The Doctor after being inundated with visions befalling the imminent rise of the Master raced back to the TARDIS with Sara in tow as she struggled to keep up with him in snowdrifts that hindered their progress to the entrance of the time machine. Once inside, the Doctor frantically was working the navigational console entering in the coordinates hoping to prevent the possible rise of an adversary whose madness was considered highly unpredictable.
Sara collapsed into the jump seat in turmoil at the images that pulsated through her mind none of which she had expected to see and certainly were never encapsulated in the show. The pain of being in the Doctor's mind and to have privy to his knowledge of his time on Gallifrey at the very moment when he had run blindly away from the untempered schism which presence boring into her nearly made her sick to her stomach. He had become so jaded over the centuries and she had felt his memories, experiencing them in a blink of an eye but feeling the weight they carried, oppressing her very consciousness. She wondered if after all that time, if whether she too might forgo any instilled rules of time and sought control by any means possible. It was difficult to discern such a lack of reason on her behalf but given her experience, she allowed herself to contemplate the very notion of it.
But she was still trapped with the Time Lord Victorious himself who was desperate to prevent the outcome, convinced he could save Lucy Saxon and prevent the rise of the Master. He barely paid her a second glance as he initiated the dematerialization procedure, directing them back to Earth as she attempted to decide how long she could stand being used as his puppet. It wasn't her fault that she came to this twisted reality and was brought to the TARDIS against her will but the Ood and the presence of that mysterious woman called her to task, imploring her to fix a Time Lord who was convinced wasn't broken.
The very same Time Lord who said it was necessary to lock her in her room, to restrain her to a table in the sickbay as she screamed in protest, begging for another chance. He turned his back on her saying her chances had been exhausted and coldly left her in her miserable state.
Yes, the very same Time Lord who-
A violent tremor shook the TARDIs and she was thrown to the floor. She gasped looking up as all the lights in the interior went dark and the ship gave a violent shake, as it seemed to have met the ground beneath them. The door of the TARDIS was suddenly flung open, and through it, Sara could distinctly make out buildings reminiscent of modern day London. The Doctor was slowly trying to get his bearings but Sara recognized these particular phenomena before when only two years prior, The Doctor, Rose and Mickey landed in a parallel universe. She quickly knew that the TARDIS needed energy from its own universe to travel through time and the Doctor's very ship and subsequent equipment might all duly be affected.
This was an opportunity and Sara knew it. If the TARDIS were malfunctioning and likely wouldn't be able to travel if at all for another twenty-four hours, she could finally disengage herself from the Time Lord Victorious and any responsibility that was given to her as a burden and flee from this entire event. It was a parallel world but regardless, she was from an alternate reality herself and she could hardly maintain an aspect of being picky. She swore she would never look back and considered this opportunity as an act of divine intervention. Maybe God finally heard her prayers, granting her request, giving her the pity she so long deserved.
The Doctor's sonic screwdriver was right on the console and she was not one to take chances in case that device happened to work regardless of dimension it was in. Her memory of that episode was somewhat imprecise but she would not make the same error in Paris and toss it in the trash. As a device, it might even come in handy for her as a means of survival. She quickly got to her feet, seized the screwdriver and fled out the door.
She heard the Doctor furiously yell out her name behind her but she found her legs gaining strength as she continued to make her way further down the streets of London finding herself near Parliament, as she turned the corner, weeding in and out of groups of tourists which offered their own sense of obscurity. He would give chase and although she lost some stamina from her induced coma, adrenaline and fear gave her other advantages that made up for that apparent weakness.
She turned another corner heading alongside the Thames as crowds of onlookers helped her blend into the throng of the crowd. There were such a multitude, she remained still, carefully ensconced in the center, seeing the Doctor from a distance running up the street and looking around frantically. No, never again. She swore as she looked down at his sonic screwdriver held firmly in her grasp. Not after Christina. Not after violating my mind. He didn't spot her and her heart leapt in success as he turned and ran the other direction. I did it! She was nearly unable to believe her success. She had actually managed to elude him. She pivoted on her heel and headed the opposite direction so enthused by her own achievement that she blindly slammed into another girl dropping the screwdriver from her sweaty fingers onto the ground, directly in front of the woman's feet.
Lilly, Rose, and the Doctor sat quietly in the darkness moments after what felt like a crash landing. Lilly recognized the look of the TARDIS from the episode where the Doctor, Rose and Mickey ended up in the alternate universe, Pete's World. Had her presence changed this to? How could her being here have changed when the Doctor ended up in the alternate reality? This wasn't right. Mickey should have been here. The Doctor should have been in his tenth regeneration not his ninth before he came here. What if her presence in this alternate universe made the cybermen here win? Lilly cringed at the thought.
"Where are we," asked Rose.
"No where." Answered the Doctor, leaning heavily on the console. "I've trapped you in some kind of no place. Oblivion."
"How do you mean?" Rose was concerned, scared even. "Can't you just..."
"She's dead," the Doctor cut her off. "The last TARDIS. She's dead." The look of grief on the Doctor's face was enough to melt anyone's heart.
Lilly got up and ran towards the doors. The Doctor's sonic barely provided enough light to see the silhouette of the TARDIS doors.
"No! Lilly, wait!"
But she'd already opened the doors before he could stop her. Instantly, Lilly's eyes reached for the sky, searching for zeppelins. What greeted her gave her more hope than she'd felt in ages. The sky was blue. Really blue. The right kind of blue.
Home, thought Lilly. This could be home. She didn't hesitate to run out of the TARDIS, followed quickly by the Doctor and Rose. He couldn't let her out of his sight. Alternate universe or not, she was still dangerous, and still under his jurisdiction. He had to keep an eye on her.
"I thought you said we were in some kind of no place," questioned Rose. "It's just London."
"Rose," he said, "Look at the sky."
Instantly, she recognized it was the wrong color. "Wha'?"
"Alternate universe," began the Doctor. He explained everything he could about alternate universes to Rose while keeping a watchful eye on Lilly.
She wasn't straying too far, so he let her roam a bit. He hadn't seen her this excited since she'd first stepped foot on his TARDIS. He smiled to himself. It was good to see Lilly so happy again. She spun around like a little kid, and laughed. But his smile didn't last. His beloved TARDIS. Oh! How he missed the touch of her mind in his already.
The TARDIS had landed in some kind of city park. It was huge, and the onslaught of people buzzing around brought life to the area.
When Lilly stopped spinning, she almost fell over from being dizzy. She took in a deep, deep breath, letting all her concerns leave as she exhaled.
"I could be home," she said aloud, turning around.
Suddenly, a young woman bumped into her about her own age. Her face was full of stress, maybe even terror. There were signs of emotional fatigue in her eyes, and in the way she carried herself. Whatever this girl had been through must have been awful.
Lilly took in a sharp breath when she noticed the sonic screwdriver slip from the girl.
