Chapter 7

Daleks.

Everywhere.

Anna ran through the dark, hearing a chorus of the cold, monotone voices of her enemies. The blue lights of their eyestalks stared coldly at her. She tripped and looked up, seeing the lights circle her.

"Please, I won't tell the secret!" She pleaded. "Don't kill me!"

"The Time Lady admits! She knows our secret!" The closest Daleks said simultaneously.

"EXTERMINATE!EXTERMINATE!"

"No! No, don't!"

A flash of light, and all the Daleks were gone, leaving her alone and alive in the darkness. She felt two warm hands help her up.

"It's okay, Tau." The voice of the Doctor soothed. "I'm here."

"Don't worry." Harold's voice also said. "We will protect you."

Anna woke with a start. It was dark, and she was in a guest room of the TARDIS. She heard the soft hum of the machines as she sat up to look around.

There was a soft knock on her door. "Anna?" Harold asked from behind it. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." she lied.

"Can I come in?"

Anna looked down at herself. She wore only a silk nightgown. "Uh… hold on." She got up and grabbed a pair of pants and quickly pulled them on. "Okay." She sat down on her bed again.

Harold crept in and shut the door quietly behind him. "You were yelling in your sleep." He told her. "I could hear you next door- screaming about how you wouldn't tell anyone a secret."

Anna covered her face with her hands. "Oh. Yeah."

"What's the secret?"

"It's nothing. Really."

The Master stared at her for a second, then said: "Tell me the truth…"

"It doesn't matter anyway- The Time War is over." Anna slipped back under her quilt and curled up, closing her eyes. "Goodnight."

"Don't make me read your mind."

"Fine, I'll tell you." She opened them again and waited as he sat next to her. "I was sent to go spy on the Daleks for a week or so. It was terrifying- I almost got caught several times. But I learned valuable information from doing so."

"What?"

"I learned the Dalek's only true fear."

Harold looked at her, perplexed. "But… Daleks don't fear anything."

"They fear emotions."

"That makes sense."

"But it's worse- I learned how to restore the emotions of a Dalek."

"What is it?"

Anna shook her head. "No. I won't tell you. If we were to find a Dalek still around, I would never do this. It's horrible- it makes them commit suicide."

"Isn't that good though? The Daleks deserve to die."

Anna looked at him sadly and lay back down. "Goodnight, Harold." She told him.

He patted her shoulder and left without another word.