Author's note: I'd like to quickly apologise for not updating in so long. I'd really fallen out with writing fanfiction for a while and have been working on a lot of original stuff. But then I rewatched Tennant's last Christmas special, the episodes that prompted this story to be started in the first place, and my muse returned. I hope everyone's still interested in the story and that you enjoy this chapter. :)

Rhys gasped as the alien that had ahold of him stopped suddenly, the hand around his throat snapping him backwards. It was getting harder and harder to breathe, and small black spots were beginning to appear at the edges of his vision.

The alien let out several high-pitch clicks. "Where is it? Where is it?"

"Where's what?" Rhys managed to choke out.

The alien growled at him, small flecks of red spit trailing down from the corners of its mouth. "You are delicate, human. You are easily broken."

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Rhys tried to break the alien's hold on him, throwing himself backwards. He ended up on the ground, with the alien standing over him. It didn't seem to be breathing, Rhys realised. The armour covering the thing's chest was still, eerily so, as it bent its head to look at him.

"Foolish human," it cut out. "You will suffer for what has been done."

Rhys was almost crying now. "What have I done?"

"You? Nothing. You are merely guilty by association." The alien crouched down, curling the hand that wasn't a blade around Rhys' throat again. "Your whole race is guilty by association!"

Jenny took in her surroundings quickly, eyeing the creature that she had just killed. Her gun slowly fell to her side, as she realised it was well and truly dead. Her eyes quickly skimmed over the rest of the lab, resting on Jack for a moment before she moved over to him. Bending slightly, she felt for a pulse. Finding none, she turned away, and started towards the stairs leading up and out of the lab.

As she reached the stairs, and began to climb them, there was a quiet, almost indiscernible thump from behind her. She froze, head titling slightly to the right, listening intently.

When she heard nothing more, her right hand, hidden by her body, rose fractionally, a finger curling around the trigger of the gun that hung from the strap around her neck.

She tensed her shoulders, before whirling on the spot, dropping back two paces and crouching, bringing her gun up to aim in the direction of the noise.

She was met with the man who, a few seconds before, had been decidedly dead. He was now, however, standing, levelling his own gun at her.

They spoke at the same time.

"Who are you?"

"Stay where you are!"

The question had been asked by Jack and was ignored by Jenny, as she began to inch forward. Jack watched her warily, not moving at all.

"You were dead," Jenny stated.

"What an astute observation," Jack replied sarcastically.

Jenny stopped moving, having descended the steps so she was back in the lab once again. She was still frowning, but her gun had dropped slightly. She narrowed her eyes, seemingly weighing up her response. "You know the Doctor?" she asked finally.

Jack's gun hand wavered. "Why?"

"I do," Jenny shot back.

Jack was silent for a moment. "So do I."

"And what? You're worried that if I mean harm to him and you don't I'll shoot, and vice versa?"

Jack grinned disarmingly. It was funny how not being able to die removed all fear in these situations. "Yeah, pretty much." He slowly lowered his gun. "I'm Jack."

Jenny cocked her head to one side. "Harkness?"

"Aw, you've heard of me!" Jack holstered his gun, smirking. "I'm flattered."

"I'm Jenny."

There was a moment of silence, where Jack tried to think up something witty to say. Finally, "I've got nothing."

Jenny smirked back, lowering the gun. "Wouldn't be much of a change."

Jack grinned. Before he could come back with any sort of snappy reply though, there was a loud crash from above, causing them both to whip round.

"Are there any more of the creatures?" Jenny asked.

The reply was the Brigadier tumbling haphazardly down the stairs, somehow managing to fire his gun up them in between rolls.

Jack moved forward quickly, placing himself in between the Brigadier and the stairs, gun in his hand again. After a moment, "What were you shooting at?"

The Brigadier heaved himself to his feet, breathing heavily. "There are those creatures all over the base. They're everywhere!" He shook out his left arm gingerly. "Where's the Doctor when you need him?"

"You know the Doctor too?" Jenny asked.

The Brigadier looked at her and did a double take. "Who are you?"

Another echoing crash sounded from above them, prompting Jack to begin moving up the stairs. "Come on. We've got to clear the base of these... things. Then we can get in contact with the Doctor and clear up this whole mess. The Master included."

Gwen rushed into the main area of the Hub, moving straight to her desk and seizing her phone, dialling the number to UNIT HQ and raising it to her ear. Jack would know what to do. He always does, she thought.

In UNIT HQ, the phone Gwen was dialling rang three times. Halfway through the fourth ring, a tendril snaked out from the doorway and batted the phone across the room and into the wall. The ringing stopped.

In the darkness, the humble beast of burden plotted of terrible things.

He is worse than you, it said, and drove the forces against each other.

I have seen death and sorrow on a scale unimaginable, it said, and drove the forces together.

I can kill you all with a blink of my eye, it said, and destroyed the forces completely.

Author's note: I'd like people's opinions on the last scene especially. I'm not too sure about it, so it would be great to know what people think. Thanks for reading. :)