"You know the Doctor," stated Lilly. "How did you get into this universe? Wait." Pausing to ask a question she'd instantly become afraid of. "Are you... are you from this universe?"
If this new girl was from this universe, then Lilly couldn't be home. Aliens, the Doctor, the Tardis, none of that existed in Lilly's universe. So, she prayed. She prayed quietly hoping with all the feeling she could give this girl wasn't from this place. Lilly hoped she was just a visitor. She hoped she was home.
"Are you alright?" asked Lilly, finishing off her barrage of questions, finally giving the girl a chance to speak.
"Who are you?" Sara glanced behind her frantically nearly expecting the Doctor to be looming behind her at any moment. Not there, it's fine. But this new girl was an oddity and more importantly she knew the Doctor. What did she ask? The Universe? Sara immediately bent down and seized the sonic screwdriver from the ground in panic.
Without waiting for the stranger to answer the question, she glanced over the girl's shoulder as her breath hitched in her throat seeing the Doctor's earlier incarnation. "Christopher Eccleston, the Ninth…" She shook her head desperately. "No, this can't be a paradox. We lost power. Just like he did in the sh-." Furiously, she cut herself off. She had hoped she was in a different reality where at the very least the Doctor might not exist in any form. Her reality was destroyed but if she could garner her freedom in a new universe, no one would be in pursuit of her. Not the Doctor, not UNIT, no one.
But his earlier regeneration was here and what if the TARDIS merely malfunctioned and they only went back in time? The Doctor was still the Doctor regardless of which body he presently occupied and she refused to put herself right back into the position she already previously inhabited.
Shoving the screwdriver into the pocket of her jeans, she looked at the girl despairingly. "Don't tell him about me." Who was she? Not any companion I've seen on the show…
"Is this your universe?" The girl asked again. What? Could she have been displaced too?
"No." Sara shook her head slowly. "My universe is gone." She swallowed with difficulty. "He stole me weeks ago, imprisoned me. I only took it so he couldn't track me. " Terror was gripping her as she saw the Ninth version approaching the girl and she thought quickly, taking a step backwards, she gripped the sonic device in her pocket. She had often seen the Doctors brandish their screwdrivers like weapons and she knew that the Tenth Doctor's version of which she held was perhaps one model higher then his. Maybe she could bluff her way out of this apparent threat and the Ninth version of the Doctor would hesitate long enough for her to get away.
"Stay back." True, she didn't give this action much fore thought as she brandished the Tenth Doctor's screwdriver like a weapon pointing it at the Ninth Doctor who looked for all intents stunned. "I know how to use it." She lied.
"Woe." The Ninth Doctor raised his hands in surrender, stepping protectively in front of Rose. "Easy there. Not here to cause trouble."
Lilly was standing off to the side between the Doctor and the girl brandishing the sonic screwdriver. She swallowed nervously, not being familiar with whatever episode they were currently in.
This was never on the show, she thought to herself.
"I'm the Doctor, by the way." He smiled disarmingly at the terrified human. "What's your name then?" he asked jovially.
Sara didn't answer. She didn't know what to do. He was too close. If she ran from him, he'd catch her. She knew it. What if the tenth Doctor remembered this? What if that's why he turned and went the other way? If he remembered, then he'd know where she was. What if he was coming for her right now?
The Ninth Doctor nodded towards the sonic screwdriver in her hand. "Looks a bit like a sonic screwdriver," stated the Doctor. It looked like HIS sonic screwdriver to be precise. How did she get that? He knew his sonic screwdriver wasn't a weapon, but certain settings could cause some harm. "Want to tell me where you found that?"
Sara still didn't answer, and her hand was starting to tremble. The Doctor knew that wasn't a good sign. Humans could do some pretty stupid things when pushed to the point of terror.
"You..." started Lilly. "You said Christopher Eccleston."
Sara glanced at Lilly.
"You said nine."
Sara still didn't answer.
"I think... I think we're from the same place."
"I doubt it," responded Sara.
"David Tennant is ten. Peter Davis was blond. Russell T Davis was brilliant. And Moffat... Well, he had potential."
"Oh, my..." Sara covered her mouth with her free hand for a moment, tears springing to her eyes. "We're from the same place," she said, dropping her hand. "I thought I was the last one left." A tear trickled down her cheek, but she didn't take her eyes off the Doctor, and didn't lower the screwdriver.
"What do you mean 'last one left?'"
"It's all gone. Our homes. Our families. Their stupid time war destroyed everything." Sara looked at Lilly. "The daleks. The reality bomb. It worked. Some places didn't escape."
"No," whispered Lilly, a lump instantly forming in her throat. Everyone? Everyone's gone? She'd never see them again. She'd never be home again. She looked up at the blue sky, the sky that was the right color. That meant this wasn't home. This wasn't her universe.
The Doctor looked on in horror at what he'd just heard. He didn't understand what they were talking about. But the idea of this little human's home and family being destroyed somehow by the time war, by the daleks cause the fires of his rage to burn just a little more. But why was Lilly thinking this had anything to do with her? Was she just humoring the girl? Was she using her uncanny psychic abilities to say what needed to be said to diffuse the situation?
"He's not like the other time lords," said Lilly, trying to get Sara to lower the sonic. Her voice was broken as she tried to hold back her grief. "He's good. I swear he's good. You don't have to be afraid of him. He won't hurt you."
Sara looked at Lilly. "You don't know what he's done," she almost whispered to her.
Lilly stepped a little closer to Sara. "What is it?"
"He's..." she swallowed. "He's been to Mars." Sara's voice was low so she wouldn't cause a paradox, but the Doctor could still hear her.
"Oh my gosh." Lilly looked at Sara instantly grateful she'd met the Doctor when she did. Her thoughts jumped back to the final action on Platform One. If she'd been with the Time Lord Victorious when that happened, would he have stopped? "I'm so, so sorry."
Lilly's words cracked the hard shell Sara was keeping around her emotions, and tears began streaming down her face.
"It's worse than that," Sara whispered to Lilly.
Lilly stepped a little closer, so she could hear.
"My presence changed events. He didn't snap out of it like he did on the sh..." A small sob escaped Sara's throat.
Lilly reached out and put a gentle hand on Sara's shoulder. "He's not like that." She nodded towards Nine. "He'll keep you safe. Even from Tennant." Lilly paused, looking Sara in the eyes. "I swear. I SWEAR you can trust him."
Sara looked at Lilly. She could see her sincerity.
"You're sure?" she whispered, the tiniest bit of hope in her voice.
"Yeah," answered Lilly. But then she paused her thoughts. "Just..." Lilly leaned in close to Sara's ear. "Just don't tell him where we're from. Time Lords can't handle it. The idea of what we understand is beyond them. But he's good. I swear. He'll help. He'll protect you from him. He'll keep you safe." Lilly didn't want the Doctor to think Sara was crazy... or time sensitive. That could cause some problems. And it was obvious Sara already had enough problems of her own.
