Thanks to tsukiahoshi for faving my story.
NicoleR85: thanks!
A couple of days later…
Jenna tossed and turned in bed unable to fall asleep, her mind was still churning with the knowledge that there was still a Dalek out there, the last member of the Cult of Skaro. God only knows what he was planning to do now that their plan to make human Daleks had failed. The brunette huffed and sat up. This was no good. She had to do something to get her mind off of their latest trip.
Jenna slid out of bed, grabbed her dressing gown and padded out of the room. She stood in the corridor wondering where to go. Should she go see if the Doctor was around for a chat? Or perhaps a peruse in the library? The teen nodded, she liked the sound of that. She turned and headed off to the library.
The brunette rounded a corner and stopped dead when she saw 2nd Naiyah standing there. "Come", the Time Lady said with a hand gesture before she disappeared up the corridor. Jenna hurried after her. Naiyah led her through twists and turns until they reached the door with her name etched on it. The Time Lady moved through it like she did the last two times. The young woman stepped through the door when it swung open.
Jenna frowned, noticing that there were books on the other podiums but they glowing. "What's going on?" she asked as 11 ladies and 1 blonde haired girl appeared from them.
One of the Naiyah's stepped forward. She had blonde wavy hair and was dressed in military style garb. She had a look in her eyes that was similar to the previous Doctor. "We would have waited to show ourselves to you one at a time like we started to…" the 12th Naiyah began.
"But something is happening quicker than we were expecting", 2nd Naiyah added.
"And you need to be ready. Hence why we are showing you all of us", 1st Naiyah finished.
"Ready for what?" Jenna questioned, confused.
"The drums", the Time Ladies answered in unison which sent a chill down Jenna's spine. That was scarily ominous. There was no way she was going to sleep now, not with that lingering in her mind.
"And you'll need the power of 12 to stop it", 12th Naiyah told her.
"The power of 12? What is that?" Jenna questioned.
"It's us", all the Naiyah's said together. Then one by one they vanished into a gold mist that floated over to Jenna, surrounding her, seeping into her skin. The teenager stared wide eyed at her glowing hands. She continued to stare at them even as the glow grew brighter. The golden glow didn't just come from her hands, it was coming from her entire body. The light grew until it completely bathed the entire room in a golden hue.
"I am Naiyah", Jenna said, her voice echoing with the chorus of her predecessors.
Jenna gasped, sitting bolt upright. It was just a dream. A very realistic dream but a dream, nonetheless. She slid out of bed and padded over to her bathroom. She flicked on the light, turned on the tap and splashed her face with the cool water. As she was doing so, the locket softly glowed from where it hung on her mirror.
Jenna dried off her face but didn't move away from the sink. Instead she just stared at her reflection in the mirror , remnants of the dream bouncing around her head. The drums…power of 12…what did it all mean? What was Naiyah telling her or rather what wasn't she telling her? Jenna ran a hand through her hair and sighed. There wasn't any way she was going to get back to sleep now, not with that dream running through her mind.
She needed to talk to someone about it. Martha was out because she was asleep so that left the Doctor. Hopefully he'll be able to make sense of it. With that in mind, she straightened up and walked out of the bathroom, flicking off the light as she did so. Jenna grabbed her dressing gown from the hook on her way out of her bedroom, pulling it on and tying the ribbon around her waist.
"Ok, TARDIS where's the Doctor?" she asked. The circle lights along the floor flashed, indicating the direction to go in. Jenna followed the lights through several corridors until she found herself outside the library. She pushed open the door and slipped inside. "Doctor?" she called.
"Over here!" he shouted back from the area with the comfy sofas. Jenna wandered over to see that he was sitting there with a book by Agatha Christie in his hands. He set it aside when she sat down. "Couldn't sleep?" he asked.
"Not really", Jenna admitted "I had this dream and I wanted to talk to you about it".
"I'm all ears", the Doctor said lifting his arm to indicate for her to sit closer to him. Jenna scooted over, curling up against his side. "What was this dream about?"
"Well to start with I didn't even realise it was a dream, it felt so real. I was having trouble sleeping because I was thinking about our most recent trip. So I decided to go to the library to see if a little reading would get my mind off it…" Jenna proceed to tell him how 2nd Naiyah appeared and that she led her to this door with the same marking as the engraving on the locket "I opened the door and…" she trailed off, frowning as what happened after seemed suddenly hazy, as if she was forgetting it.
"And…" the Doctor gently pressed.
"I…don't know", Jenna said "I can't make sense of it. It's kinda like what would happen if you got a paint brush and moved it around a wet painting. What do you think that means?"
"Well, maybe that part of your dream was something that your mind can't seem to understand, hence the big blur", the Doctor surmised.
"There was something about what was in that room that I wanted to discuss with you, I'm sure of it", Jenna insisted "I just…can't remember", she grumbled.
"It'll come back to you", the Doctor assured her "now come on, let's get you back to bed. Its late and I know how much you like your sleep". He stood up, gently tugging her to her feet.
"Doctor, you know I'm capable of walking", Jenna said when he scooped her up and carried her out of the library.
"I know but I wanted to carry you", the Doctor said "is that a problem?"
"Nope, no problem", Jenna said relaxing in his hold. He took her back to her room where they both curled up under the blue duvet on her bed.
