The Christmas Reunion

Chapter Six: Running out of Time

By Lumendea

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any spinoff material, and I gain no income from this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: Happy Christmas to everyone who celebrates it! If you don't, then have a wonderful weekend and the constant holiday music in shops is almost at an end. Stay safe if you're planning to go out on New Year's Eve.

….

Rose turned back to the rip as the temperature dropped rapidly. Her whole body tried to seize, but she forced her muscles to keep moving. It hurt. It wasn't just the cold and the sense of wrong that she'd felt all those years ago. Now it grated on her, cutting into her flesh, and pushing at her mind despite her shields. But worst of all, the flashes of lost lives and their grief at their twisted and nothing state made her want to curl up and cry. Tears stung her eyes, and Rose wiped them away with her gloved left hand.

"I hope he can find the temporal manipulator soon," Rose said. "This isn't how I want to spend Christmas. Though… it is on par for us."

"Really?" Susan asked. "Things like this tend to happen at Christmas?"

"Well, we haven't had a rip in time on Christmas before, but a few years ago, we were in York after ghosts were sighted." Rose smiled at the memory despite the situation. "They weren't really ghosts, but people pulled out of time and trapped in another dimension. An alien on Earth had a machine that was making him live for centuries was the cause of it. We destroyed the machine, and your grandfather was able to shift things just enough that everyone was released." Rose's smile dropped a little. "I should check in with UNIT and see how those people are doing. They were able to see the normal world, so they were at least aware of the changes happening around them. I remember there was one family… a father and his two children. They'd been separated into different levels of the dimension as a punishment."

"That's awful," Susan growled. "I can't imagine. For how long?"

"A couple of centuries at least based on their clothing. My mother was expecting us, so we didn't linger with them. But it was great seeing that family reunite. That's one of the stranger adventures we've had on Christmas."

"Your mother was expecting you?" Rose could hear the smile in Susan's voice. "I'm surprised. Grandfather sometimes has greater patience for quieter domestic events, but I'll confess I hadn't taken this incarnation for that."

"Oh, he grumbles about it a bit," Rose admitted. "But I think he enjoys it a little in his own way. As long as it isn't too often."

The conversation was interrupted by a rumble from the rip. Rose shifted her stance and glanced down at the disrupter. "Susan, I'm only going to use the disrupter if more than two come out at once. I don't want to burn it out."

"No, that's a good plan," Susan agreed. "I have a couple of spare parts in my pocket that I grabbed from the TARDIS, but it would take a bit of time to swap them in. Just be careful."

"I will be, but you need to stay back," Rose said seriously. "I've seen what happens when Neverweres get ahold of someone. That man, a friend of ours, was lucky enough to survive, though it did damage to him and cost him memories."

"Neverweres are terrifying things," Susan agreed. "I learned about them at the Academy, but… well, I never expected to see one."

"I can understand that," Rose said.

A snarl drew Rose's attention firmly back to the rift. Rose tensed for a moment before forcing her body to relax. The screaming was back, fading and out as the rip churned. She hated it. Nothing in the visions of the lost timelines so far had revealed the source of the screaming, but Rose could feel the pain in it. Based on the pitch, she was inclined to think it was a woman but couldn't be sure. The rip could be connecting to any time and place with the instability drawing forth neverweres.

How she knew that Rose had a good idea, but it was still odd to think about. Frowning, she eyed the rip and wondered if she'd be able to fix such a thing if she'd gone with White and Black for training. Potentially, but then again, the Doctor wouldn't have been here without her. The impact she'd had on the TARDIS was another thing Rose knew she'd need to sort out. Allowing that to happen occasionally might not be terrible, but she had to be careful. The list of things to learn and be careful of was already longer than she liked.

Two bodies began to crawl out of the rip. Reaching long limbs towards Rose as their shadowy, not really there bodies escaped whatever horror they'd been caught in. Bracing herself, Rose paid little attention to the images of a lush world that washed over her. There were glimpses of Daleks that were enough to confirm for her that they were victims of the Time War.

"Will it never end?" Rose whispered to herself.

Stepping forward, Rose slashed at the first of the two neverweres. Light flashed off the blade of her sword as the swing connected. The first neverwere vanished in a twist of the light. Rose hoped that there was some peace for it at the other end of this and took comfort in knowing that the torment was other. The second was beginning to stand. Rose noted with a quick glance that while mostly humanoid, these neverweres had four arms each.

