"Where is she?" Hisk shrieked looking wildly around. Hearing the doors hissing, Evie had dragged herself to her feet and moved more quickly than she thought was possible. Her arm hadn't stopped bleeding and she was feeling incredibly weak. If she hadn't thickened her bandage by tearing several strips off the bottom of her night gown, there would have been a trail of blood across the floor, giving her away.

The Slitheen, who had both removed their body suits with sighs of relief, moved around the ship as quickly as they could which wasn't particularly fast. In her hiding place, squashed underneath the control panel of the Slitheen ship, Evie held her breath for a few seconds. Then she realised that blood loss and oxygen deprivation weren't a good combination in her condition and took several shallow breaths.

"She can't have got out." The male alien retorted. "The door was locked."

"So where is she then?"

Before the argument could continue, a red light began to flash on the dashboard above her head. The taller of the two hurried towards her, causing Evie to shuffle backwards, against the wires trailing behind her. He began tapping at the console, pulling a large screen downwards. Another screen opposite crackled into life as well, meaning that the teenage girl could see the same as her captors.

Two men were walking towards the ship, striding purposefully towards them. Evie had honestly never been so grateful to see anyone in her life. The Slitheen, however, were horrified.

"How did they find us?" Hisk demanded in a squeak.

"I don't know!" Korst snapped back. "But if we let him in… he won't be expecting that. We can turn this round."

"What about the girl?"

"Never mind her for now. She's easily dealt with." He said, tapping buttons so that the doors hissed and slid open.

Two figures stood in the doorway. One looking pleasantly surprised and the other looking totally bemused. The shorter of the two stepped forwards interestedly. The idea that he was walking into a trap crossed his mind, but he pushed it aside. Where was the excitement without the risk?

"Now then, now then…" he jumped across the floor towards the aliens, looking them upside down. His gaze lingered longer on the male, his brow furrowing in recognition. "Do I know you?"

How the Doctor could recognise one of the creatures from another Evie didn't know; they both looked the same to her. As the man moved around examining the ship closely she watched, waiting for the perfect moment. The Slitheen watched him. Korst reached for a gun while the Doctor had his back turned and his concentration was focused on whatever he was doing or looking at.

"Doctor!" Evie cried as a warning, seeing the alien raise his weapon. The man spun around as she wriggled out from underneath the control panel, not even caring that clawed fists were immediately wrapped around her arms as Hisk took hold of her roughly.

"Morning." The Doctor said, grinning at her. Evie grinned at the look on his face; relief and steely determination mixed together. She couldn't stay angry at him for not coming sooner. Besides, he was here now.

"Alright?" She replied. Then she glanced at the second man, smiling shyly.

"Miss Jones… are you hurt?" He asked, noticing the blood stained material round her arm. He also took in the ripped nightgown, which was now sleeveless and barely long enough to cover her modesty. She shrugged.

"It's not too bad. I caught it on the strap when I got free." She explained.

The Doctor was worried; her face had lost its colour and her eyes had lost their sparkle. She looked drained and weak. The Timelord could hear her raggedy breaths coming unevenly and obviously quite painfully. "That's my girl!" He said light-heartedly, not wanting to worry her. Evie smiled back, as brightly as she could manage, her heart leaping in her chest proudly.

"I am Korst Gogg Thek Lutiven-Day Slitheen." The male said, disrupting the moment between the Timelord and the girl. "This is my wife, Hisk Dreb Rox."

"Ahhh… I thought I knew you… kidnapping teenagers is becoming your thing, isn't it?" He said, raising an eyebrow. "First Luke Smith and now Evie."

"You have something that we want." The Slitheen said, ignoring the Doctor's accusations. "A swap… the Ruby for the girl."

The Doctor pulled Evie's necklace out of one of his many pockets and held it up. "Oh yes… the Gallifreyan Ruby… beautiful."

"And worth a fortune! Especially to the right buyer." Hisk said greedily, snatching for it. As she leant forwards, her grip on Evie's arm loosened enough for the teenager to yank herself free from her grip and half stumble, half fall towards her rescuers. The Doctor grabbed her and pushed her into Mr Darcy's arms, safely behind him.

