Author's Note:
So this is just a one-shot but I do want/plan to expand this into a proper story in the future :)
This is just a thank you for everyone who's ready my stories, reviewed, favorited, followed and anything else for this year. It's kind of a little message saying I've got plenty more OC's coming up for year 2016 which I hope you'll like! Thank you all and happy holidays :)
P.S the name 'Jana' is pronounced as 'jaw-nah'!
A middle-aged woman stood on a London street flooded with ambulances and policemen and tons of people that surely had something else to do but wouldn't dare leave just to catch a glimpse of the dead man on the road. She silently watched the shorter, brunette woman across her staring at the accident scene before them.
Clara Oswald could not believe her eyes, or anything for that matter, as she observed the place where her boyfriend, Danny Pink had just crossed (or had tried to) the street.
The other woman blew on the black curl in front of her eyes and turned away. She didn't need to see any of that scene, she knew where the man would be headed. She just never guessed the man would be another addition to the group.
~ 0 ~
"Maybe there's a way," the same woman tapped her fingers along the edge of a dim gray table. She was now inside an office room with some...special...equipment and decorations.
Another woman stood before her across the table. This one had dark brunette hair with piercing blue eyes, dressed in a wicked Mary Poppins outfit, complete with the cane and the hat that was resting on the desk. Unlike the first woman, this one seemed cold against the recent death of the human, "You know very well there is no way to escape death, Jana," a twist grin pulled at the corners of her mouth.
Jana looked up from under her lashes, the grin on the woman's face displeasing her more, "I'm sorry, you seem to think I enjoy the humans' deaths," she slammed her hand on the table and rose to her feet, "Don't you ever dare make that similarity between us because we are not the same, Missy."
Missy rolled her eyes and turned away, "Oh you and your dramatics," she grabbed her cane from the table and swayed her way around the room.
"You and your murderous rampage," Jana snapped and looked to the side, "I hate you."
"But you hate all of these petty little humans more," Missy turned around with a mock pout on her face, "which means we're not that different."
"While I may dislike them, it doesn't mean I wish for their deaths," Jana clarified softly and slumped back on her seat, arms crossed over her chest and a distant look on her face, "It's not their fault he wanted to leave..."
Missy rolled her eyes again and opened her mouth for a snarky comment when a beeping noise interrupted. She walked over to a small desk with a computer and tilted her head when she saw the reason for the beep, "Well..." she sounded genuinely surprised, "...Jana, you may want to go greet our new visitors."
Jana straightened up immediately and stared at the woman, "Excuse me? Visitors? There are no visitors in this place."
Missy smirked and glanced over her shoulder, "We both know who died recently, did you really think he wouldn't succumb to his companion's request?"
Jana looked down, clearly hurt, but nonetheless answered, "I shall go greet him...and perhaps give him a little something," her voice turned hard. She headed for the doors and opened it up, "Come along, Missy, it seems the show is about to start."
Missy, proudly, walked after Jana to go greet their new visitors, Missy quite confident that Jana would provide an excellent show she wouldn't miss for the world.
~ 0 ~
The Doctor and Clara Oswald stood in a gallery filled with exoskeletons inside glass containers lined up against the walls. Clara didn't want to admit she was afraid but it was seriously getting tough not to let it out...especially after listening to some logo hologram explaining the purpose of the 'facility'. Neither of them noticed Jana standing across the hallway, staring at them in silence.
When she decided to speak up, the Doctor had just finished listening to the hologram and therefore alarmed both travelers, "Welcome," Jana greeted, putting on a fake authoritative tone. With her hands inside her black jacket, she walked towards the two, "Tell me...how can I assist with your death?"
Clara's big eyes were able to widen even more as she looked up at the Doctor. The Doctor was equally disturbed but took the question, " Well, there is, er, no immediate hurry. We're just, er. We're just..."
"Browsing," Clara pointed, "Yeah...browsing..."
Behind Jana came Missy with her twisted smiles, "Please, take all the time you need. At 3W, you always have the rest of your life."
The Doctor recognized Missy from the hologram and somewhat relaxed, "Oh, good. That's good to know, Clara, isn't it?"
"Yeah," Clara cleared her throat and looked around, and discreetly trying to avoid Jana's gaze which was a bit tough actually. The woman in the jacket wouldn't stop staring and Clara was becoming uncomfortable.
"Exactly what IS 3W?" the Doctor suddenly questioned.
Jana's head tilted his way, a smirk spreading across her face, "Apologies, clearly you have not received the official 3W greetings package," she pulled her hands out of her jacket and walked to him.
"Well, you know, it's just an unexpected-" the Doctor had begun when Jana slammed her foot over his, "OW!" the man wailed and stumbled back but Jana then slapped him, "What!?"
"Welcome to hell," Jana's smirk widened then looked at Clara, "What about you?"
"I'm good," Clara instantly raised her hands in surrender.
"Who are you?" the Doctor demanded from Jana angrily as he hopped on one foot.
"...Jana," the woman decided to answer honestly and awaited for the reaction of the Doctor. She was a bit glee to find that it did make an impact on him. He seemed to straighten and tense, his gaze now intently on her while he studied her from head to toe.
Missy noticed the reaction and decided to step up and introduce herself as well, though expected nothing like Jana did, "I am Missy."
"Jana, and Missy," Clara pointed from woman to another to confirm the names.
"Mobile Intelligent Systems Interface," Missy recited, "I am a multi-function, interactive welcome-droid. Helping you to help me to help you."
"And you?" Clara looked Jana.
"I like my name," was all Jana had to say on the matter.
"Well you'r very realistic," the Doctor bitterly commented.
"Good," Jana flashed a teasing smile.
"I need to speak to whoever's in charge here."
"Then you're in luck cos that's ME," Jana pointed to herself, "And sometimes Missy," Missy shot her a look which Jana decided to ignore, "But she's just a robot..."
"Hey," Missy gritted her teeth. It was fine that she was playing a role of a robot but she didn't need comments from Jana, they weren't that good of friends to joke.
"What seems to be the problem?" Jana put her hands behind her back and acted as if she didn't know what Clara had just gone through.
"I need to see someone," the human brunette declared.
"Don' we all," Jana turned away and started walking from the trio.
"No, hold on!" Clara dashed after her and reached for her arm.
"Don't," Jana growled and pushed Clara away, startling the human, "ever touch me," Jana finished her warning. Clara blinked with wide eyes and said nothing, "I don't like people touching me."
