"thank the gods it's just us," Morgana said happily as they wandered through a past Christmas market, both of them walking hand in hand
"I think that was the longest two and a half years of my life" he agreed as he looked over at some carollers with a bright smile
"let's not mention it was supposed to have lasted for five years" she conspired, and he nodded empathetically, they had originally planned on relaxing for five years but Davina had wanted to get back to New Orleans and her siblings and children were getting antsy, Donna and Ianto had finally calmed down though, so they happily dropped them off.
"but now we're on an adventure just us," he said pleased, and she grinned
"first husband and wife trip!" she agreed happily, and he beamed
"who would've thought my duplicate and your twin..." he mused as he sneakily stole a flower and held it out to her, she took it with a quick kiss on the cheek and both of them snuck off
"I don't think they wanted it to come out quite like that" she snickered remembering how mortified her sister was to be found topless, making out with David in a closet.
"They should have found a better hiding spot" he ascertained
"to be fair, we encroached on their hiding spot" she defended them
"We were on honeymoon! We had every right" he pouted, and she laughed
"Doctor!" they heard a cry and they both began running until they found a dark-skinned young woman
"Don't worry, don't worry. Stand back. What have we got here?" he asked as the large double doors in front of them was shoved forward and a snarl resounded "Ooo. Okay, we've got it. Whatever's behind that door, I think you should get out of here."
"Doctor!" the woman called again, and she frowned
"No, no. I'm standing right here. Hello." Dearest greeted her again
"Don't be stupid. Who are you?" she demanded
"he's the Doctor," Morgana said as he gave a little wave
"Doctor who?" she questioned
"Just the Doctor." He answered
"Well, there can't be two of you." She declared and Morgana swallowed the disagreement as another man ran up, he was rather handsome with brown hair, a yellow long coat and a bright red vest
"Where the hell have you been?" the woman questioned him
"Right then. Don't worry. Stand back. What have we got here then?" the other? Doctor asked
"Hold on, hold on. Who are you?" Dearest asked the man while Morgana frowned
"I'm the Doctor. Simply, the Doctor. The one, the only and the best. Rosita, give me the sonic screwdriver." He requested of the woman who quickly handed him an object
"Pardon?" Morgana asked
"Now quickly, get back to the Tardis." The other Doctor asked
"Back to the what?" her Doctor asked looking baffled
"If you could stand back, sir, Ma'am. This is a job for a Time Lord." The other Doctor instructed them
"Job for a what lord?" the Doctor asked as the doors burst open and an animal with black shaggy fur and a cyberman style head in copper colouring was visible
"Oh, that's different." Her Doctor said
"Oh, that's new." The other Doctor said and they both pointed their screwdrivers at it saying together
"Allons-y."
"I've been hunting this beast for a good fortnight. Now step back, sir." The other Doctor insisted
"Some sort of primitive conversion, like they took the brain of a cat or a dog." Her Doctor said as they watched it hang off the wall staring at them
"But why stick it in a cyberman?" Morgana questioned and he shook his head with a shrug
"an experiment? Or a test run maybe?" he guessed
"guard dog?" Morgana suggested ominously
"Well, talking's all very well. Rosita?" the other Doctor looked over at Rosita
"I'm ready." She assured him and handed over a large coil of rope
"Now, watch and learn." The other Doctor bragged, and Morgana arched an eyebrow
"I really wouldn't do that" Morgana advised as the other Doctor swung his rope and got it around the beast in one try
"It's fine Ma'am" he assured her "Now then, let's pull this timorous beastie down to earth" but the beast climbed up the wall higher, pulling him up with it
"Or not." the Doctor said as he observed
"I might be in a little bit of trouble." The other Doctor admitted sheepishly
Her Doctor grinned fondly "Nothing changes. I've got you." He then grabbed the rope, but the beast was strong enough to pull the pair of them off the ground
"You idiots!" Morgana called as she carefully watched them
"then why don't you help?" he retorted
"when it's life-threatening I will" she grinned
"Perhaps if you could pull?" the other Doctor requested
"I am pulling. In this position, I couldn't not pull, could I?" her Doctor retorted as they hung the beast leapt through a window into the top floor of the warehouse
"Then I suggest you let go, sir." The Other Doctor told him
"I'm not letting you out of my sight, Doctor. Don't you recognise me?" her Doctor asked,
"or me?" Morgana asked concerned had he hit his head?
"No, should I? Have we met? This is hardly the right time for me to go through my social calendar. Argh!" he cried out
"you have to know her at least!" Her Doctor argued a deep frown on his face "Morgana?"
"what about Morgana? I know no one of that name" the other Doctor asked and they were both hauled upwards and Morgana rolled her eyes, she'd deal with him not knowing her later
"Come along these fools will get themselves killed, we need an axe or something," she said as they hurried off
"what's the axe for?" Rosita asked
"to cut the rope" she replied as she grabbed a nearby axe and hurried up the stairs, watching as they were dragged across the floor, she quickly swung the axe and the rope snapped, she observed them as they started to laugh and hug one another.
"Keep laughing, the next swing is into your heads" she grumbled stalking off, as they soon scrambled after her into the alleyway
"Well, I'm glad you think it's so funny. You're mad. Both of you. You could've got killed." Rosita scolded
"she's right, I mean evidently I would have saved your arses...oh wait I did" she drawled sarcastically
The Other Doctor smiled "But evidently we did not. Oh, I should introduce Rosita. My faithful companion. Always telling me off." He said happily
"always a smart response Doctor" she rolled her eyes
"Well, they do, don't they? Rosita. Good name. Hello, Rosita. But where's your Morgana?" he asked
"my Morgana?" he frowned
"Huh. Now I'll have to go and dismantle the traps. All that for nothing. And we've only got twenty minutes till the funeral, don't forget. Then back to the Tardis, right?" Rosita checked before heading off
"Funeral?" her Doctor asked sharply
"Oh, long story. Not my own, not yet. Oh, I'm not as young as I was." The other Doctor chuckled, and Morgana wondered just how old this incarnation was, his physical appearance didn't show his age
"Well, not as young as you were when you were me." Her Doctor said
"When I was who?" the other Doctor asked looking confused
"You really don't recognise me?" he looked put out and upset at the thought he would be forgotten "Or the name Morgana or who she is to you?" he looked heartbroken at that thought and sent a look at Morgana, who smiled softly in return, they would just have to remind him or something.
"Not at all." The other Doctor admitted
"But you're the Doctor. The next Doctor. Or the next but one. A future Doctor anyway. No, no, don't tell me how it happened. Although, I hope I don't just trip over a brick. That'd be embarrassing. Then again, painless. Worse ways to go. Depends on the brick." He corrected in consideration and Morgana rolled her eyes
"you won't trip over a brick" she assured him
"You're gabbling, sir. Now might I ask, who are you, exactly? And who are you Ma'am?" he asked them
"No, I'm, er, I'm just. Smith. John Smith. But I've heard all about you, Doctor. Bit of a legend, if I say so myself." 'John' said, and she rolled her eyes at his bragging
"Eliza" Morgana said simply
"Modesty forbids me to agree with you, sir. But yes. Yes, I am." The other Doctor said
"A legend with certain memories missing. Are we right?" Morgana asked
"How do you know that?" the other Doctor looked at them sharply
"You've forgotten me, and you don't know her, you should always know her, no matter what," Her Doctor said
He sighed and admitted "Great swathes of my life have been stolen away. When I turn my mind to the past, there's nothing."
