Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Doctor Who
Doctor to the Third Power Part III
Everyone blinked, no one daring to move. All eyes were on Clara as she blinked, looking from one person to another before she stopped at Eve. Evelyn raised a brow as she eyed the rather pretty young woman before arms wrapped around her.
"Ev! I can't believe you're here."
"Hold on, Clara!" the Eleventh said quickly as he stepped forward, the brunette frowning as she stepped away from the confused Eve. "This is V from the past. Whatever you know of her, whoever you think she is, right now it's not her."
"Oh. Right." Clara smiled sheepishly before she held her hand out to Eve, who stared for a moment before composing herself and relaxing.
"Sorry about that."
"No problem. It's nice to meet you, Clara," Eve said with a smile as she shook the young woman's hand.
"It's nice seeing you again. He's been a nightmare since you've been gone."
"Oi!"
"Can't imagine. Just think about what I have to deal with. At least future me has you. I'm here alone with this mad man." Evelyn smirked as the Tenth rolled his eyes.
"Alright you two. Before you start chattering away—Clara, how'd you do that?" the Eleventh asked, referring to when she had flawlessly waltzed into the dungeon.
"It was unlocked."
"Of course it was."
Clara glanced from Eve, to her Doctor, and then to the new faces of the Doctor—which were in fact, old faces of the Doctor. "So they're both you then, yeah?"
"That's right."
"…So. Three Doctors and one past-Evelyn—and no one thought to check the door?" The embarrassment was obvious on everyone's face. "I'd expect that from you, but not you, Ev."
"Yeah, there was a lot going on."
"Strange. The door should've been locked," the War Doctor pointed out as the Eleventh nodded, snapping his fingers.
"Exactly! Why wasn't it locked?"
"Because!" The five turned to the newest guest to the conversation, the Queen smirking darkly at them as she emerged from the shadows of the corridor. "I was fascinated to see what you would do upon escaping!" the strawberry blonde stated.
"I understand you're all very fond of this world. I think it's time I showed you what's going to happen to it."
§
Eve trailed behind Clara, her Doctor following close behind followed by the Eleventh and the War Doctor. She frowned as they walked down a dingy corridor before she coughed, nearly gagging; that terrible smell she remembered was growing stronger.
"Awful, isn't it?" the Doctor said quietly behind her as she nodded her head.
"Just think. You kissed that smell—several times." Eve smirked as the Eleventh let out a laugh before clearing his throat, the Tenth looking back at him and glaring. He frowned as even the War Doctor cracked a smile, shrugging at Ten before they entered a dark room.
"The Zygons lost their own world. It burned in the first days of the Time war." The Queen stopped as they stood over several Zygons that were going about their business. Eve blinked before she looked to Elizabeth, a perplexed gleam in her eyes. "A new home is required."
"So they want this one?" Clara inquired as Elizabeth scoffed.
"Not yet. It's far too primitive," she explained as everyone gazed down, the red glow from the Zygon controls reflecting off their faces.
"Commander," a voice hissed, catching everyone's attention. "Why are these creatures here?" a Zygon asked as the Queen glared.
"Because I say they should be." She glanced to the glass cube before smiling.
"It is time you were translated."
"What do you mean, translated?" Eve asked as the Queen continued to smile innocently.
"Observe. You will all understand."
Watching carefully, everyone stared as the Zygon placed its rubbery hand over the cube. Suddenly, the alien disappeared, reappearing in a portrait that Clara and the Doctor had seen not too long ago. The brunette stared with wide eyes as she took a step forward, caught in shock at what she had just seen.
"That's him! That's the Zygon in the picture!" Clara said as she approached the portrait and stared with awe on her face.
"It's not a picture. It's a stasis cube," the War Doctor explained. "Time Lord art. A frozen instance in time. Bigger on the inside but could be deployed—"
"As suspended animation!" the Tenth finished as the Eleventh snapped his fingers and nodded, both realizing at the same time what that meant.
"You've seen this before?" Eve asked the future Doctor as he nodded, tearing his eyes from the picture for only a second to look at her.
"In the future, they've waited until the Earth was ready for them. They were stored in the under gallery of U.N.I.T. headquarters," he explained as they both then turned and approached the picture with everyone else.
"So the Zygons are invading the future from the past?"
"Exactly…"
"And you know what?" Eve blinked as everyone turned, her Doctor approaching Elizabeth with narrowed eyes. The young woman shook her head as she stepped forward.
"Doctor—"
"You want to know how I know you're a fake?" Eve mentally slapped herself on the forehead as she listened to the Doctor ignore her. "You're such a bad copy."
"Doctor! Just—"
"It's not just the smell. Or the unconvincing hair or the atrocious teeth, or the eyes—which are just a bit too close together." Eve cringed with every word that slipped from the suited Time Lord's mouth. "The real Elizabeth, my Elizabeth would never be stupid enough to reveal her own plan."
"Doctor!" Said man blinked as he finally turned to Evelyn, who shot him an irritated look. "Don't you ever listen? Or do you enjoy listening to yourself talk that much?"
"What—"
"I am the real Elizabeth." The Doctor remained motionless as he stared at Eve, who shook her head at him. She sighed as Clara smirked, the Eleventh regeneration chuckling; he remembered this well.
"And how did you know?"
"She said the Zygons had lost their world. If she had been a Zygon then why wouldn't she have just said she lost her world?"
"Right." Turning back to Elizabeth, the Doctor smiled sheepishly. "So. Back-tracking just a bit to add some context to my earlier remarks." Elizabeth rolled her eyes as she pulled up the end of her skirt and pulled out a dagger that was strapped to her thigh.
