Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who.
AN: PLEASE READ THIS!
I'd like to extend my gratitude to my beta reader Shelby Bean for all her help. She's created an image for the story, and to view it, please follow the link from my profile.
I know I said no episode regurgitation, but I couldn't avoid the overlap in some scenes. Inevitable it seems, and I think it will happen again but I promise that I'll try to keep my style of writing and originality.
Thank you for all your support readers!
The London Blitz
Bombs exploded with earth shattering quakes as the walls of buildings crumbled to the ground. The London Blitz had arrived. There was no reprieve once the alarm bells started tolling. Everyone rushed to find shelter, going underground to escape the worst of it. A few stray dwellers scavenged for what they could, using the opportunity to grab what essentials they could from other houses to survive.
The Soldier dodged a falling wall as she ran into a wealthy manor to steal what she could before the house completely collapsed. Spotting a beam heading for her, she shot up, grabbing the falling beam and propped herself up, jumping across the falling debris before launching out the window, the items in her coat falling to the ground with the impact of her landing.
The Soldier scooped up the fallen items and ran for cover against the air strikes. She sprinted into the night, aware that she wouldn't get shelter here with this regeneration.
The Soldier spotted a subway entrance ahead and leaped in, landing halfway down the steps. Up ahead, the subway was filled with people crowding together, seeking shelter from the German bombs. They were huddled tight and the Soldier couldn't help but notice how defenceless they would all be if an enemy soldier got in.
The Soldier settled next to a homeless woman lying asleep against crumpled newspapers. When the bombs settled, she'd be able to sell her stolen wares in the Thieves Market and get enough money to survive the next few months. The Soldier closed her eyes drifting into a light sleep.
More than ten years had passed since the Doctor had abandoned her in war torn London. The Blitz had started a few months ago, with alarms ringing throughout the city to warn the citizens of impending attack. No matter how much stolen wares she'd sold, she hadn't been able to rent a house. The landlords seemed to exorbitantly raise their rates after getting a look at her. Her appearance of a homeless vagabond did not help her any.
The Soldier learned the troubles of the poor and unfortunate in the last decade. While she was intimately acquainted with war time conditions, she had never been in a situation where she couldn't scrounge up enough money to survive. Everything she was, from her skin colour to her gender, worked against her in this Pre-Enlightened Earth. An honest living was impossible, so desperate and disheartened she resorted to the only option left, stealing. She had tried to be honourable by only stealing from the rich, but a sense of disquiet pervaded nonetheless.
No one but the Doctor was to blame for her state.
Even if he hated her, despised her, to drop her off in a place where surviving would be so difficult was heartless. He'd promised her that they would meet here, and clearly his promise had been false.
But this abandonment had taught her a few unforgettable lessons about Earth. London had shown her the power of human perseverance even in the face of abject misery. That human stubbornness, the innate instinct they had of not giving up, made them truly admirable. So many of the humans were in situations much worse than hers and they carried on with commendable will. There had been a single mother out on the streets raising her four children, somehow making ends meet. A group of children, skinny, starving, banding together to survive. A blind man who always survived the attacks because he knew the best places to hide. Slowly but surely, the Soldier learned the preciousness of life, the fragility of it by watching humanity struggle to preserve it.
While it was foolish to forget that humans themselves brought this suffering on their kind, the Soldier couldn't help but feel her will to live return. The universe was filled with fragile creatures that felt pain, endured, and didn't give up when faced with trouble that was insurmountable.
Was that where Gallifrey had gone wrong? They had progressed with knowledge, technology and convenience but somewhere they had lost the appreciation of the frailty of life. The importance of persevering, facing the situation gradually like every other species in the universe. Was arrogance of their longevity their biggest flaw?
Even she hadn't truly comprehended the trials of being ordinary until she came to Earth. It made her see humans for their strength rather than view them in their stereotypical weaknesses.
Regardless of the lessons the Soldier learned, her resentment against the Doctor continued to grow.
o0o
The Soldier's sleep broke when the sound of a large crash rang through the subway. Dust fell off the ceiling from the tremor, but the subway stayed up and didn't collapse. The Soldier looked to the entrance way, checking all the exits to make sure they were secure.
Suddenly a group of children came rushing down the steps, their arms over their head. They huddled in front of her, and she watched as a few of them started crying, shaking in their terror.
The Soldier looked away. Crying children was normal now, and getting attention from her would scare them even more.
"-you think she's okay?"
"Do you think she got out in time?"
