thinks I should be..." I grumbled. "I know that's the main reason he left."

"And to run off with Dawn." Dorian said softly behind me. He and Athena had just set down a table, and The Doctor quickly replaced Athena as they carried it the rest of the way into the dressing room.

Athena shook her head. "I can't believe he'd do that," she said. "I don't think you've been gone all that much—and I can't see how that would bother him enough to leave all of us here."

"Wanna bet?" I raised an eyebrow.

Vance and Amaya came in just as The Doctor, Mioko, and Dorian started outside to get another table. "We haven't found James," Amaya announced. "Vance and I looked around the outside of the theater."

"He could have gone off somewhere," Vance said.

I huffed. "Great, now he's going to start wandering off."

"He'll be back," Athena assured me.

But all I could think of was the tall blond woman, and what she could mean for James. Going off with someone he had just met didn't seem like something James would do. I would have bet on that too—but I feared I'd lose this time.

- - -

James's eyes strayed to the clock hanging at the back of the wall. Over the rows of bottles and glasses in the Queen's Throne tavern, the dusty clock read that it was close to midnight. He couldn't believe how quickly time had gotten away, and he looked over at Janavene almost worriedly.

"What's up?" she asked, setting down her empty glass. The tall, blond woman sat on the barstool with her legs crossed.

"I—I just noticed th-the time," he said, the worry again garbling his speech.

Janavene merely rested her chin on her hand. "Uh oh, you're not one of those princes that becomes a frog at midnight, are you?"

James's face flushed. "N... no... I just... well, I need to h-help pick up after the party," he awkwardly picked up his mug and finished the rest of his beer.

"Aren't there enough of your friends to take care of it?" She still refused to move, even when the bartender stopped by to pick up their empty glasses.

"Maybe, but my—my sister and I—"

"Yes, you both own the theater," Janavene interrupted. "I understand. You need to make a good impression."

Feeling almost guilty as the woman sat back from the bar and tossed her curled blond hair over one shoulder, James reached out and took her hand. "It's—it's not that I'm n-not having a good time. This—this was great."

She smiled and batted her long eyelashes. "I know. But you do know what this means?" She drew closer to him, causing James to hold his breath. "We'll just have to come back and finish this another day."

James grinned. "S—sounds good to me." He said softly.

Janavene went to get up, but James quickly slid off the bar stool and helped her down with a sturdy hand. He was initially surprised at how much heavier she felt, but he immediately cleared the thought from his mind. She locked her arm around his as he turned back to take care of their tab, and then they started to the door. He opened it for her, and she almost laughed when she stepped outside.

"Talk about a chivalrous knight," she said as she linked her arm back around James'. "How many ladies have been lucky enough to get this treatment?"

James shrugged, looking down. "N—not many."

"Really?" Janavene shot him a glance. "You're kidding."

Not wanting to delve into his personal life, James just shook his head. "No."

Janavene slowed to a stop. "Then how lucky am I?" She grinned, bringing a hand to touch his face.

James parted his lips, but was again rendered speechless.

"Listen," the young woman said as her hand slid down to James' shoulder. "I actually live just over the canal, and I'd hate for you to go out of your way just to get back to the theater. Why don't we part ways here and meet back at the Queen's Throne tomorrow night?"

"A—are you sure?" James managed to get out.

"Positive. I know my way around town; I can make it back on my own—or are you unsure if we should meet again tomorrow?"

James raised his head. "Oh—oh n-no, I—I do." He finally paused and smiled, holding Janavene's hands. "Of course we should meet."

"Then it's settled." She leaned forward and kissed James on the cheek. "See you tomorrow, tiger."

James didn't move as Janavene turned away and started down the street towards the tavern. She glanced back once and waved slyly, and then she continued on past it to get home. Once she was a good distance away, James let out a deep breath.

A smile uncontrollably spread across his face and he turned around on his heels. He swung his arms from side to side as he started down the street back towards the theater. He could scarcely believe what had happened: from a chance meeting at the party for a dance or two, and then heading out to the tavern for a drink or two, Janavene had both surprised and excited him. And he hadn't lied when she asked how many other girls he had courted. He had tried to have girlfriends before, but most ultimately couldn't see past his stammer. He had nearly given up as years went by without a love interest accepting him for who he was, so finding Janavene almost caught him off guard.

He walked with a swing in his step all the way to the theater, and he found the others locking up at the front door. Amaya noticed him first.

"I found James!" She exclaimed.

The others turned around. James smiled. "Hello—s-sorry."

I pushed my way through the group to step up to James. "Where have you been?" I found it hard not to be forceful with the question.

My brother smiled shyly. "Th-the tavern d-down the street."

"With that blond girl?" Vance asked.

James nodded. "Janavene."

"I thought so," Athena giggled. "Good for you!"

I still found it hard to smile as the others playfully begged him for information while James more or less embarrassedly shrugged it off. The Doctor smirked and stepped in beside me. "Well, did you at least have a good time?"

"Y-yes," he nodded. "I'll s—see her tomorrow."

"Ooh!" The Doctor smirked and patted him on the back. "Look at you, eh?"

"She's gotta be something," Mioko smiled, his own wife, Raeya, laughing softly at his side.

James squeezed out of the rest of their comments and stepped over to me. "D-did everything go all right here?" he asked once the others had begun to walk away.

"It did," I replied simply. "A few less hands—but that's not your fault."

James frowned. "Ed?"

"Lucky guess." I sneered.

My brother shook his head as we started off down the street after the others. "I'm... sorry I wasn't here."

"No," I nudged his shoulder. "You deserve to go have fun. You do so much around here." I paused. "...So what was she like?"

"Oi! Gem!" The Doctor butted in. "Leave your brother alone!"

"I'm being the inquisitive sister! I need to screen her for him too!" I shoved him playfully.

"I don't remember James needing to screen me!"

"Oh—oh I did," James replied, "You j-just passed early on."

The Doctor slowed, and the two of us turned around to see his blank expression.

"...Touché." He said at last. "Don't ever cross the Harley-Gallagher siblings..."

---

Chapter 4

I was sitting at the kitchen table of the Edwards' home with only a candle on the table to light the room. I had a deck of cards in my hand, and I was idly shuffling them against my knee. I heard a yawn behind me, and turned to see Amaya standing in the doorway.

"...You're still up?"

I turned back to my cards. "Yeah..."

"Oh yeah... I forget you stay up late a lot. I'm still tired from staying up so late last night..." she yawned again and shuffled over to the chair beside mine. "But I'll stay up and wait for James with you."

I stopped mid-shuffle and bit my lip.

"You don't need to be so worried," she said once I had resumed my mindless task.

I sighed and straightened out the cards. "I'm not."

Amaya leaned on the table. "Honey, I don't have to be an oracle to tell you you're worried."

I gave her a look as I fingered the cards. "I just want to be up when he gets home." I continued to deny it. Amaya, however, was not convinced.

"Mm-hmm." She hummed.

"Amaya..."

We were quickly interrupted by a rhythmic whirring. Shortly after, the familiar blue TARDIS began to pulse into view in the kitchen window. I pocketed my cards silently and got up from the table.

As I reached the back door, I found Amaya had followed me. When I glanced back at her, her ice blue eyes were already focused on me.

"The curtain is tearing. Tearing in half. You are naked on the other side—"

I frowned and pushed her away before I could stop myself. I came to an abrupt stop when she looked at me in shock.

