Author's Notes: This 2-part story is a sequel to both "The Trial of Ten" and "Time Sense"

While there are a few references to those stories, it isn't necessary to read them to understand this new one. The main thing to understand is that Ten (the Metacrisis Doctor) and Rose have returned to their original universe. However, Ten became exiled to Earth by the Shadow Proclamation (The Trial of Ten). He and Rose now work as freelancers for UNIT and are posted to various places around the U.K. in order to solve mysteries. One such location was Lindisfarne (Time Sense). The NATS are time creatures that made their first appearance at Lindisfarne (Time Sense).

Disclaimer: This story takes place within the Doctor Who universe. This story is a way of re-interpreting concepts and ideas already present in Doctor Who. All Doctor Who characters within belong to the BBC. All other characters are fictitious. This story is for fun and for sharing, but not for profit.


Chapter 1: Reunion

A small, verdant planet floated around its young star, as orbiting bodies are wont to do. This particular sphere bore a passing resemblance to Earth, although it was a little smaller and slightly greener. A shining marble in space, it would have given the impression of an idyllic planet-wide Emerald Isle, or continents covered by the green fields of England.

That is, if any eyes familiar with those places were there to see it.

But then, something strange happened to this delicate, green-hued world. Something an outside observer could only describe as a shudder travelled swiftly around the globe as it rotated and spun within its orbit. Fog, cloud and sandstorms rolled across previously clear areas of the globe. In some areas, where it was still possible to see through the sudden murk, fissures cracked the ground.

Within minutes, this seemingly tranquil and beautiful green marble of a sphere transformed itself into a planet in distress.

And only a few minutes after that, the first space-bound signal issued forth from the planet: a cry for help.

Eleven and River

Song birds trilled and fluttered in the hedges. Oak and hawthorn trees shaded the garden. The hawthorn was in bloom and pink and white petals were scattered over the path. In a sunny back corner of the garden stood a pergola. Ivy and jasmine wound tendrils over the wooden latticed structure. In front of a tall blue box lay a low stone cottage with a thatched roof.

"Well!' said Eleven as he stepped out of the Tardis and looked around. 'This isn't quite what I expected.'

'Really?' asked River as she pulled the door to and stretched, her arms above her. 'Ahh, just look at this. How perfectly... pastoral. You've never taken me anywhere pastoral before.'

'Didn't really plan on it this time,' mumbled Eleven. He scuffed the grass under his feet and sniffed the air. 'Has he gone domestic, do you think?'

'Why wouldn't he?' she asked. 'Stuck on Earth in one time. Why not try new things?'

'Yes, but really,' he murmured. At the sound of a door opening, he brightened. 'Ah! Sounds of life. Maybe we'll find out this is all an illusion. Although I'd rather not be having another dream.' He brushed his mop of a fringe away from his eyes.

River pinched him hard and he yelped. 'No dream, sweetie,' she said, smiling serenely.

Rose

The moment she heard the familiar wheeze of the Tardis, Rose fought to extricate her hands from the gooey mass of dough. It was more difficult than she expected, but even amidst her surprise and eagerness to see Eleven, she was very conscious of her messy state. The last thing she wanted to do was to leave splotches of flour on the very undomestic Time Lord when she hugged him. Her thoughts rebelled against the very image.

Her headlong rush out the door stopped abruptly. Eleven stood there, as she expected, in the familiar tweed jacket and bowtie, but there was a woman beside him who seemed as if she had just finished pinching him, judging from his yelp and double take. Her eyes were sparkling with mischief and a riot of curls framed her face. Amy and Rory were nowhere to be seen.

'Doctor?' she asked hesitantly.

Eleven smiled broadly and advanced towards her. Gone was that slight awkwardness he wore around her the last time they parted.

'Rose!' he exclaimed and took her by the shoulders. To her bemusement, he kissed her on each side of her cheeks with a flourish and stood back as if pleased with himself.

'What?' asked Rose, suppressing an urge to giggle.

'It's my greeting,' explained Eleven. 'An elegant greeting. I'm being elegant.' He leaned forward with a sudden, small, worried look. 'I am, aren't I?'

'Terribly,' said the woman beside him and she smirked.

'Now you're done, come here,' ordered Rose and she put her arms around him. 'Good to see you,' she whispered and hugged him hard. When they disengaged, she tried not to notice the woman surreptitiously brushing off some flour from Eleven's back.

'So, er, what's this?' Eleven gestured at Rose's messy hands. 'You haven't, ah, "gone domestic", have you?' He peered at her, his forehead furrowed.

'Oh yes,' said Rose solemnly. 'My mum would be thrilled. Baking, cleaning... we have matching lace curtains in every window. The Doctor... Ten, I mean, loves it and wonders why we never decorated the Tardis. It's only taken him a year to settle down.'

