Isadora was washing the dishes in the kitchen while humming a little tune to herself. Aaron and Cody walked in from the back garden, Aaron holding a camera.
"All done for today," Aaron came over and gave his mother a kiss on the head, "Do you wanna see?"
"You can show me all the pictures you want but to me it'll just be birds and the sky," Isadora chuckled.
"At least you wouldn't insult them," Cody took a seat on the kitchen table, "Or break my camera..."
Isadora smiled softly as she looked back. It had been weeks since her son and friend had arrived to her house and in it, she'd gotten to know Cody Ripoll better. Oh he was a nice, young man with a troubled past like his granddaughter. But unlike Minerva, Cody didn't seem so perturbed by it anymore. She hoped that it was due to Cody being older than her and that the older Minerva would get, the more healed she'd be.
"I would never insult your work, dear," Isadora said, "I think it's lovely."
The phone rang from the living room and so Isadora turned the water off and reached for the towel to dry her hand.
"I'll get it mom," Aaron offered and went into the living room. He picked up the phone and answered, "Hello?'
"Mrs. Lozano!?" Hayley, the Souza's main maid nearly yelled.
"No, this is Aaron, Hayley is that you?"
"Oh, Mr. Lozano, something's happened and Mrs. Souza is out of the city for the day!"
"Calm down and just say it," Aaron instructed, "What happened?"
~ 0 ~
Isadora had resumed washing the dishes since her son was taking care of the phone call. When she heard his footsteps returning she expected him to say who had called, perhaps Minerva. But for some reason, there was an eerie silence.
"Aaron, who was it?" she glanced over shoulder.
Silence.
She turned off the sink once more and reached for the towel as she turned around to her son, "What's wrong?"
Aaron was standing by the threshold of the kitchen, his gaze blankly ahead, like in shock.
"Aaron?"
"It's um...um..." Aaron finally looked at his mother, "...we need to call Sophia and Minerva."
~ 0 ~
The TARDIS was shaking as violent as ever, reminding Minerva of the way it had done something similar to this when they'd met Zohar and Valyn. Sparks flew around the console while the Doctor tried regaining control of the box, the women screamed as they held onto whatever they could.
"What the hell's it doing?" Donna yelled.
"Controls aren't working!" the Doctor tried a different control on the console only for more sparks to fly. He fell to the floor and saw the jar containing his hand bubbling wildly, "I don't know where we're going but my old hand's very excited about it!"
"I thought that was just some freaky alien thing! You telling me it's yours?" Donna looked on in horror, glancing at Minerva for confirmation.
"It got cut off and he grew a new one," she muttered, talking with a cold tint in her tone..
"You are completely... impossible!" Donna told the Doctor.
"Not impossible, just... a bit unlikely!" was all he had to say for that.
The TARDIS did one last rebellious explosion before coming to a complete halt. Everyone rumbled into a new position, Minerva and Donna on the floor, Martha over a rail and the Doctor on the chair by the console. The Doctor looked at the women, wanting desperately to go and check if Minerva was alright. But, by her deep glare, he knew that would only push her farther away from him. So, he went for the doors. They seemed to be in some underground tunnel that was littered with junk and old equipment. Martha and Donna stepped out, both curiously looking around.
"Why would the TARDIS bring us here?" the Doctor asked, utterly confused of the urgency the TARDIS had to bring them there.
Minerva stepped out of the TARDIS in time to see the Doctor lick his hands and look into the distance. She wanted to jokingly scold him like she usually did, telling him she wouldn't be kissing him later on but then she remembered she was angry and looked away.
"It's that feeling you get..." Martha trailed off as she looked around.
"Like you swallowed a hamster?" Donna offered, feeling the same way.
There came a loud noise that made everyone turn to the same direction to see a group of soldiers coming for them.
"Don't move, stay where you are! Drop your weapons," the leader of the soldiers, Cline, ordered as the rest pointed their guns to the group.
"We're not armed! Look, no weapons. Never any weapons. We're safe," the Doctor held up his arms, discreetly trying to make his way to Minerva's side.
After everything, the she didn't need any of this. Actually, what she needed was to be sat down and told just how much he loved her and the purposes behind his secrecy. She couldn't be running around thinking he had just lied to her for no good reason.
"Look at their hands. They're clean," a soldier pointed to the group, completely awed.
"Alright, process them! Him first," Cline nodded over to the Doctor.
Two soldiers accompanied him towards the Doctor. They grabbed the alien and dragged him towards a rather odd machine not too far away from them.
"Oi, oi! What's wrong with clean hands?!" the Doctor cried as he tried pulling out of the men's grasp.
"Leave him alone!" Minerva shouted, not even thinking as she ran for them. No matter how mad she was she wasn't about to let them hurt the Martian. Donna and Martha yanked her back as the Doctor's hand was forced into the machine.
The alien yelped as the machine whizzed on, feeling like parts of skin were being plucked out, "Something tells me this isn't about to check my blood pressure. AAGGGH!"
"What're you doing to him?" Minerva demanded, still trying to get out of Donna's and Martha's grasp, as if she would go and hurt the other men.
"Everyone gets processed," Cline said plainly, unperturbed by the Doctor's uncomfortable yelps of pain.
"It's taken a tissue sample. Ow ow ow ow ow ow! And extrapolated it! Some kind of accelerator?" the machine finally let go of the Doctor and he immediately moved back, examining his hand that now bore a strange 'Y' shaped graze.
"Are you alright?" Martha called.
He looked back, a hint of a smile on his face when he saw Minerva staring at his hand with concern. But his attention was brought back to a bigger machine beside the processor that was now activating, "What on earth? That's just..."
Donna, Minerva and Martha quietly moved up to the Doctor, all staring as the machine slid open its door. With smoke emerging from the inside, a young blonde woman with blue eyes dressed in a usual camouflage attire stepped out. The blonde looked around with curiosity, bearing the same face the group had to stare at her.
"Arm yourself!" Cline exclaimed, handing her a gun which she naturally held.
"Where did she come from?" Minerva tilted her head.
"From me," the Doctor breathed, unaware of Minerva's head snapping to him.
"From you?! How? Who is she?" Donna questioned.
"Well... she's... well... she's my daughter!"
The blonde woman looked at the group with a clean smile, "Hello dad!"
"Oh dear Lord," Minerva rubbed her head, "Just what we needed."
The Doctor looked at her, remembering how much she already had to deal with. He cautiously reached out for her hand but she stepped away, "Don't," she warned, moving farther away from the group, "This doesn't change anything for any of you. You all hid it from me," she turned around and walked.
"She'll come around," Martha comforted the Doctor, "Remember how she is? She'll just want to be alone for a little while."
"You primed to take orders, ready to fight?" Cline asked the blonde woman.
"Instant mental download of all strategic and military protocols, sir. Generation 5000 soldier primed and in peak physical health. Oh, I'm ready," she grinned.
"Right, now about her..." Donna eyed the blonde up and down, "Did you say, daughter?"
"Yeah, technically," the Doctor replied, not bothering to look at the blonde in the machine. His gaze was much more focused on a brunette who seemed to be 'looking' around the area.
"Technically how?"
"Progenation. Reproduction from a single organism. Means one parent is biological mother and father. You take a sample of diploid cells, split them into haploids, then recombine them in a different arrangement, and grow. Very quickly, apparently."
"Something's coming!" the blonde shouted as a group of other aliens, Hath, ran down the tunnel shooting.
"It's the Hath!" Cline yelled, all the human soldiers shooting right back.
"Minerva, come back!" the Doctor shouted when he realized the woman was far too close to these 'Hath'.
She turned around and headed back for the human side, "Ow!" she hissed as her arm was grazed with a shot, dropping to her knees as she rubbed her arm.
"Get down!" the blonde ordered, also taking up in the shooting.
"We have to blow the tunnel! Get the detonator!" Cline ordered.
"I'm not detonating anything!" the Doctor snapped, currently trying to reach for Minerva who was still making her way back, more like crawling on the ground to avoid more shooting.
One of the Hath grabbed Martha and pulled her away while the blonde was busy kicking another to reach the detonator instead.
"Blow that thing, blow the thing!" Cline called as soon as she had it in her hands.
