The Phoenix darted around the console, pressing buttons and pulling levers as she piloted her ship through the time vortex. She rocked back on her heels when it landed with a slight thud a moment later. "Perfect landing girl, as always", the Time Lady said patting the console proudly. She started toward the door when it opened and her good friend River strolled in. "Hello River", she greeted "been a while".
"It sure has", River agreed. She pushed the door closed and walked past the Time Lady to the console "you've come back at a good time. There's something very interesting going on at number 10", she added turning on the scanner. The Phoenix joined her at the screen, watching the news footage.
"You're right about it being interesting", the Time Lady remarked "looks like I know where I'm going" she checked her sonic and slid it back into her pocket "you wanna come?"
The curly haired woman shook her head "I think I'm going to stay here for a bit", she replied.
"Alright", the Phoenix said "don't even think about trying to take off, she will stop you", she added pointing warningly at her.
River put her hands up "wouldn't even dream of it Nix. I'd much rather be travelling with you", she said, giving her a flirty smile.
"Oh, I know you would", The Phoenix said, grinning back. She felt something brush against her legs and glanced down to see her furry companion. "Hey sweetie", she knelt down and scratched behind her ears "can't come with me this time. Don't want you eating the locals, though some of them deserve it" Goose nudged her hand "next time, I promise". She petted her once more before she left the TARDIS and walked towards Downing Street. She slipped around the back which was honestly easier than she was expecting given what had gone down earlier. She flashed the sonic over the nearest window, slid it open and clambered through. The blonde casually strolled through the hall until she passed by an open door and noticed something that made her stop. Two women were standing by a chair, a skin suit draped over it.
"They turned the body into a suit. A disguise for the thing inside!" the older woman exclaimed.
"That thing is called a Slitheen", the Phoenix spoke up, gaining their attention "nasty pieces of work".
"How do you know that?" Harriet asked.
"And who are you?" Rose questioned.
"Nyx Drake", the Phoenix replied "I'm an expert in all things alien".
"No offense Nyx but you can't be more of an expert than my friend", Rose stated "he's the best".
"I can assure you kid that there's no one better than me", The Time Lady said, examining the skin suit, missing Rose's look of outrage over being called a 'kid'. She straightened up and turned to Harriet "You, Miss…"
"Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North", the woman said holding up her ID.
"Miss Jones do you happen to know where the kitchen is?" the Phoenix asked.
"This is hardly the time to eat", Rose said, still irked.
"I'm not going there to eat. I need supplies, anything with acetic acid", the Phoenix explained "vinegar…anything pickled…"
"What for?" Harriet asked.
"To stop the Slitheen of course", the Time Lady replied as a-matter-of-factly.
Rose scoffed "I highly doubt that cooking products will save the day. We need some kind of weapon or technology". She crossed the room and pulled open cupboard, only for a body to fall out of it. she jumped back, startled. "Oh, my God! Is that the…"
Indra strolled into the Cabinet Room, stopping short when he saw Harriet "Harriet, for God's sake. This has gone beyond a joke", he said, exasperated "You cannot just wander…." he trailed off when he noticed "Oh, my God. That's the Prime Minister!" he exclaimed.
The Phoenix just barely suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. This was not helping things. She stepped back and turned for the door when a pudgy woman walked in. "Oh! Has someone been naughty?" Margaret asked with a smile on her face which made the Time Lady very uneasy. She backed up, shifting herself between the woman and the other three as Margaret closed the door behind her.
"You're one of them aren't you", the Phoenix stated "a Slitheen".
"Aren't you a clever one?" Margaret remarked.
The Phoenix shrugged "not one to brag", she said.
"Shame cleverness isn't going to do you any good", Margaret continued reaching up, brushing her hairline away to go for the zip.
"How about a chair?" she questioned before snatching one up, throwing it at the disguised alien "everyone out! Now!" she shouted. The three humans raced out of the room while she hung back, ensuring their escape. She then darted after them, locking the door behind her with the sonic.
