Two Doctors = one of the best episodes ever with a great lesson to learn. :)
Oh, but . . . I will warn all now . . . you will need a bulletproof vest by the time we reach "A Good Man Goes To War."
Actually, a shielded bunker might be a better choice . . . O.O
So, how does Jessie react to the two Doctors? Will she know which is which? What do Fitz and Simmons think of him when they meet him? And perhaps most importantly, who in the TARDIS is a Ganger?
Here's "The Almost People!"
***
"Agh!" the Ganger Doctor shouted, gripping his head, his face going back and forth from Flesh to stabilized, stumbling about as the Doctor and Jessie hurried forward, the others still stunned by what they were seeing. "What's happening? I wonder if we'll get back . . . yes, one day! AGH! I've reversed the polarity of the neutron flow . . . "
"The Flesh is struggling to cope with our past regenerations," the Doctor decided, going to help. "Hold on . . . "
The Ganger Doctor stood up straight, holding out his hand, and asked in the Fourth Doctor's voice, "Would you like a jelly baby?" He jerked away, going back to the Eleventh Doctor's voice. "Why?" he screamed. "Why? Why?"
"Why what?" the Doctor asked, not understanding.
The Ganger Doctor stood up, and for a moment, he sounded just like the Tenth Doctor. "Hello, I'm the Doctor!" Jessie blinked, taken aback, before he went back to the Eleventh Doctor's voice. "No, let it go! We've moved on!"
"Hold on, hold on," the Doctor grabbed his Ganger. "You can stabilize."
"I've reversed the jelly baby of the neutron flow . . . would you like a Doctor, Doctor . . . I'm, I'm the . . . I can't - !"
"No, listen, hold on," the Doctor urged. "Hold on!"
"No! AGH!"
Jessie looked back when the battering stopped, and Buzzer sighed. "I thin I liked it best when they were being noisy."
"Mmmhmm," Amy agreed, turning to them. "Doctor, we need you! Get over here!"
"Hello!" the Ganger waved.
"Doctor!" Amy insisted.
"He is the Doctor," Jessie told her.
"Cybermats," the Doctor told his Ganger.
"Do we have time for this?" he huffed.
"We make time. I'd like more proof that you're me. Cybermats?"
"Created by the Cybermen," the Ganger answered. "They kill by feeding off brainwaves."
"Are you sure there aren't any weapons they can get to, like big guns with bits on?" Amy asked the workers.
"Why would we have guns?" Jimmy asked. "We're a factory. We mine."
"And what do you mine?" Fitz asked, nodding at the door when they heard hissing. "Acid."
The Doctor and his Ganger stood side by side, and if Jessie couldn't see the difference in shoes and the Doctor's presence in her head through her headache, she wouldn't have been able to tell which was which. "Rory and Amy and FitzSimmons, they may not trust both of us," the Doctor warned.
The Ganger nodded. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"Inevitably."
"I'm glad we're on the same - "
"Wavelength," the Doctor finished. "You see? Great minds."
"Exactly. So, what's the plan?"
"Save them all, all humans and Gangers."
"Tall order, sounds wonderful."
"Is that what you were thinking? It's just so inspiring to hear me say it."
"I know!"
"Is this a dream?" Jessie asked Fitz, watching the two Doctors with wide eyes.
"Er . . . no, it's not," Fitz shook his head.
"OK, good. I was beginning to worry."
Fitz stared at her. " . . . you dream about duplicate Doctors?"
Jessie paused, and for a second, Fitz thought she wouldn't answer, but then he saw the faint blush in her cheeks. "What kind of dream would you want me to say?" she finally asked, her voice a tinge higher.
"JESSIE!" Fitz shouted, turning away, eyes wide, surprised she'd even say that!
"What?" the Doctor turned, eyes wide.
"Wife?" the Ganger echoed, turning as well.
"What happened?"
"Something wrong?"
"No, nothing's wrong," Jessie shook her head, laughing at the identical worried looks on her faces. "Oh, God, this is priceless!"
"Doctor, come on!" Amy groaned.
The two snapped out of it. "So, what now, Doctor?" the Ganger asked.
"Well, time to get cracking, Doctor," the Doctor answered, and both ran over.
"Hello!" they said at the same time. "Sorry, but we had to establish a few ground rules."
"Formulate a protocol," the Doctor nodded.
"Protocol?" his Ganger asked, raising an eyebrow. "Very posh."
"A protocol between us. Otherwise - "
"It gets horribly embarrassing."
"And potentially confusing."
"I'm glad you've solved the problem of confusing," Amy rolled her eyes.
The Ganger Doctor frowned. "That's sarcasm."
"She's very good at sarcasm," the Doctor agreed.
Both of them said at the same time, "Breathe."
"What?" Amy blinked.
"We have to get you off this island," the Doctor said. "And the Gangers, too."
"Sorry, would you like a memo from the last meeting?" Cleaves glared. "They are trying to kill us!"
"And pray tell, who's fault is that?" Jessie glared right back at her.
"They're scared," the Doctor said.
"Doctor, we're trapped here," Amy said.
"Right," the Doctor nodded, looking around. "See, I don't think so. The Flesh Bowl is fed by cabling from above."
"But where are the earthing conduits?" the Ganger asked.
"All this piping must go down into a tunnel or a shaft or something, yes? With us?"
"Ergo," Jessie smirked, leaning against a wall, kicking a grating with her heel. "Ta da!"
"Yowza!" the Doctor grinned. "An escape route!"
"Yowza?" Fitz blinked. In all of the Doctor's lives he had seen, the Doctor had never said such a word.
"You know, I'm starting to get a sense of just how impressive it is to hang out with me," the Doctor grinned at his Ganger.
"Oh, you think you're so impressive," Jessie rolled her eyes.
Both turned to her. "I am so impressive!" both said at the same time.
She grinned at them. "Definitely my Doctors."
They beamed at her - then the Ganger turned to the Doctor. "Do we tend to say yowza?"
The Doctor pouted. "That's enough. Let it go, OK? We're under stress!"