"-want her here! I don't want to be alone."
"We'll be fine! Remember what she told us? We just have to return to our place after the bombings have stopped. She'll be there. For sure!"
Another bombing story. It wasn't like she could help them. Perhaps they wouldn't even accept it, but when the adult humans were ignoring them then her responsibility, as an alien, didn't even exist. Even if her oath was to protect, she couldn't save every person that was in danger. This was established history.
"What if-what if she runs into him? The monster boy that's been following us?"
"Why would he follow her? He came that one time looking for his mummy, that's all."
"No, it wasn't just once! He's been following us wherever we go. You only don't know because you keep fighting with Anna too much to notice!"
Or history could be rewritten. There was no one to police her actions. She could save anyone she damn well pleased, and the children had managed to light her curiosity. Maybe if she upset the timeline enough, then the Doctor would come to stop her.
o0o
The alarm bells started tolling, signalling that it was safe to leave. The Soldier followed silently as the children ran to an abandoned house at a backend alley. The eldest boy was herding the children and keeping a lookout, desperately searching for something before heading in last. The Soldier tiptoed to the side of the house and jumped to the roof, heading to the chimney to hear remnants of a conversation.
"-don't even know how to write, what are you doing on that machine?" A voice echoed through the chimney, followed by the repeated clacks of a typewriter.
The crunch of running shoes on loose gravel had the Soldier glancing up to see a young girl rushing into the children's hideout, carrying a small bag.
Once the girl entered, a small cheer rose up from the chimney. So this had been the missing child they'd been discussing earlier, the Soldier deduced, crouching on the roof so that she'd be less noticeable.
"Will you stop that noise?!" A shout rose up from the chimney, pulling the Soldier attention back to the conversation. The clacking of the typewriter ceased.
"I'm sorry, Jim. On you go, write a letter to your dad if you want to." The new girl apologised, regret coating her voice. The clacking of the typewriter resumed.
"I know we shouldn't have stayed here, but we need you, especially for the thinking." The eldest chimed in, his voice filled with adoration.
"And what if I wasn't here?" Her voice scolded sharply. "What if one night I didn't come back for you? There's a war on. People go out, and they don't always come back. It happens. What would you do then?"
A strained silence seemed to fall in the room, and the Soldier leaned in, intrigued despite herself.
"Are these wirecutters?" The sound of a chair being drawn echoed before the clacking of the typewriter stopped.
"I need you to think about this, Ernie! Someone's gotta look out after this lot."
"Why Nancy, are you going somewhere?" Ernie, the eldest, asked accusingly.
"The bomb site," Nancy responded hesitantly, "The one at the railway station."
"Why?!" Ernie cried out in fear and worry.
"The child. That's where he was killed." She explained, determination ringing in her voice, "That's where it all started, and I'm going to find out how."
"He'll get you!" Ernie warned, his silent plea for her to stay clear in his tone.
"He'll get you then he'll come after us." A small voice spoke out, cracking in its fear.
"He always comes for us!" Ernie begged.
"No, Ernie he doesn't! He always comes after me!" Nancy's corrected harshly but then took a calming tone. "There are things I haven't told you. Things I can't tell you. As long as you're with me, you are in danger. Even right now, as you sit here, you're in danger because of me!" An echo of clacking resumed again.
"You're the one who keeps us safe!" Ernie entreated.
"Safe? Then answer this. Jim is sitting right next to you, so who's typing?" Nancy asked, fear gripping her voice.
The Soldier stood, shocked at the development. She jumped to the ground, eager to investigate this mystery. As she moved to confront the children in the house, she spotted a lone child in the distance, standing eerily still as he watched the house. Suddenly he turned to his right, as if watching someone leave, and the Soldier followed his gaze to see the new girl, Nancy leave abruptly from the house, walking purposefully into the night.
This should be the monster child that they're talking about. The Soldier ran quickly towards the child, but he seemed to lose interest and slunk off disappointedly into the darkened alleyway. This did not fit the description she'd obtained from eavesdropping from those homeless children.
Had those children misunderstood? It was normal, and the Soldier was learning, human, to exclude others by basis of differences. The Soldier followed the child silently, and once she was within 10 feet of the eerie child, he seemed to stiffen and turned abruptly to face her.
"Mummy? Muuuuummmmmyyyy. Are you my mummy? Are you my mummy?" The continuous repetition with the slight echo from an odd protrusion on the child's face made the Soldier extremely uneasy, especially since the pitch dark night made it difficult for her to make out any features of the boy.