"My twin lies dead in the forest. I am accustomed to taking precautions," she stated as she gave the Doctor a sideways glance. "These Zygons never even questioned whether it was me who survived or their master. The arrogance that typifies their kind."
"Zygons?"
"Men!" Clara and Eve looked each other before smirking.
"And you actually killed one of them?" the brunette asked as the Queen shrugged.
"I may have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but at the time, so did the Zygon."
"Elizabeth, you're wrong about that." Eve smirked as she stepped forward. "You are definitely not weak or feeble." The queen smiled widely before she turned to the Doctor, urgency shining in her eyes.
"The future of my kingdom is in peril," she said. "Doctor, maid, can I rely on your services?"
"For the last time! I'm not a real maid!"
"I'm going to need my TARDIS."
"It has been procured already." Elizabeth gave a wily smile to everyone as the Doctor smiled as well, nodding his head.
"But first, my love!" The Time Lord blinked as the Queen grinned. "You have a promise to keep."
§
It had all been setup in a rush, a small tent setup outside and a priest called upon by the queen. The TARDIS sat just a few feet away as the Time Lord stood beside his future wife, glancing over at Eve—who wore a rather sour looking expression on her face. She glared heatedly at him as he smiled weakly before he let out a breath.
Evelyn pouted stubbornly as she sighed, Clara glancing at her before she smiled and bumped her lightly in the side. The black haired woman looked over at her new friend before she chuckled and relaxed; it was all really humorous now that she thought about it.
Looking across the way, Eve's eyes fell upon the future Doctor. He smiled widely at his previous self before he met Eve's gaze. His smile softened before he nodded to her, Eve merely continuing to smile before she looked away.
She wasn't sure how she felt about him. He was the Doctor, all the same. Everything he did was familiar and everything he said was similar to the way her Doctor was, but still, he was also different. And the truth was, it wasn't the fact that he had a different face or voice or mannerisms that scared her, it was the fact that every time he looked at her, it was as if he was trying not to completely breakdown. Every stare was broken, every glance was just a little too quick. So then, what was it? For she could tell he was hiding something, she just couldn't tell what.
She assumed she'd discover the truth in her future sooner or later.
"You may now kiss the bride."
"Dear god." Eve scoffed as she turned to look anywhere else, Clara throwing flower petals at the newlyweds. After a few moments, an awkwardness settled over everyone, the kiss lasting far longer than anyone would have liked.
"Does this happen a lot in the future?" the War Doctor inquired as he looked to the Eleventh beside him. The lean man chuckled weakly as he nodded.
"It does tend to happen."
Finally, Elizabeth pulled away as she smiled widely. "God speed, my love!" She watched as the Doctor cleared his throat before he forced a smile across his lips.
"I will be right back." Not saying anything else, the Doctor quickly began to make his way back to the TARDIS, grabbing Evelyn's hand and pulling her along. She yelped out but followed after the mad man, stopping as he let go of her when they reached the ship. She glared at him as he smiled weakly at her. As he went to speak, she held her hand up once more and shook her head.
"Not a word." Stomping past him, Eve slammed the door shut in his face as he blinked before grumbling to himself. He shook his head as the other three approached him, amused gleams in their eyes.
"Don't start."
"Wasn't going to!" the future Doctor said innocently as the present Doctor opened the door and quickly made his way inside.
"Back to the future then!"
Upon entering, Eve was already at the console, maneuvering around the console like she had known how to fly it all along. The Doctor joined her, wincing as she suddenly reached out and punched him.
"V!"
"You deserved it!" she snapped back, though neither stopped what they were doing. The Doctor smiled at her as she looked at him before relaxing and winking. Neither noticed the way the future Doctor stared, a nostalgic kind of look on his face as he watched them. He leaned back and stood beside Clara as she looked from her Doctor to the past one. She watched carefully, Eve's hand just brushing the Time Lord's as she reached a switch, the brunet taking a step too far into Evelyn's personal bubble; it was interesting to see the pair from the start.
And as the Eleventh Doctor watched the two, he glanced down at his hand, almost remembering the warmth of Eve's touch; how long had it been since the last time he had held her hand?
"You really let this place go," the War Doctor commented as the future version of himself chortled.
"It's just his grunge phase. He'll get past it."
"Don't you listen to them," the Doctor cooed as he pat his console with love.
As the War Doctor reached to help man the console, the entire thing sparked, the surroundings around everyone changing. The walls were white, and the control room lighter and cleaner. Eve winced as she quickly pulled her hand away, the Doctor gently taking it and looking over it to make sure no real harm had been done.
"The desk top is glitching."
"Three Doctors in the same ship—the TARDIS is trying to compensate."
"Look!" Gleefully, the future Doctor pointed at the walls, his past-self smirking.
"I love the round things."
"What are the round things?"
"I have no idea."
A loud hissing filled the air as everyone looked up. Eve glanced to the lever to her left and quickly pulled it down, and once again the room around them changed. The young woman blinked as she found herself in a much more modern version of the control room. Clara smiled, far more familiar with the way the TARDIS was now.
"Thank you, V! Everything's now stabilized," the future Doctor said as she took a moment to take in everything around her.
"You've redecorated! I don't like it." Eve chuckled at that.
"Oh, you don't like it! You never do!" the future Doctor snapped. He turned to Evelyn as she continued to gawk. He smiled widely as he popped up behind her, placing his hands on her shoulder as he peeked over to get a better look at her expression.
"What do you think?" he asked as the woman continued to stare with her jaw agape.
