Yay, Family of Blood! Moving ever closer to the conclusion of the episodes that have had me tearing my freaking hair out. I don't know why. Probably the distraction of bouncing plot bunnies for future chapters. Anyway, here's this. Happiness is a new chapter, or whatever. Thank you, as always, to my faithful reviewers and followers, not least of all for your patience with the new update schedule. :D

"Make you decision, Mister Smith," Jenny hissed.

"Let them go," John said angrily, his gaze flicking between Marion and Martha.

"Oh, that does seem to have gotten a rise out of him," Baines said with glee. "Perhaps if that human heart breaks, the Time Lord will emerge."

"Time Lord..." a voice said. Every head snapped up, and Martha seized the opportunity to reverse Jenny's hold on her, facing the others with the gun now pointed at what used to be her friend.

"One more move and I shoot," she said, making an effort to keep her voice steady.

"Oh, the maid is full of fire!" Baines said.

"And you can shut the hell up!" she said, firing the gun at the ceiling.

"Careful, Son of Mine," Mister Clarke said. "This is all for you so that you can live forever."

"Shoot you down!" Baines shouted at her.

"Try it," she retorted. "We'll die together."

"Would you really pull the trigger?" Baines mused. "Looks too scared."

"Scared and holding a gun," she replied. "It's a good combination. You wanna risk it?" Baines glanced at John, who was glaring at Mister Clarke murderously, and lowered his gun. John lunged forward, taking hold of Marion and pulling her away from the group and pushing her behind him. "Doctor, Rose, get everyone out," Martha said. "There's a door at the side. It's over there. Go on!" John continued to scowl at Baines, and she made an irritated noise. "Do it, Mister Smith. I mean you!"

"Come on," Marion said, touching his arm before turning to the room and ushering everyone out. He joined her after a moment, along with Mister Conway and Nurse Redfern.

"And you," Martha said as the last of the attendees left the room. "Go on. Just shift."

"What about you?" he asked, glancing at the Family again.

"Mister Smith, I think you should escort your lady friend to safety, don't you?" she asked, her eyes still trained on Baines.

He hesitated for another moment, then hurried out the door to direct the group to safety.

"Mister Hicks, go to the village," he said as he made his way to where Marion was waiting for him. "Get everyone out. Latimer, get back to the school. Tell the headmaster—"

"Don't touch me!" Latimer said, pushing him forcefully away as he stopped in shock. "You're as bad as them!"

"John, how do they know about the Doctor?" Nurse Redfern asked as the boy ran off.

"I don't know," he said quickly, shaking his head. "They're all obviously mad." He glanced at Conway, who was watching him thoughtfully. "What?"

"Nothing," the literature professor said, shaking his head. "I would quite like to see this madness-inducing journal of yours one day, however."

"Yes, well, how about we try to survive the night, and then we can all form a book club," he snapped, his voice suddenly taking on a strange inflection that startled all of them. He shook himself. "Regardless of why they believe as they do, they're obviously violent and not suffering from any great attack of conscience. We need to—"

"Don't just stand there, move!" Martha shouted as she ran from the building. "God, you're rubbish as humans! Come on!"

She ran off, and John glanced at the other three before taking Marion's hand and racing after her, the other couple following quickly. They tore through the country lanes to the school, John and Conway hurrying to close and bar the heavy wooden doors as they rushed into the entrance hall. John then immediately went for a large bell, ringing it loudly.

"What're you doing?" Martha asked, skidding to a halt.

"Maybe one man can't fight them, but this school teaches us to stand together," he said. "Take arms! Take arms!"

"You can't do that!" she shouted.

"You want me to fight, don't you?" he demanded hotly. "Take arms! Take arms!"

The maid stared at him for a moment before rushing up the stairs, muttering again about watches and followed closely by Nurse Redfern.

"I say sir, what's the matter?" Hutchinson asked as he came down the stairs with other boys.

"Enemy at the door, Hutchinson," Conway said, directing the boys to the armory. "Enemy at the door. Take arms!"

"She's right, John," Marion said. "You can't let them do this." He continued ringing the bell, ignoring her completely. "John!" she cried, grabbing his arm.

"This school teaches us to stand together," he repeated stubbornly.

"You're right, you're not the Doctor," she said angrily as she dropped his arm. "He'd never dream of hiding behind an army of schoolchildren against madmen and scarecrows, sending them off to be slaughtered in his name."

He froze, staring at her. The way she said it with such certainty unnerved him for some reason, as did the way her voice changed slightly as she shouted at him. For just a moment, he saw someone else in her glare, someone from his dreams.

"The Doctor isn't real," he said hoarsely, unsure for a moment who he was trying to convince more.

"But those guns are," she said, jabbing a finger towards the door. "Those people won't hesitate to shoot these boys down. King and country is bad enough...don't let them die for you alone."

He swallowed hard and exchanged a glance with Conway, who shrugged, suddenly looking unsure himself.

"With those soldiers of theirs, they outnumber us," he said. "And those guns aren't like any I've ever seen. They could take out several of us before we even got a shot off."

