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CHAPTER EIGHT:
ROSE, ROBOTS,
AND GIANT BATS

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IRIS had spent a month with the Doctor. When they weren't travelling — which they still limited to once a week, per his request to keep with their timeline — they spent time reading together. Or, as he'd grown accustomed to lecturing her about history and physics and time, she'd taken diligent notes.

Having since read the Gallifreyan basics book cover to cover, the Doctor slowly eased her into writing his language.

She was honored he trusted her enough to do so, especially after learning how coveted the language was and how important it was to his people.

Iris spent each night calling or texting her brothers and they all planned to return home for Christmas.

The Doctor brought her home at the end of the month, nearing October, and Iris hugged him tightly, knowing she'd end up with another Doctor soon.

It was the only reason he dropped her off.

Otherwise, she'd honestly live with him.

"You'll have fun," he promised, holding his hand to her cheek. "Now, get off my TARDIS, I'm sick of you."

Iris scowled playfully and poked his chest. "I'm glad you're dropping me off because I'm tired of you."

"Feeling's mutual," he grinned down at her. "Be good," he bopped her nose. "Get out."

Iris left and tucked her key in her shirt, closing the door behind her.

Upon seeing the surroundings in front of her, she blinked, sighing angrily when she realized where she'd ended up. He hadn't dropped her off in her dorm room, or anywhere near the campus, really. She didn't recognize the area specifically, but after a block, she spotted a small coffee shop and walked in, grumbling to herself.

"Hi, excuse me," she smiled kindly to the person behind the counter. "This is a weird question, I'm doing a thing with a friend, where am I?"

The man smiled a bit. "Newport, love," he told her. "You lost?"

"I'm good, thank you," Iris smiled, then glanced to the menu. "Actually, can I get some chips? Extra salt, please."

"Coming up," the man nodded.

Frowning to herself, Iris pulled out her phone, dialing the TARDIS number and rolling her eyes when he didn't pick up.

"Stupid Time Lord," she sighed, digging around in her hand and placing the payment on the counter. "Thank you," she smiled at the man, but when he turned around, she dialed the phone again.

"Yes?"

"You left me in Newport!" She exclaimed. "I don't have a car or any sort of vehicle. I have class in," she glanced at her watch. "Three minutes and I'm thirty minutes away."

"You've got things to do."

"You are the worst," she rolled her eyes. "I'm going to —"

"—Shut up, got to go."

Iris let out an aggravated breath, tucking the phone into the pocket and pulling the jacket closer around herself. She thanked the man for the chips, glancing back as a strange looking group entered the shop.

A blonde woman, younger than Iris, a dark-skinned man, a middle-aged woman, and a skinny man with spiked up hair and a long coat. Iris looked back to the chips and walked over to a table, placing them down before digging in her pockets for her earbuds.

"Iris Holloway!"

Iris froze, looking up in confusion, wariness on her face at the voice.

The spiked-haired man from before grinned wildly at her, but the blonde woman looked displeased by the action.

"Oh, sorry!" He pointed to himself. "Have you not seen this face yet? Oh, that's a first. Brilliant!"

Realization hit Iris and she took a chip, walking over to him and placing it on the table behind him. "I get it now."

"How've you been?" He asked. "You look brilliant. You remember Rose and Mickey?"

"No, because I haven't met them," Iris smiled in amusement, irritation with her Doctor leaving her as she realized why he'd done it. She'd miss an exam, but she'd be alright. "Hi, I'm Iris, which you probably know because I've been in his past but not my future —which is your past and technically the past of the Iris that you met. I've only been with one of his past adventures, so I'm still fairly early in all of this time-hopping stuff. Not new at anything, I know what I'm doing, but," she looked to the middle-aged woman, head tilting a fraction. "Do I know you?"

"Oh, I don't—I don't believe so," the woman shook her head, offering a hand. "Sarah Jane Smith."

