AN: Ok, I'm going to dedicate this chapter to Jasper winked, BadWolfIsMe, WeepingAngel123 and Time Lady 802379. 'Why?' I may hear you ask. Well, firstly because I realised I had never dedicated a chapter to anyone and figured now was as good a time as any. And secondly, because they are awesome for reviewing the last chapter. And thirdly, well, I don't have a third one so I'm just going to do a double dedication and give a few more names. Didn't expect that, did ya? Also dedicated to Taylor Harkness, MythStar Black Dragon, moonchild94, AriaJack, MingIsRandom, Sunfall E, NoVacancyMind and so many others. Why? They're awesome too. I would spend the whole time dedicating but it would take forever. Now...on with the story... :D

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The Doctor turned, surprised, as before his eyes he watched as the flesh moved; shifted from its boxed state and moulded itself into something new. He could hear bones creaking, the slip of flesh smacking as it changed.

He moved closer, unconsciously, a mixture of curiosity and concern coating his response.

And then horror; pure unadulterated horror directed at himself as he realised what exactly it was he was staring at.

"I'm an idiot." He exclaimed aloud, bringing his hands to run through his hair as multiple thoughts consumed his head.

He was an idiot. A big giant huge idiot. How had he not realised? There was even the machine. The machine! That kind of machine was only used for one thing, but he had gotten distracted by the shiny interior to even notice its purpose. No wonder he was thick; straight from Thicktown Thickania!

"Oh, I'm an idiot." He realised, "Oh, I am a big stupid blind idiot! I should've realised. A stasis machine! Of course!" He addressed the flesh, "It's keeping you on minimal life support in order for you to survive."

He looked down at the changing mass, watching as a face partially formed; a silent screaming from a mouthed shaped 'oh' before it disappeared among more flesh.

This was no fate for this living thing; trapped in pain, forever changing; forever dying.

"Oh, I am sorry." His voice was laced with emotion. "I am so so sorry."

This thing – person, he reminded himself even though it was hard to think that this had once been a person – had been a shaped form at one point; solid, a fixed point in time and space and had meant to keep living as such in those following moments, but their species, they thrived on changing their appearance.

And in most cases, it was harmless. There was nothing wrong with changing ones appearance if you had the ability to do so, but their species always forgot that after pushing past the ninety-nine percent chance that changing their appearance would be perfectly fine that there was that little one percent – insignificant to most – that held the consequences of one wrong shift of the chromosomes and their species faltered in the face of the fatal flaw in their species; the flaw that brought about their own self destruction. They might as well have had a big red button to push.

And he understood his doppelganger; understood the motivations that had lead him to such desperate measures. The bad wolf had held the power that was needed to bring life and time had whispered the power of the bad wolf throughout the ages, throughout the species, determined that Rose would indeed become the bad wolf when time had demanded it.

Of course, there would be those who believed in time's whispers. His doppelganger had to have been one of them. Desperation did that to people. It made the most ludicrous of tales suddenly become facts, if they could offer salvation.

He looked down at the changing flesh once more, and whispered "I'm sorry." Again. He wasn't even sure if it could hear him.

The Doctor moved to where a head was forming once more, and placed his hands on either side of it. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and let his hands touch the flesh, creating a mental link.

He could see images; strong and fast, but before he could make heads or tails of them, the disintegrated, the mind shifting connections once more.

He delved deeper into the mind of her – he had realised that this thing was female; had once been female.

In her mind, there was mostly darkness; darkness and pain, and he could hear screaming. It took him a moment that it was he who was screaming, he was acting as a conduit for the screams of pain the poor girl was experiencing.

He pushed onwards nonetheless.

He needed to know if there was any way to fix her; any way to save her. He had helped so many and had lost even more, but he had housed a deep need to help where he could. It was the least he could do to repay the universe.

It was the least he could do to save a life.

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Rose felt odd, carrying the jar in her hands, because it was odd, she realised, it was odd and weird and slightly disturbing. There was a man in there, or at least, a soul. The essence of who he was trapped in there, and considering her memories of him consisted of him being evil, she also found it strange that it his soul was glowing gold.