"Are you alright?" Susan called.

"Yes," Rose answered. "I just… I hate this. I hate destroying them. I know that it has to be done, that if they get loose, they cause temporal issues and drain time for those who still properly exist, but… I hate it."

"I'm sorry," Susan said gently. "I wish I could help."

"Uh, I'm happy with you back there. I really don't want to have to tell the Doctor that a Neverwere got you."

Susan laughed weakly. Rose didn't blame her for that. It was a poor joke, and Susan had to be wondering. With those sharp and thoughtful eyes of hers, Rose had no doubt that Susan was putting some of the clues together. She just hoped that Susan didn't figure out about the Time Lock and that it was a miracle they were even here. Having lived with knowing positive things about her future, Rose didn't like to imagine the woman living with dark knowledge of her future.

More neverweres leapt out of the churning rip, their bodies tangling together as they tried to stand. Rose backed up, closer to the disrupter. She could see three humanoid forms at least, but more of them seemed to be coming out. These ones had dark antennae on their heads, marking them as something else, and Rose's stomach turned at the reminder of how far the Time War had spread. It was the only source she could envision so many Neverweres coming from. Two more came crawling out, their bodies different shapes and their eyes seeking out hers.

Rose felt sick. Thrusting the sword down into the disrupter, Rose braced herself as the memory of the odd sensation it had caused last time hit her. Energy thrummed through her body, but it was more than what it had been last time. Rose could feel the energy building. The neverweres were drawing closer, their hands stretching towards her. There was a flash of light as the energy was released, and Rose grit her teeth.

It didn't feel bad. The energy interplay at work drew on her sword, and its familiar hum grounded her through the process. The problem was the flashes of the aborted, destroyed timelines connected to the beings. They flashed in her mind, and time slowed down to allow her to see the lost world and its lost people. Tears filled her eyes. She didn't even see the neverweres dissipate into nothingness. Susan was beside her an instant later, holding her right arm as Rose staggered.

"Are you alright, Rose?" Susan asked frantically. Her grip on Rose's arms was shockingly strong. "Breathe, just breathe."

"I'm okay," Rose managed. She exhaled slowly and shook her head. "Just…"

"What happened?"

"I saw their lives, their lost world again," Rose said. "But more of it all at once since there were so many. It's a lot." Releasing her sword, Rose wiped at both of her eyes and ignored the wrongness of not having her sword in her hand or around her wrist. "I'm fine."

"Your sword…" Susan nodded towards the smouldering blade. "Is it damaged?"

"No," Rose reassured her. Reaching out, Rose gripped the sword again and pulled it out of the disrupter. The sword shimmered dully in the low light, and Rose released it again, watching with a bit of relief as it shifted back into the form of her bracelet. "It repairs itself. When I was chosen by the sword, it had been buried for thousands of years and was being transported as an archaeological artefact."

"That sounds like quite the story."

"Yes," Rose said weakly. She shook herself and swallowed. "Uh, if you can, please check the disrupter."

"Alright."

Susan bent down and picked up the disrupter, turning it over in her hands as she backed away. Rose listened to her thoughtful hums and muttering. It was a great deal like her current Doctor and the future versions of him that Rose had met. Susan then stepped forward and set it back in its location, activating one of the buttons of the side. It hummed softly, and a tiny light on the side flashed.

"It's still good for another go," Susan said. "The circuits are holding."

"Oh, that's good." Rose breathed a little easier. "I just hope your Grandfather can find what he needs soon." Already, she was worried about how long he was taking.

"Normally, the TARDIS can produce what her passengers need in good order," Susan said. "Though, she seems damaged right now."

"She's recovering," Rose assured Susan.

"I'm sorry," Susan replied. She chuckled softly from her place behind Rose. "I'm not trying to ask things I shouldn't.

"I know. There are just so many things we can't tell you," Rose said. "About what is coming and about me. And it isn't that we don't trust you," Rose added quickly. "But, if you go back to Gallifrey or to help with the Time War, then they'll be so many creatures and beings trying to play with time near you. Telepaths and empaths, and who knows what else."