"No, wait! They're still in there. The emergency protocols. We need them!" Harriet cried, stopping running.
The Phoenix looped her arm through hers "No you don't", she said "not when you've got me". The group ran through number 10, Margaret chasing after them.
"In here, quick", Indra said opening a door to one of the staterooms. They all slipped inside. The Phoenix flashed her sonic over the lock of the door.
"Uh, we've got a problem", Rose said yanking the handle of the only other door in the room "its locked".
"Here, let me", the Phoenix said walking over to it. She was about to unlock it when she heard the female Slitheen approach "hide!" she hissed at them. She watched them get into various hiding spots and moved into the middle of the room, sliding a retractable baton out from where she'd concealed it under her jacket. The Time Lady cracked her neck readying herself. She didn't usually like resorting to violence but sometimes there were situations that called for it.
The wooden door exploded inwards, the Phoenix not even flinching. "Nice to see you in your natural colours", she calmly said "and with friends" she tightened her grip on her baton "I'm going to give you all one chance. Stop what you're doing, leave this planet and never come back".
"I think not", Margaret hissed, flexing her sharp claws "we're having much too fun to let some human tell us what to do".
"Good thing I'm not human", the Phoenix said before she lunged.
The Doctor raced along the corridor, fire extinguisher in his hands. He skidded to a stop upon seeing three unconscious aliens on the ground, a blond woman standing over them. His eyes widened when he felt something he hadn't in felt in so long. It was another of his people…his people who he thought were all gone. Then he saw the phoenix necklace. The fire extinguisher fell to the floor in a clatter. "Phoenix", he breathed. Rose, Harriet and Indra watched the Time Lords.
"You know me?" she asked stepping toward him. The Doctor nodded and pointed to her necklace.
"Your brother gave you that for your birthday", he said "I had to hide it for him because..."
"He was always bad at hiding things", the Phoenix finished "my god…" she stepped toward him "Doctor… its you…" A noise from the Slitheen caught their attention "we better go. they'll wake up soon".
"Yeah, good idea", the Doctor agreed "lets go, you three", he added to the humans. Rose, Harriet and Indra dart past the Slitheen on the floor and the five of them run away. "Who the hell are you two?" the Doctor asked Harriet and Indra.
"Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North", Harriet replied.
"Indra Ganesh", Indra supplied.
"Nice to meet you both", the Doctor said.
"Likewise", Harriet said.
"We need to head to the Cabinet Room", the Time Lord stated.
"That's where the Emergency Protocols are in there. They give instructions for aliens", Harriet told him.
"I told you Harriet, we didn't need them", the Phoenix reminded her "you've got us". She through a grin at the Doctor and he matched it. She slid her hand in his and his grin grew wider. Eventually, they reached the Cabinet Room where the Phoenix lifted a small panel by the door and pressed a button. Metal shutters slid down over the windows and across the open doorway. "Installed in 1991. Three inches of steel lining every single wall. They'll never get in", she explained.
"Uh…Nyx or Phoenix or whatever your name is, you've just trapped us in here", Rose pointed out "not too clever".
"We're not trapped kid, just in a safe place while the Doctor and I make a plan", the Phoenix said.
"I'm not a kid!" Rose griped "and I have a name. It's Rose".
"Nice name", the Phoenix said, not at bothered by her attitude. She'd seen plenty of children throw tantrums, this was no different "and compared to myself and the Doctor, you are a child". Rose huffed in annoyance and stalked off.
"I can't believe you're here", the Doctor said quietly "I thought everyone was gone".
"Me too", the Phoenix said "but here we are…what are the odds of that?"
"Incredibly slim", the Doctor replied.
"Yeah", the Time Lady agreed. She glanced at Rose "we should probably start thinking of a plan before you companion throws another wobbly". The Doctor laughed. He'd certainly missed the way she spoke. She took no nonsense from anyone not even himself and the Master.
They sat down at the table "I'm guessing you know what those things are", the Doctor stated.
