Doomsday: The Genesis Ark

The Daleks touched down to the ground and began to glide menacingly towards Rose, Mickey, and Rajesh, crying 'Exterminate' when Angel quickly stepped forward, into their way, blocking their path to the humans, "Daleks!" she called, praying that her mad little idea would work.

The Doctor did it often enough, ran right into the middle of something shouting 'Stop!' or 'Wait!' or 'Listen!' and, most times, whoever he'd run in the middle of actually did as he asked. She supposed it was good, in a way, as long as he was shouting 'Stop!' or something like that. She could only imagine what would happen if he ran out shouting something daft like 'Look at me, I'm a target!'

To the surprise of the humans though...the Daleks stopped in, what the humans might call, surprise, turning their eyestalks right at Angel at the same time, making her gasp and tense and take a step back.

"Y-you're Daleks," she repeated, her voice shaking just a bit at having four of them currently focused on her. Her hearts were racing but, in the back of her mind, she couldn't help but feel enormously relieved that they were no longer stalking closer to the humans...and that the Doctor wasn't there. She knew the Daleks classified him as an enemy, they'd try to kill him at a moment's notice. But her...she was unknown to them, or she had been for the most part before Satellite 5. There was a chance they'd only recognize her as someone from Gallifrey and go for her and not the humans. She could stall them then.

The first Dalek lifted a sucker at her, Angel staying very still as it scanned her, "Time Lady!" it cried.

"That's right," she nodded, trying to seem more confident than she felt. If she truly showed she was scared, the humans would be afraid too, and she needed all of them calm and rational right now, "I'm a Time Lady. And looking at that," she nodded towards a Dalek shaped container that had followed them down from the sphere, settling behind them, "I'd say that's tech you can't operate. You need me," she really, really hoped they did, "And if you want me to do anything for you, you need to keep these humans alive, all of them. Do you understand me?"

The Daleks looked at her, one swiveling around to eye the humans, analyzing them for a moment before reporting, "The humans are not a threat," Angel let out a breath of relief but the Dalek just spun around back to her, "You will be necessary," she frowned at that, ok...a little more than she was hoping for. But she had little time to think on that as it swung around once more to another Dalek, "Report, what is the status of the Genesis Ark?"

So that's what it was called then...

"Status...hibernation," the second Dalek stated.

"Commence awakening!"

"The Genesis Ark must be protected above all else," the third Dalek declared. They all turned towards the Genesis Ark, clamping their suction arms to the side of it.

"The Daleks...you said they were all dead," Mickey looked at Rose and Angel.

He remembered learning about them, Angel had told him about them, about what she'd done to stop them, when the Doctor regenerated, not a time he remembered with fondness as it was a tough one for Angel. When he looked back on it now, all he saw was things he could have done to help, things he could have said to Rose to really get her to lay off Angel, ways he could have made Angel happier. Still, if there was one thing he'd learned from Angel it was that some things were better off in the past.

"What I want to know is...what's a Genesis Ark?" Angel frowned, she'd never heard of it before, not that she really knew much about the Daleks to begin with. On the battlefield, all you needed to know was aim for the eyestalk and don't get exterminated, "And why do the Daleks need it?"

"Never mind the Ark, what the hell's that!?" Rose exclaimed, her eyes wide and staring at Angel's arm.

Angel looked down, seeing a soft golden energy swarming around her hand, seeming to react to the Dalek threat. She closed her fist tightly, the energy disappearing, "Nothing," she breathed, turning to look at the Daleks, not seeing Rose and Mickey exchange concerned glances, both of them knew what the Vortex energy looked like, Mickey from Margaret the Slitheen and Rose from both times Angel had taken the power in.

This was NOT good...not at all...

And Angel wasn't talking to them about it.

That wasn't like her.

~8~

"What's down there?" Jackie asked the Doctor as he leaned against a wall, a horribly fearful expression on his face that only served to make her more frantic, "She was in that room with the Sphere. What's happened to Rose?"

