THE TROUBLE WITH TWINS

"They're not going to answer," said Cassandra impatiently. Dropping her tool kit with an impatient flourished, she didn't flinch at the screeching crash it made as it hit the floor. Whirling her head to glare exasperantly at her sister, Miranda blew out a puff of air.

"Honestly, Cassandra," she said, "I sometimes wonder if I wasn't first born. The way you act..."

"What's wrong with the way I act?" exclaimed Cassandra.

"Oh, nothing, " replied Miranda, then added under her breath, "Unless you like an insufferable know-it-all."

"I heard that," said Cassandra, "And it isn't my fault your head's always in those temporal paradoxes. You know the universe moves beyond those."

"Only parts of it," replied Miranda.

Cassandra opened her mouth to argue, when the door to the TARDIS suddenly opened. Immediately, Cassandra squat down and scooped up her tool kit. For all intense and purposes, it looked like a little red tool box sold to men who thought they needed it to appear like a genuine handy-man. It even rattled loudly as it moved. However, if one were to open said tool kit, one would find a very different story indeed.

The forms of Rose and the Doctor appeared in the TARDIS's doorway. This time, the air seemed filled with more hostile intent. Cassandra noted the female's angry glare, and the way she held herself pressed almost protectively against the man. Now there was a tickle in the back of her mind. A laughter coming from somewhere far away. Out of the corner of her eye, Cassandra saw the bemused glint in her sister's eyes as she watched the time lord and his companion.

Knowing Miranda didn't trust herself enough to speak, Cassandra took lead and said, "May we come in, Doctor?"

"I dunno," replied the Doctor coolly, "Would you take offense if I prefer you didn't?"

"That depends," said Cassandra, raising an eyebrow, "Is your machinery fixed?"

"Not that it's any business of yours," said Rose under her breathe. She felt the Doctor squeeze her hand warningly.

"Near enough," the Doctor replied cheerfully, putting his hand on the door, "We should be on our way in another hour or so. Perhaps we'll run across each other another time."

Miranda let out a snort, quickly covering her face with her hand. Rose felt a smile tug at her lips more by the look of pride on the Doctor's face for his bad joke then for the joke itself. Cassandra alone seemed unaffected as she glared at her sister. Miranda shrugged. Schooling her face back to seriousness, she turned her attention to the Doctor.

"Are you sure?" she asked, making him pause in closing the door, "We'd hate to leave you..."

"Drifting," offered Cassandra.

"Er, helpless."

"Stranded?"

"That's a good word," exclaimed Miranda, nodding to her sister, "We'd hate to leave you stranded out here by yourself. It just doesn't feel right. I mean, Cassandra is amazing with mechanical items. I'm sure she could cut your launch time down."

"Actually, the Doctor and I were thinking of staying here for a while," said Rose, adding coolly, "If that's permitted of course."

She saw Cassandra's eyes pass over her inspectively. Then with a shrug the girl replied, "It isn't our space. You can do whatever you damn well please, girl. We're just offering some help."

"And the Doctor said no," said Rose, "And don't call me girl."

"Rose, calm down," the Doctor interjected. Looking at the twins he said, "The truth is, I'd rather you didn't. You understand. Alien technology. Temporal equipment. It's difficult stuff. I don't want you hurt before even knowing you. It wouldn't be proper. No offense meant, of course."

For once Rose found herself completely disagreeing with the Doctor. She didn't care if they gave the girls offense. Something about the pair rubbed her the wrong way. She couldn't put her finger on what, exactly, but there was something about them that seemed off. Quite off, in fact, and more then the beings Rose usually saw with the Doctor.

It was in this instant, that Rose saw the flash erupt from behind both pairs of emerald eyes. It was though the same thought had passed through their minds at the exact same time. The same smile played on both girl's faces, eerie in their own unique ways.

"I'm sorry," said Miranda, suddenly contrite, "We thought...your companion is human, isn't she?"

The Doctor's face became serious as he moved unconciously between Rose and the girls.

"Why?" he demanded.

"Oh, it's just. We thought...you being Gallifreyan and all, with a human companion..." Miranda seemed to stutter out.

Immediately, Rose realized something was wrong. The Doctor's serious expression suddenly became rigid as did the rest of him. A pained look came in his eyes Rose had seen only once before. Instinctively, she moved beside him.

"We assumed you would permit human travelers aboard your ship," Cassandra finished her sister's statement without noticing the Doctor's change, "Provided we assist you in someway."

"Doctor, what is it?" said Rose, "What's wrong?"

She knew it was something Miranda had said just a moment ago. Her mind flashed word Gallifreyan.

"What did you call me?" the Doctor's tone was completely different to Rose's ears. It sounded hollow, broken and at the same time furious.

"A Gallifreyan," said Miranda and for once Rose believed the sincerity of her confusion, "Is that not correct?"

The Doctor did not answer directly. Rose barely had time to comprehend what happened as he suddenly was towering over Miranda.

"How do you know about the Time Wars?" he demanded, angrily.

If the girl were trying to provoke a reaction from the last time lord, it certainly wasn't this. With a slight exclamation of fear, Miranda tried to jump back. The Doctor, however, had other ideas as he grabbed her shoulders and whirled her around.

"Tell me, " he demanded, "How do you know about the Time Wars?"

"Doctor!"

Rose's warning came to late. The moment Cassandra's hand touch the small of his back a sudden light erupted in the small cooridor. With a sharp cry, Rose covered her eyes from the blinding light. A red flash passed over her eyes and then faded into nothingness. Jerking her hands down, Rose saw Cassandra with a grim expression etched on her face. In her hand was a small, circular disk, glowing dimly. Beside her the Doctor still grasping Miranda's shoulders, pressing the girl into the cooridor's wall. The young woman's eyes were blankly staring straight ahead. The Doctor turned his head to Rose.

"That was..." he began to say, and collapsed in a heap on the floor.

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