xɪɪ. ʟᴇᴀᴠɪɴɢ ᴠᴇʀꜱᴀɪʟʟᴇꜱ
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Rose and Mickey are strapped to slanted tables, opposite the Tardis. Many androids are present.
"What's going on? Doctor? Jules?", She panics.
"Rose? They're going to chop us up, just like the crew. They're going to chop us up and stick us all over their stupid spaceship. And where's the Doctor? And Juliet? Where's the precious Doctor now? Where's she? They've been gone for flipping hours, that's where they are!", Mickey exclaims, growing angry.
"You are compatible.", A droid says.
"Well, you might want to think about that. You really, really, might, because me and Mickey, we didn't come here alone. Oh no. And trust me, you wouldn't want to mess with our designated driver. Either of them.", She mumbles the last bit.
The android extends his blade, with a little cogged wheel spinning at the end.
"Ever heard of the Daleks? Remember them? They had a name for our friend. They had myths about him, and a name. They called him the-", A suddenly crash and bang are heard before some horrible drunken singing follows.
"I could've danced all night, I could've danced all night."
"They called him the. They called him the, the-", Rose gives up as The Doctor stumbles in carrying a goblet with his tie wrapped around his head.
The Doctor sways in, carrying a goblet and wearing his tie around his head.
"And still have begged for more. I could've spread my wings and done a thou. Have you met the French? My God, they know how to party.", He grins as Juliet enters as well. She takes a moment to lean on the wall. Her eyes flutter open and shut as she tries to keep them open and to see clearly.
"Oh, look at what the cat dragged in. The Oncoming Storm.", Rose taunts the Doctor.
"Oh, you sound just like your mother.", He waves her off.
"What've you been doing? Where've you been? Jules?", The blonde looks to Juliet for an explanation, but said woman is now sitting on the ground with her head against the wall drifting in and out of consciousness.
"Hmm.. What?", She sits up before her eyes flutter shut again.
"Well, among other things, I think just invented the banana daiquiri a few centuries early. Do you know, they've never even seen a banana before. Always take a banana to a party, Rose. Bananas are good. Oh ho, ho, ho, ho, brilliant. It's you. You're my favourite, you are. You are the best! Do you know why? Because you're so thick. You're Mister Thick Thick Thickity Thick Face from Thicktown, Thickania. And so's your dad. Do you know what they were scanning Reinette's brain for? Her milometer. They want to know how old she is. Know why? Because this ship is thirty seven years old, and they think that when Reinette is thirty seven, when she's complete, then her brain will be compatible. So, that's what you're missing, isn't it, hmm? Command circuit. Your computer. Your ship needs a brain. And for some reason, God knows what, only the brain of Madame de Pompadour will do.", The Doctor rants on as Juliet finally regains her ability to move, although she is still stumbling round. After a moment, she helplessly falls back to the floor.
"The brain is compatible."
"Compatible? If you believe that, you probably believe this is a glass of wine.", The Doctor removes the android's mask and pours the contents of the goblet into its head. The clockwork seizes up.
"Multigrain anti-oil. If it moves, it doesn't.", He finds the android off switch on the console.
"Right, you two, that's enough lying about. Time we got the rest of the ship turned off."
He frees Rose and Mickey, before walking over to Juliet and offering her a hand. She accepts it and he pulls her up quickly. A little too quickly, as she flies into his arms.
Rose acts quickly as she grabs her hand and Juliet leans into her girlfriend's side now, for support.
"Blimey. I shouldn't have taken all those glasses from Reinette.", Juliet mutters as Rose chuckles lightly at her.
"Are those things safe?", Mickey suddenly asks, pointing to the droids.
"Yeah. Safe. Safe and thick, way I like them. Okay. All the time windows are controlled from here. I need to close them all down. Zeus plugs. Where are my Zeus plugs? I had them a minute ago. I was using them as castanets.", The Doctor answers him.
Suddenly, Juliet stands up straight, as if remembering something.
"Sexy? Can we talk?", She asks loudly. The other three stare at her, confused.
"Quiet down, Dove. You're scaring them.", Comes Sexy's reply in her head.
"Right sorry.", She mutters before stepping out of Rose's embrace and going to walk towards the wall. However on her second step, her eyes roll back into her head and she falls forward.
