A/N Sorry for the shorty! But this came to me during one of my insomnia trips…hope you enjoy…I know I will with a certain character showing up! :D I do like her now…didn't before but after watching the fourth season…I do I do! Anyway…

Happy Reading,

Angelica Burrows

Chapter Ten

She slept. It was a time of rest …it had to be done. Dawn..or the woman who called herself such, was laid to rest upon one of the many cots that were in a sealed off room. A cool rag was placed to the sleeping woman's face, dabbing down the pale skin. Martha watched her closely, tracing every line of the new face with scrutiny. There was a vibe that she had felt when meeting the woman….and she wished she had listened to it. Maybe all of this would have been avoided… It hadn't felt quite right the way the story had come from the Doctor's point of view… things didn't just happen with this man, no matter how hard he still wanted to believe in coincidence. Jones wiped some of the hair from the woman's brow, watching it as it fell down her shoulder. Dawn was so different now… The short, blonde locks were replaced by long, ebony tresses… Her imperfect skin had smoothed out, but was unbearably pale…the long lashes of her eyes standing out against its pallor.

From what Jones had seen of her surroundings, she preferred to stay with Dawn despite her dislike for the person. The camp had been just that…a camp. It was similar to the Depression camp she had visited back when the Daleks had invaded America in the 40's… people living on minimal means, many wearing rags…and carrying guns. Ianto explained that this was the last free…human outpost. The Doctor paced the room, watching the two interact in silence. Harkness on the other hand, was grilling Ianto for information.

"How exactly can this be the last one…surely there's more." Jones shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "All have finally been starved out, if it hadn't been for her…we would have as well. But she knows of some underground tunnels that lead in and out of the city. We've been shipping food supplies…shafty work I'll say. Speaking of which!" The man scuttled to a tunnel way, its makeshift elevator finally been let down. Upon the cramped grate stood at least five people, bundles and packages loading them down in almost anyway possible. Harkness rushed forwards to help, his strong arms lifting the heaviest off a short woman who was fussing royally.

The bundles tumbled from Jack's arms once he saw who was complaining. "Tosh…" The Doctor's head snapped up at the name, his hazel eyes burning with surprise. Harkness rushed forwards, scooping up the Asian woman in his arms. The female however, was not impressed. "Oi, get off me you lump! Ianto get your new friend's nibs off me…" Harkness looked bewildered as he was pulled aside, his green eyes still misted over with emotion. Ianto was stern, but friendly as he rebuked the man. "Please do not randomly…touch…my wife? You are a strange one.." Jack nearly choked, his face burning red. "Wife? Since when do you like wome.."

"Jack! Do as he asks.." The Doctor moved forward, gripping Harkness by the arm. Whispering lowly, the man urgently brought his friend into his thoughts. "Don't say a thing about our timeline. If we can put things back…theirs has to stay relevant…you can't blab about other dimensions." As the other man frowned, the Doctor moved away and to Martha's side. Both Ianto and Tosh embraced, sending confused looks to the small group. Swiping her matted hair behind her ear, Tosh eyed her husband carefully. "You really think that's him?" Her dark eyes followed the pacing man in the trench coat, unsure and doubtful. Ianto nodded slowly, leaning in closely to her ear. "He arrived in a blue box just as she said…but these other three…I'm not so sure about." The female frowned, looking at the small stack of supplies that her group had procured. "It's three more mouths to feed…can't we just turn them over and keep him?" Moving off to the side, her spouse shook his head. "He is very attached…won't go anywhere without his friends..we'll make it. Don't you worry….We always do.." The boyish grin made the woman smile, despite her worries… Nodding as she threw off her cloak, Tosh went back towards the elevator. Inclining her head towards Jack, her small voice rang out clear and commanding. "Heya, handsalot. There's two more loads to bring down. Care to give a girl a hand? Make yourself useful.." Harkness threw a careful glance back to the Doctor, who nodded gently in response.

Bounding towards the elevator, the former captain felt out of place. They were a strong team under his command in the other timeline…but Tosh was still alive here. It made the man wonder where Owen would be too if certain choices hadn't been made….

How many people would still be alive….

"How many have you killed searching for them, Balfus?" Gazora's throat croaked from lack of liquid, but taunted the man none the less. He had come storming in after the first few searches were futile.