"It's…I like it," she said with a nod as the Doctor grinned, turning back to his past self and giving him a taunting smirk.
"Ok, listen! We need to head to the national gallery. The Zygons are underneath there."
"No!" Clara caught everyone's attention as she shook her head. "U.N.I.T. HQ. They followed us there, into the Black Archive." The air thickened.
At the same time, each of the Doctors turned their head to look at Clara with a grave expression on their face. "Ok…it's safe to say you've heard of that then?"
§
"Doctor?" Eve approached Clara's side as they both gazed nervously at the three Doctors. The future Doctor shook his head as the two beside him grimaced.
"No, no, no! This is bad. This is very bad."
"What? What's wrong?" Eve asked as her Doctor sprang into action, quickly running around and typing something on the keypad.
"We need to get into contact with someone in the building now."
"What's wrong? I don't understand," Clara said as her Doctor turned to her.
"Something terrible is going to happen. I have to stop it now."
"Aha! There!" The present Doctor smirked, happy with his work as he motioned for himself to quickly come to his side.
"I've connected to the hotline."
"What?" Nothing seemed to make any sense to either Clara or Eve, but neither interrupted as the Doctors worked.
"Kate! I know you can hear me!" the Doctor exclaimed into the microphone. "I know about the Black Archive and I know about the protocol. Kate, you must listen to me! Please, don't do anything stupid!"
"I'm sorry, Doctor. Switch it off!" A woman's voice resonated through the control.
"No. Not as sorry as you're going to be," Eve heard her Doctor state as he leaned forward over the console. "This is a decision you will never be able to live with!"
And there it was. It was all out in the open now. Because, no matter how much he pretended that everything was alright, and no matter how much effort into ignoring the thought he put in, none of it mattered. He couldn't avoid the plain and obvious truth.
What he did—he'd never be able to forgive himself.
And as the past stared into the eyes of the future, the Doctor knew; not even in the future could he live with the guilt.
Abruptly, the TARDIS jerked, causing everyone to lose their balance for a moment. "Kate, I'm trying to land the TARDIS. Why can't I land the TARDIS?"
"I said switch it off!"
"Kate, no!" the Doctor shrieked, but it was too late.
The line died.
Eve glanced around as defeated expression came over the Doctors. She shook her head as she slammed her hands against the control table. "So that's it? We just give up?" she snapped as she shook her head. "There must be a way we can land the TARDIS!"
"The Tower of London is completely TARDIS-proof," her Doctor stated quietly as she frowned.
"How's that possible?" Clara asked incredulously.
"Alien technology plus human stupidity, trust me. It's unbeatable."
"We don't need to land." The War Doctor's eyes remained stuck to one thing as everyone gazed at him. Eve raised a brow as she followed the Time Lord's gaze before she began to smirk. "There is another way." Walking around the console, the youngest version of the Doctor squeezed between Clara and the newest version of himself. He grabbed the stasis cube as he looked to himself and then to his other self.
"Oh, we are brilliant!" the youngest looking Doctor exclaimed as he quickly ran past his last generation, patting him on the back as he did so. The present Doctor took that as his cue to take over the controls as he looked to Eve. She smiled and nodded as she quickly helped him steer the ship. Her eyes flickered over to the future and she watched as he quickly pulled the door and stuck his upper body out. He grabbed the phone of the police box and Eve blinked as she looked back at the Doctor.
"You never told me that phone works!"
"Really? The whole of London is nearly at its end, and you're more amazed that the phone of my ship works?"
"I'm just saying."
"I'm a time-traveler, work it out!" Everyone looked over as the Eleventh Doctor walked up and down the ramp that led to the door. "Look, I need you to take the Gallifrey Falls portrait and put it into the Black Archive."
§
They had done it. Using the stasis cube, they had successfully placed themselves into the painting. And once that had been done, they were able to infiltrate the Black Archive. Lucky for them, they had come just in time; they had been able to confuse the mind of Kate and the Zygon and stop the countdown with just seconds to spare.
An hour had passed since they had all arrived, and quite a bit of progress had been made between the Zygons and the humans. Although there was still much to work on, the Doctor was sure that all would be well in the end; there had been no need to kill anyone this time around.
With a sigh, the Doctor rubbed his face, noticing that his body was beginning to grow weary; he needed sleep. He lightly slapped his cheeks a few times before he watched his future-self walk over to him. He smiled softly at himself as the future version smiled back before standing beside him.
"…It's been too long. By now, the walls of time should have started tearing," the Doctor said quietly as he looked at the newest face.
"You're quite right," he said as they stared out at the two Kates. "So then, the question is what's keeping our timeline together?" Their eyes both drifted to the War Doctor as he sat, talking quietly with Clara. Both smiled before the Tenth Doctor turned to the Eleventh with a raised brow.
"Clara, she's lovely. Where'd you find her?"
"Can't say. Don't want to ruin the surprise." The Eleventh smiled playfully as his eyes flickered over to Eve, who sat on a chair on the other side of the room, staring at the picture of Gallifrey Falls.
"…How old is she now?" he asked as he looked over to Eve's current Doctor. The brunet thought for a moment as he cleared his throat, flashbacks of Eve's birthday haunting him.
"22. She's doing well."
"Good. That's good…" But there were things to come, and the Doctor was still afraid.
"…You remember it, don't you?" the chin-tastic Doctor asked quietly as the Doctor's eyes widened. He stared with shock as the words of the fortune-teller echoed in his mind.
There are many paths, but each one you take shall lead you to the very same outcome.
"Yeah. I remember," he said quietly. He raised a brow as he watched his future-self turn and stare with a wild look on his.
