AUTHOR: Talepiece
RATING: 15 cert.
PAIRING: (not yet)
DISCLAIMER: I don't own them, I only borrow them for short periods.
SUMMARY: Something is attacking the Children Of Time.
CHARACTERS: Sarah Jane, Martha, Tegan, Jack and others.
CREDIT: Long and Lovecraft for the use of the creatures.
CONTINUITY: Post-Journey's End, pre-End Of Time. References numerous classic and new Who stories as well as my Not In Chronological Order story.
Tegan had insisted that they park around the corner from Donna Noble's home. She and Corporal Cross walked down the quiet suburban street trying to look inconspicuous. Tegan twitched at her new clothes. There had been a couple of female soldiers of about her built but they were both just a bit better fed. Or, Tegan had to admit, in better shape. So the jeans were a touch too big, the shirt a touch too loose. Nothing much, just not quite comfortable. The boots fitted well; good, stout army boots. She'd do her best to keep hold of them, so much more sensible than most of what she went around the universe in.
'Have you ever travelled up there?' she asked Cross with a jab of her finger skyward. He looked up, his eyes widening, and shook his head. 'Best and worse thing I ever did,' she continued, 'Saw some amazing things. And some awful things too. Met some incredible people. And lost them too. And, when you're back, you're left with the feeling that it doesn't really matter much what we do. Not down here. Not really.'
'Yes Ma'am' he said.
Tegan flashed a knowing smile at him, 'But you wouldn't mind finding out for yourself, would you? No, well, can't say I blame you. Still, maybe this Donna Noble was lucky; not remembering anything. Here we are.'
They stopped outside the house. There was a blue car on the drive but no obvious sign of someone inside. Tegan marched up to the door and rang the bell. She glanced at the Corporal as they waited. He was wearing jeans and a t-shirt now but he still looked like a soldier.
'Relax,' she hissed just as the door opened.
A middle-aged woman looked down at them. She eyed them suspiciously. 'I don't buy anything at the door - including god, thank you very much.'
'Are you Mrs Noble?' The woman glared at Tegan but offered a nod in response. 'My name's Tegan and I used to travel with the Doct-'
The door slammed shut with enough force to rattled the frame. Tegan and Cross jumped back in surprise. Tegan cursed under her breath and stepped forward to bang at the door again. It opened before her knuckles had touched the uPVC. An old man peeked out. Tegan stepped back once more, giving him room to close the door behind him. He looked at them expectantly.
'You must be Mr Mott,' Tegan said, glad she had listened to the briefing before they left HQ, 'My name is -'
He waved his hands around, shushing her, 'Not here, love. The daughter, you know; not big on anything to do with the Doctor. It is the Doctor, isn't it? I knew he'd send someone round to help out. Good man that, lovely man. Now, what are you going to do about it?' He had led them to the end of the drive but he kept glancing back to the house nervously, 'What did the Doctor say, eh?'
'The Doctor didn't actually send me, Mr Mott; I've just come from UNIT.' He didn't need to know the whole story of where she'd come from. Tegan saw the disappointment cloud his features and reached out to hold his arm, 'Sir, can you tell me why Donna went to her GP this morning?'
'Voices,' Wilf said, 'she's been hearing voices.' Tears threatened the corners of his eyes but he rubbed them away and straightened up, 'Last night, she was out with her mates. Out for a drink, you know, nothing much just a girl's night and all that.' Tegan nodded and he continued,'So she comes back a bit early and she looked shocking. Really. Almost as bad as when,' his voice trailed off and he couldn't speak for a moment. He took a deep breath and continued, 'Anyway. She comes back, looking rough and, eventually, she tells me she's hearing voices. Started in the ladies of all places, when she went in there for a few minutes peace and quiet. Thought it was just some funny feedback from the music in the pub but it was the same when she got back. Worse even. She was scared, oh yes she was, but she's a strong one is my Donna; gets her coat back on and goes up to the old allotment and stares up at the sky. I've got a telescope up there. Saw her and the Doctor waving back at me one night. Super night that was. Lovely. Anyway,' he took another deep breath, 'these voices came back again when she got home so she said she was going to the doctors. Got in on an emergency. Didn't do anything, of course. All but said she was making it up. Gave her some of them bloomin' depression tablets and told her to take it easy for a few days. What sort of treatment is that, eh?'