"Goodnight Jen", the Doctor said dropping a kiss onto her head. The brunette mumbled back a reply against his chest, already falling back asleep. The Time Lord didn't really need any sleep himself but supposed it wouldn't hurt him to get a couple hours of rest especially since he wasn't going to be able to move for a bit, not that he was complaining. He'd spend all day like this if he could. He closed his eyes and coaxed his body to relax. Pretty soon, he was lightly dozing with Jenna sleeping peacefully in his arms.
Several hours later saw Martha and Jenna clinging onto the console while the Doctor piloted her through the vortex. The ship landed with a thud moments later. "There we go…perfect landing", the Time Lord said, pulling on the handbrake "Which isn't easy in such a tight spot".
"You should be used to tight spots by now", Martha teased "Where are we?" she asked nodding towards the doors.
"The end of the line", the Doctor said cryptically "No place like it". Martha hurried towards the doors, looking at the Doctor and Jenna questionably.
"Go for it", Jenna said. Martha smiled and pulled open the doors. Her smile dropped when she saw where they were. They were at her home. "Home", Martha stated, stepping out of the TARDIS, looking around at her home in disappointment "You took me home?"
"In fact, the morning after we left, so you've only been gone about 12 hours" the Doctor said exiting the blue box, followed by Jenna "No time at all, really".
"But all the stuff we've done. Shakespeare, New New York, old New York?" Martha said.
"We did that all in one night", Jenna said "sort of".
"And everything should be just as it was. Books…CDs…laundry. So, back were you were, as promised", the Doctor said.
"This is it?" Martha asked tentatively.
The Doctor inhaled deeply. He knew that he'd only wanted Martha to come with himself and Jenna for a little while but that didn't mean that saying goodbye wasn't going to be hard. "Yeah, we should probably go. One trip is what we said", he told her.
"Yeah. I suppose things just kind of…escalated", Martha admitted.
"That kind of thing tends to happen around him a lot", Jenna said, patting the Doctor on the arm.
"Well, uh…thank you. For everything", Martha said.
"It was our pleasure", the Doctor said sincerely. He stepped into the TARDIS, looking back at Jenna who hadn't moved "coming Jen?"
"In a minute", the brunette replied. The Doctor nodded and closed the TARDIS door to give them a little privacy. "Give me your phone", Jenna said holding out a hand for it. Martha gave her a questioning look before she gave it to her.
Jenna brought up the woman's contacts and added herself to it. "Now we can stay in touch", she said giving the phone back.
"You want us to stay in touch?" Martha asked surprised.
"Of course", Jenna said "What, did you think we were just gonna drop you off and forget about you?"
"Kinda", Martha confessed, rather pleased that she had Jenna's number.
"Martha Jones, I'm offended that you'd think I would forget you considering I think of you as a friend despite only knowing you a short time", Jenna said with a smile. Martha returned her smile. She looked down at her phone.
"I'm thankful to have your number but it can't be easy to call from a different time period, let alone another planet. I mean surely your phone provider doesn't give you coverage across galaxies", Martha remarked.
"Well, it doesn't", Jenna said "but –" she was cut off when Maratha's home phone rang.
"They can leave a message", Martha said "you were saying?"
"My phone has got universal roaming", Jenna explained "I can call anyone from anywhere so long as I know there number".
"That's pretty cool", Martha commented.
"Yep it is", Jenna agreed.
"Martha, are you there? Pick it up, will you?" Francine's voice spoke from Martha's answering machine "All right then, pretend that you're out if you like. I was only calling to say that your sister's on TV. On the news of all things. Just thought you might be interested".
Martha turned on the TV to the news channel to show her sister standing next to an elderly gentleman. The tickertape labelled him as Prof. Lazarus. "Tonight, I will demonstrate a device. With a push of a single button, I will change what it means to be human"
Martha and Jenna exchanged looks. "Well, I don't think we'll be leaving anytime soon", the brunette told her before going over to the TARDIS, pushing the door open "Doctor, we're not going just yet", she called.
"What? How come?" the Doctor asked coming over to the doorway.
"Professor Lazarus has just declared that he's gonna change what it means to be human", Jenna said, pointing to the TV "seems like something we should look into, no?"
The Doctor looked from the two females to the TV and back. He nodded.
The Doctor, Martha and Jenna walked down the street now dressed in formal wear. Though the Time Lord wasn't quite walking in a straight line as he was too busy openly staring at Jenna. Martha couldn't blame him, the brunette did look rather stunning in the dress that was mysteriously dropped off at her doorstep. All three of them had been surprised, Martha especially since she wasn't expecting a parcel. The accompanied card didn't offer any sort of explanation as to who it was from as it was just signed off with a simple K.
The dress itself was almost floor length and completely backless. The colouring was a little unusual. It reminded Martha a little of a sunset. For the Doctor, it made him think of the way the silver trees of his home looked when the sun shone through them, like they were on fire. He felt a pang in his twin hearts at the mere thought of Gallifrey.
He tore his gaze away from his girlfriend and to his cuffs. "Oh, black tie", he remarked, fiddling nervously with his cuff "Whenever I wear this, something bad always happens".
"Don't blame the clothes, you're the trouble magnet", Jenna teased, looping her arm through his.
"Though you do look good in it", Martha added "very James Bond".
"James Bond? Really?" the Doctor said.
"Yep", Martha said "which makes us two attractive Bond Girls", she added, taking his other arm.