"Duly noted," Clara took a step back.
"Dead person, you want to talk to him?" Jana raised an eyebrow.
"Him?" the Doctor would of course notice that, "How do you know it's a 'him'?"
Jana ignored the question and started walking away with Missy, "If you want to talk to a dead person then follow me. If not, get out," but of course she knew the Doctor would be going no where until his little companion had been satisfied.
~ 0 ~
"Come in, come in," Jana opened the door to the office she and Missy had been in earlier, "Going to need to take a reading off you," she warned Clara as they neared the table. As she grabbed a scanner she noticed the Doctor looking at the tank they had at the center of the room.
"A reading?" Clara curiously asked the woman.
"Won't hurt," Jana promised and flicked a switch on the scanner.
"How does the body keep its integrity?" the Doctor asked, "Why isn't it just a bunch of bones floating about?"
"Each body is encased in a support exoskeleton," Jana called back without looking up from her work.
"An invisible exoskeleton?" Clara glanced back at the tank and felt a shiver run down her back.
"It's only invisible in the water," Jana clarified, taking a silent observation that Missy was purposely remaining silent...and that couldn't be good, "There's a specially engineered refraction index in the fluid so we can see the tank resident unimpeded by the support mechanisms."
The Doctor turned to Jana at the same time Missy reached for the tank, "So each skeleton is inside something?"
"Yes," Jana felt the awesome pouring from Clara.
"Are you serious? X-ray water?" the human breathed, for a split moment forgetting her grief.
Jana took pity on Clara and motioned for her to follow to a bucket nearby the wall, "Let me show you something. We call it dark water," she dipped her wrist inside, allowing Clara and the Doctor to see her jacket sleeve disappear, although Clara saw something else before it disappeared.
"Was that a wedding ring?"
Jana blinked but quickly pushed her reactions away and turned to Clara with a weak, fake smile, "Sort of. Now, about the water, only organic matter can be seen through it," she walked back to her table where she dried herself off.
Clara felt like it was time to get to business, "3W, what kind of name is that? What does it mean?"
Jana eyed her, pretending to be confused, "Well, you know, don't you? You're here on business or they wouldn't have let you in. Just who are you?"
"I thought that you would never ask. Sort out your security protocols, they're a disgrace," the Doctor snapped as he pulled out his psychic paper.
Jana, not impressed with his words nor paper, pushed the paper down and leaned on the table with a glare, "Watch it, this is my territory, don't waltz about like you're the damn boss."
"You actually, properly work here?" Clara raised an eyebrow at the question while the Doctor processed the snarkish response he'd received.
"I've always been attracted to the dead things," Jana brushed off the topic and put on a smile, "So, 3W, I must warn it's going to creep you out a little..."
"We're not going to freak out," the Doctor promised.
"Maybe you won't," Jana snapped and raised a hand to stop him talking. She turned her head to Clara and with all honesty told her, "If you've had a recent loss, this might be, this will be disturbing."
"She'll be fine," the Doctor spoke up and garnered looks from both women.
"I believe I was talking to her," Jana pointed at Clara.
"Speak for me again, I'll detach something from you," Clara sighed then looked at Jana again, "I'll be fine."
Jana raised her hands in defeat and stepped back, "You really won't be," she mumbled to Clara as she activated the computer on the table. The screen lit up with static and made Jana sigh with resignation of low technology, "White noise off the telly. We've all heard it. A few years ago, Doctor Skarosa, our founder, did something unexpected. He played that noise through a translation matrix of his own devising. This is a recording of what he heard," she remained quiet to allow them to hear multiple sound waves of voices.
"Okay..." Clara looked around in confusion, "...people, voices."
"So what?" even the Doctor wasn't impressed.
Jana rolled her eyes, "Over time, Doctor Skarosa became convinced these were the voices of the recently departed. He believed it was a telepathic communication from the dead. "
"Why?" the Doctor stepped closer to the table, "Was he an idiot?"
Jana balled one of her hands into fists so as to not punch him, "He was able to isolate some of the voices and hear what they were saying."
The Doctor didn't notice the frustration in Jana and simply said, "So, an idiot then."
Jana placed a hand over her head and sighed, "I'm sorry, but if you would please shut the hell up so that I can show you, that would be really great."
Clara sensed the anger surging within the woman and feared she wouldn't show them to Danny, "Shut up Doctor," Clara pleaded the Doctor, "Please?"
"Listen, Miss...?" Jana waited for Clara to make the answer.
"Clara, just Clara," the brunette cleared her throat.
"Look, Clara, what I'm about to play you will change your life and not for the better," Jana genuinely told the woman, "These are the three words which caused Doctor Skarosa to set up institutes, like this one, all over the world, to protect the dead. If you'd rather not hear these words, there's still time."
"Can you just hurry up?" the Doctor pressed for Jana to simply get on with it.
Jana stared at the Time Lord for a moment before deciding to make him ponder, and not on the good stuff, "Do you have any dead relatives? ...or family?" Jana had to admit pleasure in seeing him instantly quiet down with a look of what she would describe as guilt.
Good.
"I warned you, Clara," Jana said once more before activating the screen with the audio.
"Don't cremate me. Don't cremate me!" a man cried in agony.
"Have you ever wondered what comes after you die?" Jana looked at the travelers with curiosity, "No one in human history, nor any history for a matter of fact, has ever thought if the dead...are truly dead."
"Don't cremate me. Don't cremate me!"
Clara's eyes widened with horror when she realized where Jana was getting at, "Don't say it..."
"I did warn you," Jana shrugged, "The dead remain conscious. The dead are fully aware of everything that is happening to them."
"I said-"
"Do you ever wonder what all those people might be feeling?" Jana was now looking up at the Doctor, "Better question, can you imagine what the murderer might feel if they knew their victims were still conscious when they burned to death?"
The Doctor narrowed his eyes at the woman, feeling the double sides of that question, "Who are you?"
Jana pulled a twisted smile, "Oh, you'll be finding out," she assured as she stood up, "Clara, you'll be on with the person you came for in a couple seconds."
"It's all fakery," the Doctor declared, "All of this."
"Don't be upset because the human's concept of afterlife may be a bit wicked."
"Why do you say it like that? Humans?" the Doctor raised an eyebrow, suspiciously staring at her, "I call them pudding brains-" Jana laughed at that, admitting it was quite clever, "But that's cos I'm not human."