Now being slammed against the stone wall of her cell like a dog, Gazora could feel every bone in her body crunch. After obeying his orders, the woman had found her work had done the unthinkable….changed the timeline of the earth timestream. For this, Balfus had her framed…and thrown into prison. The last week had been so eventful, and so painful…. But she would not break to tell him the way of the Tardis. Every Tardis had a function to return to bloodline…and she was the last now tied to the Doctor..and only Balfus knew it.

His hand crushed down upon her throat as he lifted her, his crimson rage reflection in his dark eyes. Spittle frothed around his mouth like a rabid animal as he spoke, making her wish she could turn her gaze from him. "Tell me how the link works. You are the last dimensional weaver….I know you know how to perform the action…" Sucking in her breaths laboriously, the woman's eyes betrayed her disobedience. Another throw…this time her body crumpled against the slab cot…. Blackness rimmed her sight as the sideways view of his exiting feet walked past. She could hear the whining of doors as they clasped shut…. "If you won't reveal your secrets…I can pry them from you, Gazora. The Display Maker will be newly fashioned…and it will reach into the mind just as the body. You have only a matter of days before the construction will be complete…and if you are not truthful before then…"

The threat trailed off as he left, the woman's mind was far too gone at the moment to comprehend the danger. No worries, he would ensue the threat for many days to come. As he gathered his robes to himself, Balfus sneared as he walked down the corridor. He would have his revenge upon the Doctor…he would finally have his revenge…no matter how many lives it took.

…..

"How is she…"

Martha nearly jumped. Her body had grown tired from lack of sleep, and before she had known it, she had fallen asleep upright with her arms and head lying on the bed next to Dawn. Bleary eyes looked up as she inspected her patient. Shaking her head, Martha looked up at the Doctor. "No change. Say, how long does it take for you..Time lords to wake up after one of these things?" He sat next to her, shrugging lightly. Somehow he had gotten the time to get another one of his trench coats…. It was hard to believe they were trapped underground with the Tardis…and yet trapped all the same. "Could take days…could take weeks. It's different for all of us." Martha nodded as her eyes trailed back to the center of the room. The makeshift shack kept off dirt and water, but left little room for comfort. Jack had fallen asleep in the corner, his lashed eyes looking swollen and dark. There was no sense of time as people moved in and out of the different lodgings, but there was one thing…the smell of food…

Tosh came back into the room after the smell seemed to reach unbearable proportions. Waving for them to follow her, the female lead the way out of the room and into the open cave area. The Doctor nodded for Martha to follow him, leaving the resting Jack to sleep as much as possible. Martha gave Dawn's sleeping form one last look before standing up. Every muscle ached…even more so the one in her gullet. The Cave was a man made thing, but its walls looked sturdy. About a fire remained several people, all of which Martha didn't recognize. The Doctor seemed to scan everything dubiously, even down to watching as the smoke ventilated out a hole shaft in the ceiling. They both sat on lump seats next to Tosh, the woman herself spooning up some odd looking soup from a caldron over the flames. Handing each a bowl, she smiled. "No good starving you….but there's some things we need to discuss." The Doctor placed his bowl on his knee, declining the offer for the moment. Martha however began to eat voraciously, not even hearing the woman's demand. "Oh do we now…let me ask the first question. What happened here?" Tosh chuckled, her eyes dancing. "She said you would be very authoritative…but no questions from you quite yet. At least none I might be answering….She's been very curious as to what happened on your end you know…and I've wanted.."

"I've wanted to know what the bloody hell happened. One minute I'm talking to me mum on the way to work, then all this. I mean come on…Oblivious isn't fun, I'll tell you, but now all this is runnin through me head and an uprising has got to be run..and whose better to do it than me?" The voice cut off Tosh's inquisitive rant, one starting all on it's own. The Doctor paused as he went to set down the cup of soup, his eyes bug wide. A grin began to spread across his face as he turned, standing to meet the owner of the voice. Only one person in the world could own that voice.

With hands on her hips and red hair slung across one shoulder, she stood proud. Despite being in ratted jeans, she looked like she could take on the world….like no one else could. Smirking as she threw back her head defiantly, Donna Noble tittered.

"Hello, Spaceman….did you miss me?"