"Yes, you are", the Doctor said, looking at Jenna. The brunette blushed, a dusting a pink appearing on her cheeks. She cleared her throat.
"Well done Martha, his ego was big enough. Now you've given it a boost", she told the black woman.
"Did I?" Martha said 'innocently' "Whoops".
The trio continued down the street toward Lazarus Laboratories. Inside were many guests all mingling together, all dressed in formal garb too. Dominating the room was what appeared to be a large white round chamber with four partly curved pillars surrounding it. "I'm guessing that's the thing Lazarus is going to be demonstrating", Jenna commented, nodding towards it.
"Looks like a sonic microfield manipulator", the Doctor remarked.
"And whats one of those?" Martha asked.
"Well, it uh…looks kinda like that", the Doctor answered lamely gesturing to the machine.
"Yeah, we know that but whats it do?" Martha questioned.
"Oh that's easy it...uh…does…" the Doctor glanced over at Jenna for help.
"Oh, no. Don't look at me", she said putting her hands up "I have no clue what that does".
"But you get…'feelings' about stuff", the Doctor said.
"You know my 'feelings' can happen at any time", Jenna reminded him "if they happen at all. And as it stands, I haven't had one about that machine yet. We should just wait and see what it does when they demonstrate it".
The Doctor was about to say something when Tish joined the trio. "Tish!" Martha said happily and the two sisters hugged.
"You look great", Tish remarked, stepping back to take in Martha "So, what do you think? Impressive, isn't it?"
"Very", Martha agreed.
"And two nights out in a row for you", Tish added "That's dangerously close to a social life".
Martha laughed "If I keep this up, I'll end up in all the gossip columns", she joked.
"You might, actually", Tish told her "You should keep an eye out for photographers. And Mum, she's coming too. Even dragging Leo along with her".
Martha raised her eyebrows "Leo in black tie?" she said incredulously "That I must see. Oh! This is the Doctor and Jenna", Martha added when Tish glanced at the pair.
"Nice to meet you", Jenna said holding out a hand.
Tish shook it "likewise", she said "I'm glad you could make it. It wouldn't have looked good if the guest whom Mr Saxon personally invited didn't show".
"Who's Mr Saxon?" Jenna asked.
"Oh come on, everyone knows who he is", Tish said.
"Not me. I haven't been home in a while. Busy traveling with him", Jenna explained nodding to the Doctor.
"He's with you?" Tish questioned.
"Yep", Jenna replied.
Tish frowned "But he's not on the list. How did he get in?" she asked.
"He's my plus one", Jenna answered.
"So, this Lazarus, he's your boss?" the Time Lord queried.
Tish nodded "Yes. I'm part of his executive staff. Put this whole thing together", she said.
"So do you know what the professor's going to be doing tonight?" the Doctor asked "I told them…" he nodded to Jenna and Martha "That looks like it might be a sonic microfield manipulator".
Tish rolled her eyes "of course, he's a science geek", she muttered "Should have known. Got to get back to work now" to Martha, she said "I'll catch up with you later".
"Science geek? What does that mean?" the Doctor asked wondering whether he should be flattered or insulted.
"That your obsessively enthusiastic about it", Martha told him.
"Oh", the Doctor nodded, with a grin "nice". Suddenly Martha heard her mother's voice call her name. She turned around to see Francine standing there with her brother, Leo, who was as Tish said, wearing a tux.
"Mum!" Martha said suddenly really happy to see her. When Francine drew near, she gave her a big hug.
"All right, what's the occasion?" Francine asked, surprised by the affection her daughter was showing.
"What do you mean?" Martha questioned stepping back from her mother "I'm just pleased to see you, that's all".
"You saw me last night", Francine reminded her.
"I know", Martha said "I just…miss you" she turned to her brother "You're looking good, Leo".
"Yeah. If anyone asks me to fetch them a drink, I'll swing for him", Leo mock warned.
"You disappeared last night", Francine remarked, eyeing Martha.
"That was my fault Mrs Jones", Jenna spoke up "I called her away for some advice. I was having…family trouble". Francine looked at her for a moment before nodding in understanding.
Lazarus taps on his glass, signalling for attention. They all turn to see him standing near the large round machine. "Ladies and gentlemen, I am Professor Richard Lazarus and tonight I am going to perform a miracle", he announced "It is, I believe, the most important advance since Rutherford split the atom, the biggest leap since Armstrong stood on the moon. Tonight, you will watch and wonder. Tomorrow, you will wake to a world which will be changed forever".
Everyone watched as he entered the chamber, closing the door behind him. Two female scientists start up the machine. A high pitched whir began as the four columns spin around the machine, creating an energy field. Jenna stared at the machine, an all too familiar sensation washing over her.
"Its gonna go wrong", she breathed and sure enough a warning claxton sounded, the controls beginning to smoke and spark. The Doctor and Jenna raced over to them, the former pulling out his sonic and using on the controls to figure out how to stop the machine.
"Somebody stop them!" Lady Thaw shouted "Get them away from those controls!"
"If this thing goes up, it'll take the whole building with it. Is that what you want?" Jenna snapped back, frantically searching for a way to turn off the machine too. A suddenly a hand appeared, pointing to a thick cable.
"You want that one", 2nd Naiyah said.
