XXX
Breaking at the seams

The Island
The Tardis
Two days before the Day of Destruction

The Doctor, Aaron, Rose and Terry stand in silence, throwing glances at each other across the Tardis console. They stand there, not uttering a word or even daring to move a muscle. The silence is tense and somewhat awkward.

A few hours has passed since April announced Jason's death. It was lucky Will took April away from the scene at that moment because Martha probably would have attacked again her out of remorse. But soon after they left, Martha was escorted out, and eventually the Tardis is left with Rose, Terry, Aaron and the Doctor.

No one knows where Will and April currently are. The Doctor tires to ignore his concerns about this. Surely they can't have travelled further than the Island itself? The Doctor does not mention anything about this, knowing full well that everyone is trying to process the news of Jason's death.

But how are they supposed to react when all April said was that Jason died because of her? From the little she did say, they know that the act of killing Jason was down to Monroe. But April said it was her fault. That he is dead because of her. No one knows if that is the truth or if she is just taking the blame. When April returns, she will have to explain herself to clear the waters.

Everyone is too full of remorse and anger right now.

Rose takes in a deep breath. "When they return," she says, her voice sounding strange in the tense air around them. "Are we going to stop April from being part of the Day of Destruction?"

This is then followed by another horrible long silence.

The Doctor goes to say something but Aaron cuts across him quickly.

"We can't," he says gruffly. "Jack said that once their name is called out at the party there are no changes," Aaron waves his hand in the air as if swatting away a fly. "Something about a curse that cannot be broken."

"Okay," Rose says, cautiously glancing over to the Doctor. "And what are we going to do about April?"

Another horrible silence.

"I don't think April is the reason why Jason is dead," the Doctor says sternly and everyone stares at him, surprised that he is standing up for her. "Just knowing what April is like, she would take the blame for anything," the Doctor then rubs his eyes. "She probably could have stopped Monroe from killing him, yes, but Monroe would have killed Jason anyway."

"You don't suppose Monroe said something to April to make her feel this way?" Rose asks.

"I wouldn't be surprised," Aaron growls as he folds his arm. "It is what he did after Peter Bursnell."

"Poor April." Rose mutters.

Aaron turns to look at the Doctor. "Don't expect her to welcome us back with open arms after watching her friend being killed. I'm not expecting anything from Martha in her state."

"Where is she now?" The Doctor asks.

"Ellis has offered to let her stay at his for the night."

"You think that's wise?"

"Ellis has done enough to prove his is trustworthy," Terry says in a voice that sounds almost robotic. "And so is everyone that's part of the revolution. I trust him. I trust all of them. They have not proved otherwise."

For knowing Terry's intelligence, they all know better than to cross her judgement.

Yet there is another tense silence.

The Doctor frowns. "So," he says, changing the tone of his voice as he looks from Terry to Aaron. "What is this cold star you mentioned?"

Aaron leans back on the rails. "It's the star this Island rotates around. The equivalent to our star," Aaron turns face-on to the Doctor and looks at him quizzically. "Have you ever asked April what she fears the most?"

"No but I gathered its this Island and the Black Lighthouse."

Aaron shakes his head, sighing. "That's not what I meant, Doctor. Have you asked her what she is more afraid of: fire or ice?"

The Doctor stares at Aaron, a little dumbstruck.

"I'm guessing Jack has not told you what April's therapist asked her way before you two met? She asked April if she feared the fiery pain she feels when she wakes up after the nightmare, or the icy coldness she feels on that beach. And you only have to look back at how she was in the battle with the Nobody's," Aaron sighs. "Can you hazard a guess as to what April replied with?"

Aaron pauses for dramatic effect but before he says anything, Joseph steps out of the shadows of the treelike pillars.

His voice is strong as he speaks. "She said she does not like ice."

April wakes up with a start, just as she watches Monroe pull the trigger again, killing Jason. As the bullet hits Jason's heart, it is almost as if it hits April too, jolting her awake from her sleep. But then she panics in the seconds that follow, not being sure as to where she is. However her panic subsides the moment she can hear Will's heartbeat and his slow, steady breathing beside her. Both her and Will must have fallen asleep not long after they curled up together under the blanket.

But she remembers nothing in the space between her falling asleep on the roof of the UNIT base and when she briefly relived Jason's death. For the first time in eight years, April did not witness the Black Lighthouse in her sleep.

Will and April now lie in a large double bed in what looks like a spare bedroom. The bed is framed with black iron bars at the head and the end, and there is a deep red, thin and scratchy duvet covering both of them. The window just beside them is covered by old, dusty looking curtains.

The spare bedroom is rather small, containing nothing more than the bed, a wooden bedside table and an empty desk.

April, still wrapped up in Will's arms, looks up at him, only to find him still sleeping peacefully. Not wanting to disturb him, she manages to untangle herself from his arms and crawl out of bed. Now she isn't sharing Will's body heat, April wraps her arms around herself, already feeling cold.

However, it is not clear as to where she is. There are three possible options: they are in a spare room in Ellis' house, or Jack Gruntler's house, or they have been kidnapped. April hopes for the former rather than the latter.

She carefully steps through the dark bedroom and opens the door as quietly as she can. Having had years of practice doing this around the house while living with Bruce Fey, April does not have any problems with being quiet. But as she opens the door, she is met with a grey wooden floored landing. Just over to her left are stairs leading downstairs.

April cannot help but breathe out a sigh of relief as she knows that she is in fact in Jack Gruntler's new residence. She feels safe leaving Will to continue sleeping peacefully in the spare bedroom. She closes the door quietly behind her and slowly makes her way down the wooden stairs, following the angry, muffled voices that can be heard through a closed door downstairs.