"Then promise me—promise yourself. Promise that you will protect her. Promise, that no matter what, no harm will come to a single hair on her head," he demanded as he stared into his brown eyes. His own glimmered with desperation and fear, catching his old self off guard.
"I can't tell you what's going to happen, but I can say this." Turning his head, the future face the Doctor watched as Eve stood to her feet before she stretched and yawned, the exhaustion rather apparent by the bags under her eyes. "There's going to be a time—a moment neither of us can stop. Because all along, it was meant to happen," he said quietly as he turned back to face himself. "But in this moment—in your lifetime, you can still save her," he said as the present Doctor stared with wide eyes.
"What are you—"
"Do you understand what I'm saying to you right now?" The Doctor stared into his green eyes before he nodded his head. He looked over to his companion and nodded once more with determination in his eyes.
"Good." Without another word, the future Doctor began to walk away. He stopped and his expression brightened, as if he was remembering something important. He turned back around and dug through his jacket before he pulled out an envelope. Ten blinked as he raised a brow suspiciously at Eleven, his future-self giving his held out arm a shake, indicating that he wanted the past version of himself to take the envelope.
"What is this?"
"...Closure," the Eleventh Doctor said softly. "Don't open it now. Wait for the right moment."
"And when will that be?" the Doctor asked as he watched his future self smile gently.
"I have a feeling you'll know when the right time comes." And then, with a nod, the Eleventh Doctor walked away.
§
The 22 year old sighed as she sat in a chair and watched the Zygons and humans debate over something. She glanced over at Clara and the War Doctor before she glanced to her right and saw the Eleventh Doctor standing in the distance and watching the Zygons and humans as well. She cleared her throat before she stood to her feet and began to walk in his direction. Within three steps of him, Eve caught the Time Lord's attention. He looked up at her and smiled before she stopped beside him and turned to watch the discussion.
"...What's really happened to me?" The Eleventh Doctor stiffened as Evelyn looked at him with a frown.
"Wh—What—"
"You may be a new regeneration of my Doctor, but you're still my Doctor," she stated as she looked up at him with an honest gleam in her eyes. "I've learned to see through that sadness in your eyes," she said as the future Doctor stared down at her before he looked away, unable to hold her gaze.
"...It's as I said —"
"Let me rephrase this," Eve snapped. "I don't believe you." Eleven grimaced before he slowly turned to meet Evelyn's gaze. He stared at her for a long moment before he turned to fully face her.
"...I can't..." he trailed off as he shook his head. "Whatever happens in your future, I can't tell you," he stated as Eve gave him an irked look.
"...Am I dead?"
"No! Of course not!" the Doctor exclaimed as he grabbed her by her shoulders. "I would never let that happen to you," he said quietly as Eve relaxed before she sighed and nodded her head.
The Eleventh stared at Eve before he began to smile, raising a hand up to her face and cupping it gently. Eve shivered at his touch, a strange tingling coursing through her veins. "...You truly are my everything." Eve's eyes widened as the Doctor's smile widened before he leaned forward and placed a soft kiss to her forehead. He stepped away after a long moment, leaving Evelyn's body feeling cold from the sudden disappearance of his touch. Without another word, the Doctor walked away, leaving Evelyn standing in slightly shock.
§
Evelyn stared at the 3-D photo that they had all climbed out of. She shook her head as she sighed, feeling out of her body. She couldn't believe what a simple adventure to England had turned out to be. Then again, that was her life now. There was not a single dull moment in her life when she was with the Doctor; she was happy for that. Still, the words of the Eleventh Doctor were buzzing through her head; she was dying to know what was going to happen in the future.
"They call it Gallifrey Falls or No More." Eve looked over her shoulder and watched as her version of the Doctor came up behind her. She nodded before looking over at the confused negotiators before she stood side-by-side with her friend.
"How long until their memories return?"
"I'd say 20 minutes. It won't matter though. Looks like things are about wrapping up," he said as he looked back and smiled, happy with what they had all accomplished; no mistakes had been made that day.
"…Thank you." The Doctor looked at Eve as she continued to stare at the paint. "Thank you for telling me." His gaze softened before he smiled and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close as he placed a light kiss to her temple. She closed her eyes at the touch, remaining at his side.
"Thank you for being you," the Doctor said quietly as he leaned his head against the top of hers. Evelyn chuckled before she closed her eyes, nearly falling asleep against the Time Lord.
It wasn't until she heard Clara's frantic voice that the peaceful moment has ended.
§
"I don't understand. He just disappeared?"
"I know it sounds ridiculous, but I was sitting right there with him and when I asked who he was talking to, he was gone!" Clara pointed at the cup that had been given to the War Doctor as proof that she had not created the story up in her head.
"What was he saying?" the Doctor asked as his future companion looked at him and shook her head.
"He said that he was ready—that the moment had come."
The moment.
Both of the Doctors stared at each other for a moment before they turned to the two Kates. "I'm sure you two have everything under control here, yes?"
"Go, Doctor. Thank you." Kate smiled fondly at the man as he smiled back and nodded before running forward and grabbing Clara by her hand.
"We need to stop him, now!" Looking at his past self and Eve, they nodded before they began to make their way into their own TARDIS.
"Where are we going?" Clara asked as the Time Lord pushed the door to his ship open. He hesitated before looking down at his companion.
"We're going to the moment."
§
You know that sound the TARDIS makes? That wheezing and groaning? That sound brings hope wherever it goes. To anyone who hears it, Doctor…anyone.
Even you.