As she spoke, a look of horror spread over Eleven's face. She clasped her floury hands together and beamed at him.

Eleven swallowed, looked at the woman beside him and then back at Rose. 'I didn't realise... oh my.'

The woman's eyes sparkled. 'Why haven't you ever let me decorate the Tardis, sweetie?'

He gulped. 'The... the Tardis? You aren't seriously...'

'I'm having you on, silly,' said Rose. 'And so is she.' She crossed her arms and tilted her head. She glanced at the woman who smirked.

Eleven visibly relaxed. 'So... it's been a year since I dropped you two off at Lindisfarne?

'Yep,' said Rose. 'And we've been posted at a few places since. This is the latest, though nothing's happened yet. But, um... by the way, who is she? You haven't introduced us yet.'

He tensed again. 'Oh, ah... right!' He nodded rapidly. 'Yes. Rose Tyler, River Song. River Song, Rose Tyler.'

'Hi,' said Rose.

'Hello!' said River. She crossed the short distance and linked her arm through Rose's. 'I've heard a lot about you. I do hope we can be chums.'

Rose stiffened and looked at Eleven. 'I thought you never talked about us after you move on. Why does she-'

'Oh, he still doesn't,' interrupted River. 'But I don't let him get away with that. And you, Rose, are different. I just had to meet you and have a really good chat. I'd love to hear the real story from you!'

'The real story?' Rose raised her eyebrows and then suddenly grinned. This sounded promising to her. 'What would you like to know?'

'Good heavens,' muttered Eleven. 'The missus and the ex. Mickey was right.' He raised his voice. 'Er, Rose, where's Ten? And... why are you baking?'

'Ten? I'll take you to him... though,' and here she hesitated. 'It's all a bit of a secret here on Ear... here.' She glanced at River and back again. 'She all right?'

'Oh, yeah,' said River. 'I love secrets.' She squeezed Rose's arm and then let her go.

'You can trust her,' said Eleven. 'Well, most of the time.'

'And the rest of the time is so much more fun.' River stepped back and gave Eleven a wicked smile. He blanched.

'I think I might like you,' Rose said to River. 'Keep him on his toes, do you?'

'Absolutely.' River beamed.

'When she isn't trying to kill me,' said Eleven.

This time River linked her arm through Eleven's and batted her eyelashes. 'Were you speaking literally or figuratively?'

Eleven coughed. 'Both. Rose... please talk. Why baking?'

'It's a dare,' Rose said, smirking. 'He tried making scones yesterday. It's his new thing. Cream teas. He can't get enough of them, but shops aren't always open. So he thought he'd make them as well as-or better than-anyone. You know, superior Time Lord baking.'

'He tried baking?' Eleven's eyebrows rose. 'Ten?'

Rose chortled. 'It was a disaster. The biggest mess. Mind you, I think he had fun making it turn out that way. But then he dared me to do better.'

'Dared you to make better scones or a bigger mess?' asked River.

Rose pondered. 'I'm not sure. But I'm not gonna compete with his messes. He just has too much fun with them.'

River laughed. 'I like him already. And how are you doing so far?'

'Not like my mum.' Rose shrugged. 'But the dough is still in the bowl. Where it should be.'

Eleven's eyebrows rose a fraction higher. 'And is the kitchen a disaster?'

'No,' she said defiantly. 'I was just about to... um.. make the lumps... er... scones.'

'Right,' said Eleven, shifting from foot to foot. 'When's Ten coming back?'

She hesitated. 'Sooner or later.'

'Sounds like a Time Lord,' said River. 'I can hardly wait to meet him.'

'You know about him?'

'Oh yes,' gushed River. 'Instant metacrisis-grown from the Doctor's spare hand. A real conversation starter, I must say.'

'Doctor?' Rose stared at Eleven, eyebrows raised again. 'Blabbing in your old age?' Eleven had never talked to her about past experiences, lives or companions-that is, until they came back from the past and confronted him, like Sarah Jane. None of his incarnations that she had known had done this. What made this new companion so different?

'Oh, don't blame him,' said River. She patted Eleven on his arm. 'He can never say "no" to me. Besides, with the Tardis on my side, I can find out anything I want to.'

'Oh, really?' said Rose, fascinated despite herself. The Tardis on her side? she thought. What did that mean? 'There are a few things I've always wanted to know.'

'It's a date,' promised River. She turned to Eleven. 'Well, lover, we have to wait and there are scones to make.'

'River,' said Eleven with a pained voice. 'Time Lords do not bake.'

'Clearly, they do. The other Doctor tried it, so I simply must see you with flour over your hands. Come on!'

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

'So, where is this marvellous meta-crisis Time Lord of yours,' River had asked when the scones were safely in the oven and the timer set, and Eleven was leaning against the counter, fastidiously picking out dough from between his fingers.