"I don't know," he sighed, swallowing hard at that thought. He DIDN'T know. He couldn't hear Angel, he'd shouted himself mentally hoarse and she hadn't responded at all. Something had to be wrong and, not being able to connect to her mind, to hear her reassurances that she was fine, to know what was happening...it killed him. And so he just kept repeating to himself she was with Rose, Rose would keep her safe, she had to...otherwise he'd lose it and do something mad that would end up getting him deleted by the Cybers. Then he'd be useless in saving her. Jackie started to cry as he moved over to her, knowing, if Angel were here, she'd be trying to comfort the frightened woman, "I'll find her. Angel and I brought you here, we'll get you both out. You and your daughter. Jackie, look at me. Look at me," Jackie looked up at him, eyes red with tears, "I promise you. I give you my word. I will find them alive and safe. I'll find her," he whispered, nodding, "I'll find her. I will always find her and get her back, no matter what. I'll find her."

Jackie eyed him, getting the feeling he was no longer talking about Rose.

A Cyber stomped into the room and over to Yvonne at her desk, "You will talk to your central world authority and order global surrender."

"Oh, do some research," she rolled her eyes, "We haven't GOT a central world authority."

"You have now," the Cyber slammed a hand against its chest, "I will speak on all global wavelengths," the Doctor quickly pulled his 3D specs on, doing his best to maintain focus and not run into something unprepared, as Angel had once begged him to do, to THINK, "This broadcast is for human kind."

~8~

On every station in the world the Cyberman appeared, "Cybermen now occupy every land mass on this planet. But you need not fear. Cybermen will remove fear. Cybermen will remove sex and class and color and creed. You will become identical. You will become like us."

~8~

The Cybers watched as chaos erupted below the tower, explosions, screaming, people running, the military attacking, the Cybermen retaliating…killing hundreds, "I ordered surrender," the Cyberman remarked.

"They're not taking instructions," the Doctor glared at it, "Don't you understand? You're on every street, you're in their homes. You've got their children. Of course they're gonna fight."

And so would he. The Cybers were probably in the Sphere Chamber as well, they had Angel, and if fought for anyone, it would be for her.

He just needed a plan and quickly. He could already feel his mind, his drive to think this through, losing the battle against his instinct to protect Angel, to find her and see her safe. He truly didn't know how much longer he'd be able to last without trying to run out there and find her or attack the Cybers.

~8~

"Which of you is least important?" the first Dalek rounded on the group of humans.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rose shook her head.

"Which of you is least important?"

"No. We don't work like that. None of us."

"Designate the least important!"

"This is my responsibility," Rajesh took a step forward.

"No, don't!" Angel reached out and grabbed his arm, he tried to step forward again, but Angel held him back, knowing what the Daleks would need a human for.

"The Daleks need information about current Earth history," the first Dalek stated, "You shall give it to us!"

"Yeah well I can give you a certain amount of intelligence but nothing that will compromise Home Land security…" Rajesh tried to move before them.

"I said don't!" Angel pulled him back violently, dead serious, actually making him stumble a bit from the force of the pull. She wasn't typically that strong, but the adrenaline pumping through her, the fear that one of the humans might be harmed if she didn't do something, if she didn't protect them, was more than enough of a boost, "They won't just ask you questions, they'll extract your brainwaves, literally crush your skull and suck it dry. You'll die!"

Rajesh looked completely stunned by that bit of information, not really having any experience with Daleks before, he hadn't known what they would do. He hadn't thought it would be THAT though.

Angel turned back to the Daleks, squaring her shoulders, trying to sound as in charge as the Doctor would, "You will not be given any information about this planet," she told them, "Not from us. Whatever you learn must be of your own doing."

"You dare defy the Daleks!?" the first Dalek shouted, its eyestalk spinning to her.

"I have in the past and I will in the future," she nodded, her hands clenching into fists, feeling herself getting worked up, getting angry, "Always. And if you have a problem with that, you just try me. I have lost everything in the War, I've got nothing left to lose. And a Time Lady who is that is more deadly than you think," she glared at it, her hand glowing golden once more.

