We walk across the field to where she's landed her shuttle.
'We need to go to Earth,' I tell her again. 'So we'll use the vortex manipulator for that, and to get a time frame I'm familiar with. The communication panel in your ship has a beacon which I can use to signal the TARDIS; they'll know it's me.'
I step into the cockpit and locate the correct panel to pull out.
'Earth!' the clone smiles. 'How does the vortex manipulator work?'
I glance up from the innards of her communication panel. I guess someone is going to have to take responsibility for her education…
'I'll let you take it apart when we get to Earth.'
'You're so awesome,' she beams at me.
That throws me and I stare at her for a moment, I mutter several Gallifreyan swear words then return to my work. Her attention is fixed on me, her Time Lord mind soaking in any information it can. I pull out the last of the components I'll need and stand up to face her.
'OK,' I gather everything into my pockets and gesture to the vortex manipulator on my wrist, 'hold onto this and we can get out of here.'
'Wow! This is Earth?' she gaps and spins in a circle, apparently un-phased by time travel with no capsule. 'Look at all the water; it's so beautiful.'
We've arrived on a wide path next to a sandy beach. It's sunny and there are humans wandering around, I project disinterest at them so they don't panic from our sudden appearance. I sniff deeply,
'Yes. This is England; his favourite. The east coast I believe.'
'We've changed our position in time as well, haven't we? I can sense it's different,' she walks out onto the sand.
'Yes, you could bump into Martha in this time period. Don't look for Donna though, what with the meta-crisis…' I grin to myself and she paddles into the sea, soaking her boots.
I turn away and move to a bench by the flower bed dividing the path from the road. I pull out the components then set up the beacon. The clone runs back up the beach and looks down at what I'm doing,
'Is it working?'
I turn it on with my laser screwdriver,
'It is now. I've sent the signal; he'll turn up at some point, but I wouldn't hold your breath.
'Here's the vortex manipulator,' I remove it from my wrist and hand it over, 'don't loose any of the pieces. I'm going to get some chips.'
I walk away towards the shops that always line a sea front in a town like this.
'Can I borrow your screwdriver? And can you get me some chips too?' she calls after me.
I shrug and turn back to face her,
'Do NOT take that apart,' I instruct as I throw the laser to her.
She salutes me and sits cross-legged and sideways on the bench to study the vortex manipulator. I smirk and spin on my heel to go and find food. It's been a long time since I had time to eat without rushing.
As I get closer to the shops the human smell gets stronger, I wrinkle my nose a little but if I'm honest it's no worse than most of the races in the galaxy. One male definitely recognises me, he double-takes and stares in confusion; I grin at him and keep walking. I know it is generally accepted Harry Saxon died; maybe I should have gone for a different co-ordinates.
I walk into the first fish and chip shop I come to. It's been a long time since I had to mentally 'prompt' one of these apes but it has never been hard. Humans have basically no mental defences; there's nothing native to this plan they would need them against, so I just plant the desire to give me free chips. I have no money and no intention of earning any so this is the easiest way without drawing attention.
I go back to the sea front and drop a portion of chips by the clone. She's half-way though disassembling the vortex manipulator and doesn't look up. I move to the next bench and lay down on my back, eyes closed, placing the chips on the bench above my head. This is likely to be a long wait.
Two hours later; I have long since finished the chips and am lying on the bench watching clouds. The clone has reassembled the vortex manipulator, though I haven't checked her work, and walked off down the beach after overhearing someone mention rock pools. Meanwhile, I have scratched two Gallifreyan curse words into my bench in a fit of childishness and 'prompted' two apes to fetch me wotsits and expensive champagne respectively.
Then, finally, I'm aware of the welcome sound of the last living TARDIS in existence and the mental presence of the Doctor. I smile slightly and turn my head, still resting on my arms, to watch the TARDIS materialise.
The Doctor bounds out of the door a moment later. He's regenerated since I last saw him and I can tell he's a lot older. His mind is enthusiastically open and he greets me mentally even as he strides over.
He's enthusiastic and delighted rather than confused, which throws me a little.
I stay still as he approaches and end up looking up at him as he stands close, then he hauls me into a sitting position by my hoodie. I let my arms drop to my sides and offer him a slight glare.
'My Lord Master,' he smiles.
'Lord Doctor,' I reply in kind; the Gallifreyan making the exchange ceremonial, 'we're being formal?'
'Hardly,' the Doctor replies as he sits besides my legs on the bench and rests his forehead against mine.
I repress a shiver at the contact, physical and mental as the Doctor's mind brushes against the barriers of my own. It's been a very, very long time since anyone has been happy to see me.
'How are you, Doctor?' I whisper, content for the moment not to break this strange atmosphere that has descended.