"Amaya—I'm—I'm sorry, I—"

"I said something, didn't I," she said calmly, "It's ok."

"No it's not—I—I'm so sorry..." I repeated. I couldn't believe I had just done that. Why did I just do that? Amaya was one of my closest friends—why would I even react that way? Something was wrong... maybe it was all the worry... but there was no excuse for that. Cringing at myself, I turned away and bolted outside, nearly slamming the door behind me.

The Doctor had been standing near the TARDIS, adjusting his bowtie. When I came rushing out, he was taken aback by my frightened, yet angry disposition.

"What happened?"

"Nothing; let's go."

"Whoa," he spun around as I walked past him. "I was going to suggest... right. Inside the TARDIS..." He followed me and closed the door behind him.

I was already halfway to my room when The Doctor finally caught up to me. "Gem," he tried, "Don't go all moody on me. Is it because you're worried about Ja—"

"I'm not worried!" I turned on my heels.

The Doctor was not convinced either, and he stood in the doorway to my room with his eyebrow cocked. He remained silent this time, allowing me to feel even guiltier about how I was treating everyone all of a sudden. I gave up with a sigh, sitting down on my bed. "Okay; fine, I am." I paused, unsure of how much to tell him. "...Maybe because I haven't met James' girlfriend yet," I conceded.

"And see?" The Doctor walked over to me, "That's precisely why it's all right to be a little worried. You're not sure what this young woman is really like, and if she'll treat your brother the way he should be treated." He sat down beside me, smiling lightly. "So for now, you'll just have to trust James on his decision."

I finally nodded, looking down. Leave it to The Doctor to knock some sense back into me. It didn't fix all my problems, but it was enough to help a smile creep back onto my face.

"There we go," he said, poking at my cheek. "The smile's back."

The statement caused me to smile more, and I slumped over to lean on him. "Thanks." I said.

He wrapped his arms around me and hugged me. I snuggled closer to him, bringing my feet up onto the bed. He playfully growled and pulled me backwards. We bounced as we hit the bed, and I found myself lying on his chest. Continuing to play, I cooed and ran my hands across his body. When I reached his head, he tried to bite my fingers. The way to stop that was fairly obvious.

Drawing my hands back to his chest, I leaned forward to kiss his lips. He held my back before I could pull away, and after a smile, he drew his head up to kiss me again. The game was over—probably a draw. Either way, it didn't matter anymore.

The heat of the moment was strong. The passion of love had returned. I almost didn't notice how strong it was getting. No... I didn't notice how strong it was getting. His hands, his chest, his eyes... they were blurry. I tried to see them, but I had lost my vision.

I had lost it.

- - -

James and Janavene stood outside the Queen's Throne tavern, idly standing in the lamp light. He smiled shyly at her, and she shook her head and smiled back.

"Well, should we go back inside? We clearly aren't ready to leave." Janavene put a hand on her hip.

James could only shake his head. "It's late, th-though. You need to get home s-s—safe."

"I'll always get home safe." She replied. "How about you? That was quite a few drinks you put down tonight."

He waved at the statement. "I'm fine."

"I hope so. Because I want to see you again..."

James swallowed as the young woman stepped closer, taking his hands and holding them at his sides.

"What do you say?" Her breath was warm on his face. She was so close.

"O—f—of c-cour-se," he barely managed to say.

Janavene pulled back, smiling at him. "You sound a little hesitant, there,"

James quickly took her hands back and shook his head. "Oh no, I'd—I'd love to. I'm j—just... I—I can't—"

"Can't always talk." She finished for him. "You know, I have something that may help you. I forgot to give it to you earlier..."

James watched curiously as she reached into a small bag on her belt and produced a thin metal piece on a chain. She seemed to rub the metal in her hand, and then she held it out to him. As he carefully took it from her, he looked to her face in bewilderment.

"Put it on," she said.

He did as he was told, and immediately felt an uncomfortable wave pulse through his head. But almost as soon as it had started, it stopped. He stood still, looking from side to side. "What was that?"

"What was what, now?" She asked, grinning.

James shook his head. "I don't know, it was like a strange feeling that went through my head like..." He stopped talking. His eyes were wide. "...How... I just said that..."

"And?"

James took a deep breath. "I said that and I didn't stammer." He focused his eyes on Janavene. "I'm not stammering!"

"Amazing, isn't it." She smiled.

James half-laughed. "I've never been able to speak like this!" He covered his mouth, almost biting his fingers. "Anything I can think of, I can say! I'm standing in the street! I'm wearing a jacket! She sells seashells by the seashore!!" When Janavene laughed, he dropped his hands and looked at her with intense gratitude. "Jana... thank you..."

"I think this will help both of us," she said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You won't have to worry about getting hung up on words anymore."

"How did you do it?" He asked, lifting the metal pendant in his fingers. "How did this cure my stammer?"

"Didn't I say earlier I was a bit of a sorceress?" she smiled boastfully. "That should be enough of an explanation."

James shook his head. "If a spell was all I needed this whole time, I wonder why this was never done sooner..." He unclipped the pendant from the chain and held it in his hand. "It—it's..." He frowned. He waited until the pendant was clipped back on before continuing. "It's incredible." He finished.

"Well, you're very welcome. I hope you go home and talk all night long to... whoever's still awake at this hour!"

James smirked. "Probably Gem."

Janavene's smile faded. "Your sister."

"You know, I'd love for you to meet her and the others. Telling you stories probably doesn't do them justice—especially the way I tell stories..."

"You mean the way you used to tell stories," Janavene corrected, placing her hands on his shoulders. "How about I meet you at your place tomorrow afternoon; I can meet the gang, and then we can head off for dinner."

"Sounds like a plan." James smiled. Janavene was so close to him, but he wasn't nervous this time. He watched as she lingered, narrowing her eyes sensually with her lips pursed. He took the opportunity and kissed her lips gently.

"You work fast." Janavene whispered when they pulled away.

James blushed and stepped back. "I'll see you tomorrow, then?"

"Of course." She turned and looked over her shoulder. "Goodnight, tiger."

James watched her saunter down the road back towards the canal, a content smile on his lips.

"Goodnight."

---

Chapter 5

When The Doctor entered, I was sitting on my bed with my legs against my chest. I looked at him worriedly, hoping for his usual glowing smile to warm me, but his expression was unchanged. I turned away and rested my head against my knees. My head was beginning to throb again. It had been throbbing all night ever since I had found out what had happened.

"Gem..."

"When will this stop." The statement was not much of a question.

Still frowning, The Doctor shook his head. "I don't know."

"I keep losing it," I started again, opening my eyes. "Every time I try to get close to you, I lose it. It's like passing out because I don't remember anything—but you have no idea I'm gone..."

"No," The Doctor started over to me. "I knew immediately what had happened. That's why I stopped you from advancing further—because I knew it wasn't you."

I breathed hard, looking at him sorrowfully. He sat down beside me, but I did not move.

At last he tried to smile. "You think I don't know who you are by now?"

"I don't even know who I am!" I shrugged away from his outstretched hand. "I think everything is fine and that I can handle this whole dual consciousness thing—but I can't! Every time things get a little too much for me, I turn into some uncontrollable... thing!"

He finally got his hand on my shoulder. "Gem, you've got to stay strong."

I felt on the verge of tears. "I'm trying...!"

