Chapter six
The choices we make define us.
Two months ago...
The War Doctor was setting the location, he knew the path he was to take, and while he glanced to the young girl. Part of him was feeling bad for what he was doing. She trusted him, and helped him, but he couldn't bring himself to let her help him end it all.
She was young, she never knew a life that wasn't war, that wasn't a constant fight. He had to give her something that wasn't pain.
Nisnoierungurlumimid lay unconscious by the console, she was completely unaware of what would become of her. The fact The War Doctor had already hid her TARDIS in earth time, and now as he already altered her mind, he body was human.
As he knew where to put her The War Doctor felt himself crouch by her side, his fingers brushed some hair from her face, and he could feel the TARDIS coming to a stop.
Lifting her up and took her into the world she would only know, and he didn't know if he'd ever come back for her. The small flat he'd set up, everything in the memory he had created for her.
"I'm so sorry..." He whispered, but he knew he couldn't stay long, the feeling of regret was already starting to sink in, and he knew when she woke she'd not remember all the things she had seen and done.
Present day...
Jack knew his gut, and he couldn't explain why he felt bad, but he knew to trust it. While Jack understood The Doctor well, he also knew to listen to his instincts. The sensation was washing through him, and Jack's attention to Eleven. "Why do I have a feeling?"
Eleven couldn't understand the complexities of Jack's mind, but he couldn't even begin to explain to this man of all the pain that awaited him. He just couldn't tell him for the repercussions of it on the time line. "Jack," Eleven felt himself being pulled into Jack's eyes. He didn't know how to act now. "What is wrong?"
"I know Owen," He felt himself in the TARDIS, but he couldn't bring himself to really say what he thought of his second in command. "He should of..."
"He has done what he's meant to do," Eleven felt himself watching Jack. "But you can't be involved with this."
Jack shifted his attention, he moved to the door of the TARDIS to exit, and as he pushed and pulled on the door, he knew it wasn't going to open. He snapped back to Eleven. "What the hell?"
"I'm sorry Jack," Eleven felt his fingers straighten his bow tie, "We believe it's best that what ever happened." He kept himself serious now, "She can't be involved with Torchwood."
Jack felt taken back, it was the worst kind of betrayal. "I thought I earned your trust Doctor." He couldn't help but feel hurt. "Have I done something so bad, so horrifying that you lose faith in me?"
Eleven kept still, he knew the best way to keep things to himself, and he knew it was for the best for him to do this. "Jack, you know I can't share."
"So I haven't done it, and I." Jack felt himself close the gap between himself and Eleven. "Tell me what I do, tell me and I can change it!" His eyes pleading with him.
It hurt Eleven, he could feel it in both his hearts, but with Jack's eyes searching his, and he knew what he was trying to do. "Jack..." Eleven took hold of Jack's hands. "You know more than anything that I will no tell you, and you know I won't ever risk the time line." He let him go. "But you need to understand we made this choice for the benefit of her."
"And Natalie can't make that for herself." Jack wasn't going to just take this.
Eleven shook his head, "Nisnoierungurlumimid," He started, "Is who she really is, and what she's capable of."
"Wow," Jack was taken back, "No wonder you lot give yourself titles and don't say names..." He stopped himself, "I don't get it." He pointed out, "I just..."
"Like I said Jack, it's for the best." Eleven now went over the console, he was pressing buttons as it started up, and he couldn't help but know he had to take Jack back to the Hub.
Owen wasn't one to want to show fear, he didn't like people to see how venerable he really was. He could only see Natalie's face, her grey iris that seemed big in fear. He knew she was sweating, but he could see the locket now in her hands. "Don't!" Was all Owen could get out as the knife was pushed carefully not to cut, but stop him speaking.
Natalie felt the metal in her hand, somehow it felt like it was humming, a vibration that wasn't audible. It felt like it was singing to her, and while she kept it in her closed fist her eyes never left Owen's dark eyes pleading to her. "Why would you kill him?" Her voice was shaky, she didn't stop watching Owen.
The Master was watching Natalie, he could tell she was scared, he could see her eyes shifting from him, to Owen and back to the locket. "Feels like a drum beat." He whispered, "A drumming to your head, a beat that makes your heart run wild." The Master's voice was alluring, it was speaking through to Natalie in a way that was seductive.
Natalie felt her hand getting tighter around the locket, "How do I make it stop?" Natalie's voice gaining confidence, "How do I get my normal life back?"
