A/N: 61 000 words exactly last time! Last chapter of the Political Process – Which is what I've named this episode. Next we're off to Cardiff. I'm sorry that it'll be my third Earth story in a row, but Captain Jack is calling to me. There will be a short chapter in between which evolves Cara's story more. Some secrets will be partly revealed. I'm basically trying to prolong this story as much as I can without boring anyone. Thank you for reading!

Chapter Thirty-Six: Cosy Cupboard

Paul Gurney didn't even attempt to run after her. He let her go. Cara Harvey casually roaming these corridors only meant one thing: the Doctor was here. He could deal with a stupid little girl any time. There was much more pressing issues at hand.

So, he continued down the corridor, his special advisers staring at him curiously. He didn't care for them. Or what they thought. They were just petty and tiny individuals living pointless lives on this stupid rock.

But the Doctor had destroyed his family. Now he was back to finish he job his family started; Paul Gurney would succeed.

Cara didn't dare look back. She kept pushing forward, as far as her legs would take her. She tripped over her heels once or twice and wished she had left them behind. She was fooling no one in this fake business dress. Even Flynn had nearly laughed at her.

Her breathing became irregular the further she ran. How far had she walked exactly?

When she finally recognised the broadcasting room, she pushed inside without hesitation. Two more technicians and the two cameramen were standing apart from the Doctor and Flynn who were still working with wires and switches. The Doctor looked up over his glasses as he saw Cara enter. He dropped the wires and Flynn stayed rooted in position, screwing the top of a connector onto a lever. Cara panted for air as she tried to speak.

"He's here?" the Doctor guessed. He grabbed her hand and pulled her closer.

"He… He saw me," spluttered Cara. "Sorry. Really."

The Doctor gaped. "He – he saw you? Cara! Now he knows we're here!"

"Never mind that!" hissed Flynn, looking wildly around. "We've gotta do something!"

"Always stating the obvious," retorted the Doctor. He leaped over to the narrow cupboards on the other side of the room. Pulling open the door, he peeked into the dark space and shouted over his shoulder, "Come on! This'll do!"

"A cupboard?" repeated Cara, appalled.

The Doctor was already squeezing inside. "Would you rather he find us and kill us? Can't be choosey!"

Cara heaved a sigh but couldn't stifle the grin that spread across her face as she noticed Flynn roll his eyes. They were really becoming a pair, the Doctor and Flynn. She wasn't sure how and when the transition happened, but she was happy all the same. She tugged on Flynn's hand and dragged him over to the in-built cupboard, trying to keep her thoughts away from how utterly funny that sounded.

The Doctor was squeezed at the back and fully pressed against the wall. Flynn was trying to make himself as small as possible on the left side while Cara shut the door just in time as new footsteps stomped into the room, masking an air of authority. The oak door was pressed against Cara's cheek as she tried to listen to what was happening outside. The Doctor's arm was awkwardly positioned at her hip as he squirmed. He continued to fidget uncomfortably to peek through the keyhole. Flynn held his breath as the Doctor moved next to him, trying to maintain the silence.

It all got a bit too much for Flynn when the Doctor's elbow narrowly missed a sensitive part of his anatomy. "Do you mind?" he snapped. "You're all elbows."

"I'm about to get splinters in between you skinny rakes," whispered Cara a little moodily.

"Can I ever get you two to shut up?" the Doctor hissed, his eye against the keyhole.

"You're one to talk," Cara muttered.

Through the keyhole, the Doctor could see Paul Gurney's special advisers talking animatedly to the technicians. Paul was standing, fiddling with his watch and completely bored by the conversation. His eyes were darting to cover every inch of the room, looking for any sign whatsoever of the Doctor, Cara and Flynn. The Doctor heaved a sigh of relief as Paul Gurney stepped into the recording booth and took his place in front of the cameras.

"The good thing about that booth, the brilliant thing about that booth, is that we can see him but he can't see us." He tried to reach the door handle without punching Cara in the stomach. As soon as his hand fell on the door handle, the three friends in the cupboard fell past the door and landed with a loud thud onto the floor. The Doctor was sprawled on his front with Cara on top of him and Flynn lying across them both.

One of the technicians; tall with grey hair and holding a clipboard, stared at the Doctor, Cara and Flynn on the floor as if he'd just witnessed the strangest phenomena in his life. He tweaked the pencil behind his ear as he frowned, glancing from the trio to the cupboard, absolutely puzzled.

"Hoovering!" exclaimed the Doctor. He pulled himself up and brushed his suit while Flynn helped Cara stand. "We were just, um, hoovering. With that hoover. In that cupboard."

"All three of you?" barked the technician.

"It was a very heavy hoover," answered Cara with a sweet smile and a sincere nod.

"And we're very flexible," put in Flynn to stay noticed. The Doctor and Cara turned around to him at the same time, both wearing the same incredulous expression.

Flynn blushed and looked to the floor. The technician tore his gaze away from the cupboard, muttering something under his breath that sounded strangely similar to weirdoes. Cara smiled at his comment as she slapped Flynn on the arm. He winked in response and grabbed her hand for something to hold. The Doctor was peering through the mirrored glass at the Slitheen in disguise, with a particular look of distaste. His arms were crossed to hide his sonic screwdriver which was pointed at the control panel.

"Filming in one, two, three and…" the grey-haired technician pointed to the closest cameraman. The 'on air' sign turned red. Silence fell in the room.

But Paul Gurney looked into the camera and refused to speak.

