Starfall
Chapter 01: The Christmas Invasion
Almadynis
Disclaimer: I would love to own Doctor Who…however, I am but a lowly college student and all I happen to own is my car...and Astrid, no takies! *sniffles* Nor do I own David Tennant, who has finally made an entrance. *sigh*
AN: This is the sequel to "Sister Star", if you haven't read that, this will be a bit confusing.
Astrid's thoughts
Astrid and Rose could only hold on tightly as the Doctor tried to drive to Earth while in the process of regenerating. It was not what one could say a pleasant experience or a smooth ride. Both girls were tossed from side to side as they crashed into first one building, then another and another before Star lost count and then they finally came to a crash landing in the alley off the Powell Estate.
The Doctor immediately went to the doors and threw them open—Astrid on his heels while Rose was still trying to get on her feet—peering out with his mouth open wide and blue eyes a little mad. He wore the Ninth Doctor's clothes, naturally, but they were too big on him. "Here we are, then! London! Earth! The Solar System! I did it!"
Astrid could only watch at the door to the TARDIS in anxiety. She knew what was coming.
He stumbled out of the TARDIS, looking up and around at all of the flats, mouth gaping. Jackie and Mickey were standing there in front of the TARDIS doors, staring at him in shock and bewilderment. The Doctor suddenly decided to notice them. "Jackie! Mickey! Blimey!" He stumbled back a few steps, hand going up as he continues, barely taking a breath to speak. "No, no, no, no, no. Hold on." He moved around Jackie and Mickey, the two of them turning to follow his movement. "Wait there. What was I going to say?" His tone was so serious. "There was something I had to tell you. Something important. What was it?" He placed one hand on either of Jackie and Mickey's shoulders, leaning on them as he tried desperately to think. "Hold on, shush, sh, sh, sh, sh…OH! I know!" Jackie and Mickey both jump a bit in surprise and alarm. "Merry Christmas!" Then he collapsed onto the ground, Mickey barely catching him as he goes down to avoid hitting his head on the pavement.
Astrid ran to his side and held his head in her lap as Rose had apparently finally gotten to her feet from the bumpy ride since she came out of the ship behind Astrid and could only stare at the Doctor laying on the ground. Rose looked at Astrid in fear, "What happened? Is he all right?"
"I don't know. He just keeled over." Mickey answered, but Astrid spoke over him.
"He's fine for now Rose. He's regenerating. It'll take him a while to complete the regeneration cycle, but he's fine." Astrid smiled softly at the man she held, running her fingers through his hair. You were always my favorite. And if its all I can do, I will try my best to keep you in this form, Doctor. And I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…but the next little bit is not going to be pleasant for you.
"But who is he? Where's the Doctor?" Mickey demanded of the girls.
Rose reached over and kissed him on the forehead, her heart aching for Jack's comfort. "That's him. Right in front of you. That's the Doctor."
Jackie of course didn't believe, or didn't want to believe. "What d'you mean, 'that's the Doctor'? Doctor who?"
Astrid just continued to stroke his hair as he lay there unconscious.
It took some finagling, grunting, sweat, and about eight hands, but the four of them were able to get the Doctor into the guest bedroom of the Tyler's flat and into bed. Astrid shooed them all off as she, blushing heartily, stripped him of clothes and then redressed him in a pair of stripped blue, red, and white pajamas. She did her best to not look at one particular area but failed miserably and blushed harder. She whispered softly so as not to be heard by anyone that might be listening in. "Well, Doctor. You certainly don't have to worry about over-compensating. Don't worry about being Ten. He was always my favorite of your regenerations."
A knock came, "Is he decent yet?" Jackie called out.
"Yeah, come on in. Have you got the stethoscope?"
The bedroom door opened and Jackie came in, a red stethoscope in her hands. "Here we go. Tina the cleaner's got this lodger, medical student. And she was fast asleep, so I just took it." Astrid absently thanked her as she started to put them into her ears while Jackie kept talking. "Though, I still say we should take him to hospital."
Rose interceded for her friend. "We can't. They'd lock him up. They'd dissect him. One bottle of his blood could change the future of the human race." She focused on Astrid. "You hear anything?"
Astrid had completely ignored Jackie after she had been given the stethoscope. She unbuttoned the top of the pajama piece enough to reach his chest.
Jackie's eyes widened. "You just dressed him, what are you stripping him for? I know you want to sleep with him, but shouldn't you wait until he's conscious?"
Rose glared at her mother. "Shush!"
Astrid didn't respond as placed the diaphragm of the acoustic stethoscope onto his chest under his pajama top and closed her eyes. She had seen her parents do this multiple times, but doing it herself was only amateurish at best. He flinched under her touch, but didn't wake. She smiled softly and brought the diaphragm up to her lips and fogged it up to get it warm. "Reacts to temperature changes. That's good… I think." She tried again and this time heard his heart since he didn't shift under her hands. Moving to the other side, she listened again. Satisfied for the moment, she pulls off the stethoscope. She looked at Rose and smiled, "Both working."
Jackie, for the third time in a row, cut in between the girls. "What d'you mean 'both'?"
Rose answered since Astrid was busy rolling her eyes and buttoning back up the Doctor's pajama top. "Well, he's got two hearts."
Jackie frowned at her daughter and contemptuously snarled, "Oh, don't be stupid."
Astrid grinned at the not-so-secret. "He has!"
Jackie looked at her daughter in all but blood. "Anything else he's got two of?"
The brunette's expression changed to a glare in a millisecond. "Leave him alone, Jackie. Shut the door on your way out. He doesn't need your criticism." She watched as Jackie left the room, shutting the door behind her. Astrid turned her attention onto the man she loved just in time to see his mouth open slightly and a wisp of golden energy the color of the Time Vortex escape from him and float out the window. "Won't be long now."
Rose and Mickey had gone shopping for Christmas presents, leaving Astrid and Jackie to watch over the Doctor. Astrid hadn't once left his side; she just sat by his bedside in a chair she had pulled from the kitchen and talked. About anything and everything she could think of. In part it was to reassure herself that he was listening, he was doing alright. Another part of her needed the company, even if it was only in her own mind.
"So, Doctor. We finally got through the Bad Wolf incident. That was why he brought me here, you know. He hasn't shown back up yet to drag me off to try again, so that's a good thing. The thought that he might though has kept me up some nights. It's one of my worst fears." She took a breath, the image of the Master the last time she saw him, that cruel boyish smile still haunted her.