"And you… who you are is dangerous," Susan finished. Rose risked looking over her shoulder at Susan. Her expression was serious as she nodded, but then she laughed. "Oh, Grandfather, really found trouble this time, didn't he?"

"In his defence, he knew there was something odd about my future when we met, but he didn't know what he was getting into."

Susan laughed again, her eyes brightening. "Well, that's the best kind of adventure, isn't it. The sort that makes you happy, and you never know what to expect." Susan's expression softened. "It was like that for David and I. Rebuilding Earth after the Dalek attack, helping everyone get back on their feet and finding our way together. I had a lot of adventures with Grandfather, but that was the best one. I'm glad he's letting himself have that adventure. I wouldn't have thought it possible." Then Susan sighed and fixed her too sharp eyes on Rose. "I won't ask who or what you are. I haven't got the best temporal senses, but I can see enough of your timelines and your reactions to that rip to know that you must have reasons for trying to keep it a secret. I'll trust you and Grandfather's judgement on that."

"Thank you," Rose said honestly.

She hated leaving Susan in the dark. But what she'd said was true. According to the Doctor, Susan would answer the call and enter the Time War to help where she could. If Rassilon learned of Susan's odd genetics and looked into her, not only might he unlock some of the creations of the Other, but he could gain dangerous knowledge. Rassilon would know what it meant for there to be a Gold Guardian after the Time War.

Rose wished that it hadn't been this way. It was unfair to the Doctor. Not only had he been faced with the choice of the universe or his home planet, but he'd been given a vision of that choice when he was only a child. Now, there wasn't even a hope of someday being able to change Gallifrey's fate. If Gallifrey reentered the universe, then Rassilon's systems would try to reconnect to the Gold Guardian and start the whole mess over again.

There was no kindness in the universe for Gallifrey, it seemed. Rose swallowed and pushed down the guilt flaring in her chest. It wasn't her fault. She'd had no say in how it all played out. While she was the Gold Guardian now, the Time War and Gallifrey was beyond her power. To change it would be to make her a paradox.

"You'll stay with him, won't you?" Susan asked suddenly. "I'm sorry, that's an unfair request. You don't know what the future will bring or what his next regener-" Susan cut herself off.

And Rose made a decision. Potentially a dangerous one that would make both Black and White disapprove.

"I know I'll stay with him," Rose said softly, barely more than a whisper. "I've crossed my own timeline. I know that I'm with him for at his next three bodies."

"That's dangerous," Susan whispered.

"Maybe a bit, but it'll be okay. As long as we stay focused and work to get through whatever gets thrown at us, it'll be okay."

…..

The Doctor was not okay. His hands shook as he rapidly assembled the temporal manipulator. Too many memories were pushing and shoving at his mind, and he found himself grateful that Rose wasn't present to see his aggravated state. Stupid, he was no better than a stupid ape. When the TARDIS brought them here, he should have immediately left. He was a Time Lord, and he knew better than to cross his own timeline. Yet he had. He'd always been a little too weak to Susan and had told himself that surely the Gold Guardian's powers wouldn't put them at risk.

Now he wasn't sure. Rose might be the Gold Guardian, but she was still Rose Tyler. Too compassionate Rose Tyler who could see right through him at the worst of times. The rip in time… he had to wonder, had to worry if it was the result of Rose's use of her powers. They'd been seeing them, and at first, he'd assumed they were an aftereffect of the Time War. Places where the universe hadn't healed yet. Places where it never could.

And he didn't have a temporal manipulator on hand. Used to, but he'd burned through several in the war. He'd hoped that maybe, just maybe, the manipulator Rose remembered would be somewhere on the ship, but no luck. Likely one of the many that he'd used during the Time War. They all blurred together at this point. The fire, the screams, the ringing silences and all of his desperate plans on planet after planet to turn back the Daleks and save those he could.

No temporal manipulator except for the one he was frantically building and two women that he dearly loved who were temporally complex standing far too close to a rip in time. He hated it. At least, Rose knew her position and wouldn't risk trying to close the rip as Charley had. But Susan… she might if it threatened her home. Shaking his head, the Doctor kept his hands moving. With the disrupter, they should be alright. He just needed to finish the temporal manipulator and get back out there, and they'd be fine. It would be okay.