"Oh!" Iris grinned, shaking her hand enthusiastically. "I've heard all about you! He talks about you all the time. Well, not this version, the future version. The easiest way to describe he and I is the universe and time being in a state of infinite temporal flux around us, but he and I are both fixed points existing within the state of flux, being drawn together like magnets. Speaking of," she whacked the Doctor lightly on the arm. "You haven't done it yet, but when you take my penguin magnet and hide it, that's for that, okay?"

The Doctor grinned down at her. "I missed you, Iris Holloway."

"I miss my penguin magnet," she pouted a bit, elaborating to a slightly slack-jawed Rose. "It talked when I booped it's beak. It would sing a little song about snow, and I loved it, but someone thought it was annoying when he's doing repairs, so he hid it from me." She scowled up at him. "Luckily for me, the TARDIS loves me more and will probably just put it in my nightstand so when I put it in your room and hide it where you'll bump into it every day," she laughed darkly. "I will be the superior being."

The Doctor let out a soft laugh. "Oh, Iris, don't ever change."

"Psh, you're the one with different faces," Iris shrugged. "Oh yeah, my fries!" She exclaimed, gently pushing past Sarah Jane and sitting at the booth, taking a bite of her chips. "Aw, they're kind of cold," she pouted. "Bummer." At everyone's looks, she tilted her head. "What are you guys up to?"

"Is that your old jacket?" Rose asked, looking at Iris' jacket.

"Oh, Nine's?" Iris nodded. "Yeah, my Doctor gave it to me on my first trip. Said I'd get cold and then said this was mine."

"But it's not yours."

"Rose," the Doctor warned softly, taking a seat across from Iris. "It's not important."

Rose's jaw clenched, but she said nothing else, walking with Mickey to the counter. Iris watched her go in mild confusion, getting the sense that she didn't like her for some reason — but Iris wasn't exactly sure what.

"We've got a species in a school harming children," the Doctor simplified for her. "This is K-9," he pointed to the tin robot dog next to him. Iris' eyes brightened and she scooted out of the bench, fries forgotten as Sarah Jane took the seat.

"Oh, man, can I...?" She asked him excitedly.

The Doctor smiled down at her, nodding. "Sarah said he's not working, but I'd wager you can figure it out."

"Heck yeah, I can," Iris bit her lip, plucking his sonic from his hands. "I miss the glasses," she mumbled as Sarah Jane and the Doctor spoke quietly.

Iris opened K-9 and fiddled with the wires, resting the sonic in her mouth as she pulled her hair up out of her face. She drowned out the rest of the voices — Rose and Mickey softly speaking across the room, the Doctor and Sarah Jane next to her — focusing on repairing the tin dog.

"Oh, sweet!" Iris exclaimed, grinning down at his interior. "Are these anti-radiation cladding probes?" She asked rhetorically, not seeing the Doctor's fond look. "Alright, little guy," she told he robot softly, "don't you worry, we can fix 'em up. Promise."

Meticulously, Iris worked on the wiring, sonic'ing the necessary components until she got as far as she could.

"Hm," she tapped the sonic against her chin. "Doc, I fixed the laser scapel, but the intraresponsive brain app isn't working properly and I can't figure out why."

He looked down at her, opening his hand for the sonic. She handed it to him, tongue between her lips in focus as she watched him examine her work.

"Green," he handed the sonic back to her, winking as her face lit up.

"Idiot," she chastised herself and quickly finished her work. "There we go," she grinned, pulling back. "Who's dog is this?" She asked curiously, looking up at the Doctor and Sarah Jane.

"Mine," Sarah Jane responded, blinking at Iris, as though seeing someone else entirely. "Are you...are you from the future?"

"What year is this?" Iris countered.

"2007," the Doctor replied. "October."

Iris shrugged. "That's my year. But the Doctor and I have lectures where he just rambles to me, and I take notes and we've been delving into futuristic equipment and designs."