The Doctor's eyes widened at Lilly's words. She'd no idea he could hear what she'd whispered to Sara.
Lilly stepped back from her ear. She smiled at Sara. And a look of hope washed over Sara's features. If anyone could stop the Doctor, the Doctor could. Maybe, just maybe, this was the answer to Sara's prayers.
"Ok." Sara started to lower her trembling hand, praying with her whole heart this wasn't a mistake. But before she had even lowered the sonic an inch, her wrist was grabbed and twisted. Instantly, unable to keep a hold of it, she dropped the sonic into the tenth Doctor's hand.
"Not very smart, Sara." The tenth Doctor's voice was calm, but cold. He always spoke quietly when he was most angry.
"No!" Sara screamed in protest as she attempted to wrestle herself away from him. How did he find her so quickly? He didn't…
"You said I could trust him." She had believed Lilly but somehow the Tenth Doctor had been led directly to her and just when she thought her misery would cease, she was staring into the furious gaze that she had come to expect from the Time Lord Victorious. It was the very same anger she saw before he bored into her mind sending her into oblivion. He didn't need to say a word. His icy stare left nothing to the imagination as he gripped her arms to the side with one hand raising his other hand to Sara's temple.
"No!" Lilly interceded with a cry of indignation. "What do you think you're doing?" She was struck by the memory of her Doctor's attempt at The Final Action, now replaying in her mind. "You're supposed to be the Doctor." She affirmed. "A hero. You're supposed to be good."
It was wretched what she had just witnessed where the Tenth version emerged just behind Sara yanking her backwards and was now about to go inside the girl's mind.
Her outcry seemed to spare Sara momentarily as the Tenth Doctor glanced up and took a good look at his audience. He was infuriated that he had to take time away from the repairs to his TARDIS having apparently managed to fall through another tear in reality, to chase after his obstinate passenger again. To make matters worse, she had stolen his sonic for the second time and he was unable to make a replacement since his time machine wasn't up to full power. The only benefit to his favor was that his psychic paper still worked and he was able to track her location by the simple use of witnesses in the surrounding area. She hadn't gotten far when he twisted the instrument out of her grip but apparently to his displeasure she already had an advocate.
He looked up and froze seeing his previous incarnation, standing there in a protective stance in front of the companion he thought had been lost forever.
"Rose." He muttered. Why don't I remember this? If he traveled and went to an alternate universe and met his future self, he would surely retain that unless possibly their times lines were out of sync. The girl who had just yelled in protest wasn't familiar to him at all and the way she spoke with her exchange in eye contact between his previous version told him she must be a prior companion.
They were in a different reality. Another version of me? With the considerable billions of dimensions in existence, it was possible but if that was the case, reclaiming his wayward companion might not be his only worry.
"Let's talk this through then." The ninth Doctor approached the tenth attempting to maintain his outwardly calm appearance although was disgusted at what he just witnessed. Lilly had just addressed him as the Doctor. My future regeneration? He hadn't sensed a paradox but the accuracy of Lilly's predictions and her recognition made him increasingly wary. Future version or no, he refused to stand by and watch while this man used his telepathy as a form of abuse on the already terrified human struggling against him.
"There's nothing to talk about." The Tenth Doctor examined his predecessor coldly. "She's my responsibility." He attempted to keep his eyes off Rose. A Rose. Not my Rose. He had to keep his mind clear.
"Why? What's the point?" The Ninth Doctor had heard all that Lilly and Sara had exchanged but he needed confirmation.
Lilly was getting nervous as the tension elevated and Sara looked more distraught as the Tenth Doctor tightened his grip. "Doctor," she pleaded, "He's not-" Her voice faded, uncertain of what to say. She had been warned so many times to follow the rules but with the Tenth Doctor standing directly in front of her it was difficult to know what to say. Which rules to heed. There was a reason that the Ninth Doctor had been her favorite but to see the distinction evidenced so clearly in front of her was jarring, even for her.
"Nothing like a good mystery." The Ninth Doctor glanced at Lilly thoughtfully. "Why we're both here." He folded his arms across his chest. "What you were going to do to her."
"You want to know that he was going to bore inside my mind like he's done before?"
Sara demanded.
"Sara-" The Tenth Doctor intoned warningly.
"I just wanted a normal life, not this." She gestured around wildly. "Not to be treated as a weapon or fortune teller." She shook her head. "The best part about my life before is that it didn't have you in it. How disappointed my friends would be that you turned out to be nothing but a borderline sociopath!"
In her desperation she exerted no caution and at the moment, she didn't care about the horrified stares she was getting. She did notice the fury radiating off the Tenth Doctor as he started to once again place his fingers against her temple as Sara frantically tried to shake him off.
"Stop it!" The cry startled him as the Tenth Doctor shifted his eyes to Rose. "You let her go. Let her go right now." She emerged from behind the Ninth Doctor furious at what she was witnessing.
The Tenth Doctor simply froze at Rose's protest and his grip substantially loosened at just hearing the replay of the nightmare he only recently experienced. Was it really her all along?
Sara feeling his fingers suddenly go slack took the opportunity broke free of his grasp and ran.
"NO!" she shrieked when she felt the ninth Doctor's arms wrap around her. He pulled her back against his chest in a bear hug. The ninth Doctor had noticed the strange energy pulses echoing off the human, and recognized the danger she might pose to the universe. It tasted like time energy, and... and something else. He couldn't place it. But it felt familiar. Whatever was going on here, his future regeneration might be right. Sara might be a danger to the universe. And if she was anything like Lilly, she couldn't be allowed to wonder off alone.
"It's alright It's alright. He's not going to touch you," soothed the ninth Doctor. "Won't let him. Promise."
Sara stopped struggling against the ninth Doctor's grip. He had her. He was too strong. She couldn't get away. Ten smiled to himself. No matter the regeneration, he was the same man.
"Going to let go now," said Nine gently.
Ten's jaw tensed.
"Think 'bout this," continued Nine before releasing his hold. "If you run, where are you going to go? Stay with me, I'll keep you safe. I swear. Your choice." Nine glared at Ten while he spoke. He felt Sara relax in his arms. "Right then. Here's me...lettin' go."
Nine slowly opened his arms, giving Sara her freedom. She stood next to him not moving, not breathing. Finally, she glanced back at him. He smiled and nodded towards her. She bolted two steps forward only to stop, and look back. Nine hadn't moved. He hadn't come after her. Sara looked over at ten, and instantly moved to stand behind Nine. Ten had moved. He'd taken several steps in her direction. Nine was right. If she ran now, where would she go? Ten would have her before she could even left the park. Her only chance was Nine.
"Maybe we should talk," offered Ten, realizing he'd lost control of the situation, and he really didn't know for sure what was happening here.
"Maybe," answered Nine, giving Ten a hard stare.
