A/N: new chappie! enjoy!
Chapter 3: Three Doctors
"So, what are we doing when we get there?" Olivia asked Bowtie, both in his TARDIS while Trainers made the journey in his own.
"That's if, Liv," he replied, making her frown at him in wonder. "The events are time-locked. We might not even be able to—"
The TARDIS landed, making him stop and pull his hands back from the console as Olivia looked up at him. They both shrugged and hurried to the door to step out, Trainers stepping out of his TARDIS next to them. Olivia looked around the hut she'd seen in the Doctor's images he'd shared with her, and there was the Warrior, standing next to some sort of device that looked like a rose blooming out of a gold and white box.
"I told you," she whispered. "He hasn't done it yet."
"Go away, now, all of you," the Warrior ordered, feebly as he turned back to the device. "This is for me."
"These events should be time-locked," Trainers reiterated what Bowtie had told Olivia. "We shouldn't even be here."
"So something let us through," Bowtie guessed.
"Go back," the Warrior pleaded. "Go back to your lives. Go and be the Doctor I could never be. Make it worth while."
Olivia held her breath as he lifted a hand to the red button, making ready to push it back down into the setting.
"All those years burying you in my memory," Trainers began, making the Warrior freeze, but he kept his hand on the button.
"Pretending you didn't exist," Bowtie continued. "Keeping you a secret, even from myself."
"Pretending you weren't the Doctor, when you were the Doctor more than anybody else," Trainers admitted as they both stepped toward him.
"You were the Doctor on the day it was impossible to get it right," Bowtie added.
"But this time…" Trainers trailed off as he set his hand on top of the Warrior's.
"You don't have to do it alone," Bowtie promised as he set his hand on top of both of theirs.
"Thank you," the Warrior murmured.
Olivia gave a soft shudder, tears welling in her eyes as she watched them. She hadn't expected this. Honestly, she didn't know what to expect, but it certainly hadn't been this. Watching him end the Time War was something she thought she'd never have to witness.
"What we do today, is not out of fear, or hatred," Trainers explained. "It is done because there is no other way."
"And it is done in the many lives we are failing to save," Bowtie added before looking to Olivia when she let out a choked sob, covering her mouth with her hand to hold it in, but tears spilled over her cheeks. "What? Liv, what is it?"
"N-Nothing," she nearly gasped, trying to wipe her tears away, quickly.
"No," he objected. "Something. What?"
She took in a breath before replying, "When you told me about this…I never saw…you doing it. Either one of you."
The room suddenly darkened and the scenery changed, making her stand stalk still as she saw a ruined city surrounding them all…people screaming and running for their lives around them.
"What's happening?" she asked.
"Nothing," the Warrior replied. "It's a projection."
"Of real time?" she guessed, looking at the terrified people around her. "Are these…? These are the people you're going to…?"
She couldn't finish her sentence. It was too heart-wrenching. She wasn't sure if she would've reacted this emotionally if she wasn't a mother, but seeing the children running around in terror was enough to make her want to crumple to the floor in sobs, knowing what was going to happen.
"There isn't anything we can do," Trainers admitted, sorrow lacing his voice.
"He's right," Bowtie breathed. "There isn't another way. There never was. Either I destroy my own people, or let the universe burn."
"I can't believe this," Olivia gasped, glancing between them. "Look at you three. The Warrior, the Hero…" Her gaze fell on Bowtie, chewing on her lower lip before breathing, "…and you."
He stepped to her, and she kept his gaze as he stopped an inch away from her.
"And what am I, Liv?" he asked, near a whisper.
"Have you truly forgotten?" she frowned, lifting a hand to his face, and he lifted both of his to keep it in place on his cheek.
"Yes," he nodded. "Maybe…yes."
"Oh, Mr. Sigma," she sighed. "There are more than enough warriors. Any idiot can be a hero, you've proved that several times."
"Then what do I do?" he pleaded.
"What you've always done, my love," she smiled, lifting her free hand to his bowtie to straighten it. "Be the Doctor."
He stared down at her, the wheels turning in his head before he used a thumb to brush a tear from her cheek.
"You once told me that the name you chose was a promise," she recalled from one of the many nights they'd spent together. "What was it? Tell me."
