Chapter 11
Rose went down the corridor, left, then past the bins, right, then second on the left. She eased open the door into her old room, which was now evidently, older Claire's. The walls were the same, like the ones in the control room, with an eerie glow. The bedspread was different. Rose's had been purple, Claire's was violet. She sat down on the bed and saw a photo frame on the bedside table. In the frame was a picture of four year old Claire, the Doctor and Rose, only last year. They were in Spain on holiday Rose remembered and were all happy. Before she realised tears rolled down her cheeks as she wondered if she'd ever see her daughter again.
She didn't hear the Doctor come in after about five minutes as she lay on the bed, curled into a ball. But she felt him take her in his arms.
"Are we gonna see her again?" she asked tearfully.
"Yes." The Doctor whispered in her ear. "Come with me," he took her hand and led her out the room gently. "I want to show you something."
He took her back to the control room but guided her up to the screen. He showed her the familiar Time-Tunnels.
"What am I looking at?" Rose wondered, not seeing anything but red swirls of the vortex.
"See that?" he said, pointing at the screen.
"What?"
"That black speck there? Flying in and out of view. Well that's the Reaper."
"It's following us?" she said, alarmed.
"Yeah. But that isn't what I'm looking for."
"Then… what are you looking for?"
"The TARDIS." He replied simply.
"But, we're in the TARDIS."
"I know that. Not this TARDIS, the other one." He said that as if it were obvious.
"Other one?" she repeated unsurely.
"Yeah, you know." He sighed, seeing he had to explain. "Adult Danny and Claire came from the future right?" she nodded. "So, fifteen year old Danny's TARDIS in this time which we are in now, in the time we just came from, he was in possession of it when the Danny and Claire came from another time in their TARDIS, therefore, they would've had to leave, like us so hopefully they found their TARDIS in time and escaped."
"Oook. Let me get this straight, just so I know. What are we gonna do even if we find them?"
"Well, first, I'm programming the TARDIS to go back to just before the erasing started, furthermore, we can go back home, grab your mother and five year old Claire."
"You make it sound so simple, yet so complex." She said, gazing into his eyes. He smiled. The engines stopped and she snapped out of her trance.
"Home sweet home." The Doctor said. Rose ran to the doors and threw them open. Her mother stood right before her, arms crossed, frowning. Her walking stick was propped against the sofa. Claire was by her side and she jumped up into Rose's arms. "Hi baby!" she greeted her happily.
"Isn't there some way you could make those engines quieter?" Jackie complained. Rose handed Claire to the Doctor as she embraced her mum. "Oh, look at you!" she said, standing back and looking at her daughter.
"Sorry to break up the reunion, people," the Doctor said, still holding Claire. He stood half in, half out of the TARDIS doors. "But, er." There was a screech from outside the windows.
"What the hell was that?" Jackie exclaimed.
"The Reapers." Rose told her.
"The what?"
"Mum, just, get in the TARDIS, ok?" she pleaded.
"Why?"
"Mum, we don't have time for this –"
The Doctor grew impatient and grabbed her sleeve and stick. "Oi!" she howled.
"They're coming!" he said. He tugged her into the TARDIS as gently as he could, Rose next, locking the door behind them. The TARDIS dematerialised just as the Reapers came in.