My Ghosts Come Back

by AuthorA97

Donna Blipping Noble. She can feel something coming. Bigger than any of them. The Doctor is more worried about the Time Lady than ever. There's River Song, and Jenny, and so many other people that when Rose shows up Terra isn't even surprised. (Part 5 of Fallen Star Series!)

10. The Doctor's Daughter

The TARDIS tilted again. I gripped tighter to the handrails, moving with it to keep my head from spinning.

Looking below the console, I spotted a bubbling hand in a jar.

He's excited

I am too

We get to keep Martha around a little bit longer! Who wouldn't be excited?

"What the hell's it doing?" Donna yelled.

Fine, Donna, be a party pooper

"The control's not working." The Doctor tried pulling a lever.

The TARDIS complained. She turned sharply, sending us both sprawling to the ground.

"Hey the hand! Wherever we're going, your old hand is really excited!" I told him. "Is it supposed to do that?"

The Doctor looked. "Not really, no."

"I thought that was just some freaky alien thing. You telling me it's yours?" Donna asked.

"Well." The Doctor hummed.

"It got cut off." Martha told Donna.

"He grew a new lucky one!" I cheered.

Donna laughed, shaking her head. Or maybe the TARDIS' driving just made it look like it was shaking. "You are completely impossible!"

"Not impossible." The Doctor pulled himself back up. He kicked at a lever. "Just a bit unlikely."

The TARDIS landed with a foreboding thud. Not the sort of thing you want to feel when your ship starts flying herself.

I stood up. My gate only slightly wobbled as I walked to the door. The Doctor excitedly stumbled after me.

The outside was cluttered and smoking. Construction pieces were strewn all around, as if the plans were abandoned in the wake of a tragedy. Fitting considering that's exactly what happened! Everything looked like a battle just recently ended.

Across the hall sat two machines. One, the processing machine. The second, the progenitor. The clone maker. The double creator. The multi-generational tool. Tall enough so somebody six foot tall could walk out, the machine had dulled glass panel walls to keep anyone from seeing how it created the person.

I sniffed. The smell of gunfire threw me off, and...and a headache. Some rest had done me good, but my brain still ached from the fight against the Sontarans. A shame. Then again, it must be keeping the Doctor from noticing the time period too. Maybe the radiation had an effect? But radiation doesn't affect us that strongly- I mean unless it does but in different ways?

My head hurt thinking about it.

And hurt in general.

"It's ugly." I told Martha and Donna.

The Doctor looked around the large corridor. "Why would the TARDIS bring us here, then?"

"Because this place is a mess, and we must clean it!" I suggested. Walking to a nearby structure, I lifted up the side as if to clean it.

"We're not maids." The Doctor argued.

"Well we basically are."

"Basi- we're not maids!"

"Oh, I love this bit." Martha sighed happily.

"I thought you wanted to go home." Donna teased.

"I know, but all the same, it's that feeling you get." Martha explained.

"But we are though!" I told the Doctor.

"Like you swallowed a hamster?" Donna guessed. Martha nodded. "Oh these two, already back at it."

"We aren't maids!" The Doctor argued.

"The TARDIS says we are!" I argued.

"Are not!"

"Are too!"

"Are not!"

"Are not!"

"Are too!"

"Dee too!" I cheered, posing like a cheerleader with one hand on my hip and the other in the air for a fist bump.

The Doctor grunted in annoyance. He hated losing that game.

"Don't move! Stay where you are!" A voice that was most definitely not Cline's shouted. It was an American accent. "Drop your weapons."

A teenage boy walked up to us, looking similar but not exactly like Cline. It was hard to tell if his skin was pale or not, cause of all the dirt on his cheeks. He had some floppy dark brown hair, cut so that it didn't fall over his amber eyes. He was wearing old and worn military garp; a faded green jacket, white undershirt, baggy black cargo pants with a green belt with a silver book shaped belt buckle, and brown boots.

He marched up to us, keeping the rifle aimed at us. At me. When he looked at the Doctor and I, he winked. Did that mean he had met the Doctor, or was it just a trick of the light?

His team of men aimed their weapons too. At Martha. I mean, and Donna. Martha and Donna.

"We're unarmed-" The Doctor told the soldiers. I glanced at the Doctor. He was glaring at Not-Cline.

The Doctor raised his hands. I slowly lifted mine, keeping loose for a quick move to grab the gun in my Bag. I mean, wait no. Martha didn't like when I used guns. Should I grab something else? The sword. I would grab the sword. It still had a pointy end.

The Doctor wasn't talking. No, he just kept glaring at the Not-Cline.

"We have no weapons." I told them. "Just the power of friendship-"

"Oh don't even. You also have the power of that gun in your pocket!" Not-Cline nodded his head towards the Bag. "Am I right?"

"...its two guns."

"Terra!" The Doctor scolded. He kept glaring at Not-Cline.

"I meant to say a sword!" I apologized for his sake. Wait, was that better or worse? The Tenth Doctor seemed to like using swords- or even just using the sonic as a sword sometimes.

"Hey- look at their hands. They're clean." Another boy- barely older than the first- reported obediently. He had a familiar looking red cap on his head. Not from UNIT- this red was too dark, like a weird off-red.

"Alright, we'll process them. Eenie meenie-" Not-Cline motioned with his rifle to the Doctor. He was way too excited about this. "You first."

The Doctor's glare harshened.

The two soldiers went for the Doctor. I tried to move forward, wanting to push them off him.

"Terra, stay away from him!" The Doctor ordered.

Not-Cline clicked his gun. He stepped closer, keeping it aimed at me. "No way!"

"Leave him alone!" I hissed.

"You know I won't." Not-Cline replied.

"Oi, oi. What's wrong with clean hands?" The Doctor called out. They dragged him towards the machine.

Martha grabbed my shoulder. "Terra, what are you doing? Stop them!"

I glared at the soldier boy.

Not-Cline nodded his head, raising the gun to make his point. "Go ahead. Try it."

My fist loosened, inching towards my Bag.

"How fast can you run?" Not-Cline challenged me.

"Terra go!"

"They'll shoot him!" I argued with her.

The Doctor's arm got pushed into the machine. The lights glowed white then a dull red.

"Leave him alone." Donna shouted at them.

I held up my arm, keeping her back. The last thing anyone needed was to deal with a pissed off Donna.

Look at me

Stopping conflict without a gun

"Something tells me this isn't about to check my blood pressure. Argh!" The Doctor cried out in pain, grabbing the machine to balance himself.

"Terra, what are they doing to him?" Donna asked. "Oi! What are you doing to him?!"

"Everybody gets processed." The boy held up a hand, showing off the scar left behind by the processing.

Who are you

You're not Clive

Who the fuck are you

"Doctor. Whatsit doin'?" I asked.

The Doctor winced. He tried to balance back on his feet again, still clinging to the device. "It's taking a tissue sample. Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow." He hissed in pain. "And extrapolated it. Some kind of accelerator?"

It pushed him out.

The boy lowered his gun. I ran to the Doctor's side. He used me to balance himself.

"I'm alright, I'm alright." The Doctor assured me. He held up his hand.

Martha and Donna caught up to us.

His only proof of what just happened came in the shape of an odd 'y'. The scar laid smack in the middle of the back of his hand. They took some of the epidermis layer of skin off.

"Doctor. Whatsit?"

"What on earth?" The Doctor asked himself. "That's just-"

The doors beside us opened. The dulled glass panels slid to the sides. A large cloud of smoke fell out.

The four of us looked at her.

A figure stood there. Her silhouette was cast by a back light from the inside of the machine. She stepped out, revealing herself. A tall blonde woman, bright blue eyes, and also dressed in military slacks. She smiled over at us- no doubt recognizing her father among the lot of us by the scar on his hand.

Jenny

Not-Cline walked up to her. "Happy Birthday. Here's your first gift." The boy picked up a rifle from the nearby table. He handed it over to Jenny. "I gave you the first, so I love you more."

Jenny just cocked it, ignoring him.

"Excuse me, her father gave her the gift of life." I pointed out.

Not-Cline scoffed. "That doesn't count."

'Terra you can't talk to him!'

'Well obviously. We're well past talking. I have to argue.' "Yes it does!"

"No it doesn't!" Not-Cline countered.

"Yes it doesn't!"

"No it does count and that's the end of-dammit!" He stomped his foot. "You got me!"

"I got 'im!" I boasted,taking the cheerleader pose again.

"Why do you always do that?!" Not-Cline complained.

"Because I'm always good at it!" I yelled back. "Wait always?"

"Where did she come from?" Martha asked.

The Doctor swallowed. "From me."

"From you? How? Who is she?" Donna asked.

"That." I pointed to the scar on his hand. "But accelerated."

"Doctor?" Donna asked. "Translate, please?"

Jenny checked her new rifle over. Checked the ammo, the barrel, the safety and trigger. All the other gun things. I glanced at the boy again. He brandished his own rifle, shaking his head. One of his soldiers snickered, bumping his elbow with his hand.

"Well, she's, well, she's my daughter." The Doctor admitted.

Jenny smiled at us, cocking her rifle. "Hello Dad."

Not-Cline came up to me, shaking his head still. "Yeah 'always'. I get that you're the older sister, but do you gotta rub that in my face?"

"Sister?" I looked at the boy in shock.

==MGCB==

He can't be my brother.

He can't.

I have three brothers, and none of them look like this boy. Derek had brown hair, but none of them had my amber eyes. That always stayed a constant in these worlds- my eyes stayed the same and so did Darcy's.

Also. A side note. None of my brothers had my powers.

I would fucking know by now

Who the fuck is this

Not-my-brother had become shocked himself, honestly. He let out a pfft, nodding his head as he came to his own conclusions. "Can you wait to give me a Gibbs until later?" He asked. "It's just- work stuff."

"Right. No Gibbs." I nodded, becoming more stunned with every word.

"Also no murder." Not-my-brother asked.

"Dude you get two options-" I reminded him.

"Gibbs, but later." Not-my-brother decided.

"Death, but now." I countered. There. Two options. Plain and simple.

Not-my-brother grimaced. "Skip."

Ah. The hidden third option.

Before I could reply he turned back to Jenny. "Quick while she's distracted. You primed to take orders? Ready to figh-tah?" He added a few fake punches, like one of those old fighter arcade games.

The Doctor and the companions were silent. All of them watched the exchange with shock on their faces. Not that I could blame them. The Doctor just became a father. I apparently have a soldier crazy enough to lie about being my relative. Martha and Donna put up with too much shit. I should get Colonel Mace to pay them money. It's the least they deserve.

'Terra. Do you know him?' The Doctor asked, sounding not too friendly. In fact he sounded very annoyed at whatever was going on here.

If he was gonna be an asshole, so was I. As if I would be so stupid to bring any of my relatives in front of him again.

'Never met him before today. How's it feel to be a dad again?' I asked. It was a low blow, but I'm annoyed and hit with a surprise brother and I have a headache. Two if you count Not-Cline. 'She looks a lot like the version of you that wore a vegetable.'

"Instant mental download of all strategic and military protocols, sir." Jenny reported. "Generation five thousand soldier primed and in peak physical health. Oh, I'm ready."

"Man." Not-my-brother shook his head, grinning. "It feels really good to be called sir. Instead of dead man or abomination or Stop that boy!"

'Again?' The Doctor asked.

'You told Rose and me. Back with the Isosceles.' I reminded him.

'The Isolus.' The Doctor corrected.

'That's what I said.' I replied.

'You remember that?' The Doctor asked, sounding surprised.

'Yeah. Don't you?' I asked.

"Did you say daughter?" Donna asked the Doctor.

"Did he say sister?" Martha asked me.

"I believe he did, yes." I replied.

"Mmm. Technically." The Doctor confirmed, with a stunned nod.

"Technically how?" Martha pressed.

"Still working on that." I admitted, hesitantly. The boy confounded me. "The brother thing, not the daughter thing. I told you how that happened."

Derek has no powers, Terrance has no powers, Nathan has no powers. None of my brothers have powers. The only sibling that could doesn't have a dick. Who the fuck are you?

'You said you never had proper kids.' The Doctor recalled.

'I dabbled in genetic experimentation. Not the same thing but...I made them.' Looking over a Not-Cline, I narrowed my eyes at him.

Did I make him too?

Or...have I not made him yet?

"Rocket. Explosive secure." The third soldier reported.

"Good job, boyo." Rocket, aka not-my-brother, held up his fist. The soldier in the beret bumped it. "You did good too, other guy!"

What kind of name is 'Rocket'?

Martha shook her head, rubbing at her head. Did she have a headache too? I could find some aspirin in my Bag or something- "You didn't explain it. You just said she came from his hand."

"Progenation." The Doctor answered. He swallowed, looking down at me. Confusion and concern splashed on his face. "Reproduction from a single organism. Means one parent is biological mother and father. You take a sample of diploid cells, split them into haploids, then recombine them in a different arrangement and grow. Very quickly, apparently."

"But they didn't take Terra's DNA." Martha reminded him. "And he was here before we even got here. So how could she have a clone?"

A clone. Yes, a clone. That could work- in theory. A clone of me.

"Still working on that." I repeated. "We deal with time travel all the time. Meeting people out of order is expected."

Rocket turned back at me, winking. "Par for the course, exactly."

"Terra. You can't trust him." The Doctor warned. "We don't know what's going on here. He could be lying."

Though I wanted to believe him, I knew better. Cline was supposed to be here. He wasn't. That meant something I did changed that. What better change than sticking a brother in there?

But how?

"Something's coming." Jenny warned everyone.

Up ahead, a loud sound went off. A bunch of loud metal clangs. I tensed, carefully moving to put myself in front of the companions. The Doctor held my arm, ready to pull us both back.

Gunfire went off.

"Biscuit eatin' frog turd! It's the Hath!" Rocket warned the others. He started firing from the rifle.

"Get down!" Jenny ordered her father.

As gunfire hit the metal barrels around us, the Doctor and I moved. We guided Martha and Donna further down the tunnel to hide behind large piles of barrels and metal fixtures.

Had to keep Martha away

Have to keep her safe

Have to keep her away from the armies and the soldiers and the Toclafane-

"Yellow, could use some help!" Rocket shouted.

"Managing the civilians!" I shouted back.

"He's got them!" Rocket replied.

"I'm taking a defensive position on the rear!" I yelled.

"Whose rear?!" He snapped.

I blushed. What a bastard...we are definitely related.

"We have to blow the tunnel!" Rocket called out. "Get the detonator."

"She's not detonating anything." The Doctor yelled.

I grabbed Martha, pulling her aside. A Hath reached out for us. Reaching in my Bag, I pulled out a gun to point at his face.

The Doctor pushed my arms down. The gun was now aimed at the ground. I glared at him. He glared back.