"Thanks", Jenna said, grabbing hold and yanking it out. The machine slowed down to a stop. Martha rushed over to the chamber and pulled the door open. The Doctor and Jenna join her and watch as a much younger looking Lazarus stepped out of the smoke.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am Richard Lazarus. I am seventy six years old and I am reborn!"
He held his arms up in triumph to the applause of the guests. 2nd Naiyah shook her head "oh, he has no idea what he's just done", she said.
"What did he just do?" Jenna asked.
"He just changed what it means to be human", the Doctor replied, thinking she was asking him the question.
"I think we need to have a little talk with Lazarus", Jenna muttered watching the man wander over to some party guests. The Doctor nodded in agreement and the trio made their way over to him just in time to see the man of the hour scarf down some nibbles.
"Richard!" Lady Thaw scolded.
"I'm famished", Lazarus mumbled around a mouthful of food.
"Energy deficit", the Doctor stated "Always happens with this kind of process".
Lazarus swallowed and turned to the Doctor "You speak as if you see this every day, Mr…?"
"Doctor", the Time Lord supplied "And well…no…not every day, but I have some experience of this kind of transformation".
"That's not possible", Lazarus scoffed.
"Using hypersonic sound waves to create a state of resonance", the Doctor smoothly countered earning him an impressed look from Lazarus "That's inspired".
"You understand the theory, then", he remarked.
"Enough to know that you couldn't possibly have allowed for all the variables", the Doctor told him.
"No experiment is entirely without risk", Lazarus said with a shrug.
"That machine nearly exploded", Jenna spoke up "there's no way your little experiment was a complete success".
"But as you can see my dear, it was", Lazarus said gesturing to himself.
"It may only seem that way for now. You have no idea what kind of…genetic throwback that may occur", Jenna continued.
"Don't you worry your pretty little head, Jenna. I look fine and I feel fine", Lazarus assured her.
Out of the corner of her eye, Jenna saw 2nd Naiyah shake her head "Deluded. Absolutely deluded", the Time Lady muttered.
"This device will be properly certified before we start to operate commercially", Lady Thaw informed the trio.
Martha gaped at her "Commercially? You are joking", she scoffed "That'll cause chaos".
"Not chaos, change", Lazarus corrected "A chance for humanity to evolve, to improve".
The Doctor shook his head "This isn't about improving. This is about you and your customers living a little longer", he said disdainfully.
"Not a little longer, Doctor. A lot longer. Perhaps indefinitely", Lazarus said.
"Richard, we have things to discuss, upstairs", Lady Thaw said, looking at him pointedly and the man nodded.
"Goodbye, Doctor. In a few years, you'll look back and laugh at how wrong you were", Lazarus said, taking Martha's hand a pressing a kiss onto the back of it.
"Oh, he's out of his depth. No idea of the damage he might have done", the Doctor muttered, watching Lazarus leave with Lady Thaw.
"So what do we do now?" Martha asked.
"This place must be chock full of labs. I say we ditch this party and do our own tests", Jenna replied.
"Well, it's a good thing I just collected a DNA sample then, isn't it?" Martha said, holding up her hand.
The Doctor grinned "Oh, Martha Jones, you're a star", he proclaimed.
The Doctor, Maratha and Jenna stood around a computer screen staring at the results of Lazarus' DNA test. "Amazing", the Doctor said.
"What?" Martha asked.
"Lazarus's DNA", the Time Lord replied.
"I can't see anything different", Martha said.
"Wait for it", Jenna said and then just as she said it, the image flickered.
Martha gasped "Oh, my God!" she exclaimed "Did that just change? But it can't have!"
"Yet, it did", Jenna said.
"It's impossible", Martha stated, staring at the screen.
"And that's two impossible things we've seen so far tonight", the Doctor said happily "Don't you love it when that happens?"
Martha frowned "But…that means Lazarus has changed his own molecular patterns", she said.
"Hypersonic sound waves to destabilise the cell structure, then a metagenic programme to manipulate the coding in the protein strands", the Doctor explained. At Martha's confused look, Jenna elaborated, explaining in a simplified manner that she would understand.
"Basically, he hacked into his own genes and instructed them to rejuvenate"
"But they're still mutating now", Martha said.
"'Cause he missed something. Something in his DNA has been activated and won't let him stabilise. Something that's trying to change him", the Doctor said.
"A genetic throwback", Jenna said quietly.
"You said that before when you were trying to warn him", Martha said "and you said similar things in New York but you never explained why".
"That's because we were a little busy at the time", Jenna said "if you must know, there are things I seem to know when I shouldn't".
"What? You mean like, you're psychic or something?" Martha questioned.
"Sort of", Jenna answered "I'll try to explain it to you later but right now we need to head upstairs, find Lazarus before he hurts anybody".
The trio step out of the lift and go into Lazarus' office. "This is Lazarus' office", Martha stated as the Doctor flicked on the light.
"So where is he?" the Doctor asked.
"Not here", Jenna replied. She then frowned when she spotted a pair of skeletal legs in high heels sticking out from behind the desk. She moved around it and saw that the skeleton was Lady Thaw. "We need to find Lazarus, now", she said.
"Why?" the Doctor asked, joining her "oh", he said when he saw the body.
"Is that Lady Thaw?" Martha asked staring at it in horror.
"It was", Jenna replied "she's had all the life energy drained out of her".
"And…Lazarus did this?" Martha asked tentatively.