"Martha!" the Doctor saw her being hauled away, "No! Don't!" he called to his 'daughter' but the woman had already pressed the buttons.
"Take cover!" Cline yelled as the others ran around before the tunnel exploded.
Minerva managed to move off to the side, the Doctor having no other choice but to take cover for himself as well. The tunnel exploded, blasting other parts all around their side, even dropping parts of the ceiling to create a barrier blocking them off from where Martha had been taken away to.
"You've sealed off the tunnel. Why did you do that?!" Donna stood up from her cover, taking bits of rocks off her ginger hair, seeing the other side now completely blocked.
"They were trying to kill us!" the blonde woman jumped to her feet.
"But they've got our friend," Donna pointed to the barred division.
"Minerva!" the Doctor ran over to the brunette who laid on the floor, unconscious.
At the sight, Donna rushed over and knelt down beside the Doctor, "Is she alright?"
The Doctor checked for a pulse which was thankfully just fine and sighed in relief, "Yeah," he took a look at her arm, only a surface scratch that would easily be taken care of, "She'll be just fine..." and then he got to thinking of their current and situation, "...in what fits, anyways."
"Well, they took Martha," Donna nodded to the barrier, "She's stuck on the other side thanks to her," she cast a look to the blonde.
"It's called collateral damage. At least you've still got the woman and him, he lost both his men, I'd say you came out ahead," the blonde crossed her arms.
"Her name is Minerva," Donna snapped, "She might as well be your mother so you need to show some respect. And about Martha, the girl you left stuck on another side with aliens, she was not collateral damage, not for anyone! Have you got that, GI Jane?!"
"We're gonna find her," the Doctor said to Donna.
But Cline stepped up, pointing at them with his gun, "You're going nowhere. You don't make sense, you three. No guns, no marks, no fight in you… I'm taking you to General Cobb. Now, move," he took more steps towards them.
The Doctor stepped up and moved Donna behind him, "You touch either of my friends and you won't live to see another day. Now BACK OFF!" he shouted, not even waiting for a reaction as he turned around and picked up Minerva into his arms, "I'll get you out of here," he whispered to the unconscious woman, "...and if you really want...I'll event take you home," he pressed a kiss to her forehead.
~ 0 ~
Cline was leading Donna, Jenny, the Doctor and Minerva through the tunnels, Minerva still unconscious and currently being carried by the Doctor.
"I'm Donna, what's your name?" Donna neared the blonde woman.
"Don't know, it's not been assigned," she shrugged.
"Well, if you don't know that, what do you know?"
"How to fight."
"Nothing else?"
"The machine must embed military history and tactics but no name. She's a generated anomaly," the Doctor explained.
"Generated anomaly? Jenny-rated. Well what about that? Jenny!" Donna smiled, looking at the blonde for an agreement.
She considered it a moment and nodded, "Jenny. Yeah, I like that, Jenny. "
"What do you think, 'Dad'?" Donna nudged the Doctor, a playful smirk.
"Good as anything, I suppose," he could honestly care less what the woman was called. He'd much rather put Minerva down somewhere safe and care for her until she woke up. And then maybe try to once again explain himself in hopes of getting her to reconsider leaving the TARDIS.
"Not what you'd call a natural parent, are you?" Donna teased.
"Donna, I've got a pending argument with my girlfriend when she wakes up, and I'm gonna have a heck of a time trying to talk to her. I have a little too much on my plate," he snapped and sighed, not meaning to take out his irritation with her, "Besides, they stole a tissue sample at gunpoint and processed it, it's not what I call natural parentage."
"Rubbish! My friend Nerys fathered twins with a turkey baster, don't bother her."
"You can't extrapolate a relationship from a biological accident."
"Er, Child Support Agency can."
"Look, just because I share certain physiological traits with simian primates doesn't make me a monkey's uncle, does it?" he snapped once more.
"I'm not a monkey! Or a child," Jenny shot back.
The Doctor simply rolled his eyes and looked down at Minerva, hoping she'd wake up soon. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked to his side to Donna who was smiling warmly, "She'll come around. Like Martha said, she just needs to cool down. You'll see."
"I really hope so," he sighed, "Because she's the last piece of happiness I have and I can't lose her."
"You won't."
They reached a human encampment which was a huge underground room, "So where are we?" he asked, looking around, "What planet is this?"
"Messaline. Well, what's left of it," Cline replied.
"...663 – 75 deceased. Generation 6671 – Extinct. Generation 6672 – 46 deceased. Generation 6680 – 14 deceased. Generation ..."
"But, this is a theater!" Donna exclaimed.
"Maybe they're doing Miss Saigon..." the Doctor mumbled.
"It's like a town, or a city, underground. But why?"
Cline finished speaking to an older soldier who was now approaching the trio, "General Cobb, I presume?" the Doctor asked.
"Found in the Western tunnels, I'm told, with no marks," Cobb said, looking indifferent to the greet, "There was an outbreak of pacifism in the Eastern Zone, three generations back, before we lost contact, is that where you came from?"
"Eastern Zone, that's us, yeah. Yeah. I'm The Doctor, that's Donna, and this," he nodded down to the unconscious brunette he held, "Is Minerva; don't touch her."
"And I'm Jenny," Jenny introduced herself.
"Don't think you can infect us with your peacemaking. We're committed to the fight, to the very end."
"Well, that's all right, I can't stay anyway. I've gotta go and find my friend," the Doctor said.
"That's not possible, all movement is regulated. We're at war."
"Yes, I noticed. With the Hath. But tell me, because we got a bit out of circulation, Eastern Zone and all that, so, who exactly are the Hath?"
"Back at the dawn of this planet, these ancient halls were carved from the earth. Our ancestors dreamt of a new beginning, a colony where human and Hath could work and live together."
"So what happened?" the Doctor asked.
"The dream died. Broken, along with Hath promises. They wanted it all for themselves. But those early pioneers, they fought back. They used the machines to produce soldiers instead of colonists, and began this battle for survival."
There's nothing but earth outside, why's that? Why build everything underground?" Donna asked, still looking up at the high windows.
"The surface is too dangerous."
"Well, then why build windows in the first place? And what does this mean?" she pointed at a number stamped on the wall.
"The rites and symbols of our ancestors. The meanings... lost in time."
"How long's this war gone on for?" the Doctor questioned.
" Longer than anyone can remember. Countless generations marked only by the dead."
"What, fighting all this time?" Donna raised an eyebrow, "That's a waste of time!"
"Because we must. Every child of the machine is born with this knowledge. It's our inheritance, it's all we know. How to fight. And how to die," Jenny spoke up, only earning a small sharp look from the Doctor.
That could not be his daughter.
Cobb moved over to show them a holographic map of the area.
"Does this show the entire city, including the Hath zones?" the Doctor asked.
"Yes. Why?"
"Well it'll help us find Martha."
"We've more important things to do. The Progenation Machines are powered down for the night shift, but soon as they're active, we could breed a whole platoon from you three. "
"You touch her you die," the Doctor stepped back with his Clever Girl in arms.
"We're not having sons and daughters by some great big flippin' machine!" Donna added, looking at Jenny suddenly, "Sorry, no offence but you're not... well I mean you're not real."
"You're no better than him! I have a body, I have a mind, I have independent thoughts, how am I not real? What makes you better than me?" Jenny raised an eyebrow, she was most certainly real!
"Well said, soldier. We need more like you if ever we're to find the Source," Cobb nodded with pride.
"Ooh, the Source, what's that then, what's a Source? I like a Source, what is it?" the Doctor asked.
"The Breath of Life."
"And that would be...?"
"In the beginning the great one breathed life into the universe. And then she looked at what she'd done, and she sighed."
"She? I like that," Jenny smiled.
"Right, so it's a creation myth," the Doctor said.
"It's not myth. It's real. That sigh. From the beginning of time it was caught and kept as the Source. It was lost when the war started. But it's here, somewhere. Whoever holds the Source controls the destiny of the planet."
" Ah! I thought so!" the Doctor looked around for a safe place for Minerva, a little concerned she still hadn't woken up. But, he supposed after everything her mind needed a simple break from external forces. He found a small table that seemed strong enough and walked over, carefully placing Minerva down. He looked up for any immediate danger around her then turned around, "Anyone lays a finger on this woman for your stupid progneation machine will answer to me, twice," he looked around with a dark look that really left everyone taking steps away from the table.
