A/N: Hope everyone is still enjoying the story. I'm basing a lot of what Gallifrey should look like on 'The Five Doctors' and on the ideas I've established in my journey there in Legacy so if it differs slightly from the 'silver trees and red grass' description featured in Gridlock please forgive me.

The Hunt

'By chill light of midnight and shrill light of day, the hunter is after his pray…' Kiddie Widdy Winkies, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

The Doctor keep to the head of the group as they made their way through the deep caverns they had found themselves in. Their only light were several make shift torches they had located in the room they had woken in before but they were beginning to dwindle and there was no sign of a way out or Pete and Dominic. Jackie kept back with Adric who had yet to look directly at his father since his confession, the young boy's mind in turmoil in the change in his own identity. Jean was taking the confession much more positively and kept close to her father and Jack's side, enquiring now and then about her father's past and the differences between him and a human. The Doctor realised in talking to her that he had never taken as much time as he should of in making deeper studies into his daughter's intelligence and empathy, her characteristics were very much similar to his grand daughter's, a gentle, untrained intelligence that had the ability to become something great if nurtured.

When Jean fell silent at his side the Doctor continued to try to work out where they had been transported to. The cavern was familiar to him but he struggled to pin point where in the universe they could be. Jack's memories were still patchy and the only memory he had was Dana's warning that something was happening on Gallifrey. The Doctor was sure 'on Gallifrey' was more likely to be 'where Gallifrey was' but he was not willing to openly contradict anything until he could ascertain where they were. He cursed the fact that instead of being in his suit as he was in adventures of old he was dressed only in his nightwear, no sonic screwdriver or pocket full of gadgets at his disposal to make a more detailed study of the cavern's geology.

The Doctor paused, bringing the entire company to a halt as a faint sound came to his ears. He turned to the group, his finger on his lips to signal for silence. He nodded to a small crevice in the side of the rock that would be big enough to conceal them and ushered everyone inside, extinguishing the torches and leaving them in darkness. The fit was tight for the five of them but the Doctor did not let them move, his eyes straining in the darkness to see if anything would pass them by. It wasn't long until the footfalls that had alerted his attention began to grow louder, echoing in the silent cave. The rhythm was military, measured and exact and the Doctor was little surprised when the first thing that came into his vision was the end of two guns before their owners stepped into sight. The two troopers were dressed head to foot in black, their faces and heads covered with a wrap of the same material, their eyes the only thing visible. They continued their march passed the cavern, not stopping to notice the concealed Time Lord and his terrified family. The Doctor kept his eyes trained on them as they passed by, noticing the insignia on the back of their robes and having to bite his tongue to suppress the gasp at what he saw.

The Doctor pulled back into the crevice and pressed his back against the wall, his mind in turmoil and at a loss to explain the new developments in their ordeal. When the footfalls died away he felt a hand grip his arm before the whispered American tones reached his ears.

"What did you see?"

"Soldiers," said the Doctor, "Soldiers in uniforms marked with the seal of the High Council of Gallifrey but there's no way unless Gallifrey survived the war."

"I didn't ask the particulars from Dana before I came for you, she was frantic, just said the Idralas was doing something on Gallifrey," said Jack.

"None of this makes any sense. Gallifrey's gone, I went to the site with Rose and it was in pieces, everything destroyed and there's no way…Oh God!"

"Oh God's not good Doctor," said Jackie, "what's oh God?"

"There's stories," said the Doctor, "There were stories on Gallifrey in my boyhood that something known as the Covenant, an assembly of Idrali, was imprisoned in secret on the planet by Rassilon. I thought it was nonsense but if it was true then the explosion…no they would have been blasted to atoms, nothing survived but then it would make sense in a way, perhaps the power of the explosion was what they needed, the same way the Idralas needed the power from the Isolas but then why Gallifrey, why not an assault in their original forms unless…oh my head, its starting to make sense. The blast, their atoms were scattered but they found the power to reform but parts of the planet would be there also, they're fused to the planet."

"Doctor slow down," said Jack, "What exactly is going on here?"

"I have no idea," said the Doctor, his voice dropping a tone, "But I have a nasty feeling that those soldiers were looking for us. We're being hunted."

"Hunted?" said Jean, her voice trembling, "Why are we being hunted?"