Tegan knew a few things about how doctors - GPs and worse - treated "depression" but she kept the thoughts to herself. Instead, she said, 'Mr Mott, Donna isn't depressed. Or mad,' he looked up then, studying her face carefully, then gave a firm nod, 'but she may be in danger.'
'Danger?' he bristled again, anger flaring in him, 'What sort of danger?'
'Gramps? Gramps, everything OK?'
Tegan looked up to see Donna closing the front door behind her. She tossed her red hair over her shoulder as she hurried down the drive, hands trapped firmly under her arms. Wilf glanced at Tegan before turning a beaming face at his granddaughter.
''ello Sweetheart.'
'Here, who are these pair?' Donna said, her tone belligerent, 'Not here from the doctor's are they?'
'In a manner of speaking,' the Corporal said.
Tegan and Wilf glared at him and he muttered an apology.
'I ain't being sectioned,' Donna's hands came up, 'I'm not going to any loony bin. I ain't mad - just having some hearing problems, that's all. Maybe a bit depressed but not mad.'
'It's OK,' Tegan said, her hands raised in a soothing gesture, 'Really, we're not here to take you anywhere. Believe me, I wouldn't put anyone in an institution. We're friends of a friend of your Grandad. He asked us to come and talk to you. Have you been hearing the voices again?'
Donna stared at her for a long moment, barely breathing as she considered the woman. There was something a bit funny about her but not in a bad way. The bloke, he was a different matter. Pretty to look at but she wasn't sure about him. But the woman, yeah, Donna reckoned she could trust her.
'I'd rather talk to you, not him.'
Tegan said, 'Oh, he's just here to keep an eye on me; make sure I don't run off down the pub.'
'Now that's a good idea,' Donna said.
'Pub it is then,' Tegan said.
Martha was greeted by a very angry Detective Constable Phillips and a very interested group of spectators. She pushed her way through the cordon, flashing her badge at the flustered WPC who tried to stop her. DC Phillips waited for her to get to him, propped up against the bonnet of a police car. He glared at her.
'Doctor Jones, I presume?'
'Yes. Where is he?' Phillips indicated the mid-terrace. Martha waited for more but he said noting. 'Anything I should know?'
'He said to call you if he didn't come out within the hour. He didn't. I've got two headless corpses in there and some very frightened locals. And I have no bloody idea who the bloody hell you actually are.'
'Headless? What the hell happened here?
He stood up slowly, 'You mean you don't know?'
'No clue. Until you actually tell me,' Martha let a little bit of her anger show through.
'Couple in their sixties. Not up and about this morning, some funny noises from the house last night. PC White goes in there to have a look and, well, he'll be pensioned off by the end of the month, mark my words. I get here, barely taken a bloody look when the call comes through; some Government bloke's on his way so don't touch anything. Like I don't know how to run a bloody crime scene! Anyway. He says -'
'Call me, yeah. OK. Keep everyone back. And don't come -'
'In unless you tell me to. Yes, love, I've heard that before. Who the bloody hell are you lot anyway?'
Martha ignored the question. She ran back to the Land Rover and ducked inside. There were three armed UNIT personnel inside but she ordered them to stay there. They weren't visible through the darkened glass and it was best they stayed that way. She pulled a medical kit out with her and jogged to the front door. It wasn't locked, the door shifted as she approached it. She glanced round, seeing two dozen faces watching her actions intently. Just great. She pushed forward, shouldering the door open and stepping inside. Glancing in through the open doors it only took a moment to find Jack. He was lying on the floor beside two bodies. All three bodies had their heads placed carefully on their chests. There was no sign of a struggle, not a drop of blood. But there was a blue slime over the bodies and most of the room. The same blue as the smoke that had filled Tegan's room.