"What's so special about her?" Jenny asked Donna, thinking it was a tad ridiculous being so protective of a woman who was taken down by a simple explosion.
"Like I said, she might as well be your mother," Donna patted her arm.
"Now, there's a suppressed layer of information in this map, if I can just…" the Doctor took out the screwdriver and used it on the map to make more tunnels appear on it.
"What is it, what's it mean?" Donna asked.
"See? A whole complex of tunnels, hidden from sight."
"That must be the lost temple. The source will be inside. You've shown us the way! And look, we're closer than the Hath! It's ours!" Cobb exclaimed and looked over to a soldier nearby, "Tell them to prepare to move out. We'll progenate new soldiers on the morning shift, then we march. Once we reach the Temple, peace will be restored at long last."
"Um, call me old-fashioned, but if you really wanted peace couldn't you just stop fighting?" the Doctor offered.
"Only when we have the Source. It'll give us the power to erase every stinking Hath from the face of this planet!"
"Hang on, hang on, a second ago it was peace in our time, now you're talking about genocide!?"
"For us, that means the same thing," Cobb shrugged.
"Then you need to get yourself a better dictionary. When you do, look up genocide. You'll see a little picture of me there and the caption will read 'Over my dead body'!"
"And you're the one who showed us the path to victory. But you can consider the irony from your prison cell. Cline, at arms!"
Cline pointed his gun at the Doctor and Donna.
"Oi, oi oi! All right! Cool the beans Rambo!" Donna raised her hands in surrender.
"Take them, I won't have them spreading treason. And if you try anything, Doctor, I'll see that your woman dies first," Cobb warned.
"No, we're, we're not a couple," the Doctor shook his head and ran for Minerva, discarding the guns following him, "Minerva, wake up," he gently patted her cheek. The woman merely scrunched her face, seeming as if she was dreaming judging by the incoherent words she was mumbling.
"Come on, this way!" Cline ordered, the gun still pointed at the Doctor.
The Doctor picked Minerva into his arms, turning around, "I'm going to stop you, Cobb, you need to know that."
"I have an army and the breath of god on my side, Doctor, what'll you have?"
"My head thank you very much," the Doctor declared.
"Lock them up, and guard them," Cobb instructed.
"What about the new soldier?" Cline nodded to Jenny.
Jenny stepped forwards but Cobb pushed her to Donna's arms, ""Oi," she frowned.
"Can't trust her, she's from pacifist stock. Take them all!" Cobb ordered.
~ 0 ~
The trio, along with Jenny, were ushered into a jail cell. Donna looked up to see numbers stamped at the top of the cell's bars, "More numbers. They've gotta mean something."
"Makes as much sense as the breath of life story," the Doctor mumbled.
"You mean that's not true?" Jenny turned to him, watching him sit down with Minerva in his arms, "Why won't she wake up?" she forgot about the myth for a second as she found herself beginning to worry as well for the woman she hadn't even met yet.
"Minerva," the Doctor whispered to her, gently shaking her, "Please wake up," Minerva's face scrunched her, fussing for a bit, "I know you don't want to talk to me but I'd really rather you wake up and be angry than unconscious where I don't know what's happening to you."
"Louvier," she gasped suddenly, her eyes snapping open, the Doctor stunned by the word she'd said and the bright blue shade her eyes were for a split second, "Oh my god..." she breathed heavily, looking around as she gathered her senses.
"Are you okay?" the Doctor quickly asked.
Minerva looked at him, realizing she was in his arms, "I'm mad at you," she spat, as if barely remembering, "Let go of me," she pushed herself away from him and scooted to the other side of the bench.
"Please just forget bout it for a second and tell me what you were dreaming of," he moved to scoot closer to her.
She looked from one thing to another as she thought, "I...don't know," she whispered, genuinely thinking of that weird dream she had.
It had been weird, everything she dreamed of was just slipping away as the seconds ticked by. It was really cold wherever she was, and it was snowing. There were voices, all overlapping but she thought it all belonged to the same person. All she remembered was one word. 'Louvier'. She thought it sounded familiar but she couldn't remember where she'd heard it before, or seen it anyways.
"Minerva?" the Doctor called again.
Her eyes eyes snapped to him, she brought her legs up to her chest, "I don't remember," she repeated.
"Minerva, are you alright?" Donna was also now concerned for her friend, stepping towards her.
"Don't come near me either!" she snapped.
Donna looked at the Doctor, both helpless for their friend. Jenny looked between the trio, a bit confused, "So...this myth..." she hoped things could get back on track, "It's not a myth, is it?"
Donna sighed, Minerva just wasn't going to speak to either of them for the moment so it was best to move on, "No, it's a myth. Isn't it, Doctor?"
" Yes, but there could still be something real in that temple, something that's become a myth. A piece of technology, a weapon..." he said absently, his gaze locked on Minerva. His hearts were constricting as the woman looked more and more confused. He himself was confused because there was no way she could've known about the word. It was barely anywhere in the world by now.
"So the Source could be a weapon and we've just given directions to Captain Nutjob?" Donna asked.
"Yes."
"Not good, is it?"
The Doctor sighed, finally looking over at the two standing women, "That's why we need to get out of here, find Martha and stop Cobb from slaughtering the Hath."
"Look at you, you keep insisting you're not a soldier. But look at you! Drawing up strategies like a proper general," Jenny crossed her arms, "Though you would be a better one if you didn't get so distracted easily," she gazed at Minerva for a second.
"No no, I'm trying to stop the fighting," the Doctor clarified, frowning.
"Isn't every soldier?"
"Well. I suppose. But that's… that's… technically... I haven't got time for this! Donna, give me your phone! Time for an upgrade!" he stood up as Donna handed him her phone.
"And now you've got a weapon!" Jenny nearly laughed at the irony.
"It's not a weapon."
"But you're using it to fight back! I'm gonna learn so much from you, you are such a soldier!"
"Donna, will you tell her?" the Doctor turned away.
"Mm, I get the feeling this is more of Minerva's job," Donna said, Minerva's eyes looking up at them.
Jenny turned to the brunette woman, "Do you talk?" she tilted her head.
"Leave me alone, I'm mad at you too," Minerva looked to the side.
Jenny frowned, a bit offended at that, "What did I do?"
"You come from him," Minerva nodded to the Doctor who was speaking to Martha over the phone, "Therefore you're a part of him and I'm mad at him."
"Oh..." Jenny crossed her arms, "...as long as it logical," she made a face.
Minerva had to cover a small smile from the girl due to her sass. Donna, however, caught it and pushed Jenny forwards. Jenny looked back at her with confusion but Donna gestured for her to keep talking. If she could get Minerva to smile then it would put her in a better mood and might make her want to talk to the Doctor again.
Jenny sighed, rolling her eyes, she had no idea why she was doing this, "Well, hello by the way, my name's Jenny," she gave a wave, "Didn't really have a name before you went down," she took cautious steps towards Minerva, "But your friend Donna gave it to me and I quite like it. Do you?" Minerva remained silent, and so Jenny continued, "So, this whole 'mad' thing, why am I included again? Cause I don't think that just because my dad made you mad you should be mad at me. And plus, Donna says you might as well be like my mother so it doesn't really-"
"I'm not your mother," Minerva cut her off, coldly speaking, "Don't call me that."
"Oh...sorry," Jenny looked back to Donna, this time hurt than offended.
Minerva sighed as she realized she was hurting an actual innocent person and sat properly, "Jenny, I don't mean to be rude to you but your father has lied to me, right in my face. If you understand, you'll see I'm a little upset. Now, I know what Donna said but I don't want to be your mother, I don't want to be a mother in general. I wouldn't be a good one..." she looked away.
As much as she loved children, due to her childhood she couldn't really fathom the idea of having a child of her own. Sophia hadn't taught her anything of what a mother should be. So, what would she do with her own child? She wouldn't know a thing! And she wasn't going to put a child through the same pain she went through. The best way to avoid the repetition of the story was just not to have children. That was one thing she didn't really mind of by being with the Doctor, actually. While he was concerned with the fact he was stealing her chance of being a mother, Minerva felt like it was God's way of telling her she wasn't meant to be a mother because she didn't know the first thing about motherhood.