The Doctor quickly catches her, before leaning her against the nearest wall.
Rose drops down beside her, carefully checking her over.
"Is she alright? What's wrong?"
"I don't know. It sounded like she was talking to someone.", The Doctor says, confused.
Rose nods.
"Wonder who."
"Or what.", Mickey says suddenly. The other two look to him, suddenly remembering his presence amongst the stressful atmosphere of the room.
"Why didn't they just open a time window to when she was thirty seven?", Rose suddenly asks, getting them back on track, although she is still sitting with Juliet.
"With the amount of damage to these circuits, they did well to hit the right century. Trial and error after that. The windows aren't closing. Why won't they close?", Just then, a bell rings.
"What's that?"
"I don't know. Incoming message?", The Doctor guesses.
"From who?"
"Report from the field. One of them must still be out there with Reinette. That's why I can't close the windows. There's an override.", The first android reactivates and expels the anti-oil out through its finger onto the floor.
"Well, that was a bit clever.", The Doctor mutters.
The off switch moves itself to on again.
"Right. Many things about this are not good. Message from one of your little friends?
Anything interesting?"
"She is complete. It begins.", With that, all the androids teleport out.
"What's happening?", Rose asks.
"One of them must have found the right time window. Now it's time to send in the troops. And this time they're bringing back her head.", The Doctor tells her. He quickly picks up Juliet in his arms and they all go off to find where the droids have gone.
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Juliet sits up in the pitch black room. She looks around as her eyes start to adjust, the room is empty until a spot light suddenly appears.
In the light, she can make out two figures. The familiar one of Sexy and another woman standing with her. Juliet feels her lips twitch into a smile as she stands and walks towards the women.
"Dove!", Sexy calls out as she notices Juliet.
"Sexy!", They are quick to embrace one another before Juliet pulls away and looks at the mystery woman standing with Sexy.
"Who are you?", She asks the brunette woman. She notices that the woman is rather adorable looking and very kind.
The mysterious brunette goes to answer before Sexy stops her.
"Spoilers.", She tells her, simply.
The brunette huffs before seemingly coming up with something.
"You can call me Winnie, for now.", She winks at Sexy who rolls her eyes with a smile.
"Nice to meet you, Winnie.", Juliet smiles but gets slightly annoyed with the looks the other two are giving each other. They are trying not to laugh for some reason.
"What's so funny?", She huffs now.
"In due time, Dove. One day you will understand. But until then-", Sexy cuts herself off with a laugh along with Winnie.
Juliet rolls her eyes as they both calm down.
"So, you wanted to talk. Here we are.", Sexy says.
"Well, it seems to have slipped my mind to inform The Doctor or Rose about this.", Juliet gestures between her and Sexy.
"You mean that we can communicate?", Winnie asks her.
"Yes. How- oh god, should I tell them?"
"It's your choice, Dove, but one day you will have to tell him.", Sexy tells her.
Juliet is momentarily puzzled by Sexy's comment. Why just The Doctor? Why not Rose too?
But her thoughts are stopped as a sudden loud noise is heard from within the room.
"What was that? Are we not alone here?", Juliet suddenly asks, noticing the looks on both women's faces.
"Not exactly. Oh my, look at the time.", Winnie laughs.
"It surely does fly. Good bye, Sweets.", She says.
"Good night, Dove.", Sexy tells her, before Juliet's vision starts to blur and she feels herself start to fall.
The last thing she remembers is Winnie rushing forward to catch her and carry her with them. She had the strangest feeling that they were running from something.
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Well, there is a piano there. Footsteps are heard before Rose enters the room.
"Madame de Pompadour. Please, don't scream or anything. We haven't got a lot of time. I've come to warn you that they'll be here in five years."
"Five years?", Reinette asks.
"Some time after your thirty seventh birthday. I er, I can't give you an exact date. It's a bit random. But they're coming. It's going to happen. In a way, for us, it's already happening. I'm sorry, it's hard to explain. The Doctor and Juliet always do this better.", Rose mutters the last bit to herself.
"Then be exact, and I will be attentive."
"There isn't time."
"There are five years.", Reinette reminds her.
"For you. I haven't got five minutes."
"Then also be concise."