"Going how far back?" her Doctor wondered
"Since the Cybermen. Masters of that hellish wall-scuttler and old enemies of mine, now at work in London town. You won't believe this, Mister Smith, Miss Eliza, but they are creatures from another world." He told them grandly
"shocking" Morgana said
"Really. Wow." The Doctor said deadpan
"It's said they fell onto London, out of the sky in a blaze of light. And they found me. Something was taken. And something was lost. What was I like, in the past?" the other Doctor asked
"I don't think I should say. Sorry. Got to be careful with memory loss. One wrong word-"he looked concerned as he looked over at Morgana, they were both wondering if future her had been the important thing taken but if something could keep her down it was a dangerous thing
"It's strange, though. I talk of Cybermen from the stars and you don't blink, Mister Smith. Neither of you don't" He said thoughtfully
"oh, we've been around a bit" Morgana brushed off
Her Doctor smiled "Ah, don't blink. Remember that? Whatever you do, don't blink? The blinking and the statues? Sally and the angels? No?" he became sombre and a worried look shined in his eyes
"You're a very odd man." The other Doctor commented
"Hmm, I still am. Something's wrong here." He told Morgana quietly
"yea, he can't remember it's...odd," Morgana said
"Oh, the funeral! The funeral's at two o'clock. It's been a pleasure, Mister Smith, Miss Eliza. Don't breathe a word of it." He warned
"Oh, but can't I come with you?" Her Doctor asked him
He shook his head in denial "It's far dangerous. Rest assured, I shall keep this city safe. Oh, and, er merry Christmas, Mister Smith, Miss Eliza" he smiled at them
"Merry Christmas, Doctor." Her Doctor replied and they watched him walk away
"we're definitely following him; Gods know what trouble he'll get into especially with no memory," Morgana said
"you haven't done this before...have you?" her Doctor asked but she didn't deign him with a response just following the other Doctor at a distance, her Doctor following her and catching up while eyeing her speculatively.
"The late Reverend Fairchild, leaving his place of residence for the last time. God rest his soul. Now, with the house empty, I shall effect an entrance at the rear while you go back to the Tardis. This is hardly work for a woman." The other Doctor said, and Morgana arched an eyebrow at her Doctor who blushed
"I didn't say it" he defended himself
"apparently you will" she glared at him "I'm blaming the memory loss, otherwise you'd be sleeping on the grating of the console room for the next fifty years"
"good idea" he murmured
"Oh, don't mind me saving your life. That's work for a woman, isn't it?" Rosita questioned
"The Doctor's companion does what The Doctor says. Off you go." The other Doctor said, and they watched her leave, before they quickly snuck into the house, heading to the back door and opening it, coming face to face with the other Doctor
"Hello." Her Doctor greeted cheerily
"How did you get in?" he questioned
"Oh, front door. I'm good at doors. Er, do you mind my asking, is that your sonic screwdriver?" her Doctor asked
"Yes. I'd be lost without it." He nodded showing it to them and Morgana blinked at the ordinary screwdriver, what had happened to the sonic one?
"But that's a screwdriver. How's it sonic?" her Doctor asked
"Well, er, it makes a noise. That's sonic, isn't it? Now, since we're acting like common burglars, I suggest we get out of plain view." The other Doctor said
"he has a point" Morgana interjected
"you were allowed in?" the Doctor asked her
"owner's dead" she answered simply, and he nodded
"This investigation of yours, what's it about?" her Doctor asked him
The other Doctor told them dramatically "It started with a murder."
"doesn't it always?" Morgana questioned, "who died?"
"Mr Jackson Lake, a teacher of mathematics from Sussex. He came to London three weeks ago and died a terrible death." The other Doctor informed them
"Cybermen?" her Doctor asked sharply
He shrugged "It's hard to say. His body was never found. But then it started. More secret murders, then abductions. Children, stolen away in silence."
"So, whose house is this?" her Doctor asked as they started poking around, Morgana idly glancing through the drawers idly looking for something that might help
"The latest murder. The Reverend Aubrey Fairchild, found with burns to his forehead, like some advanced form of electrocution." The other Doctor explained, and Morgana hummed, electrocution was certainly the cybermen's style.
"But who was he? Was he important?" her Doctor interrogated
"You ask a lot of questions." The other Doctor pointed out
"he never stops I assure you" Morgana informed him dryly
"we're your companions," He said cheekily, and she snorted rolling her eyes
"The Reverend was the pillar of the community, a member of many parish boards. A keen advocate of children's charities." The other Doctor explained
He frowned "Children again. But why would the Cybermen want him dead? And what's his connection to the first death, this Jackson Lake?" her Doctor asked the other Doctor
"It's funny. I seem to be telling you everything, as though you engendered some sort of trust. You seem familiar, Mister Smith. I know your faces. But how?" the other Doctor asked
"I wonder. I can't help noticing you're wearing a fob watch." Her Doctor said and she perked up slightly, maybe that's why he had forgotten
"Is that important?" the other Doctor looked between them
"Legend has it that the memories of a Time Lord can be contained within a watch. Do you mind?" he asked the other Doctor and he quickly gave the watch over "It's said that if it's opened-" he opened it and the gears of the watch fell out
"Oh. Maybe not," he said in disappointment
"Sorry, darling" Morgana called over and he sighed and smiled at her reassuringly, so this Doctor hadn't shoved his memories into a fob watch.
The other Doctor piped in helpfully "It was more for decoration."
"Yeah. Anyway, alien infiltration." He brought them back on topic
"Yes. Just look for anything different. Possibly metal. Anything that doesn't seem to belong. Perhaps a mechanical device that could fit no earthly engine." The other Doctor explained to them Morgana kept poking around her heightened senses picking up on Dearest's sonic whirr as he scanned discreetly
"It could even seem to be organic, but unlike any organism of the natural world. Shush! What's that noise?" the other Doctor asked suddenly
"oh, he whistles sometimes" Morgana brushed off
Her Dearest shot her an amused look before asking, "I wonder what's in here, though." As he opened a writing desk "Ah. Different and metal, you were right." She saw him pull out two cylinders
"They are infostamps. I mean, at a guess. If I were you, I'd say they worked something like this." She watched in interest as he pressed one end and images were projected from the other side
"See? Compressed information. Tons of it. That is the history of London, 1066 to the present day. This is like a disc, a Cyberdisc. But why would the Cybermen need something so simple? They've got to be wireless. Unless they're in the wrong century. They haven't got much power. They need plain old basic infostamps to update themselves. Are you all right?" her Doctor asked as the other Doctor seemed in pain
"I'm fine." He tried to dismiss
"No, you're not, what is it? What's wrong?" she asked gently watching him in concern
"I've seen one of these before. I was holding this device the night I lost my mind. The night I regenerated. The Cybermen, they made me change. My mind, my face, my whole self. And you were there. Who are you two?" he questioned
"we're friends, we promise" Morgana promised him gently feeling her heart twist
"Then I beg you, John, Eliza. Help me." The Other Doctor asked
"Ah. Two words I never refuse. But it's not a conversation for a dead man's house. It'll make more sense if we go back to the Tardis. Your Tardis. Hold on. I just need to do a little final check. Won't take a tick. There's one more thing I cannot figure. If this rooms got infostamps, then maybe, just maybe, it's got something that needs infostamping." Her Doctor said excitedly as he opened a door only for a cyberman to be revealed
"Okay." He said calmly
He closed it and then looked at them "I think we should run."
"great idea Dearest" Morgana agreed with him as the door was smashed down
"Run, Doctor! Now, Doctor!" her Doctor said as he grabbed her hand and started backing up
"Delete. The Doctor will be deleted." A cyberman said
"Delete." A second one said
"great now there's another" Morgana groaned in annoyance
"Stairs! Can't lead them outside!" her Doctor said grabbing something only to discover it was an umbrella, with a groan of annoyance he tossed it aside and took a sword from the wall instead
"Delete." One of the cybermen said as Morgana shoved the second one away
"I'm a dab hand with a cutlass. You don't want to come near me when I've got one of these. This is your last warning. No? Olay, this is really your last warning! Okay, I give up." He said and swiftly moved himself and Morgana back up the stairs
"Delete." The cybermen said
"Listen to me properly. Whatever you're doing stuck in 1851, I can help! I mean it. I'm the only person in the world who can help you! Listen to me!" he instructed
"they never listen, Dearest," Morgana said and to reaffirm her point
"Delete."