"I've got to be very careful though. The events in the next forty-eight hours will determine whether or not the universe will exist. If I get it wrong…he WILL come through that door. He'll take me away from you and there is nothing you can do. Nothing anyone can do. And that is why, Doctor, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. You are going to hurt soon. You will be in pain." She held his right hand tightly, knowing what will happen to it and hating herself for allowing it to happen. A tear slipped out of her eye but only one. "I can promise that it will save galaxies and billions, trillions of lives. But I have to let the next few days happen exactly as I saw. I'll change what I can, but it won't be much. If I'm right, I will only be able to save a few hundred. Two people will die, no matter what."
Jackie walked through the door talking on the phone that is wedged between her chin and shoulder so that she can hold two coffee mugs. Astrid immediately wiped her cheeks to get rid of the tears and smiled cheerily at the woman. Jackie sets a cup of tea on the side table as she spoke into the receiver, "Oh, no. Don't come round, darling. No, flat's all topsy turvy." She smiles at Astrid and hands her a second cup of tea. "Yeah, she just barges in and litters the place. Yeah. No, I'll come round and see you on Boxing Day." Then she left the room again, completely missing the vortex energy escaping the Doctor's mouth again.
Astrid stared at her retreating form. "Wow. She's more oblivious than I thought. I thought she grew out of that." She frowned but turned back to the Doctor. "Oh, crap. I forgot!" She went over to where she had folded up his clothes and rummaged through the pockets, thinking of the sonic screwdriver until it popped into her hand—like everything else provided by the TARDIS, the expanded space of the Doctor's pockets had a telepathic interface. She came back to his side and placed it into his left hand. "Again, Doctor. I'm sorry."
She hears the front door of the flat bang open. She took a deep breath and goes out into the hall to see Rose and Mickey out of breath from all the running. Rose was just hanging up the phone for Jackie. "Right, it's not safe, we've gotta get out. Where can we go?" She looked at Astrid in the doorway, but the girl shrugged.
"I gave up my apartment ages ago. The lease ran out by the time we got back here the first time. Remember the year we missed?"
Mickey piped up. "My mate Stan, he'll put us up."
Rose gave him a 'duh' look, "That's only two streets away." She turned to Jackie, "What about Mo? Where's she living now?"
Jackie shrugged and said incredulously, "I dunno! Peak District!"
"Oh, we'll go to Cousin Mo's then." Rose nodded decisively.
Astrid gave her a look. "I'll go pack the Doctor's things," before she turned to go back down the hallway but Jackie once again interrupted.
"It's Christmas Eve! We're not going anywhere! What're you babbling about?"
"Mum..." Rose stopped mid-sentence when she noticed the tree in the corner of the room. It wasn't anything like the tree that had been there before. "Where'd you get that tree?" This tree was green for one, and covered in red, silver, and green ornaments with bits of white stars, red ribbons, and a bit of tinsel."That's a new tree. Where'd you get it?"
Astrid went out of hearing range at that, returning to the Doctor's bedside. Almost at her heels, Rose and Mickey came into the bedroom; Jackie yelled out but was last through, slamming the door shut behind her. Astrid stayed in a far corner of the room, far enough away that Rose gave her one look, assumed that the girl was in shock, and took control.
The blond leaned over the Doctor's form and yelled at him, "Doctor, wake up!"
Mickey and Jackie had moved a wardrobe in front of the door and held it as it started to shake from the spinning tree trying to get through. Rose ran over to his jacket, searching his pockets for the sonic screwdriver, but didn't find it. In her fear, she relied on him so much to help… She darted to the other side of the bed, putting him between her and the tree, and saw the screwdriver already in his hand. The Christmas tree finally breaks through the wardrobe, tossing Mickey and Jackie backwards into the walls. Jackie was terrified and her voice rose to a high squeaky level as she cried out, "I'm gonna get killed by a Christmas tree!"
The tree was getting so close, and Astrid just stood in the corner, looking at the tree with a slack expression. Rose couldn't think of anything else to do. She leaned close to the Doctor's left ear and whispered desperately, "Help me." She drew back slightly, not knowing what else she could try.
The Doctor suddenly bolted upright and pointed his sonic screwdriver at the tree. It exploded into little bitty bits—serves it right for trying to kill us all—and they all breathed sighs of relief. The Doctor's expression was very bland for a few more seconds and his voice was calm. "Remote control." Then he got interested and jumped out of bed. "But who's controlling it?"
They all followed him to the Tyler Flat Balcony, the Doctor securing a dressing gown around him as he went in front. Outside, on the asphalt stood three doohickeys dressed up as Santa.
Mickey acknowledged the obvious. "That's them. What are they?" Rose shushed him silent.
The Doctor, his face oh so calm and expressionless, raised his screwdriver like it was a fencing sword threateningly. The Santas all backed away and moved closer together, noticeably scared. Then a beautiful blue light encapsulated all of them, making them disappear and shoot into the sky. A teleport.
Mickey didn't quite believe it. "They've just gone!" He gave a small laugh. "What kind of rubbish were they? I mean, no offence, but they're not much cop if a sonic screwdriver's gonna scare them off."
"Pilot fish." The Doctor said calmly. Wow… Nine would have smiled by now and teased Mickey mercilessly. Ten is different from Nine…a lot more than I remembered.
"What?" Rose didn't understand the reference he was trying to make.
"They were just pilot fish." Then he fell backwards as he cried out in pain. Astrid stood to the side, tears in her eyes as she watched the others all hurry to his side. Rose cried out in fear for him. He panted as he answered her. "You woke me up too soon." He panted in pain, breathing heavily. "I'm still regenerating. I'm bursting with energy." A bit of the vortex escaped from his mouth. This time they all saw it, especially since it was right into Jackie and Mickey's faces. "You see? The pilot fish could smell it a million miles away. So they eliminate the defense, that's you lot, and they carry me off. They could run their batteries off me for a couple of years!" He cried out in intense pain, lurching forward into Jackie's arms. Over her shoulder, he saw Astrid, tears running down her cheeks, standing off to the side alone. He did indeed listen when he was regenerating, and knew what she had said. He understood. He would have reassured her that he didn't blame her, but at the moment… "My head." Jackie kneeled in front of him, taking his eyes off of his Star. "I'm having a neural implosion. I need…"
Astrid knew this part. She turned away to hide her face. She couldn't take the pain she was making him go through and ran. She just needed to get away for a little while. The others could take care of him, she knew. She just needed a little time. Huh…I need time away from a Time Lord. How pathetic am I?
She ran all the way to the TARDIS before she stopped, crying so much that she couldn't see straight anymore. She collapsed and slid down its exterior doors, not bothering to go inside. At the moment, she didn't think she deserved it. The TARDIS had come to represent home, acceptance, safety. She was willfully letting the Doctor, Lexi's pilot, get hurt. He was in so much pain right now, and it was her fault. She sobbed harshly; her knees pulled up and let her head rest on them as her shoulders shook with the force of her cries.