Owen couldn't stop himself staring, "Natalie it may seem like the best plan, and god I wish I could go back to normal, but it's not right..." His voice strained under the blade.
"But you should know, understand that..." The Master stopped talking, he could hear him. "Doctor." He smirked.
Ten was standing at the entrance, He was staring down The Master. "You won't be harming anyone." He stood to his fall height.
It was a moment, but enough for The Master's grip on Owen loosen and him to rush over to Natalie. "And there goes my leverage." The Master's attention shifting. "But I guess..."
"You talk too much," Ten stepped closer to The Master, but then he was used to it. "But trying to get her to open the locket by force." He laughed sarcastically. "I mean you should know me well enough."
"I know you've made it clear you don't want her to know." The Master kept his attention on Ten now, he could tell he was older, but then how old was he in this time line. "And war does make us do strange things." The Master kept moving closer to Ten, each step more careful than the other. "As that locket is hers, each of us having a biodata module isn't something you share, each one is made for the Time Lord, each one." His eyes going to Natalie. "Nisnoierungurlumimid," He spoke softly, "Born from war, born to fight." He turned to Ten, "The academy training fighters, training them by the bulk."
Ten felt his eyes focused, he knew what The Master was doing, and he knew it too well. "And what do you expect?" Ten kept his cool, he was never going to give into the anger that The Master pushed into him.
"I expect the truth, I expect you to explain why you made me believe we were the only two!" The Master's eyes stared down Ten, he wasn't going to be swayed by The Doctor.
Ten felt it, he knew it was going to be harder to keep calm, but he stopped as he hear the doors. As now Twelve stood in view, he appeared more confident than Ten gave him credit for.
Owen on the other hand was trying to get a way out, he's eyes shifted to Natalie's. With her focus on the scene, he could see the locket in her hand, the chair was only thing seen. "I think I can see a way out."
"Owen," Natalie's wanted to look to Owen, she wanted to feel like he was going to save them, but her mind kept going to the two men, the two Time Lords, and her mind would focus on the locket. "I can't ignore what my," She stop speaking seeing the confusion on his face.
"Natalie," He felt his hand brush her cheek, with the motion pushing her hair behind her ear. "Is this what you want?" His hand holding hers, the locket still in her grasp. "It's all here."
Twelve's attention shifted to Owen speaking to Natalie, he's eyes focused. "This is the moment." He spoke up, and he could tell everyone was focused on him. "You get to make the choice, not out of fear, not our of obligation."
"I want to speak to Jack." Natalie finally spoke up, "I need to know what he has to say on all of this." Her voice was sounded calm, she now stood with purpose, her locket around her neck.
Ten and Twelve both snapped eyes on her, they didn't know what to think. "Why?" Ten stepped forward.
"What has Jack told you?" Twelve pointed out.
The Master laughed, "Oh, oh this is fun." He clapped his hands. "Why isn't old Jackie boy here?" He turned to Ten, then to Twelve. "Not so keen to have the man who is meant to be so fixed in time."
"I am talking!" Natalie felt her voice, she knew that this was her time to be heard. "I started my week with a man, a man who seemed to seek me out." Her hand pushed her hair from her face. "And I am not one to believe in fate, and I haven't known my mind as clear as I have from the day he walked into my life." Natalie finished with her arms crossing over her chest. "I want Jack, and I want him here. Now!" Her eyes dead set on the two Doctors and The Master.
Jack straightened himself out, he walked through the space, and he took the moment in seeing all The Doctors watching him. Then again he could see The Master standing away from The Doctors.
"So I guess you can't keep me out of this." Jack felt smug, he didn't like to feel this, but he wanted to get his point across. "Natalie." He could see her sitting at the console of the Twelfth Doctor's TARDIS.
She sat with her face blank, he eyes were a dull grey as he could feel her anger. He couldn't explain what he was going to say, but he knew it wasn't going to be good. Natalie kept still, "You didn't want my computer skills?" Her voice soft, it wasn't hard to tell she wanted to know.
"No," Jack found himself pulling a chair to be able to sit opposite her. Part of him liked that now he could be honest with her. "I found you, when I thought I was finding something else."
With her eyes Natalie kept her face natural, she kept still. "So Jack, what did you think I was?" She felt scared of the answer, but she knew something had to give. "And I don't want the story, just the facts."
"I guess the time for pleasantries are over," Jack laughed, but stopped seeing Owen glaring at him. "I got traces of TARDIS energy, but then again it was weak, and all I knew was that it could of been anything." He shifted his attention to the Doctors. "When I found you, I wanted to know you wasn't a threat, we currently had to deal with a sleeper agent."