"Er, there's, say, a vessel, a ship, a sort of sky ship, and it's full of, well, you. Different bits of your life in different rooms, all jumbled up. I told you it was complicated. Sorry.", Rose stumbles her way through the explanation.
"There is a vessel in your world where the days of my life are pressed together like the chapters of a book, so that they may step from one to the other without increase of age while I, weary traveller, must always take the slower path.", Reinette scoffs, now realizing how neither Juliet or The Doctor has aged a day.
"They were right about you."
"So, in five years these creatures will return. What can be done?", Reinette asks.
"The Doctor says keep them talking. They're kind of programmed to respond to you now. You won't be able to stop them, but you might be able to delay them a bit."
"Until?"
"Until the Doctor and Juliet can get there.", Rose answers, still slightly upset with the woman for her display of affection for the Time Lady. Her tone is slightly more harsh than she meant for it to be.
"Their both coming, then?", Reinette asks, suddenly full of hope once more.
"They promise."
"But they cannot make this promises in person? Neither of them?"
"They'll be there when you need them. That's the way it's got to be.", Rose tells the woman, regretfully.
"It's the way it's always been. The monsters, The Doctor and his jewel. It seems you cannot have either of them without the other.", Reinette sighs, sadly.
"Tell me about it. The thing is, you weren't supposed to have either. Those creatures are messing with history. None of this was ever supposed to happen to you.", Rose says, not catching the woman's comment about Juliet being The Doctor's jewel.
"Supposed to happen? What does that mean? It happened, child, and I would not have it any other way. One may tolerate a world of demons for the sake of an angel. Or in this case, two."
"Rose? Rose?", Mickey's voice is heard not too far off.
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Reinette and Rose go out. Mickey appears from behind a tapestry.
"Rose! The time window where she's thirty seven. We found it. Right under our noses.", Reinette walks under the tapestry that Mickey is holding back.
"No, you can't go in there, the Doctor will go mad--", Rose is cut off as Reinette looks around in awe.
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"So, this is their world."
Screams are heard in the distance.
"What was that?"
"The time window. The Doctor fixed an audio link.", Mickey answers her without another thought.
"Those screams. Is that my future?", Reinerte asks, utterly terrified.
"Yeah. I'm sorry."
"Then I must take the slower path.", Reinette momentarily holds her head high before her voice is heard.
"Are you there? Can you hear me? I need you now. You promised. The clock on the mantel is broken. It is time."
"That's my voice."
"Rose, come on. We've got to go. There's, there's a problem.", Mickey leaves as Rose stays behind a moment.
"Give me a moment."
"Are you okay?", She asks the woman.
"No, I'm very afraid. But you and I both know, don't we, Rose, the Doctor and Juliet are worth the monsters.", Reinette answers her truthfully, before she goes back through the tapestry.
"Doctor! Juliet!"
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"Juliet!", Reinette hopelessly calls once more.
"We must go. No one is coming to help us.", Louis tells her just as three androids enter.
"You are complete. You will come."
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"You found it, then?"
"They knew we were coming. They blocked it off.", Juliet tells her, annoyed at the situation.
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"Where are we going?", Reinette angrily asks the androids.
"The teleport has limited range. We must have proximity to the time portal."
"Your words mean nothing. You are nothing.", She spits at the androids as the other two escort King Louis.
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The ballroom is visible on a large screen in the bulkhead.
"I don't get it. How come they got in there?", Rose asks.
"They teleported. You saw them. As long as the ship and the ballroom are linked, their short range teleports will do the trick.", Juliet answers her.
"Well, we'll go in the Tardis!", Rose suggests.
"We can't use the Tardis. We're part of events now.", The Doctor tells her.
"Well, can't we just smash through?"
"Hyperplex this side, plate glass the other. We need a truck."
"We don't have a truck.", Mickey says, pointing out the obvious.
"I know we don't have a truck!", Juliet shouts suddenly, scaring everyone in the room. They all look at her, confused as to why she is so upset.
"Well, we've got to try something.", Rose says carefully, trying to get the attention back on their current problem.
"No. Smash the glass, smash the time window. There'd be no way back."
"Could everyone just calm down? Please.", Reinette's voice is cold and calm.
