By Your Side - A Thasmin Fanfiction

-- 13 --

The Doctor's POV

They tore down the corridors, briefly checking each cell. There was no one else. They had all been converted.

"Um, Doctor, where are we going?" Yaz asked, panting slightly.

"To find the bridge! Blow them up, escape and get back to Graham and Ryan in time for dinner."

"That is not a plan!"

"It is a plan! It's a wonderful plan! Are you criticising my plan, Yasmin Khan?"

"Maybe. What if we die?!"

The Doctor paused at an intersection of hallways before turning left, pulling Yaz along with her. "I can summon the TARDIS. We'll be fine! Trust me; I'm the Doctor! Wow, haven't said that in a while. Not since Amy."

"Who's Amy?"

The Doctor shrugged, "She travelled with me, along with Rory the Roman. Good times."

The Doctor liked to not think about her old companions. Their memories brought her nothing but guilt. And that was what Yaz would eventually bring her too. No one travelled with the Doctor forever.

The pair finally emerged onto the bridge, only to find five Cybermen.

"Oh, great," sighed the Doctor, letting go of Yaz's hand and striding into the middle with a distinctive air of confidence. "Hi, I'm the Doctor. You're going to take this ship and get the hell off this planet. Return to Mondas, have a holiday. I don't care, just stop threatening the human race!"

"We will not leave. Not until this planet is populated only by Cybermen."

"That was definitely the wrong choice," said the Doctor. "Especially when my lovely companion is over there, ready to press the self-destruct button for the ship. All ready, Yaz?"

Yaz nodded, shaking slightly, "Um, Doctor, how are we gonna get out?"

"Right!" the Doctor said, taking her TARDIS key and sonicing it. The whir of the TARDIS was heard, and the TARDIS appeared right next to the Doctor in all of its blue glory. "Now Yaz! Press the button and then run!"

Yaz's POV

The Doctor had already disappeared into the TARDIS when Yaz took a deep breath, ready to run, and pressed the red button.

A countdown of ten seconds begun on the loudspeakers and Yaz ran to the TARDIS, slipping inside just as the first explosions started.

The force sent both girls careening towards each other, the Doctor banging into the TARDIS console as Yaz held onto her tightly, terror evident.

"Wo-Won't the TARDIS be destroyed?" Yaz stammered, tears falling down her face.

"No, it has a forcefield. But even a forcefield can't contain the shockwaves at the epicentre of the explosion. We'll be fine though. Just a few bruises."

Yaz sighed in relief, letting go of the Doctor and wiping her tears before another shockwave sent her to the ground. The Doctor helped her up and then the shockwaves stopped.

"Ah good. All destroyed!" the Doctor grinned, opening the TARDIS doors to reveal the starry sky outside.

"Doctor, how did we get to space?" Yaz asked, coming to stand beside her.

"Short-range teleport. And the ghosts – holograms. Plucked from the memories of those who went near the water to lure in victims for conversion. A bit like a siren, really.

"Now, let's go pick up the boys!"

Yaz paused. "I mean, we can wait a bit, can't we? It's a time machine, after all."

The Doctor turned to Yaz with a grin and closed the distance between them, Yaz putting her arms around the Doctor's neck and the Doctor wrapping her arms around Yaz's waist.

"Thanks for saving the day, Yaz," whispered the Doctor.

"I couldn't have done it without you, Time Lord," she returned, kissing the Doctor once more.

"A ball," the Doctor whispered.

"What?"

"A ball held by King Richard the Third, a ball I was invited to but haven't yet been to," the Doctor said, running over to the console. She rested her hand on the flight lever. "I think we can leave the boys to it for a while. After all, Yasmin Khan, it is a time machine."