He looked down into Marion's large, pleading eyes for a moment before making an irritated noise. "Conway, go find Martha and the Matron. Miss Lewis and I will organize an evacuation." Conway nodded, hurrying up the stairs.

"Thank you, John," Marion said quietly. He nodded once and moved into the armory, calling for attention.

"There's been a change of tactics," he called loudly as the boys stopped in their preparations to look up at him. "It seems the enemy has outmaneuvered us, calling for a strategic retreat."

"What in thunder's name is this?" the Headmaster demanded as he hurried into the armory. "Before I devise an excellent and endless series of punishments for each and every one of you, could someone explain very simply and immediately exactly what is going on?"

"Headmaster, I have to report the school is under attack from enemies we cannot hope to fight," John said. "I'm advising evacuation and retreat."

"Really?" the Headmaster asked, clearly doubting this. "Is that so? Perhaps you and I should have a word in private."

"I promise you, sir," he said. "I was in the village with Miss Lewis. It's Baines, sir. Jeremy Baines and Mister Clark from Oakham Farm. They've gone mad, sir. They've got guns, and are leading...some sort of army. They've already murdered people in the village. I saw it happen."

"Miss Lewis?" the Headmaster asked, shifting his gaze to her reluctantly.

"I'm afraid it's true, sir," she said.

"Murder on our own soil?" he asked.

"I saw it, yes."

"What makes you thing the danger's coming here?" he asked, turning back to John.

"Well, sir, they said, um..." John trailed off uncertainly.

"They were looking for Mister Smith," Marion said, and he shot her a grateful look. "They said they'd follow him. We're...we're not sure why."

"Very well," he said. "But we'll not retreat. A schoolboy and a farmer will not turn us to cowards. You boys, remain on guard. Mister Snell, telephone the police. Mister Philips, with me. We shall investigate."

"Headmaster, I really should advise—"

"Your advice has been noted," the Headmaster said. "But these are cadets, they are trained to defend the King and all his properties."

Marion opened her mouth to argue, but John shook his head at her with a warning look as the Headmaster left with Mister Philips. He hurried over to a window after a moment, turning slightly as she joined him, watching the exchange between the Headmaster and Baines, holding her back against his chest as the madness escalated before their eyes.

oOoOo

"I know it sounds mad," Martha said as she searched John's study. "But when the Doctor became human, he took the alien part of himself and stored it inside the watch. It's not really a watch, it just looks like a watch."

"And alien means...not from abroad, I take it," Nurse Redfern said slowly.

"The man you call John Smith...he was born on another world," Martha said slowly.

"A different species," she said.

"Yeah," Martha said, going back to her search.

"And Miss Lewis?" Mister Conway asked as he entered the room. "Or, rather, Rose Tyler, I suppose. Is she...alien as well?"

"You are well informed," Martha said, glancing between them briefly. "No, she's...well...she's sort of...her own thing. Mostly human, they've said, but I'm not sure I believe the mostly part anymore. Maybe not alien, but definitely unique."

"And what is she to this Doctor?" Conway asked.

Martha paused, a flash of pain at the sudden memory of the more recent feuding and bitterness between them. But that didn't change what Rose Tyler was to the Doctor. That she was absolutely sure of.

"He says she's his everything," she said quietly. "The one thing in the whole universe that he believes in."

"Tell me," Nurse Redfern said after a moment. "In this fairy tale...who are you?"

"I'm just their friend," she said, shrugging. "I travel with them."

"You're human I take it?" Nurse Redfern asked.

"Human, don't worry," she said. "And more than that, I don't just follow them around. I'm training to be a doctor—not an alien doctor—a proper doctor, a doctor of medicine."

"Well that certainly is nonsense," Nurse Redfern said. "Women might train to be doctors, but hardly a skivvy and hardly one of your color."

"Oh, d'you think?" she snapped. She paused, then turned to face her and held up her hand and pointed. "Bones of the hand. Carpal bones, proximal row; scaphoid, lunate, triquetrum, pisiform. Distal row; trapezium, trapezoid, capitate, hamate. Then the metecarpal bones extending in three distinct phalanges; proximal, middle, distal."

"You read that in a book," the Matron said.

"Yes, to pass my exams," she said with a laugh. "Can't you see this is true?"

"If we find this watch," Conway said thoughtfully as Nurse Redfern turned to look at him. "Then we can stop this? Baines and Clarke coming here, with that strange army of theirs?"

"You believe all this?" Nurse Redfern asked as Martha nodded vigorously.

"It would explain quite a lot of things, Joan," he said slowly, picking up the journal on John's desk. "Not the least of which is this journal you told me so much about. You must admit that."

"Joan, Mister Conway," Marion said breathlessly, hurrying into the room. "The Headmaster wouldn't listen. Mister Philips is dead...Baines shot him...and the boys are going to fight. They...they'll need your help."

"Of course," Conway said with another glance at Martha before touching Nurse Redfern's arm lightly to urge her out.

"Marion, you said you grew up in Manchester, isn't that right?" Joan asked thoughtfully as they hurried down the stairs again.

"Yes, that's right," Marion said with a confused look.