"I know you are, because you are strong—you just need to stay strong. You can't control Raven once she takes over; you can only keep yourself strong so that she doesn't work her way in. If you start to give up, she will come back even stronger."

I shuddered as a tear slid down my cheek and another wave of pain shot from my head. No doubt my higher consciousness was upset at this conversation. I had noticed she was being remarkably silent the last few days, but she was still very much active. "I just want this to stop." I whimpered, "I don't want to be half-Time Lord anymore. It's not worth all this."

The Doctor bit his lip, refusing to speak. When I finally looked up at him though wet eyes, he still remained silent. Why didn't he say anything?

"...What," I said, sitting up and hoping I would regret my next statement. "Is it because you like me like this better?"

I didn't realize how much I would offend him, but I was quickly shown. "Now you listen to me, Gemini Gallagher," he said in a soft, yet incredible firm voice, "I didn't fall in love with a meta-crisis. I didn't fall in love with a Time Lord—I fell in love with you." He grabbed my hand and looked hard into my eyes. "I fell in love with a young human named Ace who just so happens to have a bit of Time Lord in her. But the Time Lord is not who I love—it's the human."

He rubbed my hand and shook his head slightly. "I love the eagerness you possess; the feeling of being able to do anything—regardless if you're a woman trying to portray Edgar Allan Poe. I love how you want to do everything and see everything you can. I love how you're stronger than you look—and I love how you look—yowzah!" He paused to flash me a grin, and I finally let out a half-laugh as I hid my head in my knees. "...And I love how you have a knack for things like understanding time-travel—which was long before you became a meta-crisis, mind you. I know your friend Phoenix and he was impressed with the knowledge you possessed for being a 'simple' girl who grew up on the streets of Fortanya, Spades."

I didn't know what to say. I was still battling tears, but they were no longer tears of disappointment, they were tears that were trying to figure out how in the world I could have ever met someone like The Doctor.

He bent down in front of me, looking me straight in the eye. "Now what else would you like to know?"

I squinted my eyes and leapt out of my ball to embrace him. He held me tightly, and I held him as if I never wanted to let him go. Even my head seemed to stop throbbing and clear up.

We finally loosened our grips and sat back. The Doctor smiled kindly and brushed the hair out of my face. "Now let's get you up and go rejoin your friends. I bet we've already missed breakfast."

"Who needs breakfast," I said, getting up and starting to a pile of folded clothes in the corner of my room. I paused and looked at him as he stood in the doorway, and I finally mustered the courage to ask him one last question on the matter. "Doctor... is there... is there a way to make me just human again?"

The Doctor again stood silent for what seemed like an uncomfortable about of time. "Yes." He said awkwardly, his eyes focused on the ground.

I took a deep breath. "Is it safe?"

"No." He replied quickly.

"What would happen?"

He stood with his mouth half open, until he found it in him to look me in the eye. "It would—"

An alarm started to go off in the main room of the TARDIS, and we both tensed up from the sound. The Doctor faltered in the doorway before starting off in a sprint towards the control panel. I quickly slipped on my jacket and ran after him.

"What's going on?"

"The TARDIS has detected some sort of... device or something—right here in Fortanya." The Doctor replied, still meddling with buttons and knobs. "I've located it to be somewhere on the opposite side of town—across this stream here."

"The canal," I corrected, noting an oddly shaped red form on the map displayed on the screen, "That's not far from our theater... should we go see what it is?"

The Doctor shook his head. "I'm not detecting anything threatening from it; that's why I'm not sure why the TARDIS is all worked up about it."

The 'Warning!' message suddenly stopped flashing, and the red light faded from the map. All possible readings ceased, and the map of Fortanya looked normal once more.

The Time Lord scratched his head and turned back to me. "And... now everything's well again. Odd..." He attempted scanning the area, but all reports showed normalcy. "I suppose we'll just keep an eye on that location..."

"And it may not hurt to go over there and check it out if we get a chance," I added.

The Doctor nodded, smiling. "See? What did I say about eagerness?"

I shook my head. "Hey, I'm just stating the obvious." I nudged him playfully.

"Obvious for you." He laughed and rubbed my head until my hair was again a mess.

I sighed and straightened my hair back out as we started out of the TARDIS. I focused on The Doctor and my friends, and found that the more I thought of them, the less I thought of the powerhouse inside my head—and the clearer my head felt. There was still the smallest hint of worry and anxiety that I just could not snake...

- - -

I blinked. "...She did what?"

James was almost bouncing with excitement. "She gave me this pendant so I don't have to stammer! Can you believe it??"

I couldn't believe it; and his happiness was certainly contagious. But there was still something that felt wrong about this. There was something that almost didn't seem like James.

"I can say things as they come to mind—I don't have to sit in silence and pretend I have nothing to say." He said. "I have never, ever been able to do this."

"How does it work?" I asked, trying to look as happy as I should have been.

"She's a sorceress," James said simply, "She cast a spell on this pendant."

I lowered my brows. Now she was a sorceress? Not that I should discriminate; one of my best friends, Mioko, was a sorcerer of sorts. But he rarely practiced it anymore. In fact, a lot of magic use in Fortanya was fading away—and becoming replaced by technology.

James's smile faded a bit. "Gem, I know what you're thinking," he said. "And I've invited her here tonight to meet everyone before we head out." He paused, "So you'll finally get to meet her and stop worrying so much."

I tilted my head back. "Who said I was worried?"

James shot me a look only a brother could use.

I sighed. "Yeah, all right."

He gave me a light hug. "I think the two of you will get along perfectly."

"I bet I will," I said, looking off. At least, I hoped I would.

---

Chapter 6

Janavene sat beside James on the sofa, her long leg crossed over the other. I sat across from her on a chair pulled in from the kitchen, my own legs crossed. We both looked at each other as if we were trying to predict the next move. So far, we were not getting along so perfectly.

Vance, Amaya, Athena, The Doctor, and even James could feel the tension we were causing. Ever the mediator, The Doctor tried to keep the mood light.

"So, Ms. Janavene, where are you from?"

Janavene bounced one of her legs. "Oh, I've lived here all my life," she said with an air of authority.

"I have too; funny I've never run into you before," I said in passing.

"There's a lot of people in Fortanya, Ace," Athena tried.

"It's all right," Janavene continued, still bouncing her leg. "I don't blame her for being cautious. I'm not the most memorable of beings, so we could have passed and not even noticed."

I nodded, trying hard not to seem like a complete jerk. But she just wasn't settling right with me. Her eyes seemed far too cold for my liking.

"I like your dress," Amaya said happily in the apparent pause we had come to.

Janavene smiled. "Why thank you. I love the feathers in your hair."

Amaya beamed. "Thank you! Peacocks are worshipped where I'm from, so I like to keep a little piece of it when I'm away."

"And where are you from?"

"A planet called Fortis-Novus!"

Vance seemed nervous at Amaya's openness to reveal her other-worldliness, especially to someone who had lived in Fortanya all her life. It had been quite a shock to him, after all.

Janavene, however, simply nodded slowly. "I see," she finally said.

"And you're a sorceress, James said?" I tried again.

The young woman nodded. "Not much of one, I regret. I dabble in it here and there."

"Our friend Mioko is a sorcerer," Athena mused. "You'll have to meet him sometime and chat about it."

The blond woman simply nodded again, glaring at me as I stared back. "Yes."