"Doesn't mean anything," Jana got over her laughter as best she could.
"What's that beeping?" Clara observed the room for the source of the beeping noise.
"Never mind about beeping. Who cares about beeping? The dead are dead," the Doctor didn't grow tired of announcing that, "'They're not talking to you out of your television sets. They're just gone."
As it to prove him wrong, Missy clapped her hands and made the skeleton inside the room stand up.
The Doctor checked the tank with slight horror, "And all these poor souls down there in these tanks, I'm sorry, but they're just dead and they're not coming back."
"Clara? Clara?" Danny Pink's voice emerged from the device Jana had earlier, 'Clara are you there?"
"Danny!" Clara gasped, "I can hear you. Is that you?"
Jana smirked at the Doctor, "I'm sorry, what was that you were saying?"
The Doctor was done with the woman as he went around the table and leaned closer to her, "I don't like you and if I find anything that could harm Clara-"
"You'll what?" Jana dared him to finish, her smirk vanished once he mentioned his companion, "You'll kill me?" her voice softened, "Wouldn't be the first time..."
"Excuse me?"
Jana turned to the table and fidgeted with the device to get it working as it had lost some signal, "Just lost the signal. But I can track it back, I'm pretty sure."
"I don't, I don't understand," Clara stared at the device with both confusion and awe, "What is happening?"
" We've been scanning you telepathically since you came in. You said you wanted to speak to someone who'd passed, and we've found you a match in the Nethersphere."
"This isn't possible. The dead don't come back," the Doctor exclaimed.
"Yes, I'm quite done with you for the moment," Jana mumbled as she worked on the device.
" It was him. It was his voice," Clara said to the Doctor.
"If they scanned you telepathically, they could've lifted a voice print. It could still be a fake."
"Clara, can you hear me?" Danny's voice came back through the device.
"Yes, Danny," Clara quickly spoke into the device, "I can hear you. Can you hear me?"
"Yeah, yeah, I can hear you. Clara! Oh, God. Clara."
"What do I do?" Clara looked at Jana and even Missy.
"Do what most of us would wish to do with our dead...just talk," Jana whispered, her eyes slowly falling down as tears threatened to develop.
"Question him," the Doctor quickly moved to Clara's side, "Ask him questions only he'd know the answer to. Be sure," he then looked up at Jana, "You, with me."
"I haven't had a man tell me what to do in lifetimes," Jana decided to cross him purposely as she slumped on her chair and crossed her legs, "So no."
The Doctor grew more frustrated with the woman and glared at her, "I don't trust you-"
"Good, because I don't trust you either," Jana tilted her head at Missy, "Go with him, see if he can piece in together what he's missing."
"It would be my pleasure," Missy did a mock bow and went for the doors.
"It's alright," Clara assured the Doctor, "I can take care of myself."
Seeing he had no other choice, the Doctor sighed and nodded, "Sceptical and critical, remember? Be strong, even if it breaks your heart."
"I won't be a nuisance to your conversation," Jana stood up after the Doctor and Missy had left.
"What's wrong with you?" Clara startled Jana with the question.
"What do you mean?" Jana stuffed her hands inside her jacket's pockets.
"It's your eyes..." Clara studied the chocolate brown eyes Jana had, "...it's almost like the Doctor," she remarked without thinking, "See, he's a lot older than he looks, you can tell by his eyes."
"Well his appearance kinda gives it away too," Jana looked to the side.
"Yeah, but it's the eyes," Clara insisted, "He's ancient, he's severely old and I can tell how much he's lost just by looking at them. You kinda have the same thing. What are you, if you don't mind my asking? Cos it's clear you're not human."
Jana stared at Clara for a good moment, almost feeling the genuine pity Clara seemed to be developing, "You'll find out soon," was her last words before she left the room.
Clara now felt a bit of worry over the words spoken to her, the way they were spoken to her. It almost sounded like a promise, and not a good one.
~ 0 ~
The Doctor was not enjoying himself, not one bit. The tanks, as it turned out, were filled with cybermen. And somehow, Missy wasn't a droid like she'd explained, which could only mean Jana wasn't one either, "They're Cybermen, all of them. We've got to stop them getting out."
Missy didn't look nor seem the least bit worried of the situation, in fact, she was almost sardonic about it, "Now who's missing the headline? The Nethersphere. You know it's ever so funny, the people that live inside that think they've gone to heaven."
The Doctor stared up at the small, gray sphere that was meant to be the 'Nethersphere', "That's a matrix data-slice. A Gallifreyan hard drive. Time Lord technology," he accused.
"Imagine you could upload dying minds to that. Edit them. Rearrange them. Get rid of all those boring emotions. Ready to be re-downloaded. Meanwhile, you upgrade the bodies," Missy nodded to the tanks near them, "Upload the mind, upgrade the body. Cybermen from cyberspace. Now, why has no-one ever thought of that before?"
"How did you get hold of Time Lord technology?" the Doctor stepped closer to the woman, "Who are you?"
"Oh but you haven't figured it out yet? Not even by that silly name the other one gave you?"
"Jana..." the Doctor whispered as he fell into thoughts.
"Two hearts, Doctor," Missy gestured to her chest then to the Doctor's, "Surely you felt it at one point."
"You're a Time Lords..."
"Time ladies," Missy corrected, "Jana and I, we're old fashioned."
"And when you say Jana..." the Doctor breathed and swallowed hard, "...do you mean...?"
"Jana, what other Time Lady do you know with that name?" Missy raised an eyebrow, a smirk making its way over her lips, "Jana's back and she is not the least bit happy with you," she tapped the Doctor on the nose, "But then again, why should she be? You left her."
"I didn't..." the Doctor began but it felt like the air had left his lungs with the revelation.
"Oh but you know you did," Missy put her hands on her hips, "You abandoned her you bad Doctor. And you know what that leaves for me?" the Doctor could only state at her, "A revenge filled Time Lady! Ha!"
The Doctor's eyes widened in horror as he thought of the ways Jana could get back at him for all he had done, "Clara. Clara. Clara. I've got to get Clara!" he dashed for the elevator.
"Oh, Clara, Clara, Clara!" Missy mocked him and turned after him, "You know I wouldn't be surprised if Jana shot her in a jealous rage. Now, wouldn't that be sexy? I've turned the lift off, though."
"Jana would never do that!" the Doctor turned around.