The Hath advanced.

Arms used, I pushed my weight onto the Doctor. He barely managed to keep from falling back. Using his weight, I kicked up in the air. My boots hit the Hath's chest. He stumbled back, leaving Martha alone. Out of reach from us both.

No

The Doctor couldn't handle the force behind my kick. We both went sprawling on the ground. I landed on him. The Doctor groaned at the elbow to his gut.

Where's Martha?

Where did she go?

"Blow the thing!" Rocket yelled. "Blow the thing!"

I stood up.

"MARTHA WAIT-"

Jenny hit the button. To my horror, the Doctor scooped me up. I tried fighting against him. He held tighter to me. Against my wishes he dragged me down the corridor. The other soldiers made a hasty retreat.

A Hath held Martha

Martha was screaming and kicking at him

"NO!" I yelled.

The Doctor held tighter to me.

The blast went off. Debris fell around us. Or rather it fell between us. Between Martha and I. Martha, stuck on the other side with the Hath.

Once out of danger, the Doctor let me go. I started running. Rocket stepped to the side, blocking my path. I didn't break stride. He would go down.

I could always beat my brothers in a fist fight

The boy bumped my shoulder. It knocked me back. Despite how bony he looked, the kid had muscles beneath the military gear.

"Where do you think you're going?" Rocket asked.

"Martha." I answered, climbing to my feet.

Rocket blocked my path again. "Sorry, pendeja, but that tunnel is sealed." The boy explained in a harsh order. "Not even you can get through that."

"Then I'll blow it up. Again." I decided. There was material for a bomb in the Bag. With the metal scrap all around, I could manage it easy. Be done in a minute.

"And if Martha gets hit in the blast?" Rocket countered.

I snarled at him. He just shook his head. Nononono I can't hurt Martha but I can't save her either I can't I can't I can't-

"You've sealed off the tunnel. Why did you do that?" The Doctor asked his biological daughter.

Jenny replied as any child would, the first time they'd get in trouble. "They were trying to kill us!"

"And now they have MARTHA!" I snapped at her.

Rocket pulled me back.

"Collateral damage." Jenny dismissed easily. I lashed out again. Not-Cline had to fight to keep me back. "At least you've still got them. He lost both his men. I'd say you came out ahead."

"MARTHA!" I snarled. "Her name is Doctor Martha Jones! If you ever call her collateral damage again I don't care who your dad is, I will make your insides your OUTSIDES!"

I pushed the boy back. Any other time, I would empathize. Someone in my family lost people important to them. That's a big deal. That's a moment of grief. They'd need help going out from that. Maybe a valid excuse to have a cry.

Me? Nah. Martha was trapped.

"Hey! ~Gamma goo gobby~." Rocket stated.

"WHAT?!" I yelled, whirling back around at him.

The language hitting my ears hurt more than I expected. Hearing another person speak Jumba Jookiba's language, use it and let the syllables and vowels fall off their tongue in a way that sounded fluent. That the boy spoke it now... I replied in kind.

"~After all you put me through, you expect me to help you just like that?! JUST? LIKE? THAT?!~"

Amber eyes looking into my own, he nodded. "~Ih~." My brother replied.

I can't. I can't give in. Martha is in danger-

But I know she's not. I know for a fact she's okay. I know she'll be okay, and that we'll see her later. That she manages on her own.

...I can't believe he used a movie quote against me.

"...fine." I've been convinced. Apparently arguing with me in movie quotes is effective.

"What just happened?" Donna asked.

I whirled around to her. "He's very persuasive."

Instead of Donna, my attention went to the Doctor. He glared, stone faced behind me. "We're going to find her."

"Haha. That was funny. You thought you had a choice." Rocket laughed robotically, forcefully. My hearts wept for him. He had lost his men. If he was anything like me, he took it personally. As the rage died down, my empathy finally started working as normal. "You don't make sense, you two."

"Hey!" I called out.

"You know our family. We're not supposed to make sense. It's insulting." Rocket supplied, brushing off any concern of mine. "Besides, if I said otherwise, Carl would have my head."

"So you know her too? Oh no."

"Oh yes." Rocket grinned. "Don't worry. I drive her insane too." He looked at the Doctor and Donna. He switched to a serious glare. "I'm taking you to General Cobb. Now, let's move it. Terra?"

"I'm only doing this cause you-"

"-quoted Pops, I know." Rocket winked at me. "I ain't afraid to play dirty when you're trying to kill me."

I nodded, agreeing. That was a smart move.

Rocket grinned. "I know!" He nodded ahead. "Forward march, if you please."

==MGCB==

Rocket guided us down the corridor. Jenny stood with our group.

"What were those words you said?" Donna asked. I tilted my head. "Those...gobby ones."

"It's how our family talks to each other." Not-my-brother explained. "Terra made a code language. We were just speaking it."

"Seriously? You made up a language?" Donna asked.

Cheeks red, I stared forward. "I was young and bored."

"The start of every great story with you." Rocket joked. "When I was born, she taught it to me."

"Shouldn't the TARDIS translate it for me, like Latin?" Donna asked.

I shook my head. "I asked her not to." At Donna's confused look, I added "Not exactly a secret language if everyone knows it, is it?"

"I'm Donna. What're your names?" Donna asked.

"Did I not say?" Rocket groaned, rolling his eyes. "Oh that's- that's rude. My bad." He turned, casually walking backwards in the corridor. He moved the rifle to the side, holding out his hand. "Sestra, I am Freddie. My assigned name was Rocket but eh. Whichever. I'll answer to anything."

"I was talking to her." Donna told him.

Rock- Freddie lifted his chin. "You can't bum me out." He whirled around, walking forward.

Freddie. Freddie. Clone. Brown hair. Where could he be from?

"Don't know. It's not been assigned." Jenny replied.

"Well, if you don't know that, what do you know?" Donna asked.

"How to fight." Jenny answered.

"Nothing else?" Donna asked.

"Why would she need to know more?" I asked.

"The machine must embed military history and tactics, but no name." The Doctor reasoned. "She's a generated anomaly."

"Jenny!" I cheered. "We're naming her Jenny."

"Oh I like that." Donna turned to Jenny. "Well, what about that? Jenny."

Jenny smiled. "Jenny. Yeah, I like that. Jenny."

"Jenny is great. I knew a few Jenny's." I commented. I looked at my clone. "So, it's just Freddie?"

"With an 'ie'." He added, grinning. "I mean, I have a last name, and that assigned name. But I like Freddie." His grin shifted to a grimace. "Is that okay?"

"Yeah." I assured him. My hand tapped down on his arm in what could be described as comforting. I am not good at reassuring pats. "I have those too. You're alright. Both of you. Jenny and Freddie, what a pair you make."

Freddie smiled in relief.

"What do you think, Dad?" Donna asked, turning to the Time Lord of the hour.

"Good as anything, I suppose." The Doctor dismissed. He avoided looking at Jenny. Or even me.

"Not what you'd call a natural parent, are you?" Donna asked.

"They stole a tissue sample at gunpoint and processed it. It's not what I call natural parenting." The Doctor argued.

"Rubbish. My friend Nerys fathered twins with a turkey baster." Donna countered. "Don't bother her. Terra, back me up here."

"You can't extrapolate a relationship from a biological accident." The Doctor argued.

"Er, Child Support Agency can." Donna pointed out. "Back me up here."

I kept a straight face, smiling innocently.

'Okay. I may have been harsh about bringing up the dad thing earlier.' I admitted.

The Doctor scoffed, verbally. It made the pit grow in my stomach. Anxiety ate away inside of me. Without sight of Martha, every though went in a downward spiral. The reaction- the look of pain and dismissal- gut punched me.

Now two people are mad at me...

'But can't you try? For your daughter's sake?'

'She's not my daughter. It's not the same.'

'What, because she's also a soldier?'

'Yes!' The Doctor argued. 'And Rocket.'

'What has Freddie done wrong?' I asked. 'He stopped me from making dumb choices back there. I thought you'd be proud of him.'

'You wouldn't understand.'

That made me laugh. Right, I wouldn't understand. The Doctor thinks I'm an idiot. I let him think that, so I can only blame myself.

No, I can go deeper. He hates these two- they only have one thing in common.

They're both soldiers

They both like guns

"If I see one more gun-"

"I don't like people with guns!"

He still hated me. Even after I stopped the Sontarans without violence (it's not my fault they killed themselves instead of living out my punishment. If they spell worked right, they just cursed their brothers to peace instead), he still hates me.

Martha probably does too...

"Look, just because I share certain physiological traits with simian primates doesn't make me a monkey's uncle, does it?" The Doctor scolded.

They both hate me.

"I'm not a monkey. Or a child." Jenny argued.

"That's up for debate." Freddie added in, looking towards the Doctor. "Given the fact that you've just been born can cause some to wonder if you've got the street smarts not to be taken to a secondary location-"

Ah. Misplaced aggression, my old friend.

"What are you doing here? Did you get lost?" I asked him.

"No, no the main hall is up ahead-" Freddie replied.

"How could my brother be here before I even arrived? I don't even have the scar so you can't be from this kind of cloning. Or I would sense you as a Time Lord." I asked him. Freddie paused, face falling purposefully into something nonchalant. "Did you get lost?"

Freddie squeezed his rifle. He checked the next turn over, making sure it was safe. "I was. But then I was found. By you."

"But how did you get here?" Donna asked.

"Same as you. I took a ship." Freddie replied.

"I didn't see one." Donna noted.

Freddie shrugged. "Look, I can't get into it now. But I'm actually from Terra's future, so I can't say much."

"Her future, you say?" The Doctor asked, glaring.

Freddie met that glare. "Yeah. Future."

The Doctor's glare harshened.

"Where's your clone?" I asked. Freddie paused in his steps, causing the others to pause with him. "You have the scar, too, so where's your clone?"

The boy's shoulders sagged, the gun lowering to the point where it almost touched the floor. "You mean Tuck?"

My mind exploded.

DANNY PHANTOM!?

"SUGAR HONEY ICE TEA!"

The Doctor, Donna, and Jenny leapt away from my excited shout.

Freddie turned to me. He gawked. "Seriously? You already guessed? I thought I would make it the whole day! She'd settle into bed then-wham! Hits her all at once."

I stared at Freddie, mouth gaping. The answer was so obvious now. Freddie, clone, a fake name that started with 'R', the red beret, it's like he wasn't even trying.

Another time, over a century ago, I visited Danny Phantom. Yes I was a halfa in that world. Freddy Rose, cause I watched Nightmare On Elm Street before visiting. Or by Ruby Morgue (my suit was red, not very creative I know. But the morgue bit is funny!). I was a young thing- 56, I believe. So young and already stuffed full of power. I helped Danny learn how to use his ghost powers- learning about my own along the way.

A certain fruitloop didn't like that. More specifically, that Danny had a halfa mentor already. One that was effective. Vlad Masters made it no secret that he hated losing the chance to be Danny's only mentor. I certainly didn't like that Masters became all the more obsessed with having me in his demented family too.

While I hadn't been back since I finished season 1, I knew I would go back again someday. Season 2. The season when Vlad Masters was so annoyed by Danny's continued refusal that he just straight up cloned the boy. It got messy. The clone came out as a girl.

A genderswapped clone.

A clone made by a man that wanted an exact copy of me.

Of course my powers of reality walking would be included in that.

And that red beret? Clearly belonging to Tucker Foley. His signature red beret, borrowed or stolen by Freddie and gifted to the soldier.

"You know where he's from?" Donna asked me.

"You...you...you son of a me!" I stomped my foot. I ran to his side, pulling him back towards me. "So you're from-"

"Uh-huh." He nodded, grinning happily.

"And your dad-" The word was a snarl "-was the fruit loop-"

"Uh-huh."

"So you're half-"

"Yes, sestra." Freddie started shifting on the balls of his feet. There was a smug smile on his face. "Can we get a move on? Cobb is gonna be worried-"

"Not until I say so!" I argued.

"Just cause you're the big sister, doesn't mean I have to follow you." Freddie dismissed.

"Yes it does. Your dad is a liar. You're Frederick Rose! You better keep doing what I say." I cheered, slapping his arm. The arm of my clone. My brother. A clone with powers just like me. "Huzzah! This is gorgeous."

"So who is he?" Jenny asked.

"Well his dad was a fruitloop that wanted me as a daughter. He got tired of me saying no so he just straight up cloned me." I explained, gesturing to Freddie.

Freddie waved.

"But he's a he." Donna pointed out.

"I don't use fruitloop lightly, Donna." I told her. Freddie snickered.

"But his name is different." Donna added.

"I was going by Freddy at the time." I answered.

"Sorry. Did you say he wanted to adopt you?" The Doctor asked. I nodded. "...why?"

The question hurt. Really hurt. More than I expected it to, honestly.

I get that you don't like me, but neither did Masters. He was at least honest about it.

"Out of curiosity-" Freddie pulled me aside, tapping my shoulder. "-how'd you figure it out?"

"Normally, I'd give a long winded explanation for it. Half of it would've been made up, but really it was Tuck." I shrugged.

"Tuck? I got busted by Tuck?" Freddie laughed. "I'm never living this down."

That made me laugh harder. "Haha...living it down."

Freddie's face lit up. "Oh man. I didn't realize I said that!"

The two of us laughed.

Donna cleared her throat.

"Sorry guys. We...we let that get away from us."

"But it was so funny." I giggled. A sobering thought came back. "Wait...where is Tuck?"

Freddie grimaced. "Back there. He was the guy that went down."

The soldier in the beret

You called him 'Boyo' oh no-

You didn't just lose your men, you lost your son. Even then you still stood between me and Martha. You're leagues stronger than me.

Vlad Masters would hate it

Fuck yeah

"~Oh I'm so sorry~ broseph." I pulled him in for a hug. The boy was my height, so it worked out.

Freddie shook his head. "~I should have told him to move-~"

"~It's not your fault. You hear me, Red? It's not your fault~." I told him.

"Red? I'm not Red, I'm Rocket. Or Robin." Freddie remarked. "You've never called me Red."

"Why not?" I asked.

"Because Carl is Red." Freddie explained, as if I couldn't remember it.

"Huh?"

"You're Pink, she's Red. I'm just Robin. Not that hard." Freddie sniffled, wiping at his nose. He turned away from the group. "Come on. Cobb is still waiting."

==MGCB==

"This place is called Messaline. Well, what's left of it." Freddie remarked after a long silence. "I didn't blow it up this time. That was my last job. I can still remember the fireworks if I close my eyes."

"You should get that checked out." I advised.

"Next on my to-do list." Freddie answered.

"But this is a theatre." Donna pointed out.

"Are you doing Wicked?!" I gasped, excited.