When the Gangers finally broke in, Jessie was sealing the grating shut. She pulled Cleaves away, and they went through the tunnel.
"The army will send a recon team out," Buzzer said as they emerged in the hallway.
"We need to find a way to contact the mainland," Cleaves nodded.
"What about Rory and Jemma and Jen?" Amy asked looking around. "They are all out there!"
"No, this place is a maze," the Doctor shook his head. "Takes a long time to find someone in a maze. I bet you lot have got a computer map, haven't you?"
"If we can get power running, we can scan for them," Cleaves nodded, starting to cough weakly. "Be a lot quicker."
"Doctor?" Amy coughed, the others starting to as well. "You said earlier to breathe?"
"Very important, Pond," he nodded. "Breathe."
"Yeah . . . well . . . I'm struggling to."
"Acid interacting with the stone," the Doctor looked around.
"Creating an asphyxiant miasma," the Ganger nodded.
"A what?" Cleaves asked.
"Choking gas," the Doctor answered. "Extra heavy. If we can get above it . . . "
"The evac tower," Cleaves said. "It's this way."
***
"Oh," Amy wheezed when they made it into the tower. "I think I coughed so hard, I pulled a muscle or something." Jessie frowned and moved over to her, but Amy waved her off. "It's OK, it's better. It's easing off."
As the church bell began to ring, Jimmy smiled. "It's midnight," he said. "It's Adam's birthday. My son's five. Happy birthday, bud."
***
Jessie looked over the top of the console to watch the Doctors pop up back and forth. "Can you really get the power back?" Cleaves asked.
"Oh, there's always some power floating around," the Ganger Doctor answered.
The original Doctor popped up as the Ganger went down. "Sticking to the wires, like bits of lint."
"Can you stop finishing each others' - " Amy began.
"Sentences?" the Doctor grinned. "No probs."
"Yes," the Ganger Doctor nodded.
"No, hang on," Amy shook her head. "You said that the TARDIS was stuck in acid, so won't she be damaged?"
"Nah," the Doctor smirked. "She's a tough old thing. Tough, old sexy."
"Tough, dependable, sexy," the Ganger nodded.
"This is really bad," Jessie grinned, looking over her shoulder, not noticing the two Doctors messing behind the console. "I'm really enjoying this."
"Thanks, sweetheart!" the two Doctors grinned at her before glaring at each other. "Oi!"
Jessie burst into hysterics, laughing hard at the identical looks on their faces. "Come on," Amy groaned. "OK, how can you both be real?"
"Well, because we are," the Ganger rolled his eyes. "I'm the Doctor."
"Yeah, and so am I," the Doctor nodded. "We both contain the knowledge of over nine hundred years of memory and experience - "
"We both wear the same bow tie, which is cool - "
"Because bow ties are - "
"And always will be."
"But how did the Flesh read you?" Amy asked as Jessie kept giggling so much, Fitz was actually considering checking her to make sure she was all right. "Because you weren't linked up to it."
"Well, it must've been after I examined it," the Doctor shrugged, raising his hand. "Thus, a new, genuine Doctor was created."
"Ta da!" the Ganger threw out his arms, a wide grin on his face, making Jessie laugh even harder.
"Are you sure you're all right?" Fitz asked her.
She just kept giggling. "This is funnier than Idris!"
"No getting away from it," Amy shook her head. "One of you was here first."
"Well, OK," the Doctor sighed. "After the Flesh scanned me, I had an accident with a puddle of acid. Now, new shoes." He kicked one foot up, showing off his boots, and the Ganger threw his leg up, showing the black shoes the original Doctor had been wearing. "A situation which did not confront me learned self here."
"That satisfy you, Pond?" the Ganger raised an eyebrow.
"Don't call me Pond, please," Amy shook her head, but paused when the Ganger considered her. "What?"
"Interesting," the Ganger said simply. "You definitely feel more affection for him than me."
"No, no, I . . . " Amy sighed. "Look, you're fine and everything, but he's the Doctor, no offense. Being almost the Doctor is pretty damn impressive."
"Being almost the Doctor's like being no Doctor at all."
"Don't overreact."
"You might as well call me Smith."
" . . . Smith?"
"John Smith," Jessie explained. "That's the name we use undercover, John and Johanna Smith."
"Yes!" the Doctor whooped as power rushed to the console. "Communication's a go-go!"
"Find Rory!" Amy hissed, smacking a screen. "Show me the scanning tracking screen! Come on, Rory, Simmy, let's be having you . . . "
"There's no sign of them anywhere," Cleaves shook her head.
"Come on," Amy pleaded, hands clasped, Fitz's hand on her shoulder. "Come on, you two, show yourselves!"
Cleaves went to the comm and connected to the mainland. "Saint John's calling," she said. "Emergency Alpha. Saint John's calling the mainland. Are you receiving me, Captain? Come in."
"Hopefully you'll get a signal through the storm," Jessie said, rubbing her temples. " . . . is there any water nearby?"
The two Doctors hopped up simultaneously, then looked at each other. Finally, the Ganger pointed at the Doctor, who nodded and went to get a cup from the cooler nearby. "Saint John's calling the mainland," Cleaves repeated, keeping a wary eye on the Ganger. "Come in, this is urgent!"
"We're just about reading you, Saint John's," a voice finally responded as the Doctor handed Jessie a cup of water, the woman fumbling in her windbreaker for her pill bottle. When she nearly dropped it, the Doctor caught it for her and handed her the pills she needed, and she threw back her head to swallow them. "How are you doing? We've had all kinds of trouble here."
"Request immediate evacuation," Cleaves answered as the Doctor went back behind the console, the two lookalikes nodding at each other. "We're under attack. The storm's affected our Gangers. They're running amok."
"Your Gangers?"
"Yes, our Gangers are attacking us. We need you to take us off the island immediately and wipe them out."
"Copy that, Saint John's. Shuttle's dispatched. Hang on."
"You'll need to airlift us off the roof of the evac tower, and Captain, any further transmission sent by me must come with the following codeword. I'm typing it, in case they're listening in."