"How would you know? When's the last time you seen her?"
Again, the panic surged through the Doctor, "I presume you have stairs?"
"Well, we're not Daleks."
The Doctor ran to the door of the stairs and used his sonic screwdriver time unlock it...only to find himself outside St. Paul's Cathedral.
Missy came out behind him, not surprised unlike him, "Oh dear, didn't you realize where you were?"
The Doctor ignored her and ran down the steps towards the river, trying to urge people to leave the premises, "Get away from here! All of you, run!" Cybermen started stomping their way out of the Cathedral, "Go! Go! Get away from here! Run away! Run, run! Get away from here all of you, now!"
Missy barked a laugh as she caught up with the man, "I'm sorry, everyone. Another ranting Scotsman in the street. I had no idea there was a match on."
"Get away, go!"
"Oh, stop shouting," Missy rolled her eyes, "Stop making a fuss. It's too late. All the graves of planet Earth are about to give birth. You know the key strategic weakness of the human race? The dead outnumber the living."
"Jana would never agree to this," the Doctor spoke the first thing on his mind, "She wouldn't! You, you, made her do this," he pointed at Missy.
Missy laughed at the irony, "Oh I'm afraid that's where you're wrong, my dear. You forced her into this. You with all your abandoning and neglects. This was all you."
The Doctor gritted his teeth, "Who are you?"
"Oh, you know who I am. I'm Missy."
"Who's Missy?"
"Please, try to keep up. Short for Mistress," Missy leaned closer and whispered dire words, "Well, I couldn't very well keep calling myself the Master, now could I?"
The Doctor backed away in complete horror at the second revelation. Suddenly, facing Jana was nothing.
~ 0 ~
Inside the office of the cathedral, Clara was basically trying not to get killed by the cyberman that had escaped its containment tank. The Cyberman stood on the other side of the table aiming its weapon at Clara.
"You can't kill me," Clara panicked but did her best not to show it. Showing fear got you killed.
"Incorrect," the Cyberman declared.
"I'm a target of strategic value. Alive, I'm a tactical advantage. Dead, I'm your biggest mistake," Clara wagged a finger, "You don't know who I am."
The Cyberman scanned her with the chest disc and concluded, "You are Clara Oswald. You are human. You are unimportant."
"Incorrect. You see, That is what you're supposed to think," Clara backtracked, "That is what everybody thinks."
"You are Clara Oswald."
"Clara Oswald is a cover story, a disguise. There is no Clara Oswald."
That seemed to do the trick, "Identify," ordered the Cyberman.
"Oh, don't be so slow, it's embarrassing," Clara chuckled lightly, "Who could fool you like this? Who could hide right under your nose? Who could change their face any time they want? Hmm. You see, I'm not Clara Oswald. Clara Oswald has never existed."
"Identify."
"I'm the Doctor."
At that moment, two more Cybermen entered the room...with Jana behind them, her hands still in her pockets as if it were a casual day out.
"I have to say I'm a bit intrigued to see where this is going," Jana flashed a smile at Clara, something that put her on edge, "You declare you are the Doctor?"
"You declare you're not human?" Clara countered.
"Oh," Jana looked around, still looking mighty amused, "Make your case, sweetheart."
Clara took the opportunity in a dash and began to talk for her life, "Well, gentlemen, and lady, where to start? I was born on the planet Gallifrey, in the constellation of Kasterborous. I'm a Time Lord, but my Prydonian privileges were revoked when I stole a time capsule and ran away. Currently pilot a Type 40 Tardis. I've been married four times, all deceased. My children and grandchildren are missing, and I assume, dead. I have a non-Gallifreyan daughter created via genetic transfer. How much more do you need? I'm the Doctor."
Jana raised her head as if in thought, "Mm, technically married four times, three deceased. Children and grandchildren are indeed missing, hopefully not dead. The genetic transfer daughter, though, that's new," Clara furrowed her brow in confusion. Jana finally looked the woman in the eyes with a smirk, "You are not the Doctor."
"Yes, I am," Clara weakly insisted.
"No, you're not," Jana's smirk seemed to widen as she moved forwards, "and I should know...I married him."
Clara was left frozen in place while Jana pulled her hands from her jacket and fixed her hair. Clara felt the air leave her stomach as she made her assumption, "River?"
Jana's smirk vanished in an instant, her hands balling into fists, "Don't you ever mistake me for that mutant of a human," she warned, "I am the Doctor's first and only wife. I am well aware of his outings in this universe and I refuse to let my place be taken by vile women. Married four times, three deceased, don't you ever forget that."
Clara...did not know what to do now, "Not River, Duly noted," she whispered.
Jana looked between the Cybermen and sighed, "Stand down," she walked to her desk and plopped down on her chair, once again crossing her legs and acting as if everything was oh so casual, "Surprised? Stunned? Do you even know who I am?"
Clara knew the woman was talking to her but she was still trying to overcome her shock. Out of anyone she knew of the Doctor's past she would have expected to bump into River, certainly not his Gallifreyan-Time Lady of a wife.
"Does he ever even talk about me?" Jana asked in a softer tone, something that attracted Clara to the conversation. Clara turned to Jana and tilted her head, studying the Time Lady. Jana, in reality, looked despondent, completely out of villain character. Jana was not even looking at Clara anymore, her entire face lost in thought.
Definitely not a villain character, Clara thought.
Clara knew it was wrong but she saw it as the only way to prolong her existence. She might have a chance with Jana but Cybermen would shoot her dead in a second, "Your his wife, of course he talks about you."
Jana slowly turned her attention back on Clara, "No he doesn't," she whispered.
"Yeah, he does," Clara insisted as she took a seat at the table.
"No, he really doesn't," Jana sadly smiled, "When I introduced myself, the Doctor had this look," she motioned with her hand, "A look that told me he remembered that name...but you? You had no idea who I was nor what that name meant to him.
"Do not sit there and lie to me, Clara Oswald," Jana ordered harshly. Clara guilty looked down, almost feeling compelled to apologize. Jana looked at one of the Cybermen, and calmly ordered, "De-activate yourself."
Clara instantly looked up with confusion. She glanced back at the ordered Cyberman to see what it would do. Without questioning her, the Cyberman deactivated itself by activating its emotional inhibitor. Clara flinched and ducked behind her chair when the head popped off the body.
Jana seemed unaffected and frankly uninterested as she inspected her nails on the desk, "I'm not here to hurt you, Clara."
