Chapter Ten

"Wait, Doctor!" Kate Stewart called out. "I'm coming with you! UNIT is outmatched right now. We had Daleks here, yes. But there are reports of Cybermen in our Scottish branch, reports of Zygons are coming from our Russian base, America reports Sontarans and Half of Australia has been wiped out by Weeping Angels."

"Yes, well, what do you expect? The universe is falling apart." Eleven responded.

"Is that all you have to say? Look, my father and you had a good friendship. He spoke highly of you. I would like to have the same mutual trust he had with you, but don't make me force my way onto this ship!"

"I don't think we can have you on here." Ten said, "My other self here told me who you are, and I'm not sure the TARDIS can handle any more paradoxes..."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Kate said as she shoved her way into the TARDIS. "This is...amazing." Kate marveled after stepping into the TARDIS. "It really is..."

"Bigger on the inside?" Eleven said, "Why yes it is. And usually this is my favorite part, but I must ask you to leave-"

Kate took a long, hard look at the mustachioed man in the crowd. She recognized him from her dad's old pictures. There was no mistaking who he was. "Dad?"

The Brigadier was busy arguing with Jackie, who had recently noticed that she had been foolishly covering her eyes and ears for nothing this whole time. Jackie was insistent that the Brigadier's career was violently criminal, while the Brigadier defended himself as a hero who did what he had to do in the name of protecting the earth.

"Dad?" Kate said a little louder this time.

Nine smiled, and shouted "General on the bridge!"

The Brigadier immediately turned and saluted his superior. But noticing there was no one there who ranked higher than he did, his eyes gently fell on the young woman in front of him. "Hello, Dad." Kate said.

Eleven and Ten angrily eyed Nine who responded with "What harm can it cause. It's not like things are going to get any worse because they meet here."

"Dad?" The Brigadier asked. "My child? But... but how? You're not even born yet!"

Eleven and Ten looked at Nine with anger again. Nine replied this time with, "Okay, maybe I was a little too reckless this time."

"A girl?" The Brigadier asked with tears in his eyes. "I am going to have a girl?"

"Well, I believe this has gone on long enough. We can't have this big of a paradox here." Ten said as he tried to shove Kate out of the TARDIS.

"Doctor, I demand that you let her stay!" The Brigadier ordered.

"No, I'm sorry, Brigadier, but I can't do that." Ten said. "There is a lot at stake here. In fact, if it wasn't for the universe being ripped apart already, I'd say that this little meeting could have caused disastrous ramifications for the whole of reality...or at least...just Kate's reality. I'm sure the rest of the universe would compensate. But no, better not risk it." Ten said as he pushed Kate out of the TARDIS. "I'm sorry, Kate. I'm so, so sorry, but you can't meet him like this. You should know what kind of damage this would cause."

"Damage?" Kate said appalled, "You've got three of you in there and two of the same woman! Unless those are identical twins."

"No, no. They're the same woman." Ten responded.

"So how does me meeting my dad in his prime hurt anything?"

"It doesn't. But your dad meeting his daughter before she's born, relaying your gender and appearance, and judging by your uniform, occupational choice gives your dad foreknowledge. And foreknowledge is dangerous. I'm sorry." Ten closed the TARDIS doors and locked them.

The Brigadier looked sternly at Ten.

Ten could only attempt to explain why meeting Kate was dangerous. But all the Brig could say was "We never did get along that well after you regenerated. Looks like not that much has changed."

Eleven broke the awkward silence that followed with "Half of Australia has been invaded by Angels. Sontarans in America, Cybermen in Scotland, Zygons in Russia. That's what we know is happening. So we have a choice. Do we attack the symptoms or the cause?"

"If we attack the cause now, how do we dispose of the symptoms?" Donna asked, "After all, repairing a door with the burglar in your home doesn't stop the burglar."

"Donna that's brilliant!" Ten marveled.

"Alright then!" Eleven said, "Let's split up, gang!" After being stared at awkwardly, he said, "No, no, I am never saying that again."

Ten began giving marching orders. ""Eleven, you take Donna and Martha to America. See what you can do about the Sontarans. Nine, you take the Brigadier to Scotland. Stop the Cybermen at any cost. River, take Jackie to Russia and stop the Zygons. Other River, you're coming with Rose and I to Australia to stop the Angels. Any questions?" Everyone seemed to be in agreement with Ten. "Alright then. As soon as we're done with this, we'll regroup on top of Big Ben. Allons-y!"

Eleven took Donna and Martha into his TARDIS and flew to America. Nine took his TARDIS with the Brig, and headed to Scotland. River One used her vortex manipulator to take herself and Jackie to Russia. Ten took River in his TARDIS to Australia. Everyone was off to their respective destinations to face terrible evils. But something bigger was brewing. Something bigger than anyone could have prepared for.