The Dalek's eyestalk lowered to look at the golden swirls, its sucker arm twitching as it scanned the energy, before backing off and turning to the computer at the end of the room, placing the sucker on that instead and absorbing energy and information from the web much like the Dalek in Van Statten's museum had done.

Angel let out a breath, her eyes on the Dalek even as the humans watched the gold fade from her hand. She was thankful the Dalek hadn't seen through her lie, the only thing she truly had left to lose was the Doctor. The TARDIS, as much as she hated to admit it, she could survive without, but if she EVER lost the Doctor...she wouldn't be able to bear that.

She wasn't strong enough for that.

~8~

"Scans detect unknown technology active within Sphere Chamber," a Cyber said on the factory floor.

"Cybermen will investigate," a second one ordered.

The Cybermen turned and pushed past two terrified staff members, "Units 10-65 and 10-66 will investigate Sphere Chamber."

"We obey," the Cybermen called.

~8~

The Dalek glided back from the computer, "The records of this system spoke of a second species invading Earth infected by the superstition of ghosts," it rounded on another Dalek, "Dalek Thay, investigate outside."

"I obey," Thay replied, turning to wheel out.

"Thay?" Angel breathed, her eyes widening at the realization, "They've got names!"

"What's wrong with that?" Mickey frowned, looking at her.

"They're the Cult of Skaro…"

"What's that mean?" Rajesh asked, not liking the sound of that.

"It means, things just got much, much worse."

"Can't you call the Doctor?" Rose asked her quietly, glancing at the Daleks. Angel hadn't even mentioned him around the aliens, she guessed it was for a reason. She knew the Daleks saw the Doctor as an enemy, but...wouldn't that be enough to keep them alive?

"I've tried," Angel frowned, "But that Sphere broadcasts nothing, straight into this room," it explained why she hadn't sensed that Mickey there, he'd been hidden in the room, "It's blocking my calls. I feel nothing. I hear just...nothing."

Well, she felt something. She could feel the Doctor was still alive. But other than that...she hadn't exactly gotten any feelings since the sphere had opened.

~8~

Two Cybermen marched down a corridor to investigate the Sphere Chamber just as Thay wheeled down the hall towards them.

~8~

"Units open visual link," a Cyber in the Rift Room ordered as the Doctor, Jackie, and Yvonne looked on. A visual of the hallway appeared on Yvonne's laptop, "Visual contact established."

~8~

"Establish visual contact," the first Dalek ordered in the Sphere Chamber, "Lower communications barrier," a projection appeared on the sphere, showing Dalek Thay's view as he met two Cybermen.

~8~

The Doctor's eyes widened in horror as a Dalek became visible on the laptop, his hearts stopping.

"Identify yourselves."

"You will identify first," a Cyberman stated.

"State your identity."

"You will identify first."

"Identify!"

~8~

"It's like Stephen Hawkins meets the Speaking Clock," Mickey remarked, trying to lighten the mood.

~8~

"...illogical, you will modify," the Cyber replied.

"Daleks do not take orders."

"You have identified as Daleks."

"Outline resembles the INFERIOR species known as 'Cybermen.'"

~8~

Jackie turned to the Doctor, scared, "Rose said about the Daleks. She was terrified of them. What have they done to her, Doctor? Is she dead? Or is she with Angel? Is she gonna protect Rose? What..."

The Doctor turned to her, "Phone!"

"What did you…"

"Phone!" he snapped, holding out a hand. Jackie jumped, quickly handing the Doctor her phone behind the Cyber's back. He quickly dialed Rose's number, holding the phone to his ear, frantic…when suddenly it picked up, "She's answered, she's alive," the Doctor breathed a small sigh of relief, "Why haven't they killed her?"

"Well, don't complain!"

"I think Angel might be with them," he said, it was the only situation where he felt like his hearts weren't going to stop dead, if she was with Rose, then they would both be ok he told himself, because they would look out for each other, "If she is, then the Daleks know she's a Time Lady, they would keep her alive 'cos they need her for something, but not humans…unless…" he looked up, startled, "What has she done?"

