Chapter 24.

"It's all still waiting for you. The fields of Trenzalore, the fall of the Eleventh, and the question."

-Simon Fisher-Becker

POV: Rose

Date: December 25, 2013

I was woken by the sound of two words. A message sent out across the universe to bring billions of the Doctor's enemies together.

Doctor Who?

"What the hell are you thinking?" I demanded.

The Doctor turned from the open doors of the TARDIS to look at me. "Why, where are we?" He stepped away from Clara and our girls to tower over me. "What aren't you telling me?"

"Information available."

I glanced over at a damaged Cyberman head that was attached to the console.

"Doctor, what's that?" Clara asked.

The Doctor sucked in his cheeks before spinning around to face her. "Oh, just a bit of a Cyberman. He'll get us to the church on time."

"You go to church?" Mara asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I have developed a fault," the Cyberman said.

The Doctor rolled his eyes at our daughter. "Hush." He turned back to Clara. "His name is Handles. His organics are all gone, but there's still a full set of data banks. Found it at the Maldovar market."

"Oh, I love a good shopping trip at Maldovar," I said with a wistful sigh. "You should have woken me."

He glanced back at me. "You weren't exactly corporeal at the time."

I snorted. "I'm sure the Maldovarians wouldn't have cared. They're a very accepting people."

"You mean they love a good sale," he shot back.

I smiled ever-so slightly. I had missed our banter.

"Planet identified from analysis of message," Handles said.

"Oh!" The Doctor nearly skipped to the console. "Come on then girls, gather around for this."

Clara, Jenny, and Mara glanced at each other before they gathered around the console with him. I swallowed down my nervousness. I could feel the Doctor's excitement, and I wished I didn't know what was about to happen.

"Right," he said once they were all settled. "Go on then. Okay, tell us, what is the planet?" he asked.

"Do you know, Mum?" Jenny asked me.

I leaned against one of the secondary console units. "You'll have to wait and see."

"Processing official designation. Processing," Handles said.

The Doctor let out a sigh of impatience. "Okay, in your own time, dear. Don't rush."

"So why haven't you just gone down there and had a look?" Clara asked.

"It's shielded," the Doctor grumbled. "Even the TARDIS can't break through it."

"Gallifrey."

I bit my lip as all three of my Time Lords froze. "What did you say?" the Doctor asked breathlessly.

"Gallifrey," Handles repeated.

The Doctor straightened up and turned to me. "What is he talking about? Gallifrey? What does he mean?"

"Confirmed," Handles said. "Planet designation, Gallifrey."

"Rose?"

I stared into his eyes for a moment. His normally expressive green irises had hardened over, and I could feel his tightly wound anger. I flicked my eyes towards the TARDIS doors. "Take a look for yourself."

He pointed towards the doors. "Gallifrey is my home. I know it when I see it. That is not Gallifrey. Gallifrey is gone."

"Dad…" Mara reached out to touch his shoulder.

He shook her off, and marched towards me. "Gallifrey is gone, so what aren't you telling me?"

I refused to back down as he attempted to intimidate me with a penetrating glare. "You need to calm down."

"Even if it did survive, it's gone from this universe," he hissed, and pointed towards the door angrily. "That is not my home."

I saw Mara look at one of the scanners. "Dad…"

We were interrupted by the loud blast of a fog horn.

POV: Jenny

Date: July 25

"What's that?" Clara asked.

Mara and I followed her and Dad over to the doors of the TARDIS. "Papal Mainframe," Dad said. "It's like a great big flying church. They were the first ship to arrive. They're the ones who shielded the planet."

"So they can get us down there?" Mara asked.

"Doctor," a voice boomed as a large holographic face was projected across the ship. The face was a woman who looked roughly the same age as Dad, with dark eyes and brunette hair pulled back into a tight bun.

"A friend of yours?" Clara asked.

The Doctor glanced back at Mum, and cleared his throat before bowing to the woman. "Tasha Lem, Mother Superior!"

The holographic woman raised a finger and gestured for us to come closer.

"Oh, she's inviting us aboard," Dad said with a giddy tone in his voice.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because I asked her," Dad said, and ran back for the console. "Now then! Shall we?"

"Are you coming with us, Mum?" Mara asked.

Dad paused as he was inputting the flight sequence into the TARDIS, and glanced at Mum.

She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "No, I don't think your Dad's friend would appreciate my presence."

We all stumbled a little as Dad landed the TARDIS. He glanced at Mum before waving us towards the doors. "After you lot."

"See you on the surface," Mum said.

I followed Mara and Clara out of the TARDIS into a huge chamber. The room was dimly lit, but I could still make out the many faces of soldiers staring down at us. The path we were on was a red carpet lined with men and women in uniform. At the head of the whole group stood the woman who had been the face of the hologram.

She smirked down at us, and her expression reminded me of River.

"What is this place?" Clara whispered.

Dad leaned towards her. "The Church of the Papal Mainframe—security hub of the known universe."

"A security church?" she asked.

Mara snorted. "Naturally."

"Yup," Dad said. "Keeping you safe in this world and the next." He straightened up as we approached the steps that led up to where the woman—Tasha Lem—was waiting. "I venerate the exaltation of the Mother Superior!" He bowed low, and the rest of us copied his example.

"Welcome to the Church of the Papal Mainframe," a man off to Tasha Lem's side called out in greeting.

Tasha's smirk widened. "Hey, Babes."

Dad winked at her. "Love the frock."

"Is that a new body?" Tasha asked with a gleam in her eye. "Give us a twirl."

Dad spun around on his heel. "Tash, this old thing? Please, I've been rocking it for centuries."

My face scrunched up with disgust at their flirting. I glanced at Mara, and she squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head at me.

"Nice though," Tasha commented. "Tight."

"Okay!" I shouted. "Hi, Jenny Tyler here, the Doctor's daughter." I pointed to Mara. "That's my sister, Mara, and this is our Dad's companion, Clara. Pleased to meet you."

Tasha raised an eyebrow at me, and looked up at her disciples. "We'll go to my chapel." She raised her arms. "All honors in place; no sacrifices required."

I heard Mara let out a breath of relief. "Good save, Sis."

I glanced back at her as we followed Dad and Mother Superior into a hallway. "You ever met this Tasha?"

Mara shook her head. "Never."

We stopped in front of a set of double doors. "It was Tasha who gave the order to shield the planet," Dad said. "But you could sneak me down there, couldn't you Tash?"

Tasha raised an eyebrow. "I would have conditions." She turned her head to look at the three of us. "I have confidential matters to discuss with the Doctor. Would you all excuse us?"

"Anything you have to say to me you can say in front of these three." He glanced at Clara. "Well…you can say quite a lot of it in front of this one. Probably about half…maybe…a smidge under…" He turned to Clara. "Actually, Clara, would you mind waiting out here please?"

"Us too?" Mara asked.

Dad bit his lip. "Um, well…"

I crossed my arms. "What would Mum think of you two alone together?"

Tasha blinked, and her eyes shot to Dad. "You found her?"

Dad's mouth opened and closed like a fish, and he reached up to scratch the back of his neck nervously. "Yes, well, you see—"

Tasha rolled her eyes. "Just get in here—all of you."