Before anyone could say more, they heard Cobb's voice carrying over to the cell, "The doors that have been closed will be open to us now. The door to the Temple, to the Source, and to victory!" and then they heard the cheers of the soldiers, "Come the dawn cycle we march."
"They're getting ready to move out. We have to get past that guard," the Doctor said.
"I can deal with him," Jenny turned to him.
"No no no no. You're not going anywhere," he shook his head at her.
"What?" she frowned.
"You belong here, with them."
"She belongs with us," Donna cut in, "With you. She's your daughter!"
"She's a soldier. She came out of that machine!"
"Oh yes, I know that bit! Listen, have you got that stethoscope? Give it to me. Come on!"
"What're you doing?" Jenny asked, confused as she placed the stethoscope over her heart.
"It's all right. Just hold still," Donna listened to a heartbeat come from Jenny's right side then promptly moved it to her left side, hearing a second heartbeat. Donna looked at the Doctor but suddenly glanced at Minerva instead, seeing the brunette intently staring at Jenny, "You wanna hear?" she held the stethoscope to Minerva.
Minerva took a quick glance at the Doctor and nodded, "Sure..." she stood up and walked to Donna, taking the stethoscope from Donna and putting it on, "...for the record, I have nothing against you," she said to Jenny before placing the end of the stethoscope on her chest, "I'm upset with your father."
As Minerva listened to Jenny's hearts, the blonde glanced at the Doctor with a questioning look, feeling a bit sad when he looked away from her. It didn't take a rocket scientist to know he cared for the brunette more than anyone in the room. She wondered what exactly had happened between them.
"Dual heartbeats," Minerva said and stepped back, removing the stethoscope from herself and turning to the Doctor, "You already made a mistake with me, don't make another one with your own daughter," she held the stethoscope to him.
The Doctor reached for stethoscope, her cold words feeling like punctures in his hearts. She'd never spoken like that to him, even when she threatened to leave after meeting Donna for the first time. Of course the last time something like this happened he wasn't in love with her so naturally the sting was stronger now. And for that same reason he would not allow it to end just like this, not without a fight.
"Well, listen," Minerva motioned, irritated he was just staring at her.
She knew she was prone to just forget about her anger and rush into his arms due to those eyes of his. She couldn't allow that, she was angry, she was hurt and this time no amount of smooth talk would change that.
With a sigh, the Doctor moved in front of Jenny and listened to her heart beat, "Two hearts," he whispered, stepping back.
"Okay, what's going on? Why does everyone need to listen to my hearts?" Jenny frowned, her turn to step away from the three.
"You have two hearts," Minerva quietly informed.
"Yeah, so?"
"There's only one other person in this cell that has two hearts."
"Does that mean she's a...? What do you call a female Time Lord?" Donna turned to the pair.
"Time Lady," Minerva mumbled.
She looked at Jenny and couldn't help feel that small spark of jealousy because the blonde was something she has often found herself wishing she was. Though now with the current situation, it may not be such a wish anymore...
"What's a Time Lord?" Jenny asked.
"It's who I am. It's where I'm from," the Doctor answered.
"And I'm from you."
"You're an echo, that's all," he corrected, making sure she understood that, "A Time Lord is so much more. A sum of knowledge. A code. A shared history. A shared suffering...only it's gone now. All of it. Gone forever."
"What happened?"
"There was a war."
"Like this one?"
The Doctor laughed at such a comparison, "Bigger. Much bigger."
"And you fought? And killed?"
"...yes," he answered, looking away in shame.
Minerva watched him sadly, the need to comfort him was getting stronger and stronger. She was angry! Why is she feeling like this!? She's angry, she's supposed to want nothing to do with him and yet here she was, practically forcing herself to stay still. What on earth was going on?
"Then how are we different?" Jenny asked curiously, leaving the Doctor silent.
~ 0 ~
In the end, while trying to figure a way out of the cell, Jenny had come up with a plan that could work, even getting pointers from some of them. The Doctor wasn't too pleased with what she had in mind to do but allowed her to go ahead and do it. She had walked to the cell door where Cline was guarding on the other side, "Hey," she smiled.
"I'm not supposed to talk to you, I'm on duty," Cline remained looking away.
"I know. Guarding me," Jenny tried that sweet smile Minerva had talked about. Well, more like mumbled really. She was still pretty peeved at the Doctor but she still admitted a sweet smile would get a man to do anything, " So does that mean I'm dangerous? Or that I need protecting?"
"Protecting from what?" Cline turned around, suspiciously looking around for any kind of trap, "Why are you smiling like that?"
"Oh, I don't know, my mum told me to," and Jenny pulled him closer for a kiss and secretly grabbed his gun which she used to point it at him, "Keep quiet and open the door."
The Doctor, Minerva, and Donna walked out from their waiting place. Minerva had to smile a tad proudly at the sight, "Told you it'd work."
"Have you tried it before with my dad?" Jenny glanced at her, finding herself smirking when the pair looked away from each other with blushes.
"Have I mentioned my like for you?" Donna laughed, the blonde beaming with excitement.
She knew she was a soldier, or at least supposed to be but...this trio...they seemed to be a nice family...well, as soon as the brunette got happier with the Doctor.
~ 0 ~
The group walked downstairs and stopped at the sight of another guard.
"That's the way out," the Doctor sighed, but quickly reacted to Jenny cocking her gun at the guard, "Don't you dare!"
Donna cut in between the two, facing the guard, "Let me distract this one. I have picked up a few womanly wiles over the years," Minerva snickered as the ginger flipped her hair and headed for the guard.
"Let's... save your wiles for later," the Doctor pulled her back, not too keen to see that plan unfold.
Next thing he needed was for Minerva to offer herself up and that was something he would outright refuse to allow. The only one that would be kissing her sweet lips was going to be him...as soon as she forgave him.
He used a wind up mouse instead to distract the guard...then Jenny stepped behind the guard and knocked him out.
"I was gonna distract him, not clobber him!" he scolded.
"Well, it worked, didn't it?" Jenny frowned, what was he so upset about?
"They must all have a copy of that new map. Just stay there, don't hurt anyone," he walked away.
"What's wrong?" Jenny sighed.
"In all fairness, you probably could've just done something different," Minerva stepped up to the girl.
"Like what?"
"Pressure points, knocks them out but doen't essentially hurt them."
"Doesn't that make you a soldier too?" Jenny frowned at the double standard she was seeing, "Is that why you're arguing with my dad?"
"First of all, I'm not a soldier because I only use my self defense moves for, well, self defense. And second of all, you don't have to know the arguments we're having. It doesn't matter," she moved to follow the Doctor.
Jenny turned around after the brunette, Donna stepping beside her, "Something tells me it does matter," Jenny concluded.
Donna looked at her and nodded, "The Doctor always says so too. You're so his daughter."
~ 0 ~
The Doctor was looking at the map they'd gotten from the guard, "Wait! This is it. The hidden tunnel. There must be a control panel," he sonicked the walls beside the locked door.
Donna, meanwhile, looked at another number posted at the top of the walls, "It's another one of those numbers. They're everywhere."
"The original builders must've left them. Some old cataloging system," the Doctor informed, keeping his back to her.
"You got a pen? Bit of paper? Cause, d'you see, the numbers are counting down," the Doctor handed her a pen and paper which she used to make her notes, "This one ends in 1-4, the prison cell said 1-6. What do you think Minerva?"
But Minerva was currently distracted as she rubbed her chest in circular motions, Jenny looking at her with a bit of concern, "Not now, Donna, sorry," Minerva turned away and moved off to the side, not noticing the small look the Doctor was giving her.
"Who are you people?" Jenny just had to ask.
Her "father" seemed to be a soldier though he kept saying the contrary, the ginger seemed like the attitude bringer yet quite observer, and the brunette seemed a bit sneaky with her sweet smile talks and self-defense moves.
"I told you. I'm the Doctor," the alien answered first.
"The Doctor? That's it?"
"That's all he ever says," Donna scribbled some more.
"So, you don't have a name either? Are you an anomaly too?"
"No."