The Soldier pulled out her EMS, and turned on the Light feature to see a small boy whose face was covered by a gas mask. Suddenly, the speaker on her EMS blared with static, before the child's voice rang out of the device.
"Are you my mummy? Mummy. Mummy? I want my mummy. Are you my mummy?"
Unnerved, the Soldier took a step back. This was not a normal child. She ran a med scan through her EMS to find the child had collapsed lungs, countless lesions and a gas mask fused onto his face. His hand bore a infected bleeding scar. This child wasn't supposed to be alive!
"Are you my mummy?! Mummy, please answer me. Mummy! Are you my mummy?"
The Soldier looked back at the child, and finally registered his desperate plea. This miracle child was desperately seeking his mother. But why didn't he know who she was? Why was he even asking?
"No, I'm not your mother." The Soldier finally answered, and the boy tilted his head to the side before turning away.
The Soldier watched him go, wondering whether she should follow him. That girl, Nancy, had seemed to know about this situation, and pursuing this boy was almost useless since he was just a shell. The Soldier turned, speeding to the railway station that had been barred due to a sudden bombing one month ago.
This entire situation was exceedingly odd, completely out of the ordinary. The Soldier froze, halting in her tracks as a realisation crept upon her. From all that she had been able to glean about the Doctor, these were the kind of oddities that attracted him, pulled him in like a moth to a flame. A shiver ran through her as she considered the very real possibility that she might see the Doctor at the end of this road.
The Soldier continued on her path, her emotions getting more conflicted with each step she took. She was glad, relieved she was going to be seeing him again, yet the resentment that had been festering the past ten years refused to be ignored. He'd left her high and dry, and here she was, running back to him as if it had never happened.
As the Soldier placed the EMS back into her pocket, her hand brushed against a small scrap of paper, and curiosity had her drawing it out to inspect it. It was the note. The illegible note that the Doctor had left her all those years ago…but he hadn't given it to her like that, had he? She'd fallen accidentally into the river, and the note had turned illegible then. Maybe he'd left her details to a safe lodging, perhaps even a way to contact him in an emergency. The Soldier sighed, pushing her resentment down, locking it away deep inside of her. It wouldn't disappear, since he had abandoned her after all, but perhaps he hadn't intended all her misfortunes upon her.
Feeling her emotions settle, the Soldier came upon the military compound at the station and witnessed Nancy being shoved into a warehouse by military guards. Sighing at the complication, the Soldier ran towards the barbed wire and flipped over the fence, unwilling to cut her coat by going through the small hole that Nancy had undoubtedly cut using the wirecutter.
As the Soldier silently approached the barn, she was alarmed to see the surrounding soldiers in a feverish daze, unable to focus on anything in front of them, and twitching occasionally in pain. Worried, the Soldier crouched behind the gates to await the departure of the guards.
"Please don't leave me alone with him! You don't understand, he's not well! Don't leave me alone with him!" Nancy cried from within the room, and the Soldier paused, running through all possible illnesses that could cause this bizarre sickness. There was no doubt, this was alien in origin.
A harsh slam of the door was followed by Nancy's scream for help, and the Soldier slid silently forward, trying to find entries to the warehouse apart from the door. Spotting a window, the Soldier jumped up, holding onto the window sill, pulling the slide up with one arm before heaving herself through the window and landing in the room.
The Soldier looked up and was met with the sight of a man choking on air, his face red from the strain. A white bone started protruding from his mouth, expanding outward from his mouth to cover the rest of his face, turning black as it spread. His eyes stretched until they popped out and expanded until they joined the black material on his face. The man choked once more, his mouth spreading wide before a netted bone spit out, covering his mouth sickeningly. He collapsed in his chair, unmoving.
The Soldier stood still, stunned beyond belief. The man had vomited and sickeningly fused a gas mask onto his face. She hurriedly pulled out her EMS and ran a scan on him. Collapsed lungs, fused mask, blow to the head and an infected cut on his right arm. These injuries were identical to the ones on that miracle child.
What could be causing this? There was no virus in existence that perfectly replicated these injuries.
The man jerked up suddenly, turning slowly to Nancy, who had been struggling all this while, hardly noticing the new stranger in the room.
"Mummy? Are you my mummy? Mummy?"
The Soldier looked on, stunned as the man continuously repeated the same questions the little boy had. She rushed forward as the man raised his arm towards Nancy, but before she reached, Nancy spoke up.