"And you...understand it?" Sarah Jane asked, looking between Iris and the Doctor.

"I mean, I've always liked science," she responded with a shrug. "I study astrophysics now, and my brother's an aerospace engineer, so I sort of grew up with this sort of thing with modern equipment. All it took is the breakdown of different materials in the future and a couple dozen books on laser technology and here we are."

Sarah Jane's eyes softened. "You're perfect," she whispered.

Iris frowned in confusion. "What?"

Before Sarah Jane could answer, K-9 powered back on from his reboot and Iris grinned down excitedly as his tale wagged. "Oh, look at you!" She gushed excitedly.

"Oh, now we're in business," the Doctor commented.

"Master," K9 replied robotically.

The Doctor's face brightened. "He remembers me!" He looked down to Iris, who still sat next to K9, pride in his eyes. "Nicely done, Iris."

"Eh, wasn't too hard once you gave me the correct wire. So stupid of me to miss it."

"Happens," he shrugged as Rose and Mickey walked over. "Don't be hard on yourself, have you even seen a K9 Mark before?"

Iris shrugged. "A rough outline in a book Professor Marius sent you after the first mock-up, I read it my first week, but I haven't touched it since. I've been busy with Gallifreyan stuff."

"Oh," the Doctor's lips quirked up, a softer look in his eyes. "How's that going?"

"Good!" Iris beamed excitedly. "I can write my name and yours."

"That's my girl," he grinned back at her.

"Sorry, hang on," Rose cut in. "Gallifrey, but that's — that's the Doctor's planet, right, Doctor? How come she knows it now?"

"I've never been," Iris amended. "I'll never go, I only know Nine on, he's the earliest I met."

"But I knew him and you weren't there."

Iris shrugged. "I only met him once, I...guess it was before you."

Rose blinked, looking from the Doctor to Iris. "And...now you just know Gallifreyan?"

"Moving on," the Doctor cleared his throat. "Rose, give us the oil."

Rose nodded, pulling out a cannister of oil, handing it to the Doctor. "I wouldn't touch it, though," she warned. "That dinner lady got all scorched."

"I'm no dinner lady," the Doctor countered. "And I don't often say that."

Iris snorted. "Sorry, I pictured you with a hairnet, it was hilarious."

The Doctor glanced down at her with a smile before sticking his finger in the oil, placing it on one of K9's probe.

"Here we go," he encouraged. "Come on, boy, here we go."

"Oil," K9 voiced. "Ex-ex-ex-extract. Ana-ana-analyzing."

"Listen to him, man," Mickey exclaimed. "That's a voice!"

"Careful," Sarah Jane warned playfully. "That's my dog."

"Confirmation of analysis," K9 supplied. "Substance is Krillitane Oil."

Iris sighed as the Doctor's face darkened. "That's not good," she commented.

"They're Krillitanes," the Doctor acknowledged.

"Is that bad?" Rose asked in concern.

"Very. Think of how bad things could possibly be, and add another suitcase full of bad."

"Ten generations ago, they conquered Bessan and killed a million species in one day," Iris added. "They're super scary. Actually, they look pretty similar to the modern depiction of a cartoon devil. Hooked tail and pointed wings, but they really just absorb other creatures' physiological forms."

"Exactly," the Doctor nodded. "They're a composite race. Just like your culture is a mixture of traditions from all sorts of countries, people you've invaded or have been invaded by. You've got bits of Viking, bits of France, bits of whatever. The Krillitanes are the same. An amalgam of the races they've conquered. But they take physical aspects as well. They cherry pick the best bits from the people they destroy. That's why I didn't recognize them. The last time I saw Krillitanes, they looked just like us except they had really long necks. Iris, you met them?"

Iris shook her head. "Just read about them, thankfully. My Doc's careful about which creatures I meet with him so as not to interfere with past adventures."