"I'm the Doctor. You need me. Check your memory banks. My name's the Doctor. Leave this man alone. The Doctor is me!" he said as he put a foot onto the leading Cyberman's chest and shoved them back downstairs
"Delete." They were unaffected
"The Doctor, remember? I'm the Doctor! You need me alive. You need the Doctor, and that's me!" he said and the cybermen managed to knock them onto their backs
"Delete." When Morgana was about to rip into the cybermen, the other Doctor activated the infostamp and aimed the beam at the cyberman, they quickly fell onto their knees and their heads exploded
"well done, Doctor" Morgana smiled at the man
"Infostamp with a Cyclo-Steinham core. You ripped open the core and broke the safety. Zap! Only the Doctor would think of that." He grinned
"I did that last time." The other Doctor said
"Come here. You'll be okay. Let me just check." He then took the infostamp off the man whose hands were trembling
"You told them you were the Doctor. Why did you do that?" the other Doctor asked
"Oh, I was just protecting you." Her Doctor brushed off
"You're trying to take away the only thing I've got, like they did. They stole something, something so precious, but I can't remember. What happened to me? What did they do?" he demanded tearfully
"We'll find out. You and us together." Her Doctor promised
"Doctor! I thought you were dead!" Rosita accused as they headed into an alleyway, pulling the other Doctor into a hug
"Now then, Rosita. A little decorum." The other Doctor chided
"You've been gone for so long. He's always doing this, leaving me behind. Going frantic." She explained to them and Morgana smirked
"I understand the feeling" Morgana concurred
"What about the Tardis?" the other Doctor asked
"Oh, she's ready. Come on." Rosita sent them a bright smile
"I'm looking forward to this." Her Doctor grinned
"I wonder if she's changed" Morgana mused as they walked hand in hand, both of them being led to the stables
When they entered Morgana noted that the stables were empty of any horses, the stalls have been converted into the other Doctor's living space
"You were right though, Rosita. The Reverend Fairchild's death was the work of the Cybermen." The Other Doctor told his companion
"So, you live here?" her Doctor asked
He nodded his head "A temporary base until we rout the enemy. The Tardis is magnificent, but it's hardly a home."
"And where's the Tardis now?" Morgana wondered her eyebrows furrowed, how wasn't the TARDIS a home? She was a home and their magnificent ship
The other Doctor answered her waving a hand in a general direction "In the yard."
"Er, what's all this luggage?" her Doctor asked gesturing to the piled-up luggage
"Evidence. The property of Jackson Lake, the first man to be murdered. Oh, but my new friends are fighters, Rosita, much like myself. they faced the Cybermen, he fought with a cutlass. I'm not ashamed to say, they were braver than I. they were quite brilliant." He bragged as Dearest scanned the luggage
"Are you whistling again?" the other Doctor asked, and she smirked in amusement
"Yes. Yes, I am, yeah. Yeah." He nodded as Morgana raised a finger to her lips winking at Rosita as Dearest put the sonic back into his pocket and took a suitcase off the pile
"That's another man's property," Rosita said
"Well, a dead man's." her Doctor pointed out as she opened the suitcase and they began rifling through them
"How did you two meet, then?" Morgana asked
"He saved my life. Late one night, by the Osterman's Wharf, this creature came out of the shadows. A man made of metal. I thought I was going to die. And then, there he was. The Doctor. Can you help him, sir? He has such terrible dreams. Wakes at night in such a state of terror." Rosita explained and Morgana frowned sighing heavily
"Come now, Rosita. With all the things a Time Lord has seen, everything he's lost, he may surely have bad dreams." The other Doctor said as Morgana handed a familiar piece of metal over to the Doctor
"Yeah. Oh, now. Look. Jackson Lake had an infostamp." The Doctor waved it around
"But how? Is that significant?" the other Doctor asked
"We think so," Morgana said
"Doctor, the answer to all this is in your Tardis. Can we see it?" her Dearest asked
"Mister Smith, Miss Eliza, it would be my honour." He beamed and led them out onto the yard
"There she is. My transport through time and space. The Tardis." The Other Doctor said waving a hand at an elaborately patterned, but mostly blue, balloon.
"You've got a balloon." Dearest said
"Tardis. T A R D I S. It stands for Tethered Aerial Release Developed In Style. Do you see?" the other Doctor asked
"I think we're beginning to" Morgana murmured
"Well, I do now. I like it. Good Tardis. Brilliant. Nice one. And is it inflated by gas, yeah?" her Doctor asked
"We're adjacent to the Mutton Street Gasworks. I pay them a modest fee. Good work, Jed." The other Doctor who she was beginning to suspect was not the doctor, she had thought he'd done some trick to only have one beating heart- she'd seen him do it plenty of times- slapped a young man on the shoulder and handed him a big five-pound note
"Glad to be of service, sir," Jed replied
"You've got quite a bit of money." The Doctor noted
"Oh, you get nothing for nothing. How's that ripped panel, Jed?" the other Doctor asked the man
"All repaired. Should work a treat. You never know, maybe tonight's the night, Doctor. Imagine it, seeing Christmas from above." Jed said
He shook his head "Not just yet, I think. One day, I will ascend. One day soon." And Jed soon left
"You've never actually been up?" Morgana wondered
"He dreams of leaving, but never does," Rosita said
"I can depart in the Tardis once London is safe. And finally, when I'm up there. Think of it, John. The time and the space." The other Doctor said wistfully
"The perfect escape. Do you ever wonder what you're escaping from?" her Doctor asked him curiously
He nodded "With every moment."
They exchanged looks before the Doctor spoke "Then do you want me to tell you? Because I think I've worked it out now. How you became The Doctor. What do you think? Do you want to know?"
He nodded and they headed back into the stables, sitting comfortably as The Doctor began to explain
"The story begins with the Cybermen. A long time away, and not so far from here, the Cybermen were fought, and they were beaten. And they were sent into a howling wilderness called The Void, locked inside forever more. But then a greater battle rose up, so great that everything inside the Void perished. But, as the walls of the world weakened, the last of the Cybermen must have fallen through the dimensions, back in time, to land here. And they found you." He explained
"I fought them; I know that. But what happened?" the other Doctor asked
"At the same time, another man came to London. Mister Jackson Lake. Plenty of luggage, money in his pocket. Maybe coming to town for the winter season, I don't know. But he found the Cybermen too. And just like you, exactly like you, he took hold of an infostamp." The Doctor carried on
"But he's dead. Jackson Lake is dead. The Cybermen murdered him." the other Doctor said
"no body was ever found," Morgana said gently "and you kept all of his suitcases..."