"We must protect the Genesis Ark," a Dalek shouted over the phone.

"The Genesis Ark?" the Doctor frowned, pulling on his 3D specs and looking around the Cyber, at the laptop.

"Our species are similar, though your design is inelegant," a Cyberman was saying.

"Daleks have no concept of elegance," the Dalek stated.

"This is obvious. But consider, our technologies are compatible. Cybermen plus Daleks, together, we could upgrade the Universe."

"You propose an alliance?"

"This is correct."

"Request denied."

The Cybers extended their fists, ready to shoot, "Hostile elements will be deleted."

They fired at the Dalek but the bolts didn't even reach its armor, "Exterminate!" it cried, shooting at the Cybermen, taking them both out.

"Open visual link," the Cyber-Leader ordered as the scene changed to three Daleks in the Sphere Chamber, "Daleks, be warned...you have declared war upon the Cybermen."

Jackie gasped, seeing Rose standing there, with Mickey, Angel, and Rajesh in the background. The Doctor's gaze fell instantly upon Angel, locking on her, watching her despite the encounter. He wasn't sure what to feel now that he actually saw her there, relieved he was right in his guess and she was alright, or terrified that he was right in his guess and she was surrounded by Daleks.

"This is not war," a Dalek rolled forward, "This is pest control."

"We have five million Cybermen. How many are you?"

"Four."

"You would destroy the Cybermen with FOUR Daleks?!"

"We would destroy the Cybermen with ONE Dalek. You are superior in only one respect."

"What is that?"

"You are better at dying. Raise communications barrier!"

~8~

The screen in the Sphere Chamber went to static as the second Dalek caught something, "Wait! Rewind image by nine rels," the image played back of the Doctor leaning around the Cyber-Leader to look at the laptop, "Identify grid seven gamma frame," the image zoomed in, "This male registers as enemy."

Rose smiled as Angel let out a breath of relief, "The female's heartbeat has increased," the first Dalek turned on Rose.

"Yeah, tell me about it," Mickey joked with a little grin.

In the time he'd been in the other reality, he'd really taken a look at his and Rose's relationship, how it began, where it could have gone, where it was now. He looked at the relationship she'd formed with the Doctor and his own with Angel and realized quite a few things. They'd both grown up from the people they'd been when they first met, they weren't the same people anymore. They'd both changed, for the better, for traveling with the Doctor and Angel. He'd grown up a lot, thanks to that girl, learned to hold his own, learned to fight for what he believed in, learned to believe in himself. He found he really believed what he told Rose before she'd left, they had something once but not anymore and that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. The people they were now were more stable, they were stronger, they were mature, they were ready to go out on their own, forge their own relationships.

They both knew who they were now, the sorts of people they were...they'd found themselves on their travels, learned about who they were deep down.

And if there was one thing he'd learned from being Angel's companion, he was good.

He was brilliant really.

Yeah, he'd gained pride, self-respect, and confidence along his journey. He was Angel's FIRST companion, no one else in the Universe could claim that title. No one else ever would. She'd picked HIM. The most remarkable woman he'd ever met thought he was special and incredible, enough to feel that he deserved that honor. She'd seen something in him no one else, not even Rose, not even the Doctor, had, and SHE brought that out in him. She'd seen it even before she knew what it was, she'd told him so, she saw how brilliant and strong and noble and...good...he was, and now, he saw it too.

"Identify him!" the Dalek demanded, its laser arm twitching.

"Alright then..." Rose gave them a smirk, seeing an opening to add a bit of safety to their situation, "If you really wanna know...that's the Doctor," the Daleks rolled back in what the humans would guess was alarm, "Five million Cybermen, easy. One Doctor? NOW you're scared," Rose gave a little laugh, relieved though that her assumption that the Daleks wouldn't dare hurt them if it meant facing the Doctor's wrath was correct. Now they just needed one more thing to ensure they'd be safe, "And guess who you've got trapped with you? His Mate," the Daleks wheeled their eyestalks at Angel, backing up from her as though she were a deadly weapon, while Rose nodded, "Now you're terrified."