"Got it. We'll swing in, get you out, and decommission the Flesh."
"We've got to get out of here," Buzzer looked around. "We are, we're going to get out."
"We're not leaving without Rory and Jemma," Fitz insisted.
"I want them found, too, but it's about casualties, innit? Can't be helped."
"Did I seriously used to be human?" Jessie asked, looking around. "Was I really like this?"
The two Doctor shrugged, but Amy frowned at the Doctor. "What are you doing?"
"Making a phone call," he answered, looking at the phone.
"Who to?"
"No one yet. It's on delay."
"Right . . . not getting it. Why exactly are you making a phone call?"
"Because, Amy, I am and always will be the optimist. The hoper of far-flung hopes and the dreamer of improbable dreams."
"Sums you up in a nutshell," Jessie nodded with a smile, leaning back against the wall.
The Doctor pointed at her with a smile, then hung up. "Done."
"You know, really, there can be only one," Amy mumbled.
Jessie raised an eyebrow. "What was that?"
"Oh, nothing," Amy shook her head, turning to the wall. "Carry on . . . be amazing." She gasped when she saw the Eyepatch Lady looking through a hatch in the wall, and then it slammed shut.
She gasped, jumping backwards, and suddenly, everyone was looking at the wall. "Amy?" the Doctor asked, frowning. "What happened?"
"It's her again," Amy pointed at the wall, Jessie squinting at it, seeming confused.
"It's who again?"
"There's a woman I keep seeing, a woman with an eyepatch, and she has this habit of sliding walls open and staring at me . . . " She turned to see the Doctor looking from the wall to Amy, and then his gaze started to slide to the side. "Doctor?"
The Doctor jumped, then shook his head. "It's nothing."
"Doesn't seem like nothing!"
"It's a time memory," the Doctor shook his head. "Like a mirage. It's nothing to worry about."
The Ganger Doctor blinked, then backed away. "It's in my head . . . "
He went out the door, and Jimmy scowled. "Hey, hold on!" he shouted.
"Don't let him go!" Cleaves ordered.
"No," Amy shook her head, going out the door. "Leave it to me."
***
She found the Ganger Doctor staring at the stone wall. "I'm sorry," she said. "What I said about you being almost the Doctor . . . it's just really hard, because I've been through so much with him. I've even seen . . . I think I even saw the moment of his . . . " She took a shaky breath. "Can you die? If you really are the same, then you can die. You can be killed . . . and I might have seen a moment when that happens."
The Ganger turned to her. "Why?"
"Why?" Amy narrowed her eyes. "Because of that blood bond you and the Bad Wolf have. One of you dies, so does the other, and we saw her - "
She gasped when the Ganger pushed her against the wall. "Why?" he snapped.
"You're hurting me!"
"It's all the eyes say," the Ganger told her. "Why? I can feel them as they work each day, knowing the time was coming for them to be thrown away again. Not again, please! And then they are destroyed, and they feel death, and all they can say . . . is why?"
Amy ran back inside, the Ganger following. "Why?" the Doctor mused.
The Ganger started to speak, but Amy pointed at him. "Keep him away from me!"
The Ganger stopped, looking at the Doctor. "Did you sense it?"
"Briefly," the Doctor nodded. "Not as strong as you."
The Ganger turned to Amy. "Amy, I'm sorry - "
"No, you keep away," Amy shook her head, backing against the wall. "We can't trust you."
The Ganger sighed. "It would appear I can connect to the Flesh."
"You are Flesh!"
"Well, he hasn't tried to kill us, has he?" Jessie raised an eyebrow.
"I'm beginning to understand what it's been through, what it needs," the Ganger continued.
"What you want," Amy glared at him. "You are it!"
"It's much more powerful than we thought." The Ganger turned to Cleaves. "The Flesh can grow, correct?"
"Its cells can divide," Cleaves admitted.
"Well, now it wants to do that at will. It wants revenge. It's in pain, angry. It wants revenge."
"I was right," Amy looked at him accusingly. "You're not the Doctor. You can't ever be. You're just a copy."
"Now, wait a minute!" Jessie got to her feet, glaring at Amy.
"What, can't you see?" Amy looked at her, gesturing between the two. "Can't you feel it, that blood bond? Which one's real?"
"Which one's the original," Jessie corrected, looking between the two, but started to frown, trying to pick out the original mind . . . but the headache was too overwhelming. She moaned softly, holding her head and shaking it. "I can't tell."
Amy stared at her, stunned, knowing that she was the best one that could have told them which one they should trust . . . when Cleaves turned to the Ganger. "Doctor, it might be best if you stayed over there for right now, hmm?"
"Hold on a minute," the Doctor glared, nearly shoving Amy away from Jessie as the girl turned away, tears stinging her eyes as her headache started to worsen. "Hold your horses, I thought I'd explained this! I'm him, he's me!"
"Doctor, we have no issue with you, but when it comes to your Ganger . . . " Cleaves gave him a look.
"Don't be absurd!"
"Buzzer?"
"Sure, boss," he nodded, pulling out a barrel. "Take a seat, mate."
The Ganger sighed, plopping down. "Nice barrel. Very comfy. Why not?" He looked around at them all. "Is this really what you want?"
Jessie just whimpered, the first noise of pain she'd made the whole day, and the Doctor rubbed her back, kissing the top of her head, knowing he couldn't make her feel better.
***
Rory and Jemma were still searching the corridors when they heard Jennifer's voice shout, "Help me! No, get away!"
"Jen?" Jemma cried, running towards a crypt. "Jen!"
When they made it inside, they were met with two identical Jennifers, both looking human. "Rory? Jemma?" one gasped, looking at them.
"I'm sorry," the other one said. "She found me. Rory, Jemma, listen to me - "
"Don't listen to her!"
"I'm Jennifer Lucas! This woman is Flesh!"
Rory and Jemma looked at each other in confusion.
***
"This is the shuttle," the pilot said over the comm. "We're right above you, but we can't get low enough. Gamma static could fry our nav-controls. Sit tight, we'll get to you. Just - "
The transmission cut off as the Doctor sonicked Cleaves. "Hello?" Jimmy asked, trying to fix it. "Can you hear me?"