Eve held tightly to the console as the ship came to a slow stop. She looked over at the Doctor as he looked back at her and nodded before stepping back from the controls. She nodded back to him, having changed out of her maid clothes and into something more fitting for her; a pair of jeans and a white shirt with her green pea coat. She stared into the Doctor's brown eyes as she smiled and held her hand out to him. He smiled back and intertwined their fingers together before he led the way out of the TARDIS, stepping out at the exact moment his future self did.
Glancing around, the four travelers found themselves in an old, abandoned farm. Eve raised a brow as she glanced at both of the Doctors, seeing a flash of familiarity in his eyes before they turned their full attention to the younger regeneration.
"Go away. All of you," the Time Lord snapped as he turned to the machine behind him, a rather flashy red button waiting for him. "This event is for me."
"These events should be time-locked. We shouldn't even be here," Eve's Doctor pointed out as he squeezed Evelyn's hand.
"So something let us through," they had concluded.
"Go back," the War Doctor said wearily. "Go back to your lives. Go and be the Doctor that I could never be." Eve frowned at that as she pulled her hand from the Doctor's, letting him step forward towards himself. She watched as he stared intently at himself before he spoke gently.
"All those years…burying you in my memory."
"Pretending you didn't exist. Keeping you a secret from even myself." The two Doctors looked at each other, shame spilling from their eyes.
"You…You were the Doctor. You were the Doctor more than anyone else." Eve smiled at that as her eyes inexplicably began to well up with warm tears.
"You were the Doctor on the day it wasn't possible to get it right." Both Doctors, future and present, stood beside their past, the man gaping at them. Eve stiffened as she watched the Doctor place his hand over the War Doctor's. She shook her head but said nothing, looking over at Clara as the young woman grimaced with regret in her eyes.
"This time—"
"—You don't have to do it alone." The Eleventh Doctor placed his hand over the Tenth's all three now hovering over the red button that gleamed and shimmered with destruction.
"What we do today…it's not done out of fear or hatred. It is done because there is no other way."
"And it is done in the name of the many lives we are failing to save." Clara closed her eyes as she let the tears spill out, listening at her Doctor's sorrowful voice. She caught his gaze and shook her head instinctively, not meaning to catch his attention.
"What?" the Doctor asked as everyone looked to her. "What is it?"
"N—Nothing," she said quietly, though the tears down her face said otherwise.
"No. It's something. Tell me," the Doctor said as he slowly let his hand slip from the button.
"You told me you wiped out your own people…I just…I never pictured you doing it." The Doctor blinked before they all stepped back, the screams of their people resonating through them. The light around them dimmed, Eve blinking as she fought the tears that threatened to fall. Her eyes widened as she felt the breeze of someone running past her, and as she looked, she watched as a young woman with her baby ran for her life.
"What's happening?" Clara asked as the War Doctor let his eyes roam free.
"Nothing. It's a projection," he explained as Clara watched the people run around for safety.
"These are the people you're gonna burn?" she asked weakly as Eve closed her eyes.
"There's nothing we can do."
"You're right." Eve's eyes flew open as she stared at the future Doctor, the man her Doctor would become, and as she listened to him speak, she trembled with rage; when had the man let himself be overcome by defeat?
"No…" Eve whispered as she shook her head, watching as the Doctor turned back to her with a forlorn stare. "No!" she snapped loudly as she shook her head. The Doctor watched closely as Eve walked up to him, shoving him harshly.
"Who are you?" she asked as the Time Lord stared at her, the others doing the same. "Who are you?!" she snapped, waiting for an answer. She looked from her Doctor to the War Doctor and then to her future. She stared long and hard at him as he stared back, not saying a word. She shook her head with disappointment before looking at her Doctor.
"Where is your heart, Doctor? Where is your will?" His eyes widened as she placed her hands on both of her hearts. "It's there. I know it is. So why are you giving up so easily?" she asked as she clutched to his clothes.
"She's right," Clara said as she found her voice, tears continuing down her cheeks. She smiled at Eve as she nodded her head. "You have to do what you've always done," she said as the Doctor looked to her.
"…What's that?" he asked quietly as she chuckled.
"Be a doctor."
Evelyn smiled widely at Clara, keeping one hand on the Doctor's chest; she could see why she ended up liking Clara so much. The girl was sensible and smart, and she had such a beautiful heart.
"What was the reason?" Eve looked to the Doctor as he stared at her, looking nowhere else. "Why the Doctor? Why not something else? Something inside of you chose that name. Why?"
"…What was the promise you made, Doctor?" Clara asked gently.
Never cruel or cowardly. Never give up, never give in.
Finally, the screaming had stopped, and the sun had risen.
The Doctors all exchanged glances, the reels in their mind turning. They spoke without words, for who better could know them than themselves.
"You're not actually suggesting we change our personal history?" Eve watched as the other Doctor shook his head.
"We change history all the time. I'm suggesting something far worse."
"What exactly?"
Eve watched closely as the Doctor looked at her. His gaze softened as his face relaxed. Swiftly, he pulled out his green-tipped sonic screwdriver. "Gentlemen, I've had 400 years to think about this." Aiming his sonic at the moment, everyone watched as the button descended back into the box. "I change my mind."
An excited grin spread across Clara's face as she scurried up to Eve and threw her arms around the woman. Eve laughed as she hugged her new friend back, the two stepping back after a second before watching at the Doctors began to plot.
"There are still a billion, billion Daleks up there." Eve smirked widely as her Doctor began to catch up with himself.
"There's something those billion, billion Daleks don't know!"
"Because if they did, they probably would send for reinforcements."
"What?! What don't they know?" Clara asked eagerly as the Doctor laughed.
"This time, there're three of us."
