Chapter Nine

The silence was unbearable. Everyone could feel its crashing weight at it descended in a mass of tangles that made very person in the group want to scream out. Dawn Smith was dead, a mangled corpse of the woman she had been laying in the Doctor's strong grasp. Though no one knew who or what she really was, the loss of life was enough to cause a sorrow to tear at the hearts of all. The Doctor most of all seemed chattered, his very essence braised against the emotions that seared him. Ianto still had somehow kept his cover, causing the rest of the guards earlier to believe he was the group's formal escort to prevent escape. Jack was behind the Doctor, grasping Martha's hand in comfort as she quietly wept. The leader remained silent as he stepped into his craft, laying the lifeless form of Dawn to the steel grated flooring.

Ianto had less tact unfortunately, dashing past and to the controls. His face was pure awe and wonder, as if seeing the vessel for the first time. "Bloody amazing….so the stories are true. Bigger on the inside…well c'mon then, Doctor, fly us out of here?" Martha and Jack stood amazed, fearing the worst from their alien friend as he rose with a blatant anger blazing in his large eyes. "Ianto..I can't. Their could be dozens more ships like mine out there, and if we tried to escape, the lot of us would be blown to kingdom come. Is that why you helped me? To use me for escape?" Placing his hands out splayed forward, the humbled human shook his head. "No…I came because She sent me. Torchwood's all good and that, but before She came, we never even heard of the 'Doctor.' And let me tell you…you live up to the stories…even though some of them seem farfetched." Martha moved forward, her eyes gleaming with hope at the mention of another female. "This 'she' wouldn't by chance be named…Rose…'

Ianto backed away further, taking off the botched helmet and running fingers through the sweaty mass of hair. "No…matter o' fact we don't know her real name…only that she knows who the Doctor is and says she can put it right…whatever that means." The Doctor paid no heed, kneeling back down to stroke the hair of a friend lost. A faint smile was still on the woman's lips, and it almost looked as if it had grown larger… Shaking his head as he looked up towards his other friends, the Doctor took a curt nod. "Well…we had better get anything that means anything before everything gets turned to ashes tomorrow…There is a nice painting in there I want to keep…Michelangelo did a portrait..it's very lovely…" Harkness let his eyes wander about the Tardis, a mist coming over them. For awhile when the Doctor had a different face, this had come to be his home….him, the Doctor, and Rose…

"What did she say to you…" Jack looked down to his friend as the Doctor coiled up the life force device, placing the item like a treasure across her hands. "What?" Harkness leaned down to get eye level with him, watching as he placed the favorite trench coat over the corpse. "What did she say to you as she died…I couldn't hear it." Large eyes met Jack's as they clouded over in thought. There had only been a few times that the Doctor showed such emotion….and he could always see its haunt in the man's eyes when someone was lost. "She said, 'Seven minutes.'" Martha crouched next to the two, her fingers trailing over the blood spots that had smudged across the jacket earlier when Dawn's body had fallen from the machine of death… "They tore a hole clean through her heart…so much blood…. It's a wonder she could say anything at all…" The Doctor nodded, watching the woman who had saved his life. He had never even really known her real name. Mentally shrugging, the man now supposed it was the same feeling many people got when thinking of him…the person with no name who selflessly put himself in harms way…for a stranger….

Seven minutes…The time was approaching within about thirty seconds….seven minutes…what a strange thing to say as you died…as your heart was ripped apart…heart….heart….heart…seven minutes…heart…..no….hearts.

The Tardis whined to life before he had put it together, the door slamming shut behind them. The core began to move itself as the ship shuddered into life. Ianto was caught off guard, nearly tumbling backwards over the piloting chair. The Doctor lept upwards, pushing the two companions back. "SEVEN MINUTES! Oh bloody brilliant, how did I not see this before?" Dashing to the console, the Doctor moved several of the knobs at random. Martha and Jack moved back further, in their eyes a gleam of light growing from the flooring. "Ianto, they can't prevent seven minutes can they! I can save her...also I need the coordinates to that camp..you know that portal device you rambled on about." Ianto shook his head, his lips turning into a deep frown. "You turned it into…a muss of wires and bobbles! I know them by heart…" Wildly the Doctor scampered, turning various bits and pieces as he went. The Computer screen was moved towards the other man's direction, forcefully slamming into his hands. "Your honor, Mr. Ianto Jones!"

"Doctor…you should come take a look at this…" Jack called out from near the door, his voice urgent. "Not now, Jack. I have a Dawny Smith to save!" The growing light moved and pulsed, Martha now joining Jack's call as she moved into his protective arms. "DOCTOR,, NOW."

He whirled, hair tumbling into a fray as he sprinted around the core. "What do….you….oh dear…"

Dawn's body was still lying on the floor, engulfed into a beauteous light. Her body was changing. Seven minutes was not what he had thought… Martha and Jack moved towards their friend, Ianto closing in behind to watch the spectacle. Completely dumbfounded, Martha's dark eyes could not get any larger than now. "Doctor, is she…is she…"

"Regenerating…" Passing a hand through his hair, the man could do nothing but watch the process he had gone through so many times himself. The life glow of Time wrapped itself about her frame, altering, changing. It must have been the first time in many years, the energy output flashing like licking flames, burning away the human impurities that had contained her. Dawn's eyes were the last to change…to open…the first and last sign of life as her entire form nearly lifted off the ground. Her form collapsed as soon as the light dissipated, the heap of new life stretching out as if for the first time.