Angel though, shifted on her feet, that had been a very risky thing to do, bringing up the Doctor. She was sure she was looking at it biasedly though, wanting him to always be safe, not wanting the Daleks to know he was there and try to attack him. She could see Rose's point, that letting the Daleks know they were connected to the Doctor would offer them more protection as they wouldn't dare risk angering the Doctor...but...it could have gone terribly wrong. It might still for all she knew.

The Daleks might just use them, the people the Doctor cared for and loved, as leverage.

~8~

"Quarantine the Sphere Chamber," the Cyber-Leader turned to its squad, "Start emergency upgrading. Begin with these personnel."

Cybers entered the office, dragging out Yvonne and Jackie as they struggled, along with a few other scientists and staff, "No, you can't do this!" Yvonne cried, "We surrendered! We surrendered!"

"This one's increased adrenaline suggests he has vital Dalek information," the Cyber-Leader said as the Doctor was pulled past.

The Cybers stopped, leaving him there, as Jackie was pulled away, screaming and reaching out for him, "You promised me! You gave me your word!"

"I'll think of something!" he called after her, promising her as she was pulled out of the room.

~8~

Thay rolled back into the Sphere Chamber, "Cyber threat irrelevant. Concentrate on the Genesis Ark," the first Dalek turned to the Genesis Arch, pressing its sucker to it.

"Why are we being kept alive?" Mickey asked Angel, "I get you're a Time Lady and all, but why us? We're just humans..."

"Because I won't let them hurt you Mickey," Angel remarked, taking Mickey's hand to squeeze it a moment before letting go.

He had to smile at that, it was just so HER. He had to admit, he'd noticed quite a few changes in this new Angel, she wasn't as lost when it came to humans, she was more sure of herself in dealing with others, and she just seemed so...human, to him. But she was still that warm, caring woman that had invited him to travel the Universe in an old blue box, still that psychic girl, still that protective friend. It was nice to see that, despite her changes, she was still the same old Angel, just a different version of her, "But they listened."

She sighed, "They might need you for something too then."

"For what?" Rajesh asked, but Angel was reluctant to speak, her mind going from what the Daleks could use them as against the Doctor to what the Daleks could use the humans as against her, "What is it?"

"As leverage," Rose answered for her, taking Angel's hand in her own, knowing the woman was scared to death that she'd do something that might put one of them in danger, that the Daleks might, at any point, try to harm them to get Angel's agreement.

All they could do was try to remain in the background and hope the Doctor could get to them before that thought crossed the Daleks' minds.

~8~

The Cybermen pulled Yvonne and Jackie down to the curtained area, marching the personnel behind the curtains to be 'upgraded.' The hall was filled with screaming and the sound of drills, "What happens in there?" Jackie asked, terrified, "What's upgrading mean? What do they do?"

"I think...I think they remove the brain..." she began, sounding slightly sick, "Sorry, um...I think they remove the brain and they put it in a suit of armor. That's what these things are. They're us."

"Next!" a Cyberman turned to them, reaching out and dragging Yvonne away.

"This is YOUR fault!" Jackie shouted at her, "You and your Torchwood. You've killed us all!"

"I did my duty for Queen and Country," she said tearfully, wrenching her arm away from the Cyber's grip and facing the area where the humans were being upgraded, steeling herself to walk in on her own, her head held high, "I did my duty. I did my duty. Oh, God. I did my duty," she walked in as Jackie winced, hearing her scream.

~8~

The Doctor sat on the windowsill in silence though his mind was racing with different scenarios that he might use to escape, to get to Angel. All of them growing more ridiculous as time went on and he grew more desperate. There was an ache in his chest now, growing stronger with each beating of his hearts. He NEEDED to find Angel. He needed to be with her, hold her, see she was safe. God, he needed her.

