Time Is Relative

'Tell him to stop repressing me!'

The corridor was filled with people. A glance at the walls told Penny that they had been there for a time. People had taped pictures up, probably of their loved ones.

Penny stayed close to the Doctor's side, the lack of room causing their sides to be pressed together as they walked.

"Kistane Shafe Cane." The young boy, Creet, called. "Kistane Shafe Cane. Kistane and Biltone Shafe Cane? We're looking for a Kistane and Beltone Shafe Cane." He called as they walked down the corridor.

Padra looked around franticly. "The Shafe Canes, anyone? Kistane from Red Force Five?" Penny could practically feel the anxiety and fear rolling off of him. "My name's Padra."

"Anyone? Kistane and Beltone Shafe Cane? Anyone know the Shafe Cane family? Anyone called Shafe Cane?" Creet continued to search.

"It's like a refugee camp." Martha muttered, looking around sympathetically.

"Stinking." She looked over a Jack, who said that. A man was staring at him, clearly insulted. "Oh, sorry. No offence. Not you." He winked at him and kept walking.

Penny shook her head fondly. She could tell she and Jack would be great friends.

"Don't you see that?" The Doctor forced a smile. "The ripe old smell of humans." He winked at Jack.

Penny rolled her eyes. So it was okay when he flirted with Jack, but Penny couldn't be within five feet of him without being scolded. Great to know. 

"You survived." The Doctor continued. "Oh, you might have spent a million years evolving into clouds of gas, and another million as downloads, but you always revert to the same basic shape. The fundamental humans." He looked at Martha. "End of the universe and here you are. Indomitable! That's the word. Indomitable! Ha!" He nudged Penny with his elbow as he grinned, his smile looking much more genuine.

"Is there a Kistane Shafe Cane?" Creet asked again, but this time, a woman stood up, looking anxious.

"That's me."

Padra pushed in front of Creet, his eyes going wide as he looked at her. "Mother?"

"Oh, my God." The woman had tears in her eyes as she swept him into an embrace. "Padra."

"It's not all bad news." Martha smiled.

"It never is." Penny agreed, grinning up at the Doctor.

A young man stood up and neared Jack, who introduced himself. "Captain Jack Harkness." He looked the man up and down as he shook his hand, his voice taking on a flirty tone. "And who are you?"

The Doctor groaned. "Stop it." He walked over the a door, trying to open it, but having a hard time. "Give us a hand with this. It's half deadlocked. I need you to overwrite the code. Let's find out where we are."

Together, the Doctor and Jack tried to open the door. Penny could see over their shoulders that there was nothing but a sheer drop on the other side. The Doctor stumbled, nearly toppling over, but Jack grabbed him by the collar of his trench coat and yanked him back at the last second, sending him tumbling back into Penny, who nearly fell back as she caught him.

Jack smirked at the two. "I guess you fell for her."

The Doctor righted himself, continuing what he was doing.

Penny, on the other hand, was a blushing mess as she walked to Jack's side and whispered to him. "Did you just hit on him... for me?" 

Jack draped an arm across her shoulders. "It's not like it's the first time I've done something like that." He teased.