"Guardian of the Array"

12. Lessons & Friends

Inside the TARDIS

Gemma stared at the screen like a child who'd been sent to stand in the corner. Minutes before, the Doctor had told her to go and sit and read the information which had been set for her to study. It had not been long that she'd realized it had absolutely nothing to do with what they were doing in Indiana, which begged the question: couldn't this wait? But the Doctor insisted, and rather than being given a long winded lecture as to the reasons why, Gemma had been left no other choice, so she'd taken her seat and started to read.

She was remembering now, after having been distracted by the events at the lake and dinner with the Andrews family. She was remembering how strange the Doctor had been behaving before they went and got Artie, stranger than usual at least. There were those questions she'd been asking, and now this. If she hadn't known any better, she would have thought there was something else going on or about to be going on. The problem was any time she tried to suggest that was the case, the Doctor changed the subject. If she didn't want to talk about something, no one would force it out of her.

After Gemma had been set to her reading, the Doctor had disappeared off somewhere else, telling the others to stay where they were. For a minute or so, there'd been silence as she read, but then…

"If you're human, how come you're here?" he asked, and she looked up.

"I'm, I guess you could say I'm a companion," she explained. "I travel with the Doctor."

"But you're American, aren't you? Like me?"

"Yes, like you."

"What time are you from? You said you weren't born yet, when I'm from," he went on, and Gemma chuckled, stepping away from the screen.

"What's with all the questions all of a sudden?"

"I was just wondering why the Doctor keeps you here, so maybe I could…" He hesitated now, and she knew what he'd been getting at. He wanted to be a companion, too.

"Well, the Doctor's always told me, when he's taken someone on to travel with him, the reasons all depended on the person, you know?"

"What about you?" he asked as she crouched before him.

"Me? Well… Between you and me, let's say I'm repaying a debt. Do you know what that…" She stopped, hearing the click of shoes approaching. Springing back up, she returned to the screen to show she'd been reading.

"Wow," Artie blinked, and Gemma turned to discover what had earned this response. As suspected, the Doctor's absence had been for a change in wardrobe.

"Do you like?" she asked the boy, looking down at herself.

"What's with the Victorian get up?" Gemma asked, and the Doctor simply pointed back to the screen. The companion sighed and went back to reading.

"Right, you two, don't go anywhere, I shouldn't be long. I trust that you will listen, unlike certain others."

"Why can't we go?" Artie asked.

"Because your aunt there is busy," the Doctor smiled at him. "And as for you, I'm afraid your chair is a tad too modern for this place. Don't wander off," she repeated herself before stepping out of the ship.

It might have been just as well that she had a legitimate reason for leaving them both behind. To be honest, part of her was both curious for and dreading this visit all at once. She hadn't been back in some time, not since her last regeneration. Now on top of getting them to say yes, she'd have to convince them she was who she said she was, which could either go fairly easy or absolutely wrong.

Coming up to the house, she found her perspective of it had changed some. Of course she was nearly ten inches shorter than she used to be, and she had quickly developed a new respect for heeled shoes. For all the reminders of past times she was about to endure, this one was the one she was most likely to endure.

Her knock at the door would soon be answered, and as expected, there was absolutely zero recognition in the young woman's face. "Yes?"

"Hello, Jenny," the Doctor tipped her head forward. The hint of familiarity she'd spoken into the words had been enough to get her attention.

"How… How may I help you?"

"Oh, in so many ways," she'd lowered her hand into her pocket, and she could see the girl's eyes follow the movement. When her hand re-emerged, holding the sonic screwdriver, there was an audible intake of breath. She stood there for a moment, blinking, almost crying.

"Please, come in," she stepped aside.

As soon as she was inside, the door had been shut, locked, and Jenny had disappeared further into the house. The Doctor didn't have to wait long. Jenny returned and silently guided her into the room, where the veiled woman waited.

"Come closer," said Vastra. This could go one of two ways, one of which would be very unpleasant, but the Doctor had nothing to fear. She approached. "Show me," Vastra asked, and the Doctor produced the screwdriver. One of Vastra's hand closed around her wrist, and the other pried the object from her. She observed it for several seconds, before looking back to observe the stranger more closely. The Doctor allowed for her hand to remain as it was. When it was released, it was so that Vastra could pull the veil back, revealing her green scaled face and currently stunned blue eyes before she looked to Jenny. "Find Strax, bring him now."

"Is it really…" she began to say.

"Jenny," Vastra interrupted her. She looked to the stranger once more before fleeing as requested. "I'd never have believed it," Vastra slowly returned the sonic.

"Well, as regenerations go, I'd say this one was the least expected," the Doctor confided.

"I'd honestly started to believe we'd seen the last of you, Doctor," Vastra spoke in return, and there was still hesitation for her to use the name when staring at the woman standing before her. "I'd still like to know what happened after the last time we did see you."

"And there'll be time plenty for that later, I swear. For now, I'm afraid this isn't a social call." A moment later, Jenny had returned, having found Strax. The Sontaran came into the room and turned to their visitor. He looked mildly disturbed.

"Regeneration," he sneered. "A glorious death, and then more life."

"Don't say that," Jenny gave him a look.

"If you don't mind," Vastra had a glare of her own to give, while Strax stood by his claim. "Let's get down to it, shall we?" she turned back to the Doctor.

Once they'd gone and sat to hear the reason for the Doctor's visit, they were able to understand what she expected of them. She needed decoys, needed spies.

"Then that means… You're going to make them look human?" Jenny was stunned, turning to the pair of them. Vastra and Strax had varying levels of discomfort at the thought.

"They will only be viewed as such by proper humans, like you," the Doctor explained. "I will make it so the array recognizes you as two of its subjects, and then the shield will activate around you."

It came down to Vastra and Jenny. Strax looked willing to go either way. But finally it was decided. They would go. The Doctor thanked them.

"Come, there are some people I'd like you to meet."

TO BE CONTINUED (FRIDAY)