Welcome to Gaia! ::

((you can't always have a weapon with you. and besides, if we all teach each other we'll all learn something new. we need to get nhizilkia in on this. she knows quite a bit about this stuff.))

The Doctor sat down and looked up.
'Come on, old girl. find me, please.' his face to the sky, he pleaded with his TARDIS.
'Please... find us...'
indeed.
Sephy put a hand on His shoulder. 'If she's really the way you say she is, she'll find us.'

I dont mean like that. and never mind, we won't get bruises if you punch hands. thats how dad taught me.

there was a distinctive whirring noise and a big blue london police box materalised.
I belive she heard you.'
The Doctor ran to it, running inside and collapsing on the floor, panting. He stroked the floor and whispered something inaudible.
Sabbalom and Sephy followed, but walked on out of the room.
'I think they want to be alone.'
_________________________________________________________

Sephy went to a random room and sat down. a sudden wave of dizziness washed over her and she had to sit down.
are you alright?
She nodded.
'I think so.'
There was a call from the control room.
'Sephy? Sabbalom?'
'Coming...'
Sephy got up and walked unsteadily to the door.
are you sure?
'no.'
__________________________________________________________

The Doctor was still lying on the floor, stroking the TARDIS.
Sephy tapped him lightly on the shoulder, and turned him around. He was pale, and shaking.
'Doctor, what's wrong?'
He nervously rubbed the scar on his neck.
'I don't know.'
you both don't look well.
Sephy helped him up into a sitting position.
'do you have any idea at all what could have been in that?' she pointed at his neck.
'I don't know.' He closed his eyes and lay back against the wall.
'okay.' she felt dizzy again.
'let's get out of here and find those other two.'
indeed.

Rika, Marcus and the tea-goblin clung to the Dalek as it wobbled dangerously down the long, white tunnel beyond the archway.

"Can't you keep us steady?" Marcus snapped, rapping his knuckles on the Dalek's head.

"DO NOT DAMAGE MY ARMOUR. MY POWER IS LOW."

"Need charging up do you?"

"STATIC ELECTRICITY IS REQUIRED."

"Ah..." Marcus was about to laugh when he realised that the tunnel had taken a sharp turn downwards. If the Dalek switched off now they might have a long drop to the ground. He swallowed nervously.

"Bit like a rollercoaster this," said Rika cheerfully, "I hope it gets us somewhere!"

"More tea?"

Marcus shook his head.
"Leave off with the tea would you? I'm feeling a little queasy..."

There was a sudden flash and the space around them was no longer enclosed. They'd flown out into a large, white space.

"Hey Marcus," said Rika, nudging him, "Is that what I think it is?"

"Wha..." he turned round to look, "It's the TARDIS!"

Sure enough, the TARDIS was floating only a little way ahead of them in the whiteness. Suddenly, the air was filled by a grinding, wheezing noise.

"Hey! It's taking off!" Rika pointed at the TARDIS as it began to fade in and out, "Quick Dalek, we have to catch it!"

Marcus shook his head.
"It's too late..."

"No wait, it... it might not be leaving..."

The TARDIS was fading in and out but it didn't seem to be getting any fainter. It was also spinning erratically, moving round in a figure of eight shape.

Rika frowned.
"Something's going wrong with it..."

The Doctor fell into a strange and peaceful blackness. He had been half expecting some hallucinations, some flashing lights. Possibly - considering the pain he'd felt just before his collapse - a regeneration. Instead everything turned to inky darkness and he felt oddly weightless. He couldn't think very clearly, if at all. He couldn't tell if he was dreaming or merely unable to open his eyes. What felt like a long time passed in this way. When the darkness finally began to clear he could hear voices - the others, talking over him.

"He's still breathing," said Sephy, sounding a little drained and exhausted, "Breathing's always a good sign, at least."

"I think you should take a look at those scratches on your back..." said Rika and there was the sound of her hand being slapped away.

"I'm fine!"

"Why do you keep a pet that attacks you like that?"

"He's not my pet and he didn't attack me."

"THE DOC-TOR IS ALIVE?"
He had no problem guessing who that voice belonged to...

"Yes," replied Rika, "He's alive."

"MY POWER IS LOW. I MUST RE-CHARGE."

"Hey!"
Now he heard Marcus - louder and more worried than usual.
"Rika, I don't think you should let it plug itself into that..."

"I MUST RE-CHARGE."

"Don't touch the main console," said Rika, "The Doctor wouldn't like that..."