"...you could never bring yourself to open them. I told you the answer was in the fob watch. Can I see?" and the other Doctor handed the watch to the Doctor, the case was plain except for two initials
"J L. The watch is Jackson Lake's." her Dearest said gently
"Jackson Lake is you, sir?" Rosita wondered
"But I'm the Doctor," Jackson said quietly
"You became the Doctor because the infostamp you picked up was a book about one particular man." The Doctor said and he projected the infostamp onto the wall, Morgana smiled at the sight of the previous incarnations
"The Cybermen's database. Stolen from the Daleks inside the Void, I'd say, but it's everything you could want to know about the Doctor, apart from Morgana but I've always been careful about her- always tried to keep her hidden from my enemies, she makes it difficult at times so usually it's hit or miss" he said as the images landed onto the current face
"That's you," Jackson said
"Time Lord, Tardis, enemy of the Cybermen. The one and the only. You see, the infostamp must have backfired. Streamed all that information about me right inside your head." The Doctor told him
"I am nothing but a lie." Jackson cried out
Dearest shook his head in denial "No, no, no, no, no. Infostamps are just facts and figures. All that bravery. Saving Rosita, defending London town, hmm? And the invention. Building a Tardis. That's all you." He praised him
"And what else? Tell me what else." Jackson requested
"There's still something missing, isn't there?" Morgana asked
"I demand you tell me, Miss. Tell me what they took." He requested sharply and Morgana sighed
"I'm sorry," she said "but that is a lot of luggage just for a bachelor"
"Because an infostamp is plain technology. It's not enough to make a man lose his mind. What you suffered is called a fugue. A fugue state, where the mind just runs away because it can't bear to look back. You wanted to become someone else, because Jackson Lake had lost so much." The Doctor said as a church bell tolled the hours in the distance
"Midnight. Christmas Day." Rosita observed
"I remember. Oh, my God. He fell silent before speaking "Caroline. They killed my wife. They killed her." He looked heartbroken as the infostamp beeped and the button on the end was lit up, Morgana spotted more of them in a trunk, a whole Cache
"Oh, you found a whole cache of infostamps." The Doctor observed
"But what is it? What's that noise?" Rosita asked
"Activation. A call to arms. The Cybermen are moving!" he exclaimed, grabbing Morgana's hand and they ran outside to see marching shadows against a wall
"damn it" Morgana hissed seeing that it was children and not cyberman "this is low"
"What is it? What's happening? That's Mister Cole. He's Master of the Hazel Street Workhouse. Maybe he's taking them to prayers." Rosita suggested
"Oh, nothing as holy as that," Morgana said derisively as they ran and caught up with Cole
"Can you hear me? Hello? No? Mister Cole, you seem to have something in your ear. Now, this might hurt a bit, but if I can just- "he was cut off by a growl nearby
"Dearest, we can't risk the children" Morgana cautioned him
"They're on guard." The Doctor agreed
"But where are they going?" Rosita asked
"They all need a good whipping, if you ask me. There's tons of them. I've just seen another lot coming down from the Ingleby Workhouse down Broadback Lane." Jed said from where he was leant against the wall
"Where's that?" the Doctor asked
"This way," Rosita said taking the lead.
"There's dozens of them," Rosita said as they watched from around a corner as children were marched past
"But what for?" the Doctor mused
"nothing good" Morgana muttered, and he hummed in agreement
"That's the door to the sluice. All the sewage runs through there, straight into the Thames." Rosita explained
"Yeah, that's too well guarded. We'll have to find another way in." the Doctor said, and Morgana grimaced as they were spotted by two cybermen who had snuck up on them
"Whoa! That's cheating, sneaking up. Do you have your legs on silent? Why didn't you hear them?" he looked at her
"I'm a bit distracted" Morgana defended herself
"So, what do we have here?" a woman asked them she had dark hair and was wearing a blood-red gown
"Listen. Just walk towards me slowly. Don't let them touch you." The Doctor instructed
"Dearest, I don't think she's being held against her will" Morgana commented
"she's right, they wouldn't hurt me, my fine boys. They are my knights in shining armour, quite literally." She laughed at her joke and Morgana rolled her eyes
"Even if they've converted you, that's not a Cyber speech pattern. You've still got free will. I'm telling you, step away." He repeated
"There's been no conversion, sir. No one's ever been able to change my mind. The Cybermen offered me the one thing I wanted. Liberation." The woman declared
"Who are you?" Morgana asked
"You can be quiet. I doubt he paid you to talk. More importantly, who are you, sir, with such intimate knowledge of my companions." The woman demanded and Morgana considered slapping her
"I'm the Doctor and that's my Morgana that you just insulted, I'd apologise," he said, and she just laughed
"Incorrect. You do not correspond to our image of the Doctor." A cyberman stated
"Yeah, but that's because your database got corrupted. Oh, look, look, look. Check this. The Doctor's infostamp." He threw it to the cyberman who quickly caught it
"Plug it in. Go on. Download." He suggested and the cyberman opened it but then stopped
"The core has been damaged. This infostamp would damage Cyberunits." The cyberman said
"Oh, well. Nice try Dearest" Morgana consoled him
"Core repaired. Download." The cyberman fixed the infostamp before placing it into its chest
"You are the Doctor." The cyberman said and the Doctor waved
"Hello." He greeted
"You will be deleted." The cyberman ordered
"No, no. Oh, but let me die happy. Tell me, what do you need those children for?" he questioned
"What are children ever needed for? They're a workforce." The woman said
"your definitely not a mother" Morgana sniped
"But for what?" he asked
"Very soon now, the whole Empire will see. And they will bow down in worship." She declared and Morgana rolled her eyes
"And it's all been timed for Christmas Day. Was that your idea, Miss ?" he looked at her in askance
"Hartigan. Yes. The perfect day for a birth, with a new message for the people. Only this time, it won't be the words of a man." Hartigan spat
"I'm guessing you don't like men," Morgana said
"The birth of what?" the Doctor said
"A birth, and a death. Namely, yours. Thank you, Doctor. I'm glad to have been part of your very last conversation. Now, delete them." Hartigan ordered and the cybermen stepped forward
"Delete." But their heads lit up and they collapsed Morgana saw Jackson Lake was wearing a bandolier of infostamps.
"At your service, Doctor," Jackson said and Morgana grinned
"Shades! Shades!" Hartigan called loudly
"Run! Come on!" the Doctor said yanking Morgana's hand
"Shades!" Hartigan called again
"One last thing," Rosita said before she smacked Hartigan, causing her to fall
"wonderful" Morgana praised with a smile
"Can I say, fantastic take down. Come on." Dearest said and all of them made a run for it
"That stronghold down by the river. we need to find a way in." the Doctor panted as they leant up against an alley wall.
"I'm ahead of you. My wife and I were moving to London so I could take up a post at the university. And while my memory is still not intact, this was in the luggage. The deeds. Fifteen Latimer Street. And if I discovered the Cybermen there, in the cellar, then..." Jackson trailed off
"That might be our way in. Brilliant." The Doctor praised him
He shook his head "There's still more. I remember the cellar and my wife, but I swear there was something else in that room. If we can find that, perhaps that's the key to defeating these invaders. So, onwards!" he cried in determination
"Maybe you should go back" the Doctor suggested
"Don't even try." Rosita retorted
"oh, I like her" Morgana grinned
"Delete." A cyberman turned towards them have been standing guard at the bottom of the cellar they had snuck into, Jackson zapped it with an infostamp, Morgana trailed after The Doctor as he ran over to a high tech device in the middle of the room.
"It must've been guarding this. A Dimension Vault. Stolen from the Daleks again. That's how the Cybermen travelled through time. Jackson, is this it? The thing you couldn't remember?" the Doctor asked him urgently
"I don't think so. I just can't see. It's like it's hidden." Jackson explained
"Not enough power. Come on! Avanti!" he cried grabbing her hand and dragging her off again
"What do the Cybermen want?" Rosita asked as they moved through the sewers that we remarkably well kept
"They want us. That's what Cybermen are. Human beings with their brains put into metal shells. They want every living thing to be like them. I utterly despise them" Morgana explained, they reminded her far too much of her having her humanity turned off, it was one of the few things that scared her.
"those poor darlings" Morgana murmured in sympathy as they watched down on the child labourers from an opening on high
"Upon my soul," Jackson said sadly
"What is it?" Rosita questioned
"It's an engine. They're generating electricity, but what for?" the Doctor wondered confused
"We can set them free." Jackson declared
"No, no, no, no, no, no, no." the Doctor said as Morgana yanked him back down so he wouldn't be seen "Power at ninety percent. But if we stop the engine, the power dies down, the Cybermen'll come running. Ooo. Hold on. Power fluctuation. That's not meant to happen."
"It's going wrong." Jackson guessed
He shook his head "No, it's weird. The software's rewriting itself. It's changing."