The Phoenix nodded "They're Slitheen", she said and a flicker of recognition went across his face "I was gonna use acetic acid to stop them but I doubt they'll let us near the kitchens".
"Probably not", the Doctor agreed "but I wouldn't rule it out just yet".
"Excuse me", Harriet spoke up "what are Slitheen?"
"An alien family from Raxacoricofallapatorius. Criminals who love to scavenge anything and everything they can get their hands on", the Phoenix explained "I don't know what they're doing here though".
"Maybe they're here for the Earth's resources? Gold? Oil? Water?" Indra suggested.
"Possibly", the Phoenix said "if only we had more information" her eyes then widened "of course!"
"What?" the Doctor asked.
"I know someone who can found out what we need", the Phoenix replied taking her phone out.
"How can you call anyone? There's no way to get a signal out", Harriet stated.
"Universal Roaming", the Time Lady told her and dialled her friend.
"Hey Nix. You on your way back?"
"Nope. I'm still here. That interesting thing is still ongoing", the Phoenix replied.
"Let me guess, you need me help?" River questioned.
"I do indeed. Have a look on the UNIT's site. See if you can find anything that'll tell us why the Slitheen are here", the Phoenix explained.
"Those are the aliens that are responsible? Do you need me there?" River asked.
"Not at the moment ", the Phoenix replied "I'll let you know". There was a momentary pause until River spoke.
"I'm in and there seems to be a signal being beamed out from the ship into space. Hold on I'll play it for you"
The Phoenix listened to the message for a bit before her eyes widened "Stop that message River, now", she ordered.
"What's wrong?" the Doctor asked, hearing the urgency in her voice.
The Time Lady covered the phone with her hand and turned to him "the message is an advert. The Earth…or pieces of the planet has been put on for sale". Harriet clapped hand over her mouth horrified. Even Indra and Rose were shocked by that too despite the latter still sulking. "River is it done?" she asked taking her hand away.
"Give me one second…done"
The Time Lady let out a breath of relief "good. That's good", she said.
"Glad you're happy cos there's an even bigger problem", River said.
"What?" the Phoenix asked.
"Some suit on the TV is making up a story that the 'aliens' have got weapons pointed at the planet. He wants the UN to release nuclear launch codes", River explained with a serious tone in her voice.
The Phoenix rubbed her forehead "that's complicating things", she grumbled "thanks River. I'll let you know if I need anything else" and without another word, she hung up.
"Phoenix?" the Doctor said, stepping towards her, seeing that she was concerned.
"My friend has told me that someone's said there's alien weapons in the sky which there are not", the Time Lady explained "they want to get the nuclear launch codes to destroy so called weapons".
"That's very, very bad", Harriet remarked worriedly "with those codes they could attack other countries".
"And everyone else will retaliate", Indra added.
"World War Three", the Doctor finished, seriously.
"Now we know how they'll get pieces of the Earth to sell. They're going to get the humans to destroy the planet with nuclear weapons", the Phoenix said.
"That's a pretty dumb idea", Rose stated "I mean, they'd get destroyed too".
"Good point", the Phoenix agreed. A smug look appeared on the young woman's face, pleased that she the Time Lady agreed with her. "They have to have a way off the…" she smacked her forehead "oh, I'm so slow! The spaceship in the Thames is their way out of dodge. Now we've established that, just need a way to stop them".
"There is one way", the Doctor said slowly. He'd come up with it the moment she had told them about the nuclear weapons. "But it's dangerous"
"Since when's that ever stopped you?" the Phoenix remarked with a grin.
"Since I found you again", the Doctor replied "my idea…there's no guarantee you'll be safe" he took her hands "and I can't lose you".
Rose's hands curled into fists and she glared at the Time Lady. She wished the alien had never shown up! The Doctor should be saying something like to her! "I survived the war, I'll survive whatever insane idea that's in your brain", the Phoenix said.
"Then call your friend back. We're going to need her help", the Doctor said.