"I'm not waiting around long enough to find out," said the Doctor taking her hand, "Everyone join hands, we'll have to move on without a light and I don't want to lose anyone."

Hands joined the Doctor led the small band from their hiding place, suddenly realising why he had recognized the cave, Borusa had transported him to the same place when he had tried to take the power of Rassilon. The Doctor paled at the remembrance of the time but one thing he knew, they had to go up.

XXXX

Rose sat on the console room chair, watching Dana and the Doctor work. She had been amazed at how easily the two had fit together, almost closer than she remembered her Doctor and Dana becoming. She had left them for almost half an hour when the Doctor had begun working, knowing that the Doctor had to hear the tale of his youth the same way her Doctor had before. Dana had come to look for her soon after, her face tear stained but happy. That's when Rose had broken down. Dana had enveloped her in her arms and rocked her as she cried over all the loss that surrounded her and the pain at having the man she had lost so close to her side once more, so much like the man she knew rather than the shell she had met at Gallifrey. Dana had been the same calm, understanding friend she had been when the Doctor had been stuck in the Idralas' realm, listening without comment and then offering the gentle advice that reminded Rose just how much her Doctor was like his mother despite their years apart.

A beep from the console pulled Rose from her reverie and she raised her eyes to the Doctor's face, hoping the study of its lines would give her an answer to some of her questions. He tapped frantically at the keyboard, intermittently frowning and then grinning as he processed the information before him. He turned to his mother with a warm smile Rose wasn't sure she had ever seen him wear before and nudged her aside from where she was working, flicking several switches.

"You need to look at the set up of your scanners," he said, "Look at the frequency of the Transduction Barrier now."

Dana stepped around him to the viewer screen, the text before her no problem to decipher, "I think I may," she said, "but what does it mean? Its not strong enough to stop anything coming in off the space lanes so why have it."

"Sun filter," said the Doctor, "When you mentioned the reformation of the Idrali being reliant on the power from the paradox and them using the planet there was something that triggered the old alarm bells and this is it."

"Like the Krillitanes," said Rose getting up from the console chair, "They've morphed from their original state too much and now they're allergic to the sun they created to force life to grow again on the planet."

"Krillitanes?" said the Doctor, "Sun allergies? Glad to see my new self didn't skimp on your education."

"Four years Prydonian Academy syllabus when I was twenty-five," said Rose, "So can you drop the barrier?"

"I can but they'll probably have other defences and it seems also to have some sort of low level telepathic link connected to it so any attempt to drop the shield will alert them to us and until we've ascertained what has definitely happen to the Doctor and the others we need to be careful," said the Doctor.

"So what do you suggest we do?" said Dana, "Can we go down there?"

"If Dana goes down they'll detect her as pure Gallifreyan and she could be as much use to them as the Doctor they have will be. I can go down, they've got their scanners set for him and I should register just as a shadow on them. Up here the barrier works in our favour, we're hidden. The TARDIS can't pin point any life signatures for the Doctor but my presence is confusing her, perhaps if I had something of his, something that's been close to him."

Rose lifted her hand to her chest before reaching down inside the shirt she wore and bringing a small stone amulet head on a leather necklace from around her neck. She held it up in front of the Doctor, knowing he'd instantly recognize it, "He wears this all the time now," said Rose.

"Perfect," said the Doctor, "Now if I can just get this scanner to work."

A small beam danced its way over the pendant before the TARDIS began to give a series of the most heart wrenching beeps Rose had ever heard. The Doctor fiddled with the controls, a plan of the planet's surface coming up on the screen before the TARDIS homed in on one bright, pulsing indicator.

"Got him, he's alive and on the planet. I knew he couldn't have been completely wiped from time," said the Doctor, "He's below ground, we'll need to take the TARDIS down there but I don't have enough time to fix the chameleon circuit on here to make us inconspicuous. Dana can I take yours."

Dana nodded, desperately attempting to hide the pain on her face at the fact that he did not feel comfortable enough to call her mother, "Of course. You'll need disguises though, the troops are uniformed like the old infantry guard of the planet."

"There should be some in the armoury," said the Doctor, "Unless any changes have been made."

"He never goes in there," said Rose, "Everything should be the same as you remember. What about the Idrali though? Finding the Doctor won't end all this."

"That's where the next part of my perfectly fantastic plan comes in," said the Doctor, "We need to go to the Cloister Room."