"You must be so tired. Would you like me to sing you a lullaby? Your favourite, remember?" With that, Nancy began to sing a lullaby haltingly, gaining confidence as the man settled down and rested his head on top of the table.
"Rock a baby, on the treetop..." Nancy jerked as she saw the Soldier approaching her, and the Soldier gestured for her to continue.
"Do not stop." The Soldier whispered, moving slowly towards her in an attempt not to frighten her. "I am here to set you free."
Nancy resumed singing, looking at her warily as she approached. The Soldier neared her to find her attached to the table by handcuffs. Pulling her EMS out, she set it to Resonation to undo her cuffs.
"The moment this opens, follow me outside. You need to tell me everything you know about this situation. Do you understand?" The Soldier commanded, leaving no room for disobedience.
Nancy stopped singing. "But what can you do? You don't understand, if you touch them, you become like them! There's nothing you can do!" She whispered furiously. Her cuffs clicked open. The sound of a drawing chair made both of them look up. The man stood up abruptly and the Soldier shoved Nancy towards the door, pulling out her EMS to scan him again, looking for any foreign antibodies, as the disfigured man approached. Nancy got the door open and pulled the Soldier's coat, making her lose her grasp on her EMS. She caught it, yet her fingers clicked together and suddenly a cloud of glowing yellow dust surrounded her fingers.
Nanogenes?
The Soldier was jerked out of her thoughts when Nancy pulled her again, nearly dragging her out of the room.
"Are you mad? Weren't you listening to anything I just said? If he touches you, you become like him! You have to get outta here!" Nancy urged, growing harried when the Soldier continuously gazed at the closed door blocking the disfigured man, unresponsive to her words.
The Soldier abruptly turned towards her. "Tell me everything you know. I know how to deal with this problem, but you need to tell me everything that happened. Do you understand?" She ordered, her mind racing with all the possibilities. "How did this begin?"
"You're mad. Everyone I've met today is mad. Run, keep yourself safe, please!" Nancy forcefully pushed the Soldier towards the barbed fence. Fed up, the Soldier turned and picked the girl and jumped onto a low hanging branch on a tree, nimbly lifting both up onto the tree. The girl struggled for a moment but stopped when the Soldier pointed at the patrolling guards.
"Quickly tell me what you know. I really am capable of fixing this problem. I am the Soldier and I have experience dealing with these situations. Trust me." The Soldier entreated softly. Nancy gazed at her, her lower lip trembling.
"My brother, Jamie, he was here a month ago, when a bomb that wasn't really a bomb landed. I'd gone out to get us some food, and I'd tried to protect him with a gas mask, but he was so near the bomb, there was nothing I could do. He-he died. But something happened, that bomb did something to him. It made him a monster, and he keeps looking for," Nancy choked, unable to keep her tears back, "he keeps looking for his mummy. Whoever he touches, he turns them into monsters like him. But he's just a boy. He's just a boy looking for his mummy!" Nancy started sobbing uncontrollably, trying to drown out her sobs covering her mouth.
The Soldier watched her carefully, sympathy rising at her tragedy. She placed a hand on Nancy's shoulder in comfort, and drew close to whisper, "You need to take me to the site Nancy. To the fake bomb. We will find all our answers there." Nancy nodded, roughly wiping her cheeks before glancing down from the tree pointedly.
As the Soldier scanned the surroundings, she was horrified to see the surrounding soldiers convulse distortedly and grow gas masks before collapsing to the ground. The Soldier grabbed Nancy and jumped down, tucking Nancy's small frame under her arm and rushing to safety. Nancy struggled under her arm, and the Soldier gently placed her down.
"You have to travel with me like that if we want to be silent. Just tell me which way to go." She demanded gently, and Nancy's discontent melted at the soft expression on her face.
"The bomb landed on that crater up ahead, behind that truck." Nancy pointed, and the Soldier turned, seeing a large structure covered by nylon cloth located in the center of a crater behind a clutter of useless metal junk.
The Soldier kneeled in front of Nancy, gesturing for her to climb onto her back like how she'd carried those children from Panache. She felt a deep pang resonate through her at the memory, and misdirected empathy prompted her to hug the girl closer to her back after she'd gotten on, unable to see her as anything but a sweet determined child.
She took off, using the junk and metallic heaps as camouflage in the night. She paused when she heard three voices echo in the night, shrinking into the shadows and keeping a tight grasp on Nancy.