"Oh! Oh, yes! That is good!" Eve grinned as the War Doctor held his head in his hands before he looked to his other selves. "That is brilliant!"
"Oh! Oh! I'm getting it too!" Eve laughed as the Doctor hurried over to her and wrapped his arms around her, spinning her for joy. He carefully set her down as he held her face in his hands, grinning like the mad man he was. "That is brilliant!" he repeated as he then turned and ran up to the TARDIS, jumping and giving her a good old high-five. The others laughed jubilantly as the future Doctor grinned from ear-to-ear.
"I've had centuries to think about it!"
"She didn't show me any old future! She told me exactly the future I needed to see." That confused both future Doctors.
"Eh? Who did?"
"Oh! Bad Wolf Girl! I could kiss you!" Both Eve and the Doctor stopped as they looked to each other. The Time Lord took a step towards his past as his brow furrowed inward.
"Sorry—did you just say Bad Wolf?"
"Ok, so tell me! What's the plan?" Having no time to waste, neither Eve nor the Doctor lingered on what they heard. The Doctor merely smiled as he thanked his beautiful Rose Tyler—his Bad Wolf.
"The Dalek fleets are surrounding Gallifrey and firing on it constantly."
"The sky trench is holding but what if the whole planet just disappeared? They would destroy each other in their own crossfire!" the Doctor explained as he made a motion with his fingers to show what he meant.
"Gallifrey would be gone and the Daleks would be destroyed, and it would look to the rest of the universe like they had annihilated each other!"
"But where would Gallifrey be?" Clara asked quickly, her blood pumping and the excitement ever glowing upon her face.
"It would be frozen, in an instant of time—"
"Just as the Zygons were."
"Right you are, V!" Eve turned to the future Doctor as he grinned and pulled her close, kissing the top of her head.
"Just like—"
"—a painting!"
And in that moment, Eve had realized it. All jokes aside, all pride aside, she knew it for certain then.
The Doctor was truly amazing.
§
"I suppose we'll never know if we actually succeeded."
Five individuals sat in an all-white room in the national gallery museum. Two young woman sat beside each other, one handing another a cup of tea. An older man sat beside the young woman with black hair as he sighed, smiling when he felt the woman next to him playfully bump him in the side.
"But, at least we can rest easy, knowing we failed at doing the right thing rather than succeeding in the wrong."
"…Life and soul, you are." Clara smiled good-humoredly as Eve chuckled, taking a long sip from her cup. She glanced up at the framed 3-D art hanging on the wall before her.
"What is it actually called?" she heard the Doctor ask as he stepped up and stood beside his future. Both wore their glasses as they examined the portrait carefully, marveling at the work of art; such beauty could be made from such destruction.
"There's been debate. Some say it's called No More, while others believe it to be called Gallifrey Falls."
"Not very encouraging." Clara remarked as Eve chuckled. The War Doctor lightheartedly smiled.
"How did it get here?"
"I don't know…"
"Well, I suppose there's always something we don't know." The Doctors pulled their spectacles off as they smiled at one another.
"Well, gentlemen." Everyone watched as the War Doctor stood to his feet, setting his empty cup of tea where he had been originally sitting. "It has been an honor. And a privilege." The three smiled at each other as the youngest of them locked his hands behind his back.
"Like wise."
"Doctor." Yes, finally he could all himself the Doctor.
"And if I'm ever half the man you ladies are." The two Doctors blinked before frowning lightly. "I shall be happy, indeed."
Clara laughed as she stood to her feet and gave the man a kiss goodbye on the cheek. He nodded his head with a smile before turning to Eve, who also stood with a wide smile.
"I knew I'd like you all along," she said as the man smiled happily. He gave her shoulder a squeeze as he nodded his head.
"Thank you." Turning, the War Doctor stopped as he looked back to his future selves.
"…I won't remember this, will I?" Eve and Clara frowned at that.
"…The time streams are out of sync…you can't retain it—no."
"So I won't remember that I tried to save Gallifrey rather than burn it…" A heaviness fell over the Doctors for a moment before the war Doctor felt a soft hand on his shoulder. He looked back as Eve smiled at him once more.
"No matter what you remember, it won't change the fact that you did try and save Gallifrey." The Doctor blinked before nodding and looking back at his selves with a proud smile.
"Well, for now, for this moment—I am the Doctor again." His future faces smiled widely as he nodded to them. "Thank you."
"Now then. Which one is mine?" The three Doctors turned to the three nearly identical ships as they stared for a moment. The Doctor let his eyes fall upon the one on the right end before he strolled up to it and disappeared inside. Within seconds, the moaning and groaning of the TARDIS started and it disappeared into time and space.
"Well. If you're ready?" Eve looked up as the Doctor raised a brow at her. She smiled and nodded, finishing her cup and setting it gently down where she sat. She stood to her feet as Clara grinned at her, standing up as well.
"Well, it was good to meet you for the first time."
"I'll be seeing you," Clara said with a forlorn gleam in her eyes as Eve hesitated before forcing a smile across her lips and nodding.
"Can't wait to finally meet you again."
"Try not to be so hard on him, by the way," Clara added as she nodded to the previous Doctor. "You'll understand what I mean when—"
"Alright, that's quite enough!" The Eleventh Doctor quickly stepped in front of Clara as he gave her a look before smiling pleasantly at Eve, who raised a brow at him. "Spoilers," was his simple answer.
Chuckling, Clara shook her head before she moved past the Doctor and embraced Eve. "See you." The pair hugged as the Doctors smiled before looking at each other.