Clara quickly sat back up and blinked at the woman, "You just made one of them explode..." she pointed back.
"Yes, I did. You're a bit slow," Jana commented and took a breath as she leaned back on her seat.
"You said you weren't going to kill me..." Clara focused on that main, important detail.
"Now we're getting somewhere," Jana flashed a smile, one that didn't make Clara feel any better.
"So...you're the Doctor's wife?"
"Yes, I am," Jana nodded.
"Like...like the first one?" Clara raised a finger to show the number, "The one from Gallifrey?"
"Yes," Jana nodded in agreement again.
"But...but how did you...how...?"
"Did I escape?" Jana finished the statement, "Let's just say I had a big motive to get out after the Master - Missy - found me lying nearly dead on the ground."
"Master?" Clara felt her mouth would finally fall down after so many surprises.
"Oh yes," Jana took no notice of the surprise, "I was dying and she was there. She told me of the Doctor's travels after the war and I figured it was time to pay a visit."
"For revenge," Clara frowned. Jana simply raised an eyebrow, "You came back to get revenge on the Doctor. Your his wife and you want revenge on him?"
"Married three women after me, two of those while I was still very much alive," Jana reminded bitterly.
"But those were accidents!"
"River Song was not an accident."
"...but he thought you were dead," Clara could see why Jana was angry with the Doctor, but she had to know the full story before she made a mistake.
"He assumed," Jana corrected, "He let our planet disappear to some other place, he left his family stranded! And for what? So he could go on throughout the universe, marrying who ever the hell he saw?"
"Look, look, I know it's hard, okay? You're hurt, you're angry, you're jealous but hear me out alright? You're keeping me hostage, it's the least you could do."
Jana motioned for Clara to continue. She knew by now the Doctor had realized who she and Missy were and the desperation to get to Clara was at an all time high.
She could do with torturing him for a while.
Clara leaned on the table, careful with her words, "After the Doctor remembered what really happened to his home planet, he thought there was still a chance of you and all his family of being alive. And when he saw River-"
"He saw her again?" Jana interrupted, clearly hurt by the statement.
"Yes, but...well, she was dead," Clara quickly explained the reality of the situation, "But even then, he had hope to get back to you all, to save you."
"Hm, right, his third wife died so then he thought of me?"
Clara rubbed her face in frustration, she really wanted to make Jana see the truth, perhaps even get her to realize what she was doing and stop it in time. She remembered what the Doctor had said about the Master and she certainly was not looking to be enslaved for another year. Jana was the key to stop it. She wasn't just some Time Lady. She was the Doctor's wife, and he had to have married her for some reason right? Even if it was arranged he would never marry an evil woman, right?
"You are very lucky, Clara," Jana suddenly said, standing up and looking down at the human.
"I am?" she blinked.
"You have found love, and not just any love, a reciprocated love," as Clara pondered on those words, Jana glanced at the remaining Cyberman in the room, "Knock her out."
Clara flinched and immediately stood out of her chair, "No, hold on, you said you weren't going to kill me!" she faced the Cyberman now coming for her.
Jana laughed lightly, "You really are far too slow for your own good. I didn't say kill, did I? I said knock out. Don't you worry, I doubt this precise Cyberman would ever harm you."
Clara only had time to muster a "What?" before the Cyberman knocked her out with a zap from his right hand.
Jana went around the table and stopped beside Clara, once again hands in pockets, "She'll be out for about an hour or so. C'mon then," she raised her head to the Cyberman, "We've better get to the graveyard. That's where Missy's going to take the Doctor, eventually."
"What is the plan?" the Cyberman questioned while Jana went for the doors.
Jana glanced back with a soft smile, "If you're worried I'll get Clara killed you can rest assured I won't. I know what it's like losing a love. Clara will live, Danny Pink, I promise."
~ 0 ~
Missy found herself strapped to a trolley in a dim lit room of an airplane. The Doctor stood in front of her, staring at her like a hawk whole Osgood worked at a small table behind, two soldiers near her overseeing for protection.
"Jana," the Doctor began, "Why?"
Missy mocked a pout, "Not excited to see your wife?"
"Not when she's about to take over the world," the Doctor frowned.
"Didn't think she had it in her?" Missy raised an eyebrow, "Honestly, neither did I. She was always a bit of a pushover in the past, but then again...how would you know, am I right?"
The Doctor was not in the mood for games, much less words of the past, "How did you pull her into this? What did you do?"
Missy rolled her eyes, "Oh am I tired of being blamed for everything. If you must know, Jana is here out of her own will. She's crossed with you, is it hard to believe?"
"Jana would never do anything like this," the Doctor declared, sounding as if he was trying to convince himself of it. But, things were not looking good for Jana. Why was she there with Missy? Why was she working with Cybermen?
Jana wasn't like that...was she?
The fact that he couldn't answer that himself deeply hurt him, filled him with shame.
"You know, if Jana is alive, then...perhaps others-" Missy had begun but brought out the fury side of the Time Lord in front of her.
"Don't," the Doctor pointed at her warningly, "Do not bring them into this. You leave them alone."
Missy sighed, "It was only an idea. You thought Jana was dead, perhaps the rest of your little family might be too? Find Gallifrey, find them."
"Gallifrey's lost in another dimension," the Doctor reminded bitterly.
"Yes and no."
"Meaning?"
"Yes, it's in another dimension. No, it's not lost."
"You know where it is?"
"Yep! You know the best part about knowing?" Missy leaned her head closer and whispered, "Not telling you."
The Doctor balled his fists, "Jana cannot be with you on this," he declared, "She can't...she wouldn't..."
"Jana, Jana, Jana, what a change," Missy swayed her head, "Bet that only happens when she's actually around, because other times...it's what? Clara? No," she wickedly smiled, "River. What I would give to see that conversation go down."
The Doctor didn't listen to the laughter of the woman as he turned away. The first things on his mind were getting Clara and Jana from below...and then facing Jana herself.
~ 0 ~
Clara woke up among old headstones in a graveyard. She stood up and looked up at the dark, gray sky filled with rumbling thunder. She looked around and found her coat lying on the ground which she picked up. With nothing else, she started moving around the graveyard, slowly remembering what had happened earlier.
Jana. Jana had ordered for Clara to be shot, 'knocked out'.
"Jana? Jana!" Clara started calling loudly, "Jana!"
