From the Valley

Disclaimer:-
I own non of the recognisable characters used in this Fan fiction. Those that are are owned by the BBC and I make no profit from their use.

As a military man Alister didn't believe in fate and felt the phrase "God is on our side" to be incredibly naive. No matter how lucky you were if a commander wasn't prepared for any eventuality those opportunities would slip through your fingers.

On the other hand he'd seen enough in his life and his long career in the army to know far stranger things than simple coincidence happened on a regular basis.

For a change UNIT had been on actual manoeuvres at an old disused army camp in the Yorkshire Dales when word reached the group that their exercise had become an actual recovery. Decked out in the latest kit from their research department UNIT's newly commissioned Special Recoveries Group scrambled. Thankfully it wasn't that far away and the weather covered things up effectively. Even though they had heard the crash Alister himself had thought it was simply the thunder rolling in. The sky was the colour of dull lead, a low mist covered the ground. The pounding rain turned any path short of a major road into mud as thick as tar.

The transport helicopter he had commandeered carried the group the handful of miles to the crash site. Along with himself, Benton and the dozen or so specially trained UNIT officers there were a handful of technicians. While he loathed to take people that were still technically civilians into a possible combat environment he was self aware enough to recognise that they had skills that were vital.

They had the usual mix of emotions; exited, scared, eager and nervous all at once. Alister didn't for a second imagine that the civilians were alone in those feelings. Training and experience just taught you how to control them. Even so a practiced eye could see the little rituals the experienced members undertook. Benton was silently checking everyones pouches, making sure that all had at least two spare magazines of ammunition. Walker was flicking his safety on and off before checking the empty breach, remembering the time his weapon jammed during a Dalek attack. Hargreaves was tightening his helmet strap and tucking the spare length under and behind his ear. Everyone had their own, Alister's was to watch his men. When that was done he looked outside and ran through tactical options.

It didn't take long before the helicopter pulled around the top of a hill they saw it and he wasn't alone in amazement.

The ship had come down, hard, in the middle of a small valley. It looked to be rural farmland. They were lucky that the only thing startled by the crash were sheep and cattle. For more than a mile, at best estimate, the crash had carved a long streak in the hill side. Debris littered the landscape, as did small fires that burned despite the rain. With the ground so sodden they wouldn't spread very far, but he still ordered Benton to call in people to combat the blazes. You could never be too careful.

The Warrant Officer had just finished orchestrating the support teams when the Helicopter touched down. Pulling on the gas mask he'd been issued Alister checked that everyone had done the same. Once the last technician had finally followed suit he opened the door.

The first man on the ground, Walker, pulled out one of the new radiation detectors. There was a deadly silence, punctuated with the rhythmic drumming of rain on steel and the distant crackling of fire. After an impossibly long few seconds the man nodded sharply. Radiation was safe.

One threat down, god only knew how many left to address. Quickly and professionally the SRG ran through the check list. Testing the soil for toxins, gas detectors and some strange new fanged thing that tested for electronic interference. All came back negative.

The ship in front of him was a wreck, but surprisingly mostly still in one piece. It appeared somewhat like a large skyscraper that had landed on its side. A tube like rocket affair with large claw like appendages surrounding the ravaged engines.

Pulling off the mask he beckoned Benton over with one of the technicians. An attractive young woman, with coal black hair and a satchel full of qualifications. She, of course, had an attitude problem. Believing that her skills made up for her lack of proper respect. She was right.

Benton was also absolutely smitten with her.

Alister shook his head. 'Professor McNeill, anything to report?'

'Would you believe the Arc of the Covenant? The Holy Grail perhaps?' She smirked.

Years of putting up with the Doctor meant he was able to restrict his reaction to a sigh and a rolling of his eyes. 'No, I would not. I was asking for your professional observations.'

'We've only just arrived, what do you want? A life history and daytime telephone number?' She protested.

Alister kept tight control over his rising temper. What was it with women these days? 'Professor, this may be your first official mission, but you have had ample time to study every record in the entire UNIT archive. Even from a few glances you should be able to tell me something.'

'Such as?'

'It's large, but not that massive.' He began, proving that he was not a complete incompetent. 'From the size of the crash and the fact most of the fuselage seems intact I'd say it's a warship. That and the rather large and obvious turret mounts are a dead giveaway as to this ships primary role.'

'If you're such an expert why am I here?' She folded her arms.