"I can't find Rory or Simmy," Amy said, turning. "I'm going out there."
"We could use the sonics to track them," the Doctor held his up. "Humans and Gangers give off slightly different signals. The sonic needs to tell the difference."
"Oh, so the sonics know Gangers are different," Amy nodded at him. "The other Doctor is different."
"He is the Doctor," the Doctor corrected.
"Not to me, I can tell."
"Prejudiced much?" Jessie raised an eyebrow.
Amy glared at her. "Nice try, but I know, OK? We've been through too much. He's my Doctor, end of."
***
"OK," Jemma pointed between the Jennifers. "One of you is human, and one of you we sat with and talked with. Why can't you just tell us the truth? The Doctor and J went you all to live, and I'm with them all the way."
"That's a lovely idea, Jemma, but the Flesh want to kill us now," one Jennifer said.
Rory held up a hand, pointing to the Jennifer that had spoken. "You're limping . . . " He pointed to the other. "You're not."
"So?" the second Jennifer screeched. "So what? You think a Ganger can't put on a limp?"
"Show us your leg," Jemma ordered the first Jennifer.
She rolled up her pant leg, showing the scorch mark on her leg. "It got burnt while I was in the harness."
"She's lying," the second Jennifer said instantly. "She's telling you what you want to hear."
"Never in my life as a doctor have I seen anyone able to fake a burn," Jemma gave her a look.
The second Jennifer screeched and jumped the other. "No!" Rory shouted, jumping forward to try and pull them apart. "No, you don't! Stop it, stop it! Fighting each other is pointless! Come on, please, please stop! Jen - both Jens, stop it! No!"
The first Jennifer pushed the second into an acid pool, and all that was left of her was a puddle of Flesh. "She . . . " the Jennifer remaining whimpered, staring at the Flesh. "She attacked me!" She turned, hugging Rory tightly, then Jemma. "I knew you'd find me! We're in this together, Rory, Jemma, and we've got to trust each other."
"OK," Rory nodded, taking her arm, Jemma taking her other hand. "Come on, let's go."
***
"Hey, there's a camera up!" Buzzer announced, showing them the monitor. "We've got a visual."
"Rory, Jemma, and Jennifer!" Fitz recognized the trio.
"They're heading for the thermostatic room," Cleaves said.
"Let's go get them," Amy said, then blinked when the Doctor threw his sonic screwdriver to his Ganger. "Hang on - !"
"We can't let him go!" Cleaves stared. "Are you crazy?"
"Am I crazy, Doctor?" the Doctor tilted his head.
"Well, you did want to plumb your brain into the core of an entire planet just to halt its orbit and win a bet," the Ganger shrugged.
Jessie turned to the Doctor, eyes wide. "You wanted to do what?!"
"He can't go rescue them," Amy shook her head. "I'm going."
"Do you know?" the Doctor folded his arms. "I want him to go, and I'm rather adamant."
"You have no idea," Jessie smirked.
"Well, then, he'll need company, right, boss?" Buzzer asked. "It's fine, I'll handle it."
"Thank you, Buzzer," the Ganger pointed at him. "It'll be all right, I'll find him."
"Can't explain it to you now, but I need you to trust him," the Doctor whispered to Amy. "Can you do that for me, Amy?"
"And what if you're wrong?" Amy raised an eyebrow.
"Then we're wrong," Jessie answered, folding her arms. "And what if you're wrong?"
Amy glared at her, then started muttering incoherently, turning away as the Ganger Doctor and Buzzer left.
***
"This is the thermostatic chamber," Jennifer said when they made it through a door. "We can stir the oxygen supply from here."
"What?" Rory blinked.
"The air, we're going to choke to death if we don't clean it," Jemma answered.
Jennifer nodded and tried turning the wheel, but winced. "Rory!"
"What's wrong?" he asked in concern.
"It's this wheel. It's just too tough for a girl to turn. Are you feeling strong?"
"I'll break out the big guns," Rory nodded, stepping forward.
Jennifer took his hand and put it on a palm print scanner. "This first."
"Human source recognized," a computer voice said. Jemma turned, frowning a little when she heard it, then Rory spun the wheel. "Thermostatic override granted."
Slowly, she rested her hand on the butt of her gun.
Why had Jennifer had Rory scan his palm if she was human?
***
"These temperature gauges are rising," Cleaves frowned, seeing the gauges. "Jennifer, Rory, and Jemma must have shut off the underground cooling vents."
"Why do that?" Dicken frowned. "They'll kill us!"
"There's a million gallons of boiling acid under our feet," Cleaves agreed grimly.
"And now it's heating up the whole island," the Doctor turned to Jessie. "How long till it blows?"
Jessie raised an eyebrow as the ground rumbled. "What do you think?"
"Gangers or no Gangers, we need to get the hell out of here," Dicken decided.
"Shuttle, we need evac," Cleaves said into the comm. "Where are you? Can you hear me? Can you - "
She gasped, pulling back and grabbing her head. "Cleaves?" Jessie asked, walking over and putting a hand on her shoulder. "Cleaves? Come on, come sit down."
"I'm fine," Cleaves mumbled, shaking her head slightly as Jessie scanned her with her sonic. "I'm waiting for results, so let it go."
"A very deep parietal clot," Jessie whistled. "Wow."
"How can you possibly - ?" Cleaves looked at her, but Jessie just winked, putting a finger to her lips. "Inoperable?"
"On Earth? Yes."
"Well, seeing as Earth's all that's an offer . . . " She trailed off, seeing Jessie exchange looks with the Doctor. "Hmm. I'm no healthy spring chicken, and he's no weatherman, right?"
"Did it really take you that long?" Jessie asked her with a grin.
Amy looked down when a bigger rumble hit them. "Something just cracked, I heard it."
"Yeah, we can't stay here," the Doctor nodded. "Let's go."
"He's right," Jimmy stood up. "Let's shift."
Cleaves headed to the console, Jessie by her. "Cleaves to Shuttle, respond," she said. "We need to move, and we can't be collected from the evac tower."