"Tell me about it," Joan urged.

"Um...well, it's on a land area bordered to the north and east by the Pennines," Marion said a little absently. "And to the south by the Cheshire Plains. The city center is on the River Irwell—"

"You sound like an encyclopedia, Miss Lewis," Conway noted. "What did you do there?"

"The city has a rich cosmopolitan atmosphere that's contributed to a vibrant culture," she said in the same slightly vacant, automatic tone.

"That's just more facts," Joan said, frowning. "Where did you grow up? Where did you play? Who were your friends?"

"I...why're you asking this?" Marion asked sharply, glancing between them. "It's because of that journal, isn't it? You think I'm Rose Tyler. The...the Bad Wolf."

"I think…" Conway said, then sighed. "There are more things in heaven and earth, than are dreamt of in my philosophy."

"Bloody Shakespeare," Marion muttered darkly as they reached the entrance hall.

"You're with Armitage and Thwaites," John was saying as they approached. "They know the drill." He caught sight of them and hurried over. "Marion, it's not safe."

"I'm going to help Joan," she said quickly as he pulled her to the side. "Quite the evening we've had."

"Not quite as I'd planned," he said, glancing around. Marion looked at him thoughtfully for a moment.

"John, tell me about Nottingham," she said.

"Sorry?" he asked, confused.

"That's where you grew up, right?" she asked. "Tell me about it."

"Well, it lies on the River Leen," he said vaguely. "Its southern boundary following the course of the River Trent which flows from Stoke to the Humber." She stared at him, her mouth dropping open slightly. "Marion, what is it? Why the sudden interest in my boyhood home, and why now?"

"It sounds like an encyclopedia," she said slowly. "John, does it concern you that you don't have any real history, no ties, no knowledge that couldn't be learned from a book?"

He backed up a step, looking stricken. "You believe it," he said, staring at her. "How can you think that I'm not real? When I kissed you, was that a lie?"

"No, it wasn't," she said quickly. "No."

"But this Doctor sounds like some...some romantic lost prince," he said. "Would you rather that? Am I not enough?"

"No, that's not it either," she said quickly, putting a hand on his chest. "But John—"

"I've got to go," he said quickly, turning away from her.

"Please don't let them do this," she said. "It doesn't matter who you are, you know this is wrong. Please."

He hesitated, but then the Headmaster was calling for him.

"I tried, Marion," he said. "You know I did. What choice do I have now?" He looked at her for another moment, torn, then leaned in and kissed her before spinning around and hurrying away.

oOoOo

"Get those bags piled up, filth," Hutchinson ordered. "Gonna mean the difference between life and death for us."

"Not for you and me," Timothy said distractedly.

"What are you babbling about?" Hutchinson demanded, pausing in his efforts.

"We're going to battle together," Timothy said, his mind once again going through the strange vision of mud and wires, madness and bloodshed, Hutchinson on his arm and a watch in his hand. "We fight alongside. I've seen it. Not here, not now."

"What's that supposed to mean?" the other boy asked, confused.

"It means you and I both survive this," he said with assurance. "And maybe..." He paused, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a watch, the silver one that had been in his vision. "Maybe I was given this watch so I could help. I'm sorry."

"Latimer, you filthy coward!" Hutchinson yelled after him as he scrambled to his feet and ran away.

"Oh yes, sir," he called over his shoulder. "Every time!"

He made his way back inside the school, moving through the shadows and hiding away in a hallway before pulling out the second watch, holding them both in his hands.

"No, hide her," said the man's voice. "Hide the Bad Wolf."

He stared, his gaze flicking between the two watches, and he saw again who he now recognized as Rose Tyler and the Doctor. He saw Rose turning, a fierce expression on her face...but then the Doctor carrying her out of a white room, an expression of cold fury on his face. The images went on for a moment, blurring and warring with each other, until they froze on one of the Doctor leaning down and resting his forehead on Rose's, his hand on her cheek.

"He loves her," Timothy whispered in realization, his thumb running over the gold cover. "The only one he has…the only one he can."

"Hide her," the man's voice said again urgently, and Timothy buried the golden watch back in his pocket.

"But now what do I do?" he asked softly. "What do I do?"

"Beware..." the watch said.

"Beware of what?"

"Her."

He looked up sharply to see Lucy Cartwright standing at the other end of the hall, still holding her balloon and staring at him. He scrambled to his feet, hiding the watch behind him as she sniffed.

"Keep away," he warned.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"I saw you at the dance," he said. "You were with that family. You're one of them."

"What are you hiding?" she asked, her face passive and her voice cold.

"Nothing," he said.

"What have you got there?"

"Nothing," he repeated insistently.

"Show me, little boy," she said, a trace of mocking in her voice.

"I reckon whatever you are, you're still in the shape of a girl," he said warily. "How strong is she, do you think? Does she really want to see this?"

He brought his arm around, snapping open the watch as it came up to eye level, and another vision came forth with the golden light, the sight of the Doctor looking down with a cold expression, surrounded by fire and water. Lucy jumped, her eyes wide with fear, then spun and ran off down the hall.