'Details professor. Details.' He pointed out sharply.

She puled herself up straight. 'Obviously it uses some form of thruster.' She pointed out the large engines, one of which had detached. 'We haven't detected any known kind of fuel source so I'd bet it uses direct energy conversion. Engine power is straight from a reactor of some sort. If you want my best guess now I'd say it had a power failure and crashed. If you want anything more than that we're going to have to get in there.'

Alister gave her a serious look. 'Benton, confirm the area is secure and then, assuming the Professor can find us a door, we are going to have to follow her advice.'

The door, if one could call it that, that the Professor chose was a large gash in the hull mid way up the hull. Worryingly Alister could see that there was some type of thermal scoring around the damage. He'd been shot at by enough of the less savoury denizens of other planets to recognise the signs of energy weapons.

This ship hadn't crashed, it had been shot down. With their guard up Alister had sent the second team to the engines to confirm, leaving him and the primary team with the priority of finding the bridge. He had, not wanting his Second in Command distracted too much, brought Professor McNeill with him.

They had been crawling through damaged decks, looking for evidence of a fire fight or survivors and finding neither. There was still enough power to keep many of the lights working. Only they were quite disorientated by the ship's peculiar arrangement. There were what appeared to be desks with in built computer interfaces mounted on the walls with light strips across the floor. It took a little while for them to realise that rather than a peculiar layout the ship was currently on it's side. 'Now I recognise this ship!' She announced surprising everyone after this discovery. 'It's a Judoon patrol rocket!'

'Judoon?' Alister asked trying to think where he'd heard the ludicrous word before. 'Ahh yes, those rhinoceros headed people Group Captain Gilmore and his Countermeasures group ran into in the 60's.' Gilmore's group was set up long before UNIT, after a number of alien incursions needed a firm hand to be sent packing. Gilmore had, unfortunately, been sectioned off just a few years before the business with the Yeti by some bureaucratic pencil pusher that didn't believe his reports. Alister had met with Gilmore a few times and while he had a few uncomplimentary things to say about a certain Doctor they both knew he seemed still have his head on straight. 'What the blazes are they doing here?'

'Crashing?' One of his team offered. He was young, eager and so wet behind the ears he could be used as a dish cloth. A quick and not so subtle glare quietened him down.

Reaching for his radio Alister brought it up, remembering what he could of the inter-galactic policing force. 'Benton, be alert. We've identified the ship as a Judoon Rocket. They can be threatening, but should be non-hostile. Any contact do not engage. Even if fired upon. Identify yourselves, confirm you're a rescue team and report back immediately. Is that understood? Over.'

'Yes sir.' the Warrant Officer replied, his voice cracking on the radio. 'Sir, we've done a check, but we haven't found any bodies. We passed what some of the tech boys thought was a lifepod, but there was nothing there. Looked like it did and whatever was there had launched. We're thinking they abandoned ship before it crashed. Over.'

'Good work Benton, but don't jump to any conclusions. Over and out.' He looked to the young Professor who had been obviously listening in. Alister had to do something about that later, what he had no idea. 'Well Professor, now we know what the ship is any suggestions as to where the bridge might be?'

'Yes Brigadier, it's at the top. These things usually land on their thrusters. That's why I didn't recognise it at first.' She sounded exited. Typical scientist. 'This way.' She pointed and the Brigadier had to hold her back.

'We still don't know if they did evacuate, or if they did why they would leave this ship. When in an unknown environment assume nothing, suspect everything.'

'Even each other?' She asked archly.

'If needs must Professor. If needs must.' He warned and he took point.

It wasn't much later when he heard voices coming from just ahead. He motioned his team to stay back and find what cover they could. Bringing his side arm up Alister was careful to keep his finger off the trigger and the barrel raised, for now. The first rule of good soldering, never aim a gun unless you're going to use it.

'It should be just around this corner.' A man with a surprisingly pitched English accent announced.

Even more surprising a Scottish girl answered. 'What makes this corner any different?'

'Well, nothing, but it will be around one of these corners eventually.' The first voice answered.

'Are you sure it wasn't back there?' A third asked somewhat plaintively. It sounded like he was resigned to the fact he was being dragged around by someone that had no idea where they were going.'