XXXX

Another collection of troops were gathered at the top of the path the Doctor had wanted to climb and he quickly led his small band back into hiding as the infantry troops broke off in search of them once more. They had been trying to reach the surface for hours but the increased numbers of troops patrolling the area made the path both slow and dangerous. The Doctor was still perplexed as to the reason for his presence on the planet with his family but he knew the answers would lie above ground rather than below it. The path was made all the more difficult by Adric's reluctance and volatility. The Doctor almost feared the look of disgust the boy occasionally threw in his direction and he knew all their stealth would be for nothing if Adric chose to give away their position as some sort of revenge.

The Doctor looked back at his charges to see them both exhausted and terrified, a deadly mixture that would lead to mistakes. Finding a suitable resting place would be impossible but the Doctor knew removing one of the problems would at least give them a better chance of escaping.

"We need to go back to that alcove we passed about ten minutes ago," he said, "You can rest there while I go on ahead, try to find a path that won't lead us into one of the platoons."

"You're not leaving us," said Jackie, "What'll we do if they find you, or us?"

"We're not going to find a way out if we keep going in circles," said the Doctor, "and on my own there's less chance of them finding me. I won't go far, just far enough to find a suitable path and then I'll come back. If you stay quiet they won't find you, I don't think its you they're looking for anyway."

"The Doc's right," said Jack, "You guys need to rest and he can take care of himself. If we can get out of this darkness then we might have a better chance of getting home. I'll take them back Doctor, you go on from here."

The Doctor nodded, "Kids?"

Jean wrapped her arms around her father's neck, almost strangling him with her force, "Promise you'll come back?" she said.

"I promise," said the Doctor, "You and Adric stay together, don't let go of each other whatever happens."

Jean nodded solemnly as she stepped back from him.

"Adric?" said the Doctor.

The boy remained silent despite Jean shoving him in the Doctor's direction. He refused to raise his head, instead studying the ground beneath his bare feet.

"Adric please," said the Doctor, "Just look at me, don't leave it like this."

The Doctor wished he hadn't made the request when Adric looked up at him with such venom in his eyes that the Doctor questioned the integrity of his remaining regenerations.

"You've lied to me for sixteen years," said Adric, "Go off chasing around caves if you want, if those things want you, if you're the reason we're here then I hope they get you, then I can go home."

"Adric don't say that," said Jean.

"You can go with him too," said Adric, "You can all go to Hell, you all lied to me, all of you!"

Without another word Adric pushed passed his grandmother, running over the rocky path with little care into the darkness beyond. The Doctor called out his name before telling Jack to stay with Jackie and Jean. He followed the path that he was sure his son had taken but the advantages of both youth and being head of his school athletics team left Adric with too much of a head start for the Doctor to follow. He continued further on but no sight nor sound could he find. He tried to clear his mind but all his perceptions were dulled by whatever power had drawn him to this recreation of his planet and he could not pin point the bright glimmer of light that was his son's presence. He finally came to a halt and leant back against the cavern wall.

"Adric," he said in the darkness, "I wish I…"

The Doctor closed his eyes against the threatening tears, his nails digging into his palm as he struggled with the battle between wanting to find his son and leading the others in his care to safety. To search for Adric would leave the others at risk of discovery without him and waste the time they needed to find out what was occurring but the Doctor also knew the terrors that lurked in the caverns and he could not be sure that they were not still out there, hunting and hungry.

"I'm not giving you up yet," said the Doctor to himself, "Not yet."

Turning back to where he had left the group behind he began to make his way back to them, once they were together they could search and then only together would they find an answer to the riddle that had them captive.

XXXX

"From one half mangled TARDIS to another," said the Doctor as he manipulated the very different looking controls of Dana's ship to those they had left with her on the TARDIS, "Can you hold down that lever for me?"

