The Time Lord's Apprentice

Day of the Moon

Peyton had always wanted to travel across America, but not like this.

After she had hit the floor in the tunnels, River had scooped her up and helped her out back into the warehouse. She had only passed out for a second, but it had definitely left a bump.

They had all run out of the warehouse, but the creatures were intent on keeping them there. The creatures she keeps forgetting. Why did she keep forgetting?

They piled into the TARDIS and the Doctor formed 'The Plan'.

Peyton personally thought it was a bit of a rubbish plan. Get lost in America for a few months until the FBI hunts them down. She was just glad it was summer.

"Every time you see one of the creatures," the Doctor had said as Peyton stepped out of the TARDIS in Minnesota. "Make a mark on you somewhere, anywhere." He took a sharpie and her hand, making a single tally on her forearm.

"When will I see you again?" she had asked.

"Canton will get the gang all back together soon, we just need to disappear. Become wanted criminals, have us be eliminated by the FBI, then we can get to work," he said as she adjusted the straps of her backpack.

"Right, stay safe, Doctor," Peyton waved as she turned her back on the TARDIS, taking a shaky breath and heading out into the busy street.

• • •

Being on the run was hard. Peyton had lost the backpack of spare clothes and maps somewhere in Montana and had only managed to find two public bathrooms to shower in the past week.

No money to buy a bus fare, deodorant, maps, or even toothpaste. She has nothing but skin littered with tally marks, scrapes and bruises.

Peyton still has no idea what the creatures look like. She had apparently scribbled on her arm the words 'skull' 'suit' and 'white' while having an encounter as she has no memory of marking those words into her skin, nor did it give her any hints.

Seattle was gorgeous, from afar.

She noticed that the FBI has been following her for a week now, it had to look like she was running. Canton said that for them to believe they were a threat they couldn't just fall into their laps when they became tired, she had to keep running, and running.

Camping out in Olympic National Park proved to be a safe haven. Peyton managed to find a stream to wash in and she was even able to steal some food from a park cafe.

She hears them before she sees them.

The sound of heavy footsteps over undergrowth and the metallic clinking of guns.

Peyton has her back pressed to a large tree she isn't sure the name of, the jagged bark sticking into her flesh.

She hears whistling, it sends shivers up her spine even though the logical part of her knows nothing bad will actually happen, that is if everything goes to plan.

"Miss Barrett," Canton calls in a sing-song voice. "Come out, come out, wherever you are."

"Canton, think about this," Peyton yells back. "Think about the creatures. All over America. Remember them!"

She has to give herself props for her acting skills, but what she isn't acting is the adrenaline running through her veins. It was like when she was little, and she was playing chase and tag. She knew that nothing bad was going to happen, not really, but the evolutionary instinct of survival pushed her to run faster, be more scared.

And of course, she was scared. Only Canton had the fake gun, all the rest were packing real bullets. She can't count on a regeneration if one of them gets a little trigger happy.