Freddie gasped, copying my excitement. "No but oh I wish we were! I would be an amazing Elphaba!"

"You would! But only if I can be Glinda." I replied.

"In that dress? Pendaja, you are Glinda." Freddie countered. I smiled, doing Glinda's hair flip. It made Freddie laugh.

The room was indeed a theatre. Or at least it just had a stage. The chairs were removed (or never installed) for space for the war. Military beds were stacked around, various soldiers lying on them to heal. Multiple progenitor machines were placed in here with long queues for printing more soldiers. Another line of new soldiers walked out, grabbing the weapons of the fallen for their own use.

Everything looked ready to be used for something not violent. Except General Cobb and all the generals before him repurposed this space for something different.

Freddie nudged my arm. "Hey, quick question, what is the general's name again?"

"General-"

"Good."

"Corn-on-the-Cobb."

"Not good." Freddie patted my head. "I'll handle the talking. Hey, be right back."

"Okie dokie!" I waved him off.

Freddie ran ahead to speak with Cobb.

The Doctor walked to my side, standing imposingly. It didn't sit right with me- him being so close and glaring fiercely at the space. At Freddie. What did you want, Doctor? What made you so upset with him?

Was it that he gave Jenny, your daughter, a gun? That argument about being the first to give her a gift? No you didn't care about her enough for that. You also hated him for longer- I had to cover for your weapons line. You hated this guy from sight. Why him? Why did you not show Cline this rage?

Oh

Oh maybe Freddie was a Time Lord, and the Doctor could sense it. We already established that I couldn't until they were practically right under my nose. Maybe he sensed Freddie's biology, through me, and assumed the worst. The other Time Lords we met since the Time War weren't the best examples. Especially not surrounded by humans in a war.

That makes the most sense

But I still don't like it...it's not satisfying enough.

There's more I'm missing.

He's still mad. I'm not going to talk to him right now. It's...It's not my job to handle his moods. It's not my responsibility. The Doctor is a grown man. He can work it out himself.

Does he even realize what he's throwing away, dismissing Jenny? If a child threw themselves at me and started calling me 'Mom', I would accept them without hesitation.

They could be a fierce fire breathing dragon that could tear out my throat, and I would still accept them. It's a wildly specific example but I'm standing by it. I accepted Darcy/Carl after all.

"It's like a town or a city underground. But why?" Donna asked.

A man walked up to them. Freddie walked with him, guiding him back to us.

"General Cobb, I presume." The Doctor greeted.

Freddie skipped to my side. The Doctor glared as he went. Freddie stood stoic, like he hadn't just skipped to my side.

"Found in the western tunnels, I'm told, with no marks." Cobb replied. He looked the four of us over, not liking what he saw. "There was an outbreak of pacifism in the eastern zone three generations back, before we lost contact." Is three generations just ten minutes to you people? Or an hour? How time flows for you is hilarious to me. "Is that where you came from?"

"Eastern zone, that's us, yeah. Yeah." The Doctor lied easily. "I'm the Doctor, this is Terra, and that's Donna."

"And I'm Jenny." Jenny introduced herself with a proud smile.

"And I'm Freddie!"

"Yes, Freddie, I know who you are." Cobb replied blandly.

Freddie turned to me with a wide grin. "Ya hear that, Terra?! He knows who I am!" He took my hands in his.

"Oh my Story you're famous!" I started jumping up and down in excitement. He joined me, copying my actions exactly.

"Ah, yes. You must be the sister." Cobb eyed me, confused and curious.

Freddie beamed. "Yeah! I told you she was cool. She's not a pacifist either."

"I have many guns!" I cheered. "And a sword."

"Ooh is it the fire sword, or the one that extends?" Freddie asked.

"Fire sword. Wait, I get a sword that extends?" I asked. Freddie nodded. "Oh that's awesome."

"Don't think your friends can infect us with their peacemaking." Cobb warned. "We're committed to the fight, to the very end."

"Well, that's all right. We can't stay, anyway." The Doctor explained. I stopped hopping with Freddie, turning to nod my head. "We've got to go and find our friend."

"That's not possible. All movement is regulated. We're at war." Cobb replied.

"Of course it's possible." I dismissed him. Anyone that underestimated Martha wasn't worth my time. "Freddie, tell him it's possible."

"My sister says it's possible." Freddie replied. Cobb glared at him. "She's very stubborn like that, General. You kinda just have to let her do what she wants."

"Like this war with the Hath? I don't get it." I admitted.

"Yes, with the Hath." The Doctor stepped forward. I moved to the side to avoid being run down by him. "So tell us, because we got a bit out of circulation, eastern zone and all that. So who exactly are the Hath?"

Cobb nodded. "Follow me." He walked off.

I'm glad Martha is okay

She's managing just fine with the Hath. She's looking at their world, seeing what they do. All without speaking their language- I'm so proud of her.

We walked behind him. I slowed my pace to stick with Freddie. My brother winked at me, holding up a thumb. I did too. Both of us were grinning like idiots. Donna gave a small laugh, shaking her head.

"Back at the dawn of this planet, these ancient halls were carved from the earth." Cobb explained. He guided us through the twisting corridors of the war. Every space was filled with either packed construction materials or soldiers making their rounds. "Our ancestors dreamt of a new beginning. A colony where human and Hath would work and live together."

"So what happened?" The Doctor asked.

"The dream died. Broken, along with Hath promises." Cobb answered. "They wanted it all for themselves. But those early pioneers, they fought back." Donna walked away from the group. Something caught her eye. I skipped after her. "They used the machines to produce soldiers instead of colonists, and began this battle for survival."

Donna and I walked to a stained glass window. Locked tight, keeping the radiation outside out. A number plate sat below. 60210717.

"There's nothing but earth outside, why's that? Why build everything underground?" Donna asked.

"The outernet is scary." Freddie answered.

"Oooo that's a good word." I praised him.

"Use it. Please." Freddie encouraged me.

"I shall." I nodded.

"Scary how?" Donna asked.

"It's radioactive- radioactive." Freddie answered.

"Well, then why build windows in the first place?" Donna asked. "And if it's radioactive, why did your ship-"

"You would be great at CinemaSins." Freddie joked, cutting her off. "Keep pointing out the flaws of our society. Really- it means a lot!" His words sounded callous but his wide smile proved their sincerity.

"Numbers!" I pointed to the plaque below. If Freddie didn't want Cobb to know about his ship, I wasn't gonna snitch. Me? I never snitch on a sibling. I mean unless they were being assholes and needed to get got. Freddie was being cool so he got a pass.

"Yeah. What does this mean?" Donna asked.

Freddie opened his mouth. "The rites and symbols of our ancestors. The meaning's lost in time." Cobb answered. Freddie pouted.

"Is it the generation counter?" I asked, just to be funny. "Cause I heard you had 6,680 of those."

"That number's higher than that." Freddie corrected me.

"How long's this war gone on for?" The Doctor asked.

"Longer than anyone can remember. Countless generations marked only by the dead." Cobb answered.

"Is that what the counter is?!" I asked. "That's a lot of dead folks."

Freddie nodded, a sage expression on his face. The sageness soured, him looking any other direction.

"What, fighting all this time?" Donna asked them.

"Because we must." Jenny answered. Whatever history or information they pushed in her head at birth activated. "Every child of the machine is born with this knowledge. It's our inheritance. It's all we know. How to fight, and how to die."

I frowned, looking at Freddie again. He pointedly did not meet my eyes. He was thinking about Tuck. Why didn't I look at the Doctor? Because I don't have to. If he wants to talk to me, he can use words and not be passive aggressive.

Tuck died. I lost a chance to be an aunt. That's a thing that deserves more attention than the Doctor's issues. My brother needs me.

==MGCB==

Cobb brought us to a holographic display. The display showed the layout of the Messaline. Most of the corridors and rooms, excluding the main halls and the spaceship proper.

"Does this show the entire city, including the Hath zones?" The Doctor asked.

"Yes. Why?" Cobb asked.

"Well, it'll help us find Martha." The Doctor answered.

"There's no time." Freddie explained. "The progenation machines are powered down for the night shift, but soon as they're active, they want to clone a whole platoon from you three." Freddie blew out a long breath. He ruffled his hair, making a quick face of pain before hiding it away. "Kinda stupid, but okay. I can barely handle one of Terra, let alone an army. Then again, I can't handle your army that well."

"Awesome- more kids!" I let out a loud cheer.

Freddie patted my arm. "Sure! I just hook you up to a machine to print out more nieces and nephews! Why didn't I do it earlier? Such a shame..."

I shook my head at him. "You can't bum me out."

"I'm not having sons and daughters by some great big flipping machine." Donna argued. Jenny looked at Donna, confused. "Sorry, no offence, but you're not- Well, I mean, you're not real."

"You're no better than him!" Jenny huffed, shaking her head. "I have a body, I have a mind, I have independent thought. How am I not real? What makes you better than me?"

"I agree!" Hugging Jenny's side, I frowned at Donna. "Jenny, if you wanna ditch your dad I am more than willing-"

"No you're not." Freddie argued.

"Yes I-"

"No. We're not playing that again." Freddie scolded.

"But-"

"No."

"But-"

"No!" Freddie insisted.

"Terra, that's enough." The Doctor scolded sternly.

That got Freddie and I staring at him, confused as to why he interrupted us. Freddie and I were clearly engaging in what many could call 'sibling banter'. Why would anyone want to interrupt it? This was funny.

"They're both incredible soldiers." Cobb praised with a curt nod. "We need more like them, if ever we're to find the Source."

"Ooo, the Source." The Doctor leaned forward. "What's that, then? What's a Source? I like a Source. What is it?"

"The Breath of Life." Cobb answered.

"And that would be?" The Doctor asked.

Freddie stood up straight. "In the beginning!" His voice boomed, ready to give a perfectly dramatic monologue. "The great one breathed life into the universe. And then she looked at what she'd done, and she sighed. Like this. Le sigh."

"She. I like that." Jenny praised.

"Oh I do too." I bumped her shoulder. Jenny smiled happily at me.

"Right. So it's a creation myth." The Doctor reasoned.

"It's not myth. It's real." Cobb insisted. In a sense, he was right. "That sigh. From the beginning of time it was caught and kept as the Source. It was lost when the war started. But it's here, somewhere. Whoever holds the Source controls the destiny of the planet."

The Doctor pulled out his sonic. "Ah! I thought so." He buzzed it on the map. It lit up- a second layer of tunnels and rooms being shown. "There's a suppressed layer of information in this map. If I can just-"

"That's different." Looking over the tunnels, I spotted the room where the Hath were supposedly waiting. "It's pretty."

"See? A whole complex of tunnels hidden from sight." The Doctor pointed out to the others.

"That must be the lost temple." Cobb pointed at a newly revealed large structure. "The Source will be inside. You've shown us the way. And look, we're closer than the Hath. It's ours." Cobb turned to Freddie. "Tell them to prepare to move out. We'll progenate new soldiers on the morning shift, then we march."

Freddie nodded. He glanced at me. I nodded, sending him off. The lot of us followed him. Freddie informed as many soldiers about the change as possible.

"Once we reach the Temple, peace will be restored at long last." Cobb decreed.

"Er, call me old-fashioned, but if you really wanted peace, couldn't you just stop fighting?" The Doctor asked him.

"Only when we have the Source." Cobb explained. "It'll give us the power to erase every stinking Hath from the face of this planet."

"Hang on, hang on." The Doctor walked ahead, blocking Cobb's path. Freddie came back to stand beside me. "A second ago it was peace in our time. Now you're talking about genocide."

"For us, that means the same thing." Cobb replied.

"Then you need to get yourself a better dictionary!" The Doctor snapped. "When you do, look up 'genocide'. You'll see a little picture of me there, and the caption will read, over my dead body!"

'Which is, in a way, a form of genocide.' I thought.

Freddie seemed to be making the same joke. We both had hidden giggles on our faces.

"And you're the one who showed us the path to victory. But you can consider the irony from your prison cell." Cobb ordered.

"I get it!" I laughed. "Irony. Cause bars are made of iron. That was funny."

Freddie chuckled. "Man, this is why I like Three. She's just so adorable."

"Aww." I chirped, clapping my hands together and holding them on the side of my face. "Thanks, hermano."

"No problem-o, hermana."

"Freddie, at arms."

Freddie shrugged, aiming his rifle at Donna.

Donna reeled back. "Oi, oi, oi. All right. Cool the beans, Rambo."

"I don't understand that reference." Freddie replied with a straight face. "And if I point at Terra, she kills me."

"Take them." Cobb ordered. "I won't have them spreading treason. And if you try anything, Doctor, I'll see that your women die first."

The Doctor shook his head. "No, we're, we're not a couple."

"I am not his woman." Donna insisted.

I grimaced, shuddering in disgust. "Eww no. I know where he's been."

"That is actually making me sick." Freddie admitted, again with a straight face.

"I have to let your dad take my DNA." I supplied.

"I was wrong. That makes me sick." Freddie did actually look green from the comment. "Come on, hermana. There's no stopping this ship. This way."

"Yessir!" I saluted.

Freddie started getting us guided away from the room. The Doctor broke from the pack to glare at Cobb.

"I'm going to stop you, Cobb. You need to know that." The Doctor warned.

Cobb met the Doctor's stare. He looked back with a look of solemn promise. "I have an army and the Breath of God on my side, Doctor. What'll you have?"

"This." The Doctor pointed at his own head.

"A head of gravity defying hair?" I joked.

"There's nothing up there." Freddie added. "Terra told me about how you forgot about the London Eye, and Charles Dickens, and how you were twelve months late, and a billion other stuff you did-"

"Freddie! Say sorry!" I ordered. "He's the rude and not ginger one!"

"Right." He bowed his head, keeping his rifle raised high. "Apologies, Lord Doctor."

"Lock them up and guard them." Cobb ordered.

"Jenny too, yeah?" Freddie asked.

"Yes." Cobb replied. "Can't trust her. She's from pacifist stock. Take them all."

Freddie nodded. "You heard General-"

"Corn-On-The-Cobb!" I cheered.

"Dammit, Three!"

==MGCB==

Freddie guided us down another small corridor. He kept his gun high.

"I didn't get to ask a lot of the questions I wanted to." I began, falling behind enough to walk beside Freddie. "Like, I need to know who you are as a person."

"Terra." The Doctor warned from up ahead. "Leave him be. He's on there side, he's a part of all of this!"

"Oi shut it. Prisoners aren't supposed to talk." Freddie scolded.

"She's talking!" The Doctor argued.

"I'm a victim of favoritism. Or nepotism. Probably both." I replied, pretending to sound disappointed. I even added fake sniffles. Going back to my game face I turned to Freddie. "Now, Rocket man, start talkin'."