"Well, we'd better get going," James said after a moment. He put his arm around Janavene's back and stood up as she did the same.

"It was nice meeting you," Athena said, standing up as well to give Janavene a light hug. The tall woman seemed to shrink back, but allowed Athena to hug her regardless. "Goodness, you feel cold," Athena said.

"It's a little chilly today," Janavene said, opting to give Amaya a handshake instead. "I left my coat at home."

"I can let you borrow mine," Amaya offered.

"No, thank you, sweetheart. I'll be all right. I do have James, after all." She smirked at my brother and batted her long eyelashes. She then turned to me as I stepped up to her.

"Good meeting you," I said, extending my hand.

She seemed to inspect my hand before taking it. "Likewise." She said plainly.

Her hand was incredibly cold. I watched her carefully as we released each others' hands, and she watched back with guarded expression.

"Now you two go have a good old time!" The Doctor came up behind them and spread his arms to usher them to the door. "Good to see you both are happy."

"Thank you, Doctor," Janavene said as she glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "Now if you wouldn't mind giving some of your exuberance to your girlfriend."

"What?" I asked, cutting Athena off in the middle of speaking to me.

"Jana, she's just being a sister," James tried, taking his girlfriend's hand. "She'll warm up to you."

Jana put on a smile and nodded. "Of course."

We then said our goodbyes and watched as they closed the door behind them.

- - -

"Well, I'll have to say that was very uncharacteristic of you."

I sighed and rubbed my head as The Doctor continued fiddling with the control panel I was leaning on. "I know... I was pretty much a jerk, wasn't I." The silence that followed indicated that I was correct. "...I don't know what's with me lately..." I had a feeling I knew, but I felt like I was blaming everything on Raven lately.

"You probably should talk to James," The Doctor said, pausing from typing. "You can tell he really likes her. And I could tell it bothered him you didn't seem to approve of her."

"I could tell too." I admitted. "I'll talk to him, don't worry..."

"It will just take you longer to accept it because you think you know what's best for James." he explained. "Even James said he had to screen me before he gave me his approval. I'm just such a likeable guy that I passed with flying colors and all that."

We both chuckled, and he continued. "She isn't too different from you, you know."

I tilted my head. "Doctor, she's the complete opposite of me, even down to looks!" I replied. "She's got long, curly blond hair, she's really tall, she's a little arrogant, she's super flirty, and... and..."

"Much more in touch with her feminine side..." The Doctor mused.

I shot him an annoyed frown. He quickly raised his hands in defense.

"No, but listen," he said after back-peddling a bit, "Just relax and let James decide what's best for him. I think she's a perfectly friendly young woman. And she did give him that pendant to help his speech. That shows she cares about him."

Or that she thinks he needed to be changed to make him better. I'm lucky I didn't say that one out loud; that would have stirred up even more commotion.

"Yeah, I know." I said aloud. "He definitely likes her, that's for sure. I don't need to mess things up over a bad feeling..."

- - -

James stepped out of the bathroom, still adjusting the tie he wore around his neck. Amaya passed by a moment later, and the oracle smiled when she saw him.

"There you are! We hardly see each other anymore," she commented. After eyeing the suit he was wearing, Amaya tilted her head. "And you're leaving again?"

"Just headed out for a few drinks," James smiled, brushing the front of his coat. He noted the chain for his pendant had been looped under his tie, and he began to pull it out. Almost as soon as he had touched it, he felt a warmness in his heart. Janavene was waiting for him. It was almost intoxicating.

"You may want to talk to Gemini before you go," she continued, idly swaying in the hallway.

"I will," James said, then added after a moment, "I feel bad that I haven't been here as much. I've been neglecting the theater, too... that stack of paperwork's not going to finish itself... and I know I've been neglecting Gemini..."

"Oh it's okay. I'm keeping an eye on her." Amaya smiled.

James nodded. That had been his job not so long ago. It was odd to have a girlfriend; the time he had been spending with Gem and The Doctor was now spent with Janavene. He felt a warmth as soon as he thought of her, derailing any other thoughts. Janavene was waiting.

He put a hand on Amaya's shoulder as he walked by her. "Thanks."

"Your wings are fading... turning dark and metallic..."

James slowed, his hand sliding off Amaya's shoulder. When he finally looked at Amaya in the eye, the oracle was back to all smiles.

"Have fun!" she said.

James turned away and walked into the room Athena and I usually shared when I wasn't in the TARDIS. I caught him out the corner of my eye and looked up from my drawing. The Doctor glanced at both of us and excused himself. I was now alone with James, and I eyed his suit.

"You're leaving again?"

He shrugged, grinning. "Looks like it."

I pouted. "James..."

He smiled kindly. "We're going out for a few drinks; that's all."

"But you've gone out every night this week..."

"I want to spend time with her."

"I know..."

"It's just a date."

"I know..."

"Then what is it?"

I sighed a bit. I had held off this one particular worry for long enough. It was about time I told it to the only person that needed to know it. "It just seems like she's changing you," I finally admitted, "and I don't think you needed to be changed."

James seemed touched with the thin smile on his face. "Gem, it's all right. You know, you changed a bit now that you're dating The Doctor. Not drastically, but I notice it—because I'm your brother. Brothers care a lot about their sisters, and vice versa."

Yes, the tables had turned. Just as he and my friends had been a little hesitant about The Doctor, now I was being hesitant about Janavene. But still, knowing that didn't make accepting her any easier. "I guess I'm just figuring out how it feels from the other side..." I finally smiled a bit.

He grinned and reached forward to give me a hug. I hugged him tightly back. I was just going to have to trust things would be all right. If he liked Janavene, who was I to stop him.

"I p-promise—It will b-be okay."

I pulled away and saw that he was holding the metallic pendant in his hand. He had unclipped it to further prove his point.

I shook my head and adjusted his tie. "All right. You go have a good time."

I walked with James into the front room and sat down beside Amaya. He continued to the front door and waved as he left. I sighed and glanced at my oracle friend.

Her eyes were downcast. "He's gonna get hurt."

I smirked. "Come on; I thought you liked Janavene."

She looked up. "What?"

I froze. "What?"

"...Did I say something again?" Amaya was looking at me, worried.

My eyes were wide. "Oh no..."

Amaya stood up as I scrambled to the door. "You're supposed to tell me what I said!" she called. "What did I say this time??"

The door slammed behind me. Moments later, The Doctor and Vance ran in from the hallway.

"What's going on?" The Doctor asked. He scanned the room and quickly noticed I wasn't there. "Where's Gemini?"

"She ran out after James..." Amaya said confusedly. "I don't know what I said..."

That was all The Doctor needed to hear. He raced out the door, leaving Vance and Amaya behind.

---

Chapter 7

James pulled the chair from the table and kindly gestured to Janavene. The girl acted flattered and sat down, but she shooed him away before he could push her back in.

"Such a charmer," Janavene smiled as James sat down across from her. "I still can't believe you've never had a steady girlfriend."

"Not everyone can see past the stammer," James admitted, resting his hands on the table.

"Not even you," Janavene said, "You're so much more confident now that you can speak normally."

The young man was briefly silenced at this comment, but he straightened his tie idly and moved on. "I suppose so. I thank you again for this," His hand reached up from his tie and found the metallic pendant.

"I told you not to worry about it." She reached across the table and took his hand. "Anything to help."

He leaned in and kissed her, and she drew her hand up to the pendant around his neck.