Then, like a miracle, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She looked up and into his beautiful brown eyes, full of love…and sorrow. He somehow seemed older, more tired than he had just a few hours before. He was dressed in his normal blue-pinstripe suit with the red cross-trainers. How did he get dressed in that with me blocking the entrance to Lexi? What…? He knelt by her, side-tracking her thoughts, smiled at her softly. "I don't blame you, my Star. I will NEVER blame you. It'll be all right." He reached out to hold her head in his hands, one behind her neck and the other in her hair, and proceeded to kiss her soundly.
At first, she melted into the feel and taste of him, so different from Nine, but so similar. She reveled in the touch of his tongue and the teasing push and pull of the dance she had learned with him… Until she began to run out of air. He was pressing so hard, that her nose was blocked, she couldn't breathe. Astrid tried to push him away, but he just held her tighter, the way he held her blocked her from fighting him too much, and she was already in an awkward position sitting on the ground. There was nothing she could do. Her eyes were so wide open as to be comical, but it wasn't funny. His warm brown orbs begged her to forgive him even as her world began to darken around the edges. The last thing she saw as she lost consciousness was his concerned face. The last thing she heard was her own voice quietly saying, "Are you sure she'll be alright?" but that could have been the oxygen deprivation talking.
Astrid made her way quietly through the Tyler Flat, and into the guest bedroom where the Doctor lay. It was so odd seeing him like this all over again, but there was nothing to do for it. All she could do now was be here for him…and make sure history did not repeat itself. He was breathing so heavily, in so much pain, that she could almost feel it herself. She sat in the seat she had just vacated hours before, took his hand in hers, and settled herself in for a long night.
Jackie Tyler came into the guest bedroom and found Astrid half-asleep at the Doctor's bedside. The brunette girl blinked sleepily up at Jackie, but didn't move from her apparently very comfortable spot. "Do you know what he needs?" Jackie hesitantly asked, she still wasn't sure she believed her daughter that the brunette was from the future.
The girl seemed to come awake in a burst of motion, sitting upright in the chair so fast that Jackie jerked back in surprise. "Jackie! Needs? Him…oh…ummm… I can't tell you." Her voice in the beginning was filled with surprise and delight, but as she had begun to answer the question, it had become hesitant and quiet, the last few words barely a whisper.
Jackie really looked at her since she had gotten to the flat and noticed differences. There were bags under her eyes as if she hadn't slept, but her eyes were also really red from crying. Her hair was a mess and in unwashed strings. Her clothes though were the exact same as when she came in, they just seemed to be more…threadbare. She looked older. "Oh, sweetheart. Come here." Jackie gently pulled the girl into her arms and hugged her tightly. The Doctor being sick had obviously hit her the hardest. "I'm sure he'll be fine. It'll be alright."
Astrid nodded into her shirt, smiled through a veil of tears. "I know. I just hope he can forgive me."
"For what, sweetheart?" But Astrid just shook her head, unwilling to answer. Jackie sighed after a few seconds. "I'll make you a nice cup of tea." She left the room, leaving Astrid to go back to being alone with the Doctor. Later, when she came back with the mug of hot fresh tea, she immediately saw that Astrid had fallen asleep, stretched out beside her Doctor alongside him, balancing so precariously that with so very little movement, she could fall to the floor. Jackie smiled at the precious image, shut the door, and told Rose and Mickey not to disturb the couple.
The next day dawned bright and quite cheerful. Astrid closed her eyes in sorrow as she began to hear frantic and hysterical cries for loved ones. "Oh, Doctor. I'm so sorry. Rose won't mean it…she doesn't understand. Everything is balanced so carefully, Doctor. It's almost as if one little shift in the air could make someone die." She gave a great heaving sigh as the hysteria outside got louder, but she didn't go see what was going on; she knew. "It won't be much longer, I promise. And I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry." Her shoulder shook with silent sobs, but the tears had long since dried out, even as her voice broke with emotion. She clutched his hand in her own, bowed her head over his form and shook with dry heaving sobs.
Astrid had to get out of the room. But her venture out was ill-timed. The television was on, and Harriet Jones, Prime Minister, was speaking to the masses on BBC News 24. She looks pretty good in a suit. There was a picture of the Queen to her left on the desk Harriet was sitting behind. Two Union flags were behind her, one on each side. The room was very symmetrical with two lamps and paintings above them on either side of her, beside the flags. The only non-symmetrical thing was a very small Christmas tree sitting on a tabletop behind Harriet. "Ladies and gentlemen, if I may take a moment during this terrible time. It's hardly the Queen's speech, I'm afraid that's been cancelled." She turned her head to the right as she asked someone off-screen. "Did we ask about the royal family?" She waited for a reply. "Oh." She pause, collecting herself before turning back to address the people. "They're on the roof. But, ladies and gentlemen, this crisis is unique, and I'm afraid to say it might get much worse."
Jackie, Rose and Mickey hadn't noticed Astrid behind them as they watched the television avidly.
Harriet actually understood what she was saying, had carefully planned it. "I would ask you all to remain calm. But I have one request. Doctor…if you're out there, we need you."
Jackie looked back at Mickey and Rose, but Rose just stared straight ahead stoically. Astrid knew she was fighting back tears.
Harriet kept going. "I don't know what to do. If you can hear me, Doctor, if anyone knows the Doctor, if anyone can find him…"
Rose turned away from the television, walked passed Astrid standing at the entrance to the hallway, and walking to the doorway of the guess bedroom where the Doctor lay. There were tears running down her cheeks.
Astrid followed her, but they could both hear Harriet's voice easily in the background. "…the situation has never been more desperate. Help us. Please, Doctor, help us."
The Doctor never moved, never stirred. Rose leaned against the doorframe, watching him for a few moments before collapsing into Astrid's arms. Jackie came up to her daughter from behind and the brunette transferred the crying blond over. Rose turned in her mother's arms and buried her face into her chest, just as the brunette had done hours earlier, and cried in earnest. Her voice was choked with tears. "He's gone. The Doctor's gone. He's left me, Mum. He left me, Mum." Rose began to sob harder.
Jackie, being a good mother, placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and embraced her with all the love she possessed. Her daughter continued to cry into her shoulder, and all she could do was whisper soothingly, gently, into her ear, "It's all right…I'm sorry…"
At that moment, all of the windows smashed, showering every floor and surface with glass, the ground shook violently, almost like an earthquake.
