Astro followed behind the Doctor and Galaxy who walked arm in arm and appeared to be drunk, it was a better scene than having to see Galaxy look panicked and upset, right now she and the Doctor were laughing and were singing off-key. He had a feeling that Reinette saw more in Galaxy's mind then she let on and he hoped she hadn't stumbled onto that memory, not since it was still kinda fresh in Galaxy's mind.
"I could've danced all night, I could've danced all night..." The Doctor sang as he and Galaxy stumbled down the corridors, honestly, Astro wondered if Galaxy was truly drunk, he didn't see her drink that much. "They called him the...They called him the..." Rose trailed off when she saw the two Time Lords enter the room with Astro who saw her and Mickey tied up on slanted tables with some of the androids with them. Galaxy was wearing the Doctor's tie loosely around her neck while the Doctor had a goblet in his hands and some glasses on.
"And still they begged for more. I could've spread my wings and done a thou." The Doctor carried on singing as he danced around with Galaxy in his arms, who had a wide smile on her face, "Have you met the French? My god, the know-how to party." "Oh, look at what the cat dragged in. The Oncoming Storm." Rose said as she rolled her eyes, though she was curious with what the Daleks called Galaxy, did Galaxy have a title that had people shaking with fear when they heard it?
"It would be what the wolf dragged in since Astro's here. And you sound like your mother." Galaxy said as she pointed to the robot wolf who shook his head at his creators. "What've you two been doing? Where've you been?" Rose asked them. "Well, among other things, I think we just invented the banana daiquiri a few centuries early. Do you know, they've never even seen a banana before. Always takes a banana to a party, Rose. Bananas are good." The Doctor said as they walked over to where Rose was and Galaxy ended up laughing which the Doctor joined in with his own.
"Oh ho, ho, ho, ho, brilliant. It's you. You're my favourite. You're the absolute best. Do you know why? Because you're so thick. You are Mister Thick Thick Tickicty Thick Face from Thicktown, Thickanina." Galaxy said as she looked at one of the androids before she grinned, "And so's your dad." "We were able to find out why they were scanning Reinette's brain. Turns out it's her milometer. They wanna know how old she is since this ship is 37 years old and they think that when Reinette turns 37 herself her brain will be compatible."
"Which means you're missing a command circuit. Your computer. The ships needs a brain and for some reason, only the brain of dear Madame de Pompadour will do." Galaxy added on as she and the Doctor went to one of the androids. "The brain is compatible." "Compatible? If you believe that, you believe this is a glass of wine." The Doctor said as he held up his goblet and poured the contents over the android which ended up seizing up. "Multigrain anti-oil. If it moves it doesn't." The Doctor said as Galaxy found the android off switch and pressed it.
"Just need to get the rest of the ship turned now." Galaxy said as she freed Mickey while the Doctor freed Rose. "Are those things safe?" Mickey asked. "They are now. The time windows are controlled from here and they need to be closed down, all of them. Which means I need my Zeus plugs." Galaxy said as she searched her pockets in her coat then her skirt, "I had them a minute ago." "Galaxy, you ended up giving them to the Doctor who used them as castanets." Astro reminded her. "Why didn't they just open a time window to when she was thirty-seven?" Rose asked.
"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?" The Doctor said as a bell rang around them. "What's that?" "An incoming message maybe?" Galaxy suggested. "From who?" Mickey asked. "From the field. One of them must still be out there with Reinette. It's why we can't close the windows. There's an override." Galaxy said and the android that had the anti-oil poured on him reactivated and expelled the oil through its fingers. "Well, that was a bit cleaver." The Doctor said as the off switch moved by itself.
"So, a lot of things about this aren't good. A message from one of your friends? Anything interesting?" Astro asked the android. "She is complete. It begins." The android said and it and the rest of them teleported out. "What's happening?" Rose asked. "One of the androids must have found the right time window. So it's time to send the troops, and they're bringing her back this time." Galaxy said as she took off the Doctor's tie and put it back around his neck before walking out the room.