'Up on the ridge,' Rose had answered. 'The Ridgeway, they call it.'

And so they walked along a wooded path up onto the ancient Ridgeway that looked over the green valley and the further, slightly misty downs. In the distance lay the graceful lines of a huge white horse cut into the chalk of the hillside. Rowan, beech and oak trees lined the path. A single chaffinch warbled high above them from the tops of the trees.

Rose led them through a curiously elongated kissing-gate and down a long path to a large stand of trees. But when they reached the edge of the grove, she paused and put a finger to her lips. Both Eleven and River looked at her curiously but they simply nodded and followed her cautiously into the grove.

Tall beech trees ringed the roughly rectangular area, dappled sunlight shifting lazily over the green. At the end closest to Rose, Eleven and River were four standing stones guarding a low but wide grassy mound that stretched out behind it down the length of the grove.

'Wayland's Smithy,' murmured Eleven with fascination. 'Looked different last time I was here. Same stones, though.'

'Oooh,' said River, equally quietly but with shining eyes. 'I love barrow mounds.'

Rose nodded but merely beckoned them forward as she walked past the front of the great stones and to the other side of the barrow. She smiled then and watched the others make their discovery as they rounded the corner and the last of the guarding stones.

Ten lay back against the slope of the mound, his arms outstretched and his eyes closed. All around him, clustered against his body, swarmed a multitude of tiny, glowing creatures in a kind of nimbus.

'What is...' whispered Eleven. He stepped forward cautiously and River followed him.

Rose stayed back, watching. She knew that she couldn't go any closer, but something kept her from warning River.

Eleven and River crept forward, but neither Ten nor the glowing creatures paid them any attention. It was only when Eleven knelt on the slope and slowly held out his hand to the cloud of the jiggling pin-points of light that the creatures lazily swirled around his hand. River held her hand out also, and the creatures wafted around her as well. Within seconds, however, they flowed back to press themselves once more against Ten. River grinned, fascinated, but moved back to give Eleven more room. She glanced back at Rose.

Rose smiled and nodded her head. After a moment, Ten opened his eyes.

'Ooer,' he said sitting up. The creatures winked out rapidly one by one and soon the glow was gone. 'Hello!'

'Hello there,' said Eleven. 'You aren't surprised. Why not? I like surprising people. It's fun.'

'Sorry!' said Ten, leaning back on his elbows. 'They told me you were here. Besides, I could feel you as soon as you arrived.'

'They? Those beings? They're time creatures, aren't they. I could feel it.'

'Oh yes!' said Ten eagerly. 'You'll never guess what they are!' He bounded to his feet and caught sight of River. He stopped abruptly, his eyes impossibly wide. The earlier enthusiasm dropped away and he stared. 'River,' he breathed. His hands fell to his sides and he took a step backward.

'That's me,' River said, but she frowned. 'You've met me before, obviously. But why are you looking at me like that?'

'Because last time I saw you...' He stopped abruptly and ran a hand through his hair. 'Er, yes. Was quite an adventure, that.'

'Must have been,' she answered rather dryly though she watched him closely.

Rose came forward and stood by Ten's side. He had calmed down, but she could feel tension through his arm as it pressed against hers. She took his hand and he gripped back hard. She saw River's eyes flick down and notice the movement.

'Right,' said Eleven briskly. 'So everyone is acquainted. Ten, what are those creatures? They travel through time, yes?'

Ten shook his head rapidly, rather like a dog just coming from a swim, and then he grinned, returning to his former eagerness. 'See if you can tell.' He looked down at Rose and squeezed her hand. 'Sorry. The agreement...'

'I know,' she answered. 'It's all right.' She could see River look puzzled, but something prompted Rose to stay mum. She was beginning to like River, but her old habit of distrusting the Doctor's other companions hadn't quite gone. Also, River seemed different somehow. So, Rose did not tell her about the "No Humans" agreement between Ten and the NATS, and she simply walked back to the front of the barrow. She turned and, leaning against the last upright guard stones, she watched as Ten stood very still.

After a moment, the glowing beings appeared again, jostling eagerly around Ten's body. After a moment, Ten raised his arms and slowly wafted the beings towards Eleven and River. The cloud eddied and swirled around the two, sometimes clustering against them and sometimes hovering above.

Suddenly Rose saw Eleven's face light up with sudden understanding. River seemed fascinated but not comprehending.

'Oh my,' whispered Eleven. 'Oh my.'

The beings once again flowed back to Ten as if he were a magnet, and then, as Rose came forward, winked out of time.

'What?' asked River. 'What were they? I like them. They tickled... sort of tickled in time.'

'They're the NAT-' Rose began.