James pulled away, suddenly feeling an odd sensation. "Jana, what—"

"Nothing, hon," she said, smiling. She leaned back and attempted to catch the attention of a bartender nearby. "Excuse me, could we get two mugs over here?"

James watched her as she continued to flag the bartender down. There had always been something about her that drew him in. She was strong, yet still feminine. She was beautiful, confident, and smart. She seemed perfect in every way—a far call from his own flawed ways. He sighed as the odd feeling resurfaced.

"Geez, the service in this place is terrible! Are you sure you want to eat here?" Janavene turned back to him.

"I... thought you said last night you enjoyed coming here," he replied slowly.

She eyed him. "Well, it's just—the other times I've been it's usually better... Ah, we're already here, after all. We can just use the extra time to chat!"

James was looking off at the floor. He couldn't place what was wrong, but he was beginning to feel uncomfortable. It couldn't be Janavene; she was perfect. Maybe too perfect...

"James?"

He looked up and tried to smile. "I'm sorry; just got caught in a thought,"

Janavene didn't seem subdued. "Are you all right?"

James was about to lie when the bartender walked up to them with two full mugs of dark brew.

"Ah, thank you." Janavene accepted her drink and winked. "Could we have a menu, too, hon?"

"Yes, ma'am," the bartender walked away nervously.

James took a long drink and set down his mug. He needed to shake the feeling. It was like an intense longing; a feeling to throw himself at her feet out of her own beauty—but he couldn't do that. Why was he even feeling that? It came up so suddenly that it was scaring him. But why was it scaring him? It couldn't have been what Gemini had said, could it? Was he growing skeptical of the ways he had changed?

"You're not thinking about that sister of yours, are you?"

James sat up. "What?"

Janavene's chin was leaning on her hand as she ran her finger around the rim of her mug. "Your sister seems to have a way of holding you back."

"Jana," James tried.

"And didn't you say she's not even your real sister?" she interrupted.

James seemed hurt. "That doesn't matter."

"It does if she's going to pull you away from me!"

"But she's not. We spoke before I came and she's okay with all this now."

"Then why do you keep thinking about her?"

"I'm not!"

Janavene crossed her arms. "Don't lie; I can tell."

James frowned and reverted back to his former ways: he said nothing.

Janavene seemed to notice and brought the intensity of her tone down. "James... I like you... I really like you," she leaned across the table. "I feel a bond with you, and I know when you're troubled."

James had started reaching for the pendant on his neck, but Jana quickly took his hand.

"You're capable of thinking on your own. Don't let anyone tell you what to do." She said, bringing her lips close to his.

He gazed back at her, but soon averted his eyes. He noticed a small metallic pendant around Janavene's neck, half-hidden in the neckline of her dress.

Janavene suddenly pulled away. "What is it with you tonight??" She slumped back in her chair and clenched her fists on the table. "Why are you resisting??"

"...Resisting?" James said, an odd look to his eye. "What do you mean?"

"I—I mean what I said!" Janavene flared, "What's with you??"

"What's with you?" James asked calmly. From the corner of his eye, he could see that the others in the tavern were curiously looking on. The bartender was holding a menu, but was refusing to get any closer to the situation.

"You—you—"

The front door flew open, taking everyone's attention from the couples' argument. I stood in the doorway and immediately caught sight of them. It wasn't hard to do when Janavene stood up and pointed glaringly at me.

"I knew it!!" She shrieked. "I knew you were behind this!!"

"Whoa, guilty, much?" I shot back. "I was here for a drink..."

Janavene's lips twisted, not fooled for an instant. "Come to be your brother's savior, eh?"

"No," James grabbed Janavene's arm. "She came to be a distraction."

He pulled the metallic pendant from her neck. Immediately she began convulsing, falling back against the chair awkwardly. Her appearance began to fade and flash like the flickering of a digital screen. We all stood back, wary of what could be happening, but nothing could have prepared anyone for what was revealed when the masquerade was up.

Janavene had become a half-robot; a cyborg. Her arms and body were jointed and metallic, and only half of her face appeared human. A red cybernetic eye gleamed from the metal-half of her face, and it focused quickly on my brother.

"How dare you??!" the cyborg shrieked. She reached forward and grabbed the pendant on his neck. James immediately clutched at her hands and dropped to his knees in pain.

"James!" I regained my wits and raced towards her. I ducked as she threw a punch, and tackled her with as much force as I could muster. Her cold, weighted body barely moved, and she easily grabbed my arms and threw me across the room.

The bartender caught me, though we both fell backwards into the bar. She then raised her arm and fired a burst of electricity from her hand. We barely escaped, but the bar behind us blew to pieces.

Pandemonium was in full force as everyone else in the tavern raced out of the door, screaming. Shaken, I managed to point my sonic screwdriver at what was left of Janavene. Its blue gleam reflected on her metal body.

Cyborg technology... not unlike the Cybermen. But she is clearly no Cyberman... too volatile and emotional. There's also a reading of a low-powered frequency coming from the pendant James is wearing...

I gulped. I knew it couldn't be magic—it was some sort of emitter that was controlling James' mind so he wouldn't stammer—and who knows what else it was controlling. Did that mean she had been using the same technology to hide her true appearance?

Just like a Chameleon Circuit.

I squinted my eyes, breathing hard. But why??

As if on cue, the cyborg grabbed James and tossed him over her shoulder. She raised her hand and blasted a hole in the nearby wall. I wobbled back to my feet and started after her, but The Doctor grabbed my arm and pulled me back.

"She's got him!!" I shrieked, pulling away. "Let me go!"

"She's a cyborg!" The Doctor tried, "You can't just run blindly after her!"

"What else can I do??"

The Doctor got a peculiar grin on his face. "You sneak up and surprise her on her ship."

"Her ship...?" I repeated. My eyes went wide. "The warning on the TARDIS console..."

"It went uncloaked just long enough for the TARDIS to pick it up yesterday morning, and it's back uncloaked now. We'll go there and get James back." He held my arms as I glanced aside. "We'll save him, don't worry."

I nodded, and with that, we raced out of the tavern.

---

Chapter 8

The cyborg tossed James into the wall of her ship. Still somewhat paralyzed, he was unable to fight back as she pulled his arms and locked them into two beams on the wall. She then ripped the metal pendant from his neck and tossed it away.

"Y-y—you w-won't g-g—"

"Oh, shut up." She shot back.

James tried to pull from the restraints, but he was too weak. He could only gaze at the figure who was busily plugging in information at a nearby control panel; the figure that was once Janavene. He was defeated; he had truly thought he had found someone to care for, but it was clear now that it was only a trap. With the pendant removed, everything seemed so much clearer. He could only feel anger at her—and at himself for falling for her trickery.

The wall behind him began to hum, and in one swift movement, he was pulled from the ground by his restrained arms. Next, metal rods extended from the wall and pressed into his legs to hold them in place. Rods also poked into his wrists and ribs. In a matter of moments, he had been pinned to the wall.

James grit his teeth, trying to find words in his state of distress. "...You—you made me feel—l-like I was flawed!"

She turned her head towards him. "You are flawed. Listen to you."

"T-this is how I am." he said, "There's n—nothing wrong with me."

"But of course there is... you're human." She wrung her metallic hands together. "Humans are flawed from the start."

Two more rods had pressed themselves into his temples. He grimaced and tried desperately to move. "Th-then why m-masquerade as one?"

