Disclaimer: River Song is officially dead. She was in an "accident" involving sharks, crocodiles, and a whole lot of gunpowder.
Chapter 9- New Developments
"Take us back! Take us back right now!" tears flowed unhindered down Jackie's face. "We can't leave them behind!"
Rose looked at her mother, tears also in her eyes. "We can't." said Donna. "When the TARDIS gets like this, no one, not even the Doctor, can control her."
A sob broke loose from Rose's throat and she allowed herself to collapse to the floor, her back to the door. Donna went to her and wrapped her arms around her and the two women held each other as they both cried.
"What do we do?" asked Rory. "We can't just sit here and do nothing." The Doctor didn't answer because he didn't know how.
"Doctor?" asked Amy. He just shook his head helplessly.
"Why did the TARDIS do this?" asked Jackie.
"Who knows?" said Donna.
Rose paced listlessly back and forth. She stopped so suddenly, that Jackie and Donna looked at her in concern.
"Donna?" Rose spoke as one who has the beginnings of an idea.
"Yeah?"
"Does Amy have her mobile with her?"
Donna grinned. "Yes, she does!" Donna grabbed her phone and dialed.
"Come on, Dad!" said Jenny, encouragingly. "If anyone can think of something, it's you."
"I can't, Jenny. I just can't!"
"What's that noise?" asked Pete and the others all listened.
"Oh, that's just my...mobile!" cried Amy excitedly. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and answered it. "Hello? Donna!"
The Doctor put his hand out. "Let me talk to her." Amy handed him the phone.
"Donna?"
"Hello, Doctor!"
"Donna, is Rose there?"
There was silence for a few seconds, then the most beautiful voice he had ever heard came on. "I'm here, Doctor."
"Thank goodness! Are you alright?"
"Well, we're a little shook up, but we're all okay. How are things back there?"
"We're doing fine, except for being stuck in the middle of the desert, that is. Where are you?"
"Besides the TARDIS? I don't know. I think we're still in the vortex as she hasn't appeared to have landed anywhere yet."
"Hmmm..."
"What do you think happened, Doctor? Why would the TARDIS leave without you?"
"There's only one reason I can think of at the moment."
"Which is?"
"Rose," he said softly, "you know I love you right? I would do anything to keep you safe."
"I know that, Doctor." her voice sounded so trusting. "I never doubted that, but what has that got to do with the TARDIS."
"The TARDIS is programmed to keep its passengers from danger. If she senses a threat she will take off. So, you're safe now. The TARDIS is protecting you."
"But that means that you're not! You are still in danger! Doctor, what is it? Tell me!"
He sighed. "I wish I knew. I love you." he hung up and handed the phone back to Amy.
"Doctor?" Rose sighed in frustration as she handed Donna her phone back. "He hung up on me!"
"What did he say?" asked Jackie. "Is everyone alright?"
"They're fine...for now."
"For now? What do you mean 'for now'?" Jackie demanded.
"He said the TARDIS is programmed to protect her passengers. If she believes there is a threat, she will take off. She's keeping us safe, but that unfortunately means that the others are still in danger."
Jackie and Donna looked horrified. "What danger?" asked Donna.
Rose shook her head sadly. "He didn't know."
"At least I don't have to worry about my family." said Pete, feelingly greatly relieved. "They're safe." The Doctor looked at him, but then quickly looked away. "They are safe, aren't they, Doctor?"
"Yes, for now."
"What do you mean?" Pete demanded.
The Doctor sighed. "The TARDIS is keeping them safe from any threats from the outside, but it can't really protect them from any inside threats."
"Inside threats?" asked Amy. "Like what? You can't really expect then to turn on each other do you?"
"No, that's not what I meant."
"Then what do you mean?" asked Rory, growing impatient and wishing the Doctor would give them some straight answers for once.
"You seem to have forgotten that my human version is still on board the TARDIS."
"Yeah, but you drugged him." Amy pointed out. "He's unconscious."
"For now." said the Doctor. "Eventually, he will wake up."