A few people shared glances behind the screen. He didn't speak or acknowledge his audience – the only thing Paul Gurney did was simply click his fingers and let his hand drop to his side. The Doctor's sonic screwdriver lit up a bright blue. The control panel emitted a faint spark.

But nothing happened.

The Doctor tried again. Nothing. Even after a third time, nothing happened.

However, the two technicians and two cameramen started to sway where they stood. Even the two special advisers seemed to be in a sudden daze. The Doctor ran over to the closest technician and waved his hand in front of his face. The man showed no recognition whatsoever. Cara did the same to one of the special advisers. His pupils were wide and his head was tilted but it was clear he couldn't see in front of him.

"What's happening? Why isn't it working?" asked Flynn. He was pressing random buttons on the control panel but nothing was working.

"He isn't using the perception filter," said the Doctor dismissively.

"Then what's he doing?"

"He's using hypnotism. That's cheating!" he yelled in frustration. He was sonicing wires and cables, working as quickly as his hands could manage. Cara had never seen him so panicked.

Cara had no idea what to do or how to help. Flynn was pressing buttons, trying to activate the rewiring of the cameras he had been working on earlier. The Doctor called her name and threw the sonic screwdriver at her. She caught it between her fingers.

"Help Flynn activate the camera reroute," he ordered. "I've already put the setting on for you."

Cara did as she was instructed, for once in her life. She pointed the sonic screwdriver to the place where Flynn showed her. For a moment nothing happened, but to her absolute relief, the control panel powered down the cameras and the filming stopped as the 'on air' sign turned a dull green. Paul Gurney continued to stare at the camera until his eyes flickered to the 'on air' sign. He frowned. Snarled. Then walked towards the booth door.

The Doctor dropped his wires and ran over to the door. He pressed his back against it to lock Paul Gurney in there. It gave an almighty shudder and nearly knocked the Doctor to the ground. Cara went to help him, using all her weight against the buckling glass.

"Flynn!" called the Doctor. "Finish what I was doing!"

Flynn, reluctantly, traipsed over to the Doctor's work. It was a mess of wires and fancy tools and he had no idea where to begin. Cara threw him the sonic screwdriver. It landed a few metres away. Flynn held it as if it was red hot, unsure exactly what to do.

"Just rewire everything! Use the next setting down and point it to the computer! It should break the hypnotic link!" explained the Doctor. The door almost completely opened but he and Cara slammed it shut again.

Flynn flexed his fingers and began to work on the wires as quickly as he could. Paul Gurney had changed into his Slitheen form. His weight and strength was no match against the Doctor and Cara. The door slammed open, the glass shattered into tiny pieces. The Doctor and Cara fell to the ground, the Doctor yelling in frustration.

A jolt of cold fear fell over Flynn. His first instinct was to help Cara – but he had work to do. If the technicians and cameramen – who were still frozen – were anything to go by, people all over the country were hypnotised. He needed to finish the rewiring.

"I told you I would stop you!" shouted the Doctor at the advancing Slitheen. He was trying to shield Cara, who stubbornly kept moving out of his reach.

"You destroyed my family, Doctor!" hissed the alien in a crackling voice. "Nearly all of my family. You!"

"They were going to destroy the whole of planet Earth. They wanted to use it as fuel. How can you compare that fairly? You can't. I'm sorry for what I did, but I'm not sorry for what I prevented. You're not going to finish what they started. I won't let you. Earth is defended."

Cara felt a swell of pride inside her. She tried to ignore the initial shock and sympathy she was feeling towards the Slitheen. In no way did she agree with violence, war or guns but her defensive barrier was fading slightly as she realised the heartbreak this Slitheen must be feeling.

"It ends here, Doctor. What happened in Ten Downing Street ends here. I'll do it for them."

The Slitheen advanced. Flynn shredded the last wire. He jumped to his feet and ran towards the computer. The sonic screwdriver buzzed throughout the room. The computer beeped and fired sparks onto the floor. Flynn spun around to look at the Doctor.

He was smiling triumphantly. The hypnotised cameramen, technicians and special advisers collapsed to the floor. Slitheen Paul Gurney stopped in his tracks.

"The hypnotic link is broken," shouted the Doctor, helping Cara up. "They've got their minds back. It's too late, Paul Gurney. Leave now and never come back."

His large, black eyes focused on the scene before him. His large claw hovered over his watch. He started to type something. The Doctor's eyes widened as he realised what the alien was doing.

"Don't -"

The Slitheen snarled viciously. The Doctor couldn't help but take a few steps back. "You did this, Doctor. I can't go back now. I've failed."

"I can help," the Doctor promised. "You don't need to kill anyone."

But whatever the Doctor had to say didn't matter. Paul Gurney, corrupted by revenge and thoughts disrupted by failure pushed the button on his watch. Before he left his planet to travel to Earth, he had made a promise that he swore to keep; he'd finish the job or he wouldn't go back. He couldn't go back. Not now that he had met the Doctor, who had once again ruined the family business.

In one swift motion, the Slitheen activated the acidic based code. A vinegar-like substance squirted from the watch. The Slitheen burst into green goo and splattered on the walls, missing Cara and the Doctor by inches.

No one spoke; no one even looked at each other for a few moments. Cara was staring sadly at the fallen watch amongst the green slime. Flynn held out an arm, and she gratefully met his gaze. He hugged her tightly, his arms around her waist as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

The Doctor slowly moved away and headed towards the exit. He beckoned for Cara and Flynn to join him. The Doctor clicked his fingers to reawaken the people lying on the floor and he watched as they started to regain consciousness. Without a word, or any explanation, he shut the door behind them.