The other two bodies were still but Jack's body twitched and shifted in what looked like panic. 'Oh Jack,' Martha said, rushing to his side. She grabbed one hand and squeezed it, ignoring the blue goo that coated her fingers. The body stilled for a moment before beginning to twitch even more. Their linked hands jerked around madly. Martha shook her hand free and reached for his head. This was something they'd never taught her at medical school. She took a firm hold of Jack's head, one hand on each side, her fingers wrapping around his ears. She picked his head up, moving it slowly until it was above his shoulders. She tilted the head and lay it on the floor, the severed neck pressing in to the gaping hole.
She checked the alignment once more, pushing the head forward. The body twitched again and she hissed, 'Stay still you fool!' She wasn't sure if he could possibly have heard her but the body did still it's furious movements. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and waited. The head twitched a little in her hands but Martha refused to open her eyes again. A strange buzzing energy raced up her arms, setting her teeth on edge. A bright light shone through her eyelids. She held on and waited.
'You can look now,' Jack's voice said.
Martha felt the tug at her hands as he sat up and finally opened her eyes. He was just sitting there in front of her, beaming that cocky grin.
'You OK now?'
Jack turned his neck sharply, the bones cracking so loudly that Martha jumped. 'Oh yes, thank you very much Martha Jones,' he jumped to his feet, 'Fine and dandy.'
Martha took his offered hand and stood up beside him. She felt both fascinated and repulsed; not an unfamiliar feeling to anyone who had worked with Torchwood. She'd never liked that feeling. Jack was watching her so she shook it off and focused on him. His grin got even wider and he opened his mouth to tell her what was going on.
'Something big and blue and sort of snake-y came through the corner of the walls and killed them,' she got in first.
He looked crestfallen for a moment, then impressed, then terrified. 'Who else has been attacked?'
Sarah Jane jumped down from the helicopter with half a dozen armed UNIT soldiers close behind. She really hated guns. It had been difficult to keep her eyes off them during the flight. Especially when she was patched through to 13 Bannerman Road to tell Luke that everything was OK and he wasn't to worry. Thank god he'd never travelled with the Doctor, never even met him in person. That would be enough to keep him safe, wouldn't it? Just in case, she'd told him to get out of the house if he heard any sort of voices or if blue smoke started to come out of the walls. Her son now officially thought she was crazy but better that than she lose him. Just the thought made her heart ache. She'd lost so much, so many good people in her life. She would do anything she had to do to keep that precious boy safe.
They had put down on scrubby land off to the side of the little cottage. It sat on its own in the wild moorland, only a dirt track leading to the courtyard outside the ramshackle old place. There was a little kitchen garden but it didn't seem to be growing very much. Sarah Jane hesitated as the UNIT soldiers fanned out around her, those damn guns raised. The leader waved the others on and they took a few steps beyond her. Sarah Jane wanted to yell at them to put the things down and let her go inside but she knew they wouldn't listen. Why had the Brig requested a team like this?
'I had rather hoped for a clean up team,' Sir Alistair's bemused voice preceded him. He stepped out from the back of the cottage, his hands carefully held above his head, one dangling his walking stick, and walked across the courtyard. Sarah Jane grinned at him and rushed forward, ignoring the nearest soldier who tried to hold her back. 'I say, Sarah Jane, have you joined up?
She barrelled in to him, wrapping her arms around his neck, 'No I most certainly have not,' she pulled back and jerked a thumb over her shoulder at the soldiers, 'They said you'd requested an armed team.'
'Ah, well,' he shook his head sadly, 'that will be General Bambera; she generally assumes the worst. Particularly where I'm involved. Now, my dear, what are you doing here?'