'Tessafage,' said Eleven raptly. 'They're from Gallifrey. Well, sort of. But I never knew they actually existed.' He clutched his hair, grinning, and turned 360 degrees on the spot. 'Tessafage! Here!'

'Yeah,' said Ten softly. 'They escaped the Time Lock.'

Eleven launched himself at Ten and enveloped him in a bear hug. At first startled, Ten responded and wrapped his arms around Eleven.

'Awww,' said River. 'If only I had a camera.'

'Yeah,' said Rose and flashed her a grin. But when the two Time Lords separated, she accosted Ten. 'Tessa...tess-what?'

'Tessafage,' he answered. 'What we called the NATS on Gallifrey.'

'NATS?' queried Eleven.

'Non-aware-' began Ten.

'Never mind,' interrupted Rose. 'Just a term.'

Eleven and Ten looked at her curiously, but River moved in by Rose's side.

'Tell me,' River said. 'Why did you hang back? The Tessafage disappeared whenever you came near them.'

'They won't come when there are humans,' Rose answered, 'though they know me and sort of put up with only me if I'm at a distance.' She put her hands on her hips and cocked her head to one side. 'Which means... You're not human.'

'I am,' said River. 'But I'm also Time Lord.'

Both Rose and Ten stared at her.

'So that's why you could...' whispered Ten. He stopped as if stung and then cleared his throat.

'Could what?' asked River.

Ten gave her a small smile. 'Spoilers,' he said gently.

River shrugged. 'Fair enough.' She dug out her journal which was, Rose noticed, an old, battered book in the blue of the Tardis. Even the pressed design on the covers looked like the time-ship. River made a quick notation in it and closed it again. 'Avoiding spoilers should be easy. This is the first time I've met you, and I've never seen the Doctor with your face. You've seen me before but not me you.' She pondered this as Rose watched the two Doctors watching River uneasily. 'Judging from your reaction,' River mused, looking at Ten, 'you haven't seen me much, or else something big happened. Tell me, have you ever met me without Eleven here? After you split off from him, that is?'

'Spoilers,' Eleven reminded her.

Ten shrugged. 'He knows everything I know about you.'

'So...' mused Rose. 'You're all Time-Lords.' She stared at River. Where had she come from, she wondered. Ten had talked about Gallifrey being time-locked, and she knew that he and Eleven were supposed to be the last Time Lords. And yet, here was this woman whom Eleven clearly accepted as one of them.

'More or less,' said River cheerfully. She cocked a thumb at Eleven. 'Him more, and us-' and here she waved her hand back and forth between herself and Ten, '-less.' She gazed at Ten for a moment. 'That meta-crisis, though... Fascinating. The Doctor told me about it. So, what would you say you are to him... and to that human-Donna, am I right?'

'Yeah, Donna,' Ten said softly. Then he brightened. 'Well! Depends on how you see it. Experientially-experientially... good word. Think I'll keep it. Right! Experientially, I am the same as Eleven. Our identity is the same. Same person, same memories. You could call us brothers, or twins even. Well, not including what we've both done since. From the meta-crisis, though... I'd be the brother to Donna. I inherited some of her DNA, and she received my, er, and Eleven's Time Lord mind. Mind you, I'd be her very older brother since she... well...er... how old was she? Not sure. And... creationally, I'm the product of Eleven and Donna, so...their son. I don't like that though. Much rather think of us as brothers. Twins. I like twins.'

He stopped then, almost out of breath.

River batted her eyes. 'Whatever you say, Sweetie,' she said, amused. 'After you've sorted out who you are, just remember this. I know your real name.' She winked at him.

Ten blanched. 'R...right.' He nodded and swallowed convulsively.

'Real name?' asked Rose. She looked rapidly back and forth between them. Since when did the Doctor have a real name? He had always insisted that he was just "the Doctor" and nothing else. Her mind raced, trying to remember anything to the contrary. Ten would have told her, wouldn't he? She wasn't just a companion to him anymore. He had stayed in the alternate universe to be with her. He had offered himself to her. At least, that was what he had said. Why would he not have told her when Eleven had told River? She crossed her arms tightly.

Eleven coughed. 'Yes, well, time to get going.' He strode away, heading for the path out of the glade.

'Going where?' asked Rose, abandoning her posture and scurrying by his side.

'Big adventure,' said Eleven, waving his arms expansively. 'Travels. Team Tardis once again. Should be grand!'

'Er, Doctor,' whispered Rose, glancing back at River and Ten following them. 'He can't travel, remember?'

'Actually, he can,' he responded. 'We just have to stop by the Shadow Proclamation first and get their permission for the jaunt. I have a feeling they will be quite obliging.'

'Oh, really?' queried Ten from behind them. 'That's not my impression of them.'

'Just wait and see,' said Eleven. He winked at Rose. 'Come on! What could be better? Adventure awaits!'

To be continued