"Sleeper agent?" The Master chimed in, "Oh, that is..." He stopped talking as he knew The Doctors glare. "As you were."
Natalie felt her head tilt to one side, her attention taking in Jack's face, the ticks of his smile, and the look in his eyes. "Part of you was scared of me." He voice drawn out, she couldn't explain it, but something in her was feeling it. "And you had me join your team, to figure out me like a puzzle." Her hand held up to stop Jack from speaking. "I was a game."
"No!" Jack got in, he couldn't stop himself. "I wanted to make sure, I needed..." He felt his voice strain. "I protect the earth."
Owen's hand touched Jack's shoulder, "At what point was I gonna know about this?"
"Not the time Owen!" Jack snapped.
Owen nodded, "Second in command used to mean something, and I am not even..." He could see Natalie's attention on him now. "I'm sorry Nat, it's just hard to see you as a danger."
"Oh she's no danger now," Ten spoke up.
Eleven nodded, "But inside her is a soldier from the time war." He spoke to Owen rather Jack.
"A Soldier I took from the Time War, to give her a new life away from the fighting." Twelve spoke up. He couldn't look away from Natalie. "I did it because a part of me wanted to save just one..." He felt himself going over Ten and Eleven. "We did this as a way of trying to deny what was going to happen."
Jack felt speechless, but now looking at Natalie's face, her fingers brushed the metal of the locket. "You're saying I am a fighter?" She asked feeling strangely stronger.
"Yes," Ten stepped forward now, "You was born, taken from your family, made to do what we all did."
The Master smirked, "Looked into the Time Vortex, and meet your destiny." He knew this was a moment to keep close to. "But right now, you are just a human."
"Just a human!" Owen snorted out, "I am a human, and I don't see me as just that. I studied medicine, I learn things." He pointed to his own face. "I carry on leaning, and I grow, but I am not limited by my mortality."
"No, you are not!" Eleven pointed out, "But this is why I know that for Natalie to know this, she would have to open the locket."
"And once Pandora's box is open, it can never be put back!" Twelve spoke, "As we've hidden her TARDIS well, and only her biodata module can re write her." He kept close to Natalie.
"What you're saying is, if I do open this." Her voice smaller now. "I'll stop being me?"
Ten nodded, "If you open that, Natalie will be no more, and you will remember who you are. What you did."
"But I don't know if that person is someone who is..." Natalie bit her lip, she felt hurt by this point of time she couldn't make up her mind. "Am a good person, have I got a heart of love, compassion."
Jack nodded, "You do..."
"But what if who I really am is cold, and heartless, what if I am..." Natalie trailed off as a tear trickled down her face, she turned to Twelve. "What kind of person was I?"
Twelve inhaled, and exhaled, "You was a strong woman, you fought hard, and you saved as many lives as you could."
"But did you know her?" Owen stepped in, he couldn't believe this. "Could she sing, did she have a favourite food?" He looked over Natalie's face. "Do you have a favourite song?"
Natalie felt lost, "I..." She stopped, it was like the lines were bleeding, she was getting lost in the horror of her dreams, the fantasy of her life on earth. "I don't remember."
"I bet you don't, because the Doctor must of made your memories in a rush." The Master spoke up.
Ten's head turned to watch The Master, "I didn't make her memories, her TARDIS did the best it could with the time it had."
"And it made the worlds most boring life!" Owen pointed out, "I mean did it even give her a memory of a love life, a thought of her passion?" He waved his hand. "I think this is getting stupid."
Natalie laughed, "I had a boyfriend..." She stopped, "But I can't." She stopped getting to her feet. "Okay I think I have an idea." She felt her hands going to her pocket. "I am going to go..." She took a step, "I am going to live as Natalie, and I am going to live this life." She took the locket off handing it to Jack. "I know you have the means of protecting this, and I can trust you." She then looked to the three Doctors. "You will return to your own time lines, and I am assuming one of you can return my TARDIS."
Ten went to open his mouth, but Eleven pushed him, and Twelve caught Ten.
Natalie smiled, "Master." She was getting more confident. "I know why you want me to open it, and I can understand your hate for The Doctor, but right now isn't the time." She nodded, "I am going to live my life, and one day I might get my memories, but until then I am Natalie Fisher, computer programmer for Torchwood." Her head nodded.