"Oh, come off it! You're the most anomalous bloke I've ever met!" Donna laughed, "Possibly the only one who could stand so much anomaly is Minerva!"
"Oi!" Minerva returned, rather irritated for some reason, "First of all, that doesn't even make sense!" she had one hand on her hip while the other continued to rub over her heart.
The Doctor took off the cover of the control panel, "Here it is!"
"And Time Lords, what are they for exactly?" Jenny asked, looking around for anyone ho could answer.
"'For'? They're not... They're not 'for' anything," the Doctor replied as he work.
"So what do you do?"
"I travel. Through time and space..." the Doctor looked back at Minerva, a sad look in his eyes, "...we travel...together."
Minerva tried her best not to be drawn-in by that look of his with puppy dog eyes, "Sure," she mumbled.
"Together they save planets, rescue civilizations, defeat terrible creatures. And run a lot," Donna added in hopes of reminding Minerva all they had done together, "Seriously, there's an outrageous amount of running involved."
"That was all the Doctor," Minerva said quietly, the door sliding open for them.
"I didn't do it alone," the Doctor counted, eyeing her hand over her chest that didn't seem to stop rubbing. Usually, the crystal would make its effects for a moment and then leave her. It never bothered her that much.
"Squad 5, with me!" they heard Cobb from a distance.
"Now, what were you saying about running?" he tried to joke and reached for Minerva's hand, but she stepped away, shaking her head.
Instead, she rushed off on her own ahead of them. They followed but stopped at red beams crossing a tunnel that blocked their way.
"That's not mood lighting, is it?" Donna sighed at the troubled obstacle for them. The Doctor threw the mouse into the lights where it burst into sparkles at its contact, "No, I didn't think so."
"It's an arming device," Minerva looked at the controls, the Doctor immediately setting to work on them.
"There's more of these. Always eight numbers, counting down, the closer we get..." Donna continued with new numbers, not that anyone had paid attention.
"Here we go!"
"You better be quick!" Minerva warned. The Doctor, utterly surprised she'd directed an actual sentence that wasn't cold, looked up at her in plain stupor, "What?" she frowned.
He opened his mouth to comment when the soldier's voices grew nearer and Jenny sprung into action, "The general!" she turned to run back with her gun.
The Doctor pulled her back, "Where are you going?"
"No, we don't need any more dead," Minerva snapped, "You're gonna drop that gun and follow us that way," she pointed in the opposite direction.
"But it's them or us," Jenny shrugged, irritated the pair couldn't see that.
"It doesn't mean you have to kill them! There's always another way!" Minerva said, "Now c'mon, we have to go."
Donna smirked at the pair and their parenting aura they were emitting at the moment. Minerva could claim she was angry and didn't want anything to do with Jenny because of her origins but she was quite at home acting like a mother. The Doctor could claim Jenny wasn't her daughter but he was also acting like a good father. Both were such liars it was actually funny.
"I'm trying to save your life!" Jenny shouted at both.
"Listen to me, the killing, after a while it infects you. And once it does you're never rid of it," the Doctor said quietly, not helping the small look he gave Minerva. As much as she knew about his past he didn't like reminding her he really wasn't a good man, and much more a man who didn't deserve her.
"Look, Jenny, I've never had to kill anyone and I couldn't imagine doing it," Minerva sighed, "You're innocent, keep it that way. There's no reason to kill when you can just...use something like self-defense classes to help stun the enemy until they can be locked up in jail."
"We don't have a choice," Jenny declared.
"We always have a choice," Minerva whispered.
"I'm sorry," and Jenny ran off to go and fight.
"Jenny!" the Doctor called after her, but the girl kept going. He sighed and got back to work. Upon hearing the shoots, Donna and Minerva turned around, both concerned, "I told you. Nothing but a soldier," he mumbled.
"She needs your guidance!" Minerva turned to him, moving closer to him, "And you denying her won't do anything!"
"And what about your denial, hm?" he snapped, startling her, "You deny my good intentions to keep you healthy-"
"You lied-"
"Oh yes, excuse me for only trying to make my girlfriend worry about one less thing in her life!"
"Don't use sarcasm on me, Martian!"
"Oh for goodness sake just kiss and make up already!" Donna shook her head, "Jenny! Come on!"
"Why are you so angry with me?" the Doctor asked, not shouting not angry just...tired.
He'd never argued like this with her, he'd never yelled at her nor she to him. He didn't like it and he wanted it to stop at all costs.
"Because you always say you would never lie to me and yet you've been doing it from the moment we became a couple," she crossed her arms, "You've been lying throughout our entire relationship."
"For a good reason," he reminded just as he turned off the red beams, the shooting ceasing in the background.
She shook her head and turned away, "We need to go! Jenny! Leave it! Let's go!" she called for the missing blonde as the Doctor forcefully grabbed her hand and ran down the corridor, Donna rushing behind them.
~ 0 ~
"You're a child of the machine. You're on my side," Cobb tried persuading Jenny, the woman still holding her gun at them, "Join us! Join us in the war against the Hath. It's in your blood, girl, don't deny it."
She took a perfect aim above his head at a pipeline. She laughed as the steam emerging blocked the view of the soldiers and ran for the trio.
"Jenny! Come on! That's it!" the Doctor called for her.
"Hurry up!" Minerva urged as well, though now standing away from the Doctor. As soon as they'd crossed she'd pull her hand from his and shouted some more before going beside Donna.
Just as Jenny reached the corridor the red beams reappeared again.
"No, no, no, no! The circuit's looped back!" the Doctor exclaimed.
"Can't you zap it back again?" Donna asked.
"The controls are back there!" he nodded to Jenny's side.
"They're coming!" Jenny looked back to see the soldiers nearing.
"Wait! J-Just...! There isn't...! Jenny, I can't!"
"I'll have to manage on my own. Watch and learn, Father!" Jenny smirked and proceeded to do a series of somersaults across the beamed corridor.
"No way! But that was impossible!" Donna gaped as the blonde reached them with a proud smile.
"Not impossible. Just a bit unlikely!" the Doctor took his daughter in a hug, one that even made Minerva smile a little, "Brilliant! You were brilliant! Brilliant!"
"I didn't kill him. General Cobb, I could have kill him, but I didn't," Jenny said happily, wiggling out of the Doctor's hug to rush to Minerva and nearly tackle her with a hug.
"Oh!" Minerva blinked, suddenly finding herself in a tight hug, "Um...okay?" she looked at Donna and the Doctor, finding the Martian smiling softly at them.
"You were right. I had a choice," Jenny said to her, pulling away, "You were right, ha! Is that like a mum thing? Being right?"
"First of all, I'm not your mom," Minerva correct, though now she spoke in a regular tone than her cold one when referring to her motherhood status, "But I'm always right anyways," Jenny chuckled, absolutely beaming, "And by the way, think you can teach me that? Cause I've learned all types of defense moves but none like that!"
Jenny nodded, "Yes! I'd love to!"
"At arms!" Cobb's voice made them turn to see him and the other soldiers across the corridor.
"I warned you, Cobb. If the Source is a weapon, I'm gonna make sure you never use it," the Doctor said, discreetly pulling Minerva and Jenny behind him.
"One of us is gonna die today and it won't be me."
Minerva poked her head around the Doctor, "Sure as hell not gonna be us either!"
"Minerva!" the Doctor shouted, the woman just shrugging and running off. He shook his head yet still watched her go along with a fond smile. That was a comment only she would make, he missed that terribly.
"Careful not to drool, dad," Jenny chuckled.
"Oh shut up," he muttered and they ran as Cobb opened fire on them.
~ 0 ~
"So...why exactly are you mad with each other?" Jenny asked the Doctor and Minerva as they walked down a new corridor.
"Haven't you asked this already?" the Doctor playfully rolled his eyes. The last thing he needed was to increase Minerva's anger even more.
"Yes but I haven't received a proper answer," she crossed her arms, "And I'm very curious so it'll eventually get the best of me and...why have we stopped walking?" she frowned in confusion when the Doctor and Minerva came to an abrupt halt.
"It's just..." Minerva looked at her for a second, "...that's what I say..." she shared a brief look with the Doctor afterwards.