The small party came around the corner. Unmistakably human. Lead by a man in a long green coat over a formal suit, complete with bow tie. He had a quaffed mop of black hair on top a massive forehead and matching chin. The girl was barely two steps behind. She was exceptionally tall and had fiery red hair. Wearing a dark leather jacket over a lose red shirt and a very short skirt that showed off an almost indecent amount of leg. The boy trailing behind was in a chequered shirt with jeans and a sleeveless jacket, aside from a long nose he was almost remarkably average. 'Stand fast!' Alister called out, still keeping his gun raised. 'Identify yourself.'

After a startled moment they jumped back, ducking behind the corner. 'You first!' They shouted back after a brief hushed argument.

'We have you outnumbered and surrounded.' Alister replied. 'Come out with your hands up!'

'Hang on a minute, I know that voice.' Said the leader as he poked his head around the corner 'Brigadier?'

'Hold fire!' Alister held a hand up. 'How do you know who I am?' He asked stepping into the open space.

The man's eyes lit up and he crossed the distance between them in a heartbeat. 'Brigadier Alister Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart!' He grinned, the face of a child but there was no mistaking the man behind it.

'Oh no!' Alister gasped as the manic younger looking man shook his gun.

'Amy, Rory! I'd like you to meet The Brigadier!' He grinned.

'Brigadier?' The girl asked before snapping her fingers 'Oh UNIT! Hang on Doctor, that means he's…'

'Yes.' He interrupted.

'So we're…' the boy began.

'Yes again.'

'Hi.' the girl grinned after looking Alister up and down. 'So your him, the Brigadier. Nice to meet you. What's with the moustache?'

Holstering his gun Alister scowled at her and she just looked back, ultimately unconcerned and throughly Scottish. Deciding not to dignify her with a response he turned to his old friend. 'Doctor, what the devil is going on?'

'Well its a long story.' He started.

'It frequently is with you around Doctor.'

'These space rhino people decided they were going to arrest our daughter, so they broke her out of the prison she was in to stand trial.' Amy told him. 'We found out about it and here we are.' Alister thought about that for a moment and decided, like so many conversations involving his old friend, it wasn't going to make sense no matter how hard he tried.

'I see' he sighed.

'I just didn't intend to crash the ship… Well I did, but not here.' The Doctor admitted. This version of the man seemed to enjoy talking with his hands. 'Something went… wobbly with the whole space time thing and the complicated spacial fold drive this ship has. Or had. The TARDIS is somewhere around here. We got turned around during the whole running for our lives, convincing the Judoon to abandon ship and the crashing thing.'

Alister shook his head before turning to his team. 'Right. Spread out, we're looking for an old blue police box.' As they spread out he gave the young couple a sideways look, before waving the Doctor over. 'Why is their daughter in prison?'

'She killed me.' he said with a shrug. 'It wasn't really her fault, and it wasn't really me, but what can you do?'

Alister took a breath and silently counted to ten. Not to calm down, but as so many times before just to make sure it was still possible and that the reality he was familiar with was still there. 'I see.' he said again, pulling up his radio. 'Benton, come in Benton. Over.'

'Here sir. Over.' he ignored the Doctor's sudden grin at hearing the Warrant Officer's name.

'Have you made it to the engine yet?'

'No sir, the whole place has been locked up. The doors have all been sealed. We're trying to get them open but nothing's working. I've sent boys to find something to use as a crowbar. Over.'

The Doctor stole the radio from Alister's hand and with with practiced flare retrieved a long rod from a coat pocket. It was Silver, copper and had a large green crystal at one end. 'Warrant Officer John Benton! I was wondering where you were. How are you? Now Benton could you hold your radio up near the door controls? Thats a good chap. Oh and over.'

'Sir?'

'Just do as he says Benton, I'll explain later.'

The Doctor flicked his wrist and the rod opened. Four small claws flicked open around the crystal, with a keen sound similar to that of metal gliding on metal. 'Thank you Brigadier.' With that he pointed the now glowing crystal at the radio and the device let out a piercing hum.

After a moment a loud clang could be heard on the other end of the radio. 'New Screwdriver Doctor?' Alister asked, knowing full well the answer. Although quite how he could call that little magic wand of his a screwdriver was beyond him. He was fairly certain the man had never actually put a screw in with it.

'Door's open. Thank you Doctor.' Benton reported, Alister was unsure if his second had heard him or if his second in command had just guessed who was with him. 'Over and out.'