"Okay." He took a deep breath. "First thing, guys take a right up ahead. Your cell is gonna be at the end of the hall."

He guided us around a corner. The Time Lords and the human took the turn as instructed.

"Now, sestra." He talked to me without turning his head. His attention down the gun like a true prison guard. "~I'm a Hufflepuff (well actually it translates as 'yellow badger house'). My favorite detective show is Psych (this was 'psychic pineapple man'- I'm just making a guess).~"

"~What's funny about a three hole punch?~" I joked.

"~Absolutely nothing.~" He joked back. I laughed, punching his arm in respect.

"~You know the question I need to ask next~." I warned. I nodded my head at the Doctor. "~Which one is your favorite?~"

Freddie hissed. "Ooh. You never ask easy questions."

"Duh."

"Okay." He leaned his head to the side. "~You haven't met him yet. Or seen him. This one showed up in the 50th anniversary special, November of 20-13. I just thought he was great, the one everyone needed~."

"~That's in a year real time for me!~" I complained.

"~I know.~" Freddie replied with a dark smirk. "Okay. Here's your cell everybody!"

Freddie opened the door. He ushered us inside. When I stepped in, Freddie smiled at us.

The door closed. As the metal rang out, I distinctly noticed he left it unlocked. That helped. That really, really helped.

"You're enjoying this." I noted, holding the bars.

Freddie smirked. "A bit, yeah. I love going undercover."

I snorted. My fist reached through the bars. "That's my bro."

He bumped it.

"More numbers." Donna pointed out. "They've got to mean something."

I leaned against the bars. There wasn't any rust on the bars to ruin my dress. The bars were too new for that.

The Doctor sighed. He walked to my side, leaning against the bars with me. "Makes as much sense as the Breath of Life story."

Jenny gawked, like she'd just heard Santa wasn't real. "You mean that's not true?"

"No, it's a myth." Donna agreed. "Isn't it, Terra?"

"There's gotta be. No one would fight a war this long if it was just a normal legend." I reasoned. "So, maybe some sort of tech? They said it would give life...so some kind of terraforming tech like the kind Luke Rattigan was building."

The Doctor clicked his tongue. "Could be, or it could be a weapon."

"So the Source could be a weapon and we've just given directions to Captain Nutjob?" Donna asked.

"Oh I like that one." I giggled.

"We did, yes." The Doctor sighed.

"Not good, is it?" Donna asked us, definitely a moment from scolding us within an inch of our lives.

"That's why I'm sticking with my theory that it's something nice." I put on a shaky smile.

"Terra, we can't take that chance." The Doctor replied.

I rolled my eyes, landing on Freddie. He smiled at me. Like, not like we had a secret joke or he was teasing me. This smile came from being proud. It's not a smile I was used to seeing lately.

"We need to get out of here, find Martha and stop Cobb from slaughtering the Hath." The Doctor stated. He glanced up, spotting Jenny giddily smiling beside Donna. "What, what are you, what are you, what are you staring at?"

"Probably the same thing Freddie is staring at." I stated.

"You keep insisting you're not a soldier, but look at you!" Jenny cheered. "Drawing up strategies like a proper general."

"And you?" I asked.

Freddie chuckled. "I don't know. You're not a soldier, far from it. You've been told there's a war going on for generations fighting over something. Even then, you just decided it's nothing violent."

I shrugged. "Well, what else am I supposed to be? You know Carl, what she'd do."

My brother laughed. "She'd want it to be a weapon so she can brag about getting it first."

"Exactly." I clapped my hands, pointing at my brother. "Look at him. He already knows the insides of that girl's mind. I'm so sorry you had to do that."

"It's cool. I'm used to it." Freddie supplied.

"Oh. You say the same depressing stuff I do. You're the only good thing that fruitloop ever made." I praised him.

Freddie gave me a dry grin. He can act all smug and haughty, but I saw the color on his cheeks.

"But yeah of course I hope it's good. That way the fighting stops." I explained. "We both are, in our own ways."

Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out my phone.

No new calls

"Isn't every soldier?" Jenny countered.

I tried calling Martha.

Nothing.

I tried again, hearts hammering.

"Well, I suppose, but that's, that's." The Doctor stumbled. Donna grinned. Freddie chuckled. "Technically, I haven't got time for this. Terra, can you call Martha?"

"I've been trying." I explained, voice wobbling. "She's got me on 'call waiting'."

The Doctor tilted his head, confused. "Why?"

"I don't know. Shut up." We shouldn't have let her leave. Now she's out of sight and not answering her phone and I'm freaking out! I pulled out my sonic. "Donna, could I borrow your phone? Let's see if she'll answer you."

Donna pulled out her phone. The Doctor grabbed it, bringing out his sonic.

"I can do it." I reminded him.

"You could also break the phone. I've got it." The Doctor explained.

Really?!

"I'm not gonna break the phone!" I snapped.

"You could damage the wiring. It's probably what happened with Martha's phone when you sonicked it earlier."

"I- I didn't- That's not what I did!"

"And now you've got a weapon." Jenny laughed.

"It's not a weapon." The Doctor argued. He pressed his sonic against Donna's phone.

"But you're using it to fight back." Jenny laughed. She sat up straight, giving her dad her full attention. "I'm going to learn so much from you. You are such a soldier."

"Terra's a commander." Freddie decided. "Or maybe a Colonel-"

I glared. "Shut. Up."

"Yes, ma'am." Freddie mimed zipping his lips.

"Terra, Donna, will you tell her?" The Doctor instructed.

"Oh, you are speechless." Donna laughed. "I'm loving this. You keep on, Jenny."

"Terra you do it."

I snapped my head towards him. Before I could start yelling, I had an idea. An awful idea.

"Jen. Jenny-Jen." My hands grabbed Jenny's shoulders, pulling her close. "The Doctor is a rubbish soldier."

"Thank you."

"Soldiers just lie back and take orders. The Doctor doesn't do that. He makes orders and expects the rest of us to obey with questions, and thinks he's better than everyone!"

"Oi!" The Doctor complained. He looked at me, brown eyes wide and shocked. Donna, confused, still looking offended on the Doctor's behalf. "Quit taking her side!"

"Sorry, Doctor, was I not doing exactly what you ordered? My apologies, Doctor. I don't understand that setting. I'm young and therefore stupid." I replied with a classic Retail Worker smile.

The Doctor leaned back from that. "That's- That's- What are you doing?"

"Sorry for not understanding, Doctor. I'll endeavor to follow your exact lead. Clearly my free will is putting a hamper on your plans." I bowed my head, adding a courtesy to be even worse.

"Oh get off it." The Doctor scoffed. "That's not what I am and you know it."

"Sorry, Doctor, did I misunderstand the situation again?" I asked, tilting my head.

"Yes! Yes you did! I'm not- that's not what I am like. Or what you're like."

"Of course, Doctor, I'll correct myself in the future to be more like you and less like me."

"Stop putting words in my mouth!" The Doctor yelled.

Yeah he hadn't wanted me to say any of this. It wouldn't stop me from doing it again. He insulted me- worse than that, insulted his own child. Doesn't he understand what that does to a girl? Her father telling her she's made all the wrong choices and she needs to correct herself? That she's wrong, purely for doing what she loves, for wanting his support?

It's soul crushing. It makes every decision come out not through a lens of 'does this make me happy' but 'would this make Dad happy'? That's a terrible way to live. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. So until the Doctor started treating Jenny with the most basic respect, I wouldn't offer him the same courtesy.

"What's happening?" Jenny asked.

"...Mom and Dad are fighting again." Freddie answered. "Just sit back and pretend you don't hear it."

I glared at him, my smile still wide. Freddie nodded, zipping his lips again. He locked them for good measure. He held out the key. I snatched it, tucking it into my dress pocket.

Donna's phone stopped ringing. She pressed the speaker phone- the voice made my hearts steady.

"Doctor? Terra?"

"Martha!" I reached out. Donna gave me her phone. "You're alive!"

"Terra? Where's the Doctor?" Martha asked.

I love him to bits!

Right.

"Right here." The Doctor stood up, coming to my side.

"Doctor! Terra! Oh, am I glad to hear your voices! Are you alright?" Martha asked.

"I'm with Terra and Donna. We're fine." The Doctor answered. "What about you?"

"Don't forget Jenny and Freddie. They're fine too." I tossed him back the key.

Freddie unzipped his lip. "I am!"

"Yes, all right. And, and Jenny and...Freddie." The Doctor glared over Jenny's head to Freddie again. "That's the woman from the machine. The soldier. My daughter, except she isn't, she's, she's-"

"And we have my brother, Freddie!" I said, taking the phone from Doc Brown. "He's my clone, though I prefer brother. He's actually really cool, or at least I think so."

"Darn it. Sisters aren't supposed to think their little brothers are cool." Freddie complained. "I'm supposed to be a geek!"

"But that's what makes you cool!" I praised him.

"Ya darn right it is!" Freddie nodded, puffing his chest proudly.

"Anyway, where are you?" The Doctor asked.

"I'm in the Hath camp. I'm okay, but something's going on." Martha explained. "The Hath are all marching off to some place that's appeared on this map thing."

"The Doctor did that. Both armies will be headed that way." I stated. "Oh no- they'll slaughter each other."

"What do you want me to do?" Martha asked.

"Meet us there, and beware the surface! It's radioactive and-!" I glanced at Freddie.

"Tar pits everywhere." Freddie supplied.

"Tar pits, really?" Freddie nodded.

"No. Martha, just stay where you are." The Doctor replied. "If you're safe there, don't move, do you hear?"

I glared at him. Oh, countering my instructions just because he didn't like them? Guess I can never give instructions again. Guess my help is better off served somewhere else, if the Doctor says it's so useless.

"But I can help." Martha reminded us.

I shook my head, walking towards my brother. It took everything to not let more of my anger out. To kick a fuss and start screaming or something. The Doctor just drove me insane with his bullshit.

==MGCB==

We could hear the shouting from up the corridors. Freddie and I looked towards it, exchanging a silent look. He glanced at his gun. I gave a small shake of my head. He nodded off towards the corridor- a path we hadn't taken yet. I grinned. Freddie did too.

"They're getting ready to move out. We have to get past that guard." The Doctor told Donna. Probably me as well, but I gave up on listening to him.

"That guard has a name." Freddie reminded him.

"Why don't we just ask?" I asked.

"Yeah, we can just ask him." Jenny stated. For a woman who called Martha collateral damage, she's very nice. I like her. New favorite. "Or Terra could."

"I can! I can just ask him-"

"Hey guys. Big idea. Why don't we just ask?" I repeated.

"No, no, no, no. You're not going anywhere." The Doctor told Jenny.

Jenny blinked at her father in surprise. "What?"

I threw my hands in the air, leaning again on the bars. "I am being ignored."

"You're used to it." Freddie assured. It only made me pout.

"You belong here with them." The Doctor dismissed.

"She belongs with us. With you. She's your daughter." Donna argued.

"She's a soldier. She came out of that machine. Do you see what her being around has done to Terra?" The Doctor challenged.

Donna shook her head. "Terra's always been gun happy. Jenny had nothing to do with it, or Freddie." Donna turned to me. "Listen, have you got that stethoscope?"

I pulled one out from my Bag.

"Give it to me." Donna ordered. I obeyed without as much as a snarky smile. "Good on you, being the smart one."

...someone thinks I'm the smart one?

...a companion thinks I'm the smart one again? Oh that's not a feeling I'm used to.

"What are you doing?" Jenny asked, stepping away from Donna.

I came up, putting a hand on her shoulder. Jenny looked back at me. Her bright blue eyes wide with panic. "It's okie dokie. Donna's just gonna listen to your heartbeat real fast."

Jenny nodded. Worried still, she turned back to Donna. Donna gave me a thankful smile.

"It's alright, just hold still." Donna lifted the end. She pressed it against Jenny's chest. She listened to the left heart, then the right. It made her smile, assured in herself and her choice. She took the stethoscope to hand it to the Doctor. "Come here. Listen, and then tell me where she belongs."

The Doctor took the stethoscope. He glanced at me. I waved my arm, inviting him to try it for himself. He did so with a slowness bordering on pain. He rested the end of it on Jenny's left heart, then her right. "Two hearts." He pulled off the stethoscope, pushing it in my hands.

"Exactly." Donna praised.

"Finally catching up to the rest of us." I mused.

"What's going on?" Jenny asked, looking between the three of us.

"Does that mean she's a Time Lady?" Donna asked me.

"Yep!" I answered. If I'm a Time Lady for the two hearts, so is she!

"What's a Time Lady?" Jenny asked. It's understandable she'd be confused. The machine probably told her she was a human, or maybe she just guessed that from how Cobb talked. Maybe she had no idea we were even aliens. Not very nice of us, lying to her from the start. It hadn't occurred to me until just now that it was rude of us.

"Time Lord. It's who Terra and I are. It's where we're from." The Doctor answered, voice still tight and closed off.

"And I'm from you, and Freddie's from her." Jenny reminded. Her eyes were going wide in excitement.

Freddie perked up.

"You're an echo, that's all." The Doctor dismissed. "A Time Lord is so much mor-"

*SLAP*

"Ow!" The Doctor yelped.

"Don't you do that." I scolded. "Stop it. You can say that garbage to me all you like. But I refuse to let you say that to your child any more."

The Doctor narrows his eyes, rubbing his cheek. "I never talk to you like that."

"Are you sure?" I asked him. "You've never said I was less for killing people, never told me off for choosing the violent option- the option I willingly trained to pick first? You don't tell me off for it? Ever?"

The Doctor gawked at me for a moment. Every conversation we've had over the past month no doubt replayed in his mind. Maybe he finally understood my perspective, how things looked to me. Maybe he remembered all the shitty things he said in the past two days.

"Never called me the enemy? That you don't want me around? That I'm not- that I'm just a soldier?" I asked him. "That you don't like people with guns hanging around you?"

The Doctor shook his head. "Terra, I wasn't talking about you."

"Then why else would you have said it in front of me? Unless it applies to me too?" I asked. "Whatever. You can't talk about Jenny like that. Jenny never had a choice in how she was made. I won't stand here and let you insult her like that!"

"Is that really how you've felt?" The Doctor asked.

"Oh don't play innocent. That's my thing." I snapped. "You've known. You've known and poked at that for years. Ever since you found out I was the last Time Lady you've done that to me!"

"What happened?" Jenny asked. We turned to look at her. "To your people. What happened to them, to make her the last?"

I looked at the Doctor. Let him answer his daughter. They needed to start communicating. While I loved Jenny and was slowly becoming ready to die for her, she was the Doctor's daughter first.

"There was a war." The Doctor admitted.

"Like this one?" Jenny asked.