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"Such a commotion. Such distressing noise. Kindly remember that this is Versailles. This is the Royal Court, and we are French. I have made a decision. And my decision is no, I shall not be going with you today. I have seen your world, and I have no desire to set foot there again."
"We do not require your feet.", One of the androids answers her simply before she is pushed to her knees.
"You think I fear you, but I do not fear you even now. You are merely the nightmare of my childhood. The monster from under my bed. And if my nightmare can return to plague me, then rest assured, so will yours.", Somewhere a horse neighs, then the sound of galloping hooves. The mirror over the mantlepiece is smashed as the Doctor and Juliet jump the horse through it. They both dismount.
"Madame de Pompadour. You look younger every day.", Juliet grins at the woman.
"What the hell is going on?", King Louis asks.
"Oh. This is my lover, the King of France.", Reinette introduces.
"Yeah? Well, we're Lord's of Time, and we're here to fix the clock.", Juliet says as The Doctor takes the mask off the main android. It points its blade at his throat.
"Forget it. It's over. For you and for us. Talk about seven years bad luck. Try three thousand.", He mutters looking at the broken mirror. A brick wall is left in place of where the ship once was.
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"What happened? Where did the time window go? How are they going to get back?", Mickey asks.
A tear runs down Rose's cheek.
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"The link with the ship is broken. No way back. You don't have the parts. How many ticks left in that clockwork heart, huh? A day? An hour? It's over. Accept that. I'm not winding you up. And neither is Jules.", The androids all wind down. One of them falls backwards and breaks apart.
"You all right?", Juliet asks the scared woman she is now standing with.
"What's happened to them?", Reinette asks the Time Lady.
"They've stopped. They have no purpose now.", The Doctor answers.
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"We can't fly the Tardis without him. How are they going to get back?"
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Juliet is sadly staring at the stars.
"I never had the chance to thank you.", She turns around at the sound of Reinette's voice.
"What for?"
"For being there, and always looking out for me. I would have preferred the slow path, but any amount of you is enough for me.", The blonde tells her.
Juliet smiles lightly.
"That's very kind of you."
"Not as kind as you. Never as kind as you.", Reinette mutters. They re now standing very close. So close, in fact, that Juliet can feel the blonde's shaky breath on her face.
Before she can react, Reinette's lips are once again on her own. She stops herself from kissing back, suddenly remembering that the blonde is not Rose.
After pulling away, Reinette smiles at her.
"I needed one last kiss, Fireplace Lady.", She grins.
Juliet nods, embarrassed.
"She is very wonderful."
Upon seeing Juliet's confused look, Reinette elaborates.
"Your Rose. You are perfect for one another."
Juliet smiles at her.
"But there is something else there, not yet but one day. I can sense it. You will be sad for a while, a long while, but a reunion will give you peace at last."
Juliet has no time to respond as the woman excuses herself, having noticed The Doctor walk by.
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The Doctor is looking up at the night sky.
"You know all their names, don't you? I saw that in your mind. The name of every star.", Reinette asks.
"What's in a name? Names are just titles. Titles don't tell you anything."
"Like the Doctor."
"Like Madame de Pompadour.", He shoots right back at her.
"I have often wished to see those stars a little closer. Just as you have, I think."
"From time to time.", The Doctor shrugs.
"In saving me, you trapped yourself. Both of you. Did you know that would happen?", Reinette suddenly asks.
"Mmm. Pretty much."
"Yet, still you came. Both of you."
"Yeah, we did , didn't we? Catch me doing that again.", The Doctor says, knowing Juliet would do such a thing a hundred times over if necessary.
"There were many doors between my world and yours. Can you not use one of the others?", Reinette asks.
"When the mirror broke, the shock would have severed all the links with the ship. There'll be a few more broken mirrors and torn tapestries around here, I'm afraid, wherever there was a time window.", He explains to her.
"She left everything behind. All of it. Why?"
"Juliet? I don't know, suppose she thought she should be here for you.", He shrugs.
"Soon she will need you, more than ever. Don't let her down, she will suffer without you there.", Reinette says, sounding suddenly very prophetic.
"I'll, I'll pay for any damage to the castle. Er, that's a thought, I'm going to need money. I was always a bit vague about money. Where do you get money?", The Doctor awkwardly changes the subject, still reeling from Reinette's strange outburst.