"Never cruel or cowardly," Trainers began.
"Never give up, never give in," the Warrior finished.
Olivia smiled up at him, stroking his cheeks with her thumbs and nodded, "That sounds like you….my Doctor."
The projection faded, bringing them back to current events, and Bowtie only stared at her for a moment before taking one of her hands and pulling her toward the other two Doctors who read his expression of thought.
"You're not actually suggesting that we change our own personal history?" Trainers hoped.
"We change history all the time," Bowtie reminded him, before adding, "I'm suggesting something far worse."
"What, exactly?" the Warrior wondered.
"Gentlemen, I have had four hundred years to think about this," Bowtie announced, reaching into his jacket for his Sonic, and smiling, "I've changed my mind."
Olivia grinned as she watched him use the Sonic to lower the button down into the device, then threw her arms around his neck as he wrapped his arms around.
"There's still a billion, billion Daleks up there, attacking," the Warrior reported.
"Yeah, there is!" Bowtie grinned.
"But! There's something those billion, billion Daleks don't know," Trainers realized.
"Because if they did, they'd probably send for reinforcements!" Bowtie added.
"Oh, my god, there's three of you, now," Olivia realized, staring at all three of them with huge eyes as Trainers bounded toward her, Bowtie releasing her with a grin.
"Yes! That's my girl!" Trainers grinned, lifting her and twirling her off her feet.
"Oh!" the Warrior called, placing his hands on his head as if he'd just realized something, drawing all their attentions. "Oh! Yes, that is good! That is brilliant!"
"Oh!" Trainers chirped, realizing the same thing. "Oh! Oh! I'm getting that, too! That is brilliant!"
"I've been thinking about it for centuries!" Bowtie announced, grabbing Olivia's hand as Trainers released her, and she was twirled around once before nearly stumbling into the Warrior who hugged her. She was happy, but confused.
"She didn't show me just any old future!" the Warrior cheered, releasing Olivia who frowned at him. "She told me exactly the future I needed to see!"
"Eh?" Bowtie wondered. "Who did?"
"Oh, Bad Wolf Girl I could kiss you!" the Warrior cheered, kissing his fingers and sending it out into the air.
"Sorry, did you just say Bad Wolf?" Trainers asked, making the other three exchange glances before Olivia took the focus away from who she knew that name belonged to.
"Tell me the plan," Olivia urged, waving them all toward her and they huddled around her.
"The Dalek fleets are surrounding Gallifrey, firing on it constantly," the Warrior explained.
"Sky trenches holding, but, what if the whole planet just disappeared?" Trainers added, making her frown in thought.
"Oh!" she chirped in sudden realization. "They'd fire on each other! They'd be caught in the crossfire!"
"Gallifrey would be gone, the Daleks would be destroyed, and it would look to the rest of the universe as if they'd annihilated each other!" the Warrior reported.
"But…where would Gallifrey be?" she frowned in wonder.
"Frozen," Trainers replied, and she couldn't help but grin at the excitement in his eyes and voice. "Frozen in an instant of time. Safe and hidden away."
"Exactly…" Bowtie trailed off.
"Like a painting," the Warrior whispered.
Olivia looked around at all three and her heart was bursting with happiness at the elation they were all exuding. She couldn't hold back her grin as Bowtie grabbed her hand and rushed her back to the TARDIS, Trainers and the Warrior rushing to the other.
"Wait!" Olivia called, pulling out of Bowtie's grasp to rush toward the other TARDIS where Trainers hung out the door with a frown of wonder. She grabbed onto his tie and yanked him onto her lips for a quick kiss before pulling back, nodding and grinning, "For luck."
She turned and raced back into the other TARDIS where Bowtie was at the controls and she shut the door behind her, heading to the console.
"Right! We've got work to do!" Bowtie cheered. "Get the other Doctor to his TARDIS, and then we're off. Liv, I need you to send a message."
"What message?" Olivia frowned, both working on the console.
"Something to send to the Gallifrey High Command," he replied. "Something that tells them they won't burn. Something that says they will survive. Something that says they will not fall."
Olivia chewed on her lower lip in thought before looking up at him from across the console, smiling, "Gallifrey Stands."