"Oh, well...it's true," Jenny shrugged, wondering if that could help ease whatever their argument was about. Perhaps by reminding them of their relationship quirks they could overcome whatever was wrong and just be together again.
"I'm sorry, Jenny, but it's just not that easy," Minerva looked at the Doctor again, "You absolutely trust a man with all your life, you let him sneak into your heart and fall in love with him...only to learn that he lied from the very start," her eyes watered up, "It's a bit difficult to overcome that."
"I didn't want to lie," the Doctor insisted, "I did it because your health was already declining. I didn't want to terrify you more than you already were. Forgive me, I may not have done it in the correct manner but my intentions were always to make sure you were alright..." he reached for her hand, faintly smiling when she didn't pull it away, "...Remember? I intend to make you happy, always."
Minerva looked to the side for a moment, very much conscious she had intertwined her fingers along his...but she didn't want to pull away. She actually wanted to hug him, missing his arms around hers even if it had only been a couple hours since their argument. She was weak when it came to arguments with her Martian.
"Sooo...does that mean everyone's okay now?" Jenny swayed over to them with a big smile.
The Doctor stared at Minerva with a hopeful look, "Forgive me?" he lifted her hand to his lips and gave it a gentle kiss.
"I don't know..." Minerva looked around as a blush crept onto her face.
"Perhaps we could even travel together?" Jenny asked, stepping past the boundary she knew but...the trio looked like they were used to all the running and exploring and she wanted that, she really did.
"You'd like to come with us?" Donna stepped beside her, she was literally just about to suggest the same thing.
"Well...I mean, yeah?" Jenny was now blushing of embarrassment, she probably had stepped past the boundary, "It just...it seems like you all have fun doing this traveling stuff and I...I'd like to try it."
"Ah, well, I'll tell you it's very fun, never a dull moment," Donna chuckled, "It can be terrifying, brilliant and funny - sometimes all at the same time. I've seen some amazing things though. Whole new worlds."
"Oh, I'd love to see new worlds!" Jenny admitted.
"You will. Won't she, Doctor?" Donna looked at the pair who'd remained silent for some reason.
"Hm?" the Doctor was a bit distracted staring at his Clever Girl, still awaiting her answer. Though after a couple seconds he just liked her face and decided to stare some more for his personal enjoyment.
"Jenny wants to come with us in the TARDIS," Minerva informed, her face red as she noticed he'd been staring at her. She'd been wondering what it would be like to have Jenny around in the TARDIS, and then realized by thinking that she'd practically admitted to herself she wanted to stay in the box herself.
"Oh, um...yeah, that would be nice," the Doctor looked at Jenny with a small smile, "It is."
"You mean... You mean, you'll take me with you?" Jenny stepped up, not believing her ears.
"We can't leave you here, can we?"
"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Jenny erupted into cheers and even hugging Donna out of her excitement. She would've hugged her father but she noticed the couple were still holding hands so she didn't want to ruin it. Of course all that didn't matter when she spoke again, "We can all travel together forever!"
Minerva's smile faded at the last word, "I can't," she mumbled.
"What? Why not?" Jenny stopped her jumping.
"I'm human..."
"Huh?" Jenny didn't quite understand, the Doctor said he was a Time Lord and she was, well, granted an echo, but still a Time Lady herself. Why would Minerva be human? And besides, what would he the problem with that?
"I'll age faster than both of you and die," Minerva she snatched her hand from the Doctor's and walked ahead.
The Doctor threw his head back and shut his eyes, murmuring, "So close, just so close..."
"I am so sorry!" Jenny covered her mouth, not exactly sure what just happened but she knew it was her fault that Minerva was mad again, "I just ruined it, didn't I?"
"It's not your fault," the Doctor waved her off, heavily sighing, "It's just a delicate topic. I haven't actually even mentioned my plans."
"What plans?" Donna asked.
Sheepishly, the Doctor looked away, "...um, I've sort of...been looking for a way to freeze Minerva's aging."
Donna's eyes widened, "Can...can you do that?"
"Don't know," he shrugged, "Lots of important humans of the future do it. I just sort of figured I could conjure one up as well..."
"For Minerva," Donna started smiling, "That's so sweet. Giving that Star-Crossed fantasy a happy ending, eh?" she nudged him and laughed when he blushed.
"I know it's none of my business but..." Jenny stepped up, confused, "...if you know Minerva's going to die much earlier than you are...why are you still together?"
She wasn't trying to be rude to Minerva nor persuade her father to leave Minerva. She quite liked the woman and secretly she yearned for Minerva to accept her as a daughter like the Doctor was beginning to do. But she didn't understand it, why put yourself in that situation if it'll lead to deception and pain? Wouldn't it be better to just separate and try to make lives of their own apart from each other with people who could correspond to their lifespan? Why go through the inevitable pain?
"Because Jenny," the Doctor turned to her, the girl picking up the sincerity in his eyes, "When you fall in love you absolutely do not care where your partner comes from or what they are. I know what Minerva is, she's human, yeah, but she's the sweetest and most adventurous human I'd ever met. I can't just be away from her..."
Jenny nodded, she had never been in love, (she'd just been born a couple hours ago), but she could tell from the Doctor's eyes how beautiful the experience was...and she'd practically just ruined it for him.
Oh that just wouldn't do.
"I'll fix it, you just watch," she promised and ran in the direction Minerva had gone to.
"Careful, warn Minerva, there might be traps!" he shouted after her.
"Kids! They never listen! They just want their mum," Donna teased but noticed how troubled the Doctor looked, "Oh, I know that look. See it a lot round our way. Blokes with pushchairs and frowns. You've got dad-shock."
"Dad-shock?"
"Sudden, unexpected fatherhood. Take a bit of getting used to. Plus, you've got an angry wife, that's never good."
He mock glared at her for that one, "Don't ever joke about that," he wagged a finger at her.
"You're red as a tomato!" Donna laughed, "What? Never thought of popping the question?"
"Too early for that and..." he sighed as he wondered just how beautiful his Clever Girl would look like wearing a wedding dress. A true goddess.
"Well?" Donna asked, seeing him get more and more thoughtful.
But the sound of shooting interrupted them, Jenny running back, "They've blasted through the beams, time to run again. Love the running! Yeah?"
"Where's Minerva!?" the Doctor searched for the brunette behind her.
"Oh she's already started running! She could be like a marathon runner," Jenny genuinely took a moment to think about, "But of course those chest pains of hers aren't helping."
"Again?" the Doctor dashed after Minerva. Something else was going on with the Clever Girl and he needed to know and help.
~ 0 ~
The group did all their running and came to a dead end in the corridors.
"We're trapped," Donna remarked, panting for air.
"It's a door," Minerva shook her head, touching the wall as the Doctor moved to the panel beside.
Though every time she rubbed over her heart, the Doctor glanced at her with concern. From what he could tell it wasn't suffocating her, it wasn't possessing her...so what was it doing?
"And again! We're down to 1-2 now..." Donna looked up at the new numbers above the door.
"I've got it!" the Doctor exclaimed, just about finishing up with the panel.
"I can hear them!" Jenny urged from the end of the corridor, the voices of the soldiers nearing and nearing.
"Nearly done!"
"These can't be a cataloging system," Donna looked at her notes.
"They're getting closer!"
"Then get back here!" Minerva called.
"They're too similar. Too familiar..."
"Not yet!" Jenny waved her off.
"Now! Got it!" the Doctor stood back as the door opened up.
"They're coming! Close the door!" Jenny ran back as the others went inside, the Doctor quickly closing the doors again, "Oh, that was close!"
"No fun otherwise!" the Doctor had to remark.
"It's not what I'd call a temple..." Donna looked around the place.
"If you ask me this is more of a spaceship," Minerva walked around.
Jenny looked at the Doctor with a curious look, "Is she right again?"
"Fusion-drive transport. Oh yes she's right again," he looked at Minerva with a fond smile, "Like always..." Minerva sheepishly looked away, blushing at the a look.
"What, the original one? The one the first colonists arrived in?" Donna asked, confused
"Well, it could be, but the power cells would have run down after all that time. This one's still powered-up and functioning. Come on!"
As they ran again, they saw someone cutting through another door.
"It's the Hath! That door's not gonna last much longer. And if General Cobb gets through down there, war's gonna break out," Jenny exclaimed.