Rose nodded, still silently disconcerted at seeing him dressed in the black, jumpsuit like uniform they had dug out of the old TARDIS armoury. They had found two suitable for them, Rose insisting that she come with him to the surface. She had felt little difference in herself when she donned the military outfit and Council insignia but she had seen the effect it had on the Doctor. Although he had faced the final battle of his planet in the customary clothes of his eight incarnation Rose knew that he must have seen battle in the clothes he now hesitated to change into. Neither of them had chosen any weapons save for two unloaded guns to use as props in case they met with another patrol. They intended to rely on their wits and the small device the Doctor had put together as part of the 'master plan' that Rose still wasn't sure she understood. The Doctor carried something more deadly in the pocket of his jumpsuit and Rose prayed he never had to use it. Rose had been shocked when the Doctor had taken her to the med bay before they were to leave the TARDIS. He had opened a well concealed safe in the room and pulled out a small filled syringe of a odd bluey-green solution. He had called it insurance as he put it in her hand. Rose had questioned its use but she wished she hadn't. The solution was the same as what the Doctor had been led to believe his mother had been given to prevent her regenerating except this one was the real thing and as dangerous as believed. Rose had tried to put it back in the safe but he had stopped her, telling her that if it came to it she had to use it. The risk to them on the planet would be great and if the Doctor she was with was injured enough to begin the regeneration into his tenth form she had to administer the dose before the universe could react. Two Doctors in different forms were dangerous enough, two Doctors in the same form could be fatal for the universe. Rose had again refused and the Doctor had relented, placing the vial in his own pocket with a hope that he could use it himself if the need came.

Rose raised her free hand to her heart as her other hand held down the button he had instructed. The ship lurched and juddered but the trip to the surface was short and they were soon landing softly. The silence in the ship was almost deafening as the Doctor scrolled through the information on the viewing screen.

"We've landed above ground," he said, "This TARDIS' power supply is lower than mine…his and couldn't penetrate the surface. We'll have to find a way down on our own."

"Okay," said Rose, "Hopefully they won't realise we're here and we can get to the Doctor easily enough even if getting out is a little harder."

The Doctor threw up the hood of the uniform he wore, covering his head and face so that only his piercing blue eyes could be seen. Rose tried to adjust hers but the hook to hold the face covering in place refused to co-operate. She wasn't surprised when a gloved had took the material from her and fastened it with one well practised movement. She hoped the smile on her face was reflected in her eyes.

"Thanks," she said, "So, how do I look?"

"Aren't you a little short to be a Storm Trooper?" said the Doctor, a playful edge back to his voice now they were away from the pain of Dana's presence.

"Original!" giggled Rose, "Am I too short though?"

The Doctor shook his head, "No, you'll do. Never thought I'd see you dressed in anything like that."

"Never thought I'd see you in anything other than leather but stranger things have happened," said Rose, "Are you…Is it alright, you know, for you, going out there?"

"Its not my Gallifrey," said the Doctor, turning his face from hers so she couldn't see his eyes, "And the only way for my successor to have any chance of getting out he needs both you and me…well he needs one of us and I'm not letting you go on your own, not when you're…"

Rose had to suppress a giggle as he gestured vaguely towards her stomach. She could imagine the thoughts in his head, thoughts of the Rose he had left behind and his chaste affections for her. A moment of pure devilment came to her and she took the gesturing hand and laid it flat on her abdomen. He tried to pull away but she held it fast.

"The word you're looking for is pregnant," she said.

"I know," said the Doctor, "But you…do you and me…is it before or after I regenerate when we…?"

"After," said Rose letting go of his hand and feeling pleasantly surprised as he left it against her, "Not that long after though."

The Doctor nodded before taking his hand away, "He is pretty I suppose."

"Doctor?"

"Right then, no point standing here gossiping, time is money and all that, or in our case time is time. Best foot forward, we've got some people to save."

Cursing her own stupidity Rose followed wordlessly as the Doctor made for the TARDIS door, catching up the small bit of equipment they would need under his arm before stepping out of the doors. Rose came to an abrupt halt as she almost crashed into his back. The Doctor stood stock still at the door of the TARDIS, looking out over the scene before him. Rose stepped to his side and pulled the door closed behind her. Gone was the lush land she had seen as a representation of Gallifrey in the Idralas' realm, the place they stood in looked like a lonely, forgotten moor land, grass and bracken clinging to dirty outcrops of rocks. The place was walled on all sides by ragged cliff faces but it was the sight that loomed a few hundred yards from them that truly caught Rose's eye.