"You know. I won't remember either. So you might as well tell me where it is we're going that you don't want to talk about." For the Doctor knew. He knew himself better than anyone else in the universe; whatever was waiting for them, it was something to be feared.
Standing before one another, the pair stared at each other before the Eleventh Doctor cleared his throat. "…I saw Trenzalore." His eyes flittered to Eve as he stared for a moment too long at her. "That's where we're buried…that's where we're going…"
"That's not how it's supposed to be."
"That's how the story ends. There's nothing we can do about it." The Doctor forced himself not to look at Eve as she raised a brow, unsure of why the future Doctor was looking at her so suspiciously.
Turning to Eve with a brighter smile upon his face, the Doctor opened his arms as Eve chuckled. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. Her Doctor rolled his eyes as he patiently waited for the moment to end. Eve leaned her head against the Doctor's shoulder as she frowned, repeating what he had said about Trenzalore in her mind; she didn't know what that truly meant, but if that was going to be his final resting place, then she would make sure to see to it that it wasn't.
"Don't worry, Doctor." The Time Lord pulled away as he smiled at Eve. "You're in good hands." She nodded to him as he stared at her for a second. He gulped as his smile wavered, the alien fighting the urge to pull her back to him and never let go.
"Clara, you take care. And make sure to keep a tight hold on him." Eve and the Doctor watched as Clara stood up once more and smiled, the Doctor taking her hand and kissing her knuckles. Eve shook her head but smiled as he began to walk away, giving himself a smirk. He stopped at the door as he smiled to Eve, who nodded, waiting for him to unlock it.
"…Trenzalore…" The Doctor shook his head as he looked back to himself. "We need a new destination because...I don't want to go." Stepping into the TARDIS, the Doctor made his way to the console as he tossed his jacket on to the railing of the platform. Eve lingered by the opened door as she looked back at Clara and the Doctor. She smiled at them, her eyes flickering from Clara to the Doctor. She stared at him and noted the sadness in his eyes as he tried to smile. She frowned before the door swung shut, leaving her staring at the blue.
"So." Turning around, Eve made her way towards the Doctor. He looked back at her and smiled softly before turning his attention back to the console. "If you can't retain the memory of this, does this mean I won't either?"
"It's hard to say. Technically, because you are directly involved with my time stream, you shouldn't remember anything," he explained as he shrugged, pushing the lever forward before turning to face Eve completely. "But, who really knows. You always end up surprising me," he said with a fond smile as she shrugged.
"I suppose that's true."
The two stared at each other for a few seconds before the Doctor's smile disappeared. Eve frowned, already knowing exactly where his thoughts were going. "…Everything you told me about Gallifrey. Are you going to remember telling me?"
"…No." The Doctor sighed as he forced a smile across his lips before Eve shook her head.
"I want you to tell me all over again."
"Evelyn…" The Doctor looked at her with a grim expression. "You're not going to remember me trying to save Gallifrey. The only thing you'll know is that I killed my people. That I destroyed my entire planet—mothers, fathers, children—"
"I know," Eve said as she shook her head. "But I don't care."
"It's not going to be the same," the Doctor insisted as his exhaustion began to get the better of him.
"I don't give a damn! I deserve to know!" Eve snapped as the Doctor huffed, a frustrated twist in his expression.
"Why! Why do you need to know?" he yelled as he turned and leaned forward into his companion's face. She blinked as he stared at her, trembling. "Why do you need to know so badly?"
"Because…" Eve shook her head as she placed a hand on his right heart, smiling as it beat against her palm. "You don't have to carry this burden alone. You don't need to. Not anymore," she stated as she nodded her head. She looked up into the Doctor's eyes as they glimmered.
"Promise me," she said as the Doctor looked away. She glared as he firmly turned his head back to her. "Promise."
"…I can't lose you, Evelyn." Thrown off by the sudden statement, the young woman raised a brow.
"Doctor. You won't—"
"You won't remember. You won't know. Everything you saw will be gone from your mind, and when I tell you what I know—when I tell you what I did…will you be able to look me in the eyes without seeing a monster?" Eve was silent as she tried to come up with something to say. She opened and closed her mouth before the Doctor began walking past her, heading to the door of the TARDIS and stepping out into her bedroom. She stared after him before she slowly followed after. She stepped off of the ship and watched as the Time Lord greeted Wonky, who barked and nearly tackled him to the ground. She smiled but it faded before she cleared her throat.
"I can't promise anything." The Doctor looked up at her as he slowly stood up, staring at Eve from across the room. She had tears falling from her eyes as she shook her head. "I can't tell you that everything's going to be better or different. But I can say this." Walking up to the Doctor, she stopped before taking a deep breath.
"I love you."
The Doctor stared with wide eyes as Eve stared at him anxiously, unsure of whether what she had said scared him or appalled him. Her tears fell from her chin as they dripped to the floor. He didn't say anything, just continued to stare with that same, awestruck gaze. After a moment, he relaxed before he laughed, cupping the young woman's face in his hands before he leaned his forehead against hers. She closed her eyes and sighed, feeling the Time Lord wrap his arms around her. He held her there, not moving an inch, forehead against forehead. He kept his eyes closed as he relished in her body's warmth before he chuckled.
"…My stubborn, cranky, wonderful V."
§
The sun was bright and warm. It shined through the gray clouds of the winter, awakening Eve from her slumber. She blinked several times as she stared up the ceiling, trying to gain back her bearings. Where was she? What had she been just doing? She raised a brow as she slowly sat up, laughing when her dog leapt up on to her bed and began to lick her good morning. With a few pats to Wonky's head, Eve decided to push aside whatever confusion she felt before she stood to her feet and stretched.