Ten sighed. "She's a class ten multidimensional temporal anomaly with artron readings off the scale. She's got huon energy readings like those we've only ever seen in a time capsule's heart, and it's bonded to every cell." Ten paused to let his meaning sink in. "And yes, it's self replicating. But that's not the worst of it. She's emanating a form of energy I can't identify in enormous quantities. Thirty million rels per second."
"Blimey." The ninth Doctor ran a hand over his face before running both of them through his hair. "Class ten?" he verified, glancing back at the little human he'd just taken under his protection.
Ten nodded.
"What's that mean?" asked Rose.
"Means she could destroy the universe," answered Nine, "or worse, if the wrong person got a hold of her." The ninth Doctor looked at Rose briefly before turning his attention back to ten. "How?" he asked.
"Daleks," answered Ten. "I can't tell you the specifics. If we aren't dimensional duplicates of each other..."
"Could cause a paradox," finished Nine. Both Doctor's knew it had been a long standing theory taught at the Academy that Time Lords were transdimensional beings. It didn't matter how many other universes existed, there shouldn't be copies of them, of any Time Lords. But then, on occasion, both Doctors knew they'd proven Gallifrey's top scientists wrong.
"I take it you fell through a crack in the universe?" asked Ten.
"Tardis is dead." Nine grimaced, holding back his grief. "S'pose you already know that though. Take it I'm stuck here. How long 'till I'm you."
"Eh. It's been a couple of centuries since I wore leather," answered Ten. "But I wasn't trapped here. I don't even remember this. I certainly don't remember you," he said, looking at Lilly. "What's your name?"
"Lilly Brooks," she answered. "Why wouldn't he remember me?" she asked Nine.
"Time lines might be out of sync," he answered.
"Oh, ok."
"Wait," interjected Ten, "How do you understand that?"
"She's time sensitive," answered Nine. He switched over to Gallifreyan before continuing. "She's my ward. Don't scare her off," he ordered the older Doctor.
"Right," answered Ten, also speaking his native tongue. "Seems like we both have wards. Good word choice by the way. Better than prisoner I suppose."
Sara listened to the exchange between the two Doctors. When they'd switched over to Gallifreyan, the words sounded... familiar. She could almost make out what they were saying but not quite.
"S'pose that's all in how you treat them," answered Nine.
"S'pose." Ten looked at Nine, deciding on what to tell him. He had to be careful with this. He certainly didn't want to erase himself, especially now that he'd finally figured out the laws of time were his. He could finally do what he wanted. What he wanted. Ten's eyes found Rose. He gazed at her longingly. She was beautiful. Even with his perfect memory, there was nothing compared to seeing Rose in person.
Nine cleared his throat, bringing ten back to the present.
"Rose, why don't you take Sara back to the TARDIS," suggested Nine, giving her his sonic for light. He didn't like how Ten was looking at Rose. "Looks like you could use a good meal," he commented to Sara. Why hadn't his future self at least been feeding her properly? She looked like she'd been starving. Nine made a mental note not to ever let himself do that to Sara in his future.
"C'mon," said Rose to Sara. "Got loads of good stuff to eat. An'..." Rose glanced at Sara's torn and tattered clothes. She looked like she'd been dragged across a cheese grater. "An' there's a huge wardrobe room where you can wear whatever you like."
Sara hesitated for a second. Did she really want to get back into a TARDIS? Did she want to climb back into the prison she'd fought so hard to leave? What if this was a trick? What if Nine was planning on imprisoning her the same way Ten had?
"It's ok," Lilly spoke up when she saw Sara's hesitation. "There's a difference between the Doctor and the Time Lord Victorious. Remember?" Lilly was referring to the show.
Ten started at Lilly's words. How could she possibly know that name? Just how powerful was she? And why didn't he remember her? Could she be altering his time lines? If she was rewriting his history somehow, he might have to deal with her too. He needed more information. He needed to know where she came from, how long she'd been traveling with his past self, and if there were any differences to how he remembered things. Still, if by some miracle this ninth regeneration was only a dimensional duplicate, maybe he could get Rose to... No. Don't go there, he told himself. If it turned out he wasn't a dimensional duplicate, it would be too tempting to alter his own past, and he certainly didn't want to lose what he had with Rose.
When Lilly spoke about the difference between the Doctor and the Time Lord Victorious, Sara's breath hitched, understanding Lilly's meaning. She understood. And better yet someone understood her, believed her, listened. She had always considered herself a strong person. She spoke her mind, and did what she knew was right whether or not others agreed with her. But right here, right now, she was so tired, so beaten, it was all she could do not to break down at the idea of being somewhere safe, somewhere where she could have some control over her own life again.
"Yeah," she answered Lilly. "Big difference." Sara gave the tenth Doctor a glare before heading towards the TARDIS with Rose.
Ten didn't object to Sara leaving. If she was in a TARDIS, any TARDIS, the universe would be safe.
"You went to Mars," stated Lilly. "Then you decided to..."
"Lilly." The message was clear. Ninth Doctor was warning her not to talk about the future.
"But he..."
"Is a Time Lord," Nine finished. "Knows what he can share, and what he can't. You're still learning. So, hush."
"And what about what he was doing to Sara?"
"'M sure I'll have my reasons," he answered his ward. At least I'd better, he told himself. Touching someone's mind without consent was never to be taken lightly.
"The TARDIS isn't dead," Ten told Nine when Rose disappeared from view. "I know how to fix her." Maybe he could get a few answers while helping himself get back to the proper universe.
"Had his reasons." Lilly muttered to herself quietly. "From the Time Lord Victorious. That's rich."
Both Time Lords could hear her despite the fact that her voice was barely more then a whisper but Ten looked at her sharply. His gaze was cold and nothing about him reminded her of the man who fell in love with Rose, sacrificing his own happiness to give her the fantastic life Lilly even herself had promised to Rose. It was true that Nine was her favorite but Ten for the most part still tried to do what was right. Seeing this man who was now was examining her with a calculating stare caused her to cringe.
"Lilly Brooks." Ten said directly to her. "A bit rude to talk like I'm not here."
Her heard me? She recoiled pondering briefly whether Nine heard her before when she whispered reassurances to Sara, making comments about their mutual universe and she silently cursed herself for not seeing it sooner. Of course, Nine might have been attempting to merely be respectful of her privacy but this was if nothing else a considerable embarrassment after her promise to the Face of Boe to observe the rules and not let the Doctor give credence to the belief that she didn't believe that this reality was real. Please don't let my Doctor be mad.
She remained silent, refusing to rise to the bait as he continued. "Tell me Lilly, how long have you been his ward?" He was curious to see if there was a correlation to the arrival of Sara in his universe and the arrival of Lilly in the past. If the origins of their arrival could be ascertained, his study of Sara could have new conclusions and in fact-
His ward? Lilly thought. Her Doctor never referred to her as that.
"She's time sensitive." Nine repeated firmly. "Not a multi dimensional temporal anomaly. No void matter. First thing I checked."
