Magnus had made quick work of the remaining cells, freeing all the creature. Tegan had offered to sit on the ringmaster while the aliens sought out a more permanent solution to them, and Peri took this opportunity to check in on the Doctor. She noticed the ringmaster's work had left the Doctor with some cuts and bruises but he was beginning to stir.

"The Doctor is waking up," she said, turning back to where she had left Tegan. But instead of a plucky Australian, all Peri saw was the ringmaster, tied up with bars from the cages, with a bucket on his head. Peri didn't want to think about where the bucket came from. Around him sat the triplets, each sister taking turns to blink so that the Ringmaster was never left unwatched.

"Where did Tegan go?" she asked the elephant man, who looked back at her confused. "The other human woman, where is she?"

"She left," the elephant man trumpeted, and then dragged the ringmaster into one of the empty cells.

"Well, the controls aren't exactly what you are used to," the Doctor explained, leaving the controls of the main tent to join Peri and some of the creatures, "But they seem simple enough to get a grip on."

"Good," Magnus said. "Magnus good pilot, can pilot anything."

"And I was the navigator for my craft when I was captured," the Pachyderan, Zarbar, explained. "We will have a few stops to get to, if we are to return all these people to their proper planets, but with the coordinates the triplets have provided I should be able to develop a fast route."

"Good, good," the Doctor muttered, "But I think I will need to have a brief chat with the triplets. That Ringmaster is a tricky fellow, and I would like to make sure he isn't able to find a way to escape their custody."

"I wouldn't worry Doctor," Zarbar explained. "Since your companion showed us we can overpower him, we will be able to restrain him if he slips out. He will not escape justice."

"And bucket good," Magnus explained with a big grin. "Naughty thoughts no escape bucket. Good bucket, if smell a little though."

Peri smiled and laughed a little. She had been initially so relieved to see the Doctor return to normal away from the Ringmaster's control, she didn't notice how the other creatures had returned. But now she could see what intelligent and delightful personalities they had when they weren't treated like entertainment. A part of her felt guilty for the circuses she had enjoyed in the past, but a larger part tried to enjoy the sound of Magnus continuing to talk about the bucket.

"All the same, it would be good to be sure," The Doctor insisted, interrupting Magnus.

"Very well, they are in the cargo tent," Zarbar explained, pointing with his trunk.

"Thank you," the Doctor said, and began to walk off. Peri began to follow him, until she saw a familiar face. Amongst the confused human ticket sellers stumbling around as their awareness returned she was seen as just one more human to most residents of the the Circus. But Tegan was much more familiar to Peri.

"I'll join you later," she said to the Doctor. He responded with a brief "hmph" as he continued to the triplets, leaving Peri to go walk to where Tegan was standing, at the front of the ticket booth, still with a broken cricket bat in one hand.

"You came back?" Peri asked, slightly surprised.

"Yeah, we didn't really have time to talk earlier," Tegan answered, looking uncharacteristically sheepish. Peri had not known her long but seeing Tegan like this, shifty, uncomfortable, looking aside, was so different than the brash young woman who found her distressed outside the TARDIS. "Is he okay?"

"Was he ever?" Peri said, with a smiled. "He's the same Doctor I knew before."

"But not the one you knew...before," Tegan responded, and both women nodded.

"He's just over in the cargo tent, helping everyone prepare to go home," Peri explained, gesturing in the Doctor's direction. "I'm sure he'll be happy to see you again."

Tegan breathed deeply through her teeth, "I'm sure he would, I'm sure I would be too. So much of me wants to follow you to see him, to ruffle his hair, make fun of his silly outfit, and just hear all the sciencey mumbo jumbo he will spout about what happened. But I know it won't stop there."

"It doesn't have to," Peri explained, taking Tegan's hand. "The TARDIS is big enough for both of us. I could do with the company, just like you did when your Doctor changed."

"But where will it end?" Tegan asked, gently removing her hand from Peri's. "I know I could walk back into the TARDIS today with you and him, and never look back. But I also know I have a life here now, and people who I matter to. The time travelling with the Doctor was amazing, a pure fantasy, but I live in the real world. It's time for you to have the dream."

Peri nodded, smiling but with faint tears budding in her eyes. "I understand, or I think I do."

"Look after him," Tegan said, patting Peri on the shoulder. "He needs that."

"I will," Peri answered, then quickly gave the other woman a tight hug. "If we ever run into each other again-"

"In my future or yours," Tegan added.

"We'll make sure we're not alone, right?"

"Right," Tegan answered, stepping back from Peri. "When the journey ends for you, get in touch."

"I will."

"And one last thing," Tegan added, handing Peri the broken cricket bat. "My nephew won't be wanting this anymore. He has enough cricket stuff anyway. Tell him it's a Christmas present from an old friend."

The final goodbyes made, Peri walked to the Cargo tent, where the Doctor was already exiting. Peri glanced backwards, but saw Tegan had already left.

"What are you doing with that rubbish for?" the Doctor asked, pointing to the bat.

"I ran into an old friend of yours, she suggested it as a present for you," Peri explained, handing it over.

The Doctor held it out in front of him, and read "Dear Doctor, merry... well that ended abruptly. Who on Earth would think this was an acceptable present?"

The Doctor opened the cargo net and threw it inside. Peri stood mouth open in surprise in front of him.

"Oh never mind Peri. I'm sure the friend would want it to go to a good home. The aliens here probably will see it as a memorial of their liberation and it would be more important to them than as yet another trinket in the TARDIS."

"The Ringmaster is secured away?" Peri asked, nodding towards the tent.

The Doctor nodded, "Yes, yes. The triplets were already managing well enough, but a few extra psychic restraints helped make it certain. He is a very powerful psychic force, but I had been developing ways to minimise his power earlier."

"Oh were you?" Peri asked sceptically. "If I recall correctly Doctor, he had turned you into a clown and was ridiculing you for his entertainment."

"Just a subterfuge, that's all Peri. Given a little more time I would have broken out of his conditioning, and freed the others. I was working on something already when you came to my cage and distracted me," the Doctor grumbled, walking off. As Peri followed him, he added, slightly quietly "Thank you though."

Peri was left a bit stunned. "Did you just thank me?"

"Yes, of course I did. What of it? Just because I didn't need your help doesn't mean I am not grateful it was supplied," the Doctor said, his voice returning to its usual volume.

"You've never done this before," Peri responded.

"Of course I have. I thank you all the time, you just forget these things," the Doctor said. Peri thought she could be mistaken, but it seemed the Doctor was talking, and now walking faster, almost like he was trying to get away from the topic. *

Time lords change, but not that much, Peri thought as Tegan's words returned to her memory. He is finding out a bit of who he is, and how much of that was the man he was before. A voyage of self discover for both of them.

"Why not?" she asked herself, then walked quickly to catch up with the Doctor.

"Ah, there you are. I thought you were going to stay here," the Doctor said in a low tone.

"Well, firstly this isn't near my home-"

"Oh?"

"It's actually on the opposite side of the world to my home-"

"Oh... Well, I'm sure we can organise a way for you to get back."

"I've been thinking, maybe not right yet," Peri answered, linking her arm with the Doctor's. "I think my journey isn't over yet."

The Doctor gave a slight smile, and pulled her closer as they walked. "Well, where to next Miss Brown?"

Peri thought it over for a minute. "Definitely not a circus...but something fun would be nice. Somewhere where we can see happy people on holiday, and not have to deal with a crisis each minute," she said, then a thought came to her. "I know...how about we go to B-"