"You are proof," a Cyber interrupted his frantic, and borderline dangerous, thoughts as it stomped over to him.

"Of what?" he asked, glancing at it.

"That emotions destroy you."

"Yeah, I am," he nodded, when something caught his eye to the side of the metal man, "Mind you, I quite like hope. Hope's a good emotion. And here it comes!"

The Cyberman turned as a group of people dressed in black suits with face masks and guns appeared out of nowhere.

~8~

Angel suddenly fell against a table, crying out in pain, her hand flying to brace herself on it, the other pressing to her temple as she felt like her mind had been ripped open.

~8~

The soldiers took aim and fired at the Cybers, destroying them.

The Doctor dove out of the way and hid in a corner as the Cyber-Leader advanced, only to get its head shot off.

"Doctor, good to see you again," a man said, his voice muffled. He pulled off his helmet to reveal Jake!

"Jake?!" the Doctor's eyes widened.

"The Cybermen came through from one world to another, and so did we," he grinned as the Doctor stared, not looking at all pleased with this turn in the situation.

~8~

"What is it?" Rose gasped as she and Mickey lurched to Angel's side as she gripped her head with both hands now, the searing pain just starting to fade.

"I don't know…" she breathed heavily, closing her eyes shut as though it would help.

"You alright?" Mickey frowned, reaching out to steady her.

Angel swallowed hard, nodding, "I'll be fine," she offered him a small smile, "Don't worry about me."

~8~

A Cyber stopped in the middle of dragging Jackie to be upgraded and turned to its squad, "Cyber-Leader One has been terminated."

"Explain, download shared files," the second Cyberman stepped up.

Jackie slowly started backing up, using this as a time to escape.

"I will be upgraded to Cyber-Leader."

Jackie turned and dashed off down a back stair as fast as she could.

~8~

"Defend this room," Jake ordered his group, "Chrissie, monitor communications," the Doctor pulled on his 3D specs and looked at them, "Kill one Cyber-Leader and they just download into another. Move!" the group hurried out, leaving the Doctor and Jake alone.

"You can't just…just…just HOP from one world to another," the Doctor told him, "You CAN'T!"

"We just did," he smiled, "With these," he tossed him what looked like a yellow button on a chain.

"But that's impossible. You can't have this sort of technology."

"We've got our own version of Torchwood. They developed it. Do you wanna come and see?"

"NO!" the Doctor yelled, for more reasons than just what the hopping did to the Universe, but it was too late, they disappeared.

~8~

"God," Angel nearly collapsed to her knees on the ground, only Mickey's arms keeping her from breaking her kneecaps on the fall, having caught her and lowered her.

This time the pain in her head was much, much worse as it was also coupled by a strain in her hearts. She knew, whatever was going on, the Doctor had gotten himself into it. She couldn't hear him, at all, not even sense him as a Time Lady…it was like he'd died…and it hurt

~8~

The Doctor and Jake reappeared in a parallel Torchwood Rift Room, the Doctor falling to his knees as he pressed a hand to his hearts, feeling the same agonizing emptiness and searing pain as Angel was, "You alright?" Jake rushed to his side, helping him stand.

This was not good, this was not good at all, he realized. Mid-Mating process especially when their sensation of the other Time Lord was more heightened. The tentative bond was so fragile, so delicate…and it felt like it wasn't just being strained, but snapped. She wasn't here. Angel wasn't there. He couldn't feel her at all.

God it hurt...it hurt so badly...he felt like he couldn't breathe...

"Where are we?" the Doctor strained, struggling to get up with Jake supporting him, the boy taking the button from him in the process to get a better grip.

"Parallel Earth, parallel Torchwood. Except we found out what the institute was doing and the People's Republic took control."

"I've gotta get back," the Doctor shouted urgently, turning to the wall as though it might have the answers, the path back to his Earth, "Angel is in danger, and Rose and her mother!"