The Tenth Doctor merely smiled coldly. "Then you wouldn't mind if I confirmed that myself." Lilly found herself taking a step backwards as she felt Nine putting a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"That's not happening. She's my ward. Under my protection." Nine stated firmly.
"And in turn you have mine."
"Your prisoner I s'pose by the looks of her." Folding his arms across his chest. "Slip your mind that humans needed to eat? Make a practice of invading her mind?"
The conversation altered back in to Gallifreyian to Lilly's frustration, as she couldn't understand a word.
"She did that to herself. Kept trying to run away. I gave her a chance and she wouldn't listen." The tenth Doctor seemed to roll his eyes. "She wanted a normal life. Had to lock her inside. She wouldn't stay on her own."
"Locked her inside." The Ninth Doctor repeated. "The TARDIS?"
"Couldn't trust her with that. She knew how to open the door. I sealed her inside her room until she tried to kill herself."
Kill herself? He couldn't fathom what had terrified this girl so much that she gave up on her will to live. Nothing infuriated him more then to see someone so obviously suffering and even if Sara was a danger to the universe, she could still be instructed, supported and with Lilly and Rose right there, eventually she might find herself no longer so fearful. He recognized the long-term effects of shock in humans as clear as day. If Sara had a death wish, even the Final Action might be accounted as some relief to her in comparison to what she must have endured.
Are we from the same time stream? Meeting dimensional duplicates and crossing time streams was a dangerous proposition. He wouldn't give up Lilly but he might be able to concede halfway. "Help me fix the TARDIS, you'll get copies of her readings."
"It's been two hundred years and my equipment is far more advanced then yours." Ten turned to Lilly offering her a cold smile, switching to English. "Or I can go into her mind." As he started to advance on her. "Won't hurt a bit, I promise."
Lilly looked at him in disgust. "Liar."
Nine stepped in front of Lilly glaring at Ten. "Consider that a bit of a threat, me."
"Then I s'pose you won't be leaving." He looked satisfied that he'd won the argument.
Nine shrugged. "If the TARDIS isn't dead, I'll find it."
"I expect Sara to be returned to me." Ten's voice was flat.
"No." Nine said adamantly. "She's in shock. Needs to feel safe. A class ten anomaly, volatile human. Don't s'pose you tell me why you are going inside her mind without consent?"
"Suppose you change your mind about letting me examine her?" Ten looked from Lilly to Nine. He shoved his hands into his pockets. "You can be there with her. Who can you trust better then yourself? Would get you home faster."
"No!" Lilly protested. "I don't want him inside my head."
"Superficial scans only." He smiled and Lilly felt a distinct chill. "Going into your mind isn't necessary." Not at the moment anyway. If Sara and Lilly were both from the same universe, there would be traces. His earlier counterpart said Lilly had no trace of void matter. Unusual but not unheard of. The Reality Bomb had caused the walls between realities to substantially weaken; in some the void had been non-existent. From the Ood, he had heard that time was bleeding into each other which allowed that race to communicate with him and with Sara.
Her ability to predict what was to come down to the detail that the Master was returning using the basis of a television show for the nature of her insight was startling. His prior regeneration called Lilly 'time sensitive' which was incredibly rare but she also seemed to know his future and the intricate workings of time.
"Tell me Lilly," He said making certain to carefully calculate the girl's expression. "Do you think you're time sensitive?" He noted her wince at that expression. "Because Sara is under the impression she saw my life, my future on the tele. You two seem to have so much in common."
"Sara knows the future?" Nine inquired, shaking his head in doubt at the odds of two time sensitive's now falling under his purview. Still, he made a promise and he intended to keep it. It was clear, at least to him, that Sara was severely traumatized and had been poorly treated. He had made his own mistakes with Lilly and she had once been utterly reduced in her fear from his errors but Lilly hadn't contemplated taking her own life and he silently swore to never allow himself to get that far.
"She knows our future, supposedly." Ten stated, glancing at Lilly. "Is that what you've seen Lilly?" He asked flatly. "My future? Do you know me by another name?"
"I don't think I have to tell you a thing." Anxiety filled her tone but Ten could tell by her very inflections that he hit way too close to home. She turned to Nine feeling hesitant since her knowledge of fixing the TARDIS came from another year into the series. Will he be angry? She would merely offer a small piece of the information and then it would be his choice whether to pursue it.
"I may know how to fix the TARDIS," She said nervously. He turned to her looking at her seriously. "But your rules, if you want to know. I've seen it." She gestured to Ten. "We wouldn't need him."
Ten stared at Lilly. She was definitely something unusual and he had to regain control of the situation that was beginning to spiral. If she already knew the answer of how to fix the TARDIS, then this did not bode well for him. He didn't struggle for so long to conquer time itself to have this little human try and spoil it. If he could get his hands on both Lilly and Sara, then his timeline would be preserved and he could keep both girls under his firm control. As far as he was concerned, he predecessor was far too lax with Lilly. What happened to the 'no second chances'? Instead he was acting the part of a teacher to a human with dangerous knowledge of their future.
"How about this?" Ten offered attempting to instill a more placid tone. "I'll come to your TARDIS and show you how to fix her, you show me the results of your scans and we can discuss further options. I know how to avoid a paradox. Your ward does not."
Lilly didn't trust him and she looked at Nine who was observing Ten carefully while rubbing his jaw. It was clear he fully didn't either but her Doctor could never turn down a mystery when presented with one. He possibly wanted to know more about the ward he was inheriting and make more calculations regarding Ten.
"Doctor-" She attempted to protest.
"No." He said gently but firmly. "Has a point." He looked directly at Lilly hoping she would understand his meaning. "There is too much we don't know." He sighed. "Wouldn't want to risk it."
"But-"
"Lilly, go back to the TARDIS. Take Sara and Rose away from the console room. Wouldn't want them there." He paused glancing at Ten. "Will speak to you when we're done."
She turned on her heel in frustration, wanting so badly to warn her Doctor of this possible wretched version of himself. It made her sick in her heart to look at him, nearly like someone who vandalized a beautiful work of art. Then, that was only a possible future. She could tell herself that. She didn't know the circumstances of what happened with Sara to cause the Time Lord Victorious not to pull back. The one good thing was that she would have someone to confer with, relate all her knowledge to and express her frustration with the rules.
Although, Sara would need a chance to recover from whatever that particular Time Lord put her through but somewhere inside, Lilly knew that she was a strong person. She had to be to talk to the Time Lord Victorious himself in such a way. It was admirable and Sara appeared almost fearless at that point. No. She wasn't broken yet. She just needed a chance to be made to feel safe.
Yet, she could feel Ten's eyes burning into her back and she glanced behind her to meet his cold stare and she quietly pondered whether Nine could protect them all from his wrath. She hated placing any doubt on her Doctor so she tried to shake off her trepidation. No, her Doctor was good and he would know better then to allow himself to be manipulated. She headed into the TARDIS. Besides, it was four against one. That just had to be enough. Maybe with a little luck Ten might even see right now that he had gone too far.