"You stupid woman!" Korst screeched as the man scooped the teenager up and hurried outside with her. The Doctor grinned and pocketed the necklace quickly. As he turned he aimed the sonic screwdriver at the control panel before diving through the door which was already closing. A whirring noise filled the air and, with a shimmer, the taller man realised that the ship was gone.

"What just happened?" Mr Darcy asked, still holding Evie's now unconscious body in his strong arms.

"I've sent them home, back to Raxacoricofallapatorius. The Slitheen are always in trouble… they'll get what they deserve. That was almost too easy..." He said brightly almost skipping as he walked. Any solution to a problem where he didn't end up with blood on his hands was a good solution in his book. Evie was back, they still had the Ruby and the Slitheen were gone. Brilliant!

"Back to… to where?"

"Raxacoricofallapatorius." The Doctor said quickly, as though it was easier to say it fast. "Now… Darcy we need to get Evie back to the TARDIS and take a look at that arm."

They hurried back to the blue box and Darcy gently laid the teenager on a bed in one of the bedrooms. The Doctor untied her makeshift bandage and winced at the gash in her arm. Evidently those straps hadn't just been made of leather.

He did what he could for the teenager and then the men left her to rest. Darcy had forced the Doctor to admit that she wasn't really his sister. At first the nineteenth century man had been shocked but then, as he pointed out, this was all most extraordinary.

"May I say goodbye?" Mr Darcy asked as the Doctor told him that they were leaving. A glint appeared in the Timelord's eyes as he nodded and started messing with the controls. The Gentleman made his way back to the bedroom, where Evie was still lying unconscious on the bed.

He sat beside her, gently brushing the hair off her face with the back of his fingers. She looked so young, so innocent – not at all like the women had he heard of who travelled alone with men. But looks could be deceiving and he knew that she wasn't like anyone he'd ever met. She was brave and strong and totally brilliant. There was something special about Evie Jones.

He'd learnt so much from talking to and observing the young woman and the mysterious Doctor. Their meeting had changed him forever. He'd never be able to forget the events of the last few days. He decided that he would never judge on appearances or first impressions again. Bending down he kissed her lightly on her soft, deep pink lips.

"You're magnificent." He whispered as he turned to leave.

Evie sighed and cuddled into the sheets as Darcy's footsteps receded and the bedroom door was closed. She blinked several times, sensing that someone had been in the room and raised her uninjured hand to her lips, which seemed to be tingling. With another sigh, her eyebrows furrowed as she struggled to understand, she tried to drop back into her uneasy sleep.

"Evie?" The Doctor whispered, entering the room. The teenager moaned, pretending to be annoyed with him.

"First of all you leave me to be kidnapped by aliens, then you take your time rescuing me and NOW you wake me up?" She said, raising an eyebrow, a smirk playing about her lips. The man grinned, realising at once that she was playing with him.

"Sorry… listen, do you want me to drop you off at home?" He asked, putting his head on one side. Evie's face fell.

"Oh…"

"Not that I want to get rid of you!" He said quickly, noticing her expression. "I just thought that maybe you'd want…"

"No!" The teenager said quickly. "No… I want to stay with you for as long as you'll let me."

"That's sorted then." The Doctor agreed with a beaming smile and a nod. "Just one question… where did you get this necklace?" He held up the Ruby, which Evie held out her hand for. Shaking his head, he pocketed it once more. "No… I'd better keep hold of it."

She sighed and closed her eyes with a complacent smile, sleep washing over her in comforting waves. "It was my mother's." She informed him, unable to stay awake any longer. She hardly cared that she could hardly picture her mother's face anymore. Evie didn't have a clue what the woman had looked like. She hadn't realised before that this was the case - there were no photos at her grandparents. But now it seemed... odd... "I took it when she... Did you say goodbye for me? Did you say goodbye to the Bennets?"

He nodded wordlessly and she blinked several times before her eyes closed properly. The Doctor's mind whirred as he gazed at the sleeping girl. The Ruby had belonged to Evie's mother? How was that possible… unless? No. He shook his head with a slightly amused smile. That was a crazy thought. He would know… surely he would know.

Pulling the door closed behind him the Doctor headed back to the controls, failing to notice the shimmering cloud of golden particles dancing around the teenager's injured arm, repairing it in seconds so that it looked brand new.

– The End –