Astrid went back to the Doctor's bedside and began to gather up his things. Rose, Jackie, and Mickey had left already to investigate. Her voice was soft as she said, "I'm sorry, Doctor."
Rose came running into the Doctor's bedroom, yelling behind her. "Mickey, we're gonna carry him." She found the Doctor already dressed in the dressing gown he had on before, the comforter thrown to the side, a Wal-Mart sack filled with his clothes all ready to carry. Astrid was gathering up the last few items to put into the sack when the blond had rushed into the room. Rose took all of this in, the fact that Astrid had known and had done nothing, and then called over her shoulder to Jackie. "Mum, get your stuff and some food. We're going."
Mickey apparently wasn't thinking so well right now. "Where to?"
Astird picked up the narrative. "Lexi." She saw their blank looks and rolled her eyes. "The TARDIS. It's the only safest place on Earth. Mickey, grab his shoulders, guys have more upper-body muscle than girls, it'll be the heaviest." Rose nodded and moved to his feet.
Jackie didn't completely understand. "What are we going to go in there?"
"Hide." It came in stereo from both girls, as if it were obvious. Of course we are going to hide, you dumbo! Rose continued the narrative as she and Mickey grabbed the Doctor, making sure they had good handholds where they wouldn't hurt him either. "Mum, look in the sky. There's a great, big alien invasion and I don't know what to do, all right? I've travelled with him and I've seen all that stuff, but when I'm stuck at home, I'm useless. Now all we can do is run and hide and I'm sorry. Now, move."
And they moved. Jackie left the room, packing for an extended visit hiding in the TARDIS. Rose took the Doctor's legs and Mickey his shoulders. Astrid heaved the grocery sack over her shoulder and then began to help Rose move the Doctor.
They got him out of the front door and down to the TARDIS without any incidents other than Jackie trying to bring the entire kitchen.
Mickey managed to have enough breath after heaving the Doctor into the TARDIS to still ask a question. "No chance you could fly this thing?"
"Not anymore, no." Rose shook her head, breathless herself.
"Well, you did it before."
"I know, but it's sort of been wiped out of my head, like its forbidden." Nah, but since Lexi is the one that knew how to fly it, and you were temporarily borrowing her memories/powers/telepathy to communicate with her so that SHE could fly it…you really weren't flying to begin with. Rose and Mickey dropped the Doctor to the floor as gently as they could. Astrid carefully and discreetly made sure he was in the correct position for everything to go as it was supposed to. The glowing blue thingie was just barely to the left and back of his head. He should get the full effect of the tea. Rose was still talking. "If I try it again, I think the universe rips in half."
"Ah. Better not, then."
"Maybe not."
"So, what do we do? Just sit here?"
"That's as good as it gets." Rose was really irritated. The fact that Astrid had known this would occur, had done nothing to warn them, or fix ANYTHING was just the icing on the cake of her frustration.
Jackie had a thermos with her and began to take off the lid. "Right. Here we go. Nice cup of tea."
"Hmm. The solution to everything." I'm sorry, Rose. I can't change things this time…everything is balanced so carefully.
Julian came to investigate all the noise. Astrid leaned down to pet him gently, glorying in his scent and fur. Oh, I'm so glad to see you again. You have no idea how much I missed your beautiful kisses.
Jackie had about had enough of her daughter's attitude. "Now stop your moaning. I'll get the rest of the food." Jackie balanced the opened thermos on the console with the lid filled with tea handed to Mickey, and then she ran off out of the safety of the TARDIS.
Mickey was slightly amused. "Tea. Like we're having a picnic while the world comes to an end. It's very British." Yes, yes it is. But this time, tea is going to save the world. Rose didn't answer at all, too busy staring at the unmoving form of the Doctor. Mickey went around to the computer screen. Astrid closed her eyes, she couldn't bear to watch as he was the reason they were brought onto a hostile alien spacecraft. His voice kept talking. "How does this thing work? It picks up TV, maybe we could see what's going on out there. Maybe we've surrendered. What do you do to it?" She heard him messing about with pushing various buttons.
Astrid heard Rose walking as a soft beeping started. "I dunno. It sort of tunes itself." She pressed another button, and a very distinct beeping began. The Doctor had told her later that it was a beacon similar to radar, except they hadn't turned on the shielding, so it was easily identified. 'A rookie's mistake.' he said. Of course, he was amazed they had gotten it to work even accidently.
The teleport the Sycorax used was sophisticated enough that they didn't feel it when they moved. Astrid opened her eyes, knowing that it had now been done. Enough time had passed. The beeping hadn't stopped.
Mickey didn't understand what he had done. "Maybe it's a distress signal."
Rose had her head in the palm of her hand as she leaned against the console. "Fat lot of good that's gonna do."
"Are you gonna be a misery all the time?"
"Yes." The blond nodded without picking up her head.
"You should look at it from my point of view, stuck in here with your mum's cooking."
That got Rose's attention. She looked around almost instantly. "Where is she?" Mickey just shrugged. Rose climbed to her feet. "I'd better go and give her a hand. It might start raining missiles out there." She came around the console and began to head toward the entrance.
Mickey moved with her, calling out. "Tell her anything from a tin, that's fine."
Rose looked back over her shoulder. "Why don't you tell her yourself?"
"I'm not that brave."
Rose gave him a soft gentle smile with her hand on the door handle. "Oh, I don't know…" Mickey grinned back. As soon as she stepped outside the TARDIS, she was grabbed by a Sycorax. Her scream echoed in the main control room, making Mickey rush to follow her, calling out her name in concern. He brushed by the thermal flask of tea, making it fall down onto the grill floor and begin to leak right onto the blue circle thingie beneath.
Rose's panicking voice echoed again. "The door! Close the door!" Astrid watched as Mickey barely made it to the door, slamming it shut.
Astrid collapsed onto the grill flooring and let out a huge breath she had been holding. She analyzed the placement of the slowly leaking tea container before she straightened her clothes to look a bit more professional. "Julian." Her voice was a command and immediately got his attention. "Guard." He sat his rump down right by the Doctor and she nodded approval. He whined as she went to the door. She took one last look around, seeing the smoke begin to rise around the Doctor's head. Astrid took a breath and softly said, "Don't take too long, Doctor."
She walked out of the TARDIS with dignity, closing the door firmly behind her. She glared at the Sycorax coldly and it dropped the hand that would have touched her. Astrid easily walked toward the group of humans. "Hello, Harriet. Fancy meeting you here." She grinned at the wonderful woman gently, trying to lighten the mood.
