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A Recognised Gain

Part Eight

The Doctor pulled Venetia behind him as the figures swiftly approached protecting her from them. The figures moved lower almost as if they were going to tackle the Doctor – he moved a leg back preparing himself for the blow. Instead all five of them fell to their knees in the sand, their heads bowed down; their arms reaching forwards to the Doctor. He watched them in amazement for a moment, Venetia tugged on the back of this coat

'Daddy, what are they doing?' she asked astounded

'I have no idea' the Doctor murmured as he wrinkled his brow, with his spare hand he began to tug on his ear – Venetia gasped drawn into her memories

Rose pulled the blankets up to Venetia's chin watching her sleepy daughter rub her eyes

'Mummy?' the little voice called out in between a yawn

'Yes sweetheart?' she replied as she absently picked up a photo frame with Rose and Venetia inside

'How am I like Daddy?' she asked curiously. Rose paused momentarily stunned at the mention of the Doctor

'He used to tug on his ear' she murmured as she stared at the Doctors' eyes in the photo of Venetia

'Just like you do. He'd do it when he was thinking – you should never disturb him when he's thinking' she reminisced as she fondled the photograph. A slow smile spread over Venetias' face as she faded into sleep filled with dreams of her mysterious father. Rose held onto the photo smiling sadly

'His eyes' she whispered to herself 'You have his eyes'

The strangers all glanced up to be met by two pairs of identical brown eyes gazing curiously at them. Venetia had so many questions to ask but she remembered her mothers advice – not to disturb him whilst he was thinking. Instead she absently began to tug on her ear

'Hello!' the Doctor called down to them eventually after this mouth faltered not knowing what to say. The figures glanced from one to another – the largest man spoke

'Do we have permission to rise?' he asked in a thick accent. It certainly was Jeraben…maybe northern Jeraben, the Doctor pondered

'Course you can!' the Doctor exclaimed – Venetia watched them in wonder. They all rose and glanced warily from one to another – the females remaining silent, their gazes adverted to the floor. Their faces were protected from the heat by black clothes that flapped in the wind. These wrapped around their mouths, heads and shoulders – their eyes weren't black but a very dark emerald Venetia realised. They were darkened by the sun drinking in its warmth and life. The tall man spoke first

'Who are you?' he asked cautiously – almost as if he was afraid to acknowledge the Doctor and Venetia as real people. He held his hand out to them expecting it to pass through – he genuinely believed them to be mirages. Venetia raised her small pale hand and held it against the large yellow hand of the man. He shuddered at the human contact and she watched him perceptively as always as her eyes glistened with curiosity and sorrow for the man who was so truly alone. The Doctor watched as his daughter grew mentally, her blonde curls carelessly flapped against her face in the breeze as she watched the man – her face full of understanding and compassion. The Doctor finally spoke shattering the moment for all eternity – things could never be as simple or peaceful as they were in this single moment of time. A single moment in a billion lifetimes represented all the pain and loneliness and in this moment of simple human touch the condemned ones would be shown that they are no longer alone – not now, not ever. The world is only a heartbeat away

'I'm the Doctor and this is Venetia' the Doctor introduced softly not wanting to interrupt. The man held his hand to Venetia's forehead and closed his eyes – he was also a telepathic creature and he had heard her silent pleas for help and her eternal pain. In return Venetia could see his past – her young and innocent mind being tainted for the first time, if only she had known the consequences of losing her innocence so easily. Venetia's eyes blinked on unshed tears for the mans' past.

All five figures ran through the hot sand – it sunk in-between their toes burning the sensitive pale skin. Venetia could see everything from the man's point of view, she could feel his blood dripping down his shoulder, she could hear the tiny droplets soaking the sand amongst the sounds of the world that was crashing down around them. She could feel the force of his blood pounding in his ears as he ran faster and faster clutching onto the hands of the others around him – his wife, daughter and two sons – one family running for their lives. Venetia choked on a sob as she felt the mans' pain and fear rushing through her as real and forceful as if it was herself running away. She could see his house being burnt down around him as the fire crackled in her face, she winced as she felt the heat of the flames on her face and the burning of his pain in her heart. She felt his hand slip dropping a small child back into a fiery inferno – she felt the tremor of lose and pain and self loathing pass through her soul as the man watched his son die. Venetia felt as the man slowly walked through the desert with his family with the knowledge that everyone else was dead – anyone who ever existed on this planet was dead except for them and he had to continue walking towards the destination that would never exist. Just walking and waiting – hoping for death. Venetia felt what true madness was as she saw this mans past.

Silent tears rolled down Venetias' face as she saw the mans' past – he winced as he felt hers, as he felt the lost pain and loneliness of a child who never knew. A child who never knew her father, never knew her grandmother, who would never know her mother, who would never know normality or the feeling of safeness again – the child who would never learn to love without the fear of being abandoned, he felt the fears of a wandering child. Despite his pain and his grievances his heart ached for her – for the innocent child with the face of an angel who knew far too much pain and grief for her years. A child who spoke with the wisdom and knowledge of a eighty year old, the child who could never know happiness without the fear of losing it… the child who would live eternally in the hell of her mind – just as her father had. As the mans' heart broke for Venetia his tears began to slowly fall into the sand silently mixing with Venetias' – they were no longer alone, they knew the pain and heartache of the other, such pain words couldn't describe it. In that single moment of time they were as one.