Chapter 9

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"What's happening?" Jenny asks.

"The gases will escape and trigger the terraforming process," I whisper.

"What does that mean?" Jenny asks another question.

"It means a new world," the Doctor says for me. Jenny laughs with delight, but then she looks at General Cobb - the only one who isn't enchanted by what's happened. He lifts his gun to shoot. It's aimed directly at the Doctor. I whip my head his way, ready to jump in front of him, but then Jenny already has.

"No!" She yells. The bullet hits her and she collapses into the Doctor's arms. The soldiers have to hold down Cobb and take away his gun.

"Jenny? Jenny! Talk to me, Jenny!" The Doctor yells. He sits down and takes Jenny into his lap. I check her pulse and the wound.

"Is she gonna be all right?" Donna asks. I just look at Donna without saying a word.

"A new world. It's beautiful," Jenny whispers.

"Jenny? Be strong, now. You need to hold on. D'you hear me? We've got things to do, you and me. Hey? Hey? We can go anywhere. Everywhere. You choose," the Doctor almost begs.

"That sounds good," Jenny whispers.

"You're my daughter and we've only just got started. You're gonna be great. You're gonna be more than great. You're gonna be amazing! You hear me? Jenny?" She closes her eyes, going unconscious... Dead. The Doctor kisses her forehead in despair.

"Two hearts. Two hearts, she's like me. Like us, Alessa. If we wait... If we just wait..." The Doctor rushes. He looks at me for reassurance.

"There is no regeneration. She's like us, but... maybe not enough. Just because she has two hearts, doesn't mean-"

"No. Too much. That's the truth of it. She was too much like me," he mumbles. He gently puts Jenny to the ground and kisses her one last time. Then he gets up, walks to General Cobb and picks up his gun. He stands there, panting from anger and despair, pointing the gun at Cobb's head. Donna and I stand shocked to see what he's doing. But then he lowers the gun and bends down to Cobb.

"I never would. Have you got that? I never would!" he yells. He stands up again and addresses both fighting parties. "When you start this new world. This world of Human and Hath... remember that! Make the foundation of this society. A man who never would!" He finishes.

He throws away the gun and sits back to Jenny's body.

***
Jenny is laid out in the theatre room that used to be the human encampment. The Doctor, Donna, who I now know as Cline, I and a Hath are around her. Suddenly, beams of light come through the windows.

"It's happening. The terraforming," I mutter.

"Build a city, nice and safe underground. Strip away the top soil. And there it is. And what about Jenny?" Donna says.

"Let us give her a proper ceremony. I think it'd help us. Please," Cline mentions. The Doctor, lost in dark thoughts, nods his approval.

***
The Doctor, Donna and I are back in the TARDIS.

"Jenny was the reason for the TARDIS bringing us here. It just got here too soon, which then created Jenny in the first place. Paradox. An endless paradox," the Doctor remarks. Donna and I watch him with sympathy.

"Time to go home?" he asks Donna.

"Yeah, home." He starts to pull controls, but without his usual enthusiasm.

***
Donna and I walk down towards Donna's house.

"You sure about this?" I ask, even though I don't want her to stay. Not in a mean way. I like Donna it's just... I want to be with the Doctor without him worrying about two people.

"Yeah, I'll see you soon," she smiles.

"Yeah, I don't know... I don't know if I can do this forever. I mean, I can, but I have a life. It's a life without the Doctor, but I have it. But, in all honesty, It's hard to leave the kind of life that the Doctor has," I comment. I look back to the Doctor who is a few step behind them. "But I have to stay," I say rethinking my decision. "I have to stay for him. He needs me, and I need him. I never knew it until now... I have to stay with him for as long as I can."

We hug each other.

"Good luck," she smiles. I laugh.

"And you," I reply. "See you soon."Donna walks away while the Doctor and I walk ahead.

"We're making a habit of this," he states gesturing to when I said earlier that I would only go on one more trip. "Going on and off..."

"I'm staying... For as long as I can... I have to. I have to keep you safe. I've always known there was something to live for... But I never knew what that something was, until now."

"Oh... there's always something worth living for, Alessa..." he smiles, still not getting what I'm saying.

"Doctor... You're the something to live for," I add before walking back to the TARDIS. I leave behind a very confused man to say goodbye to Donna.

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