"Look, look, look, look, look! Ship's log!" the Doctor went to the controls, "First wave of Human/Hath co-colonization of planet Messaline".
"So it is the original ship," Jenny frowned, "That doesn't make sense."
"If you think that's hard, take a whack at these numbers," Donna nudged her.
"Donna, let me see those damn numbers," Minerva held her hand for the paper, "You've been going on all about these things. What's so special about them?"
"Phase one. Construction. They used robot drones to build the city," the Doctor was reading from a screen, Jenny moving beside to get a look.
"But, does it mention the war?" Donna called from her spot as Minerva read the list of numbers.
"Final entry... 'Mission commander dead. Still no agreement on who should assume leadership. Hath and humans have divided into factions.' That must be it! A power vacuum. The crew divided into two factions and turned on each other. Start using the progenation machines and suddenly you've got two armies fighting a never-ending war!"
"Two armies who are now both outside," Jenny reminded.
"Donna, how did you not catch this before?" Minerva asked suddenly, grabbing everyone's attention.
"What?" the ginger peered down at the numbers.
"These are dates."
"What?" Donna looked closer, her eyes widening at her oblivion, "Oh my god, you're right!"
"Are there any numbers on the screen?" Minerva looked at the Doctor.
He checked the screen and scrolled down, "Uh, yeah, there are. It's like the numbers in the tunnels. But what's it got to do with that?"
"They're dates," she walked up and held the notes between them, "I would've said something before but I hadn't listened to Donna nor seen the numbers myself."
"I spent six months working as a temp in Hounslow Library, and I mastered the Dewey Decimal System in two days flat. I'm good with numbers! And it was staring us in the face! How did I miss that!?" Donna shook her head.
"What is going on?" Jenny looked from one to another, completely lost.
"It's the date! Assuming the first two numbers are some big old space date, then you've got year, month, day," Donna explained meanwhile Minerva looked at the screen at the dates, "It's the other way round, like it is in America!"
"Oi," Minerva looked at Donna with a frown, "You all write it the other way around," Donna playfully rolled her eyes.
"Yes, yes, America is right, everyone else is wrong."
Minerva elbowed her in the ribs, "Quiet Donna."
"Can we focus please?" the Doctor raised an eyebrow, trying not to look as amused as he really was by his Clever Girl, oh Americans, "It's the New Byzantine Calendar!"
"Further explanation, please?" Jenny asked again, this group was so easily distracted!
"The codes are completion dates for each section," Minerva replied, "They finish it, they stamp the date on! So the numbers aren't counting down, they're going out, from here, day by day, as the city got built," she looked at the paper of numbers just for confirmation, "Well done, Donna."
"Thanks and you know what? You missed an obvious too," Donna poked her forehead, making Minerva go cross-eyed for a moment to look up at the finger on her forehead, "The first number I saw back there, was 6012-07-17. Well, look at the date today!"
Minerva frowned and looked at the screen again, "07-24."
"No!" the Doctor blinked.
"What does it mean?" Jenny questioned.
"So it's been seven days, so what?" Minerva asked, lost herself.
"No, no, no, you don't understand because you were asleep when they explained this war," the Doctor shook his head, "They talked about a war that's lasted for generations and generations, as if the war was hundreds of years old..."
"But it's only been seven days," she said, still not quite there.
"Seven days since war broke out."
She blinked and her eyes went wide, "Oooh! This war started seven days ago! Just a week! A week!"
"But they said years," Jenny was severely lost.
"No. They said generations," Donna corrected, "And if they're all like you, and they're products of those machines..."
"They could have 20 generations in a day! Each generation gets killed in the war, passes on the legend!" the Doctor added.
"But all the buildings, the encampments, they're in ruins," Jenny reminded.
"No they're not ruined, they're just empty! Waiting to be populated! Oh, they've mythologized their entire history! The Source must be part of that too. Come on!"
As they turned around a corner, they bumped into Martha, "Oh my god, finally!" Martha rushed to hug them all.
"Woah, woah, woah, I'm mad at you too," Minerva reminded as she tried wiggling out of the Martha's hug.
"I don't think so!" Martha shook her head and just tightened her hug.
"Martha!"
"Minerva!"
"You're filthy," Minerva whined, "Let go!"
Martha laughed and stepped back, "The cold shoulder won't work on me, missy. And I took the surface route, thank you very much, with this guy," she pointed behind them to Peck, one of the Hath who'd she'd helped with an injury.
"A Hath!" Jenny exclaimed, terrified of what it coud do her new family.
"N-n-n-no, he's fine, his name is Peck," Martha rushed beside her new friend, "He saved me, nearly died himself trying to do so but a blue light got in the way," the Doctor, Minerva, and Donna stiffened at that. Peck gurgled and Martha nodded, "He says it was cold..." Martha looked at the Doctor specifically, "...super cold..."
The sound of the soldiers' voices was nearing again, "We have to go!" Minerva ran off, Jenny and Donna following her, "Is it me, or can you smell flowers?" Minerva sniffed the air.
"She's always right so let's follow our noses!" Jenny nodded, making Minerva chuckle at that.
They reached a place that seemed like a greenhouse inside, filled with palms and other plants.
"Oh, yes! Yes! Isn't this brilliant?" the Doctor took a long whiff in.
In the middle, there was a small place around a pedestal that held a glass sphere, containing shining gas.
"Is that the Source?" Donna asked.
"It's beautiful," Jenny breathed.
"What exactly is this?" Minerva looked around, liking the environment.
"Terraforming! It's a third generation terraforming device!" the Doctor answered.
"So why are we suddenly in Kew Gardens?" Donna raised an eyebrow.
"Because that's what it does. All this, only bigger. Much bigger! It's in a transit state. Producing all this must help keep it stable before they finally..." but the Doctor couldn't finish when the Hath and human soldiers emerged from opposite sides of the room, approaching each other with their guns aimed, leaving the group in the dead center of both parties, "Stop! Hold your fire!" the Doctor ordered.
"What is this? Some kind of trap?" Cobb demanded.
"You said you wanted this war over."
"I want this war won."
"You can't win. No one can. You don't even know why you're here. Your whole history, it's just Chinese whispers. Getting more distorted the more it's passed on," the Doctor pointed at the sphere, "This is the Source. This is what you're fighting over. A device to rejuvenate a planet's ecosystem. It's nothing mystical. It's from a laboratory, not some creator. It's a bubble of gases. A cocktail of stuff for accelerated evolution. Methane, hydrogen, ammonia, amino acids, proteins, nucleic acids. It's used to make barren planets habitable. Look around you! It's not for killing, it's bringing life. If you allow it, it can lift you out of these dark tunnels and into the bright, bright sunlight! No more fighting. No more killing," he lifted up the sphere from its place, "I'm the Doctor, and I declare this war is over!" he threw the sphere to the ground and shattered, the gases escaping and shining gold and green as it spread out in the air.
All amazed, the humans and Hath set their guns to the ground.
"What's happening?" Jenny asked.
"The gases will escape and trigger the terraforming process," the Doctor replied.
"What does that mean?"
"It means a new world, Jenny," Minerva smiled at her.
"The first of many...with my mum?" she asked a tad fearful.
Minerva half-smiled, "I'm not your mom, Jenny. I don't think I could be a good one..."
"Minerva?" the Doctor turned to them, "Can we please talk again?"
Jenny moved around them, hoping they'd finally make up. She turned away, only to see Cobb lifting his gun to shoot the Doctor, and even possibly hurt Minerva with the aim, "No!" she quickly jumped in front of the pair as the bullet hit her chest, collapsing into the pair.
"Jenny!" Minerva's eyes widened as the Doctor lunged to catch Jenny before she fell. Meanwhile, the other soldiers grabbed Cobb and held him down.
"Jenny? Jenny! Talk to me, Jenny!" the Doctor knelt down with her in his arms, Minerva doing the same. Martha made her way over to them to check for Jenny's pulse and wound.
"Is she gonna be all right?" Donna asked, Martha only looked up and shook her head without a word.
"A new world. It's beautiful," Jenny whispered, taking a last look around.
"Jenny? Be strong, now. You need to hold on. D'you hear me? We've got things to do, you and me, you and us," the Doctor shook her gently, looking up to Minerva with watery eyes.