"You men, stay back. Get out of here!" A vaguely familiar voice shouted, and the sound of shuffling had the Soldier peeking out of her hiding place to see soldiers running out of the compound.
"The effect's become airborne, accelerating." A hauntingly familiar voice said, and the Soldier felt lead drop into her stomach even as her heart sped up in heartrending relief.
The sound of sirens woke the Soldier from her trance as a girl's voice rang out, "What's keeping us safe?"
"Nothing." The Doctor replied curtly.
The Soldier stepped out, walking in a daze towards him, feeling her grip on Nancy loosen as the girl struggled off her back to approach the ragtag group.
"All we need. Didn't you say a bomb was going to land here?" The blonde asked, her pitch rising in her fear. The Doctor turned to his frightened companion.
"Never mind that, if the contaminant is airborne now, there's hours left."
"Until what?" The familiar man demanded. Except before he had been wearing a white tee and not this military attire.
"Till nothing, forever. For the entire human race. And is it just me, or do you see a figure in red approaching us?" The Doctor asked befuddled for a moment, before gesturing towards the exit. "You need to get outta here, now! Find someplace safe."
The Soldier moved towards him in a trance, blocked suddenly by Nancy.
"What are you lot doing here? Didn't I tell you to stay clear of this place?" Nancy accused the Doctor, and he turned to stare at her instead.
"You see!" The military man interrupted, scorn in his voice, "Just an ambulance."
"That's an ambulance?" Nancy asked befuddled.
"It's hard to explain," the blonde interrupted, "it's from another world."
The Soldier watched their interactions, unable to comprehend why the Doctor wasn't asking about her. Did he really not recognize her, not know her at all?
"You said you'd help. These people are mad, but you said you knew what to do." Nancy's voice rang out, disbelief and fear in her voice as she turned to the Soldier.
"They aren't mad, little one. They're telling the truth, this is an ambulance. A Chula ship, going by the design. The ship released nanogenes upon impact, and I assume, having never met humans before, they set out to heal your brother, unintentionally turning him into what he is now." The Soldier approached Nancy, trying to soothe her fear, but Nancy shook her head backing away in confusion.
"I don't understand."
"It's not possible. It can't be." The military man denied in disbelief, turning to the ship and accessing the key codes.
"Whoever she is," the Doctor appraised her suspiciously, "she's got the right of it. What are you doing?" He snapped, turning to the military man.
"Trying to confirm it was the nanogenes. If what you're saying is true…" The handsome man trailed off, unable to finish. The ship sparked and suddenly alarms started ringing from the ship.
"That didn't happen last time!" The man exclaimed looking stricken.
"It didn't crash last time. There'll be emergency protocols now." The Doctor explained wryly.
"Doctor, what's happening?" The blonde cried out, and the Soldier turned to see one of the collapsed guards get up, his cries of Mummy ringing through the compound.
"Jack, secure those gates! Nancy, how'd you get in here?" The Doctor asked urgently, shaking Nancy out of her stupor.
"I cut the wires."
"Show Rose. Setting 2408. Reattach the wires Rose!" The Doctor urged, throwing his sonic at the blonde.
The blonde rushed off, and the Soldier evaluated their situation, feeling that somehow she'd escaped the hot pan only to fall into the fire.
The Soldier rushed to assist Jack, a faint memory of the name returning to her. Flirt. White tee, suspenders. Vortex manipulator.
She scanned him discreetly as they barred the gates, yet could discern nothing with his thick uniform.
As they returned, she noticed Jack was giving her a knowing grin, a smug smirk decorating his features, and the Soldier felt confused at his expression. Had he noticed that she'd been scanning him? Why was he so smug about it?
"The name's Captain Jack Harkness. And you're clearly not a part of this time though your disguise is way better than those two. Wanna grab a drink together if we survive this?" He asked with a smirk, pulling her close to him.
The Soldier felt a scowl pull on her face at his casual flirtation. She knew it was normal, harmless even, but she couldn't help but feel she was betraying Artis. She pushed Jack away roughly, unable to look at him as she responded, "Not interested."
The Soldier approached the Doctor quickly, eager to get rid of the awkwardness she created and to confirm her hypothesis.
"Doctor!" the Doctor's head snapped up sharply, surprised at the familiarity in her tone, "Do you know me?"
The Doctor observed her carefully, but wasn't able to remember her face. But he'd met so many people that that wasn't a surprise. But she recognized this face, and he hadn't had this face for that long, and for the life of him he couldn't remember anyone who wore such a vivid red coat. While her face was average, forgettable, that bright red coat, Gallifrey red, he thought longingly, was unforgettable.