"Simple... to lure my prey," she drew closer to him and lightly stroked his cheek. "It's rather unfortunate... Your human nature sure is... attractive."

James lashed out against her, triggering one of the restraints that held his arm to unlock. A low beeping started from the control panel across the room as she forcibly grabbed his arm and returned it to the wall. The beeping stopped and James was again fully restrained, but the scowl on his face would not be removed.

"Half—half of your face is human! An—and I would—" He breathed hard, "I would think you have a human brain too if—if you can reason and feel emotion!!"

The cyborg's human eye narrowed. "Details. The process will begin soon enough. You will be assimilated and made perfect." She turned to the control panel.

"There's n-nothing wrong with me!!" James cried out one last time.

It was then that small, pointed barbs were released from the rods that held James to the wall. They hissed as they slipped under his skin. James tensed up, groaning and clenching his teeth as the process began.

A crash was heard nearby. The cyborg turned her head away from James and focused her cybernetic eye on the doorway. She entered the corridor, and at once, a blue light shone from the darkness at the other end.

"This ends now!!" I yelled. I ran headlong into her, but she swiftly kicked me the chest as I came near enough. I fell hard to the ground, wincing and holding my arms against me.

"You foolish human; have you learned nothing??" She balked, watching as I attempted to rise to my feet. She kicked me hard in the side, and I flopped back over.

I grinned through the pain. "Have you learned nothing? I'm just here for distraction!"

"What—"

A low beep had begun in the other room. She turned her head quickly and saw The Doctor at the control panel. He grinned and went back to work.

The cyborg growled. "No!!"

I was on my feet in a matter of seconds, and I hung on to her arm to act as a weight to keep her back. Unfortunately, her metallic body was still strong enough to race into the room and fire a bolt of electricity at The Doctor.

The Doctor leapt from the control panel, narrowly avoiding the attack, and he ran back in the other direction as she fired again. The first stroke had blown a piece of the ship's inner wall apart, but the second shot merely blackened the floor.

She finally grew tired of lugging me around, and she proved this by pointing her hand at me. I quickly released her arm and took off, but I stumbled to my knees as the ground was struck beside me. I gazed up and saw The Doctor behind her, and even I had to wince as he swung a heavy metal pipe against her head. It resounded with a mighty clang and she was knocked to the ground.

The gears in her face clicking, she scowled at him. "Do you really think that will—"

The Doctor slammed the pipe against her head again, and her statement was interrupted.

"I'd leave her alone, if I were you." He sneered.

It was then I caught sight of James at the other end of the room. I raced towards him in complete horror. "James!!" I cried out, placing my hands on his face. Veins of silver were beginning to spread from the rods embedded into his temples, he was cold, and he was shaking slightly. He was slow to respond, but soon his half-open eyes drew up to focus on me. His eyes were dark and dilated, and he looked at me with a pained surrender. I nearly collapsed in anguish: she was turning him into a cyborg.

The Doctor yelping behind me was enough to distract me from James, and when I turned my head I saw The Doctor fall to his knees. Seconds later, the cyborg shot him with electricity, and he collapsed to the floor.

That's it. She's dead.

At once, rage fluttered up and blurred my vision. She was changing James, and now she had shot The Doctor. She had hurt the two people I loved more than anything in the universe. Circles of color clouded my view, and my human consciousness slipped into wrath.

I ignored everything sensible and raced towards her with reckless abandon. She shot at me, but I had managed to avoid the strike. I kept running, and I hit her with such force that even she staggered backwards. My hands shone with the energy of a Time Lord as I tore at her human face and dug my fingers into her wounds. She managed to grab one of my hands in retaliation. I grabbed her hand, too, and twisted it at just the right place to break the gears in her wrist.

She let out a half-scream as the dark liquid began dripping from her broken wrist. I pulled back on her forearm and snapped her mechanical elbow the wrong way with a well-placed kick. With a sharp cry she thrust her other arm out and shot a bolt of energy at my shoulder. I was knocked backwards, cringing, but I remained conscious and kicked back to my feet moments later.

"Stay down!!" She cried, shooting me again. Allowing the shots to graze off of me, I reached out and grasped her extended hand. Twisting it with even more reckless force, I snapped it completely off, and the liquid burst from the gears. It splattered across my face as she flailed away from me, finally falling against the control panel before she jerkily slid to the ground. Gurgling on the floor, it was clear she was in some sort of pain—or at least in a state of mechanical failure.

I stood up and limped over to her. Her human eye was dripping the same dark liquid as her wrists were, but her red cybernetic eye quickly focused on me. She floundered on the floor, as if trying to get away. I stamped my foot on her chest to hold her in place.

"You worthless piece of junk," I hissed. "This is what happens when you hurt the people I love."

"P... p—p.... plea—please—"

I moved my foot to her face, making sure the heel of my boot was on her human side. "Goodness, is that a stammer? Why that just won't do... there's something obviously wrong with you..." I goaded maliciously.

"Pl-ease—do—don't—"

"Gemini!!"

I rolled my foot across her face, turning her neck farther than it was meant to go. There was a loud crunch of gears or bones or whatever had just been broken. I was no longer looking. I had turned my head towards the sound of The Doctor's voice. As my blurred vision tried to find him, I staggered a few steps backwards. I caught myself on the wall, noting the remnants of a golden glow fading from my fingers. I turned my eyes back up and focused on his figure. He was standing again, but he was looking at me as if he were afraid. Why would he be afraid? I turned and looked at the cyborg near my feet. I immediately hunched over as if I were about to throw up.

No... no I didn't... I didn't do that...

My knees wobbled and my legs were weak. I shakily brought my hands to my face, but they were covered in oil—or blood—or something. I didn't know what it was; it was the fluid her cyborg body used. My body was covered in it.

When I finally looked away, The Doctor had returned to the control panel. The control panel?

"James!" I said aloud.

I staggered forward, falling once, and clambered across the room to him. I didn't make it to him before I fell back again and tears filled my eyes. His hands, his arms, his neck... he was metallic. It had even begun to spread across his face.

"I've interrupted the process," The Doctor's voice came. "I'm attempting to reverse it now... she was using nanoform injections to convert him into a cyborg like her."

I stood up to touch James' face, and I shuddered at the cold, mechanic feel. "Turn him back..." I whimpered.

"That's what I'm trying to do," The Doctor replied. "I should be able to reprogram the nanoform from here, and they'll simply reverse the process... I hope..."

I turned slowly and looked at him. My brain was still trying to process what had just happened. James was on the wall. The Doctor had been shot. But he was standing up at the control panel. "...She shot you," I said softly.

"She stunned me. She was firing too quickly to deliver potent amounts of electricity. She shot you too, and you got up straight away."

"She did?" I then realized most of my body was sore and tingling. I guess she did.

The Doctor said nothing and continued typing away at the control panel.

I turned my gaze back to the broken cyborg and cringed. "...Did I... kill her?"

He stopped typing. "...You shut her down." He said plainly.

I hunched over again. I felt like crying and screaming all at once. What was happening to me? Every time I thought I was strong, I was not. Every time I was weakened physically, or weakened emotionally... at times of deep emotion or passion... I was not strong. I could not hold her off. I lost it.

And I had really lost it this time. And like every time, it was all a blur—a blackness—an empty hole in my thoughts. It was a hole because it wasn't my human consciousness that had experienced it; it was the other consciousness... the one I couldn't control. It was the one that was proving to be much more violent, emotional, and rage-driven... Now more than ever, that thought made me sick.