"Jenny, we can go anywhere you want," Minerva sniffled, trying to avoid the Doctor's look for fear of crying, "You and us, in this big box of wonders...next stop, everywhere," she took Jenny's hand, "Yeah?"
"That sounds good," Jenny nodded weakly, trying to grip Minerva's.
"You're my daughter and we've only just got started," the Doctor told her, " You're gonna be great. You're gonna be more than great. You're gonna be amazing! You hear me? Jenny?"
She nodded once more, glancing at Minerva, "If it counts for anything, you would've made a great mum," she looked at the pair with a soft smile, "A great mum and dad," she closed her eyes and died.
"Jenny? Jenny!" Minerva exclaimed, looking at the Doctor for anything, anything that could help, "She can't die!"
He kissed Jenny's forehead, an idea popping into his head, "Two hearts. Two hearts, she's like me," he remembered, Minerva gasping lightly, "If we wait... If we just wait..." they both looked up at Martha for some support.
"There's no sign, Doctor. There is no regeneration. She's like you, but... maybe not enough," Martha shook her head.
"No. Too much. That's the truth of it. She was too much like me," the Doctor gently put Jenny to the ground and kissed her head.
He stood up and looked down at Jenny for a moment, glancing at Minerva who sniffled away as she stroked Jenny's hair. He felt his anger rise as he looked from one another, both innocent and both hurt...both hurt because of him. Other people, enemies, hurt them because they were trying for him, when it should have been him and only him. He found himself walking towards Cobb who was still being restrained by the other soldiers. He picked up his gun and held it to Cobb's head, all these emotions spurring inside, his despair for failing yet another of his loved ones, anger because he always lost someone and it wasn't fair. He was the one that did wrong in the world, he should be punished for his actions not his daughter, not his girlfriend...
"Doctor?" Minerva's voice startled him, "Please don't...I wanna go home," she sniffled, "To the box of wonders, please. Can we go home?"
Upon hearing those words he lowered the gun and crouched down in front of Cobb, "I never would. Have you got that? I never would!" he stood up to address both parties, " When you start this new world. This world of Human and Hath... remember that! Make the foundation of this society. A man who never would!" he threw the gun away and went back to Minerva and Jenny, taking his Clever Girl into his arms where they both cried together.
~ 0 ~
Jenny was laid out in a small table, bed-like, in the theater room. The Doctor, Minerva, Martha, Donna, Cline and Peck were standing around her. Beams of light emerged through the windows, brightening up the gloomy setting, not that it mattered anymore.
"It's happening. The terraforming," Martha remarked.
"Build a city, nice and safe underground. Strip away the top soil. And there it is," Donna paused and looked at the pair, the Doctor hugging Minerva. She wondered where exactly they stood, but wasn't about to ruin it by asking, "And what about Jenny?" that was a better question instead.
"Let us give her a proper ceremony. I think it'd help us. Please," Cline suggested.
The Doctor stared at Jenny, giving a simple nod. He just hugged Minerva tighter, resting his cheek over her head.
~ 0 ~
"Jenny was the reason for the TARDIS bringing us here. It just got here too soon, which then created Jenny in the first place. Paradox. An endless paradox," the Doctor replied, now all in the TARDIS console room.
Donna and Martha watched him with sympathy, Minerva off in the corridors with Martha's cellphone. Apparently, there had been numerous missed calls from her grandmother, her uncle Aaron and even Cody. She'd excused herself to go talk in private and left them in the console.
"Time to go home?" the Doctor asked Martha, looking up from the console.
"Actually, you think you can just drop me off in San Diego?" Martha stepped up, "I sort of...may have...planned to stay a night here," she confessed with a sheepish smile, "You know, do the whole sleep over with my best friend then have the Martian just bring me to San Diego in his box."
He nodded, "You can stay, of course you can."
"Right, but I think I need to go. I said I'd be in by tonight. Plus, I think the less people possible around you and Minerva, the best."
"I think you both need to just sit down and talk," Donna offered then, "It'll be a bit easier to talk now that she doesn't mind being in the same room with us."
"I hurt her too much," the Doctor mumbled, "She's only letting me hug her because of the circumstances. But she's still cross with me."
"Doctor, that blue light," Martha recalled, "That blue light is alive. It physically went in and saved that Hath. What is that thing?"
"I don't really know," the Doctor sighed as he repeated the famous words, "It's connected to the crystal inside Minerva, but as far as I know it's an entity that's alive in a way. It's tried to make contact with Minerva...and I think that it finally got into her head."
"Why do you think that?" Donna asked.
"The word she said after waking up, when we were in the cell with Jenny," the Doctor started distancing himself with his thoughts.
"Yeah, what was that?" Donna remembered the face he'd worn when Minerva had woken up, "Why did you look so...shocked and confused?"
"What did she say?" Martha curiously asked.
"Louvier," the Doctor whispered, the name still so sweet to him even if he hadn't mentioned it in centuries.
"What's that? What's 'Louvier'?" Donna insisted.
"I met a Louvier centuries ago..." the Doctor began.
"What, so that's like a name, then?" Martha caught on, "Who's?"
"When I stole a TARDIS for the first time, I visited the Silver Monsoon where I met..." the Doctor swallowed hard, "...Kaeya Louvier."
Donna's and Martha's eyes widened, "Louvier was her last name!?" they both questioned simultaneously.
"The Royal Family of the Monsoon was the Louvier's..." the Doctor stared blankly ahead, "...I've told no one that name, Minerva's never heard it. Information on the Royal Family's name is limited. The most Minerva found was the first names."
"So then how did she know about it?" Donna asked.
"That light is becoming more and more friendly with Minerva and I'd like to know why," the Doctor sighed.
"Doctor?" he heard Minerva's voice and saw her standing by the threshold, breathing heavily, her hand over her heart and her eyes filled with water like a river, "...it's my dad, he's in the hospital," she started to cry then and there, the Doctor running for her to hold her.
~ 0 ~
As Cline and Peck, the Hath, were preparing Jenny for her ceremony, the blue light emerged from the ceiling. Cline set a pillow under Jenny's head and was about to pull a sheet over her body when the blue light rushed over and scared the man with is sudden appearance.
"What the hell is that?" both he and Peck backed away from Jenny, watching in horror as the light settled over her.
Jenny's mouth opened and released a golden wisp of energy and her eyes snapped open, locked on the light around her now, hearing its hums. After a couple moments, the light rushed off again, disappearing through the ceiling. Jenny sat up with a laughter.
"What just happened?" Cline blinked with wide eyes.
But Jenny continued to laugh, a hand over her heart, "My mum is wicked cool!"
Author's Note:
Hello! We're back to full chapters again, yay! Whaddya think about this one? ;)
I found this chapter a bit difficult to write because I have to write my American & Martian 'upset' with each other and I haven't done that just yet...but it's practice (foreshadowing?). The problem will be talked about in the next chapter, which is one of the important chapters (as well as the one after) to this story if I may add. So you may want to check that out next week ;)
For Reviews:
First of all, I want to point out to a guest reviewer from the last, last chapter I updated, that I didn't get your review (the one about Instagram). I don't know for anyone else but I've been having trouble seeing some of the reviews. I don't have Instagram anymore because the application just stopped working for me and I don't have patience to keep trying. Staying away from it now :)
Yeah...I'd stay away from the Doctor during that argument too . Although it seems he's not doing that bad at the moment as Minerva is more cooled down now...
Don't worry, I won't have them arguing throughout the rest of the story...far from it, actually. They'll talk more in the next chapter :)
Actually, someone will point out something ironic for Minerva of their argument, sort of like a 'cheap-shot' she hadn't even noticed lol. Whoops, sorry, but I do suggest you go watch the trailers! They look sooo good! *zips up mouth*. I do that on purpose *devious laugh* I make the pair all lovey-dovey to contrast (very deeply) the bad things that's happening around them. Eh, the Doctor's the Doctor's so he could do the unlikely, but who know what could happen in the end. Yes, I see anger is something that pushes you to say the first (and usually the worst) words you can think of. And by the way, you're theories are quite good...
...but you'll have to read the next chapter because you'll discover what really happened to Kaeya ;)