"So, here you are, both of my lonely angel's, stuck on the slow path with me."
"Yep, the slow path. Here's to the slow path.", The Doctor laughs, his discomfort showing. They drink a toast.
"It's a pity. I think I would've enjoyed the slow path."
"Well, I'm not going anywhere and Juliet would never even dream of it."
"Oh, aren't you? Take my hand.", Reinette takes his hand. They exit the room and she quickly find's Juliet nearby. She grabs her hand as well, leading them both somewhere.
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"It's not a copy, it's the original. I had it moved here and was exact in every detail.", Reinette explains to them.
"The fireplace. The fireplace from your bedroom. When did you do this?", The Doctor asks her.
"Many years ago, in the hope that a door once opened, may someday open again. One never quite knows when one needs one's Doctor or their Jewel. It appears undamaged. Do you think it will still work?"
"You broke the bond with the ship when you moved it, which means it was offline when the mirror broke. That's what saved it. But the link is basically physical, and it's still physically here. Which might just mean, if we're lucky. If we're very, very, very, very, very, very lucky. "
The Doctor taps the fireplace surround.
"Ah ha!", He cries happily, taking Juliet's hand.
"What?"
"Loose connection.", She says simply before The Doctor uses his sonic.
"Need to get a man in.", He gives it a thump and there is a clunk.
"Wish us luck!"
"No.", Reinette calls after them.
The fireplace turns, taking the Doctor away.
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The Doctor calls back through the fireplace.
"Madame de Pompadour! Still want to see
those stars?"
"More than anything.", She breathes out.
"Give us two minutes. Pack a bag."
"Am I going somewhere?"
"Go to the window. Pick a star, any star.", Juliet grins at her.
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The Doctor hugs Rose before Juliet walks in and she is tackled into a hug. When she is released, she is attacked with loving kisses from the blonde.
"How long did you wait?", The Doctor asks with a slight chuckle.
"Five and a half hours."
"Great. Always wait five and a half hours.", The Doctor shakes Mickey's hand.
"Where've you been?"
"Explain later. Into the Tardis. Be with you in a sec.", The Doctor says to Mickey and Rose.
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"Reinette? You there, Reinette?", The Doctor calls for the woman.
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"Reinette? Oh, hello.", The Doctor and Juliet see Louis.
"You just missed her. She'll be in Paris by six.", He says sadly.
"Ah."
"Good Lord. She was right. She said you two never looked a day older. So many years since I saw you last, but not a day of it on your faces.", King Louis breathes out in shock. He takes a sealed letter from a drawer.
"She spoke of you both many times. Often wished you'd visit again. You know how women are.", He gives the letter to the Doctor as Juliet glares at him.
"There she goes.", A hearse goes down the driveway in the pouring rain.
"Leaving Versailles for the last time. Only forty three when she died. Too young. Too young. Illness took her in the end. She always did work too hard. What does she say?", The Doctor puts the unopened letter inside his jacket.
"Of course. Quite right.", Louis mutters.
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"Why her? Why did they think they could repair the ship with the head of Madame de Pompadour?", Rose asks.
"We'll probably never know. There was massive damage in the computer memory banks. It probably got confused. The Tardis can close down the time windows now the droids are gone. Should
stop it causing any more trouble.", Juliet explains.
"Are you all right?", Rose asks The Doctor.
"I'm always all right.", He lies straight through his teeth.
Rose looks as if she doesn't believe him but Mickey gains her attention before she can go too few into thought.
"Come on, Rose. It's time you showed me around the rest of this place.", Mickey and Rose leave. The Doctor takes out the letter and unseals it. Juliet notices and joins him.
"My dear Doctor, and his dearest Jewel. The slow path has never seemed more slow, and yet I fear I am nearing its end. Reason tells me that you and I are unlikely to meet again, but I think I shall not listen to reason. I have seen the world inside your head, Doctor, and know that all things are possible. Hurry though, my loves. My days grow shorter now, and I am so very weak. God speed, my lonely angels.", It reads.
The fireplace is on the scanner. The fire goes out. On the spaceship, the Tardis dematerialises to reveal a portrait on the wall labelled Madame de Pompadour 1721-1764, then we move outside to discover that the drifting vessel is the SS Madame de Pompadour.
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