"Give us the codeword," the pilot said.
"The codeword is - "
The rumble hit again, and the console started sparking, and klaxons went off. "Cleaves?" the Doctor rushed over, looking at the console. "Cleaves, it's dead, it's dead. We need to get out of here. We need to get back downstairs and get those vents back on. Come on!"
***
"This room's always sealed," Jennifer said when they made it to the crypt. "Power surge must have thrown the bolts."
"Oh, my God!" Jemma gasped, seeing the discarded half-melted Ganger bodies with uniforms. "What is that?"
"Discarded Flesh," Jennifer answered, walking over. "Faulty, probably, just thrown away. Look at them." She nudged one. "One of my old Gangers." Its eyes opened, and Jennifer sighed. "Left to rot, fully conscious. Can you imagine what kind of hell they're in?"
"How could anyone do this?" Jemma asked in disbelief, hugging herself as Rory put an arm around her. "How could they?"
"Who are the real monsters?" Jennifer asked, tilting her head.
Jemma looked up at her. "So how do we make people see?"
***
"I'm getting something," the Ganger Doctor mumbled, looking at the sonic screwdriver.
"Is it human?" Buzzer asked.
"Yeah, it's human, but it's fading . . . it's fading . . . this is bad. Fading is very bad." He stopped suddenly. "Argh! The signal's gone." He sighed, turning the corner to see Jennifer lying on the ground. "She's dead. She was hanging onto the edge of life, and she just . . . just slipped away." He crouched by her, checking her over. "Oh, Jennifer," he sighed. "I'm so sorry. She's been out here for hours."
"But if the real Jen's lying out here . . . " Buzzer began.
"Rory and Jennifer are in trouble," the Ganger Doctor finished, then blacked out when something hit him hard on the back of the head.
***
"Ah," the Doctor nodded as they headed down a hallway, eyes following them. "The eyes have it."
"Why are they here?" Fitz asked, looking around.
"They're accusing us," Jessie said, throwing Cleaves a nasty look. The woman might have had a clot, but that was still no excuse for how she was treating the Gangers.
The woman ignored it, of course. "Ignore them. It's not far."
The Doctor finally entered the thermostatic room and rushed to check the readings. "It's a chemical chain reaction now," he said. "I can't stop it. This place is going to blow sky high!"
"Exactly how long have we got?" Cleaves asked.
"An hour? Five seconds? Er . . . somewhere in between?"
A klaxon went off, and Jessie sighed. "Everyone, out!" she ordered, pointing.
As they headed one way, Rory and Jemma nearly ran into them. "Thank God!" Rory gasped, hugging Amy as Jemma nearly jumped Fitz. "All right?"
"Oh, Rory," Amy hugged him tightly. "Oh, Rory!"
"There's a way out," Jemma said to them. "Jennifer found it, a secret tunnel under the crypt."
"From the crypt?" Cleaves frowned. "It's not on the schematics."
"It runs right out of the monastery, maybe even under the TARDIS," Rory said.
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Jessie asked.
"Follow us," Rory nodded, heading off.
***
The Ganger Doctor lolled his head, then squinted, seeing the Gangers of Cleaves, Dicken, and Jimmy looking at him. "Got anything for a sore head?" he asked.
"This is how they'll always treat us," Ganger Cleaves said. "Do you see now? After all, you're one of us, Doctor."
The Ganger Doctor paused, then held up a hand. "Call me Smith. John Smith."
Ganger Cleaves took his hand and pulled him to his feet.
***
"We can't leave without Buzzer," Jimmy said when they entered the acid room.
"I'll go back for him," Cleaves volunteered, turning to go.
"Er, Doctor?" Rory winced, turning, still by the door with Jemma and Jennifer. "Look, I'd better tell you . . . we haven't been quite straight with you - "
Jennifer suddenly closed the door, locking them in. "Oi!" Jessie ran for the door, banging on it, then tried phasing for it before hissing and pulling her arm back, shaking her fist. "Who the hell has vibranium doors in a monastery?"
"Hang on, Jen," Rory turned to Jennifer, even as Jemma rested her hand on her gun again. "We don't need to lock them up. We should just tell them what we've found."
"I don't think so," Jennifer shook her head.
"Rory Pond!" the Doctor shouted, joining in banging. "Roranicus Pondicus!"
"Rory, Simmy, what the hell are you playing at?" Amy yelled through the door.
"They've been throwing away old Flesh and leaving it to rot, alive!" Rory answered. "I think the world should see that!"
"Rory, there is no time!" the Doctor snapped. "The factory's about to explode!"
"Why don't we let them go?" Jemma suggested to Jennifer. "Come on."
"The little girl got strong," Jennifer smiled.
Rory blinked, turning to her. "What?"
"The little girl lost on the moors in her red wellies, looking for a way home? Well, she got strong, Rory, Jemma. I told you, remember?"
"But, that wasn't - " Rory sputtered. "It was the other Jennifer that told us about being a little girl!"
"Oh?" she asked innocently. "What other Jennifer?"
"You tricked us," Jemma accused, drawing her gun. "Rory, open the door."
Rory put his hand on the handle, but Ganger Jennifer's hand shot out like elastic and knocked Jemma's gun away, then wrapped around her. "No!" Jemma screamed, even as Ganger Jennifer knocked Rory away as well.
"We have to be free," Ganger Cleaves apologized, looking in the window.
Cleaves looked at her Ganger in distaste. "I'm sorry, too, Miranda. Of all the humans in the world, you had to pick the one with the clot. But hey, them's the breaks. Welcome to the human race."
"In case anyone's wondering," Jessie announced, scanning the acid vat. "This is about to overheat and flood the room."
"And we can't stop it?" Cleaves asked.
Jessie winced. "No."
***
"You created another Ganger just to trick us," Rory accused as Ganger Jennifer and Ganger Cleaves led him and Jemma to the dining hall. "You tricked us! When we found you, you were both Flesh, and you tricked us into trusting you. Jen's dead, isn't she?"