'No problem, Oh before you go Benton watch out. My wife's down there and she might not recognise you!'

'Understood sir.'

Taking his radio back Alister once again counted to ten. 'Wife?' He eventually asked.

'River Song.' The Doctor said proudly. 'She can be a bad girl, at times.'

'River is not a bad girl.' Miss Amy protested.

Alister had the familiar feeling that whatever control he had over the situation was quickly vanishing. 'Their daughter.' he reasoned, if such a thing were possible.

The Doctor had the good grace to look somewhat embarrassed before straitening his bow tie and smoothing his hair back. 'It's all timey-wimy complicated.'

'Doctor, if it were possible I would say you've grown even more childish.' His old friend gave him a sideways look and a smirk, but Alister could see right through it. 'What happened?' he asked seriously.

'Time Brigadier. Time, and a war.' Gone was the young man, in his place was someone ageless. Eternal. Alister saw something else, something horribly familiar.

Loss. The loss of friends, of good men who were his responsibility. Even in victory there were losses. Losses were part of war and for those that survived a familiar pain. He'd seen it in himself many times, but never to the magnitude in the man before him. 'I'm sorry Doctor. Did you call me in?' He asked curiously.

'Spoilers.' The Doctor grinned ironically. 'But no. You wouldn't have survived. On that battlefield nothing and no one did.'

'You did.' Alister pointed out.

'Not by choice. I couldn't, I wasn't going to let you get involved in that.' He admitted before shrugging. 'You had Doris and Kate.' he added quietly.

'Kate?' Alister asked quickly. How the devil had he found out about her?

He wasn't embarrassed, on the contrary he loved his little girl and that was the problem. You couldn't exactly maintain a strict sense of unquestionable authority while fending off questions as to how ones daughter was doing at school. 'You didn't think I knew about her did you? Don't worry, I won't tell.'

Fortunately it was at that point Benton arrived, escorting an attractive woman with a mass of curled blonde hair. 'I should get kidnapped more often. It's not every day I get rescued by an army of handsome men in uniform.' she gave Alister a look he did not expect from a married woman. She truly was a bad girl.

'Brigadier Alister Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart.' He introduced himself.

Her eyes lit up. 'So you're the Brigadier. I'm honoured to meet you.' She took his hand. 'Really I mean it.'

'Well, you could have invited me to the wedding.' he pointed out.

'It was a battlefield ceremony.' She grinned. 'Would it be anything else?'

'Knowing the Doctor, never.' Alister admitted.

The Doctor clapped his hands together 'Yes well, now we've got that out of the way the TARDIS.' With a familiar gait that was half stalk, half stride he headed around a corner. 'Here she is!'

Alister followed and there it was. That crazy blue wooden box. 'Come along Ponds' The Doctor called out and opened the doors.

'Oh no you don't Doctor.' Alister stepped in the way and folded his arms. 'You're not going to get into that infernal contraption of yours and leave us dealing with this mess. Not this time.'

The Doctor shook his head and out came the new screwdriver again. He quickly found a console and with a flick of his wrist played about with it. A few moments later the lights shifted to a dull blue and a short alarm klaxon kicked into life. 'There. I've activated a distress beacon. The Judoon should be here soon. Just tell them you have no idea where we went and everything should be good.' He grinned. 'Now we really have to go. I'm from the future, quite a bit actually in your future. All of us are and it's not a good idea to interfere with that.'

Alister laughed, but stepped aside. All you ever do Doctor is interfere. Good journey Doctor.'

As his companions, and wife, said goodbye and went inside the TARDIS the Doctor stayed out for a moment. Then he offered him his hand. 'It was good seeing you again Alister.'

The Doctor had never used his first name and as informal and childish this new incarnation was some things had always remained. He took the offered hand. 'I'll see you again Doctor.' Alister had a feeling he knew where this was going.

'Of course.'

'You just won't see me.' he finished

The Doctor stiffened slightly. His hand slipped out as he took a half step back. 'Probably not. You know me far too well!' he smirked and then saluted.

It was crisp, official and an absolutely perfect parade ground salute. A heartbeat later he was in the box and the low grinding noise of the engines filled the crashed hallway.

'What was that about sir?' his second asked,

'Nothing Benton.' Alister said after a moment. 'Come along, we've got work to do.'

End From the Valley

Authors Note:-
The Doctor needed to say goodbye to the Brigadier properly.