"So, he can pick and choose where he travels?" Sarah Jane asked in amusement. "I thought he enjoyed crash-landing and hoping for the best."

Iris grinned. "I mean, yeah, that's still the plan, but he avoids places I'm going. The amount of times I've begged for Asgard is unreal, but he refuses. Says I have plans there."

"On Asgard?" Rose asked curiously. "I've never been there."

"Maybe we go together," Iris suggested brightly. "That'd be fun!"

"Yeah, fun," Rose nodded, looking away.

"Why would Krillitanes be here?" Iris asked curiously. "You said they're attacking the kids?"

The Doctor nodded. "They're doing something to the children. We have to figure out what."

—

Iris was fiddling with her phone, sending her brother the exact description of the mask she'd gotten in Venice and forgot to give him, when Rose and the Doctor exited the coffee shop.

"How many of us have there been travelling with you?" She asked him.

Iris glanced up, then looked back down to her phone with wide-eyes, feeling very awkward.

"Does it matter?" He countered.

"Yeah, it does, if I'm just the latest in a long line."

Yikes, this is not what Iris wanted today. She looked up and around, thinking of the next trip she'd go on with her Doctor. Maybe they could visit Moth 9S, she'd read it was a neat place for different species of bugs. She didn't particularly like bugs.

But surely it would be less painful than this.

"As opposed to what?"

"Oh, boy," Iris mumbled to herself.

"I thought you and me were. I obviously got it wrong. I've been to the year five billion, right, but this? Now this is really seeing the future. You just leave us behind. Is that what you're going to do to me?"

"No," the Doctor replied immediately. "Not to you."

"But Sarah Jane?" Rose questioned. "You were that close to her once, and now you never even mention her. Why not? Is Iris your exception?"

"I don't age," the Doctor cut her off. "Iris is...different. She and I don't travel in the same order, it's different. I regenerate. But humans decay. You wither and you die. Imagine watching that happen to someone who you..."

Iris looked down at her fingernails, noting how desperately she needed to paint them.

She didn't often paint them, but she'd never wanted them painted more than now.

"What, Doctor?"

"You can spend the rest of your life with me, but I can't spend the rest of mine with you. I have to live on. Alone. That's the curse of the Time Lords."

Iris jumped when a large bat-like creature swooped down, flying over them all.

"Was that a Krillitane?" Sarah Jane asked in concern.

"But it didn't even touch her. It just flew off. What did it do that for?"

—

"Iris," the Doctor looked to her as they approached the school. "You, Rose, and Sarah go to Maths room. Crack open those computers; I need to see the hardware inside. Here, you might need this."

Rose and Sarah both opened their hand for the sonic, but he nudged Iris and she grabbed it.

"Do I have permission to rewrite the wood settings?" Iris asked hopefully.

The Doctor shook his head. "No."

"I could do so much more if I was only given the freedom," she sighed loudly. "Whatever, I'll let your sonic be dumbed down."

"Go," he shoved her arm lightly and she grinned up at him, winking before walking.

"Wait," she stopped, looking to Rose and Sarah Jane sheepishly. "I don't know where I'm going."

"'Course not," Rose rolled her eyes.

"Mickey, surveillance," the Doctor continued assigning. "I want you outside."

"Just stand outside?" Mickey asked doubtfully.

"Here, take these you can keep K9 company," Sarah Jane tossed him her car keys.

"Don't forget to leave the window open a crack," the Doctor reminded.

"But, he's metal!"

Iris grinned at his response and the eye roll of the Doctor. "I didn't mean for him!"

"What're you going to do?" Rose asked the Doctor.

"Time I had a word with Mister Finch."

—

hehehee sooo i'm a sucker for school reunion soz it's one of my favorite eps if you haven't noticed by the way i write it literally every dw story. hopefully you guys enjoyed the first part, i love ten and iris, they're so cute and next chapter is so much rambling hahahaha
second half will be up soon too:)