Chapter 11
Ace was crouched low in the back room of the pub as she looked out the window. Jones now had the Doctor as a hostage.
"Listen up, McShane! I intend to shoot somebody today and I'd prefer it to be you. But if you're just too damn wussy, I suppose it'll just have to be your blacksmith friend."
"Forget about me, Ace, and save yourself!"
"You got one minute to decide. YOU HEAR ME MAID? ONE MINUTE!"
Ace turned from the window and spotted an old cast iron stove. She got an idea.
On the train, the bearded man was still talking.
"I never seen a man so broken up over a woman. What'd you say her name was? Greta? Rita?"
"Nita?"
"Nita!"
Nita instantly spun around.
"Excuse me."
"Ma'am."
"But was this man short, with a question mark jumper and curly brown hair?"
"You know him!"
Nita turned back around. "Doctor!"
She got up and pulled on a cable that caused the train to stop. Everyone jerked as the train came to a quick stop. Nita jumped off the train and started running back toward town.
In Queen Street, Jones and her gang, along with the Doctor, were waiting for Ace.
"Time's up, maid!" Jones threw the watch at the Doctor and pointed her gun toward him. "Prepare to meet your Maker, blacksmith."
The Doctor knew he would regenerate if Jones shot him fatally, but he didn't really want to do it right there in Queen Street, and he hadn't expected to have to regenerate again so soon.
"Right here, Jones!"
Jones turned and spotted Ace. They assumed positions. Everyone who was in the pub came out and so do all the townspeople nearby.
"Draw!" shouted Jones.
"No!" replied Ace.
Jones stared at her. Ace threw her gun and belt down and gulped. "I thought we could settle this like adults."
Jones paused. "You thought wrong, love." She shot and Ace fell to the ground.
Jones laughed and walked over to where Ace lay motionless on the ground. The Doctor watched Jones then looked down at Ace in disbelief.
"Ahh, thank ya."
Jones stopped just in front of Ace. She pointed her gun down at Ace meaning to finish her off. Suddenly Ace kicked the gun out of Jones' hand. She stood up to face Jones. Jones threw a punch to Ace's stomach and nearly broke her hand.
"OOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! Uhhaggh ughhnngh."
Ace lifted her poncho to reveal the stove door that she put on as a bullet-proof vest. She had seen the same thing in a movie once. Ace took off the stove door and slammed it down on top of Jones' head. She fell, but then stood up again.
"UUUUUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH—Oof…!"
Ace punched her again and again, and Jones crashed into the tombstone in front of a shop, breaking it in half, and she landed headfirst in the rubbish cart. Everyone stared.
Joseph chuckled slightly. "That was good."
The Senior Constable and his officers were galloping on horseback toward the scene.
"You know what I think?" asked a gang member. "I think Suzette's going to jail."
"You're right," agreed a second gang member.
The gang members all took off running. The Doctor tripped one of them, and the others kept running.
"Get him out of that crap," ordered the Senior Constable. "Get them!" He indicated the escaping criminals, and the others took off in pursuit. The Mayor pointed his long rifle at Jones' head.
"Suzette Jones, you're under arrest for robbing the Toowoomba Stage," said the Senior Constable. "You got anything to say?"
Jones slowly spat out two mouthfuls of rubbish. "I hate rubbish."
"Look!" cried the Doctor to Ace.
He indicated the split tombstone and Ace immediately whipped out the photo, from which the image of the tombstone vanished.
"ACE!" cried Ace.
"Let's get to the TARDIS!" cried the Doctor.
"What about Nita?"
"Hopefully she's already there!"
They quickly got on their horses but before they left a little boy stopped Ace.
"Hey Miss…Miss McShane. Here's your gun, Miss." He gave the gun to Ace.
"Thanks, kid." She spotted Joseph standing in front of the Pub. Joseph grinned and rolled his hands fists, faking a punch to show that he saw what Ace did. "Joseph!" Ace tossed him the gun and gun belt. "Worth twelve pounds, never been used."
"Maybe I'll trade it for a new hat."
"Right, and take care of that baby!" She rode off with the Doctor toward the TARDIS.
Joseph called after her, "I will!"
Nita ran into the blacksmith shop. "Doctor! Doctor! Doctor!" She looked around and saw that everything was gone.
The Doctor and Ace entered the TARDIS.
"Nita! Are you here?" called the Doctor.
"I'll see if she's in her room."
Nita was on a horse heading for the TARDIS.
Ace returned from the depths from the TARDIS.
"I can't find her."
"Where is she? We'll just have to wait for her to show up."
Nita arrived at the cave where the TARDIS was hidden.
Ace was in her bedroom unpacking her things. The Doctor was in the console room.
Nita got off her horse and entered the cave. "Doctor! Are you in there?"
The Doctor didn't hear her. He input the time co-ordinates to 27 October, 1989, 11 AM in preparation for their imminent departure. He crouched below the console and began tinkering as he waited for Nita.
Nita quietly opened the TARDIS door. She slipped inside and closed the door just as quietly.
The Doctor came out from under the console, but still did not see Nita.
"Doctor!"
The Doctor turned around and stared at Nita. "Nita!"
"I love you."
Just then Ace walked into the console room. "What's happening, Professor?"
"Nita's arrived!"
"Nita! Perfect, can we go now?"
"Yes, let's get going."
The Doctor went over to the console and pulled the dematerization lever. The time rotor began pumping and the room was filled with its customary wooshing noise. The TARDIS shuddered as it entered the time vortex and Nita nearly fell over. Ace sat in a corner.
"Whoa!" cried the Doctor.
The TARDIS pitched from side to side and Nita grabbed on the console to try to keep her balance.
"Doctor!"
"Hold on!"
The Doctor staggered over to Nita and held her close as he braced against the console. Finally the shaking stopped, as did the time rotor. The Doctor released Nita and they all got shakily to their feet. The Doctor looked at the time/space readout on the console.
"We're back in 1989."
"They stepped out of the TARDIS to find themselves next to the railway crossing near Nita's house. A freight train went roaring past.
"Ok guys, I won't be long. I just want to check on my family. Don't run away."
She headed down the street to her house.