"She's gone," the Doctor's voice agreed, and they gawked, seeing the Ganger Doctor sitting with Ganger Jimmy and Ganger Dicken nearby. "Gone."
"Shuttle, we're dropping down on our approach," the shuttle pilot said. "Stand by for evac."
"The humans will be melted, as they deserve, and then the factory will be destroyed," Ganger Jennifer said in satisfaction. "Once we get to the mainland, the real battle begins. The humans won't stand a chance. You're one of us, Doctor. Join the revolution."
"We've got to go and get them out!" Rory hissed.
Jemma held up a hand, stopping him. "No, no," she murmured. "Something's up."
***
"It'll never hold her," Jimmy shook his head as Dicken started lowering the lid onto the acid vat.
"If you have a better plan, I'm all ears," the Doctor said.
"Isn't there a planet where everyone is all ears?" Jessie asked curiously.
"Yes, there is," he nodded at her. "Good point. If anyone has a better plan, we'll take you to the planet where everyone is all ears."
***
"But we can't just let them die!" Rory hissed.
"Out of all of them, the Ganger Doctor's been the most like the original," Jemma whispered. "He's got to have a plan."
And sure enough, a moment later, the Ganger Doctor looked at his wristwatch. "Ring ring," he said.
Rory blinked. "What?"
"Ring ring!" the Ganger Doctor sang, kicking his feet up onto the table, but quickly stood up when the monastery shook. "Stay," he told the humans.
"OK," Rory nodded, willing to give him a chance.
The telephone suddenly rang, and the Doctor looked around expectantly. "Ah, that'll be the phone. Somebody get the phone. Jimmy, get the phone?" No one made a move. "No? Fine, I'll get the phone. Stay put." He walked over and pressed a button, and a hologram of a little boy in pajamas appeared. Ganger Jimmy stiffened, his eyes widening. "Ha!" the Ganger Doctor smiled. "Hello, Adam. I'm the Doctor. Well, other Doctor. Or Smith. It's complicated and boring. Anyway, who cares! It's your birthday!"
"Yay!" the boy agreed with a wide smile.
"Yay!" the Ganger Doctor agreed with a nod. "Now, have you been getting up very early and jumping on the bed?"
"Yes, really high!"
"I expect chocolate for breakfast. If you don't feel sick by mid morning, you're not doing it right. Now, I think you want to speak to Dad."
"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!" Adam nodded eagerly. "Daddy?"
The Ganger Doctor turned and clapped Ganger Jimmy on the shoulder. "You'll do, Jimmy. What does the other Jimmy matter now? You're both the same dad, aren't you? Come on. Adam's waiting."
"Daddy?" Adam asked as the monastery shook again, Ganger Jimmy's eyes widening as Jemma smiled, knowing what the Ganger Doctor was doing. How could anyone have thought they were different? "Daddy, what's that rumbly noise? What's going on, Daddy? Daddy?"
Ganger Jimmy ran out the door, and Ganger Jennifer turned with a hiss to the Doctor. "You've tricked him into an act of weakness, Doctor!"
"No," the Ganger Doctor shook his head with a triumphant smirk. "I've helped him into an act of humanity. Anyone else like the sound of that? Act of humanity."
Ganger Cleaves nodded and turned to Ganger Dicken. "Dicken, drain the acid well in Crypt One."
"Don't you dare!" Ganger Jennifer snapped, even as Ganger Dicken moved to obey.
"I've had it with this," Ganger Cleaves sighed, turning to her. "What's the point in this ridiculous war? Look at you, Jen. You were a sweet kid. Look at you now. The stuff of nightmares. I don't want my world populated by monsters."
"You can't stop the factory from melting down, boss!" Ganger Jennifer nearly screamed. "I'll take revenge on humanity with or without you!"
"It doesn't have to be about revenge," the Ganger Doctor shook his head. "It can be so much better than that."
Ganger Jennifer ran out, and Jemma ran to hug the Ganger Doctor. "You really are the Doctor!" she laughed, hugging him tightly.
The Ganger Doctor hugged her, smiling widely at her praise. It was good to know someone really, truly thought so.
***
Jessie leaped back just in time before acid boiled over, but it hit Jimmy, and with a gasp, the man fell back onto the ground. "Argh!"
The door banged open, and Ganger Jimmy rushed in, heading over. "Let me through!" the Ganger shouted, pushing past the others there.
"There's nothing we can do," the Doctor shook his head as Ganger Jimmy crouched by the original. "The acid's reached his heart."
"Hang in there, mate," the Ganger said.
"I'm quite handsome from this angle," Jimmy said faintly, looking up at his Ganger.
"I'm sorry," he shook his head. "I'm the fake. Adam deserves his real dad."
"Shut up," Jimmy sighed.
"What do you want me to do? Anything, just say.
"The way things are, mate. It's up to you now. Be a dad. You remember how."
Jimmy handed over his wedding ring to the Ganger before he took one last breath. The Ganger looked at the ring in his hand, then the Doctor put a hand on his shoulder. "Jimmy Wicks," he said. "You're a dad."
***
"Daddy?" little Adam was still saying as the group entered the dining hall. "Where's my daddy?"
The two Cleaves nodded curtly to each other as Amy and Fitz ran to hug Rory and Jemma. Ganger Jimmy finally stepped into view of the hologram. "Daddy, it's me!" Adam cried.
"Hey, sunshine," Ganger Jimmy smiled. "What are you up to?"
"Opening all my presents."
"Haha, good lad! You have fun today, and remember your dad. He loves you very, very much."
"When are you coming home?"
Ganger Jimmy looked at the Doctor, who nodded. "Daddy's coming home today, Adam," the Doctor announced.
"Yay!" Adam beamed.
"Now we need to move," the Doctor added, turning off the hologram.
***
"Run, run, run!" the Doctor chanted as they ran, hurrying back to try and urge them all on. "Ooo, roof's going to give!"
Jessie shut the door and ran on, meeting the group at the door marked "No Humans." "We have to stop her," Ganger Dicken looked back. "This door doesn't lock."