At his contemplative silence, the Soldier tried to push his recognition along. Wait, she had a different face then. What could she say? The future Doctor had warned her not to reveal herself too quickly.
At the Doctor's confused look, the Soldier sighed in comprehension. She would listen to the future Doctor's instructions for now.
"We'll talk after this." The Doctor promised softly, realizing the truth of the situation; she knew him in his future.
"Rose!" Nancy cried out in alarm, and the Doctor and the Soldier turned to see that Nancy and the blonde, Rose, had returned. Rose rushed over to the Doctor in panic.
"It's bringing the gas mask people isn't it?"
"The ship thinks it's under attack. It's calling troops. Standard protocol." The Doctor said, hurrying over to the ship to trying to deactivate alarm button.
The Soldier moved away, quickly trying to find a solution to the situation, tuning everything else out. A bomb was fated to explode at this site in less than fifteen minutes, nanogenes altered humans were programmed to attack them, and the child, the commander of this Chula troop, wouldn't let them escape now that they were identified as threats.
Half the situation was solved; this contaminant couldn't spread further, and if all the troops were heading here, then as tragic as it would be, the fated bomb would destroy these infected humans. But how would they escape before the bomb detonated?
The Soldier rushed to the Doctor where she heard the remnants of their conversation.
"Not the child, but Jamie." Nancy corrected Jack.
The Soldier opened her mouth but was cut off by Rose, "How long till the bomb detonates?"
"Any second." Jack warned in panic.
"What's the matter Jack? Too close to the volcano for you?" The Doctor mocked derision on his face.
"Where's your ship?" The Soldier interrupted, shaking the Doctor's arm to get his attention.
The Doctor turned to her with a resigned look, "Too far away to be of any use."
"He's just a little boy." Nancy choked out, her voice shaking.
"I know." The Doctor acknowledged.
"He's just a little boy who wants his mummy." Nancy whispered in despair.
"I know. And there isn't a little boy born who wouldn't tear the world apart to save his mummy. And this boy can."
"So what're we going to do?" Rose asked desperately.
"I don't know." The Doctor admitted, eyeing the approaching army with trepidation.
"It's my fault." Nancy cried out, and started sobbing uncontrollably, hugging herself tightly.
"How is it-"
The Soldier was distracted from the display in front of her when cries of Mummy resounded through the compound. A realisation hit the Soldier, and suddenly it all came together, why the child, Jamie, had followed Nancy everywhere, looking desperately for his mother. Nancy was Jamie's mother, and she watched as the Doctor prodded Nancy, confirming her hypothesis.
But….if Jamie was the first specimen, and Nancy was his mother, a confirmed biological match, then everything was done! Her head swam with the heady rush of having solved the problem and she looked up to see whether the Doctor had realised it too.
The Doctor was desperately convincing Nancy to tell Jamie the truth about his mother as the child approached, and the Soldier jolted forward, suddenly realising the danger that Nancy was in.
Stupid Doctor! Getting so emotional that you don't even see anything!
The Soldier stood in front Nancy, blocking her access to Jamie. Seven minutes to the bomb. Her internal clock warned her. She turned around to look for Jack, only to realise he was missing.
"What are you doing? Let her go to Jamie! That might be the only way to salvage this situation." The Doctor said, trying to pull the Soldier away.
"Shut up you fool!" The Soldier shouted in anger and exasperation, "Do you have any idea what danger Nancy is in? And the solution to this is so glaringly simple I could beat you up for all your unnecessary dramatics!"
The Doctor drew back in shock and a frown framed his face, "What solution is this?"
The Soldier ignored him and drew her EMS, reaching her palm out to the Doctor. At his puzzled look, she demanded drily, "Sonic probe?"
He hesitated a moment before placing his sonic in her palm, grumbling loudly, "It's a sonic screwdriver, not a probe!"
The Soldier ignored him, quickly using the sonic to magnify the EMS Transmit settings, quickly writing a program for the nanogenes.
"Nancy, listen to me closely. Go near Jamie but avoid touching him. Hold this," the Soldier handed her the EMS, "and tell Jamie that you are his mother. Go, do it now. Our lives are now in your hands Nancy, go tell him the truth."
"What did you just do?" The Doctor demanded, holding his hand out for his sonic, and she returned it to him.
"Just wait and see." The Soldier smirked, elation filling her at her upcoming victory.