Her attention was taken away by all the sudden rising Cybermen from underneath graves. None of them were moving, all were simply standing, repeating, " Locate hive. Locate hive. Locate hive. Locate hive."
That was when she noticed a Cyberman who seemed to be staring at her. The chest disc, unlike the rest, was completely dark. Then...it turned its back on her.
Clara remembered the Cyberman that had remained inside Jana's office and so she quickly dashed for it, "You're the one that knocked me out?"
"Affirmative," the Cyberman answered as Clara moved around, only to find Jana sitting over a headstone, holding a stick that she was using to pick at the ground.
"Jana," Clara frowned.
"You are very lucky, Clara Oswald," Jana breathed, her voice low like a whisper.
"Lucky?" Clara nearly laughed, as if being shot was the luckiest thing on Earth, "You're joking, right?"
Jana raised her head, her eyes drifting to the Cyberman behind Clara, "You have found what I dreamed of all my life - lives - and even in death it does not vanish."
Clara followed Jana's gaze to the Cyberman and became even more confused, "Okay, what are you talking about?"
"Remove the mask," Jana ordered the Cyberman.
Clara watched with complete shock to find Danny inside the metal suit, "Danny?" here eyebrows raised.
"Danny Pink is dead," he declared, "Help me."
"Oh, my God. Danny," Clara covered her mouth.
"Help me."
"I am so sorry!"
"Help me," Danny pleaded.
"Danny, I am so sorry," Clara stepped back.
"Help me. I need you to do something for me. I can't do it myself," Danny removed the cover off his chest disc.
"What is that?"
"It's the inhibitor," Jana spoke up, having been watching them with nothing but pity, and still slightly jealous.
Clara forgot for a moment who Jana was and started, angrily, demanding from her, "You fix this, you help him. NOW," she pointed.
"Clara, he's dead," Jana whispered, "There is nothing I can do. Well," she reconsidered her declaration for a moment, "There is one thing I can do, but I'm not sure you'll like it."
"What?"
"The inhibitor," Jana pointed at Danny, "Once switched on, it'd turn off Danny's emotions, thus making him a real and proper Cyberman."
"Why would you ever consider that, then?" Clara blinked.
"Because of the emotions," Jana gestured to Danny's clearly pained face, making Clara turn to him.
"Please. I don't want to feel like this," Danny began, "I don't want these emotions."
"No, no you can't ask me to do that," Clara looked between the two in horror, although she turned on Jana once again, her anger returning, "This is your act of revenge? Ruining the innocent?"
"Oh Clara, see, with you, I'm not offended you'd think that of me," Jana sighed and leaned back, "Cos you don't know me. I would never allow for all this," she gestured to the frozen Cybermen around them, "to take place."
"Then what are you doing?" Clara raised an eyebrow.
"I have a plan of my own in march," Jana shrugged, "I'm just waiting for the Doctor to get here. Which, by the way, you can do."
"Excuse me?"
"Your phone," Jana clarified, "Give him a call, tell him about this. He'll want to come down."
~ 0 ~
And so, that was how the Doctor received a call from Clara, explaining to him the situation with Danny. The Doctor felt helpless from the place he was in, unable to protect Clara from the dangers the Cybermen would begin to cause...not to mention the ship was currently being overtaken by Cybermen under control of the freed Missy.
"Clara, he'll become a Cyberman," the Doctor repeated to Clara over the phone, "Jana knows it. Please, don't do it!"
"But he's already a Cyberman," Clara insisted.
"Not yet, he isn't."
~ 0 ~
Back on the graveyard, Clara was staring at Danny who was in tears. Jana remained sitting over the headstone but she could hear perfectly the conversation due to it being on loudspeaker.
"He's hurting because I hurt him and he wants it to stop," Clara explained in frustration, "Jana told me what it does, I know, okay? But if he's hurting..."
"Then she should also tell you if you stop the pain he'll kill you," the Doctor snapped, "It's under her command, she'll give the order."
Clara saw the pain etch itself into Jana's eyes the moment those words left the Doctor's mouth. And just as quickly as it happened, it exchanged into anger as Jana rose to her feet.
"Look, I don't think she'd do that," Clara tried to argue for the woman.
"I honestly don't know at this point," the Doctor dismissed.
"Go to hell," Jana whispered in a mutter, her voice shook with terrible sadness Clara could even feel from her spot.
Clara chucked her phone away and rushed up to Jana, "Please, please don't do anything," she began to plead for fear of what Jana could now do in her full anger mixed with despondence, "Please, prove him wrong."
"I don't have to prove anything to that man," Jana looked down at Clara blankly, "If anything he should prove to me that he's still worth my time."
"Please," Clara clapped her hands together, "I don't know what happened between you two but I beg you not to do anything. We've done nothing to you," she gestured to herself and Danny, "You said you wouldn't kill me, is that still intact?"
Jana put a hand on her head, shakily breathing as she took in Clara's words, "...I can switch it off."
Clara barely heard the whisper but it relieved her a little, "You...you can?"
Jana's eyes flickered to Clara then Danny, "I can do it, and he won't kill anyone. You remember I said I had plans of my own?" Clara nodded, "Well none of them involve killing anyone. That's why I went with this whole plan," she shrugged lightly and looked around, "The dead were dead...meaning no one gets killed."
"But Missy, she's..." Clara didn't know if Jana had heard the panicking in the background of the conversation over the phone.
"The Doctor will survive, he always does," Jana sighed, "But the inhibitor, do you want me to do it?"
Clara turned to Danny for one more confirmation. Danny gave a silent nod.
Jana walked up to Danny, beginning to work on the chest disc, "I'm sorry," she said to them both.
"Yeah," Danny agreed.
However, the TARDIS materialized several feet away from them. The Doctor bolted from the doors, ready to stop anything, "Clara, don't!" but then he saw it was Jana working on the disk, "Jana, get the hell away from him!"
Jana spared him a look over her shoulder, "Go to hell."
"Gladly, come with me," he motioned for her leave Danny.
"Doctor," Clara tried to interject.
"Jana, what ever it is you're planning, stop it," the Doctor ignored his companion and focused on Jana, "You can't kill them! Not them!"
Jana had enough and turned around, allowing him and Clara to see her face stained with tears, "You're not seriously thinking that's my plan," she didn't even make it into a question, she felt the right to make it an order, "How dare you!" she shouted.