"Oh, you're good, Liv," he smiled, marching around the console to grab her hand. "You're so good! Come here!"
He planted his lips to hers for a hard kiss before pulling away with a smack.
"For luck," they both nodded, making them both grin before he raced back toward the scanner. She sent the message through the frequency he'd given her, and a moment later, Bowtie was speaking.
"Hello, hello," he called. "Gallifrey High Command. This is the Doctor speaking."
"Hello! Also the Doctor. Can you hear me?" Trainers called over the line.
"Also the Doctor, standing ready," the Warrior spoke as well.
"Dear god, three of them," she heard an unfamiliar voice respond. "All my worst nightmares at once."
Olivia couldn't help but giggle, but Bowtie pointed a firm, scolding finger at her from across the console, making her give him an innocent look, biting her lower lip and lifting a hand to trace a halo over her head.
"General, we have a plan," Trainers assured him.
"We should point out, at this moment, it is a fairly terrible plan," Bowtie admitted.
"We're almost certain it won't work," Trainers added.
"I was happy with fairly terrible," Bowtie countered.
"Sorry, just…thinking out loud."
"We're flying our three TARDIS' into your lower atmosphere," Bowtie explained.
"We're positioned at equidistances around the globe," Trainers reported. "Equidistance. So grown up."
Olivia giggled again, making Bowtie glance at her, but he only smirked this time.
"Just about ready to do it," the Warrior reported.
"Ready to do what?" the General of the High Command questioned.
"We're going to freeze Gallifrey," Bowtie explained.
"I'm sorry…what?!" the General retorted.
"Using our TARDIS' we're gonna freeze Gallifrey in a single moment in time," Trainers replied.
"You know like those stasis cubes?" the Warrior compared. "A single moment in time held in a parallel, pocket universe."
"Except we're gonna do it to a whole planet," Bowtie added, excitedly.
"And all the people on it," Trainers finished off.
"What?" the General frowned. "Even if that were possible, which it isn't, why would you do such a thing?"
"Because the alternative is burning," Bowtie replied, darkly.
"And I've seen that," Trainers added, nostalgically.
"And I never want to see it again," Bowtie finished with determination.
"We'd be lost in another universe," the General realized. "Frozen in a single moment. We'd have nothing."
"You would have hope!" Bowtie countered. "And right now that is exactly what you don't have."
"It's delusional. The calculations alone would take hundreds of years!" the General argued.
"Oh, hundreds and hundreds!" Bowtie agreed.
"But don't worry, I started a long time ago," Trainers assured them.
"You might say," Olivia added, strolling around the console into view, leaning on the edge to grin, "He's been doing this all his lives."
The TARDIS jostled as she heard the many voices of the Doctor, then heard the High Command speaking to each other before the General finally caved.
"Do it, Doctor. Just do it. Do it!"
"Ok," Bowtie replied.
"Boys, we're ready," Olivia reported, holding onto the console as he gripped the lever on the console.
"Geronimo!"
"Allons-y!"
"Oh, for god's sake! Gallifrey Stands!"
The National Gallery...
"I don't suppose we'll ever know if we actually succeeded," the Warrior realized as he sat in a white room with Olivia and the other two Doctor's having tea and staring at the painting of Gallifrey Falls also known as No More. "But, at worst, we failed doing the right thing, as opposed to succeeding in doing the wrong."
"Well, you're a bundle of laughs, aren't you?" Olivia blurted, taking a sip of her tea as she sat with him on a bench, the other two Doctors standing with glasses on their noses. She gave him a wink as she sipped at her teacup, making him chuckle before they looked back at the painting.
"What is it actually called?" Trainers asked of the painting.
"Well, there's some debate," Bowtie replied. "Either No More or Gallifrey Falls."
"Not very encouraging," the Warrior noted.
"How did it get here?" Trainers wondered.
"No idea," Bowtie admitted.
"Oh, there's always something don't know, isn't there?" Trainers guessed, taking a sip of his tea.
"One should certainly hope so," the Warrior chimed in, standing and setting his empty teacup on the bench to step toward them. "Well, gentlemen, it has been an honor, and a privilege."