"Yep", Jenna confirmed "and we've got to find him before he does this again" and with that she turned and hurried out of the office, Martha and the Doctor following. The trio enter into the lift, the doors closing just as a second lift arrived at their floor, Lazarus and Tish stepping out.
~reception~
"I can't see him", Martha said looking around the room trying to pick out Lazarus from the party guests.
"He can't be far. Keep looking", the Doctor said, grabbing Jenna's hand, pulling her into the crowd "any 'feelings'?" he asked as they searched for the man.
"Not yet", Jenna replied, her eyes darting from one formally dressed person after another "perhaps we should split up?" she suggested "might be able to find him faster".
"Good idea", the Doctor agreed "just please be careful".
"I will", Jenna promised and the pair separated. The brunette weaved her way through the mingling people, looking out for Lazarus. "Sorry", she said when she accidently bumped into someone.
"No, it's my fault", the man said "though I'm actually glad I found you Miss Smith. My boss will be pleased to see that you're wearing his gift".
Jenna glanced down at the dress and then back at the man "You can tell your boss, whoever he is, 'thanks' from me", she said "it's a very nice dress and surprisingly fits rather well. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to find someone". She turned to leave when the man grabbed her wrist.
"You need to listen very carefully. Mr Saxon believes it's a good idea for you to distance yourself from the Doctor, he's dangerous. You continue to be with him and he'll get you killed".
Jenna pulled her wrist out of his grip "You can tell him that he can take his advice and shove it", she said, feeling a surge of protectiveness for the Time Lord rise within her "I'm not leaving the Doctor. Not now. Not ever. And if you or Mr Saxon even think about hurting him, I would strongly suggest you reconsider because if you want the Doctor, you go through me first" she took a step toward him "Is that clear?"
"Yeah, its clear", the man said, somewhat nervous under her violet gaze.
"Good", Jenna said "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a professor to find" and with that she turned and walked away. She continued her search Lazarus, eventually meeting up with the Doctor when she couldn't find him.
"Any luck?" the Doctor asked.
"Nope", Jenna replied "I'm starting to think that he's not on this floor".
"I think you're right", the Doctor agreed "But where could he be?" he asked. When he didn't get any answer from the brunette, he glanced at her. She was turned away slightly, talking quietly to seemingly thin air though he knew it was Naiyah she was talking to.
"We got to go to the roof, now", Jenna said turning to him.
"That's where Lazarus is?" the Doctor asked.
"Yep. With Tish", Jenna replied "now where's Martha?" she questioned, looking around for the medical student.
"There she is", the Doctor said pointing to where Martha was standing with her brother and mother.
"Martha we need to go", Jenna said when she and the Doctor joined the trio "your sister is with Lazarus".
"What?" Martha said gaping at her.
"We need to go", Jenna repeated and ushered her away. The Doctor followed after them, accidently spilling Francine's drink.
"Doctor!" the woman protested. She huffed, setting down her drink on a table and picked up a napkin, dabbing her wet arm.
"I think you need one of these", a male voice spoke up. Francine looked to her side to see the man that had previously spoken to Jenna was standing there with a fresh glass of champagne.
"Thank you. That's very kind of you", Francine said taking the bubbly from him.
"Did you know that man?" the man asked "the one called the Doctor?"
"No. He's a friend of my daughter's", Francine replied.
"Perhaps she should choose her friends more carefully", the man suggested before walking off.
~the roof~
By the time the Doctor, Martha and Jenna got to the roof, Lazarus was standing fairly close to Tish and was quoting TS Eliot. "…falls the shadow", the Time Lord said, finishing the quote.
"So the mysterious Doctor knows his Eliot. I'm impressed", Lazarus remarked.
"Martha, what are you doing here?" Tish asked stepping forward.
"Tish, get away from him", Martha lightly ordered.
"What? Don't tell me what to do", Tish retorted.
"Tish, I highly suggest you do what your sister says", Jenna said "The professor is not a healthy as he appears" when Tish didn't move, she added "Tish, please trust me. He's not safe".
"Of course you'd be on her side", Tish scoffed. She turned to her sister "You have to spoil everything, don't you Martha? Every time I find someone nice, you have to go and find fault".
"Tish, he's a monster!" Martha argued. Jenna glanced behind Tish's back to see Lazarus begin to spasm. He was about to change again. She darted forward, grabbing Tish's wrist.
"Let go!" Tish exclaimed.
"Considering your boss is about to change, the answer is no", Jenna countered. She looked at the Doctor and Martha "now comes the part where we run", she deadpanned. The four of them took off across the roof toward the door they'd just come through, Jenna holding onto Tish's wrist tightly.
The Doctor yanked the door open and ushered the women through before he stepped inside, sonicing the door behind him. "Are you okay?" Martha asked her sister after pressing the button for the lift.
"I think so", Tish replied "what kind of monster was he about to change into?"
"We don't know", Jenna said "but he's already killed Lady Thaw".
Tish opened her mouth to say something when there was a loud bang on the door, setting alarms off.
Security one. Security one. Security one came over the tannoy before the lights all went out and the doors on their floor closed.
"What's happening?" Martha asked.
"An intrusion. It triggers a security lockdown. Kills most of the power. Stops the lifts, seals the exits", Tish explained.
"The stairs!" the Doctor shouted and they made a break for them. As they pelted down the stairs they all heard a distant crash of a door.