The Doctor didn't quite understand why she was so upset, "You're actions, sweetheart, show me otherwise," he gestured to the countless Cybermen surrounding them.
"Don't call me 'sweetheart'," Jana said with utter disgust, "Not even in sarcasm does that fit. You know you deserve everything awful I can think of, you deserve it all...but surprise," she waved a hand, "I'm not that type of woman. Of course you wouldn't know that, considering you don't know anything about me."
"That's not true," the Doctor shook his head but received a scoff from Jana, "It's not."
"Of course it is," Jana crossed her arms, "That's the truth, the painful truth. My own husband doesn't know me."
"Jana, it's not true," the Doctor's voice softened, but it didn't matter to Jana.
Jana let her arms hang loose on her sides, "You think you know me?" she questioned and walked up to him, "What's my favorite color, Doctor?"
The Doctor opened his mouth to give the simple answer...when he realized he didn't know the answer. He shut it and started to think, racking his entire mind for the stupid one-worded answer. How could he not know it!? It was simple! A pudding brain could answer it...but that was just it, a pudding brain shouldn't have to answer it. He should be able to answer it.
Jana's eyes flickered to Clara for a second then quickly back to the Doctor, "...what is Clara's favorite color?" she then asked.
The Doctor was even more horrified to realize that he knew the answer to that. In fact, the answer came instantaneously to him, "Blue..." he breathed as he gave the answer.
Jana nodded and stepped back, "And there you go," she sniffled as quietly as possible, "Do not lie to me, do not ever lie to me, do you understand?" she pointed at him, "I deserve at least that."
"I'm sorry," was all the Doctor could muster at the moment.
"So am I," Jana agreed, "Because, see...when we married, you married out of commitment but I - I," she swallowed hard as she tried to contain her breaking sobs, "I married out of love. That was my mistake, and that's a mistake I'll always have to live with. But I'm done, you're not worth it anymore. Centuries waiting for you to realize this, no more. I am done."
Clara felt it was time to approach them, even if it truly wasn't, "Doctor, we need the screwdriver for the inhibitor. Jana was working on it but...but I think it's easier with the screwdriver."
The Doctor stared at Jana silently for a minute or so, wanting to make her feel better but he knew she would likely push him away. With a sigh, he pulled out the screwdriver and handed it to Clara, all the meantime still looking at Jana, "These are innocent people," he said to Jana.
"I know," she nodded as she wiped her face of her tears.
Clara went up to Danny and aimed the screwdriver at him, "Just point and think, yeah?" she called to the Time Lords.
"Yes," the Doctor answered.
"Okay," she took a breath then spoke to Danny, "I wasn't very good at it, but I did love you."
"I love you too," Danny answered back.
"I'm never going to say that again."
"Me neither."
"Ready?"
"Yeah."
Clara wanted to press the button but instead she growled in frustration while hot tears pricked her eyes, "I feel like I'm killing you."
"I'm already dead," Danny pointed out, "You're here this time at least."
"Goodbye, Danny," Clara swallowed hard.
"Goodbye, Clara."
With that, Clara activated the screwdriver and took the inhibitor. The instant change in Danny was evident with his now blank face. Clara turned off the screwdriver and rushed to hug the now-Cyberman Danny.
"Clara, no! Step away! He's activating! Clara, step away now!" the Doctor tried going to her when Jana held him back, "Don't."
"He's not going to hurt her," Jana assured him honestly, "They're under my command," she reminded him, "meaning I control who dies."
"But it's not just you," the Doctor snapped and shook her off him, "Missy is still out there, Missy is-"
"Right here!" came the chirpy, sinister voice behind. They all looked back to see the woman floating down like a wicked Mary Poppins with an umbrella.
"Oh, that was brilliant!" she cheered as she landed, "Oh, I love the telly here, but did you see that? Oh, Clara, you poor thing. You must feel like death. Let me pop away the pain," she pulled out a control and started tapping away when the Doctor snatched it from her and chucked it to the side.
"Don't you dare!" he warned her, "Don't you think about it!"
"Oh, sorry, hon, I'm just getting a bit carried away," Missy smirked at Jana, "So, has he disappointed you again?"
"Be quiet," Jana tiredly ordered and turned away.
"Oh, he has," Missy 'understood' and laughed.
"Be quiet!" Jana snapped and pulled out the wristband she'd been keeping inside her jacket's pocket. She turned it over and sighed as she began putting it on, "We are done here. I got what I wanted."
"Which was?" the Doctor raised an eyebrow.
"Whether you're worth it," she decided to answer with the truth. She turned around and sighed, "You're not," she looked away from him before he gave a proper reaction.
That...properly wounded him. He knew he deserved it, but it still hurt, and badly.
"Cyberleaders," Jana called, "At my command," Missy smirked as she waited for the plan to finally come to an end, though she had no idea what Jana had instead, "you will turn all your attention to one specific Cyberman," she then removed the wrist band and held it to Danny, "I've fought in a war but I don't know how to command an army."
Clara looked between them in confusion but it was Missy who rejected the idea first, "What? No, no, no! NO! What the hell are you doing, Jana?"
"Ending this silly plan," Jana sighed as Danny took the wrist band from her.
"No! This wasn't the plan! The army is for that one!" Missy pointed at the Doctor angrily, "An indestructible army to rage across the universe. All this for him!"
Jana swayed her head and closed her eyes, "You've been lied to, Missy. Did you honestly think I would ever let some man shroud my morality? I may have come out of a war but I am still a good woman. Danny?"
"The rain will not fall," Danny declared as he put the wrist band, gaining command of all the Cybermen.
"Oh? Why won't it?" Missy huffed and set her hands on her hips, peeved beyond belief.
"The clouds will burn."
"And who'll burn them?"
"How?"
"I will burn."
Missy scoffed and rolled her eyes, "One burning Cyberman is hardly going to save the planet."
"Correct," Danny lifted the band to his lips and spoke into it, "Attention!" the Cyber-Army sprang to attend their new commander, "This is not a good day. This is Earth's darkest hour. And look at you miserable lot. We are the Fallen. But today, we shall rise. The army of the dead will save the land of the living. This is not the order of a general, nor the whim of a lunatic."
"Oi," Jana made a face and gestured to herself, "Not my plan."
"This is a promise," Danny continued, "The promise of a soldier," he glanced at Clara, "You will sleep safe tonight," he promised her then switched on his rocket boots to rise from the ground. Together with the other Cybermen, they flew to the sky where they simultaneously exploded.