"Likewise," Trainers nodded.
"Doctor," Bowtie nodded as well.
"And if I grow to be half the man you are…" the Warrior continued at them straighten, proudly but the Warrior turned around, resuming, "Olivia Felton, I should be happy indeed."
"There's that charm he gets it from," Olivia smirked, standing and waving a hand in the direction of the other two as he stepped closer to let her hug him. She giggled at seeing them deflate as the Warrior released her.
"I won't remember this, will I?" he guessed, asking the other two Doctors.
"The time streams are out of sync," Bowtie confirmed. "You can't retain it…no."
"So I won't remember that I tired to save Gallifrey, rather than burn it," the Warrior realized, making Olivia's heart sink. "I'll have to live with that. But for now…for this moment…I am the Doctor again. Thank you."
They both nodded to him before he looked to the three TARDIS' lined against the wall, asking, "Which one is mine?"
They glanced at each other in uncertainty as Olivia snickered when the Warrior laughed and stepped toward his TARDIS to take off. Olivia closed her eyes as she absorbed the sound of the dematerialization before she sat on the bench, glancing between the two Doctors left.
"Well, good to know my future is in safe hands," Trainers smirked as he pulled off his glasses to tuck them away. "And my girl, as well."
He shook Bowtie's hand as they both looked to her, sipping the last of her tea from the cup before setting it down next to her, not noticing them staring at her.
"Don't let her go, eh?" Trainers told Bowtie, looking back to him. "Ever. You'll regret it more than you regret anything else in your life…our lives."
"I don't plan on it," Bowtie smirked as they finally released each other's hands and Trainers stepped toward the bench to set his teacup down, Olivia shooting to her feet as he approached.
"Are you leaving, too?" she murmured, sadness reflecting in her jade eyes.
"Have to," he replied with a wag of his head, stepping closer to her to take one of her hands. "Before it gets too timey-wimey around here."
She giggled, making him smile as he lifted her hand to place a gentle kiss to her knuckles, his eyes closed to savor the touch of her skin.
"Can I go in?" she asked, making him frown as he lowered her hand. "Just…to say goodbye?"
"If…I say it's alright," he replied, making her snicker before they looked to Bowtie as he watched them.
"Can I go inside for just a minute?" she asked him, gesturing to the older-looking TARDIS and Bowtie nodded with a smile.
"Just a minute," he nodded. "We'll be heading to your mum's after."
Olivia nodded as Trainers kept a hold on her hand to pull her with him into his TARDIS, but she stopped just before stepping inside to say, "There was an old man looking for you, by the way. I think he was the curator."
Bowtie nodded before she gave him a sweet smile and stepped into the TARDIS, Trainers releasing her hand to stroll toward the console, his hands in his pockets. Olivia sighed as she ran a hand over the railing next to the ramp leading toward the console, and grinned at the Doctor as he leaned back on the edge of the console, smiling at her.
"I miss this look," she admitted. "Of course I can't tell…you that."
They both laughed as she stepped closer to him, but he didn't move as he just watched her approach.
"And I…I miss you," she confessed, keeping her gaze on the knot of his tie. "This face. The suit, the Converse, the freckles and the crazy hair."
He chuckled at that before lowering his head to try and catch her gaze, only to have her bow her own head as she sniffled.
"I feel like a horrible person for saying that, but it's true," she murmured, emotion thick in her voice.
"Liv, don't cry," he pleaded, shoving off the console to stand tall and envelope her in his arms. "There's nothing wrong with feeling that way. It's not as if you hate the other me, do you?"
"No, of course not," she replied, still crying.
"Well, you're alright, then, eh?" he hoped, pulling back to try to look her in the eye, but she kept her gaze down as she sniffled and tried wiping her tears away.
"I never…" she tried, choking on a sob that escaped, then taking a deep breath before looking up at him. "I never really got to say goodbye when it happened. It was all so fast and then…you were him."
He smiled, sadly before lifting a hand to brush a tear away that had escaped with a stroke of his thumb. He knew it had been a long time for her since his regeneration, and he wondered what else they had been through, together and apart, but he couldn't ask her. He wouldn't ask her. It wasn't as if he would remember, but he wouldn't put her through that. Not like this.
