The Girl Who Lost Her Way

Chapter 3

(Atia's POV)

"Welcome, my dear. Just make yourself comfortable."

I glared at the speaker.

"You. You said you would explain. Why are you?"

"Because, the Memories hold much pain, for you, and for the Doctor," the man said, joy clear in his voice.

"Then explain!" I snapped.

The man walked over and gripped my arm, right above the elbow. I was handcuffed to a chair.

"This will explain for me," he snipped. A sharp pain flooded my arm and then the world spiraled away.

I could see him. The Doctor. He was going to die if I didn't do something.

I quickly pushed him out of the way of the path of the bullet, and felt a pain in my side.

"NO!" The Doctor shouted, his arms pulling me away from my attacker, and laying me down across his lap.

"Atia, you are not doing this to me, you hear? You're going to stay with me," he ordered, a hand pressing against the wound in my side.

"Doctor..." I muttered. "You're such an idiot, you know that?"

The Doctor huffed, half a laugh, half a sob.

"You scared me! Don't you do that to me," he stressed, his arms tightening around me.

I felt for his hand and grabbed it, squeezing.

"I'm not dying. I'm going to live long enough that you'll have to regenerate at least once before I go," I said. The Doctor laughed, a real one.

"We haven't even left Gallafry, and you're already predicting my death. Life and soul, you are."

I felt the world blur, and the Doctor gripped my hand tighter.

"Atia, stay awake. Atia? Atia!"

And the world rushed back.

"The first time you saved him," the man mused. "That's the first memory that surfaced? Interesting."

I looked over.

"I remember now. Not everything, but I remember his first form. Before he stole that TARDIS. And there is no way you are taking the Doctor from me."