Clara covered her eyes just as the sun started coming out, a beautiful sunny day now in view, "Well...the clouds have all gone."
"Yes, they have," Jana stuffed her hands in her pockets and took a deep breath, suddenly the question of what would happen next hitting her like a brick on the head.
What would she do?
"Ten zero eleven," began Missy, immediately garnering Jana's attention, "zero zero by zero two."
"What did you say?" the Doctor asked curiously.
"Missy," Jana warned.
"The current coordinates of Gallifrey," Missy went ahead with the lie and gave a smile, "It's returned to it's original location. Didn't you ever think to look?"
"Missy! That's a lie!" Jana exclaimed, stepping forwards, "Don't listen to her, Doctor."
"Oh yes, but listen to the lovelorn wife," Missy mocked with a scoff.
"She's lying to you," Jana looked at the Doctor urgently, "Please, believe me, she's lying. I have no reason to lie to you."
"Or does she?" Missy frowned, the full blow of her betrayal finally setting over her. She discreetly picked up her control that had been snatched from her earlier, "Or maybe, she should just be quiet for all that's been done wrong today."
Jana then noticed the control aimed at her. She swallowed hard but maintained firm on the outside, "I am not afraid."
"Wrong move if you asked me," Missy smirked.
"Missy," the Doctor warned.
"Oh..." Missy then swayed the aim of the control to him instead.
"No!" Jana bolted without a second thought. But as she went for the other Time Lady, the control fired a beam at her, striking her across the chest.
"Jana!" the Doctor cried and went for the save, catching the woman just as she fell to her knees.
Clara, trembling with the sudden action, looked around for a way to help. But instead, Missy was shot by a local Cyberman. The Cyberman pointed at something behind then moved to leave.
The Doctor was engulfed with his wife's current situation. He cradled her in his arms while she shook from the oncoming regeneration that was about to take her over, "Jana? Jana! It'll be alright, I promise you."
Jana struggled to look up at him, the dim smile across her lips honest and pure, "Look at you...this is the first time I'll regenerate with you here..." she spoke the hushed truth with a genuine comfort.
"I'm sorry I wasn't there before," the Doctor stroked her black hair with his own smile, a teary one but still one in the end.
"A good memory..." Jana swallowed hard, feeling the bile of pain rising within her, "...for the next one."
"I'm sorry," the Doctor repeated as he gently helped her stand to fully regenerate. He stepped back with Clara just as the golden energy took over Jana.
She screamed and threw her arms out, letting the pain overtake her once and for all. Lights were out the moment regeneration ended, where she would end up who knew...
~ 0 ~
Several weeks later, Clara sat inside a cafe waiting for two Time Lords to appear. When she saw only the Doctor coming in, she assumed the worst, "Jana, she's gone?"
"Asleep," the Doctor plopped down across the table. Clara raised an eyebrow of confusion, "It's only been a day for us."
"Ah," Clara acknowledged the time differences easily, "You're three weeks late here; I imagined it was because you two were talking...and stuff."
"More like watching over her," the Doctor clarified with a clear of his throat. He noticed the wrist band was on Clara's wrist now, making him assume Danny had returned, "He figured it out then? P E figured out there was a way home."
Clara looked at the band as if she'd forgotten she had it on, "Yeah, yeah he did."
"Oh, good old P E. He'll make a maths teacher yet."
Clara fiddled with the band for a moment, wondering if telling him what really happened would be the better option. She had actually hoped that if one good thing had came out of all this was that the Doctor finally wouldn't be alone anymore, he'd finally have someone who could match his lifespan...and not just anyone, his wife. But by the words he'd said, it seemed like a pending conversation was still in the works.
"Listen, Doctor," she began, "There's, there's something that I have to tell you and, er, it's not good news so just, just listen, okay?"
"I know," the Doctor sighed.
"Sorry?" she frowned.
"I know exactly what you've got to tell me."
"You do?"
"You and Danny are together now. That's great. That's how it should be. But the old man and the blue box, that's never going to fit in. So no more flying around. No more lying."
Clara's eyes widened, "Okay, no, that's not exactly-"
"It's fine," the Doctor assured.
"No, it's not fine. It, it really isn't fine-"
"I want to fix things with Jana," he said instead, surprising her.
"Oh..."
He nodded, "She is my wife after all, it's time to fix that relationship."
"G-good," Clara breathed, a small smile spreading across her lips, "Good, that's-that's very good. We barely had a decent conversation but by what she told me...she's hurt. She's truly, deeply hurt, and I don't think she's a bad woman...she's just lost and lonely - kind of reminds me of someone, actually."
The Doctor knew she meant him but would prefer not to get into that one, "It's my fault she's lost and alone," he acknowledged, "I left her, I left her when I should have stayed - for her and our family."
Clara reached for his hands and smiled softly, "Then go do that now. Be a husband, or a friend, wherever you'd like to start. And let me know how that goes, okay? Maybe, one day, Jana and I can be friends too."
The Doctor nodded, "I would like that. You let me know what happens with you and Danny, though."
"Hm?" Clara blinked then recalled, "Oh, yeah, yeah. Me and Danny. Me and Danny, we are going to be fine. Don't you worry. You go to your wife. Go and talk and fix things. Be happy."
"Yeah, I think I will."
"Tell you what, seeing as it's goodbye, shall we break a habit?"
"What? What habit?"
"Hug," Clara rose to her feet.
"Why not," he shrugged and stood up, "Within reason. Come on, you're on the clock."
"Fair enough," she chuckled and hugged him, "And you know, Jana might like hugs too."
"She always did," he reminisced all the times he would return home after a trip from Earth and Jana would receive him with the biggest hug she could give, despite the fact he'd been gone for months.
She was that patient and good of a wife.
Perhaps it was time he put a real effort into their relationship. Jana said he wasn't worth it anymore, and that hurt. He never wanted to hear those words again.
So he would be the husband she deserved, even if it took a thousand years he would get it right.
Author's Note:
Thank you for reading! Like I said above, this is a thank you for those who have read my stories in this year - my first year on the site! This is a message to you saying I have plenty more stories to publish and share. As of right now, there are two DW stories being edited for the final publish and I really can't wait to share them with you guys :)
As for Jana, I've been playing with this idea for some time and I figured why not post this as a starter. However, if expanded later on she would be a very future TL OC. Thank you and hope to hear your thoughts :)