"I am your mummy. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I am your mummy Jamie." Nancy repeated crying, and she ignored the Soldier's words as she placed an arm around Jamie to hug him to her.
A golden glow surrounded Nancy and Jamie and the Doctor let out a gasp.
"Oh, just give me this! Please just give me this!" He begged, watching the nanogenes recognize their DNA.
"And your wish is my command." The Soldier teased light heartedly, joy rushing through her as the nanogenes released the boy. She'd succeeded. After so long, after so many failures, she'd finally succeeded in saving people. She was filled with a glorious kind of anticipation.
The Doctor rushed forward, pulling the mask off the boy and whooping in joy, lifting the boy in the air in his relief.
"What just happened?" Nancy asked in disbelieving joy.
"I forced the nanogenes to change their erroneous interpretation of humanity by having them recognise you as the parent DNA." The Soldier explained, taking back her EMS from Nancy to upload the software patch to the nanogenes.
No, time's up!
The Soldier looked up to see a bomb falling towards them when suddenly a spaceship appeared, a tractor beam stopping the bomb's descent.
The Soldier focused back onto her EMS, ignoring the conversation around her as she programmed, knowing that Jack would handle the bomb.
As she finished, she looked up to find the spaceship flying away, and sadness filled her until she realised that Jack could be saved.
"What are you doing?" Rose asked her, approaching the Soldier slowly in curiosity, unsure how to handle this strange woman.
"She's creating a software patch." The Doctor passed a longing look at Rose before turning to the Soldier, "If I may?"
The Soldier contemplated him for a moment before handing the nanogenes over, trying to stay in his good graces.
"Going to email the upgrade. You want moves, Rose? I'll give you moves," The Doctor brandished the nanogenes at the patients in front, all of them falling to the ground, "Everybody lives, Rose. Just this once, everybody lives!" He declared gleefully, his smile stretching ear to ear. He rushed over to the patients and the Soldier turned to see a soft happy admiring look on Rose's face as she watched the Doctor.
The Doctor ran back to them excitedly, "Right you lot! Lots to do. Beat the Germans, save the world. Don't forget the welfare state! Setting this to self-destruct, soon as everybody's clear. History says there was an explosion here. Who am I to argue with history?"
"Usually the first one in line," Rose corrected flirtatiously, and the Doctor gave her a charmed grin before enabling the self-destruct button.
The Soldier kept quiet as she followed them out of the compound. She was happy, feeling victorious, because for once she had managed to save everyone. And the Doctor bore witness to this, had succeeded because of her. She could tell he was impressed, especially with the small glances he kept giving her, yet the majority of his attention remained with Rose. This didn't bother her, because she was sure, sure, that he would take her along now. She met all his criteria; she was a woman, useful, and intelligent. The Soldier couldn't help her grin, or the lightness in her steps. All she had to do now was satisfy his curiosity and then she was in. The Doctor, the universe, the TARDIS. They were all at her fingertips. Everything had finally gone right.
She watched as the Doctor shared his excitement with Rose, prattling on about how the nanogenes had worked as they approached the TARDIS. He unlocked the door, gave the Soldier a measuring look before grinning and moving in, leaving the door wide open in silent invitation. The Soldier's smile reached her ears. The Doctor was so good, so trusting and she had been such a fool for hating him.
The Soldier walked inside the TARDIS, and her heart squeezed in relief. She was finally home. Granted this wasn't her TARDIS, but everything of Gallifrey resonated within this TARDIS. The Soldier spun around slowly, absorbing everything, the feel, the smell, the look, everything, within her. She felt the strong urge to cry, unable to bear this painful happiness.
The Soldier stood off to the side, trying to bring back her composure. Rose approached her in concern, "Are you okay?"
The Doctor assessed her before replying, "Give her a moment. The TARDIS can be a bit too much for people sometimes."
"But Doctor, what about Jack? Why did he say goodbye?" Rose asked her concern passing to Jack.
The Doctor smiled, "Everybody lives Rose." He pranced around pressing a few switches, before asking Rose to dance with a happy smile as the TARDIS door opened into Jack's spaceship.
"Well hurry up then!" Rose said, grinning at Jack.
Rose danced awkwardly with the Doctor, teaching him slowly and she passed a happy smile at Jack who walked into the TARDIS in confusion.
"I'm sure I used to know this stuff. Close the door, will you? Your ship's about to blow up. There's going to be a draught," The Doctor said, moving away from Rose and starting up the engines as Jack shut the door.