Harriet gave a half-hearted laugh, but embraced the girl tightly just like she had done Rose a scant minute before. She had already asked Rose about the Doctor, and didn't bother asking the brunette. The woman could see how much his absence, or whatever he was doing, was hard on her. The girl looked like she had been through a war.
Astrid watched impassively as the Sycorax leader addressed Rose and then Rose addressed the Sycorax council. It was when all of the Sycorax began to laugh at her that Astrid acted.
Harriet's secretary—Alex. His name is Alex.—continued to translate. "You are very, very funny." The Sycorax leader was angry again. "And now you are going to die."
Astrid gently pulled Rose behind her and faced the leader in all of her five foot three inch height. Not like I haven't done it before. "If you touch her, I will quite happily run you through with that broadsword." Her voice was so cold, so heartless…and yet, it was so cheerful as well. She really would be happy to kill him. Harriet and Rose stared at her in shock. They thought they knew her. Mickey had given up knowing the girl that last time they had come, before Bad Wolf, and Alex had never met her. Not that he can remember.
The Sycorax leader was silent for a second, but only momentarily. "Did you think you were clever? Hiding behind a yellow girl?"
Rose was terrified and let Astrid do the talking. Her idea hadn't worked, let's try the brunette's. But Astrid was just stalling, for as long as it took. "I did not hide. You chose her to speak. Remember? It's not my fault you chose incorrectly."
The Sycorax leader was passionate in his speech. "We are the Sycorax and we stride the darkness." He leaned in sharply to hiss at Rose and she cried out in shock. Astrid held her hand gently to comfort her as best she could under the circumstances. "Next to us, you are but a wailing child. If you are the best your planet can offer as a champion…" Now Alex's voice began to overlap with the actual understandable voice of the Sycorax leader. "…then your world will be gutted…and your people enslaved."
Alex suddenly looked up in confusion. "Hold on, that's English."
Harriet was surprised too. "He's talking English."
Astrid was the one to clarify things. "Uh, no. He's not. You are all HEARING English. The TARDIS is translating his words into something we can understand."
Rose's eyes were wide in surprise and shock. She slowly turned around to look at the TARDIS, the others all following her example. The blue doors opened, and there he was in stripy pajamas and dark blue dressing gown. His hair looked like he had styled it, as always. His face held a soft smile. "Did you miss me?"
Rose smiled in delight. Astrid looked down at the ground in shame. The worst is yet to come, Doctor. I'm so sorry. She jerked her head up though when the Sycorax leader let out a roar of fury and lashed out with the whip, straight at the Doctor. Of course, Ten simply held up his arm, let it loop around and pulled it out of the leader's hands, then discarded it. "You can have someone's eye out with that." The leader then roared again and tried to attack the Doctor with his staff, which the Doctor simply snatched away from him like he was an errant child and snapped in two over his knee. He tossed the pieces to the floor. "Just can't get the staff. Now, you just wait. I'm busy!" The leader stared at him incredulously, but all the Doctor did was point at him warningly.
He turned to see Mickey and got a huge grin. "Mickey, hello!" Then saw Harriet. "And Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North. Blimey, it's like 'This is Your Life'." He beamed at Rose. "Tea! That's all I needed! A good cup of tea!" He stared up into space as he elaborated in a super-fast speech pattern. "Super-heated infusion of free radicals and tannin, just the thing for healing the synapses." Now, he turned to Astrid who was standing on the other side of Rose. Her face made her look much older than she was, which concerned him greatly, but he currently didn't have his sonic screwdriver to scan her. His voice was serious as he looked at her. "Now, first things first. Be honest… How do I look?"
In spite of herself, and what she knew was to come, Astrid smiled at him gently. Instead of an verbal answer, she reached up, caught him behind his neck and pulled him close to her, and kissed him eagerly. Might as well take advantage while he's still speaking to me. He reached around her to pull her into him and kiss her back. Amazingly, he had kept the smell and taste of sandalwood, though the leather had gone, and now also had a small hint of vanilla. She pulled back and smiled at him, making her face light up enough that the circles beneath her eyes almost seemed to vanish. "Good different."
He grinned down at her and asked, very serious. "Am I…ginger?"
Astrid giggled and shook her head. "Brunette again, sorry."
He was irritated and put out, and turned away in annoyance. "Oh, I wanted to be ginger. I've never been ginger." He turned back sharply and pointed at Rose violently. "And you, Rose Tyler, fat lot of good you were. You gave up on me. Oh, that's rude." He pulled his finger down. Astrid saw the look of shock on Rose. The Doctor faced Astrid. "Is that the sort of man I am now? Am I rude?" He paused to ponder this piece of information. "Rude and not ginger."
Harriet didn't understand. How could she? "I'm sorry. Who is this?" She had seen him kiss Astrid, but didn't know anyone who would do that. She had met the girls before the brunette had gotten together with the Doctor.
"I'm the Doctor."
Astrid and Rose said in concert. "He's the Doctor."
"But what happened to my Doctor? Or is it a title that's just passed on?" Harriet tried to understand.
The Doctor walked towards her. "I'm him. I'm literally him. Same man, new face. Well, new everything."
Harriet frowned. "But you can't be."
"Harriet Jones. We were trapped in Downing Street, and the one thing that scared you wasn't the aliens, wasn't the war, it was the thought of your mother being on her own."
"Oh, my God." Now she believes him.
He bent down towards her slightly and grinned gently. "Did you win the election?"
She smiled at him, very pleased. "Landslide majority."
The Sycorax leader took this moment to break the peaceful feelings beginning to stir. "If I might interrupt?"
The Doctor, along with most of the rest of them, spun around to face him after having forgotten him. "Yes. Sorry. Hello, big fella."
"Who exactly are you?"
The Doctor had a very fixed grin on his face. "Well, that's the question."
"I demand to know who you are!" The leader yelled at him.
The Doctor, being his Tenth self, yelled right back even louder. "I DON'T KNOW!" Then he immediately relaxed. "See, there's the thing, I'm the Doctor, but beyond that, I just don't know." He had such a questioning look on his face that Astrid had the urge to go over and comfort him. "I literally do not know who I am. It's all untested." He began to walk around, talking to everyone. "Am I funny? Am I sarcastic?" He looked at Astrid. "Sexy?" He winked at her cheekily and she gave a soft laugh. "A right old misery? Life and soul?" He was walking past the Sycorax leader, just amiably strolling along. "Right-handed, left-handed, a gambler, a fighter, a coward, a traitor, a liar, a nervous wreck? I mean, judging by the evidence, I've certainly got a gob." Told you so!