"Bigger." The Doctor corrected with a bitter sort of laugh. "Much bigger."

"And you fought, and killed?" Jenny asked.

The Doctor swallowed, brown eyes welling with tears of haunted memories. "Yes."

"Then how are we different?" Jenny asked him.

The Doctor had no answer. Sure, the answer was clear. That they were the same, but also completely different. The Doctor had indeed fought and killed for his war. Jenny hadn't killed for hers, as far as I'm aware all her shots missed the Hath.

Me? I fought and killed. Many times. Happily, sometimes. Painfully, others. I shot his best friend in the face with intent to kill. Twice. And it worked twice. I'd killed so many others adventuring with him.

Had it infected me too, as he thought? No. I was already like this. My choices were mine, and the Doctor's choices were his. I'm not going to be picking up his shame anymore.

Donna, Jenny, and I gave the Doctor a moment to come to terms with what we'd told him. The soldiers were still chanting for their war.

"We still have to get past him." Donna reminded me.

"Hey guys, wild idea. How about I just ask?" I stated.

Donna waved her arm. "Go on, then."

"Thanks!" I turned to my brother. "Hey." I grabbed the bars.

Freddie nodded, though his face was set in a grim line. "Hey."

"Mind letting us out?" I asked.

There was a pause. "Sure." Freddie grinned, pulling out the key rings.

I smiled innocently at the other three in the cell. "See? Southern Hospitality, at it's finest."

"With some conditions."

"And there's the Anderson hospitality." I commented dryly. "Purple showed you all the tools of the trade, huh?"

Freddie nodded. He braced himself, squaring his shoulders back to make him seem more...more-ish. He kept his face in a firm line.

"I told you about Tuck." Freddie reminded me in a voice that lost any humor or joy. My hearts flopped. "Do you know why I called him that? I stole Tuck's hat, and kept it. You wanna know why? You said the hat would be a good keepsake."

"Fred." I began.

"No. No, you're not doing that to me today." Freddie waved a finger at me. I stepped back in surprise at the sudden apprehension. It was different from the brother I'd seen all day. In a way, I conceded to him his rage. He let me show mine earlier, turnabout is only fairplay. "Not using my name to make me feel guilty. I will be heard, Terra Johnson, right here and right now. And don't you sing any song that will be funny-"

"I won't." I promised, meaning it. "Why did I tell you to keep that hat?"

"Because you're a strategist. Thinking thirty steps ahead of everybody else because you're damn good at it. All you do is make plans based on things you know and things you've seen." Freddie listed. "So you got me to take that hat- that stupid hat- because you knew I would give it to Tuck- my Tuck. And that Tuck would die. And you still let me come here!"

Oh how I wanted so badly to say his name, only as a comfort to him. My brother's eyes were going red from held back tears. Or maybe going red with his ghost powers, hard to say. The rage that had been building since the death of Tuck was hard on him. He'd hidden it away for my sake. Or maybe for his own, cause my family didn't handle rage well.

"And that's what I don't get. Why?" Freddie demanded. "Why would you of all people do that to me, unless- unless you thought it was the way it was supposed to go?"

"Maybe-" Cutting myself off, I thought for another moment on just how to word it. "I can't speak for the Terra you know, brother-mine. I can only speak for the Terra I am today. If we're alike in anyway, shape, or face, I can say she did it because...because-"

"Because she wanted to be cruel?" Freddie asked, though not in anger or sadness. His tone was flat as the horizon on Pride Rock.

"Not a bad guess, I'm a bitch. But this time I think it's because she was trying to be kind." I reasoned. "To give you hope."

Freddie snorted. "Hope." His hand grabbed the bars, the other grabbing his rifle.

Behind me I heard the shuffling of feet. The Doctor's presence loomed in the back of my mind like the text message notification that wouldn't shut up. I ignored him.

"Hope." Freddie repeated. He scoffed to himself, shaking his head. "Author-dammit." He gave me a side-look. "That's the kind of stupid thing she'd do to prove she's smarter than me. Smarter than everybody." He bit his lip, looking away. "Stupid narcissist. She's always right."

I held up my hands. "See? A bitch."

Freddie grinned. "Alright. I got one more demand."

"Whatever you need. Hit me with it." Or actually hit me. No consequences/

"I come with." Freddie stated. Oh I expected a free throw.

"Deal." "No."

I looked at the Doctor, with a calm before the storm glare. "What? He's ohana. We have to trust ohana."

"Rocket's with them." The Doctor argued.

"His name is Freddie-"

"Actually, I'm with my sister." Freddie explained. "The Hath hurt my family, my Tuck. In my family, you hurt one of us, we break you."

"That can work." I promised. "I've already got an idea for pain-"

"Terra. This war needs to stop." The Doctor reminded me. As if I needed reminding.

"That's what I'm going to do. Stop their war. We're gonna break their Source myth apart." I supplied. "Their war killed my brother's boy, a nephew I barely got to meet. Look at how upset they made my brother! Their hope has to die with his. They broke one of my family, we break something of theirs. Easy peasy lemon-y snicket-y. Without violence, I thought you'd be happy."

Freddie opened the cell door. "And that's Terra Hospitality." He opened the cell door. "Come on, let's go." I skipped out, twirling my skirt in the free space.

"Hold on. Did you even lock it?" Donna asked as she walked out of the cell.

Freddie scoffed. "Pfft, no. Terra gets panic attacks when she's locked in places."

"Thanks for sharing that to the public." I replied cheerily.

"Thanks for being ginger and rude." Freddie winked.

"You could have locked it any time." The Doctor dismissed. He and Jenny walked out of the cell.

"What would it have gotten me?" Freddie asked. "Except freaking my sister out worse than she already was. Or did you not notice the state she's in, like always?" He narrowed his eyes- still a glimmer of red to them. "Yeah imagine that rant earlier but worse."

"Worse?" Donna asked. "I don't think it's possible."

"No it is." Freddie and I replied.

"You were holding back." Freddie told me.

I nodded. "~I wanted him hurt, not dead.~"

"Fair." Freddie closed the cell door. "Can we sing on the way there?"

"Thatta boy!"

==MGCB==

The five of us made our escape down the stairway Freddie pointed us down. As we walked, we saw another guard up ahead.

"That's the way out." The Doctor told us.

Jenny reached for a gun on her hip.

The Doctor pushed her hand down. Just as he'd done with me earlier. "Don't-" He stopped himself. He braced himself. "Terra. What should we do?"

I tilted my head at him.

The Doctor looked up at me. He nodded.

Weird...probably a trap...but I was gonna do something anyway.

"Fred, you got it?" I prompted.

Freddie raised his rifle. He saluted me before rushing ahead.

I turned to Jenny, reaching into my Bag. "Raise your gun. Don't shoot it."

Jenny nodded. She lifted it up.

"What about us?" Donna asked.

"Shhh!" I raised my gun.

Freddie punched the soldier's shoulder. "Dude! Where have you been?!"

"Huh-What?" The soldier asked.

"Get back upstairs!" Freddie yelled. "They're waiting!"

"But-"

"I've got my own team, go back for yours!" Freddie ordered. "Go! Go! Go!"

The soldier didn't hesitate. He started running.

"Wait!" I leaned forward. "We need your map."

"Right! Yeah." The soldier reached into his pocket. He pulled out a clear plastic paper, handing it to me. "Here."

"Thank you." I took it. "Now get moving!"

The soldier jumped back. He ran back the way we came. Once he was out of sight, I relaxed. I walked over to Freddie.

"How'd I do?!" He asked.

I held up my fist. "Perfect." Freddie bumped me. "He'll make it all the way to Cobb before realizing he already had his instructions! You had him jumping out of his bones!"

"I did, didn't I!" Freddie cheered, chest puffing up again. He pumped his fist in the air, the other going to his hip. "I rocked it!"

"That's why they call you 'Rocket', you rocket man!" I praised him again. Freddie chuckled. I pulled out the map. "Now, let's see..."

"We came from this way-" Freddie pointed to a hallway on the map."

"Right, which means our end goal is...this way?" I asked.

Behind us, Jenny smiled at Donna and the Doctor.

"That was fun, I guess." Jenny cheered. "We didn't hurt anybody."

"Yeah!" Donna looked to the Doctor, who hadn't looked away from Terra. "Well, what do you think, Doctor? Think she did alright?"

"Yeah." The Doctor replied. He reached up, scratching behind his ear. "Yeah she did." He walked over to me. "That the map? Need help?"

"No. I'm good with maps." I replied. Folding the map, I tucked it into my pocket. "Forward march!"

"You heard the lady!"

==MGCB==

I led the group. Maps were always my thing. So I had the map memorized from the first show of it ages ago. Still, having the reference helped.

Freddie walked alongside me, happily skipping. The two of us hummed along to Brother Bear songs. We bounced the lyrics back and forth. It confused Donna, but delighted Jenny.

I dashed ahead, climbing on a stretch of metal. "Not the snow, not the rain, can change my mind!"

Freddie leapt forward. He leaned against a metal barrel. "The sun will come out! Wait and see."

Jumping down, I started skipping circles around him. "And the feeling of the wind in your face, can lift your heart!"

Freddie locked his arm with mine. "Oh, there's nowhere I would rather be!" We sang.

We both started laughing, continuing to sing and spin in circles. Still we made sure to keep along the path.

"Do Time Ladies do this all the time?" Jenny asked.

"This one does." Donna answered.

"Wait!" The Doctor called out.

"We know!" Freddie replied from over his shoulder.

The two of us finished our dance circle. I walked to the end of the hallway. The entire thing was cluttered and half obstructed. Still, one could see the secret tunnel behind it. "Time Ladies and ladies and gentlepeople, welcome to the secret tunnel! The ultimate pathway for reaching the Source!"

"Good eye. There must be a control panel." The Doctor walked around the space.

Donna walked up to my side. "It's another one of those numbers. They're everywhere."

True. Above my head sat another number plate: 60120714.

"The original builders must have left them. Some old cataloguing system." The Doctor reasoned.

"You got a pen?" Donna asked. I pulled out a blue glitter pen with a bobble Alice on it. "Bit of paper?" I pulled out a notecard. Donna took them both. "Because, do you see- this has writing on it."

I glanced. Sure enough, blue glitter words sat there. To my horror I realized this note card came from my small notepad- the edge even had a tear from me pulling it off. "Sorry!" Donna gave it back.

Freddie glanced over my shoulder to read it. I quickly tucked it away, grabbing an actual blank notecard.

"Thanks." Donna replied. "The numbers are counting down. This one ends in one four. The prison cell said one six."

"So maybe there's a number at the center that could explain all of this. Or at least provide more than Cobb." I remarked, thanking the Author that Donna didn't understand the words on the notecard.

"Always thinking, all of you. Who are you people?" Jenny asked.

"I told you. I'm the Doctor." The Doctor answered. He pulled out his sonic, using it to better find the panel.

My head was spinning. Maybe I could get out my sonic to search, but what if the Doctor was right? What if I was using it wrong? Could I trust my own head to read the results right?

"The Doctor. That's it?" Jenny asked.

"That's all he ever says." Donna replied, still scribbling the numbers.

"Terra Johnson. His sister."

"Freddie Rose. Her brother."

"So, you don't have a name either?" Jenny asked her dad. "Are you an anomaly, too?"

The Doctor paused. "No."

I snorted.

"You hesitated." Freddie added.

"Oh, come off it. You're the most anomalous bloke I've ever met." Donna teased. It made Freddie and I giggle.

"~By the way~!" Freddie began. He leaned closed, practically putting his head on my shoulder. "~Did that card say what I think?~"

"~Depends on what you think.~" I answered, holding tight to my Bag strap.

Freddie gave me a long stare. With his amber eyes so closely copying mine, it made me uneasy. Is this how Darcy felt whenever I gave her that stare? That searching, insightful, knowing stare? Like I knew every lie she would ever tell? It almost makes me want to apologize.

Almost.

A little.

Maybe.

"~I think it said 'known facts about Grey Wolves- Romanian Pack'.~" Freddie replied.

I shifted on my feet. Behind me, the sonic stopped buzzing. "~And if it did?~"

Freddie stared for another long breath. Or a thousand double heart beats. "~Then I'm happy for you. Those books rocked!~ Costin ~was always my favorite.~"

Suddenly, it got a lot easier to breathe. "~His name doesn't translate.~"

"~What, like the Doctor knows any Romanian bartenders?~" Freddie snorted. "~For real, please tell me what it's like someday. I'm super jealous you get to go.~"

"Really?" I asked him, accidentally slipping into English.

"~Yeah~!" Freddie paused. "Wait, I did say 'jealous' right? And not 'pancake'?"

"They do sound alike." I agreed. "No, you said 'jealous'."

"Phew!" Freddie relaxed, leaning on my shoulder with his head. I reached up, ruffling his brown hair. "That would've been weird."

"So you made up an entire language?" Jenny asked. "Just...out of nowhere?"

"Well I had help." I begged Pops for weeks to teach me. He caved just to annoy Nani. "But yes."

"Is that was Time Ladies are for?" Jenny asked. "Making new languages?"

"I hope not. I've only made the one." I answered. While I didn't make the language from the Stitch universe, Darcy and I did have a sort of 'twin speak'. That language I take full credit for. "Oh dear. Doctor, are Time Ladies supposed to make languages!?"

"Make-" The Doctor pulled off that plan. It took him a while...was he really so distracted listening to us? Wow, River was right. He was bad at hiding it. "They're not- They're not for anything. Didn't we talk about this when we found out-"

"No, we talked about how the High Council of Time Lords were assholes." I reminded him. "Mind wiping assholes."

The Doctor made a face. He tossed the plan to the floor. "They weren't all bad."

"I said that too! That I was nice. And you were nice-ish." I recalled.

"I haven't called humans 'apes' in ages." The Doctor pointed out, with a smug knowing smile. "You can't hold it against me."

Author, that conversation was ages ago. Funny, I remember my thoughts from then. My bigger fears were just the Doctor finding out about the show, my secret double hearts stopped being an issue. I worried about the Doctor not trusting me, even as a Time Lady. Worse, my lack of knowledge would make me lesser in his eyes. I remember those words I thought then, and the words I smacked the Doctor out of saying twenty minutes ago.

"A Time Lord is so much more. A sum of knowledge, a code, a shared history, a shared suffering. Only it's gone now, all of it. Gone forever."

Did the Doctor still believe that? Had I actually stopped him from saying something nice, something affirming? Or was I included in that shared suffering, in that sum of knowledge, in that code? I would never know. My emotions acted up before I could control them.

"So what do you do?" Jenny asked.

"We travel through time and space." The Doctor explained. The sonic buzzed on the control panel.