-9-
"You found it, then?" Rose asked as she saw the Doctor and Galaxy standing before a large screen showing the ballroom. "They knew I was coming, it's why they blocked it off." Galaxy told her. "I don't get it. How come they got in there?" Rose asked. "They teleported. You saw them. As long as the ship and the ballroom are linked, their short-range teleports will do the trick." The Doctor said as he and Galaxy worked on the controls. "Well, we'll go in the Tardis!" "We can't use Blue. We're already a part of the events."
"Well, can't we just smash through?" Mickey asked. "Hyperplex this side, plate glass the other. We need a truck." The Doctor said. "We don't have a truck," Mickey said. "I know we don't have a truck!" "Well, we've got to try something," Rose said and Galaxy looked at the screen before looking at the Doctor and Astro. "Be right back." Galaxy said before she ran out of the room causing both Astro and the Doctor to look at her with wide eyes. "No! Smash the glass, smash the time window. Galaxy, there'd be no way back!" The Doctor shouted.
"Could everyone just calm down? Please."
-9-
Astro, the Doctor, Rose and Mickey watched as Reinette was pushed to her knees by two androids through the screen. "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." Reinette said when galloping could be heard in the distance, coming toward them and the mirror over the mantlepiece smashes as Galaxy jumped Arthur through it.
"Madame de Pompadour, you look younger every day." Galaxy said as she dismounted and helped the woman up. "What the hell is going on?" The King of France asked. "Oh. This is my lover, the King of France." Reinette said. "Nice to meet you, I'm the Lady of Time and I have to fix a clock." Galaxy said and went to the main android and pulled the mask off it and it pointed its blade at her throat. "Don't. It's over, for both of us. Seven years bad luck? Try three thousand." Galaxy said as she looked at the brick wall right where the portal used to be. Separated again by the two she loved most, but at least it was her choice this time.
"What happened? Where did the time window go? How's she going to get back?" Mickey asked as they looked at the wall with smashed pieces of glass, Astro was stood at the console with his ears down and a sad whine in his voice at the loss of one of his creators, and the Doctor, he couldn't stop staring at the wall with tears in his eyes, he had lost her all over again, and he again he wasn't able to stop it.
"The ship's link is broken. No way back and you don't have the parts, trust me I know from experience. I wonder how many ticks are left in that clockwork heart of yours? A day? An hour? Face it, it's over, accept it, accept that I'm not going to wind you up either." Galaxy said and all the androids wind down and one of them falls back and smashes on the fall. "Are you all right?" She asked Reinette asks she turned to her. "What's happened to them?" She asked her. "They stopped. They didn't have a purpose anymore."
-9-
Galaxy was fiddling with the necklace the Doctor gave her for Christmas as she stared up at the night sky when Reinette walked over to her. "You know all their names, don't you? I saw that in your mind. The name of every star." Reinette said and Galaxy smiled slightly. "It's a good past time. But what's in a name? Names are titles and titles don't tell you anything." "Like Galaxy." "Like Madame de Pompadour." Galaxy said smiling. "I have often wished to see those stars a little closer. Just as you have, it is why you paint them so much. You have a real gift."
"Thank you, I used to think of calling myself the Artist before I used Galaxy." She knew Galaxy suited her way more, and she liked to be different. "In saving me, you have trapped yourself. Separated yourself from the Doctor and Astro. Did you know that would happen?" Reinette asked her. "I did." Galaxy answered. "Yet, still you came." "I couldn't let a friend fend for herself against robots that wanted her brain." Galaxy said smiling, she knew that the Doctor would curse her kind heart for doing something like strand herself but this was who she was, a woman that would always save the people she saw as friends.
"There were many doors between my world and yours. Can you not use one of those?" "When the mirror broke, the shock would've severed all links with the ship, they'll also be some broken mirrors and torn tapestries around here, whatever was used as a time window. I'll pay for damages...Huh, I'm going to need money." Galaxy said remembering that, she'll be going back to how she was before she met Jack, fending for herself. "So, here you are, my lonely angel, stuck on the slow path with me."
"I guess I am, I'll have to get back into the routine." Galaxy said chuckling a bit. "It's a pity. I think I would've enjoyed the slow path." Reinette said and Galaxy looked at her. "I'm not going anywhere." "Oh, aren't you? Take my hand." Reinette held her hand out for Galaxy to take, which she did and Reinette pulled her to her bed chambers.