"He's inside!" Martha cried.
"We haven't got much time!" the Doctor added. Jenna bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from coming out with a sarcastic remark.
~Reception~
"Tish is there another way out of here?" the Doctor asked the moment they all reached the reception area.
"There's an exit in the corner, but it'll be locked now", Tish replied, pointing over to it.
"Martha, setting fifty four", the Doctor said, tossing his sonic to Martha "Hurry". He then jumped up onto the platform in front Lazarus' machine. "Listen to me! You people are in serious danger! You need to get out of here right now!" he said loudly.
"Don't be ridiculous. The biggest danger here is choking on an olive", a woman said not believing him. Suddenly the mutated Lazarus decided to make an appearance, jumping down from above. That made chaos quite literally break out in the room.
"Mum, get back!" Leo shouted at his mother before Lazarus sent a table flying with his tail, the piece of furniture slamming into him.
"Leo!" Francine cried. Lazarus closed in on the snobbish woman who'd made the olive remark, the female unable to move as she was frozen in fear. However, he didn't have a change to attack the woman when a plate came soaring through the air, striking him.
"You didn't like that, did you freak?" Jenna taunted "Your just a fool. A vain old man who thought he could defy nature" the Doctor held his tongue as his girlfriend as she riled up Lazarus. Part of him wanted to chime in. The other, more protective part wanted to make her stop. But he didn't neither as he was fully aware that she was capable of looking after herself. Plus she wouldn't be purposefully making him angry unless she had a plan. "Only Nature got her own back, didn't she?" Jenna sneered "You're a joke, Lazarus! A footnote in the history of failure!"
Jenna then darted off out of the reception hall "Stay with Martha!" the brunette shouted at the Doctor when he made to follow. She ran through a service hall filled with pipes, kicking off her shoes as she went because they were making far too much noise on the hard floor.
"It's no good, Miss Smith. You can't stop me", Lazarus hissed from somewhere behind her.
"I've been known to do the impossible", Jenna said crouching down by a pipe, looking around for the monster that Lazarus has become. Not easy when the hall was pitch black "so trust me when I say I will stop you".
She started off again, only getting a short distance before the lights flickered on. Jenna stopped and looked around, not seeing Lazarus. "Peek a boo", he said above her. Jenna looked up and saw him hanging from the ceiling. Without saying a word, she took off down the corridor, Lazarus chasing after her.
~Laboratory~
Jenna skidded into a lab. "Ok, now what?" she muttered.
"Time to make a big kaboom", 2nd Naiyah said, sitting on one of the lab benches.
"That really wise?" Jenna asked going over to the gas taps and turning them all on as quick as she could.
"Nope but it'll be fun", the Time Lady said with a grin.
"Figures you'd be a pyromaniac considering your best friends with the Doctor", Jenna remarked as she clambered up on to a bench to play with one of the light fittings. She might not have been an expert in blowing things up but thanks to science lessons at school, she was well aware that gas can ignite with a small spark.
She slid off the lab bench, ducking down. A moment later Lazarus entered. "Jeez, he's one ugly beasty", Naiyah commented, joining her on the floor. Jenna shot her a 'you don't say' look.
"More hide and seek, Miss Smith?" Lazarus asked "How disappointing. Why don't you come out and face me?"
"Well, if you insist", Jenna said standing up "hiya", she greeted cheekily, waggling her fingers. Lazarus roared and lunged for her. Jenna quickly moved to the slide and sprinted for the door. She reached out and flicked on the light switch. The spark from the now broken light ignited the gas in the room, causing an explosion. The force threw Jenna to the floor. She rolled over, sitting up and staring at the flame engulfed lab. "Blimey, that was one big kaboom", she breathed. Jenna pushed herself to her feet and took off down the corridor. She turned the corner and almost collided with the Doctor. "What are you doing here?" she asked "I thought I told you to stay with Martha".
"I did", the Doctor said "but the second Martha was safe, I went to find you".
"And how did you find me?" Jenna questioned.
"I heard the explosion and I figured I was you", the Doctor replied.
"Yeah…I kinda blew up a lab with Lazarus in it", Jenna admitted.
"And did you kill him?" the Time Lord pressed. Before Jenna could answer, they heard Lazarus making a lot of racket down the corridor.
"I think I've pissed him off even more", Jenna said. The pair took off down the corridor.
"What happened to your shoes? You didn't throw them at Lazarus did you?" the Doctor asked as they ran.
"Nope. Had to take them off. Too noisy", Jenna answered.
~Reception~
"Now where?" Jenna asked the moment they reached the reception.
"Into Lazarus' machine", the Doctor replied, taking hold of her hand and leading her over to it.
"Of all the places we could be hiding, this has to be one of the worst", Jenna stated.
"We're not hiding", the Doctor corrected "Lazarus knows we're in here but this is his masterpiece. I'm betting he won't destroy it, not even to get at us".
"I wouldn't be so confident, I did try to blow him up remember?" Jenna reminded him "so please tell me that you've got a plan as to why we're jammed in here like a couple of sardines?"
"I'm…working on it", the Doctor confessed.
"That sounded really confident", Jenna sassed.
"Well, you could help with one of your 'feelings'", the Doctor told her.
"You know, I can't make them happen", Jenna shot back "I wish I could have some control over them but I don't".