Freddie pulled me aside again. "~But you will tell me how it goes, right?~"

"~I'm meeting a group of girls that all decided the best course of action to rage is to slap a wolf prince in the face.~" I reminded him. "~How can I keep that to myself?~"

Freddie held up his fist.

"They save planets, rescue civilizations, defeat terrible creatures." Donna explained to a wonderstruck Jenny. "And run a lot. Seriously, there's an outrageous amount of running involved."

The Doctor finally opened the door. "Got it!"

We could hear Cobb's voice floating up from below. It made everything seemed more rushed, more pressed for time.

"Now, what were you saying about running?" The Doctor asked.

Freddie elbowed me. "We doing this?"

I nodded, solemn.

Freddie invited me to go first.

I skipped past the Doctor. "Secret tunnel! Secret tunnel!"

"Through the mountain!" Freddie sang before chasing after me.

"But this isn't a mountain-" Jenny noted.

"It's still fun!" Donna replied.

The Doctor laughed. "Always count on Terra for that."

"Secret tunnel! Secret tunnel!" I sang again.

"Come on, y'all, join in!" Freddie suggested. "Through-"

"-the mountain!" Donna and Jenny joined in, laughing.

==MGCB==

Our path got cut short. An electric laser grid blocked it. Not an easily navigated one either. Why, I dare say the only way through is if you had some classical training in a circus or excellent combat training.

"That's not mood lighting, is it?" Donna asked.

The Doctor pulled out a clockwork mouse. He tossed it across. The poor mouse made contact with a laser, bursting into flames. There weren't even any ashes left to fall.

"No, I didn't think so." Donna added.

"Oh poor mouse." I rested my hands over my hearts.

"His name was Jeff." Freddie mused, nodding solemnly. "But we can get another for ya."

"Sadness gone!" I replied.

"Arming device." The Doctor walked to a nearby circuit box.

Freddie and I stared at the red lasers. Both of us were definitely navigating a course through it without touching lasers. When I was Ruby Morgue/Freddy Rose, my ghost self had a lot of electricity based powers. The red lasers reminded me of some of my ghost attacks- the memories of using them against Skulker made me smile fondly. Even more fondly was memories of using them against Vlad Masters.

Anyway- navigating the laser grid. It would be a tight job but I could definitely do it as Terra Johnson. Freddy Rose/Ruby Morgue had the cheat of being part ghost to give her floating skills. Or intangibility. Terra Johnson was flexible in her own right. As my clone, Freddie would have those same skills.

"There's more of these." Donna walked to a nearby number plate. 60120713. "Always eight numbers, counting down the closer we get."

The grid turned off. Freddie and I whined in disappointment.

"Right, here we go." The Doctor told us.

"You'd better be quick." Donna warned.

Cobb's voice echoed up from the hall.

"The General." Jenny gasped.

She and Freddie went off towards it.

"Oi!" I reached back, grabbing Freddie's arm.

The Doctor did the same to grab Jenny. "Where are you going?"

"I can hold them up." Jenny explained. "By myself."

"I've known them longer. Two minds are better than one." Freddie explained.

"No, we don't need any more dead." The Doctor dismissed.

"Especially for something so reckless! We can just run through-"

"But it's them or us." Jenny argued.

"It doesn't mean you have to kill them." The Doctor argued.

"We can hold them off!" Freddie insisted.

"I'm trying to save your life." Jenny reminded us.

"Listen to me." The Doctor pulled Jenny closer. He looked at me, giving me an apologetic look before going back to his daughter. "The killing. After a while, it infects you. And once it does, you're never rid of it."

Jenny shook her head. "We don't have a choice."

"We always have a choice." The Doctor argued.

"I'm sorry." Jenny pulled her arm from his hold.

All at once, Freddie's arm became a unique familiar kind of cold. Before my eyes a faint arm pulled itself from my hands. Freddie's arm went tangible when it was free and he was out of my range.

"Jenny."

"Freddie!"

After they'd run off, I watched the way they came. Though someone could feel sad at the loss, instead all I felt for Freddie and Jenny was pride. They made their stand against the Doctor, and stuck with it. How could I feel anything but joy for them?

Gunshots started going off. I took a deep breath, holding tight to my Bag.

Please, Author, please

Freddie could still lose that other half of him. The alive half. Going intangible is hard to manage while also holding something like a gun. The bullets could become intangible too. Or worse, he could use it to save Jenny but not himself.

But I have faith in my brother

Don't let it be in vain

"I told you. Nothing but soldiers." The Doctor hissed.

"They take after me." I replied.

"They're trying to help." Donna added.

The Doctor twisted another few wires. Though the lasers were off, that just applied to their visibility. I could still feel the heat of them from here.

"Freddie, Jenny, get moving!" I shouted.

"Yes ma'am!" Freddie shouted back.

"Coming!" Jenny shouted too.

"Cease fire. Cease fire." Cobb shouted. The gunfire stopped.

At the same time, the heat from the lasers vanished.

Donna grabbed my hand. "That's it."

"Jenny, leave it!" The Doctor shouted. "Let's go."

"I got this, sestra!" Freddie called back. "Do you trust me?"

"Of course I do!" I answered back. Donna and I ran up the hallway. "Make it count!"

"You're children of the machine!" Cobb shouted. The voice echoing up to us. It disgusted me. All at once, I couldn't stop comparing him to Vlad. Mainly that they were both old and war hungry. And they both wanted my brother to fight uselessly in their war.

Oh Cobb is so lucky that the Doctor and Donna are here as witnesses

Or he would be dead.

"You're on my side!" Cobb insisted. "Join us. Join us in the war against the Hath. It's in your blood, kids. Don't deny it."

The Doctor, Donna, and I waited with bated breath. While the Doctor and Donna were in the dark on Jenny, I was worried for my brother. Did the comparison come up for him too? How long had it existed for him, or had it not occurred to him yet? What would it do to him when he found out?

Two gunshots went off.

I let out a breath. My body leaned against the wall behind us. A giddy laugh bubbled out from me.

Jenny and Freddie came from around the corner.

"Come on, guys!" I cheered.

"That's it!" The Doctor encouraged them.

"Hurry up." Donna called out too.

The two of them kept running. When the lasers appeared, Freddie raised his arm to block Jenny's path.

"No, no, no, no, no, no. The circuit's looped back." The Doctor began to stress.

"Zap it back again." Donna yelled.

The Doctor "The controls are back there." The Doctor argued.

"Fred?" I shouted.

"I'm working on it!"

"They're coming." Jenny warned us.

"Fred!" I shouted again.

"I said I'm working on it!" Freddie looked at the lasers, eyes darting about. "Jenny?"

"What?"

"Do you see it?" Freddie asked her. He tilted her head to look at the lasers.

"Wait. Just. There isn't-" The Doctor stammered. His own eyes darted around the laser grid parts and fears. "Jenny, I can't-"

Jenny smiled. "Oh I see it now."

"Think you can manage?" Freddie asked.

"Faster than you can." Jenny teased. Freddie and I laughed. "Watch and learn, Father."

Jenny tossed her rifle aside. She took a run up, leaping into the laser grid hall. Only she didn't hit the lasers. Rather, she somersaulted down the whole way. Freddie barked out a laugh before following after her.

I cheered loudly, bouncing in place and clapping excitedly.

Donna gawked. "No way. But that was impossible."

"Not impossible." The Doctor cheered.

Our clones made it out. They didn't even break stride. Freddie took a cheerleader pose before stumbling into my arms. I squeezed my brother tight.

"Just a bit unlikely." The Doctor hugged his daughter. "Brilliant! You were brilliant. Brilliant."

Freddie held me tight. Not like he'd gone through sometimes dangerous, but like something else was wrong with him.

"I didn't kill him." Jenny admitted. "General Cobb, I could have killed him but I didn't. You were right. I had a choice."

"I made my choice ages ago." Freddie admitted, hugging me tighter. "Nobody gets left behind-"

"-or forgotten." My hand brushed his back, the other coming up to ruffle his hair. "I found it all on my own. It's little and broken-"

"-but still good." Freddie finished. He let out a long breath. "Yeah, still good."

We ended the hug. I smiled at him, ruffling his hair again. Freddie laughed. I turned to Jenny, doing the same to her. She laughed too.

Look at us! Children as far as Time Lords as concerned. But we're here, making our own choices that make us our own. Individuals. Proud in our uniqueness, and in defying the wills of those in power over us.

Any parent would be proud to have us.

I looked at the Doctor. He smiled like he had the same thought as me.

"At arms!" Cobb shouted.

Freddie, Donna, and Jenny started running. They went out of the firing range. The Doctor and I turned. Together we glared at Cobb, standing confidently in the glow of red lasers.

"I warned you, Cobb." The Doctor called out. "If the Source is a weapon, we're going to make sure you never use it."

"One of us is going to die today and it won't be me." Cobb warned. He nodded.

I grabbed the Doctor's arm, dragging him along. We narrowly avoided the bullets.

Nobody's dying today

Not on my watch!

==MGCB==

It took a while of running before we felt comfortable enough to slow down. The map was given a brief glance before I led our team together. Freddie kept at my side. The Doctor did too.

Donna and Jenny walked behind us.

"So, you travel together, but you're not together?" Jenny asked.

"What? No. No. No way. No, no, we're friends, that's all. I mean, we're not even the same species. There's probably laws against it." Donna replied.

"And they aren't together either?" Jenny asked.

"Oh definitely not." Donna replied with a snort. "She could do better than him. Besides, he's a bit older for her, isn't he?"

"He is!" I replied with cheer. Freddie snickered.

"It's not that old."

"Doctor, you're older than Yoda."

Freddie laughed- just straight up laughed.

"Well you're too young for dating." The Doctor argued. "At all. You have to wait until you're four centuries old. At least."

"Did you?" I asked. The Doctor said nothing.

"And what's it like, the travelling?" Jenny asked.

"Oh, never a dull moment." Donna answered. "It can be terrifying, brilliant and funny, sometimes all at the same time. I've seen some amazing things though. Whole new worlds."

"Oh, I'd love to see new worlds." Jenny cheered.

"It's great." Freddie told her, face lit up in excitement. "Really- oh, T, we gotta show her that one planet with-!"

"Talking dogs!" I suggested.

"That's a thing?!" Freddie gawked. "Of course it's a thing. I wanna go there now. I want see a world with talking dogs."

"Me too!" Jenny perked up.

"You will. Won't they, Doctor?" Donna asked.

The Doctor turned to her, pulled out of his thoughts. "Hmm?"

"Do you think Jenny and Freddie will see any new worlds?" Donna clarified.

The Doctor looked at me before looking at Jenny. "I suppose so." He smiled at her.

Jenny beamed. "You mean...? You mean you'll take us with you?"

"Well, we can't leave you here, can we?" The Doctor countered.

Jenny rushed at him, hugging her dad tight. She pulled me in for the hug too. I giggled with her. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Freddie joined. He hugged us all.

But I noticed his eyes were wet. They dripped on my dress.

He wanted to show Tuck new planets too.

Oh, broseph...

Jenny ended the hug. She was bouncing on her feet. She took Freddie's hand to drag him ahead. "Come on, let's get a move on!"

"Careful, there might be traps." The Doctor warned.

"Traps are fun!" Freddie called back. "I'm gonna poke 'um with a stick!"

"Have fun!" I cheered him on. "Remember if you die-"

"Get up and keep walking!" Freddie replied.

"Kids. They never listen." Donna teased.

I laughed, wrapping my arms around myself. My brother mourned his son. What does a sister do in those times? All I have is experience as a cop. I already promised to bring Freddie justice but ending the war. Would that be enough? He blamed me for his son's death, I saw that clearly.

The three of us started walking up the hall. Slower. More contemplative.

Our little broken family

Always just a bit shattered, aren't we?

I can only imagine Freddie's pain. If I had a child and something happened to them...I don't think I would be able to handle it. The world couldn't. Freddie is already proving himself way better than me by staying contained.

Again, the only good thing Vlad Masters ever made.

"Oh, I know that look." Donna mused. I glanced up, worried I'd shown my emotions on my face in public. "I see it a lot round our way. Blokes with pushchairs and frowns. You've got dad-shock."

My shoulders relaxed. Ah, time to kick the Doctor. I let my pace slow so I was behind them- not willing to stand between their upcoming fight.

"Dad-shock?" The Doctor asked.

"Sudden unexpected fatherhood. Take a bit of getting used to." Donna assured him.

"No, it's not that."

"Well, what is it then? Having Jenny in the TARDIS, is that it?" Donna pressed. "What's she going to do, cramp your style? Like you've got a sports car and she's going to turn it into a people-carrier? How are they any different than bringing along Terra?"

"Donna, I've been a father before." The Doctor revealed.

Donna stared at him. "What?" She glanced at me to confirm.

I could only shrug, not willing to get involved.

"I lost all that a long time ago, along with everything else." The Doctor admitted.

"So Terra's not-?" Donna began. The Doctor shook his head. "I'm sorry. I didn't know." She looked at me. "Did you?"

"He told me. And Rose." I replied.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Donna asked us. "Especially you, Doctor. You talk all the time, but you don't say anything."

"It wasn't my thing to tell." I replied.

"I know, I know." Donna replied. "It's why I asked him."

"I know. I'm just." The Doctor paused. "You're right." My head perked up, curious. "It's not that different from having Terra around."

My hand gripped tight to my Bag.

"I didn't want to see it at first." The Doctor admitted. "It just got hard to ignore. Everyone always thought I was your dad, calling you 'Junior' even, and...and all I could think about when I heard it or looked at you was..." He stopped to swallow. As someone who constantly swallows down her emotions, I can promise that feeling hurts. "All I could think about was the hole they left, all the pain that filled it. I didn't think I could face it every day."

"...you used past tense." I noted in a soft voice.

The Doctor nodded. He didn't turn his head around to look at me. Not that I wanted to, I don't think I could handle that. Not after the day I've had.

"It didn't stay like that?" Donna asked. "She helped you?"

"Terra always does." The Doctor laughed, sounding like he was a minute from crying. The words burned deep inside. Burned really, really deep. A painful sort of burning but also not painful. Like staring at a sunset, and the sun gets in your eyes but you keep looking because the colors are so pretty. "You helped me see I could use that part of me again. Terra you- nobody can replace you. Nobody. But Jenny-"

"Jenny, that uses guns. And is smart." I reasoned. "Like me but more...you."

The Doctor glanced back. Sure enough his eyes were big and brown as the Tenth Doctor's always were. They expressed that broken tragedy that he wore along his coat. I looked down at my pink boots.

"I'm...I'm not mad." I promised him. "She's your daughter. She's already perfect for you. She decided to kill or even maim anybody. I'm still on the fence. She's the perfect daughter for you."

"Terra-"

"I don't need a dad, Doctor." I told him. I've had my fill of fathers. "I need a friend."