"That'd be Jackie," Pete Tyler said, stepping into the room with two soldiers, the Doctor looked over at him, "My wife in a parallel Universe. And as for you, Doctor, at least this time I know who you are," he looked around a moment, "Where's Angel?"

"Back there!" he snapped, rounding on the man, stalking over to him, "That's why I've gotta get back. Right now."

"No," Pete shook his head, seemingly unperturbed by the Doctor's shouting, "You're not in charge here. This is our world, not yours. And you're gonna listen for once."

The Doctor looked at him darkly.

~8~

"Angel, really, are you alright?" Rose asked, eyeing Angel in concern as she crouched down in front of her, the woman, this time though, shook her head.

"I could transport out of here and get help," Mickey told them, kneeling beside Angel as he showed her and Rose a yellow button, Rajesh peering down at it from where he stood before them, "But it only carries one and I'm not leaving either of you."

"You'd follow me anywhere," Rose smiled gently over at him as she moved to sit beside Angel, "What did I do to you all those years ago?"

"Well it's not just you," Mickey smirked, "Not anymore," he nodded to himself, "Learned a long time ago that there's room for more than one person in the human heart," he put an arm around Angel's shoulders, squeezing her a little, "Besides, I can't leave my Time Lady anymore than you could leave your Time Lord. We companions stick by our pilots, don't we?"

Rose laughed at that, nodding whole heartedly.

Angel took the button, looking at it, "Well that explains it…"

"Explains what?" Rajesh looked at her, confused by the significance of the button.

"I couldn't sense the Cybermen because they weren't in this world. They were in yours Mickey," she looked at him, "Trying to break through but not here yet," she handed him the button back, "I think the Doctor's there now too..."

"He is?" Mickey's eyes widened as he moved back to put the button in his pocket.

"I can't feel him," Angel nodded sadly, rubbing her chest absently, "I'm cut off, completely cut off," Rose quickly put an arm around the girl as well, hearing the tears in her voice.

"Don't worry," Mickey reached out and put a hand on her shoulder, "You've got all of us, and I know I'm not going anywhere."

Angel smiled at him, putting her hand over his on her shoulder, "You know…you're the bravest human I have ever met. And Mickey?" he looked at her, "I'm proud of you. I am so proud of you."

He beamed, his eyes filling with just a hint of tears, she'd said it before, when he'd decided to stay in the other reality, he hadn't fully believed her then, but…he was getting there, he was proud of himself for quite a lot of things he'd managed to do in the parallel world. His gaze though drifted to the Daleks, "Well, I can't think what the Daleks need with me. I'm nothing to them."

"You could be..." Rose cut in, thinking, "Whatever's inside that Ark is waking up and I've seen this happen before. The first time I saw a Dalek, it was broken. It was dying. But I touched it. The moment I did that...I brought it back to life."

"...and then it killed me," Angel added.

"You're never gonna let that go are you?" Rose asked her, half-joking, half-serious.

"Rose, ever notice how every time you defended something, it killed me in the end?" Angel asked, also half-joking, half-serious, "Literally. First the Dalek, then the Devil…"

"The Devil?" Mickey's eyes widened.

"It's a LONG story," Angel smiled, letting Mickey know that, while they didn't have the time or focus to divert to telling the story, she WOULD tell him it eventually.

He nodded, "I've got a few for you as well."

"That adventure...that's why I regenerated."

"And I said I was sorry like a hundred times," Rose rolled her eyes dramatically.

Angel laughed and nudged her. She had no hard feelings about regeneration, when it came to her at least. The way she saw it, each regeneration had brought her something new. The first one, had brought her to the Doctor, the second had brought her more confidence in feeling like she just might be worthy of him. In terms of regeneration and the Doctor though, she knew she was being a little bit of a hypocrite in not wanting him to regenerate. When she saw him regenerate into his new body, all she had thought was that 9 had died. She'd affectionately dubbed his last self simply '9,' for his 9th incarnation, it was a way to differentiate between his past selves and also to make them unique. Yes, she loved 10 just as much as she did 9, and she knew 9 was still alive through 10, still the same man, but...the fact that '9' had died, that hurt. Knowing one had died to get the other...she couldn't bear the thought that, one day, someone might try to kill the Doctor mid-regeneration, interrupting the cycle like that could mean permanent death and that...that was her worst nightmare.