He held up a hand to wave the men in with them, then offered his arm to Sarah Jane to lead her towards the cottage.
'Do you remember Tegan Jovanka? You certainly met her at Rassilon's Tower and she says you'd met before that too.'
'Good heavens. Definitely met her with all those Doctors but before that...? I don't think so. Pretty little Australian girl, yes? Talked an awful lot. Anyway, what about her?'
'She came to my home early this morning. Claimed to have been attacked -'
'Ah,' he gave a long sigh.
'- so I took her to see Martha Jones.'
'Oh, yes, I've been looking forward to meeting her. Quite a remarkable sort, by all accounts.'
'Yes she is.' Sir Alistair raised an amused brow and studied her. 'What?' Sarah Jane said, becoming defensive, 'What are you looking at me like that for?'
'Oh nothing, my dear. I hear she's rather lovely too,' he added in a deliberately vague tone. Sarah Jane glared at him and he relented, raising his hand in mock surrender, 'Not that either of us would ever notice such a thing. Just ignore the old man.' He watched Sarah Jane's face carefully, saw the twitch of anxiety and realised that it wasn't Doctor Jones she was worrying about. He patted her shoulder gently, 'Have you heard anything of Doctor Song? She is somewhat of an expert time traveller herself from what you've said in the past.'
Sarah Jane looked stricken for a moment but visibly shook it off, 'Yes but she knows how to take care of herself. Besides, I don't think she's ever actually met the Doctor. Anyway,' Sarah Jane said firmly, 'Back to Tegan, I'm ashamed to say we didn't really believe her.'
'Until she was attacked by something nasty that came through the walls.' Sarah Jane stared up at him. 'I'm afraid I was somewhat disbelieving too. And it's cost the life of another really rather remarkable woman. Foolish of me - when will I learn?'
'Liz Shaw?' Sarah Jane prompted.
'Yes, yes. Doctor Liz Shaw. She worked with the Doctor a great deal, back when he was confined to quarters, as it were. Only for one year, though; not too keen on all that madness so she had the good sense to get out. Went back to academia. Wrote all sorts of wonderful papers, by all accounts. I hadn't heard anything of her for a long time. Certainly hadn't expected to find out that she'd bought old Quinn's place,' he tilted his head towards the cottage, 'Odd choice, all things considered. Anyway, I'm loosing my thread here, aren't I? Back to business. Doctor Shaw contacted me yesterday and suggested that something unpleasant might be about to happen to anyone who had had contact with the Doctor. Preposterous, of course - and I told her so.' Sarah Jane rubbed his arm, trying to ease the look of pain that crossed his face. Sir Alistair patted her shoulder again as he continued, 'Should have listened, of course; these science types always know better than an old soldier like me. Had another call last evening. Bit more insistent, if you catch my drift. Drove up early this morning. Too late, I'm afraid.'
They were at the door now, standing slightly ajar as Sir Alistair had left it. They stood in silence for long moments, still holding on to each other.
'Blue smoke, blue goo and a dead body?' Sarah Jane said.
'You've seen this?'
'It attacked Tegan again at UNIT HQ.'
'That poor girl's dead?'
Sarah Jane squeezed his arm again, 'No, no. For some reason it just stopped. The smoke went back again. No idea why.'
'Now that's interesting. I've had a quick peek through Doctor Shaw's notes and she has some remarkable ideas about how to deal with these things. Even sketched out a machine to call to them and had some other thingamabob taking readings when she died. Hoped she'd come up with a way to get them all together; deal with them with one cannonade, so to speak. She seems to have been quite annoyed with herself that she couldn't find a way to bump them off,' Sir Alistair said, staring at the door unseeing. He came back to himself, 'But you haven't actually seen the,' he hesitated, 'end results, so to speak?' Sarah Jane shook her head. 'Ah, then you'd better brace yourself, Sarah Jane; it's really rather unpleasant.'