"I know." The Doctor stopped in his path. I stopped fast to keep from walking into him. "Terra?" Bracing myself, I looked up at him. "I'm not your dad, you're not my child. But you? You're still brilliant as you are. I'm sorry I ever made you feel otherwise."

...

...

...

...really?

"You mean it?" I asked, voice shaking.

The Doctor nodded.

"Even though I use guns? And do things that make you mad?" I asked, ignoring how wet my cheeks were getting. Must be something in the air.

The Doctor laughed, clearly ignoring the water on his own cheeks. "Well you've been doing that from the start."

A memory of Nine came up, of him yelling at me in the TARDIS. It made me laugh. The Doctor laughed too. But my laugh soured. He hadn't said 'yes' or 'no'. He just made a joke. He was avoiding answering the question which meant he wanted to say 'yes'.

"No. No you're just saying that." I shook my head. Something dripped on my shirt. These damn humans did a shitty job building their new home, leaky fucking pipes. "Because we're fighting and you want me to shut up-"

"No Terra I- Donna?" The Doctor asked.

"Say it." Donna prompted. "Doctor. Look at Terra and say the words."

"I did!"

"Tell her again." Donna encouraged him. "She needs to hear it, really hear it. Trust me."

A hand touched my shoulder. I sniffled, holding tighter to my Bag.

"Terra. I'm not mad at you." The Doctor promised. "Even though you use guns, and do things that make me mad."

He's not mad at me. He- the Doctor isn't mad or disappointed in me? At all? My hands shook, fingers trembling in their grip. Everything felt so overwhelming- like I was drowning.

But fuck did I want to hear it again

"I- I-"

"You're my best friend." The Doctor pulled me in for a hug. Fuck I couldn't help it- I clutched tighter to my Bag. I killed his best friend. Twice. "Sorry I've been so rubbish at it, and kept trying to change you. I meant it when I said you're brilliant."

So many apologies

I get that Ten is known for them but really?

A brother with powers, and Ten apologizing for his behavior, all on the same day? Did I pick up some blessed amulet or something?

I stopped questioning it. Because this felt so good to hear.

As what always happens when I feel a modicum of joy, gunshots went off.

The Doctor and I pulled apart. Donna jumped back, startled.

Jenny and Freddie rushed back. Freddie's hair looked slightly burnt.

"They've blasted through the beams." Jenny explained. She beamed. "Time to run again. Love the running. Yeah?"

The Doctor and exchanged a look. We turned to the younger Time Lords, smiling.

"Love the running."

"The best part." I cheered.

We started running. All of us, together. Running. Running like we were born to do it.

"Your hair?" I asked Freddie.

Freddie shrugged. "I may have poked something with a stick."

"You actually did it?"

"I didn't think you would trick me." I snorted. Even the Doctor and Donna laughed. Freddie rolled his eyes. "I know!"

==MGCB==

We ran to a long hall. A giant red wall blocked the rest of our path.

"We're trapped." Donna snapped, complaining.

"The map wouldn't lie." I replied. Walking to the red wall, I knocked on it. The sound echoed like a gap was beyond it. "It's this way."

The Doctor leaned beside me. He ran his hands on the wall, catching a ridge. "This must be the Temple. This is a door."

"So that must mean-" I began.

The Doctor turned. "Control panel." He reached for his sonic, pausing. "Terra, could you try it?"

"On it." The Doctor stepped back. Using my sonic, I ran it on the control panel. It popped open.

"And again." Donna mused. "We're down to one two now-"

"Getting there!" I cheered.

"I can hear them." Jenny warned.

"Terra?" The Doctor prompted.

"Nearly done." I replied.

"These can't be a cataloguing system." Donna muttered.

"Wow, that got dusty since I was here earlier." Freddie replied.

"They're getting closer." Jenny warned.

"Then get back here." The Doctor called out.

I pressed the sonic against the metal. It buzzed and buzzed.

"They're too similar. Too familiar." Donna remarked. "Wait, did you say you saw it earlier? Like when you ran up?"

"No, last week." Freddie answered.

"Not yet." Jenny told the Doctor.

"Freddie quit being cheeky!" I yelled. My brother smirked at me. "Got it!"

"Now!" The Doctor shouted.

The door swung open. I ran inside. The other panel was beside the door. I started typing on it. Everyone filed in.

"Bye!" Freddie waved at the oncoming human army.

"Byebye!" I added as the door slid to a close.

"They're coming. Close the door."

Jenny smiled up at us. "Oh, that was close."

The Doctor grinned. "No fun otherwise."

The five of us got back to running. There were only a few walkways to take.

We ended up near a catwalk style landing. Freddie beamed at it all, proud and fond.

"It's not what I'd call a temple." Donna mused.

"It looks more like-" Jenny added.

"Fusion drive transport. It's a spaceship." The Doctor realized.

"What, the original one?" Donna asked. "The one the first colonists arrived in?"

"Well, it could be, but the power cells would have run down after all that time." The Doctor replied. "This one's still powered-up and functioning."

"There's a good reason for that." Freddie explained. "Come this way."

Freddie took us down the path. The others obeyed obediently. I suddenly started giggling.

As we walked by, we saw another red door. This one had someone burning through with welding tools.

"It's the Hath." Jenny realized. "That door's not going to last much longer. And if General Cobb gets through down there, war's going to break out."

"Oh you'll be done long before then." Freddie promised. I kept giggling. He walked off towards a large computer system.

The Doctor followed him. "Look, look, look, look, look. Ship's log." He started scrolling through the logs. "First wave of Human/Hath co-colonisation of planet Messaline."

"So it is the original ship." Jenny stated.

"She's a beauty, huh?" Freddie asked with a smile. He looked up at the rafters, still smiling. "We worked hard on it."

I giggled more. "You- you said-" I laughed, holding my stomach.

Freddie sighed. "Yeah I knew you would get it first."

"Get what?" Donna asked.

"Phase one, construction. They used robot drones to build the city." The Doctors read off.

"But does it mention the war?" Donna asked.

"Final entry." The Doctor told them. "Mission commander dead. Still no agreement on who should assume leadership. Hath and humans have divided into factions." The Doctor slapped the side of the setup. "That must be it. A power vacuum. The crew divided into two factions and turned on each other. Start using the progenation machines, suddenly you've got two armies fighting a never-ending war."

"Who both want to come in and see their mega ultra death weapon of prophecy." I reminded him.

"Look at that." Donna walked over towards a digital display.

60120724

"It's like the numbers in the tunnels." The Doctor stated.

"Largest one yet!" I cheered, giggling again.

"No, no, no, no." She held up her notecard. "But listen, I spent six months working as a temp in Hounslow Library, and I mastered the Dewey Decimal System in two days flat. I'm good with numbers. It's staring us in the face."

"What is?" Jenny asked.

"It's the date." Donna explained. "Assuming the first two numbers are some big old space date, then you've got year, month, day. It's the other way round, like it is in America."

"No, we still have it as 'month-day-year'." I corrected her.

"In normal parts of America." Freddie countered. I elbowed him.

"Oh! It's the New Byzantine Calendar." The Doctor realized, seeing it too.

"The codes are completion dates for each section. They finish it, they stamp the date on. So the numbers aren't counting down, they're going out from here, day by day, as the city got built." Donna explained.

"Yes. Oh, good work, Donna." The Doctor praised.

"You haven't seen the best part yet." I told him.

The first number I saw back there was 60120717." Donna reminded him. "Well, look at the date today."

The Doctor did so. "07-24." His eyes went wide. "No."

Freddie beamed.

Jenny looked at all of us. "What does it mean?"

"Seven days." The Doctor realized.

"That's it. Seven days." Donna nodded.

"Just seven days!" I laughed.

"What do you mean, seven days?" Jenny asked.

"The war broke out a week ago." Freddie answered. "It's been a long seven days."

"This war started seven days ago." Donna added. "Just a week. A week!"

"They said years." Jenny reminded them.

"No, they said generations." Donna corrected. "And if they're all like you, and they're products of those machines-"

"They've had hundreds of generations a day." Freddie answered. "Actually a thousand. I've helped count."

"Because this-" I gestured to the ship. "-was the ship you came in on!"

Freddie nodded. "I love going undercover. Humans and Hath going together to start a new planet? I had to see that!"

"Each generation gets killed in the war, passes on the legend." The Doctor realized. "Oh, Donna, you're a genius."

"But all the buildings, the encampments. They're in ruins." Jenny argued.

"No, they're not ruined. They're just empty. Waiting to be populated." The Doctor explained.

"Nobody's asked me anything yet." Freddie reminded us.

"What's the Source?" I asked him.

Freddie clapped. "Finally! People asking real questions. That I can answer."

"Then answer it!"

"Come see!" Freddie started running. All of us followed. "It's actually really cool-"

"Pops!"

Freddie and I turned to the voice.

"Tuck?!" Freddie gawked.

There was a human boy running towards us. He was about Freddie's height, give or take a few inches. He had the same brown hair, just longer and with more curls. His eyes were a green that just popped, especially in his military clothes. I bet he had Spencer good looks under all that...yuck.

The boy grinned in Freddie's direction. "What up, Poppy!" He slowed down. "What, did you think I was dead?"

Freddie gawked at his son. He pulled Tuck in for a hug, squeezing him tight. The boy hugged back.

Myself, on the other hand, was squealing like a banshee. "I'm an auntie!"

"Doctor! Terra!" Martha yelled, as she turned the final corner.

"MARTHA!" I abandoned my family, rushing to the companion.

"Martha!" The Doctor joined me in hugging our companion. "Oh, I should have known you wouldn't stay away from the excitement."

Martha pulled away from us both. It let us see the Hath standing behind her. "Donna."

"Oh, you're filthy. What happened?" Donna asked.

"We, er, took the surface route." Martha excused.

"And the Hath?" The Doctor asked.

"Oh! That's my friend." Martha explained.

I held out my hand. "Hello there, nice to meet you! Sorry if I shot at you earlier."

The Hath took my hand, shaking it. They replied but I don't speak in bubbles.

"Him and Tuck-" Martha began.

"I'm an auntie!" I ran up to the Freddie/Tuck hug that had just ended. "Can I hug you?!"

"Uh. Yes." Tuck replied, in a 'duh' voice. He held up his arm, still holding a Freddie that was in no hurry to part ways.

I hugged Tuck. He hugged back.

"You smell like lemons!" He cheered.

"You smell like America's independence from England!" I cheered back.

Tuck pulled away to look down at my face.

"Like tea!" I translated.

Tuck grinned. "Ooh! I like smelling like tea!"

"What happened to your hat?" Freddie asked.

"Oh I lost it." Tuck answered. He nodded to the Hath. "That Hath saved my life, falling in a tar pit. I used the hat to better grab him, drag him out. Only thing was that my hat got stuck on the tar." He smiled sheepishly at Freddie. "So...uh...don't be mad?"

I turned to Freddie. Freddie chewed on his lip, looking down. "...he used the hat for traction." It made sense. Tucker Foley always took great care with his hats. They were meant to withstand ghost attacks.

"Wow. Traction." Freddie laughed behind us, in relief. "Traction and hope. Don't scare your old man like that, Tuck. I'm half dead already."

Tuck and I giggled.

"Terra's an aunt?" Martha asked.

"Tuck is Freddie's son." Jenny explained. "We thought he was dead."

Martha hummed. "Tuck explained he had a dad here. I didn't know it was Terra's brother."

I pulled back from the hug. "Freddie! The Source!"

Freddie jumped back. "Right!" He grabbed Tuck's shoulder. "Everybody follow the flowers!"

"Flowers?" The Doctor asked.

Freddie started running up stairs. Tuck and I followed. Jenny on our heels.

"Hold on, I smell it!" Martha called out before joining the chasing.

"Yes. Bougainvillea!" The Doctor shouted. "Cond on, Donna!"

"We don't even know what we're looking for!"

"Flowers!" Freddie, Tuck, the Doctor, and I shouted.

==MGCB==

"So when you said you came here on a ship-" Donna began.

"It was this one." Freddie confirmed.

"And you never said this had been going on for a week?" Donna added.

Freddie shrugged. "I didn't know you guys thought differently."

"What about when I pointed out all those date plates?" Donna asked.

"Well I figured the Doctor hadn't noticed and you were trying to tell him." Freddie answered.

"Oh that's possible." I nodded. "My only question is that how do you have only one kid after being here a week?"

"Oh I stayed in here for a while." Freddie explained. "But then I heard a lot of gunfire and got worried. When I walked outside, two soldiers grabbed me and cloned me." He ruffled his son's hair. Tuck pushed the arm off. "Tuck's been awesome!"

"So you just hopped on this ship for no reason other than adventure?" The Doctor asked.

Freddie beamed. "...okay yeah. In the future, Terra recommended it to me. Again- I didn't think she would trick me."

I made an 'ooh' sound. "Dude."

"I know, I know. I've learned my lesson." Freddie laughed. "But the adventure? I won't lie, that was a major part of it. Who doesn't love the running?"

We finally reached the bottom of the stairs. Everything was completely different than upstairs. Where upstairs had shiny clean metal or either gray or red, this place had life. Tall palm trees and bushes were placed everywhere, some flowers were scattered about. I spotted a fish pony nearby. This place had nature in her hand.

The middle of it all? A great big glass ball filled with green and gold gasses.

"Oh, yes. Yes. Isn't this brilliant?" The Doctor cheered.

"Ooo pretty!" I ran to look at some of the flowers. Tuck joined me. As a child of the machine, he would never have seen nature before.

"Is that the Source?" Donna asked, pointing to the glass ball.

"It's beautiful." Jenny noted, looking around at the shrubbery. Again, for the first time in her life.

"What is it?" Martha asked.

"Terraformer." I stood up, skipping over. I leaned against the metal structure holding the glass ball. "Just like Rattigan was making but better. From the look of it...Doc, fourth or third?"

"Third."

"Third generation terraformer device!" I cheered, slapping the side of the ball. "Not a weapon, or anything that could be used for violence. I don't even think it's possible to die here with this thing around."

"So why are we suddenly in Kew Gardens?" Donna asked.

"It needs help. Third generation Terraformers can't stand up on their own. All this stuff inside would go to waste." I tapped the side again. "So it needs life outside of it, boosting it up, doing the things to keep it alive and feeling useful!"

Freddie snorted. He opened his mouth, probably to make a joke at my expense.

He was silenced. Metal doors slammed open. We were surrounded on all sides by human and Hath armies.

I stepped aside, standing behind the Source. The control panel for it was a lot smaller- only a simple press and release button.

The Doctor held out his arms. The companion scurried behind him. Jenny, Freddie, and Tuck took a defensive stance around me. "Stop! Hold your fire!"