Far worse than her thoughts that she might not be good enough for him.

Far worse than her still lingering fear of the dark.

Nothing was worse than the thought of losing him.

"Anyway…" Rose continued, pulling Angel from her darkening thoughts, "The Doctor said when you travel in time in the TARDIS, you soak up all this...um...background radiation. It's harmless, it's just there. But in the Time War, the Daleks evolved so they could use it as a power supply."

"I love it when you talk technical," Mickey quipped.

"Shut up," Rose smirked, "If the Daleks have got something inside that thing that needs waking up..."

"They need you."

"YOU'VE travelled in time," Angel told him.

"But I haven't," Rajesh cut in, "Why would they keep me alive?"

"'Cos I want them to. Point is, they need me to open it, they'd prefer a Time Lord do it compared to a human, and if they want that then they need to be careful, they can't get me angry enough to refuse or…"

"Or what?" Mickey frowned.

"Or they exterminate me and move onto Rose and you. As long as I'm alive Rajesh, you're safe."

"But why would they build something they can't open themselves?"

"The technology is stolen," the first Dalek exclaimed, having heard the last bit of their conversation, "The Ark is not of Dalek design."

"Then who built it?" Rose asked.

"The Time Lords," Angel answered. She could vaguely recognize the tech and the overall Ark felt familiar in only a way things from Gallifrey could. That was why they needed her, they couldn't be sure that the Ark would open for a human, but they KNEW it would for the ones who built it, a Time Lord.

"This is all that survives of their Home World," the Dalek stated as it returned to circling the Ark.

"What's inside?" Rose looked at Angel.

"The future," the Daleks called.

"I dunno," Angel shook her head, "But whatever it is…it's not good."

The group looked over and stared at the Ark in apprehension.

A/N: Uh oh spaghettios, lol. What's wrong/happening with Angel? Well...it'll definitely have something to do with her abilities/powers...and that's all I'll say for that :) But...threw in just a tiny hint of angry Angel here, not quite on par with 'Oncoming Storm' level fury but still, a little bit of anger for Angel :) We've also got some foreshadowing popping up here, and not just in terms of the Doctor in later seasons but also Angel's own story in relation to the show. Her worst fear? Will that be in her room? Hmm...not saying exactly what she'll see in her room for God Complex, I will say though that, in my Sneak Peeks, whatever was there brought AMY to tears as well :)

Ohhh...Rose and Mickey saw the Vortex in Angel. Wonder what will come of that...will the Doctor find out? Will the two even get a chance to tell him? I mean, they ARE in the middle of a war...hmmm...I guess we'll find out :)

Yay! Rajesh is alive! I always felt a little bad for him, even though he worked for Torchwood, the way he died was just terrible. At least Yvonne, in the end, remained a little alive where as Rajesh...urgh. I winced at his death. And Angel can't exactly be in two places at once, she couldn't save Yvonne, but at least she managed to help Rajesh.

A note about chapter 11...yeah, believe me, I definitely know the Latin's wrong :) I have a Bachelor's in Latin and Ancient Greek and I agonized over posting the chapter the way it was because of deus being wrong. But in the episode the monks were chanting 'Lupus Deus Est' and since I was writing what they were actually doing/saying and that chant was the basis for the title I felt like I had to stick to it :( -sigh- those writers need to do some research! lol :) Lol. it's kind of like how you're taught the 'v' in Latin is pronounced like a 'w' yet everyone says 'Veni, Vidi, Vici' with a 'v' sound when Caesar himself, and those for centuries after, probably would have used the 'w.' But thank you for pointing out the 20s not 50s. I was going to write 'twenties' but then went to numbers right before I actually wrote it and hit the 5 by mistake. I went back and fixed it though so thanks! :)