"I know", the Doctor sighed. He knew how much she wished she could have control over her gifts and it pained him that there wasn't anything he could do to help.
Suddenly Jenna's violet eyes widened when she suddenly got the familiar sensation of a 'feeling' coming over her. She pulled back from the Doctor "reverse the polarity", she said.
The Doctor looked at her for a moment before he grinned "you beautiful…clever…impossible girl", he declared giving her a quick kiss before he took out his sonic screwdriver from his pocket and slid his way down to the floor. Jenna shifted out of his way as best as she could which wasn't easy as the machine wasn't exactly built for two.
The Time Lord popped open a panel and started to mess around with the wires underneath. Suddenly a blue light filled the capsule followed by a low, ominous hum. "I think he's just figured out how to turn the machine on", Jenna stated.
"Damn. I was hoping it was going to take him a little bit longer to work that out", the Doctor muttered, working quicker.
"Hurry", Jenna urged hearing the humming get louder as the machine spins faster.
"Just one more", the Doctor said and yanked out a wire. Instead of the energy being blasted at them, it was thrown outward, hitting Lazarus, forcing him to change back to his human form. A split second later the machine powered down. The Doctor pushed open the door and stepped out, followed by Jenna. "Really shouldn't take that long just to reverse the polarity. I must be a bit out of practice", the Doctor remarked.
Jenna just ignored him, edging around the machine to look at Lazarus. "This should never have happened to you", she said quietly. She spied a cloth draped over a table and pulled it off, laying it over Lazarus' body.
The Doctor placed a hand on her shoulder "come on", he said and led her away from the body.
The pair stand on the steps watching the EMT's cart Lazarus' body off in an ambulance. "That was an incredibly risky thing you did", Francine scolded Jenna "riling up that thing. You could've been killed!" she rounded on the Doctor "as for you…" the black woman slapped him across the face, hard "keep away from my daughter and Jenna".
"Mum, what are you doing?" Martha exclaimed, shocked by her mother's actions.
"All of the mothers, every time", the Doctor mumbled clutching his cheek. Jenna moved his hand away to check it.
"Its not bad, just a bit red", she told him. She pressed a kiss to his sore cheek "better?"
The Doctor smiled at her "much", he said.
"He is dangerous. I've been told things", Francine said to Martha, bringing the Doctor and Jenna's attention back onto them.
"What are you talking about?" Martha asked, confused.
"Look around you! Nothing but death and destruction!" Francine said angrily.
"This isn't his fault. He saved us, all of us!" Martha argued.
"And it was Tish who invited everyone to this thing in the first place", Leo spoke up "I'd say technically, it's her fault". That earned him a sharp elbow in the side from Tish. Suddenly there was a loud crash. The Doctor exchanged looks with both Martha and Jenna before he took off to investigate. The violet eyes girl didn't hesitate to run after him. Martha tried to follow but her mother held her back.
"Leave him", Francine said. Martha shook her head, tugging her arm out of her mother's grip. "Not you, too", she complained when Tish hurried after sister.
"Sorry!" Tish called back.
A little ways down the street they found the ambulance, the back doors wide open. Lazarus was gone and the two EMT's were like Lady Thaw, a lifeless husk. "Of course that would stop him", Jenna muttered "Lazarus. The name says it all".
"Where's he gone?" Martha asked as the Doctor took out his sonic to scan for Lazarus.
"That way. The church", the Doctor said pointing in the direction the sonic was indicating.
"Cathedral. It's Southwark Cathedral. He told me", Tish explained.
~Southwark Cathedral~
"Do you think he's in here?" Martha asked as the entered the Cathedral.
"Where would you go if you were looking for sanctuary?" the Doctor asked from in front.
"I'd go to the attic at my house", Jenna replied "but a church is also a good place to go if your looking for somewhere safe". They group walked through the empty Cathedral, stopping by the altar as Lazarus was sitting behind it, swaddled in the red blanket that the EMT's had wrapped him in.
"I came here before, a lifetime ago", Lazarus spoke up, having heard them approach "I thought I was going to die then. In fact, I was sure of it. I sat here, just a child…the sound of planes and bombs outside".
"The Blitz", the Doctor said.
"You've read about it", Lazarus remarked.
"I was there", the Doctor told him.
"You're too young", Lazarus scoffed, not knowing that the Time Lord was far older than he appeared.
"So are you", the Doctor countered earning a laugh from the man which quickly turned into gasps of pain as he tried to hold off from changing again.
"In the morning, the fires had died, and I was still alive", Lazarus continued "I swore I'd never face death like that again. So defenceless. I would arm myself, fight back, defeat it".
"That's what you were trying to do today?" the Doctor asked. Jenna's eyes flickered up at the bell tower and then over to the organ.
"That's what I did today", Lazarus corrected.
"What about the other people who died?" Jenna asked looking back at the bell tower again. The Doctor and Martha noted the way she was looking at it, both knowing that she must've just had a 'feeling'.
"They were nothing", Lazarus said harshly "I changed the course of history".
"But they might have done the same too", Jenna pointed out, moving around to look at him face to face "Facing death is part of being human. You can't change that".
Lazarus shook his head "No, Miss Smith. Avoiding death, that's being human. It's our strongest impulse, to cling to life with every fibre of being. I'm only doing what everyone before me has tried to do. I've simply been more…successful".