He sees the red button and gave a laugh. "And how am I gonna react when I see this?" He pointed up to the button in question with a bit of a crazy smile. Astrid rolled her eyes at his antics, but she also had a fond smile. "A great big threatening button." He ran up the stairs, laughing delightedly. "A great big threatening button which must not be pressed under any circumstances." He had reached the top and gave a knowing grin to the leader. "Am I right? Let me guess, it's some sort of control matrix? Hmm? Hold on. What's feeding it?" He bent down and pulled open a small door. Inside was a mass of lit crystals and wires. In the center was a red puddle. "And what've we got here? Blood?" He reached in, dipped his finger in it and tasted it. "Yeah, definitely blood. Human blood. A positive, with just a dash of iron." He rolled the taste around, determined that it didn't taste that good, made a funny face, and wiped his finger on his dressing gown. "But that means… Blood control." He grinned up at them in delight. "Blood control!" He looked at the console in amazement. "Oh! I haven't seen blood control for years!" He faced the leader again. "You're controlling all the A Positives."
The Sycorax's grin faltered.
The Doctor was on a roll. He had now figured it out, and the grin was gone. Now comes the decision making face. "Which leaves us with a great big stinking problem, 'cause I really don't know who I am. I don't know when to stop. So if I see a great big threatening button which should never, ever, ever be pressed, the I just want to do this!" He whacked his hand down on the button, hard enough that Astrid had to worry if he hurt himself.
Rose and Harriet screamed out denials.
Astird, contrary to both of them, began to clap. He looked up at her in surprise, as did everyone else. Harriet and Rose in horror. Astrid grinned at him. Might as well make the most while he's still in a good mood about me. "This incarnation of yours is very dramatic. Did you notice?" He gave her a cheeky grin.
Alex, the poor secretary, didn't understand. "You killed them!"
The Doctor turned his attention back to the Sycorax leader. "What do you think, big fella? Are they dead?"
The leader reluctantly said, "We allow them to live."
"Allow?" The Doctor grinned at the audacity. "You've no choice." His grin dropped and he began to move down the stairs as he explained for the benefit of the humans. "That's all blood control is. Cheap bit of voodoo. Scares the pants off you but that's as far as it goes. It's like hypnosis; you can hypnotize someone to walk like a chicken or sing like Elvis, you can't hypnotize them to death. Survive instinct's too strong." Which is why the movie 'The Happening''s science is crap…same principle applies. The Doctor had traveled down and was now leaning over to address the humans particularly.
When the leader spoke again, it make the humans all turn to it, since they had followed the Doctor who was now on the other side of the group from the Sycorax leader. "Blood control was just one form of conquest. I can summon the armada and take this world by force."
The Doctor was just a bit miffed, but did acknowledge the statement. "Well, yeah, you could. Yeah. You could do that, of course you could. But why? Look at these people." He spoke passionately as he gestured toward the group in front of him. "These human beings. Consider their potential. From the day they arrive on the planet, and, blinking, step into the sun, there is more to see than can ever be seen, more to do than—no, hold on…" He paused as he thought in confusion. "Sorry, that's 'The Lion King'." Your first movie quote, I'm so proud! "But the point still stands." He began to walk around the humans and toward the leader. "Leave them alone!"
"Or what?"
"Or…" He grabbed a sword from the hip of one of the Sycorax guarding the others, ran down the steps and turned on the empty floor space and raised his 'borrowed' sword into the air. "…I challenge you!"
All of the Sycorax burst out laughing.
"Well, that struck a chord." The Doctor looked up at all of the laughing spectators. "Am I right that the sanctified rules of combat still apply?" He began to shrug off the dressing gown.
The Sycorax leader began to come down the stairs, unsheathing his sword as he went. "You stand as this world's champion?" Rose and Astrid were ushered down with the leader, and Harriet, Mickey, and Alex came with them as well.
The Doctor tossed the dressing gown to Astrid, who caught it easily. "Thank you. I've no idea who I am, but you've just summed me up." True. "So, do you accept my challenge? Or are you just a cranak pel casacree salvak?" That's really odd…for a split second, I would swear I understood that…but the Doctor purposefully didn't translate it for the TARDIS to pass on to us. I remember that distinctly. Weird.
Both competitors held up their long swords by the blade—that is so stupid, the thing is sharp!—and then placed the point in the dirt—you're dulling the blade you moron!—and knelt, hands on the hilt. "For the planet?" The Sycorax leader growled out.
"For the planet." The Doctor's response was just as serious.
Astrid was shaking her head in horror at the technique they each used as they attacked each other. You see, before she had been kidnapped by the Master and thrown through dimensions with nothing but the clothes on her back, her family and she were very odd…eccentric you could say. Except that eccentric usually implies money and we didn't have any. They had odd interests and hobbies. The SCA was one of them. The Society for Creative Anachronism was a group dedicated to re-enacting the middle ages. Their clothes, manner of speaking, their food, hobbies, and, her father's favorite, their weapons. The people in the SCA were very persnicty on making things 'period', or as close as possible to how they made them back then as they could get. Including fighting and fighting styles. Astrid herself was a fair hand at fencing, with a shield in one hand and a rapier in the other, though it had been quite a while since she had practiced. She also could make chainmaille in several forms, as could her father. Her father's specialty was a long sword and her father's best friend's was a broadsword. She had seen men practice with long swords before, and watching the Doctor and the leader 'fight' with them was painful. They were pretty much just waving them around willy-nilly, hoping to hit each other.
Rose tried to call out 'look out!' helpfully, but the Doctor wasn't having it. "Oh, yeah, that helped. Wouldn't have thought of that otherwise. Thanks."
Astrid snorted, and laid her head in her hand. She looked at Rose. "Remind me to give him some tips on the use of a broadsword, long sword, short sword, and rapier. With the way that leader is flinging that thing around, this fight should have been over already."
"Why didn't you fight him, then? If you know how?" Rose was confused.
Astrid blinked and giggled. "Have you seen those swords? Girls are built for agility and speed, not strength, when it comes to swords. I wouldn't even be able to pick up those things they are swinging about so carelessly." She observed them take the fight outside and said quite calmly, way more calmly than she felt, "Someone's going to get hurt. They won't be able to keep their footing on the uneven surface." But they all followed the fighting pair to watch, along with an armed guard.
No sooner had she said it, but the Doctor caught a swing to his nose and he cried out in pain. Rose took a step towards him, but Astrid held her back. "No, Rose. Even as stupid as their technique is, it is a very serious fight. If you invalidate it, the Sycorax win the planet."