Pete's eyes narrowed. "And? There's something else you're not telling us, Doctor." The Doctor didn't answer. "Doctor, this is my family we're talking about. I have a right to know."
"River." said Jenny.
"What?" asked Amy.
"River." repeated Jenny. "Her foot prints as well of those of her accomplice were leading towards the TARDIS, but where are they now? Not here, and there's nowhere to hide. Which means that they probably snuck on board the TARDIS before it took off."
"She." the Doctor corrected. "The TARDIS is a she, not an it."
"She." Jenny amended.
"But you said that the TARDIS can sense a threat!" said Pete. "If that's the case, she wouldn't have let them on board, right?"
"Who said anything about let?" said the Doctor. "The TARDIS denied them entry and then began to take off, so they teleported on board."
"Can they do that?" asked Amy.
"If you had asked me that several years ago, I would have said no way, but now, I'm not so sure. River is a smart woman and whoever her accomplice is, they more than likely found a way to do it."
"So, Jackie, Tony, Donna, and Rose are in the TARDIS, just floating through the vortex, with River and her accomplice hiding on board, waiting to do them harm." said Rory summing everything up.
"Why didn't you tell them?" Pete shouted, feeling both angry and panicky. "When you were on the phone with Rose, why didn't you tell her? They need to be warned."
"Because I was still working everything out." the Doctor stated in his defense. "I just now figured all this out during this conversation."
"Well, then call her back and tell her!"
The Doctor reached his hand out for the phone which Amy returned to him. He pressed the call back button. After a few rings, Donna picked up. "Doc..." she was suddenly cut off, and he felt his blood run cold as he heard Rose scream and Jackie cry out. "Help!" shouted Donna.
"Rose?" shouted the Doctor, panicking. "Rose! Donna!" The connection went dead. He swayed and nearly collapsed, but Jenny caught him.
"What happened?" Pete asked, suddenly going very pale.
The Doctor just shook his head and Amy her phone back. Then he began to sob.
"How did you get on board?" Donna demanded, glaring at River, who was holding a gun to her head. How Donna wished she could give her a good punch to the face, but unfortunately she, Rose, Jackie, and Tony were all tied various parts of the console.
"Oh, I teleported." River answered simply, not moving the gun.
"Impossible." said Rose. "It's impossible to teleport on board the TARDIS."
"Oh, I found away." River bragged, moving the gun from Donna to Rose.
"I think you mean we found away." said a familiar voice that sent chills down Rose's and Donna's backs. A man stepped out of the shadows and into the light. The Doctor's two companions hissed and let out an intake of breath at the sight of him.
"You!" Donna accused, while Rose just glared at him in silence.
"Nice to see you too." he smiled. "Miss me?"
"Hardly."
"Who are you?" Jackie demanded.
The man just shrugged. "I have a lot of names. For a time I was known to the humans as Harold Saxon, but to the Time Lords and your friends, I am known as the Master."
"The Master?" Jackie stared at him in disbelief. "What kind of name is that?"
"The one I chose. Just as the Doctor chose his."
"Well, obviously the Doctor has humility. A quality you apparently lack."
"And you are obviously Rose's mother. I always wondered where she got that spunky quality."
"And proud of it!"
"Yes, nice chat." said River. "We do have a plan, Master. I suggest we finish it."
"Of course."
"I'm afraid I can't let you do that." River and the Master turned to see HD staring a them with a smug smile on his face. Everyone looked at him in surprise and confusion.
"But aren't you on their side?" asked Donna.
"You're working for us!" objected River.
"No, I am most certainly not!" he announced, sounding quite offended by the mere suggestion.
"But you're the human/metacrisis Doctor!" said the Master.
HD turned and glared at him. "No, I am not. I'm no more human than you are. Technically speaking."
"Then you're the real Doctor?" asked Rose, staring at him in hope and wonder. "How did you get here?"
"Well, yes and no." he said giving her the bright smile that she knew and loved. "Yes, I am the Doctor, but not one that you know."
Author's Note: I bet you're all going "what?" Well, continue reading! And of course review as always.