"No, but the far one does," Dicken corrected, running back to shut the door.
Jessie looked back to see Ganger Jennifer as a ravaging beast, and Dicken struggled to shut the door. Finally, he went out and managed to shut it, himself on the wrong side. "Argh!"
"No!" Ganger Dicken gasped as he heard the sound of flesh ripping.
"Here she comes!" the Ganger Doctor announced.
With a crash, the TARDIS plopped down in front of them. "Atta girl, Idris," Jessie patted her. "You always love your entrances, don't you?"
The TARDIS buzzed, and she opened the door. "Everyone move," the Doctor ordered.
"Go," the Ganger Doctor urged them on. "Go, go, go!"
"Get on board," Ganger Cleaves said. "Go."
"I'm not leaving," Cleaves shook her head.
"Hey, hey," Amy tugged on the Doctor's arm. "Now's our chance."
But to her surprise, he shook his head. "I have to stay," he said. "Hold this door closed, give you time to dematerialize."
"Oh, don't be crazy," Amy snorted. "OK, what happened to you?"
"Well, this place is just about to explode," the Ganger Doctor shrugged. "But I can stop her."
"Both of you can survive this, OK?" Amy looked between the two Doctors. "There has to be a way."
"Or perhaps you think I should stay instead?" the Ganger Doctor asked, tilting his head. "Mr. Smith."
Amy opened her mouth to argue, then Jessie made a strangled noise, her eyes widening in shock as she stumbled back. "Bad Wolf?" she asked, turning to her.
But the Doctor by the TARDIS, the one Amy was calling the Ganger, smiled. "I think she finally got it."
"You two," she pointed between them shakily, grey eyes startled. "Oh, my God . . . how?!"
"She got it," the Doctor by the door smiled.
"Sorry, what?" Fitz asked, looking back.
Jessie pointed at their shoes. "They swapped shoes. Back behind the console, when we couldn't see them, they swapped shoes!"
"I'm the Doctor," the Doctor by the TARDIS waved, the one that had the original shoes.
"And I'm the Flesh," the Doctor by the door, now the one with the work boots, added.
"That is brilliant!" Jessie cheered, hugging the Ganger Doctor tightly.
He hugged her back, then whispered, "I'm sorry."
She frowned, pulling back. "What?"
"I'm confused," Amy shook her head.
"I'm the original Doctor, Amy," the Doctor by the TARDIS promised. "We had to know if we were truly the same. It was important, vital we learn about the Flesh, and we could only do that through your eyes."
Amy looked from Doctor to Doctor, then hugged the Ganger. "I never thought it possible!"
"What?" the Ganger asked.
"You're twice the man I thought you were!"
The Ganger smiled, then whispered to her as well. "Push, Amy, but only when she tells you to."
Amy frowned, about to ask what he meant, when Rory called, "Amy, come on!"
"Well, my death arrives, I suppose," the Ganger sighed.
"But this one, it's not going to happen to me," the Doctor sighed.
Amy froze, eyes wide, realizing what she had said. Jessie frowned, looking at him. "What?"
"Pardon?" the Ganger blinked.
"Nothing," the Doctor shook his head. "Your molecular memory can survive this, you know. It may not be the end."
"Yeah, well, if I turn up to nick all your biscuits, then you'll know you were right, won't you?" the Ganger Doctor joked as the Doctor threw him a sonic screwdriver.
"Doctor!" Amy gasped, eyes wide. "No, please!"
"You, too, Cleaves," the Ganger Doctor turned to Ganger Cleaves.
"I'm staying," she said.
"This is not the time for grand gestures."
"Says the king of grand gestures," she retorted, making Jessie laugh hysterically. "This is my factory. I'm not going anywhere."
He grinned at her. "Foreman Miranda Cleaves. Marvelous! Beware of imitations."
"Clear off out of here, the lot of you," Ganger Cleaves ordered.
They all piled inside and dematerialized, leaving the two Gangers behind.
***
"The energy from the TARDIS will stabilize the Gangers for good," the Doctor told Cleaves as Jessie worked on blowing up a few balloons. "They're people now."
"And what happens to me?" Cleaves asked, tapping her head. "I still have this."
"Ah, that's not a problem," the Doctor smiled, handing her a vial. "I have something for that. It's small and red and tastes like burnt onions, but it'll get rid of your blood clot."
Cleaves stared at him, stunned, as Jessie held up the finished balloons. "I love happy endings," she smiled.
***
Little Adam ran along the beach towards his father, waddling along. "Hey!" Ganger Jimmy smiled, bending down to give him his balloons and a hug. "Hello, bud."
"Daddy, you're back!" Adam cheered, hugging him.
"Hello, my boy. How are you doing?"
As Adam babbled on, Ganger Jimmy turned to see the Doctor and Jessie standing by the TARDIS, smiling at them. Ganger Jimmy nodded to them, thankful for the chance he was given, then headed off home with Adam.
***
"You really want us to do this?" Cleaves asked as they exited the TARDIS into Morpeth Jetsan headquarters.
"Your company's telling the world that the situation is over," the Doctor answered. "You need to get in there and tell him that the situation's only just begun. Make them understand what they're doing to the Flesh. Make them stop. Dicken, remember, people are good. In their bones, truly good. Don't hate them, will you?"
"How can I hate them?" Ganger Dicken asked, completely serious. "I'm one of them now."
"Yeah, and just remember, people died," the Doctor reminded him. "Don't let that be in vain. Make what you say in that room count."
Cleaves turned to Ganger Dicken. "Ready? Side by side?"
"You got it, boss," he nodded, and they entered the conference room.
The Doctor watched them go, then closed his eyes, gritting his teeth as Jessie stepped up to him and took his hand. "You all right?" he asked.
"I said it to the wrong person," he said.
"Said what?"
"Remember when I kept telling Amy to breathe?"
"Yeah."
"Well, she does, too. But . . . " He turned to her, taking her by the arms. "Hang on."
She blinked at him. "What?"
"Stay with me!"
And suddenly, her eyes glowed a vivid gold, and she let out a sharp cry, doubling over. The Doctor gasped as well, staggering with her, but managing to hold her up. "Hang on!"