When Lilly entered the TARDIS the doors swung open without the use of a key. It was unnerving how unprotected the Tardis was right now. Anyone could just walk in.
"Hi." It was Rose. She and Sara were sitting on the jump seat, eating from a platter of fruit. The sonic screwdriver was lighting the area.
"Doctor says to stay out of the console room. He's bringing Tennant in."
"What?!" Sara stood up. "Why?!"
"Tennant?" asked Rose.
"The future Doctor," Lilly answered Rose. "He's going to help the Doctor fix the Tardis. Then we'll get out of here." Lilly looked seriously at Sara. "Ten wanted you back. Nine said no. So, don't worry. He'll take care of you."
Sara let out a breath in relief.
"What do you mean 'Ten and Nine?'" asked Rose.
Sara and Lilly shared a look.
"When the Doctor is about to die..." Lilly started.
"Don't," said Sara. "You'll create a paradox."
"No, it's fine," explained Lilly. "The walls between universes insulate against paradoxes. If the information comes from another universe, it can't create a paradox."
"Did your Doctor tell you that?" asked Sara, wondering why her Doctor wouldn't have shared that information with her.
"No. He's always telling me to shut up about future events," answered Lilly. She smiled. "He's afraid I'll create a paradox, but he's wrong. The Face of Boe told me about how the walls of universes insulate. He said it's safe. So, don't worry about it. Just don't tell the Doctor that. He won't believe you." Lilly looked at Rose. "Please don't tell him I said any of this. I might not believe his rules, but I still follow them. Telling him would just stress him out. Ok?"
Rose frowned, and didn't answer.
"But... but what if that universe has been destroyed?" asked Sara. "If it's gone, then the walls are gone too. Right?"
A chill went through Lilly. What if... what if Sara was right? What if all this time Lilly had been risking the universe? What if the Face of Boe hadn't known? What if he didn't know about her universe dying? Or what if her universe died after the Face of Boe told her it was safe? Would that have rewritten what he knew somehow?
"I... I came here just before the 50th," said Lilly. "Do you know what I mean?" she asked Sara, referring to the 50th episode of 'Doctor Who.'
"Yeah, I get it."
"What about you?" Lilly asked.
"It was a few months after," she answered. "Did you see his name, the Doctor's name, scratched into a wall in the Tower of London before you came?"
"No. I was camping with friends. One minute I was hiking up a trail, and the next minute I was here. Well, not here. I was in that pizzeria watching that plastic Mickey and Rose. He ended up chasing us, and I got on the Tardis."
"Blimey," said Rose. "Feelin' a bit out of the loop here."
"Sorry," Lilly apologized.
"You were watching me?" asked Rose
"Yeah," answered Lilly. "I'd sort of seen you before. So, when I saw you sitting there... It's not like I was being creepy or anything. It just happened."
"I was touring London with my best friend," explained Sara. She frowned, thinking of what she'd left behind. "One minute I was touring the Tower of London, and the next minute I was in the Tower of London in his universe which happens to be UNIT headquarters by the way. I didn't even know until..." Sara looked at the ground. Memories of being so confused, of thinking it was all a dream came flooding back to her.
"You said something about the Doctor's name. You asked if I saw it." Lilly smiled. Wow. If there was one thing she'd always wanted to know, it was the Doctor's name. "Do you ACTUALLY know the Doctor's name?" she asked like the fan girl she was.
Sara was quiet for a minute. She wasn't happy with her Doctor right now. But that didn't mean she wanted to reveal anything he considered so private.
"I won't ask what it is," said Lilly. "But do you know it?"
One side of Sara's mouth lifted into a slight grin, but she didn't say anything.
"Ohmygosh! Ohmygosh! Ohmygosh! That. Is. So. Cool."
"Don't... don't tell him," asked Sara. "I'm not supposed to have it. It was an accident. And... and I'll never, NEVER tell anyone what it is."
"So, the Doctor isn't really his name?" ask Rose. "That sneaky..."
"No. No. The Doctor is his name," explained Lilly. "He just has another one that he doesn't share with anyone. I... I think it's like... You have to be a Time Lord or something before you can know it."
"I thought you just had to be married to him," said Sara.
"No. The Rani knew his name. Remember? From 'Classic Who.'"
Sara thought about the episode when eleven regenerated into twelve. The Time Lords on Gallifrey were asking for the Doctor's name. They already knew what it was. They just needed him to give it as a sign it was safe for Gallifrey to come back through the crack. So, maybe Lilly was right. Maybe only Time Lords were allowed to know Time Lord names. Even River was part Time Lord.
The girls stopped talking when they heard the Time Lords approaching. They were speaking Gallifreyan, and walking slowly, giving the girls plenty of warning to clear the area.
Rose handed Lilly the sonic screwdriver. She had a flashlight in her room, and she was sure she could find it easily enough.
"C'mon," said Rose. "Doctor's orders." She smiled at her pun, and looked at the empty platter in her hands. "Why don't you take Sara to the Wardrobe room, and I'll take this back to the galley," she said not waiting for an answer.
Ten smiled to himself when he heard Rose's comment from several feet away from the TARDIS. "Doctor's orders." She was such a good companion.
"I guess we don't have to worry about paradoxes now," said Lilly. "I think she left us alone on purpose. She's really intuitive. And smart. She's really, really smart. I hope we didn't hurt her feelings, making her feel left out."
"That's the actual... That's the real Rose Tyler," commented Sara as the two girls stepped into a hallway just off the console room.
"Defender of the Earth," said Lilly.
"Dimensional explorer," said Sara.
"The Doctor's one true love," added Lilly in a sing-song voice, smiling at their game.
"The big ba..."
"OI!" shouted Ten from the console room.
Sara jumped, and Lilly inhaled quickly.
"Shut it!" he ordered. "I don't need to have to fix a paradox because the two of you couldn't keep your mouths shut."
"Sorry," said Lilly quietly under her breath.
"Don't apologize to him," said Sara. "He doesn't deserve it."
"What's he done?" asked Lilly.
Sara didn't answer. She was thinking. "If you don't already know, I don't think I can tell you," she finally answered. "It's one thing to share what we know with each other because of..." She paused looking back towards the console room, and wondered how much the Time Lords could hear. "...because of who we are," she finished. "But if I tell you something now that your here, aren't you part of events now. Could that cause a paradox?"
Lilly frowned. "I don't know. I don't know enough about how time works. And we can't ask the Doctor. I know he'd explain it if we asked him. But how do we ask without revealing... you know."
"Better to err on the side of caution," said Sara.
"Yeah."
They finally found the wardrobe room, and stepped in. The area was dark with only the sonic to light the enormous cavern-like room.
"The audio filing program probably went down with the power, but I think simple jeans and tops your size should be this way." Lilly began leading Sara towards the clothes.