Standing like a lonely sentinel beneath the glow of the orange sky stood a tall tower, set into the rock face of the cliff. It swooped up on great buttresses of stone to a point dressed with an off centre crescent moon. Rose had never seen anything more terrifying and beautiful in the same heart beat, something about it seemed the thrum with power and knowledge despite being only a forced recreation, something about it said that real or not, destroyed or not the power of Gallifrey was an ever present force in the universe. Rose reached for the Doctor's hand beside her. His grip was harder than she was used to but even with his face obscured behind the uniform he wore she could see that the tower before them meant something to him.

"Rose," he said, his tone measured to hide its tremor, "Things just got a whole lot worse."

"Why?" she said, "What is this place?"

"Call me superstitious," said the Doctor, "But this place is very bad luck. In the days before Rassilon this place was an arena where the Time Lords would place people to battle one another for their amusement. Rassilon stopped it but this place was forbidden. Its name alone tells you to keep away."

"And that would be?"

"The Death Zone," said the Doctor, "this place is called the Death Zone and that the Tower of Rassilon and your Doctor is down inside its catacombs."

"Catacombs? How bad exactly are these catacombs?"

The look in the Doctor's eyes told her everything she needed to know before he even spoke, "Let's just hope he's realised where he is."

"Oh God, Doctor where are you?" said Rose barely keeping the catch from her voice.

One strong arm reached around her to pull her against the familiar two beat rhythm, "He's gonna be alright, he's me remember."

Rose turned her face into the material on his chest and groaned half in frustration and half in an attempt at amusement, "That's what I'm afraid of."

She felt the soft rumble of laughter beneath her cheek before she pulled back and took the Doctor's hand. With one final glance down at her he pulled her away from the well cloaked TARDIS and towards the tower, running across the bracken and dust to the gateway to the depths of Rassilon's tomb. Rose was sure she should be stumbling on the rocky ground but something about the grip on her hand told her that falling was something she would not be permitted to do.

When they reached the base of the tower Rose was more than a little out of breath and nearly doubled over in an attempt to catch her breath.

"You alright?" said the Doctor, not even breathing heavily.

"Yeah," said Rose straightening, "Just out of practice and I never ran much when I was pregnant with the other two."

"Your baby is half Gallifreyan," said the Doctor, "That development will take more out of you than a human child."

Rose came to his side as he took the sonic screwdriver to a lock in the rock face, "I know, third trimester was a complete wash out, I was barely out of bed."

"Bet you loved that," said the Doctor as the lock clicked free, "Could barely get you out of bed anyway when you were with me…can barely get you out of bed, gotta remember that the younger you is out there somewhere."

Rose followed him into beneath the archway, immediately disliking the stagnant surroundings she found herself in, "What will happen," said Rose, "When you get back? Will you remember?"

"I don't know," said the Doctor pulling a torch from his pocket and flicking it on, "Reason would say that something should make me forget, with all you've told me about my future anything could happen to change that path if I'm aware of it in advance."

"It'd be awkward to," said Rose, "The whole getting your companion pregnant thing."

The Doctor was silent but Rose caught the look he threw back at her and she was glad of her face covering as she blushed. She hurried her feet to catch up to him and slipped her hand into his, "I never knew you cared," she said softly.

"You never asked," said the Doctor.

XXXX

The Doctor was concerned by the coldness of Jean's hand in his, the girl was baring her situation bravely but her night clothes were proving little warmth against the chill and wet of the caves and the Doctor feared her health would soon start to suffer if he could not get them out of the chasms soon. Their first priority though was Adric but with a patrol at nearly every turn and several unsavoury shadows beginning to follow the scent the Doctor knew discovery by one or the other was soon to be imminent. Jack was struggling to help Jackie along, the path they had previously left had been treacherous and a wrong foot had set her falling and her left leg now proved a suitable advert against caving in a nightdress. In a change from her usual state however she bore it with grace, trusting in the Doctor as they searched frantically for Adric.

Jean pulled her father to a halt, the gravel almost giving beneath his feet as she pulled him back. He looked down to see the crevice he had missed in the blackness, deep and foreboding and definitely deadly if he had fallen. He looked down at his daughter in both thanks and amazement before easing his back against the wall, balancing on his toes to cross the thin ledge that bridged the gap. When he hit more solid ground he helped Jean and then Jackie across, pushing them behind him as he reached across the gap to Jack. The American took his hand and took a tentative step onto the ledge but his weight proved to much and it began to give. With an almighty heave the Doctor pulled Jack to him before the ledge could collapse, tumbling back against the hard ground but gratefully still holding on to his friend.