"Oi….that was close. Bit rougher than I remember too…but oh give or take twenty years at it…hello.."

The woman moved upwards in a girlish leap, sending the bloodstained clothing to the floor. She was taller than Dawn had been, slimmer too. Long, blackish brown locks tumbled down her back and across her face, plush lips turning upwards in a punch drunk grin. Looking down at her amply slimmer form, the woman wiggled a bit in glee. "Ehh, not as chubby about the knickers as I was…not as short either! Ooo…oo…different voice…gotta get used to that. Little...northish, doncha think? Eww.. I got blood all on me shirt….and apologies for the coat. Guess it's karma for the jacket you still owe me. What are all you Staring at?"

In truth they were, even the Doctor. It was a shock, a difference in everything all of them thought. Dawn Smith was dead…and now this…woman was here in her place. Cocking her head to the side, she sighed. "Oh come on now…I'm still me…Dawn…hello again? The one who likes sugar and tea and reading and jogging…wait were did jogging come from...All I did was a twist of the wick and expectro prantronum I'm new…wait…no that's Harry Potter…sorry…but you get the knack?" The Doctor moved forwards, his eyes searching hers. The same blue was there, hidden under a ring of enchanting violet…but the plain…blue…calming blues were still there… She hadn't forgotten herself either… "Seven minutes, Dawn.." The woman looked confused for a brief moment, her petite nose scrunching up .

"Oh yes! For one who calls himself the 'Doctor', I would think it would come easy. Seven minutes is how long the body has to live in reserve mode after the heart has been stopped. A bit longer for us Time Lords, but you got me here…the Tardis needed to give me a lil jolt and presto…regenerated at last. I have looked young, but it's been a good time since the last one. Before you came along I was about the celebrate a fortieth human cycle…meh…" Shuddering as if she had just eaten something gross, the young woman grinned. Her eyebrows rose suddenly as if remembering something forgotten. Bouncing over to the Tardis, she ran her fingertips across the mainframe board. The machine responded happily, a cascade of lights going down the knobs. "Thank you girl…it's been awhile. NOW! Let's be off to that encampment shall we? They've more than likely felt my energy, and soon enough…oh there they are." Shouting and banging came from outside the Tardis' door ensued, the Council having sent their guards to collect disobedient rebellers from escaping. The Doctor rushed to the woman's side, flipping a switch as the two moved in the sync of piloting. "Why did you save me back there…Dawn…"

The female winked, rushing off to the other side of the core. Grabbing hold of the wheel mechanism, she braced one foot upon the console as the other hand pressed the coordinate locking machine's button. "Now or then? All things get lumped together and you know…ooooooh thhhhhhhhhere we go…." As the Tardis whined into life it shook, sending the ship spiraling towards the section on the planet they wished. Ianto shouted over the ruckus, his voice vibrating. "OHHHH the cloaking shield might give us some problems!" Dawn wheeled around, kicking off the side of the chair. Slamming her hand down upon random switches, the buttons were running red. "Oh not for this ole girl!" The Doctor grabbed the steering knob, flushly spinning it in a semicircle. "She's got fire in her soul, Ianto…just guide us in and make sure that no one shoots at us!"

Ianto opened a compartment in his wristwatch, a holo-feed link flashing into view. "Torchwood, permission for emergency landing. Passcode: Seti Harriette four." The Doctor moved over to hold a lever in place, an apprehensive look playing across his lips. A deathly pause came, the trembling ship seemingly trying to come apart at the seams. "Ianto…" Dawn grit her sharp teeth, looking desperately over to the man. Ianto looked up, sweat beading upon his brow. Finally the mechanical, feminine voice from the watch spoke back. "Affirmative."

The trembling stopped after the confirmation, everyone finally breathing sighs of relief as their footing was replaced. Martha stumbled forward, stepping up to the Doctor's side. Dawn slowly moved down the gangplank, peeking out the Tardis' door. Turning back, she gallantly waved her hands in the air. "WE made it…oh dear…" As the woman turned, her eyes went wide. The slim body seemed to finally fail her finally after the jolt of adrenaline disappeared. Energy fell from Dawn's new lips as she fell towards the floor, barely escaping crushing her forehead into the ground. The Doctor sprang forwards at the last minute, catching the drained woman. Martha gasped, kneeling in help to support the female. "What happened? Why did she pass out?" The Doctor swept the dark hair from Dawn's brow, his own scrunched in concern. "We've got to get her somewhere to rest..she's radiating energy and could lead the Council straight to us. Right now they think we stole back the Tardis…they don't know she's alive…"

…

"Balfus…please let me go…" The hunched over woman pleaded against bars, reaching a plaintive hand towards an unforgiving master. Mewling in hunger and pain, the female retreated as a searching hand trailing down her dirt stained cheek. "Not yet…you made this world, now you have to remain as a tool in it for me….you are still of great use to me…" Balfus moved up from a torn Gazora, her ragged body miserably laying in the dirt flooring of a cell ground. A satisfied smirk moved across his face. Even though they had stolen the Tardis back…he still had one piece of leverage over the Doctor….

It had only just begun.