"You call this being successful?" Jenna asked "You've turned yourself into a monster! And for what? So you can be young again? Live longer?"
"You're just a child Miss Smith, you wouldn't understand", Lazarus said scornfully before he groaned and convulsed.
"But I do understand", the Doctor said coming to stand beside Jenna "I'm old enough to know that a longer life isn't always a better one. In the end, you just get tired. Tired of the struggle, tired of losing everyone that matters to you, tired of watching everything turn to dust", the Time Lord squats down beside Lazarus "If you live long enough, Lazarus, the only certainty left is that you'll end up alone".
"That's a price worth paying", Lazarus told him.
"Is it?" the Doctor asked.
"I will feed soon", Lazarus warned.
"I'm not going to let that happen", the Doctor said.
"You've not been able to stop me so far", Lazarus reminded him.
"Oh, don't bother with him Lazarus", Jenna said "he's old and bitter. Wouldn't you prefer something a little…younger?" and with that she took off toward the staircase that would get her to the upper level "get to the organ!" she hollered back to the Doctor "What are you two doing?" the brunette asked when she realised that both Tish and Martha had followed her.
"Keeping you out of trouble!" Martha told her.
"Hope you like a challenge then", Jenna said.
The trio pelted up the narrow spiral staircase, Lazarus chasing after them. "Did you hear that?" Tish asked when they heard screaming.
"He's changed", Jenna panted "we've got to keep moving. Gotta get him up to the tower". The females hit the landing at a run but none of them slowed down as they knew the second they did that, they'd be monster food. When they reached the bell tower, they found that it consisted of a circular wooden walkway and railings.
"There's nowhere to go. We're trapped!" Tish exclaimed.
"We're not trapped Tish, we're the distraction", Jenna amended.
"Ladies", Lazarus hissed, now in his mutant scorpion form, his large size blocking the only way in or out of the tower. Jenna barely had a chance to pull the sisters out of the way when Lazarus lashed out with his tail. He tried to attack them several times but somehow Jenna was able to dodge them, all the while protecting Martha and Tish. The brunette had no clue how she was doing it though. It was almost like it wasn't she wasn't in the 'drivers seat'.
Then there came the deafening sound of the organ, making Jenna, Martha and Tish press their hands over their ears, dropping to their knees. Lazarus writhed on the spot before he topped over the edge, falling to the floor below. Almost immediately the music…if you could call it that…stopped. Jenna, Martha and Tish breathed a sigh of relief, leaning against one another.
"Thanks Jenna", Tish said.
"No problem", Jenna said, patting her on the arm.
"Jen!" they heard the Doctor shout.
"I'm fine!" she shouted back "we're all fine!" Jenna rubbed a hand over her face, tiredly "though I could really do with a nice cuppa and a hot bath. My feet are killing me".
"No wonder. You've been running around with nothing on your feet", Martha commented "first the Doctor, now you. This isn't going to become some kind of habit I hope?"
Jenna glanced at her feet "god I hope not", she reached down and rubbed one of them "I'm just lucky I didn't step on anything sharp".
"Very lucky", Martha agreed.
"You know, if this doesn't get the Doctor to agree to let you stay on with us as a travelling companion, I'll eat a pear", Jenna told her.
"You really think he'll let me stay now?" Martha asked hopeful.
"Well, if he doesn't, I'll convince him", Jenna assured her "And then eat the pear". She shuddered at the thought of the fruit.
"Don't like pears?" Tish asked.
"Nope. They're evil, just like beans", Jenna replied. Martha looked at her incredulously "what? Beans are bad", the brunette stated "bad, bad beans".
"You are so strange sometimes", Martha remarked.
Jenna shrugged "better than being normal", she said shooting the trainee doctor a grin.
"I cannot believe you ate the pear", Martha remarked watching Jenna down a glass of orange juice to get rid of the taste of the evil fruit.
"I did say I would", the brunette reminded her, setting the glass down.
"True but I never thought you'd do it", Martha said "as you hate them so much".
"Well…" Jenna drawled, mimicking the Doctor and earning a chuckle from Martha "I wouldn't eat a pear for just anyone. Only people I'd consider a good friend". The trainee doctor smiled at those words. The brunette had claimed that she was a friend before but it was nice to hear her say it again. "Now!" she rubbed her hands together "how about we go find you a room then?"
"Sounds good to me", Martha agreed. The pair left the kitchen and wandered down the corridor.
"I have to warn you, this place can be a bit of a maze but if you ask the TARDIS nicely, she'll point you in the direction you want to go", Jenna explained as they walked.
"Have you seen everything in this ship?" Martha questioned.
"Nope", Jenna replied "I'm finding something new in here on a daily basis".
As the two females nattered, they unknowingly passed by the Doctor. He watched them go with mixed feelings. He was glad that Martha was onboard and that she and Jenna were bonding. However, he was also sad too because the black woman's presence was a reminder that Rose was no longer with them. And he missed Rose deeply. He knew Jenna did too even if she tried to keep it to herself. In all honesty he should've said 'no' to Martha joining them as a companion but Jenna had made a pretty compelling argument. His girlfriend seemed happier with the trainee doctor around and that's all that really mattered to him, her happiness. Along with her safety of course. Which is why he agreed to let Martha stay on for longer. He just hoped he wasn't going to regret it later. The Doctor turned and headed off in the opposite direction, him mind now going to all the possible repairs he needed to do.