"What is this, some kind of trap?" Cobb glared at the plants stacked around.

"You said you wanted this war over." The Doctor reminded him.

"I want this war won!" Cobb snapped.

"You can't win. No one can." The Doctor informed him. "You don't even know why you're here. Your whole history, it's just Chinese whispers, getting more distorted the more it's passed on." He threw his arm back, pointing at me. "This is the Source. This is what you're fighting over. A device to rejuvenate a planet's ecosystem. It's nothing mystical. It's from a laboratory, not some creator. It's a bubble of gases. A cocktail of stuff for accelerated evolution. Methane, hydrogen, ammonia, amino acids, proteins, nucleic acids. It's used to make barren planets habitable. Look around you. It's not for killing, it's bringing life. If you allow it, it can lift you out of these dark tunnels and into the bright, bright sunlight. No more fighting, no more killing."

I lifted the bubble out of the device. Locking eyes with Cobb, I grinned.

"We are Terra and the Doctor-" I announced. "-and we declare this war over!"

I threw it on the ground!

I threw the rest of the cake too!

Welcome to the real world, jackass!

The glass shattered. The green and gold gas began to float up. The humans and Hath gawked at the display. The gas brought the smells of fresh life, of a warm chest and a giddy awe. It floated up towards the roof.

One by one, the soldiers lowered their guns. They all watched the Source- their mythologized breath of life- to watch it finally do it's job.

All except one guy. Nah, he was glaring.

I walked forward. Freddie walked at my side.

Jenny walked to her dad. "What's happening?"

"The gases will escape and trigger the terraforming process." The Doctor explained happily.

"What does that mean?" Jenny asked.

The Doctor beamed. "It means a new world."

I leaned on Freddie.

"Oh not this again-"

Using him as leverage, I kicked both my legs out. It knocked us to the ground.

Also, knocked Cobb's gun out of his hands. It

I stood up, grabbing the pistol.

Cobb sneered at me.

"You would've shot someone? Here?" I asked him. Behind me, the Doctor and Jenny shuffled about. "It brings life to the world, not life to your war!"

Cobb said nothing. He continued to glare, disgusted.

I shook my head. The gun wasn't one I wanted to keep- a gun that killed Jenny in another life, that would've killed any of us if Cobb wanted it.

So I put on the safety, and threw it away. Far as I could manage, over the bushes and flora.

To the soldiers, I pointed at Cobb.

"Not. Worth. It!" I told them. "A chance to start over, to make things new and good! His death would've meant continuing that violence. It's not worth it. It never is. When you are building this new world, build it out of violence not being worth it! Make a world of safety and peace!"

What a better vengeance, then making it so nobody here wants to start a war? Not in Cobb's lifetime, at least.

You don't fuck with my family. Ever.

==MGCB==

Freddie brought us back to the TARDIS. Beyond that, to the theatre to see the terraforming in action. Sunlight shined from the windows, casting the theatre in a new, hope filled light.

"See?" He patted my back. "You did good, kid."

"I know." I pushed on his chest, trying to punch him. Freddie just laughed. "Telling me what I already know. Stupid brother!"

Freddie grunted in pain. Tuck and Jenny laughed.

"Build a city, nice and safe underground, strip away the topsoil and there it is." Donna cheered. "It's gonna be beautiful."

"Are you gonna be okay, Fred?" I asked him. "Do you need a ride?"

Freddie shook his head. "We're gonna stay her another week- make sure they settle in properly. Make a note of it, pick me up whenever you're ready."

I held up my thumb.

"Same for me." Jenny stepped forward. The Doctor, Donna, and Martha looked at her in surprise. "Dad, I want to go see new worlds but." She turned to the window, feeling sunlight. "I need to help my world first."

At her words, I looked back to the Doctor. His face had no reaction. Like he'd just been hit in the face, and was figuring out how to handle it. As he wondered, he glanced at me. I tilted my head, curious as to his reactions. The Doctor originally was supposed to grieve Jenny here, to mourn the loss of his daughter and their future together.

Would it have the same impact on him now, with her alive and well? Leaving of her own will, rather than someone else's? Or would this be his time to grieve, to mourn his child parting from him so early.

"Terra? What do you think?" The Doctor asked.

"She'll do great." I stated firmly, not even questioning. "She's a Time Lady. We're awesome."

Then he smiled.

==MGCB==

I stepped aside from the group giving goodbyes to Jenny. Freddie and Tuck had left first, lying about why they were going this way. Freddie said they were gonna rig explosives to take out the seal. With no people on the other side, we could reach the TARDIS safely.

But I knew better.

We were Spencers. Lying's in our blood (or maybe I'm lying about that. You'll never know).

My brother and nephew stood a short distance from the wall.

"FREDDIE!" I called out. "TUCK!"

Freddie turned to me. "Hey Yellow!" He bumped Tuck's arm. "Go ahead, show her!"

Tuck shrugged. He pulled back his arm, building a charge. Blue sparks climbed up his arm. My eyes widened. Tuck threw the arms forward. Electricity fired from his palm. It hit the wall with a boom.

It tore a large hole in the wall. Half of it collapsed, burning into ash. Little blue sparks kept jumping off from Tuck's arm.

Freddie beamed with pride. "See? He could do that early on. My boy's got his dad's gift for lightning!" He cheered, jumping in place.

I walked up to them. Eyeing the wall, I mentally compared it to the walls I'd destroyed in my time with ghost powers. "Decent."

Freddie snorted, snickering. Tuck scoffed. "Seriously? I just got an aunt, and she's not happy with me."

Freddie shrugged. "You get used to it. First time I ever attacked her, she gave critiques mid-fight."

"Your form was off."

"You haven't even done it yet!" Freddie whined. "How do you know?!"

"Because you taught Tuck incorrectly too." I walked to my nephew's side. The boy tensed as I placed my arm beside. "You were too stiff. Try rolling your arm next time, like your throwing a playing card."

"Like this?" He pulled his arm to his chest, before uncurling it.

"More fluid." I advised.

"I'm not a woman. This is as fluid as I get." Tuck answered.

I shrugged. That's a fair point. "Do...do you really think I'm not proud of you?"

"I mean...yeah." Tuck answered. "Pops explained it to me- about you and Martha. It was me that got her stuck over there and- and I'm the one that kept putting her in danger in Hath territory. She kept telling me to stop the fighting but I kept going. I- I nearly died, let Pops believe I died. Why wouldn't you be disappointed?"

"Never, pendejo." I patted his shoulder, squeezing it. "Never disappointed. I'm proud! That Hath was gonna die up there. What you did, you saved his life. You kept Martha from experiencing the grief of losing a companion. Thank you. I- How can I ever repay-"

"It's nothing. You don't have to do anything." Tuck replied.

I gawked.

"Now you've done it." Freddie giggled to himself. "Now she'll spend her whole life spoiling you."

I whined. "I'm an awful aunt."

"Aunt T, you're awesome-"

"No I'm not. I didn't even know you existed. Your father thought you were dead, and I let him think that. Granted I didn't know either but still." I argued. "But my future self didn't warn him- that's on me."

"We're Stardusts. We never die." Tuck reasoned. "Pops is an idiot for forgetting."

"That he is." Tuck got a small chuckle out of me. Or maybe an exhale through my nose. "He gets that from me. I forget things all the time. Try not to, really I don't. It's just a thing- I'm an idiot. Yeah."

Freddie eyed me. The staring didn't feel reassuring. It looked concerned. Did I say the wrong thing again? "Pink?" Freddie asked.

"It's fine. I'm fine." I told him.

"Fine has variable definitions." Freddie countered.

"Ugh." I rolled my eyes. "It's nothing, okay?"

"Nothing? You just called yourself a forgetful idiot." Freddie explained. "That's not fine. That violates rule four. You never violate rule four."

"It's fi- it's okay! I'm working on it." I insisted. "Don't make a big deal out of it. I'll just get some sleep and I'll be f- good as new."

Freddie didn't look convinced. "How long have you been here?"

"What?"

"How long have you been traveling with the Doctor?"

"...not long."

"Pink." Freddie warned.

Been a dad a few days, and he's already got the voice down. Fuck. "Five years."

Freddie gawked.

"Is- is that bad?" Tuck asked.

"Huh? What- no. I mean, not for humans but for Terra-" Freddie winced. "Pink, you gotta go to Wolfland. Now."

"What?"

"Go. You need to go. Get out of here." Freddie repeated. "Run wild with wolves, fight alphas to the death, challenge Jennifer Adams to an innuendo off. Just leave."

"Why? I like being-"

"Don't lie to me." Freddie warned. I froze. He sighed. "I know you can't help it, sometimes, just please try right now. For my sake."

I hesitated. "I like being here."

"You do." Freddie agreed. "But I saw it- you want to go. You need to go. Why don't you?"

"I can't. You know me- you know me as well as you think, you know why I can't." I replied. "The Doctor needs me to stay. If I left too like Jenny or the others- if I was gone, what would be left? How would he handle it?"

Freddie shook his head. "You know you need it. You know how you get when you stay too long. Why do this to yourself?"

"...Do you know how this all ends? I don't want that for him."

"Why tell him? You've left for like a minute their time, never said a fucking word." Freddie asked. "You've done it before. Why is it different for him?"

Because he's earned it. He's earned the truth, like all the others didn't.

"I can see how it's breaking you. Please- go home." Freddie explained. "Just tell me you will."

I hesitated. "Why?"

Freddie's face twitched before stretching out into a sad smile. "So that I'll feel right letting you go." Freddie answered. "Please?"

I wanna stay

I wanna stay so bad

I wanna see Cybermen in space, see new kinds of aliens, run through space malls and hopefully not get banned.

There's this whole universe out here and I wanna see it with the Doctor

But I'm...I just wanna...

I'm tired

"...I've got a Plan."

Freddie raised an eyebrow.

"No, I mean it. I leave in a few weeks- maybe months." I explained. Reaching into my Bag, I pulled out a tiny pack of notecards of a ring. There was a hand drawn wolf on the cover- I'm quite the artist of stick figures. Turning the cover one could see a simple outline of a continuity timeline. Including the notecard I taped back in after accidentally giving it to Donna. "See? Just like you saw. This is the first book. It got a bit funky. First ten chapters are over a span of three days, ain't that fun? Second book is at least two months long by my check. The third is somewhere between two weeks and a month, I need to figure that out before I tell Darcy."

Tuck was looking between us, perplexed.

"But you will leave? Soon?" Freddie pressed.

I nodded. "Yeah. It's- it's time. But- but I want to finish this first. It shouldn't be much longer."

"Promise?" Freddie asked.

"I'm trying really hard here, broseph." I told him. Being so blatantly honest where the Doctor or Martha or Donna could show up any second...it's freaking me out. "Please finish destroying the wall so I can fly off dramatically."

Freddie laughed. "Yeah. You just...damn it, why doesn't he get a cooler catchphrase?!"

"You can still go ghost, Rocket."

Tuck groaned, head lolling back. "Great. He's gonna be doing this all day."

That felt good. It felt good to share my Plans with somebody. Usually it was only Darcy- nobody else believed me. But Freddie and Tuck? They were right. We were Spence-

Wait what the hell is a Stardust?

==MGCB==

Inside the TARDIS, the Doctor looked at his hand.

"Jenny was the reason for the TARDIS bringing us here." The Doctor explained. "It just got here too soon, which then created Jenny in the first place. Paradox. An endless paradox." He turned to the human companions. "Time to go home?"

Martha smiled, giddy and relieved. "Yeah. Home."

==MGCB==

The TARDIS left with her traditional noise. Freddie, Jenny, and Tuck watched with a bittersweet smile.

Freddie turned to Tuck. "Alright, Tuck, time to load up the rocket."

"Rocket?" Jenny asked.

"It's more of an escape pod. Gets us out of here." Freddie replied. He smiled. "Enough room for three."

"But our planet-" Jenny asked.

"Did we ever tell you why it's 'Time' Lord?" Freddie asked. "Back around the whole galaxy and back for lunch. Nobody even knows you left."

Jenny considered. "...will there be running?"

"Most definitely, with how Pops drives." Tuck snickered.

Freddie elbowed him. "You're a Lil'Shit. No wonder Darcy called you 'Lil'Groot'." Tuck flipped his dad off. "So Jenny...wanna start running?"

And then she smiled.

==MGCB==

The Doctor tweaked Martha's phone again. Martha felt awful- apologizing over and over. Her clone self had blocked my contact, somewhere during the whole thing. Martha hadn't even noticed. He fixed the issue before dropping her off at home.

I didn't want to think about dropping Martha off. I wanted to run to my room and sleep. Even Donna admitted to feeling tired. We'd done three episodes today, we deserved a breather.

In my room, I pulled out my phone. It rang it's normal dial tone.

She answered.

"Bob's Mortuary. You got the body, we got the oven. What's up?" Darcy greeted.

"You know this is me calling." I replied flatly. Darcy snorted. "Purple. I have inquiries. Why the hell didn't you tell me about Freddie?"

"I wanted him to be a surprise." My sister laughed. "You love having another sibling that Jumps. Don't lie. You liked the surprise."

"Yeah, but I still would've liked a heads-up. Now I have to let the fruit loop take my DNA."

"Ew!" Darcy gagged. "Okay. Should've told him to be more subtle."

"Cause that always works with us." I snorted, walking into my room. "Serious for a second. Do me a favor?"

"...okay?"

"Make fun of Tuck Rose, so fucking hard." I requested. "Because Future Me apparently let Freddie think he was dead, and so we need to overcompensate the guilt I feel (and will make you feel by association) with unending love."

"By 'love' do you mean normal love for normies or 'making him hate himself so much that he needs us to love him more'?" Darcy asked.

"Family." I answered.

"Understood. Anything else?"

I sighed, flopping on my bed. "It's Planning Session Time."

"Oh it's time for that already, huh?"

"Yep." I breathed out, looking around at the room the TARDIS gave me. Her song hummed in my mind. "It's time to leave."

==MGCB==

AN: It took me four days to write this. 20 pages a day. I wanted it to be good, make sense, and I didn't have a job to distract me! Everything is great.

Freddie Rose/Rocket of the GOTG is a fun character that I've been writing since I decided to write a Danny Phantom OC insert fic. So I wrote a one shot of it 'consequences of giving', so I didn't drop this concept on y'all. He's got daddy issues but Terra does too.

And OH MY GOD Did I write CLOSURE?! For TRAUMA?! Out of character! I am SUS-

Thanks for putting up with my 22k+ word fic. Holy damn I lost my mind somewhere in here. (If you spotted the 'The Day My Life Began' reference, a virtual cookie for you!)

Thanks to yukicarr for favoriting

Thanks to yukicarr and Kinahuel for following