"It's not a copy, it's the original. I had it moved here and was exact in every detail." Reinette told Galaxy as they looked upon the bedroom and Galaxy eyed the fireplace in particular. "The fireplace from your bedroom. When did you do this?" Galaxy asked her as they walked up to it. "Many years ago, in the hope that a door once opened, may someday open again. One never quite knows when one needs it. It appears undamaged. Do you think it will still work?"
"The bond with the ship was broken when you moved the fireplace, meaning it was offline when the mirror broke. The link is basically physical and it's still physical here, which means that if Lady Luck is on my side..." Galaxy said as she tapped the fireplace, "Yes!" "What?" Reinette asked her. "There's a loose connection." Galaxy told her and brought out her sonic key and used it on the place she found the connection. "Wish me luck." Galaxy said as she thumped the fireplace, creating a clunk sound. "No." The fireplace turned and Galaxy knelled on the other side of it.
"Madame de Pompadour, do you still want to see those stars?" She asked as Reinette knelled down on the other side. "More than anything." "Then give me two minutes. And pack a bag." "Am I going somewhere?" She asked her. "Go to the window and pick a star, any star." Galaxy said before she ran off.
Astro's ears perked up when he heard footsteps coming toward him and the others, and he ran toward them knowing who they were. "Astro, calm down." Galaxy said as he had managed to stand up on his back legs and was licking her face a lot. She pushed Astro off her and patted his head before looking at Rose, Mickey and the Doctor and saw them all equally sad but surprised to see her. "How long did I make you wait?" She asked as the Doctor walked up to her.
"Five and a half hours." He said as he pulled her tightly into his arms and she wrapped her own around him, she could feel him shaking slightly and she was reminded of when they were reunited the first time. "Where've have you been?" Rose asked as the couple parted and Galaxy wiped the tears from the Doctor's face with her thumb. "I'll explain later. Right now, get into Blue, I'll be with you in a sec." Galaxy said as she gave Rose and Mickey a hug before they went inside the Tardis.
"You as well Doctor, I'll take Astro with me this time." Galaxy said and the Doctor sighed before giving her a kiss. "You had better come back." He whispered as he pulled away slightly. "I will, nothing can keep me apart from you for too long." She told him a gave him a peck before he went into the Tardis. Galaxy pressed some buttons before she and Astro ran back to the fireplace.
"Reinette? Are you there?" Galaxy called but she got nothing so she had the fireplace turn back around. "Reinette?" Galaxy called as she walked out of the dark bedroom. "Oh, hello." She said when she saw the King of France looking at a fireplace. "You just missed her. She'll be in Paris by six." He told her sadly. "Oh." "Good Lord. She was right. She said you never looked a day older. So many years since I saw you last, but not a day of it on your face." The King said before taking out a sealed letter from a drawer.
"She spoke of you many times. Often wished you'd visit again. You know how women are." He said and Galaxy smiled a bit as he handed her the letter. "And there she goes. 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." The King said as a hearse went through the drive within the pouring rain, "What does she say?" He asked Galaxy who just put the unopened letter in her jacket. "Of course. Quite right."
-9-
Galaxy was sat at her desk in her art room, she had pretty much gone straight there once she had got back to the Tardis and she was thankful to be left alone right now, well, she had Astro in the room with her but he was laying on the cushion in there. She stared at the letter she got from the King and sighed before she decided to open it.
My dear Galaxy. The path has never seemed more slow, and yet l fear I am nearing its end. Reasons tell 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, and know that all things are possible. I have also seen what your world has caused you, the changes it forced upon you, changes that you fear to tell another living soul. You need not be afraid to let those you love know, let them in. Hurry though, my love. My days grow short now, and I am so very weak. God speed, my lonely angel.
"She knew..." "About your implants?" Astro asked as he lifted his head and Galaxy nodded her own. "She most likely saw what I went through to get them." Galaxy said as she folded the letter, maybe one day, she thought, maybe one day she'll be able to tell the others. Galaxy placed a kiss on the letter before she pulled out her sea-themed sketchbook from where it was and placed the letter in there. "Goodnight, Reinette."