"I've hardly ever seen this room," said Sara. "The TARDIS just puts clothes in my closet. I couldn't even choose what to wear." Sara hadn't questioned the Doctor about getting to pick her own clothes before he'd locked her up. Had she gotten used to things being so bad? Had she started accepting his control over her? She hadn't even thought about it. She tightened her jaw at the idea.
"Oh, this room is better than shopping back home." Lilly frowned. Home. "Are you sure it's gone? Our universe. Are you sure?"
"Yeah," answered Sara. "I'm sorry."
Lilly's bottom lip began to quiver, and she swallowed down the lump in her throat.
"You've got to be wrong. Our universe can't be gone. How could..."
"Remember the reality bomb?" asked Sara.
"Yeah."
"Remember how Pete's world was ahead of the Doctor's universe? How the stars started disappearing there first?" she continued.
Lilly nodded.
"Well, some universes were even further ahead than Pete's world. Some universes were completely erased before the Doctor-Donna stopped the reality bomb."
Sara took a deep breath. She'd had quite a while to get used to the idea of her universe being gone. And she remembered her initial reaction. She didn't want Lilly to suffer the way she did. The way the Doctor blurted it out like it was something she should instantly accept made it so much harder to deal with. Sara reached out and took Lilly's hands. She looked the only other survivor of their world directly in the eyes. "Our world was running ahead. The reality bomb destroy..."
"No!" shouted Lilly. She stepped back, taking her hands from Sara. "No. You're wrong. You have to be wrong." Lilly turned around so she didn't have to look at Sara. "No. Nonononono," she repeated under her breath. She turned back to Sara, angry at her for... for... Lilly didn't know why she was angry with her. But she was. She was furious. "Please," Lilly begged. "It has to be a mistake. Tell me it's just a mistake."
"I'm sorry," answered Sara, her own grief overtaking her.
"My family. My friends. My little brother. My... My..." Lilly stomped her foot. "NO!" she screamed a long scream, dropping to her knees. All the heartache and desperation she'd felt since she came to this universe was contained in that one word.
Sara dropped to her knees in front of Lilly, tears cascading down her cheeks. They wrapped their arms around each other. And the two survivors began to sob on each other's shoulders.
It wasn't fair. It wasn't right. They didn't even have Time Lords in the real universe. They didn't have daleks. It was just a TV show. It wasn't real. It wasn't.
Sara held onto Lilly, giving her the comfort she was denied when she'd learned the fate of everyone she'd ever cared about. She'd wanted to die, to join her family, or cease to exist. What if she'd succeeded in jumping off that bridge? What if she'd died of dehydration on the TARDIS? Who would Lilly have now? She would have been completely alone. No one else would understand what it was like to know the future of the universe because of a low budget SciFi show. Sara and Lilly only had each other. In the whole great big universe, they only had each other. At that moment Sara was grateful the Doctor saved her life. She was grateful to be here now. After being locked up in solitary confinement, ALONE, for so long, she couldn't bear the idea of condemning another person to that fate, to leave another soul so completely alone in the universe. Never.
"Are you alright," asked Sara when Lilly let go to sit back on her heals.
"No." Lilly frowned. "I don't think anyone could be alright after..."
"Yeah," Sara agreed. "At least we have each other."
Lilly nodded, and stood up. Sara followed suit. And Lilly led her to the clothes they'd come in for.
"Oi," called out Rose. She'd just come into the wardrobe room. "You two still in here?"
"Up on the second level," answered Lilly.
"Doctor wants the sonic," she called out.
"Ok," answered Lilly. "I'll take it to him."
Rose reached the level Sara and Lilly were on, and handed Lilly a flashlight, keeping another for herself.
"You sure," asked Rose when she noticed Lilly had been crying. "What's wrong?"
"We're from the same place," answered Lilly. "Sara... She... Someone I knew died." She couldn't explain the rest, not yet. It was too much.
"I'm sorry." Rose gave Lilly's upper arm a squeeze. "I... I'll take him the sonic."
"No," answered Lilly. "I need to talk to him."
"Thanks," Rose added. "The other Doctor gives me the creeps."
"At least he's got great hair," said Sara.
Sara smiled at Lilly, sharing an inside joke. Lilly understood and smiled back.
"S'pose."
Lilly's smile grew even bigger.
"What are you two on about?" asked Rose, noticing the looks they were giving each other. She sounded a little like Jackie when she said that. "Go on," Rose ordered Lilly with a smile after a moment of silence. "He needs that sonic."
Rose stayed with Sara, while Lilly headed to the console room.
When Lilly reach the console room she found both Doctors buried in wiring and equipment in an large opening where they'd removed several pieces of grating. It seemed like they were having to removed layers to get to the crystal like thing she remembered from the parallel universe episode. It was obviously a lot more work than what they'd shown on the show. Ten's jacket was thrown over the closest bench right next to Nine's.
"Sonic," said Lilly, squatting next to the opening.
Nine poked his head up.
"Thanks." He took the sonic, and went right back to work.
"Can I stay," asked Lilly. There was no answer for a minute.
"S'pose," he finally said.
She sat cross-legged next to the opening.
"What you want to stay for?"
"I don't know," she answered. "No reason, I guess. Two Doctors. It's kind of cool."
"Yeah, that's it," said Ten sarcastically. "Just spit it out Lilly. We can tell when you're lying."
"I'm not lying," she started, offended. "I just..." She paused. Was she lying? No. "I just hadn't decided if I wanted to ask yet." Wow. It was amazing all the little things she was learning about the Doctor from Ten. First she learns the Doctor has some kind of super hearing. And now she learned the Doctor can tell... can tell what? Oh, who knows?
"Ask what?" asked the ninth Doctor.
"Why does he call me your ward?" asked Lilly.
That wasn't what she was thinking about asking. But it was something she wanted to know. What Lilly wanted was to ask Ten about the reality bomb. She wanted to ask about her universe. She wanted to know for sure if she and Sara were from the same place, if her universe was really gone. She knew the Time Lord Victorious was a little volatile, but he was still the Doctor. Right? He'd mentioned scanning her earlier. Maybe she'd agree to something like that, if... if what? If her Doctor thought it was ok? Lilly didn't know the ifs about being scanned. For now, she just wanted to ask about the reality bomb. But she couldn't ask about it when Nine was there.
"Just means someone under my protection."
Ten snickered. And Nine gave him a look.
"So, are all your companions your wards?" she asked. "Because I've got to say, that doesn't sound right." Lilly didn't remember the Doctor calling any of his companions his wards on the show. Well, maybe Susan. But she was his granddaughter. She was under age, and he was her guardian.
The ninth Doctor didn't want to do this. He didn't know how Lilly would take it. And he certainly didn't want any trouble. But they had a deal, and she'd asked him outright.
"Thanks a lot," Nine muttered to Ten in Gallifreyan before poking his head out of the grating to look at Lilly. He sighed. "Gallifreyan law requires all time sensitive creatures to be... taken care of. Protected."