Sephy gave an angry growl.
"You shouldn't have brought a Dalek into the TARDIS!"

"In case you didn't notice," said Marcus, annoyed as well as worried, "We wouldn't have got in at all if it weren't for... STAY AWAY FROM THAT!"

"I MUST RE-CHARGE!"

"Rika!"
Sephy and Marcus' voices were in unison now.

"No," said Rika, sounding firmer now. There was the sound of her walking across the room and placing a heavy hand on the Dalek's casing.
"I don't think you should touch anything until the Doctor wakes up!"

There was the sound of what the Doctor could only assume was an angry Dalek grumbling. He decided to take the opportunity to let the others know he was conscious. He started with a groan.
"Oooohhhhhhh...." he placed a hand to his head, covering his eyes and shielding them from the light that was just a little bit too bright, "A very good idea, I think. Nobody touch anything, especially if they happen to look like a giant talking pepper pot!"

"DOC-TOR, YOU ARE CONSCIOUS..."

"Well observed..."

"Doctor!" Sephy and Marcus helped him into a sitting position, Sephy giving him a stern glare, "You gave us quite a fright there."

"Yes..." The Doctor opened his eyes, slowly, "I can't say it was planned. Is everything alright?"

"Well..." Sephy raised her eyes as if reading from an invisible list, "The TARDIS seems to swirling around somewhere in the vortex, I'm bleeding all over my favourite jacket, Sabbalom has disappeared off somewhere, you've been poisoned by a mad woman and Rika brought a pet Dalek on board. Otherwise, everything is peachy."

"Yes..." The Doctor sighed, "A day in the life... and just what did you mean by bringing one of these vile creatures aboard my ship Rika?"
He turned to her, looking suddenly very angry. She, in turn, looked a little sheepish.

"I... I didn't know it was so bad. And it did save mine and Marcus' lives. And... and it asked for our help."

"HELP ME DOC-TOR," The Dalek said, as if in confirmation.

"Why should I?" The Doctor crossed his arms like a sulky teenager, "You're a monster! A puddle of evil bubbling inside a rusty tin casing. You are a killing machine."

"POW-ER.... FAILING..."

"Good!"

"Doctor!" Rika stepped closer to the Dalek, watching as the light on it's eyestalk grew dim, "You have to help it! It'll die!"

"It won't die!" he snapped, glaring at it, "It'll only go to sleep for a bit, until someone gives it a quick boost of power! It's much safer this way, when it can't move or shoot anyone."

Rika looked doubtfully back at the Dalek. It had grown silent and there was no longer the faint sound of machinery moving inside.

"Daleks are very bad creatures Rika," said the Doctor, looking straight at her, almost as if he were trying to hypnotise her, "They are bad creatures and they are very good at lying. They've had practise."

"It still saved us Doctor!"

"Only to save it's own life! It obviously got itself stuck in that... that coloured place and was fast running out of power. Now it wants to plug itself into my TARDIS..." he gave an angry snort, "My TARDIS indeed! Like I was born yesterday..."
He winced as he pulled at the cut on his neck. It stung and had swelled up - though the bleeding seemed to have stopped.
"Shove that thing into the corner Marcus. Then I think we could all do with a cup of tea."

"Your solution to everything Doctor?" said Sephy, with a smile.

"Quite. And I'd also like to know what happened to that bloody caat..."

"ARRGH!"
The Doctor gave a short (and probably very manly...) scream and looked down at his foot.
"What is that?"

"We don't know..." answered Marcus, sighing as he looked down at the tea goblin, "We picked it up outside..."

"Ah yes, I remember now..." The Doctor glared, "It's got my teapot! Make it give it back!"

"It makes very nice tea Doctor..."

"Oh?"
The Doctor knelt down on his haunches and stared at the goblin, face to pointy green face. He seemed slightly unsure about the creature.
"And what's your name?"

"More tea?"

"Morty?"

"No Doctor..."

"Right Morty, tea time. I need a good strong cup of Earl Grey. Preferably sweet!"
He gave the goblin a nudge towards the tray of tea things and then stood up, arms crossed. He took a deep breath.
"SABBALOM!"

He waited for a long minute. When Sabbalom failed to appear he looked very disappointed.

"Right... well..."
He narrowed his eyes and glared round at the others.
"Well, I'm not looking for him!"
The goblin - Morty - appeared at his side, holding up a tray full of steaming cups of tea. The Doctor took one and sipped it tentatively.
"Mmmmm... not bad..."