She vaguely remembered being in England. She also vaguely remembered being a maid for a few days; that had been just terrible. But other than that, she didn't remember much else. Whatever happened, all must have ended well, or else she wouldn't have woken up back in her bedroom.
"Come on, let's get you breakfast." Walking out of her room, the Barcelonian dog followed his master. Nearly bulldozing past her, Wonky ran past Eve, the young girl catching herself on the wall. She shook her head and continued toward the kitchen before she stopped, blinking as she found the Doctor sipping on a mug of tea, newspaper in hand.
"…Doctor?" he looked up at Eve as he began to grin.
"Good morning, V!"
"What are you doing here?" she asked as he shrugged, turning his attention back to the newspaper.
"There was something I was doing, and then I was here," he stated simply as he thought for a moment before clearing his throat. He shut the newspaper before he set it on the counter and leaned forward. He watched Eve as she walked over to her coffee pot, pouring herself a cup.
"…I'm not sure why," he said quietly, catching Eve's attention. She looked back at him and raised a brow before she took a seat on the stool across from him. "But there's something I want to tell you."
"Oh? And what's that?" Eve asked good-humoredly. She waited as the Doctor stared at her for a moment before he began to chuckle, surprised by his own self.
"…I trust you, Evelyn," he said gently, causing Eve to grow somber. "And because I trust you, I want you to know."
"Know what?"
"...I want you to know what it was I did. I want to tell you about the Time War."
That is the end of the 50th anniversary! That was just a huge pleasure to write, honestly. I loved watching that episode, so being able to write it out with Evelyn in it was just a pure joy. Not to mention, three Doctors in one episode? That's just heaven! And as much fun as I had writing these last few chapters, I hope whoever read this enjoyed it just as much to read it. And now we know exactly how Eve feels about the Doctor, even if neither remembers what was said, at least she finally said it, and that's what matters! Who knows how this is all going to play out. Waters of Mars is coming up next shortly, and we all know what happens there...we'll have to see just how Evelyn handles Time Lord Victorious and just what's in store for those two.
On another side note, this story will be coming to an end soon. But that doesn't mean that it will be over! I plan on writing a sequel to the series, so if anyone is interested in continuing with this story once it is completed, I will let you know when the sequel will be out!
Thank you to everyone who's read this and given this story a chance! I hope you've enjoyed reading it and found it entertaining. If not, I'm very sorry and understand if you do not wish to continue reading! I respect that :) Thank you for reading, and thank you for following and favoriting. I'm glad to know that people enjoy reading this story and that people like it enough to keep up with the chapters that are coming out! Thank you so much for the support and I will continue to work hard in writing and making great chapters. Hopefully it will all be pleasing to you readers!
If there are any mistakes that I've made that you see, whether it's spelling or grammar or misplaced words, let me know and I will definitely go and fix the error! It's always helpful to have someone else's opinion, especially those of readers who enjoy reading this story. I do check through the chapter before I post, but there are some things that I may miss, so if you see anything, let me know! And if there is anything I'm doing wrong or that you like about my writing or the plot, tell me! What you have to say is important to me and I'm a great listener XD Leave a review or send me a message if you want to let me know what you're thinking!
Reviews:
margie-me: I'm so glad to hear that you're enjoying this story! It's good to know that Evelyn fits in the Whoniverse and that you are able to feel the emotions from the chapters! I work hard on writing out certain moods in situations that you read, so I'm relieved to hear you are picking up on all of that! Wilfred was one of my favorites. He was truly such a great person and hilarious. I found his relationship with the Doctor to be so heart-warming! So sad the way it all ended up going with the Doctor, but in the end I suppose everything did end up working out for everyone. And I always like to have a good break from angst when I'm watching a TV show. Too much angst sort of get me too down to continue! So I figured a break from the angst in reading would be a good idea as well! There's only so much a heart can truly take LOL And now we've seen Eve, Eleven, Ten and even Clara with the War Doctor. Hopefully that was as true to the series and fun to read! I wanted them to all make sense together and I hope that my efforts showed! Thank you very much, by the way, for pointing out the error I made! I will be sure to go back and fix that right away :D I appreciate you letting me know! I appreciate you reviewing as well! I hope this was a good read and I hope that you will continue to read and enjoy!
11Dr. Luv: I laughed so, so hard when I first watched that scene where Clara came charging in! It was just so perfect! And the way the Doctors reacted to her just waltzing in like that was priceless! I hope that the chapter met your expectations and I hope that Evelyn was able to mesh well with the special and the characters! We all know how she is with Ten, but she also met Eleven, War Doctor and Clara, so those were all new people that she needed to interact with and make sense with! Hope everything was good to read, and thank you so, so much for leaving a review and letting me know what your thoughts were! :)
Littlebirdd: Hooray for the face! I love the ways you come up with different expressions, they make me giggle inside. As always, I am going to take the high road and assume that you enjoyed reading the chapter! I hope it was a good read, at least! I worked hard on it and I hope you enjoy future chapters as well. I will continue working my butt off, and I hope you will continue to read and enjoy. Thank you so much for another smiley! Really makes my day! Hope to see you in the next chapter!
Nonuser: Hopefully you didn't spit your drink out on anything important XD And hopefully you spit your drink out because you liked the story so much of because of a funny part? I can only hope it wasn't because you didn't enjoy the chapter! I hope that you had a good time reading and I hope you continue to read and enjoy what I post in the future. I will work hard, and whatever I post, I hope it will meet your expectations! Thank you for reviewing and letting me know what you were thinking, and thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoy future chapters!