To April's luck, there is no one else in the living room. However the door leading to the kitchen is shut. She can just about see the light through the small gap between the door and the flooring, and the closer she gets to the door, the louder and clearer the voices are. However it does not come to a surprise to April to who the male voices belong to.

"Don't be ridiculous, Doctor," Aaron snaps. "For whatever reason it was for, it was their choice to put their names down. They must have seen a good reason for it."

"The truth about April is that she would do this out of her own stubbornness. You know what Declan is like. April did this because she feels like she can save everyone and anyone," The Doctor argues. "She can be stubbornly blind to accept our help."

"Take note, Doctor." Comes Jack's low voice which seems to be just on the other side of the door. For a second, April moves away from the door in case anyone catches her, before she continues to listen in.

"April has the mind of a soldier," Aaron says gruffly. "She just wants to save herself from this place and hope we all come out alive. Isn't that not what you want, Doctor?"

"Yes, but this is going too far! Volunteering for the Day of Destruction is going to make matters worse. It's a suicide mission! She's been told time and time again that the whole universe is on it's way to those woods for this race. They all want the Cytracik as well as having myself and her dead. She might as well wave a white flag. Everything is just falling apart."

"Well we've all come to the conclusion of what we are going to do on that day. We've discussed this, Doctor. Besides, do you not remember what Declan asked you to do before he died?"

The Doctor hesitates for a short second, but when he speaks, his voice is dark and low. "Do you not think how much that has been weighing me down since the moment he told me?"

"And what have you done for it, Doctor?"

"I'M SAVING HER LIFE AS MUCH AS SHE IS SAVING MINE! Go on, Brigadier," the Doctor's voice goes from angry to mocking very quickly. "Tell me everything you know! Tell me how much I've messed up since April has come into our lives. How I could have done better. Or what you would have done because you don't get it. You don't understand the fear I have every single day that I will lose her and it will be my fault because I didn't succeed in doing as her father wishes. I've pushed her away, that's for sure, but I have had one too many friends die under my watch and I can't do it again!"

"What April chooses to do will not be your fault, Doctor." Jack says but it is almost as if he isn't even there in the room with them.

"You're not the only one who is suffering, Doctor! I've lost my whole bloody company in the last two battles! My Captain has just been murdered! Do you not think that the memory of those shape shifters torturing me in that other dimension still haunts me? That I've tried clawing my own fucking teeth out every time I have a flashback?" Aaron's voice suddenly becoming harsher than ever. "Do you not think I'm regretting these moments since my son left me, wishing that I could have been a better father?"

"Truth be told, Aaron, it probably didn't help that you spent the first half of that boy's UNIT career pretending he wasn't your son." The Doctor sneers.

"Well, aren't you one for telling me how much of a screw up I am."

The silent second that passes is painful but then there is sudden movement, followed by smack and a groan of pain. It is evident that either the Doctor or Aaron have just attempted to assault one another – something April never imagined either of them would ever do to each other.

"ENOUGH!" Ellis bellows and the sound of fighting ceases.

For a while, there is nothing but heavy breathing.

"Sorry." The Doctor eventually says.

"Me too." Aaron replies and it's evident they both mean it.

Then there is a loud bang, as if someone has slammed their fist onto a wooden surface. It isn't clear who does this. April lifts her fist, ready to knock on the door but halts when Ellis starts to speak again.

"I think what we need to be more concerned about right now, is thinking about who is going to take Jason's place as a volunteer." Ellis' voice is surprisingly calm.

"I agree for anyone but Maxwell." The Doctor mutters.

"And I strongly agree that neither of the three of us should go ether," Jack says very calmly. "But on that note, I believe that our little discussion here is over."

"I agree," Ellis says before clearing his throat. "I will talk this through with the rest of the revolution."

"No," Jack says simply. "I mean that April wishes to have a word with you, Doctor. She's just outside of the door and has been for the past few minutes."

Before April has the chance to react, the kitchen door swings open. A startled looking April is met by a somewhat exasperated and tired looking Doctor with a swollen, bloody bottom lip, Aaron and Ellis, and Jack who looks knowingly at her as if reading her mind.

In the silent seconds that follow, the Doctor's face softens.

"April?" He says in a soft tone. He then lowers his arm to April's arm that has been bandaged up by Martha. However the blood has seeped right through. The Doctor cannot help but feel a pang of guilt for April. What on earth happened to her?

"Come on in," Jack says, opening his arms to welcome her into the kitchen. "I thought the spare bedroom would be more of a comfortable spot for yourself and Will rather than the roof of the UNIT base."

April ignores the glances exchanged between the Doctor and Aaron as she steps into the cold kitchen.

"Look at you, you're freezing." Aaron says as he takes off his Brigadier jacket and hangs it over April's shoulders.

April mutters an inaudible thanks before looking at the Doctor.

"If I ask you to take me somewhere," April says in a stronger voice than before, despite the slight tremble. "Will you promise to take me there without a fuss?"

"April..." The Doctor starts.

"And if you say no I'll just drive the Tardis myself. But I don't want to go alone. And I feel like I cannot risk my family to go alone. I'm just asking you to trust me and support me. Please."

The Doctor sighs.

"Do I have your word for it?" April asks sternly. "If I ask you to leave the scene you'll do as I say. And that you'll let me to do this the way I want it to be done."

"You have my word," the Doctor says, nodding. "Where do you want to go?"

"I want you to take me to the Dalek spaceship."