"Dearest, what the hell's happening? It's out of control." Morgana said as the control panel went bang, sparks flying
"It's accelerating. Ninety six percent, ninety-seven." Jackson read the numbers going higher up
"When it reaches a hundred, what about the children?" Rosita asked
"They're disposable. Come on!" he instructed, and they headed off
"Delete." A cyberman ordered as a klaxon sounded, the children looking around in alarm
"Delete. Delete." Another one called
Morgana kicked the cyberman in the chest sending it flying into a wall as Jacksons zapped another one
"Right. Now, all of you, out! Do you hear me? That's an order! Every single one of you, run!" the Doctor ordered
"All of you, come on, as fast as you can. Come on!" Jackson called but the children were still scared and reluctant
"There's a hot pie for everyone if you run for it" Morgana called and that got the kids moving
"Go!" Jackson encouraged the kids as they started fleeing
"Rosita, get them out of sluice gate. Once you're out, keep running. Far as you can! Come on, come on, come on." Dearest instructed and Rosita was quick to obey as he chased more of the urchins out
"Go! Quick, quick. It's some sort of starter motor, but starting what?" he asked
"world domination, perhaps a mass converter?" Morgana said
"That's my son. My son. Doctor, Morgana, my son!" Jackson called capturing their attention
"What?" they said in unison
"They took my son. No wonder my mind escaped. Those damned Cybermen, they took my child! But he's alive, Doctor. Frederick!" He shouted up at his son
"Come on!" the Doctor called to the boy
"No, he's too scared. Stay there! Don't move! I'm coming." He reassured him, hurrying forward but an explosion drove him back
"I can't get up there. Fred!" Jackson cried out in worry desperate to get to his son
"They've finished with the motor. It's going to blow up." The Doctor said
"What are we going to do, Doctor? Morgana? What are we going to do?" he panicked as his child cried out for him
"it's alright, I can get him" Morgana promised, and she flitted forward leaping up and landing on the platform, in front of Frederick who had tears sliding down his face
"come here, sweet one, it's alright I'm going to take you back to your papa" she cooed at him and he sniffled but ran into her arms, she was quick to hoist him into her arms cradling his head against her neck so he wouldn't see her leap from the platform landing carefully before handing him over to his father who clung onto him tightly
"Merry Christmas." The Doctor cried happily
And Jackson carried his son as they headed back through the tunnels, to get out of the cybers workshop
"Head for the street." The Doctor instructed him as he fell backwards, Morgana keeping an eye on him
"Come on, Morgana, Doctor. Hurry up!" Jackson ordered
"Gotcha!" the Doctor cried as he took a long thin piece from the dimension vault and they hurried after him onto the street
"Dearest" Morgana called for his attention as she spotted a gigantic steampunk cyberman rising over the buildings of Victorian London
"It's a CyberKing." He said as he stared at in horror
"And a CyberKing is what?" Jackson asked as he clutched his son tightly
"It's a ship. Dreadnought class. Front line of an invasion. And inside the chest, a Cyberfactory, ready to convert millions." He explained
"they're always so prepared, how good for them," Morgana said tightly as she stared at the cyberking as it walked, its giant feet crushing buildings and people as they screamed and ran for their lives, she watched as it strode up St Martin Le Grand and Aldersgate barely missing Saint Paul's Cathedral.
"Just head south. Take him south. Go to the parkland." The Doctor turned to Jackson and instructed him hopefully away from the devastation
"But where are you two going?!" Jackson demanded glancing between them
"To stop that thing," Morgana informed him
"But I should be with you both" Jackson said looking conflicted
"Jackson, you've got your son. You've got a reason to live." The Doctor told him, looking fond
"And you haven't?" he gestured to Morgana "God save you, Doctor, Morgana"
"my reason to live will ensure I'll live" he assured Jackson as he reached out for Morgana's hand
"or I'll kill him" she threatened lightly, tapping his hand with her thumb twice and they quickly parted ways, Morgana hauling him into her arms and quickly flitting towards the stables where the balloon was, she put him down and he quickly headed to the luggage and searched through it
"What the hell is that thing, sir? Ma'am?" Jen asked them
"Jed, wasn't it? Jed, we need your help" Morgana told him
"I'm not going out there." Jed denied shaking his head
"I'll give you five-pound notes." The Doctor bargained
He hesitated a moment before giving in, asking "Er. All right. What do you want me to do?"
"The Tardis is going to fly." He said as he placed a sash of infostamps on his persons, helping Morgana into the basket before getting in himself
"You're flaming bonkers, sir, Ma'am," Jed said incredulous
"Great, now I'm being placed into your category" Morgana grumbled playfully
"It's been said before. Now give me." He ordered and Jed handed over the item from the dimension vault "Not enough power. Come on! Jed, let her loose."
"Ever flown one of these before?" Jed asked as he messed with the ropes
"Nope, never." The Doctor denied cheerily
"Can I have my money now?" Jed asked them, clearly thinking they were going to die
"get on with it," Morgana ordered rolling her eyes the ropes were cast off and the Doctor threw sandbags over the side of the balloon so that they could rise higher in the air, she kept her eyes focused on the cyberking
"Excellent. The Doctor. Yet another man come to assert himself against me in the night." Hartigan said, she had been wired into a cyber throne, acting the king with pitch-black eyes
"he and you won't be doing anything in the night" Morgana snapped as the Doctor readied his infostamps
"Miss Hartigan? I'm offering you a choice. You might have the most remarkable mind this world has ever seen. Strong enough to control the Cybermen themselves." The Doctor praised
"I don't need you to sanction me." Hartigan spat
He shook his head as he offered "No, but such a mind deserves to live. The Cybermen came to this world using a Dimension vault. I can use that device to find you a home, with no people to convert, but a new world where you can live out your mechanical life in peace."
"I have the world below, and it is abundant with so many minds ready to become extensions of me. Why would I leave this place?" Hartigan wondered
"Because if you don't, we'll have to stop you." He said determinedly
"What do you make of me, sir, Ma'am? An idiot?" she questioned with a laugh
"you might not be an idiot but you're a fool," Morgana said
"No. The question is, what do you make of us?" he questioned
"Destroy them," Hartigan ordered
"You made us do this." He informed her before he fired the array of infostamps into Miss Hartigan
"Then I have made you a failure. Your weapons are useless, sir." Hartigan mocked
"he doesn't kill," Morgana told her
"I wasn't trying to kill you. All I did was break the Cyber-connection, leaving your mind open. Open, I think, for the first time in far too many years. So you can see. Just look at yourself. Look at what you've done." He ordered her and her eyes turned normal, the cybermen staring at her
"I'm sorry, Miss Hartigan, but look at what you've become." She screamed as she realised, she was secured to the throne and he apologised again as Morgana watched solemnly "I'm so sorry."
She carried on screaming, electricity was dancing around they cybermen and they began exploding, they vanished and the cyberking began to sway
"Ooo, now you're ready." The Doctor chided as the dimension vault beeped and he aimed it at the cyberking, swirls of energy surrounded it and it vanished
"clever man" she praised, and he grinned stealing a kiss
"The city will recover, as London always does. Though the events of today will be history, spoken of for centuries to come." Jackson commented and Morgana hummed, it was never remembered or twisted into some sort of folklore
"Yeah. Funny that." Dearest humoured him
"And a new history begins for me. I find myself a widower, but with my son and with a good friend." Jackson nodded
"do take care of her." Morgana requested "She's marvellous."
Jackson moved to reassure them "Frederick will need a nursemaid and I can think of none better. But you're welcome to join us. We thought we might all dine together at the Traveller's Halt. A Christmas feast in celebration, and in memory of those we have lost. You won't stay?"