She had always thought that evil souls would be black. She knew it was a bit thick to think that. Souls were souls, and as the Doctor had reminded her at times, no one was truly evil. Although she doubted that at times; with the things she had seen in her lifetime, who wouldn't?

Still, she found it odd that it glowed gold.

Her head shot up from the jar at the sound of someone screaming.

Doctor! Her mind screamed in alarm as she quickened her pace.

As she advanced, Rose thrust the jar into Mickey's hand and rushed up to the door, her hands banging so hard against it that it shook under her touch.

"Doctor! Doctor, are you alright? Doctor! Can you hear me? Open the door!"

His screaming continued, piercing through the silence and into her soul like a knife slitting at her emotions.

She had promised him; she had promised to wait until he would knock ten times but she couldn't just wait. She couldn't leave him alone in there. Whatever was in there was causing him so much pain that he was screaming in agony.

He could be dying. Her mind reasoned, because saving him from death seemed like reason enough to break a promise.

You promised him you wouldn't open the door. Another part of her pointed out as soon as the promise she had made him came into her mind. She knew he wanted her safe, but what about him? Didn't he deserve to be safe? Didn't he have the right to be saved?

"What happened?" She asked, turning to Mickey.

"I dunno. One minute it was silent, the next all I could hear was that."

"I can't leave him in there. I need to get in. Mickey, give me the sonic screwdriver!"

Mickey looked at her blankly, "But he said not to open the door!"

"I know he did but-"

"No Rose, the Doctor said not to open the door. And I know I don't really listen to the Doctor much but I know that this time he's right. So I'm not going to give you the sonic screwdriver."

"Mickey!"

He shook his head profusely, and if his hands were not filled with the jar, Rose was sure that he would've crossed his arms to emphasise his unswayable position.

"We can't leave him in there! He's screaming in there! He could be-"

She stopped suddenly, and both she and Mickey's gazes slowly moved towards the door.

The Doctor had stopped screaming.

There was only silence.

Rose swallowed, the silence unnerving her. She turned to look at Mickey who stared back at her, equally perplexed by the sudden onset of silence.

"Why do you think he's stopped?" Mickey asked her.

She shrugged, biting her bottom lip, "I dunno."

They turned to look at the door once more, as if waiting for it to magically open.

Knock.

"Ah!" Mickey yelped, and jumped a little in surprise, almost dropping the jar in his hand.

"Did you just hear a knock?"

Mickey merely nodded, his eyes glued to the door.

Knock...knock...knock...

"He's knocking." Rose's face lit up in a smile, "The Doctor's knocking."

"Is it him though?"

Knock...knock...knock...knock...knock...

"Has to be." She frowned as she added, "Doesn't it?"

She hoped it was. And she waited anxiously, hoping that whoever was knocking would knock twelve times.

Red bicycle when you were twelve...

She smiled again, her hope restored.

Knock...knock...

One more time. He only needed to knock one more time.

Knock.

The smile on Rose face widened, but she didn't immediately move towards the door. Just in case. If they knocked anymore times then it wouldn't be the Doctor.

She was itching to open the door though, but she knew better. Her instincts told her to wait.

Nothing happened.

Neither she nor Mickey moved at all, and when the silence had passed for longer than both anticipated, she realised that neither of them were even attempting to open the door.

"Mickey, give me the sonic."

"Oh, right." Mickey broke from his reverie, and reached into his pocket for the sonic screwdriver, handing it to Rose.

She pressed the button, aiming at the room next door. She rushed in, and felt her hands against the wall.

"Where are you?" She asked in frustration as she felt around for the secret panel.

Her hands pushed a part of the wall inward.

Finally, her mind shouted in delight.

And she watched as the panel slid away.

To Be Continued...

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AN: Sorry, but cliffhangers and this story...well, look at my track record. I love putting cliffhangers in here. And considering there...actually, I think it might be either one long chapter or two short chapters and an epilogue left, and that will be it - the end of this story - so I think cliffhangers are excusable. :D Ok, I don't ask for much, but any chance of a review?