He just hums and appears to bask in my presence. I notice that while one of his hands has returned to his own lap the other is still fisted in the material of my hoodie.
It's clearly been a long time since he saw me. He would also seem to have forgotten who I am if he thinks we're normally so chummy…
But this is strangely comfortable and can only help my future plans, so I relax a little against him,
'Doctor,' I remember his clone is around somewhere, 'I have some good news,' my voice comes out too soft to sound adequately mocking.
'Hmm?' he pulls back a little and rests two of the fingers from his free hand against my temple. Before I can say another word he presses his consciousness against the outer layer of my mind.
I gasp at the sensation and shudder away for a moment, then realising what he thought I meant I drop a layer of defence and let him in. I swallow heavily as his mind presses into my own.
'The drums are gone,' he murmurs aloud as he withdraws.
'That you took what I said as an invitation to invade my mind is strangely charming, my Doctor,' I tell him quietly. I realise I've closed my eyes and when I open them I find him almost intimately close. 'But the drums are not what I meant.'
He pulls back a bit and lets his fist release my hoodie,
'You could have stopped me,' he smiles.
'I have been reliably informed that kicking puppies is bad,' I retort with a smirk.
He actually pouts. My smirk strengthens. He blinks at me,
'OK then,' he looks contemplative now, 'I assume the others stabilised your regeneration? Presumably in exchange for some help you didn't give.'
I shrug,
'They wanted me to get them out of the Time Lock. After what happened I wasn't going to do that.'
'How did you get out?'
'Same why Rassilon tried to,' I shrug again. 'But I didn't try to tow an entire planet behind me. I used a vortex manipulator to get to the Shadow Proclamation to avoid being pulled back when we stopped the others. Escaping Rassilon in the first place was harder; he was very angry once he'd regenerated, and moving back in time within the Time Lock without being tracked by either side…'
'You're brilliant,' the Doctor tells me with a beaming smile.
I try to avoid glowing under this attention, at least visibly,
'So you've said before,' I tell him. 'That's still not what I meant though.'
'I give up,' the Doctor scowls at me, 'what's the news?'
'I'll give you a clue,' I draw out the time I have with his undivided attention, 'it's nothing to do with me.'
He blinks at me in confusion,
'Me?'
'No.'
He glances away and his mental attention shifts from just me. I watch as he eyes go suddenly wide and his mind snaps away from me toward his clone,
'Another? Jenny?!' he exclaims. 'But… I saw her die! I waited but… She didn't regenerate. It was my fault and… She didn't regenerate!'
'She was young,' I dismiss, 'it takes time sometimes.
'You need to see to her education, Doctor. She didn't recognise me as a Time Lord, she has only a fundamental knowledge of science and she doesn't even speak Gallifreyan. She shouldn't be leaning of our species from me.'
The Doctor is staring off down the coast for his clone and is clearly not listening to me. He gets to his feet a little uncertainly.
'Go in then,' I sound bitter even to myself. 'There are three of us now. No need to attach yourself to me.'
The Doctor turns back to face me,
'I spent centuries when we were younger chasing after you. Our entire species was alive then; my family was alive then!'
I'm really not in the mood for his memories of our skewed relationship,
'Yes; it was a delight. Now go to your daughter.'
He stubbornly stands his ground, staring at me, so I look away. My gaze falls on the TARDIS and she greets me with surprising warmth.
The Doctor glances at her over his shoulder,
'You want me to go to Jenny so you can get into the TARDIS?' he snaps at me. 'You know I'll stop you from trying anything; I always have before.'
I cross my arms over my chest, perfectly aware that such a plan should have been at the top of my mind,
'Sometimes, my Doctor, you know me too well,' I give him what is probably a very pained smirk and look away, but not before I see his expression swap to confused.
'Dad?' the clone interrupts.
'Jenny!' I hear him gush at her. 'I'm so sorry I left you, you have no idea how happy I am to see you!'
There's a pause as they undoubtedly hug. I refuse to turn around even thought it means I'm sulking rather noticeably.
'This is the TARDIS,' the Doctor tells her enthusiastically, 'she'd love to meet you!'
'I can feel a presence in my head,' the clone is clearly fascinated. 'Is that her?'
'You should be able to feel me as well. The Master is shielding.'
'That's amazing!' she laughs, then she's suddenly hugging me, 'thank you! You're the best!'
I don't have time to do more that tense before she's off again heading for the TARDIS. I stare after her as she disappears from view followed by the Doctor.
I stay on my bench, still hugging my knees, and ponder my choices. I had thought I wanted to take the TARDIS, but now I'm here I don't feel the need. The drums that would normally drive me into it are absent and I'm lost without them.
There's nothing here that I want or need.
I stand, retrieve my vortex manipulator, and walk away.