"Like I said, you know me." The Doctor shrugs
He shook his head "No I don't think anyone does apart from Morgana, but I don't think she'll ever say"
Morgana smirked at him, he was right she'd take her Dearests secrets to the grave as he would hers,
"Oh! And this is it. Oh! Oh, if I might, Doctor. One last adventure?" Jackson requested as he spotted the TARDIS underneath an archway
"Oh, be our guest." He invited and they trailed after him hand in hand as Jackson hurried over to the TARDIS to explore
"Oh. Oh, my word. Oh. Oh, goodness me. Well. But this is, but this is nonsense." Jackson accused with a bright smile
"Well, that's one word for it." The Doctor smiled
"she's wonderful, isn't she?" Morgana praised as she stroked a coral structure of the TARDIS
"Complete and utter, wonderful nonsense. How very, very silly. Oh, no. I can't bear it. Oh, it's causing my head to ache. No. No, no, no, no, no, no" he shook his head and the trio headed back out of the TARDIS
"Oh! Oh, gracious. That's quite enough. I take it this is goodbye" Jackson looked at them as they stood outside of the TARDIS
"Onwards and upwards." The Doctor nodded
"Tell me one thing. All those facts and figures I saw of the Doctor's life, you were never alone. All those bright and shining companions. But not anymore? just you and Morgana?" he asked gently
"No." the Doctor shook his head as he wrapped an arm around Morgana
"Might I ask why not?" he prodded
"living for so long...well we always get left behind" Morgana commented
He shrugged "They leave. Because they should. Or they find someone else. And some of them, some of them forget me. I suppose in the end, they break our hearts but I have my Morgana, for centuries now, her and I and our family" he pressed a kiss to her hair "there was a lot that was left out, the hidden parts, the most treasured memories and people"
"hmm, Always and forever" she promised
"That offer of Christmas dinner. It's no longer a request, it's a demand. In memory of those we've lost." Jackson ordered drawing himself up
They shared a look before Morgana spoke "go on then."
"Really?" he asked in disbelief and she laughed
"Just this once. You've actually gone and changed my mind. Not many people can do that, My Morgana can, well I just give her anything she wants how can I resist? Jackson, if anyone had to be the Doctor, I'm glad it was you." He said
"yes, you made for a fantastic Doctor" Morgana complimented him
"I will take that as the highest of praise Ma'am now come, the feast awaits. Come with me. Walk this way." He said leading them
"I certainly will. Merry Christmas to you, Jackson and happy yule sweetheart" he said kissing her quickly
"happy yule, Dearest" she grinned
"Merry Christmas indeed, Doctor, Morgana" Jackson replied amiably
They had spent a lovely Christmas dinner with Jackson, Frederick and Rosita before heading back to the TARDIS, Dearest flipping some levers as he smiled at her
"I was thinking we could head to Unien V the air's breathable bit dense but we'll be fine anyways microbes are the only thing on it but the interesting thing is the three moons which is made up of a crashed starship-" he was cut off by an alarm "is that the companion alarm?"
"yes, it's Sarah Jane Smith," she said, and he hurried over checking the scanner
"it's the trickster, we have to hurry," he said urgently flipping a lever and landing, they both ran out into a large hotel before bursting into a reception hall, Sarah Jane looked resplendent in her wedding dress as she turned to see them
"Stop this wedding now!" he ordered as the room started shaking and a force pushed them back, Morgana grunted feeling as if she was wading through honey
"What?" Sarah Jane asked baffled
"What's going on?" one woman asked
"Who the hell are they?" a man next to her asked
"I don't believe it." Luke breathed
"Who are they?" Rani asked wearing a pink bridesmaid's dress
"Master! Mistress!" K9 greeted them
"stop this wedding, now" Morgana snapped angrily staring carefully at Sarah Jane for any injury, she got closer and was quickly shoved back slamming against the floor
"Alert! Alert! Danger, Mistress!" K9 called in warning turning in circles
"Stop! Get away from him!" the Doctor yelled in worry as he fought the gusts
"No! Peter, no!" Sarah Jane tried to pull away from her groom, but he held on tight
He reassured her as a faceless figure in white appeared "Don't be afraid, Sarah Jane. It's the Angel."
"The Trickster!" Rani cried out
Morgana glared at the Trickster, its sharp teeth bared in a triumphant grin, fucking prick.
"Mum! Mum!" Luke cried
"Sarah! Trickster, let her go!" the Doctor demanded,
"Leave her be!" Morgana snarled her eyes glowing as she felt like she was tied down with chains
"Too late, Time Lord. You're mine, Sarah Jane Smith. Mine forever." The Trickster declared
"Sarah!" the Doctor cried
"Doctor! Morgana!" Sarah Jane called back desperately as she, Peter and The Trickster vanished in a flash of white
"Dearest are you okay?" she checked on him immediately
"yes, I'm fine sweetheart the others?" he wondered, and they got up and moved over to Luke kneeling beside him as he awoke in a panic
"What, what happened? Mum and the Trickster." He panicked
"Luke, Luke, Luke, Luke, listen to me. Everything's going to be all right. I can find Sarah. I can bring her back. I promise. But I need you to be strong for me, just like you were before. I know you can do it." He said as the other two woke up and freaked out
"Who are you two?" Clyde demanded staring at them suspiciously
"Hello, Clyde." The Doctor greeted amiably
"And you must be Rani," Morgana said as she observed the pretty teenager
"What? How'd you know my name?" he demanded
"Wait a moment. You must be. It's you, isn't it? Both of you" Rani looked between them
"it depends" Morgana said arching an eyebrow
"That's me." The Doctor nodded, grinning as he started running about, Morgana watching him fondly
"The Doctor and your Morgana Mikaelson" Rani said
"That's them." Luke nodded
"I hope you're both as good as Sarah Jane says you are." Clyde looked at them
"I don't think Sarah should be speaking of stories involving me to children" Morgana commented
"I'm not a child" Clyde responded and she bit her lip but nodded allowing him that thought.
"Well, you know journalists, always exaggerating. But yeah, I'm pretty amazing on a good day." He shrugged with a smirk
"you're the best Dearest, humbleness doesn't suit you" she teased
"well I've got you to stroke my ego...and other things" he murmured in her ear as he dashed around her and she laughed
"Mistress, Master, query. Where is Mistress Sarah Jane?" K9 asked and she flitted over to him with a bright grin patting him on the head
"Hello K9, such a good boy" she praised, what Sarah Jane and the others didn't know was that K9 had a transmission device that was connected to the TARDIS and would alert them if anything major was going on, that needed their direct attention to protect her. They had trackers and transmitters on all of their loved ones, always keeping a close eye on them either through her means or the Doctors.
"Affirmative Mistress Morgana" K9 chirped
"K9! Did you miss us? Did you miss us, eh?" the Doctor cooed at him
"Repeat. Whereabouts of Sarah Jane? Where is she?" K9 asked in worry
"we're not sure K9 but we'll find out boy" Morgana reassured him
"Where are we?" Clyde asked
"There's been a dimensional shift. Time's moved on but us, and this entire building, we've been left behind." The Doctor rambled
"There's nothing out there," Rani said and Morgana flitted outside seeing that apart from the hotel and the bit of ground it was on, was floating in a white limbo, she flashed back into the room
"think this situation is all you Dearest" Morgana told him, and he nodded
"shame we can't just magic it better but oh well" he mused
"I said all along, I knew there was something wrong about all of this. And what exactly is going on?" Clyde questioned
"I'll explain later." The Doctor brushed off and all three of them exploded with questions, he sighed and pulled out a football rattle shaking it and capturing their attention, them falling silent
"Shush. Here's the answer to all your questions. Yes, that was the Trickster. Yes, we're trapped. Yes, we're the only ones who can get us out of the trap. Yes, we're going to bring Sarah Jane, and your mum and dad, and all the others back safe, but we can't do any of it without you." He explained
"and he got the rattle as a Christmas present" Morgana chimed in, it had been rather nice of Jackson to do that, Frederick had picked the gifts and chosen a doll for her that was rather pretty, she had thanked him with a kiss on the cheek and a promise to always care for the doll
"You, you two need us?" Clyde
The Doctor nodded "Just like Sarah Jane needs you."