The Doctor opened his mouth to give some witty quip about Jack needing to stop all this falling over to get him on his back when a small whimper echoed up from the crevice below. Jack quickly rolled off the Doctor as they both peered down into the gloom. Jean nudged her father to one side, peering down into the gloom, gripping onto the rock beneath her knees.

"Adric?" she said softly, "Adric is that you?"

"Jean?" came the whimpered cry from below, "Where are you?"

"Above you," said Jean, "What happened? Did you fall?"

"My leg," cried Adric from beneath them, "I can't move it, the ground gave way and I fell. Please come down, I need you."

"I'm coming Addy," said Jean as she looked for a suitable place to climb down. She was pulled to her feet before she could even begin her descent. She looked up at her father in bemusement before relaxing her stance.

"I'll go first," said the Doctor, "Find a safe way down."

Jean nodded her agreement as the Doctor began to navigate the lip of the particular ledge. He gripped onto the edge, lowering himself slowly in the gloom, praying for a light as he had to search blindly for a foot hold. He breathed a sigh of relief as his feet came into contact with a slim but strong ledge barely two metres below the lip. He put his feet down before crouching to get a better view of below. The slope wasn't as steep and could easily be slid down if attempted with caution. He could see the outline of Adric at the base of the slope and quickly began to slip and slide his way down the rocky face, dislodging stones here and there but keeping as steady as he could.

The young boy looked up as he saw two feet appear beside him, squinting in the darkness as the Doctor bent down to him. Adric recoiled as the Doctor reached out to him.

"Addy please, just let me check you're alright."

"Where's Jean?" snapped Adric.

"She's up on the ledge," said the Doctor, "Let me look at your leg and then I can carry you back up, its not as high as it looks."

"I don't need your help," said Adric, "Keep away from me."

"Adric please…"

"I want my mum."

"Your Mum isn't here," said the Doctor, the frustration he had tried to hide creeping into his voice, "So you're stuck with me kid and alien or not I'm still your father and you'll do as I say, not let me see your leg."

Adric scuffled his way back from the Doctor, not caring as the gravelly ground cut into his hands, "Get the hell away from me," hissed Adric, "I don't want you near me, you're a liar, you lied to me. I can't believe what you made me, I'm a freak because of you."

"And what do you think your mother would say if she was here," said the Doctor, "Would you be this way to her?"

"At least Mum's human not some stinking alien thing!"

"Doc what's going on down there," came Jack's voice from above.

"I think you'd better bring Jean and Jackie down," said the Doctor trying to keep his voice as steady as he could, "The casualty wants a second opinion."

Before too long the clatter of feet and gravel echoed from above as the Doctor climbed back up the slope to assist Jack with Jean and Jackie's descent. The dim light marked out Jackie's years more than ever as the Doctor took her hand and he reflected with alarm that while she had been at his side through the whole of Adric's rejection he had yet to offer her one word of comfort over the fate of Pete and Dominic.

"Holding up?" he said as he helped her ease down the slope.

"I want to go home," said Jackie, "Is this what it was like for you and Rose, was this the life you led?"

"Sometimes," said the Doctor, "But other times it was beautiful."

Jackie looked at him with tear filled eyes, "Easy to forget beautiful in this place."

"We'll get home Jackie, I promise."

"You promised you'd always keep us all safe," said Jackie, her voice filled with remorse but no reproach, "Perhaps you'd best stop making promises. Go and help Adric."

The Doctor turned from her to see Jean and Adric in quiet conversation as Jack gently manipulated his foot and leg. Adric flinched occasionally but the Doctor could see even from a distance that he had survived any broken bones. He knelt next to Jack and tried to take over but Adric snatched his foot away. The Doctor opened his mouth to again reason with him but the sound of booted feet caught his attention. The group turned only to be met with two platoon soldiers, guns poised at their shoulders to prevent any chance at escape. The taller soldier cocked his gun to signify that the band should all stand. The Doctor turned to Adric and he knew the boy would allow him to help now that the odds were stacked against them. Once Adric was on his feet the Doctor turned back to the soldiers and raised his hands in surrender.

"Okay," he said, "You don't need the guns, we'll come quietly."