The wall behind me began to hum. The Doctor clasped his hands together. "Got it! They're reversing!"

I looked towards James; a glimmer of hope was there. But the deep stain of what I had done was burdening me too heavily. I breathed hard, feeling like I was on the verge of collapse.

The Doctor remained at the control panel and curiously began to access the ship's records. He scanned through large amounts of data before the display began to flicker. It flashed and faded, and then displayed a recorded video. There on the screen was Janavene—fully human.

"My name is Janavene Taylor. I don't know how much time I have—they've locked me in here—the Cybermen! The Cybermen overtook my ship, the—the Blackfield—and I think they killed everyone on board! Except me... and they've locked me in here on their ship. I don't know what they're going to do to me—please, if you get this message—help me!!"

The worried image of Janavene began to cut out as she looked away. She turned back and spoke softer. "Please! Help me! My coordinates are—"

The feed was interrupted and buzzed into static. Moments later, an image returned: a silver-streaked face and the beginnings of the cyborg Janavene. Seeing herself reflected in the screen as she attempted to record another entry caused her expression to turn to absolute horror.

"No—oh—oh no... No!" She began to stroke her face, and her metal fingers clicked against the metal of her cheek. Her human eye welled with tears while her other eye had grown too dark to see. "No!!" She cried, nearly collapsing out of view of the camera. She clutched her head and shook, muttering cries of sorrow and fear before she raised her head back up. Her tears were beginning to streak down her face in the form of the dark liquid; her human system was replenishing itself with a mechanical fluid. She gave a sharp cry and the feed was cut.

More static. And once again, the feed returned. Janavene stood sturdier on the other side. The metal across her face seemed to have evolved somewhat; it was taking shape since the initial injection.

"My name is Janavene Taylor. The Cybermen tried to turn me into a slave, but I don't think the process had finished. I woke up and they were gone. The power was cut. I restarted the power... I don't know how I did it. I don't know where The Cybermen are; they are no longer on board this ship... If you get this message, please send help. I don't... I don't know what to do..."

Static again flared up, and it fell back to display a stolid Janavene. Her cybernetic eye flared a deep red.

"This is the Blackfield II. I have assumed control of this ship and its technologies. I am piloting to the nearest planet I can find to gather reinforcements. Stay out of my way or I will blow you out of the sky."

The image crackled and went to static. It was there that it remained. That was the final entry.

The Doctor closed his eyes and bowed his head.

My heart sank even deeper. She had been a victim herself. The transformation had overtaken her human qualities and replaced them with the cold rigidity of a Cyberman. Her human mind was still there in the way she would act on emotions and feelings, but all hope for human reasoning was lost in her higher consciousness.

I went numb. It was just like me.

I slumped to my knees and fell forward, and everything went black.

---

Chapter 9

James sat up suddenly, his eyes wide. He looked around the room and noticed he was in the TARDIS. He took a deep breath, and let it back out slowly.

He lifted his hands and inspected them. Aside from two bandages on his wrists, they seemed normal. He undid one of the bandages and saw a puncture wound where a metal probe had prodded him. Cringing, he wrapped it back up. He then reached to his head, and felt only soreness at his temples—beneath two more sticky bandages. He stretched his legs and reached up with his arms. These felt a little sore, but he was otherwise all right. He could breathe with relief now.

He wandered outside his room and found The Doctor at the control panel—his usual position when he was the only one in the main room.

"James!" The Doctor caught sight of him. "Brilliant; look at you standing there. Fantastic!" He hopped down the ramp and ran over to pat the young man on the back. "How are you feeling?"

"P-pretty good," James said, "A little sore, but al-alive."

The Doctor smiled. "Good attitude. I knew I could reverse the process, but I still worried how your head would feel after all that."

James looked down. "I... I feel silly."

"How so?"

"I f-f—fell for her... Janavene... and it was only a—a trap. Gemini was always cautious of her. I... I should have been more cautious too..."

The Doctor placed his hand on James' back again. "Now see here," he instructed, "No one knew this would turn out this way. Everyone responded the way we should have; you found a girl you liked, you pursued her, Gem was a jealous little sister, and I was just... there."

James finally cracked the slightest of smiles.

"All that to say, don't blame yourself. We got everything fixed and we're all well and good again." He paused, an odd look to his face. "...Mostly."

The older brother gave The Doctor a look. "Gem?"

The Doctor's lips were pressed together. He looked aside and tilted his head. "She's... she was hit fairly hard herself."

"Where is s-she?"

"Out walking. She didn't want me to go with her."

James held his arms up to rub his shoulder. "I can remember moments... in—instances. I remember her... ripping Jana to p—p... shreds..."

The Doctor merely nodded.

"B—but it wasn't her."

The Time Lord glanced at James.

James looked at him with empathy. "It was Raven."

"It was Raven." The Doctor repeated softly. "But Gem is certain she is as much Raven as she is Ace. She feels she could have controlled her actions, despite my telling her she cannot—she cannot control the Time Lord side of her; it isn't possible for a human body to do so."

The Doctor stepped away from James and walked up to the control panel. James knew not to follow, since The Doctor was merely walking for the sake of movement.

"But she must stay strong..." he continued. "She has been strong... she is strong... that's the only way she can win against Raven."

James clasped the railing with his hands, careful not to harm his healing wrists. "But you're j-just as worried as we are."

The Doctor came to a stop. "...I am." He muttered, "Because I love her. And I don't want to lose her..."

James followed The Doctor with his eyes. The Time Lord brought his hands to his face and covered his eyes. He then swept his fingers through his hair and let his arms drop again, turning on his heels in the opposite direction. He walked all the way up a set of stairs before he again grasped his head and started back down.

"There's someone I must talk to." He said suddenly, walking straight to the control panel. "You don't mind if I make a short stop? I'd send you outside, but your friends don't need to see you bandaged up like that..."

"Go ahead." James said simply. "I'll l—leave you be for now."

The Doctor did not express his gratitude as James turned and started back to his room. He was too wound up with his thoughts for that. An idea has risen in his head, and it startled him just as much as it comforted him. He needed to speak to the only other person who may understand—a fellow time-traveler.

- - -

The Doctor stepped out of his blue TARDIS and only had to glance across the stream to find who he was looking for.

"Doctor," Phoenix said, standing to his feet. "I had a feeling you'd show up before long."

"Phoenix; it's been a while," The Doctor said, walking over to Phoenix with his hands in his pockets. "And yet, it hasn't been a while."

Phoenix smiled, though as usual, it was scarcely visible. "The beauty of time-travel."

"Indeed." The Doctor's lips pulled to a smirk.

Separated by the stream, the time-travelers stood on either side of the stepping-stone path. Inside Phoenix's realm, there was an immense calmness. It was as if the area itself was untouched by time.

"So... what brings you here?" Phoenix asked. "How is Ace?"

The Doctor drew his eyes upward. "She is the reason I am here."

"Is she losing control?"

"Yes."

"But you were aware of this from the start," Phoenix eyed him. "You told me about it on our previous meeting—you were afraid because she had just lost control on Ember."

The Doctor's eyes had drifted back down. "...Yes."

"But now you've grown too close to save her."

"No," The Doctor said coldly, "I can still save her. I can always save her."