He wiped his nose, and he and the Sycorax leader ran toward each other, clashing swords. They both grimaced with the effort, and the Doctor was knocked backwards to the ground. Taking advantage, the Sycorax leader slashed at the Doctor's wrist holding the sword and succeeded in chopping his hand off halfway up to the elbow. It fell off the side of the spaceship, sword and all. The Doctor watched it drop, and looked back at the Sycorax leader, looking rather stunned and annoyed. "You cut my hand off." Well, at least that part is over. Only one part left. Rassilon, please let him forgive me.
The leader cried out triumphantly. "Sycorax!"
The Doctor was getting to his feet. "And now I know what sort of man I am. I'm lucky 'cause quite by chance, I'm still within the first fifteen hours of my regeneration cycle. Which means I've got just enough residual cellular energy to do this." He held up the stump of his right arm and before all of their eyes, it grew right back. His fingers twitching in a unintentional wave.
The Sycorax leader was stunned. "Witchcraft."
"Time Lord." Same difference sometimes.
Rose took it upon herself to try to draw a long sword and it took a lot out of her. She was barely able to. "Doctor!" He turned to her and she heaved it to him. The only reason it worked was because they were so close. He caught it by the handle and spun it around.
"So, I'm still the Doctor then?"
Rose was smiling, starting to like the new him. "No arguments from me."
He turned back to the leader and he grinned. "Wanna know the best bit? This new hand…" He got a Texas accent. "…it's a fightin' hand!" Astrid snorted in laughter.
The Doctor ran at the Sycorax leader, and the fight commenced once more. They clashed swords for a few more moments, then the Doctor jabbed him hard in stomach with the handle of the sword. The onlookers winced, and the Sycorax leader groaned. The Doctor does the same twice more, causing the leader to fall to the ground. The Doctor pointed his sword at his throat. "I win."
The leader had difficulty speaking with a sword pointed at his throat. "Then kill me."
"I'll spare your life if you'll take this champion's command. Leave this planet and never return. What do you say?"
"Yes."
The Doctor hissed at the leader, angry and serious, more than Rose had ever seen him before. He jabbed the sword closer to the Sycorax's neck. "Swear on the blood of your species."
"I swear." It was labored, but understandable.
As quick as he had been angry, the Doctor was happy again, smiling even. "There we are, then. Thanks for that. Cheers, big fella."
He jabbed the sword into the ground and Astrid visibly winced. He gave her a quirked eyebrow in concern and she half-glared at him. "Do you have any idea how much you just dulled that sword? Do you care?"
He laughed. Of all the things she was worried about, it was a sword. He grinned at her as she ran toward him in delight. "Nah. What would I need a sword for? Not bad for a man in his jim-jams!" Astrid handed him back the dressing gown and he slipped it on easily. "Very Arthur Dent." So like him to read 'Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'…I wonder if he carries a white bath towel? "Now there was a nice man." He turned confused in an instant and frowned as he reached into a pocket. "Hold on, what have I got in here?" He found a small orange-like fruit and held it up in amazement. "A Satsuma." Realization crossed his face. "Ah, that friend of Jackie's, he does like his snacks, doesn't he? But doesn't that just sum up Christmas?" They began to walk back to the door to the inside of the ship. He tossed the Satsuma into the air and caught it like it was a baseball. "You go through all those presents and right at the end, tucked away at the bottom, there's always one stupid old Satsuma. Who wants a Satsuma?"
Behind them, the Sycorax Leader got to his feet. He picked up his sword, roared, ready to charge. Without even turning around, the Doctor lobbed the Satsuma at a switch on the side of the ship, which caused the ground beneath the leader to open up. He tumbled to Earth, screaming. The Doctor's smile had faded from his face. "No second chances. I'm that sort of a man." I know, Doctor. Which is why I'm not sure you will ever forgive me for what I'm about to do.
The Doctor stood in front of the TARDIS with Astrid, Rose and the others as he addressed the remaining council of Sycorax. "By the ancient rites of combat, I forbid you to scavenge here for the rest of time. And when go you back to the stars and tell others of this planet... when you tell them of its riches, its people, its potential. When you talk of the Earth, then make sure that you tell them this: It. Is. Defended." Then all of them were teleported away, landing them just off of Bloxom Road.
Which Mickey felt the need to say, cheering up and down in glee. Rose laughed with him.
The Doctor and Astrid watched silently as the ship flew back into the sky. Then when it was on its way, the Doctor finally smiled.
Mickey continued to jump up and down. "It is defended!" Laughing all the while. Rose jumped onto Mickey's back and shouted out 'Don't come back!'. They both laughed happily. Then Rose jumped off to hug him properly, before running over and hugging a very surprised Alex.
Astrid stayed to the side, out of earshot of Harriet and the Doctor, her eyes closed. She couldn't watch her own destruction. What I do next…it will kill any good feelings he has for me for a while, no matter what the Doctor said. He will blame me. As he should. It's my fault. Rassilon above, it's all my fault.
Jackie came around the corner and Rose and Mickey and the Doctor went into a huddle, talking animatedly.
Astrid heard a phone ring and she opened her eyes involuntarily to see Harriet Jones looking right at her. She can see the question in her eyes, the hope that it won't be necessary. Astrid swallowed harshly, and did nothing, just looked at the Prime Minister. But she knew that the sorrow in her eyes could be easily seen. Harriet nods in understanding and says something that she can't hear. Alex relayed the message and Astrid looked up into the sky, waiting.
It wasn't long. A beam of green light shot up loudly from the ground nearby. The same green light beamed up again, and again, and again, and again, for a total of five beams that joined together to make one huge energy beam that shot into space and hit the Sycorax spaceship. It was destroyed instantly.
Rose gasped in horror. "What is that? What's happening?" Jackie put her hand over her mouth in shock.
The Doctor understood exactly what had happened. He walked toward Astrid and angrily yelled at her. "That was murder."
Harriet actually stepped in for the brunette girl that was silently crying, tears rolling down her expressionless face. "That was defense."
The Doctor turned to face the Prime Minister with just as much anger, even more actually. "But they were leaving."
"You said yourself, Doctor. They'd go back to the stars and tell others about the Earth. I'm sorry, Doctor, but you're not here all the time. You come and go. It happened today. Mr. Llewellyn and the Major. They were murdered. They died right in front of me while you were sleeping. In which case. We have to defend ourselves."
The Doctor was filled with distain. "Britain's Golden Age."
"It comes with a price."
"I gave them the wrong warning. I should've told them to run - as fast as they can, run and hide because the monsters are coming: the human race."
"Those are the people I represent. I did it on their behalf."
"Then I should've stopped you."
"What does that make you, Doctor? Another alien threat?"
The Doctor stepped toward her angrily. "Don't challenge me, Harriet Jones. 'Cause I'm a completely new man. I could bring down your government with a single word."