"Doctor, what's going on?" Amy asked, walking forward, eyes wide.
"Breathe, Pond!" the Doctor shouted to her.
Amy blinked, and then she, too, doubled over in pain. "Oh!"
"Whoa!" Rory blinked, grabbing her.
"Oh!"
"What's wrong with them?" Jemma asked, looking back and forth wildly.
"Get her into the TARDIS!" the Doctor ground out, wrapping Jessie's arm around his shoulders, her eyes still glowing gold . . . and judging by the horrified looks FitzSimmons was giving them . . .
His were starting to, too.
***
"Doctor, what is happening to them?" Rory demanded.
"For her, contractions," the Doctor gestured to Amy.
"Contractions?" Rory blinked.
"She's going into labor."
"Did he say?" Amy gawked.
"As for us," the Doctor winced, nodding to Jessie as she nearly collapsed, breathing heavily, the gold in her eyes starting to turn a vivid golden orange. "Well . . . karma's a pain in the arse."
"What is it?" Jemma asked, eyes wide.
"What else?" the Doctor asked. "The Metacrisis."
"But . . . why?" Jemma shook her head wildly. "You're standing right next to each other!"
The Doctor smiled sadly. "She was standing right next to my Ganger, too."
"You're going to have to start explaining some of this to me, Doctor," Rory warned, holding Amy up.
"What, the birds and the bees?" the Doctor rolled his eyes, checking Jessie's forehead, and hissing and pulling his hand away when he felt how hot she was. "Amy's having a baby, and Jez is dying of the Metacrisis. I needed to see the Flesh in its early days, that's why I scanned it. That's why we were there in the first place. I was going to drop you off for fish and chips first, but things happened and there was stuff and shenanigans." He groaned, tilting Jessie's head up so he could see her eyes. The golden glow was almost overwhelming. "I hate this one."
"My head," Jessie whimpered, shaking her head, tears streaming down her face. "It's killing me!"
"I know," the Doctor kissed the top of her head, hugging her tightly. "Believe me, love, I know."
"It hurts," Amy wheezed.
"But you're OK?" Rory asked.
"Doctor, you're starting to scare us," Fitz said, starting to walk forward.
"Good," the Doctor nodded. "Because I'm terrified. But, I needed enough information to block the signal to the Flesh."
"What signal?" Amy asked.
"The signal to you," the Doctor answered, "and the signal to my wife."
"Doctor?" Amy asked as the Doctor kissed Jessie, then backed away to the console as Jessie backed to Amy's side. "Doctor?"
"Stand away from them," the Doctor ordered, pointing to the humans.
"Why?" Rory shook his head, moving forward as Jessie fumbled for Amy's hand, the ginger squeezing back immediately. "No, and why?"
"Given what we've learned, I'll be as humane as I can, but I'm losing patience watching my wife burn," the Doctor snapped, barely reining in his temper. "So stand away!"
Rory slowly backed away, to where FitzSimmons were still watching in horror. "No," Amy whimpered, shaking her head, even as she and Jessie linked arms. "No, Doctor, I am frightened. I am properly, properly scared."
"Don't be," the Doctor shook his head. "Hold on. We're coming for you, I swear it," he vowed, looking from girl to girl. "Whatever happens, however hard, however far, we will find you."
"We're right here!" Amy insisted.
"No," Jessie shook her head, biting her lip. "And we haven't been here for a very long time." She looked up, a moment of calm on her face. "Kasterborous," she said in Gallifreyan, making them all turn to her, though the Doctor was the only one who understood her. "You know who to bring in."
"I do," he nodded.
"Make them pay," she said fiercely, her eyes glowing. "Avenge us."
"I will," he swore, nodding. "I love you, Jezebel."
"I love you, Kasterborous."
The Doctor took a shuddering breath, bracing himself, and aimed the sonic screwdriver at them. He fired, and Amy blinked. "Oh," she said quietly.
Jessie braced herself, and the two Gangers standing in front of them melted and became a puddle of Flesh on the floor -
And the Doctor screamed in pain, dropping to his knees, clutching his head as his eyes flared a very dark gold. "Doctor!" Jemma shouted, running to him, pulling him up as Rory and Fitz burst into action. "Hold on! Doctor, hold on!"
The Doctor just kept crying out, the pain ripping through him, as his skin started to take on a dark gold sheen, the TARDIS beeping and buzzing, a few levers lighting up, the companions desperately trying to figure out where to go as the TARDIS showed them what to do.
***
Amy was startled awake when she heard a bloodcurdling scream from nearby. She gasped, turning her head, to see she was in some sort of cubicle. Through the small holes in the side, she could see people in white pulling the Bad Wolf out of a similar cubicle, the woman screaming in pain, wisps of dark gold energy streaming off of her skin.
"Oh, dear," a voice sighed, and Amy looked up to see a hatch open, the eyepatch lady smirking down at her. "The poor girl looks ready to die."
"What have you done?" Amy gasped, eyes wide.
"Oh, I'm concerned about you right now, dearie," she laughed cruelly as the Bad Wolf was hurried away. "The Bad Wolf was just collateral damage. Wrong place at the wrong time. Now, you're ready to pop, aren't you? Little one's on its way." Amy looked down, and her eyes widened, seeing she was very pregnant, not at all like her Ganger had been. "Here it comes. Push!"
And Amy screamed, hers mingling with the Bad Wolf's, as her labor set in.
***
*peeks out of underground bunker*
Is everyone still alive from that chapter? A bunch of you will want to hang on for the interlude, then. Because when the Doctor finally gets it together . . . *deadlocks the bunker door*
So, who was it Jessie wanted the Doctor to find for help? Give me your guesses, because I bet no one can guess. ;)
And I MAY be nice enough to post the interlude sometime soon, but "A Good Man Goes To War" is NOT part of the Ganger arc . . . which means until "Daleks in Manhattan"/"Evolution of the Daleks" is done for the Alchemist, you guys will be left hanging.
I'm just too evil, aren't I? }:)