"My mum and dad, where are they?" Rani wondered
"probably separated from here with no idea what's going on" Morgana commented trying to keep her calm
"Just go along with them, Rani. I saw them save the world." Luke said
"you helped us, Dear one" Morgana smiled at him
"Right she is, as always. Come on, we can use the Tardis. I assume everybody knows what the Tardis is, unless you've really not been paying attention. And, allons-y!" he cried grabbing Morgana's hand and pulling her from the room
"Oh, no, no, no, no. It was there. It was right there. Wait, wait, wait." He said as the TARDIS began to materialise
"That noise. I've heard it before." Rani said while the other two nodded
"That was us, trying to breakthrough. Got knocked back by the Trickster." He informed them as they watched the TARDIS fight to get through
"Temporal schism is preventing Tardis materialisation," K9 explained
"Wait a minute. That's the Tardis? It's just a wooden box." Clyde disparaged
"watch it" Morgana warned before encouraging the TARDIS "come along, Dear just a little more power" but the TARDIS faded away
Dearest sighed resigned to not working with the TARDIS "Okay, got no Tardis. It can't materialise here until time moves forward."
"What, so we're trapped here, wherever this is?" Rani asked
"No. Because what have I got? I've got K9 and My Morgana" he said cheering up
"Affirmative," K9 said
"And I've got you three. And any friend of Sarah Jane Smith is a friend of ours." The Doctor said
"we've been in worse situations" Morgana assured them "we'll be fine"
"But where is this? What's happened to the rest of the world?" Clyde pressed wanting information
"Our present location nowhere, no when," K9 said after analysing the area
"No when?" Luke asked
"Look at the clocks," Morgana said absently seeing a clock behind the desk go forward before glitching and going back
"Time's stopped," Luke observed
"What? You're joking." Clyde said in disbelief
Luke shook his head "No. Time hasn't stopped. This second's on a loop. Twenty-three seconds and twenty-three minutes past three o'clock."
"And we're caught inside it. In this one second." Dearest explained
"But again, where is Sarah Jane?" Clyde asked
"I think she's right here." The Doctor said as he pulled his sonic out and started scanning
"So, we've been kept behind in this second," Rani said thoughtfully
"Affirmative Mistress Rani," K9 said
"But the rest of the world, Mum and Dad and everyone else, they've moved on from here, forwards in time. Why has the Trickster trapped us here?" she wondered
"You know the answer to that, Rani what do we have in common?" Morgana asked her
"We're Sarah Jane's friends, all of us. Her best friends." Rani answered
"Yeah. Which means?" Dearest looked at her expectantly
"Hostages. He can use us to get at her." She realised in horror
"clever girl" she praised
"We've met the Trickster before, but we've never found out who he is," Luke said
"The Trickster is a creature from beyond the universe. Forever trying to break in to our reality, manifest himself. He's one of the Pantheon of Discord, someone used to worship him" the Doctor said looking at her
"I worshipped Loki, who was known as a trickster God but wasn't this Trickster" she sniffed haughtily "tricks weren't all he was about thank you, he was also the God of fire he was also involved with Knots, spiders, fish and the reason for his trickery was usually wealth, women, wisdom and for the hell of it and if there's one God I worship it's not this pale excuse of a deity"
"Pantheon of Discord is a good name for a band," Clyde interjected
The Doctor hummed kissing her cheek before he answered "Yeah, actually, not bad. He's an eternal exile, who exists to wreak havoc. But we can fight him, the six of us. And we can win." And his sonic screwdriver began beeping "Oh! Ha, that's it. A time trace. Just a hint of Sarah Jane. Ooo, she's close."
Rani suddenly shivered and rubbed her arms "What was that? Felt like someone just walked over my grave."
"Oh, oh, oh, she's here. She's here! Sarah!" the Doctor called
"Sarah Jane. She doesn't like being called Sarah." Rani corrected
"She does by us. K9?" the Doctor asked
"Scanning, Master," K9 replied
"Doctor! Morgana!" they heard Sarah Jane call
"Mum. That was her." Luke said
"K9, isolate the time trace." The Doctor ordered
"Affirmative, Master," K9 replied getting to work
"K9?" Morgana asked him as he finished
"Temporal schism divided in two, Mistress" K9 responded
"Yes, of course. We're trapped here in 3:23:23. and Sarah Jane's trapped too, just in another second." The Doctor said thoughtfully
"Hold on. You said you'd explain later. Well, it's later. Please explain." Clyde requested
"The Trickster doesn't want us helping Sarah, so he's separated us, trapped us in two different seconds." Morgana explained to him "the Trickster is trying to weaken us or more importantly her into agreeing to something he wants"
"Doctor." Sarah Jane called out
"Oh, oh, she's upstairs. Come on. Luke, K9, watch for the Tardis, you see it coming back, shout the place down." The Doctor ordered grabbing her hand before pointing at Rani and Clyde
"Orders accepted, Master." K9 agreed
"You two with us. Spit spot." He said and they started running up the stairs
"How did we end up here again?" Rani asked as they ran back into the room where Sarah Jane was supposed to be wed
"It's a spatial loop mixed up with a temporal loop," Clyde explained
"How did you work that one out?" Rani asked him
"Well, we've been doing this for a while now. I have taken notes." Clyde defended himself
"Come on, come on, come on, Sarah. Let us find you." He pleaded quietly as he watched his sonic
"Hang on, though. This is mad. The Trickster, he's this all-powerful immortal who wants to cause chaos throughout the stars, and he wants Sarah Jane to get married. What does he get out of that?" Rani asked
"not all-powerful and nothing is truly immortal we just like to say that to dissuade others from attempting to kill us- which honestly is just annoying and inconvenient than any real threat- though sometimes they're lucky and you have to take them seriously furthermore Sarah Jane Smith is incredibly important," Morgana said
"She's here. If I can narrow the link ratio." The Doctor said
"Doctor, Morgana" the Trickster called, and he was now clad in a black robe
"Ah. You look better in black. Or is white the new black?" Dearest asked
"not very festive for a wedding, perfect for a funeral though, dressing for your own?" Morgana smirked at the being "I'm happy to help"
"At last. Doctor, Morgana. I could feel this moment reverberating back through the ages. The meeting of the Pantheon of Discord and the last of the Time Lords along with the only Tribrid in the universe" the Trickster nigh on purred
Morgana rolled her eyes but didn't correct him on his belief "my, my, you must not have much of a social life...though meeting me is a once in a lifetime opportunity"
"I've known the legends of the Pantheon since I was a little boy. I've fought your shadows and your changelings, Morgana by my side. I never thought we'd actually meet." The Doctor mused as he tapped the back of Morgana's hand
"And I know the legends of the Doctor and his Morgana. The man of ice and fire, those who walked among gods, who once held the Key to Time in his hands and the woman who will outlive time itself. Now they are surrounded by children." The Trickster insulted them
"They're our friends. Which reminds me, you're looking a bit lonely for a Pantheon." He hit back
"I embody multitudes. And who are you, the man who has lost everybody, to talk to me of loneliness, when the Gate is waiting for you?" the Trickster asked
"he has me" Morgana snarled in rage
"What do you mean?" the Doctor questioned pushing aside his insults
"Sarah Jane Smith is my prize. Even you, Doctor, didn't realise how wonderful she is." The Trickster bragged
"we know how wonderful she is, she's fantastic and means the universe to us" she hissed
"What do you want with her?" the Doctor demanded sharply
"What I always want from any of those I visit. Her agreement. Goodbye, Doctor, Morgana" Morgana snapped and lunged at the Trickster her claws extended but he vanished in a cloud of smoke
"I'll kill him!" Morgana snapped in rage
"Her agreement. The power of words. She says I do, and. Yes, that's it!" the Doctor said in realisation pulling her out of her rage
"That's what?" Clyde asked as he eyed up Morgana she sighed and pushed her features back to her human face
"She promises to love and honour her husband, the wedding ring goes on and then she's agreed to it. She's totally under the Trickster's power. Marital bliss, but she forgets all about this. She starts living a new life." The Doctor explained
"Forgetting about her old life protecting the Earth," Rani said
"And the planet's wide open, so aliens can just barge in?" Clyde wondered
"Without Sarah, without you lot saving the world from your attic in Ealing, there'll be chaos and destruction Meat and drink to the Trickster." The Doctor explained
"As if she's gonna say yes." Clyde scoffed
"it's surprising what one would do for the ones we love" Morgana commented Sarah Jane was strong, incredibly so but she also knew how tempting love was.