The Soldier felt calm settle over her as she watched the silliness ensuing in front of her.
"Welcome to the TARDIS!" The Doctor declared, glancing at both Jack and her in welcome.
"Much bigger on the inside." Jack commented in awe, spinning around to take the TARDIS in.
"You'd better be," the Doctor said in slight warning, but Rose rolled her eyes, "I think what the Doctor means to say is you may cut in."
"Rose, I've just remembered!" The Doctor suddenly declared, changing the music from waltz to swing, "I can dance. I can dance!"
"Actually Doctor, I think Jack might want this dance." Rose said with a gentle smile.
"I'm sure he would, but with whom?" the Doctor teased as he pulled Rose into a Swing number.
The Soldier let out a laugh as she watched the two of them dance around the console and she saw Jack pass a longing look at them both. Jack spotted her and smiled, motioning with his head towards them and holding out a hand in a silent request. The silliness, the normality, of the situation spurred her on and she accepted his hand with a smile.
He held her hand for a moment before abruptly pulling her towards him, maintaining a respectful distance at her frown. He grinned again before abruptly jerking her off to the side and then pulling her back again only to exaggeratedly dip her to the ground. The Soldier let out a surprised laugh, confessing, "I haven't really done this before. Maybe teach me properly?"
"Your wish is my command," Jack winked before guiding her hands to his shoulders and asking her, "Do you want to Swing or just be random? Random will be much more fun."
The Soldier grinned, the foreignness of this entire experience making it that much more exciting. "Random it is." Jack proceeded to lead her gently around the console, dancing in a slow waltz before his competitive spirit rose upon seeing the Doctor. He proceeded to Swing around the console, racing around with her, and the Soldier laughed at his silliness, charmed by his childish behaviour.
"This feels more like ridiculous hand clapping, waving and walking than anything else," the Soldier commented with a smile, and Jack glanced down at her, his gaze ripped away from the Doctor.
"You can't get tired! We're winning! Look!" Jack gave a victorious smile as they rushed past the Doctor and Rose in their steps, and the Doctor laughed before stopping, "That was fantastic! We should do it again!"
The Soldier stopped, pulling Jack to stop him as well, and shook her head at the petulant look on his face. She turned to the Doctor, smiling at him nervously as she realised her situation. She wanted to stay in the TARDIS, but how was she supposed to ask?
"I think it's time we did introductions! Properly this time!" Jack announced, perching himself on the railing, "I'll start. I'm Captain Jack Harkness, ex-Time Agent, and now ex-Con. Human from 51st century."
Rose grinned and joined him at the railing, smiling at him then her, "Rose Tyler, 21st century human, and I travel around with a mad man in a box," she winked at the Doctor.
"I'm a Time Lord and this is my TARDIS, which can travel through space and time. The best ship in the universe!" The Doctor grinned before turning to the Soldier, waiting expectantly.
The Soldier was befuddled, what was she supposed to say? As she opened her mouth to declare that she was a Time Lord too, she felt a tug on her Senses that indicated a time disturbance. Her announcement of being a Time Lord, was somehow a fixed point in time, and that time was not now. That Doctor hadn't been lying after all.
"I am Red Alpha. I was a soldier once," she began quietly, a toxic feeling building up as she refused her identity. But after Artis, after the tragedy she had created, she couldn't be a soldier, no more, "but my planet was destroyed by war, my husband died, and you," here she gazed at the Doctor intensely, "you sent me to…well, you."
A quiet descended as her solemn words ruined the cheerful atmosphere.
Suspicion rose in the Doctor's eyes and he replied, "Give me proof. I would have given myself something, given you something."
Dread filled the Soldier as she quickly thought of anything the Doctor had given her. All he'd given her was his note and that was completely useless. Nevertheless, she withdrew the note from her pocket and handed it to the Doctor. Don't throw me out. Please don't throw me out.
The Doctor flipped the note over, shaking it repeatedly before looking at her questioningly.
"Nearly eleven years have passed since that note. Your piloting of the TARDIS is just ridiculous." The Soldier complained, "You didn't really explain the note, and you ended up dropping me into the Thames River."
"Yeah, that's him alright." Rose agreed, shaking her head, "He told me he'd drop me off just a few hours after I left, and when I arrive it's been a year and my mum's in a panic."
The Doctor rolled his eyes before tossing the note over the railing, "Off we go! Another adventure! And no insulting the driver!"
The Soldier smiled in relief before joining the others at the railing.
After everything, she was finally in the TARDIS.