"Monitored," added Ten. "Imprisoned."
Lilly's eyes widened.
"Shut it," Nine ordered Ten in their native tongue.
Ten giggled in response. "There's trouble."
"So, what? You think you're my guardian or something? Like I'm a kid?"
Nine didn't answer. He tightened his jaw, thinking of Ten not keeping his mouth shut.
"Lilly. Can we discuss domestics later?" he glanced at Ten. "Bit busy."
"That's why you were so relieved when I said I'd come with you," continued Lilly. "You were afraid you were going to be stuck on Earth for the rest of my life."
"Yup."
"What?!" Ten poked his head out of the grating. "You're not serious," he asked Nine. "You weren't seriously going to choose to spend the next century stuck in one time and place to babysit a time sensitive, were you?"
Nine gave Ten a look, raising his eyebrows.
"But... But." Ten looked exasperated.
"If Sara wants to stay on Earth, would you stay for her," asked Lilly.
Nine's head disappeared under the grating.
"Might do, yeah."
"You can't," said Ten. "The paradox would be..." He'd never travel with Rose. All the places they'd gone, all the people they'd met, none of it would have happened. The daleks on the gamestation. If Rose wasn't with him, he die there. He would never travel with Martha or Donna or... Donna. If he never traveled with Donna, he never would have been able to stop the reality bomb. The daleks would destroy the universe before he even knew there was a problem. Ten swallowed at the thought. In the space of less than a nano second Ten decided. He had to get Sara back. He needed to get Sara and Lilly away from his past self. If he didn't, there wouldn't be anyone left. And once he had them under his control, he would make sure neither one of them could cause any trouble ever again.
"Time can be rewritten," answered Nine.
"No, he's right," said Lilly. "If you stop traveling, the universe dies."
Ten looked at Lilly in surprise.
"Thought you said if I didn't travel with Rose the universe dies. You changing what you said now?"
"It's both. That's why I said yes to traveling with you. I was afraid you would stay on Earth, if I said no. And the survival of the universe is more important than what one person wants."
Ten smiled quietly to himself. Lilly Brooks. She's quite the human. Maybe he could use her to his advantage.
"There," Ten said, removing the final grating to expose the necessary power cell.
"That is a little bit of your reality tucked away-" He saw Lilly in his peripheral vision mimicking his statement word for word. He had caught Sara in the exact same behavior and he shook his head in frustration. He would be doing his predecessor a favor by taking custody of both girls and he would ensure they wouldn't step out of line this time.
"If you already know what I'm going to say, Lilly, don't hold back." He said, staring at her fixedly. She let out a gasp and stepped back. "I'm sure we're dying to know."
Lilly broke off eye contact having already seen Ten's reckless disregard of Sara's consent when it came to using telepathy and she knew certain commands could be given with just the power of his gaze. She wouldn't chance having Nine inside her head and he was someone she trusted, considered a friend so there was no chance she would let the Time Lord Victorious roam freely in her mind. How did he get this way?
Nine let out a sigh, examining his counterpart. He wanted nothing more then to firmly believe that this was a dimensional duplicate and not his future self. Timelines being out of sync was plausible but his next regeneration should have remembered the event, remembered Lilly and he seemed utterly oblivious to her presence on board.
If that was the case, he felt more justified in his promise of removing Sara from his care since obviously this version of him equated ward with the word prisoner.
He didn't like the way that Ten was now staring at Lilly who was backing away from him. "Lilly, check on the others." He advised. "See how they're holding up."
He blew on the power cell, expending ten years of his regeneration cycle, relieved to see the effect. His TARDIS was still holding on, clinging to life. When he thought he lost her, a massive part of him felt like he died inside.
"Wait." Ten said flatly still staring at Lilly. "You promised I could see her scans."
"Will do." Nine replied. "She doesn't need to be there for that."
"My decision to make." Ten shook his head. "I may have questions that only she can answer."
Nine glanced at Lilly while rubbing his jaw. He didn't like this at all but this version had helped repair his ship. He didn't understand what Ten's interest would be in the medical data he collected when she first came on board. He had gone over the details himself thoroughly. No void particles, no unusual synaptic patterns or brain activity. Emotionally disoriented but that was bound to occur especially among such rare beings as time sensitive's, especially human time sensitive's.
"Don't know what you expect-" Nine started to say before Lilly interrupted. "It's ok. I'll answer questions." She looked briefly at Ten. "If I can." If it doesn't break the rules. Ten smiled but there was no warmth in his expression. She couldn't help but express her curiosity and maybe this distorted version could prove that she was from another reality.
It grieved her to her very core that everything she knew might have been obliterated if Sara was right. She wondered if there was a chance that Sara might have come from just a parallel reality of hers where Dr. Who existed as a fictional show in both universes. She could be grasping at straws but of the billions of realities out there, wasn't it possible? The alternative was devastating and she swallowed thickly considering that she would never see her family again.
But if Ten could prove she was from another universe, then she wouldn't have to continue the pretense of being time sensitive or psychic in front of the Doctor.
"You sure?" Nine asked her and she nodded. "He did us a favor and we should return it." She said.
"Will just run to the Infirmary, then." Nine said looking at Ten who had his arms folded across his chest and was leaning against the jump seat near to the exit. He hoped he wasn't about to make a mistake.
He gestured for Lilly to follow him as he took to the infirmary in a sprint lighting the way with his sonic.
Lilly was about to follow him as she watched Nine run into the darkened corridor and gasped as Ten suddenly gripped her shoulder, turning her to face him.
"So, Lilly Brooks," He intoned, staring her down with his utterly cold gaze. "What aren't you telling us?" Lilly froze at first and then shook her head in denial. "Liar. Our bad habits have rubbed off on you haven't they?" He seized her other shoulder. "But you can tell me. I for one am all ears."
"Doc-!" She started to cry out when Ten's hand moved swiftly to her temple and before she could pull away, she heard the command sleep echo in her mind. Lilly collapsed immediately and Ten was quick to scoop the girl up, making haste out the door to his own TARDIS. He didn't have Sara back yet but one prize at a time. Knowing her and how devoted she was to Christina, she would likely come after Lilly herself leaving him with less of a hassle in dealing with his counterpart. Nine would eventually see reason. He was the older of the two and the girls were rightfully his responsibility. His wards. He liked that term. He used it in the 1850's as a pretext to describe his relationship to Sara to Jackson Lake in reference to Victorian etiquette but he had to admit that ward had a less unsavory tone then prisoner. Semantics. But that's all it ever was when dealing with humans.
A/N: This is complete Alternate Universe what might have been so the events will not be engrained into our actual stories. Take it as a parallel universe what might have occurred if this were to happen. Hope you enjoy it even if it is a bit chaotic. Let us know what you think of our experiment. As I said, we each took turns in writing, so therefore co-authored the story and often we don't know where it's going ourselves Again co-written by me and LovelyAmberLight