Phoenix looked up to the sky as a lonely cloud drifted by. "But you won't, because you love her. And saving her means—"

"No!" The Doctor spun around and paced across the grass. "I don't need to do that to save her. I need to keep her focused. I need to keep her strong. I can do that."

"And yet you don't know how."

The Doctor had stopped walking. He was breathing hard; scowling at Phoenix without looking at him. He brushed the hair out of his face and turned around. He said nothing to the tall time-traveler, and it was clear nothing needed to be said.

Phoenix idly began to finger the time medallion he wore around his neck. "When I was younger, I fell in love with someone." He said. "She was everything I could have asked for. I was so quiet... a lowly tinkerer who kept to himself... but she reached out to me without care." He smiled to himself. "I loved her with everything that I was, but then I made this."

The Time Lord watched as Phoenix raised the medallion. "I made this and gave myself the means to travel through time. And oh, was it a wonder. I could be somewhere for a week, and return as if no time had passed at all... I'm sure you know the feeling well."

"I do, indeed," said The Doctor.

Phoenix was still smiling, but the smile had grown sad. "And it was not long before I discovered the cost of this medallion's creation. I had stopped aging. I would get hurt, but a quick jump through time would heel my wounds. I could even been on the verge of death... and I would rise again."

"Not unlike a Time Lord." The Doctor mused. "But more like a phoenix..."

"Yes," the time-traveler admitted gently, "more like a Phoenix."

"So what happened to your beloved?"

"I made the worst decision of my long, cold life..." Phoenix muttered. "I shut her out. I pushed her away. After all, I would not grow old with her. She would live and die and I would be left behind without her. So I left her behind, hoping to leave her in the past and be free from guilt and pain..."

The Doctor shook his head sadly. "No... no, that never does work, does it. Regret sinks in. Sadness... a feeling that you've lost something so great and it was... it was all your fault."

Phoenix closed his eyes. "So it's happened to you before."

"It happens every time I take someone in and show them the stars..." The Doctor sighed, "One way or another, they leave me..."

"And that is why I will answer your question with my own advice." The lonely time-traveler spoke solidly. "Never, ever let someone go if there is still time. Never leave them behind. Never forsake them when there is still time left to spend." He breathed hard, clutching his hands. "Every day I live with the regret of giving up my time with Fen. I had so many years I could have spent with her. There will always be sadness and pain and loss, but at least there would be no regret. There would be no guilt. There would be the time we spent together, and there would be the memories we shared together." Phoenix looked up gently. "Memories are a time-traveler's greatest treasure."

The Doctor felt a tear fall past his eyelid. He touched it, as if shocked to find it. But he looked up at Phoenix and pressed his lips together. His only signal was a firm nod.

"You know what you must do." Phoenix said, more of a statement than a question.

"I do." The Doctor said. "Phoenix, I cannot thank you enough for your words... for your advice."

"You offer me comfort as well, you know," Phoenix had begun to turn around. "Simply knowing there is someone else who feels what I feel..."

"And the same goes to you, my friend."

"You look out for her," the time-traveler began to fade into the shadows of the thick forest. "Ace is quite a gem."

The Doctor smiled to himself. "Quite a Gem indeed..."

---

Chapter 10

James looked on as a steady hand drew a pen across the paper. It signed a name onto a rather official-looking document, and once it was done, the owner of the hand set the pen down.

"Well, there you have it."

"Yes, th-thank you." James said in reply, looking at the paper for a moment before taking the pen into his hands and signing his name on the line below.

Ed watched as James dated the document, and then he too set the pen down. "I should be thanking you, I suppose; though you know it's only for if you need help. Only then and not sooner."

"Yes, I know."

"It's still your theater." Ed said. "I'm just here in case..."

"In case something happens to us." James finished plainly. "Y...yes." He was staring at the document before him, declaring Steven "Ed" Edwards as the assistant manager of the Sirius Theater. Below that, a byline stated that ownership would be given to him if both James Harley and Ace Gallagher were rendered unable to perform their duties as managers and co-owners. It was something James had never though necessary, but now, with things changing and so much unknown, he found it was time to grant it.

Ed patted James on the back. "What finally changed your mind?"

James was quiet. Beneath his sleeves he still bore scars from his recent run-in with the cyborg Janavene—the girl he 'broke up with' due to Jana wishing to move on and James not wanting to leave Fortanya. And within her mind, his sister still bore the scars from sending Janavene on her way. He feared those were harder to heal than his wrists.

"Time." He said simply.

Ed accepted the answer and started turning towards the door. "Where's your sister, by the way? I haven't seen her in a while."

"I'm not sure," James said, taking the document in his hands and folding it once. "I h-haven't seen her either."

- - -

I walked quietly through the streets of Fortanya. No one paid me any mind; they had either seen me before, or didn't even notice. I had lived there all my life, and I wasn't the most memorable of beings. To them, I was just an ordinary, human girl.

But I wasn't.

I pulled the keys to the Sirius Theater from my coat pocket and unlocked the front door. I locked it back behind me. I walked straight through the lobby into my office at the left of the entrance. There, in the back of the room, was a tall, yet unobtrusive wooden cupboard. I fingered the Seal of Rassilon pendant around my neck and pressed it into the circular indentation on the door. The door opened, and I stepped inside.

My TARDIS had been hiding in my office ever since The Doctor had finished working on it and we brought it back to present-day Fortanya. There were too many others in the house for me to feel comfortable with it there, so the next best place was in my office at the theater. With a functional Chameleon Circuit, I simply made it appear to be a large storage cupboard. No one would have known the difference.

Except me.

I walked up to the central control panel. I hadn't used my TARDIS since we had delivered it here; I didn't need to since we always traveled together in The Doctor's TARDIS. But now was the time to awaken mine. I powered it up, but I was not going to be travelling. I was there for a different reason.

Adeptly maneuvering my way through the controls, I found a video log. It was empty, having been erased when the TARDIS malfunctioned and cratered not too long ago. Any secrets Raven may have recorded were long gone, but it wouldn't be empty for much longer.

I set my hands on the control panel and leaned over it. I took a deep breath, formulating what I would say. I could hear the echoes of my higher consciousness at the back of my head, but, as I was growing accustomed to doing, I ignored them.

Looking up at the camera above the display screen, I set it to record.

"My name is Gemini. I am a Time Lord, and I am human. I am recording these archives in hopes that I will not forget what has happened... In hopes I can look back at how far I have come... or see just how far I have fallen..."

I looked down.

"One day these adventures may stop. One day I may lose those I care about. One day I may lose myself... forget who I am... forget everything..."

I cringed, and then I drew my eyes back to the screen.

"But I hope that somehow these memories will withstand time itself... If you can hear me now, perhaps they have."

I paused for a moment, taking in a breath, and then I set a new chapter point. It was time to tell what had happened. It would be hard to remember everything, and some parts I would not remember at all. But I had to tell my story. I had to tell everything I could so I would not forget what I had done.

What I have done...

What I have done.

"I first met The Doctor... well, it depends on the timeframe you're in, but it's been a while now. It was back when I thought I was losing my friend Dorian... that's when my entire life changed...

"My eyes were wet. My knees hurt from kneeling on the hard floor. My chest hurt from holding back sobs. But I didn't care. I held on to the lifeless hand of Dorian as if I could keep him with me by that action alone..."

---

Keep Reading! Book 6 - The Runaway >>