"But she will, won't she? Because we're here." The Doctor said in agreement with her, they both perked up at the sound of the TARDIS engines
"Tardis! Beautiful. Yes! It's homing in on us. Emergency program, protecting the pilot. Of course. Partial materialisation." The Doctor rambled as they watched her fight to get to them
"What's happening?" Luke asked
"Look, that's pure artron energy. Tardis power. Equal and opposite to the Trickster's power. That's how we can fight him." he said and they ran to the TARDIS, the Doctor unlocking it, Morgana flitted over to the console and began inputting orders as the Doctor encouraged the others to get into the TARDIS
"Run!" he called
"Doctor!" she heard Rani reply
"Come on, all of you, get in. Come on now." But he was pushed back as the doors shut and they were pushed back
"Dearest, I need help" she called and he hurried over to help her land the TARDIS into Sarah Janes second "we'll fix this" she promised him and he nodded, both going to the TARDIS doors and opening them
"Sarah." The Doctor called
"Doctor, Morgana" Sarah breathed in relief
"Got to be quick. The Tardis can't stabilise. Clyde's keeping the Trickster busy for the moment. Oh, those three are just brilliant." The Doctor praised
"Doctor, what can I do? If I say no, we're trapped here forever. If I say yes, I condemn the world to the Trickster. Either way I lose. There's no way out." Sarah pleaded with them
"It all rests with you, Sarah. Your greatest challenge. The hardest thing you'll ever face in your life." The Doctor said gently
"we're so sorry Sarah," Morgana told her sadly
"What is it? Tell me what I've got to do." Sarah demanded
"You've fought the Trickster before. You know how he operates, how he can be defeated." The Doctor informed her
"Oh, no. No." Sarah Jane shook her head in denial as tears ran down her face
"I know you're a good man, Peter. I'm so sorry." The Doctor apologised
"you were willing to bargain your very soul to meet and fall in love with Sarah but what are you willing to sacrifice to ensure her safety?" Morgana questioned him quietly her heartbreaking for the pair as Clyde and the Trickster appeared, screaming
"Clyde!" Sarah Jane called
"I can't hold it," Clyde admitted letting the Trickster go and the TARDIS dematerialised they ended up back in the second that the trickster tried to force them into, checking the scanner she noticed time was about to go forward and they rushed back to Sarah Jane
"Mum." Luke cried out and they all rushed to her, Morgana and the Doctor trapping the group between them, holding onto Sarah carefully
"Luke. Doctor. Oh, Morgana" Sarah Jane sobbed nuzzling into her neck and Morgana tightened her hold
"My Sarah Jane. You did it. The trap's broken. Time's moving forward again, we're going home." Dearest called as the winds started buffering them again
"it's alright, we're here for you" Morgana promised, brushing her lips over her forehead soothingly
"Hold on!" Luke ordered
"We're all going home." The Doctor said
"If any person can show just cause or impediment why they may not be joined together let them speak now or forever hold their peace." She heard the registrar say as she and Dearest were separated and landed back on the grating of the console floor
"right, we need to get to Sarah Jane," Morgana said leaping to her feet and prepared to flash through the TARDIS doors
"time-travelling spaceship, let's take the quick route," the Doctor said
"timelord pilot incapable of landing in the correct time" Morgana sang back
"oi! Cheek" he tsked as he flung a lever down
"Doctor, Morgana" Sarah Jane greeted them breathlessly as they opened the TARDIS doors
"What do you take me for, Sarah? Just thought I'd go the quick way. Ooo, I like it in here." He complimented as he got distracted
"quick way being late that is, you do realise we keep an eye on you all? Gods know what you'd get up to without us supervising" Morgana said as she looked around the attic "love the exposed brickwork on that chimney, very pretty"
"secret supercomputer called Mr Smith" Luke told her proudly, and she grinned
"oh, I love secret and hidden things"
"Can we have a look?" Rani asked the Doctor
"What, in the Tardis? Our Tardis!" he shouted angrily before relaxing and grinning cheekily "Course you can, yeah." He permitted and they both moved aside to let them rush forward into the TARDIS excited at the chance to explore the magnificent ship.
"Oh, wow. It really is, isn't it? It's bigger on the inside." Clyde breathed
"It's beautiful." Rani praised as she ducked around coral structures
"she is" Morgana grinned as her and Dearest shared a fond look, as the kids ran around
"Transcendental dimensions." Luke grinned as Sarah Jane supervised them
"Wow, what does this do?" Clyde reached out to press a button on the console
"Hey, don't touch." Sarah Jane scolded before turning to her and Dearest "You came all that way for me."
"How could we not?" Morgana wondered
"You're so important. Not just to us. The Trickster wanted to end your story, but it goes on. The things you've done, Sarah, they're pretty impressive, but, oh, the things you're going to do." He grinned happily his eyes twinkling fondly
"The future." Luke looked at them interested
"we might take a quick peek" Morgana said smugly before a chastising look fell on her face and she looked at Sarah Jane "we never leave our loved ones, you might not see us but we always she you" she lectured Sarah who nodded and they hugged one another "Sarah, we went to the ends of the universe for you, we will always come for you, always"
"How about we could go for a ride?" Luke interjected looking eager
"Or back. To the dinosaurs, yeah?" Clyde looked at them
"Another planet?" Rani asked pleadingly
"sure, why not? should be fun" Morgana was willing but Sarah Jane interjected
"No way. For one thing, you were grounded by the Judoon. And your parents would never forgive me. Go on." Sarah Jane ordered and Morgana smirked wriggling her fingers at the disappointed trio as they left
"Is this the last time I'm ever going to see you two?" Sarah Jane asked
"I don't know. we hope not." the Doctor replied
"we truly hope we'll see you again" Morgana said and she meant if but whether Dearest would be wearing a different face or Sarah Jane would have a head of silver hair or be stooped and gently wrinkled from time
"Goodbye, Doctor, Morgana, until the next time." She said
"Don't forget me, Sarah Jane." The Doctor instructed
"or me" Morgana called
"No one's ever going to forget you." Sarah Jane laughed
"who would dare forget the glory that is I?" Morgana questioned before softening "Sarah you've got an entire family ready and willing to do anything for you and I'm not talking about the lot out there, we swear Always and Forever, we mean it"
Sarah Jane pulled her into a hug "thank you" she whispered before leaving
"onwards, sweetheart?" he asked
"hmm, always" she grinned and they disappeared once more, ready for the next adventure
A/N:
I have some OMAKE'S in another book on my profile if you guys want to check it out :)
heh chapter 69
I don't own anything
yea not my greatest chapter but I have an explanation-
okay I've got an announcement, while I'm NOT giving this story up or going on hiatus there might be a break in uploads, I've gotten some news that's really shaken me. I've got my driving test coming up and decided to check my vision just as a precaution and I've been getting eye strain and headaches, didn't think anything of it but yea, really should have. I've had perfect vision all my life so I never really kept up with it as I didn't notice any problems until recently, turns out my left eye is astigmatism. my optic nerve goes the wrong way which can be bad I have to keep getting it checked to make sure it doesn't go bad I'm also incredibly short-sighted as in I can't legally drive without glasses and I might end up being referred to a specialist or perhaps need surgery if my vision gets worse.
so as you can imagine big shock for me as my vision is...well it's integral to me and most everyone so I'm worried for if my vision gets worse (not that I wouldn't adjust of course but still...no one wants to lose something so important) I'm getting corrective lenses but can't pick them up for a couple of weeks, so my uploads will be slowed/non-existant for a while as I want to give my eyes a break and not strain too much as it can get very painful and I have to be careful or run the risk of being put in the hospital and then surgery (strain leads to pressure building up behind my eyes and my vision might get worse) I'd like to avoid that eventuality and hopefully, my vision improves with the glasses
to reiterate, I am NOT giving up on this story but I have to be careful, I will be continuing but I hope you can all understand that for the foreseeable future things will be slowed.