"You're the most remarkable man I've ever met. But I don't think you're quite capable of that."
"No, you're right. Not a single word." He looked down at her silently for a few seconds. "Just six."
"I don't think so."
"Six words."
"Stop it!"
"Six."
Astrid watched as the two stared at each other for a few more seconds, a battle of wills. But then the Doctor walked away and toward Alex. Astrid closed her eyes in sorrow. I'm sorry Harriet. There was no other way. The Doctor got through with Alex and walked away. He got to where Astrid was standing, her head down looking at the ground. He grabbed her arm and tugged her un-resisting form to the TARDIS. His voice was an angry hiss. "I. Am. Not. Happy." He opened the door, gently shoved her inside, and closed the door afterward and then locked it from the inside. Rose, Jackie, and Mickey were on the other side, locked out. Astrid knew that he just didn't want her to escape. Not that I would. Where would I go? She was dragged through the corridors of Lexi until she got to her bedroom and was rather gently tossed inside. His glare chilled her. "I'll deal with you later." The door to her bedroom closed and she heard Lexi seal her in.
Astrid took a deep breath, another, and another…and then gave up. She sank to the floor where she was and lost the battle against her tears. She had never been able to take his anger when it was directed at her.
Long hours later, she had cried her eyes out and was now laying on her four-poster queen sized bed staring at the purple curtains that lay above her. Her room was done in shades of purple and red, with solid dark-stained oak furniture. Her bed was the perfect amount of firmness, with purple comforters piled high, because she liked the weight on her when she slept. She had a wardrobe in one corner, close to the bathroom—which was state-of-the-art for a 21st century girl—and held all of her clothes from her own time period and any time period they had already visited. It was a TARDIS wardrobe; it was bigger on the inside too. She also had one small bookshelf that held all of her favorites. Dune. Ender's Game. Atlas Shrugged. Stranger in a Strange Land. On and on went the list. Other than those books and the colors themselves, she really didn't have many personal possessions to decorate her room with…they were all back in her own world. Everything she had thought was irreplaceable had been left behind.
Time was odd in a time machine. You could never really tell what day it was, or even what hour. It was regulated by day and night cycles that the TARDIS itself managed, dimming the lights in the evening to help sleep, and brightening them during waking hours.
But at the moment, Astrid couldn't sleep, even with the lights dim. She just lay in bed, dreading the confrontation with the Doctor more and more every minute. She had long since cried herself out. There were no more tears, only anxiety. A tenseness to the air and her body as she waited. It was all she could do. Her mind kept going over every worst-possible scenario she could think of. She couldn't help it.
She jolted upright when she felt the TARDIS shift as it flew in the vortex, but then she leveled out and the ride was smooth, even though she could still hear the hum of the engines. He wants more protection, more ways to keep me from running. He doesn't know yet that I have NOWHERE else to go. She gave a sigh, though she couldn't tell if it was from relief that this ordeal would soon be over, or if it was in dread. Astrid sat up on her bed and shifted so that her feet were over the edge. And she waited some more.
It wasn't long before the Doctor came through the door, his body just as tense and angry as it had been before. All that time had done was give him more ways to ask her what the hell she was thinking. He didn't speak for a few long minutes, just staring at her. She looked like she had been through hell, and he recalled that she had looked that way for a while, ever since he had noticed in the Sycorax ship. He drew in a breath and began to talk. For long minutes, she just let him, taking everything he had to give, every insult to her intelligence, every harsh word, every humiliating comparison of her being a 'stupid ape'. "…what gave you the right to take those lives? You could have saved them. You could have told me so that I could save them. You could have done ANYTHING else, but you just stood there! That was murder. Who gave you the right?" He had to take a breath, intent on keep going, but her voice was soft and strong as she actually answered him this time.
"You did."
It stopped him short, his eyes went wide in shock. "I did not!"
She slowly nodded; the tear tracks on her face making it seem more of a serious thing, harsher in her truth. He knew she was telling the truth, he had always been able to tell if she was lying. Her voice, sore and cracking from the force of her crying, was strong as she continued. "Check me, Doctor. I'm six months older than I should be."
With a flick of his wrist, the sonic screwdriver was in his hand and scanning her intently. "Six months, four days, and seven hours older." He looked up at her, realization coming to bear. He was starting to understand. "I would have heard the TARDIS land."
"Not if I took the handbrake off."
"Where is she, where is my Astrid?"
The girl gave a soft sardonic laugh. "I AM your Astrid. But the one this morning is with my Doctor. He said that if you ever asked me how it was possible to tell you that one third of the universe would implode if you ever figured it out completely."
"What? I wouldn't...No. No, 'cause I wouldn't…why would I do that?" He went from shock, to realization at what he must have done, to denial, to anger.
"Because the first time, I did stop Harriet." He actually shut up to listen to her. "I stopped her. And we went off on more adventures with Rose and Mickey even later. What we didn't…" she had to take a breath, "…what we didn't know is that another race, not the Sycorax, but a different race, took your statement of 'it is defended' as a challenge. When they couldn't find you, they killed half of the population on Earth. And when that didn't work, they cooked the planet. By the time we came back, all that was left of the Earth was rubble, lava, and bare continents. No oceans. No animals. No people. No life. Jackie was dead. Harriet was dead. The only humans left were the three of us." Her voice cracked. "It was the 21st century. There were no colonies. No other humans at all. It was just us. It took us a week to track down the species that did it. You wiped them all out in your anger. But it wasn't enough. Two mass genocides wasn't enough." Her form shook as, by this point, he just watched her, listening.
"You disappeared into your room for a few days, and when you came out you were so calm. So caring. You can come up with a way to change it all. I had to take my own place, way back to the event that started it all. I couldn't come back. He would disappear and never see me again. But it was the only way. Six months of thinking, and it was all you could come up with."
His voice was soft, gentle. "So you did it. You took your own place."
She nodded, not daring to look up. "Yes. I let two hundred people die."
"To save six billion. More. Two species."
She nodded again, reluctantly.
"Astrid." He waited until she looked up at him hesitantly. "It's all right. I don't blame you. Even when I thought you did it on purpose, I couldn't blame you. I could NEVER blame you." He unintentionally echoed himself. He reached out to her and pulled her into a hug, holding her tightly to his chest. His kept whispering over and over, 'I don't blame you'. She had run out of tears ages ago, but she needed this, and kept a tight hold on him long into the night.
Well, you see what I mean by setting the stage? You may thank the inspiration of this lovely idea on Dr. X, who also helped me research the SCA and long swords.
Reviews are love, people! If you don't review, I think that you don't love!