"What do you want me to tell her?" the Phoenix asked.
"Hack into the Navy, we need a missile", the Doctor answered. He turned to the humans "right, you lot clear out that cupboard. Its small so its strong". Rose, Harriet and Indra complied.
"Hey, River I need your help again", the Time Lady said after the woman picked up.
"What do you need?" River asked.
"You to get into the Royal Navy. We need a missile", the Phoenix replied.
"You got it" the Time Lady listened to her type away "I'm in. There's a Trafalgar Class Submarine, ten miles off the coast of Plymouth: HMS Taurean".
"What's the first category?" the Phoenix questioned.
"Sub Harpoon, UGM-A4A", River answered.
"That's the one. Select", Phoenix instructed.
"Done" River said "I'm guessing you've got a crazy idea".
"Not me" the Phoenix glanced at the Doctor "an old friend". Inside the TARDIS, River smiled knowing that the Time Lady was finally reunited with the Doctor. "Fire it at number 10", the blonde ordered.
The curly haired woman hovered the cursor over the 'fire' button. She glanced down at Goose who was watching her "This is not my idea", she told him "so don't eat me". River took a breath and pressed the button. "It's done", she told the Phoenix.
"Ok. Thanks River", the Time Lady said and hung up.
"Looks like we've got a wait on our hands", River remarked to Goose.
At number 10, The Time Lords and the three humans crammed into the cupboard. The Doctor took hold of the Phoenix's hand "here we go", he said and they braced themselves for the impact. A second later there was a big boom and the entire place shook. The Doctor pulled the Phoenix closer, shielding her as they were thrown around the little cupboard as it rolled around from the explosion.
When it eventually stops, the Doctor clambered out of the cupboard first and pushed the steel door off of the room. The Time Lord helped the Phoenix out then Harriet and Rose. "Made in Britain!" Harriet cheered as Indra climbed out.
The Phoenix took out her phone and called River "Hey Nix. You on one piece?"
"Pretty much", the Time Lady replied "I can cross that off my bucket list…" she frowned "I need to make a bucket list first…huh never considered even making one before".
River laughed "Let me know when you have, I'd be happy to help you complete it", she said.
"Thanks", the Phoenix said.
"I have to go but it was nice to see you again", River said.
"It was nice to see you too", the Phoenix said "take care River. Don't get into trouble".
River laughed again "I make no promises" she said "But for you, I'll do my best. Take care of yourself Nix". The Time Lady tucked her phone into her pocket after she hung up.
"I was wondering now that's this is all over…would you like to come with me?" the Doctor asked, hoping she would say yes. They were the last of their kind, they needed to stick together. And quite frankly he wasn't ready to say goodbye.
"I wish I could but I have a ship of my own and a little guy who needs me", the Phoenix said "but thanks for the offer. So I suppose I'll see you around. Don't be a stranger". The Doctor watched her walk away, hands in her pockets.
"Bye…Phoenix", he murmured. Rose was very pleased to see the Time Lady turn down the Doctor's offer. The last thing she wanted was for that alien woman to be hanging around. Though since she's got a TARDIS of her own… hopefully she wont be showing up any time soon…or ever for that matter the blonde thought.
Mickey looked up from the newspaper when he heard the noise again. He was surprised to see that it wasn't the blue police box but a red telephone box instead. The door opened and a blonde woman stepped out "Hello Mickey Smith", she greeted.
"Uh…hello", Mickey greeted back slowly unsure how she knew his name.
"I'm the Phoenix. And I heard you've had a hard year. I think you deserve a little break", the Time Lady said nudging the door open wider to give Mickey a view of the interior "so how about it?"
"Can you get me back to the right time?" Mickey asked hopping off the bin.
The Phoenix smiled "Mickey, I can show you the entire universe and still get you back before tea. I'm an excellent driver", she assured him.
"Then count me in", Mickey said. This was his chance to experience what Rose did with someone who, hopefully, doesn't treat him like an idiot.