IT WAS 20,000 YEARS AGO TODAY

Chapter Thirty Two

The Doctor spent the rest of the night repairing the ship's circuits and by the morning, he finally felt that he had fixed it enough that they would have no trouble repairing it. He stood up, stretched, yawned and headed towards the ramp. On the way there, he saw Jane coming into the ship with Tia at her side. He smiled and opened his arms. He embraced them both.

"Good morning," he said, quickly checking his watch.

"You've been up all night?" Jane asked worriedly.

"Oh, I rarely sleep. My species can do without," the Doctor said.

"Heh, I envy you," she said. "Ja'thed has breakfast prepared for us so I came to get you."

"Thank you, I am hungry. I think I finally got the ship working. At least it won't go all wonky on us."

"Good, I'm glad," Jane said. "Um…Paul asked Ja'thed to make him a mobile and he was wondering if you could do that universal roaming thing so we can call our parents when we're able to?"

"Gladly, do you have it? You'll have to wait till we get back to our universe though."

Jane nodded. The Doctor tousled Tia's hair and smiled when she took his hand and he gave it a squeeze while Jane reached in her pocket for the new mobile. The Doctor used his screwdriver to give it universal roaming and handed it back to her.

"Thanks. We just want to call our families and make sure they're okay and tell them about Michelle and Tia when we get back to our universe," Jane said.

The Doctor walked with her through the force field corridor. He carried Tia in his arms and she rested her head on the Doctor's shoulder.

Meanwhile, Paul had finished getting ready for the day. His stomach growling, he headed towards the dining room while hoped that Ja'thed made them a decent breakfast. He was walking down the corridor when he heard a squeal and felt someone jump on his back.

"Good morning, biscuit boooo!" Rose squealed before she got off his back.

He turned and saw her giving him a wry look while Jeremy snickered. Jeremy laughed harder when he seized her cheeks and pinched them.

"Good morning, my number one fan!" he said, parroting her squeal while Rose backed away from his fingers. "You have fatty cheeks that are just right for pinching!"

He sniggered when Rose swatted his back. He put his hands in his pockets and walked with Rose and Jeremy towards the dining room.

"So…are you ready to go on our way and find more adventure, Cockney Blondie?" Paul asked her as they walked.

"I sure am, Scouser…Thing," Rose said while Jeremy laughed.

"Oooo, that wounded me deeply. I'll never get over you calling me Scouser Thing," he said clutching at the area over his heart. "I'll need years of therapy just to sort that one out."

"BOO!" Amy said, suddenly jumping out at him from around the corner when they neared the end of the corridor.

"Anyway…" Paul said, not missing a beat as they walked past her, "I'm looking forward to breakfast," he added while Jeremy and Rose laughed and glanced back at Amy who was flipping him off.

Amy and Rory joined their group and Paul feigned exasperation when Amy jogged to catch up to him.

"Ugh, two pests," he said, rolling his eyes.

"Speak for yourself, ya git," Amy said.

"Yeah, you're the one bothering us," Rose added.

"Mates," Paul said to Jeremy and Rory, "what do you see in these people? Are they using some kind of love spell to bind you to them?"

"I waited 2,000 years for Amy and after spending all that time outside the Pandorica, I figured I better date the girl."

"Rose was basically shoved in my face by a man who then ran away as fast as he could because he preferred gingers to blondes."

"You mentioned the ginger girl, Donna, right?" Paul said.

Jeremy nodded.

"And she's had her memories of you taken away?" Paul said.

"So the Doctor says. I figured that might happen. I knew that having a Time Lord mind in a human body would be disastrous."

"Wait a tic though," Paul said, stopping them. "Doesn't the other you have a Time Lord mind in a human body? I thought Pepa was able to fix him so he still had your knowledge but he was human like us."

"Yes, I think so…not entirely sure but I think he has his Time Lord mind," Jeremy said.

"And…we couldn't go get this Donna, bring her back to Pepa and see if he can fix it so she can have her mind and be human?" Paul said.

Jeremy and Rose shared a look. Jeremy rubbed the back of his head.

"I think we better talk to the Doctor about that one. He's the one that'll have to make the decision, although I'm sure he'd like to have Donna back. They were mates and all."

They walked into the dining room and saw everyone else there, eating eggs and some kind of meat that was shaped like a steak. Paul walked over and kissed Jane and Tia hello before he sat down next to them. Rose and Jeremy sat down beside the Doctor. While they were eating, Jeremy told the Doctor about Donna. The Doctor stopped in mid chew and swallowed while he thought it over.

"I suppose it can be done but we have to concentrate on one thing at a time. First we have to get back to Pepperland and then we can see if Pepa can take a look at Donna and see if she can be restored. The trick will be getting her to come along with us. She's extremely stubborn and she won't remember me and even if she does subconsciously, I've changed since then so we might have to send Jeremy in to retrieve her."

"What about the other bloke, the immortal one?" John said. "Kinda interested in meeting him as well."

"Yeah, he sounds like a nice bloke," Paul said.

"I wouldn't mind seeing him as well," Rose said, "I miss him."

While they were eating Ja'thed came over and asked if everything was satisfactory. Everyone nodded and the Doctor beckoned him over.

"Listen, if you don't mind I'd like to come back eventually. I have my own spaceship and I have a very well equipped med bay and I believe I have some medicine that will heal your radiation burns so you don't have to wear those masks," the Doctor said to him. "I don't have access to my ship now but if you'd like, I'll come back and give you the medicine as soon as I can."

"I and my people would be grateful, Doctor," Ja'thed said with a bow, "we are ashamed of the way we look. We know we look horrifying to others."

"Nah, nothing to be ashamed of," the Doctor said. "Not your fault. There's no need to hide your face from us."

After everyone was finished eating, they decided it was time to go. Ja'thed and his people helped them load their instruments into the ship and after everyone was inside the ship, Ja'thed stayed behind and stood on the ramp. He bowed to them.

"I'm so glad we have become friends, I wish you well in your journey," he said to them.

"Thank you, we'll come back as soon as we can with the medicine," the Doctor replied. "We'll make a note of the coordinates for this place and as soon as I can get my TARDIS on board this ship, I'll come back."

"Take your time, my friend. We've looked this way for ten years now, a little more time won't matter. All that concerns me is your safety."

Everyone bowed to him and he bowed in return before stepping off the ramp. Pepa lifted up the ramp and when it was up, he and the Doctor went up to the console while the others went back to the sleeping quarters to await the dimensional jump.

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