"Then say goodbye, Liv," he whispered instead, and she swallowed hard as more tears came to her eyes. "This is your last chance. Say goodbye, now, and walk out that door. Just let me know you won't stop loving me, ever."
She took in a breath and shook her head, shuddering, "I could never stop loving you. You are, and always will be, my Highwayman."
His lips twitched up in another sad smile as tears came to his eyes.
"Oh, no, don't do that," she warned, lifting her hands to his face to wipe away the few tears that escaped his eyes. "I'm the only one allowed to cry. One crier per TARDIS, ok?"
He laughed as he took one of her hands and pressed it to his cheek, their gazes meeting.
"You'd better get out there," he sighed. "Chinny's gonna worry I'm stealing you away from him."
She giggled and nodded, her heart clenching, painfully as she stepped closer to him to lift herself onto her tiptoes, tilting her head and lifting her chin before she stopped an inch from his lips. He closed the gap and what began as a soft, tender goodbye kiss, turned into a passionate one as he threw his arms around her waist to lift her off her feet as she slid her arms around his neck. A moment later he set her down again, still connected to her lips before they pulled away simultaneously, their eyes still closed as the kiss seemed to go on forever, transcending time and space, as ever with them.
Olivia finally opened her eyes to meet his gaze and took in a shaky breath to whisper, "Goodbye."
"Goodbye," he murmured back before she turned and made her way to the door.
He watched her stroke the frame affectionately before she stepped out, shutting it behind her. Not for the first time, he was left alone in the TARDIS, and though he knew he would see her again, he wanted to know when. But even if he'd asked, he wouldn't have remembered.
"No," he whispered, turning to the console to lean on it. "There's something else I have to see to first."
Meanwhile...
"There you are," the Doctor grinned, holding a hand toward Olivia as she stepped out of the other TARDIS. "I was beginning to worry about you. Everything alright?"
Olivia nodded, quickly wiping a tear away that had escaped her attention and he frowned at her as he pulled her toward his TARDIS.
"Liv?"
"Don't ask," she requested, shaking her head, and they both watched the other TARDIS dematerialize with its tell-tale sound before heading into theirs.
"Right!" he called, pulling her to the console before releasing her hand to operate it. "Joyce's yes? I can't wait to see Amelia! After a day like this, seeing our gorgeous baby girl is exactly what I need."
"Me too," Olivia smiled, leaning on the console, making him stop and watch her.
"You sure you're alright?" he hoped.
"It's fine," she replied again, shaking her head. "It's just been a day."
"Has, hasn't it?" he grinned, running around to her side of the console to pin her to it when she turned to him. "I love days like this."
"I can tell," she laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck and he lowered his head to leave kisses to her neck, making her giggle. "Theta?"
"Hm?" he hummed against her neck, making her giggle again.
"Do you dream?" she wondered, making him lift his head to look at her.
"Where did that question come from?" he chuckled, making her shrug.
"Oh, just…wondering," she replied, honestly as she started running her fingers through his hair. "Do you?"
"Of course I dream," he smirked, lowering his lips to her neck again, adding between kisses, "Everybody dreams."
"What do you dream about?" she wondered through a giggle.
"Oh…mostly you," he muttered between kisses that trailed up to her neck. "And the same thing everybody does. I dream about where I'm going."
"You're not going anywhere!" Olivia laughed, then gasped when his teeth caught her earlobe. "You just wander around the universe."
"Not anymore," he whispered, making her frown but she had no time to ask before he slammed a lever down on the console and the TARDIS shuddered.
"Ooh!" she chirped before giving him a suggestive grin as he stared back at her. "Mr. Sigma! Bad, bad boy."
"I try my hardest, Mrs. Sigma," he smirked, making her giggle before she shoved on his shoulders.
"Come on, let's get out there and see how long you've managed to keep us away," she retorted, making him step back and follow her to the doors. "If we've been gone more than a day, you're in serious trouble, Mister."
"Only a few hours," he assured her as she stepped out and he followed her. "Scout's honor."
"You're not a scout!" she laughed, turning just in time to catch her mother in her arms. "Hi—! Mom—! Can't breathe!"
Joyce pulled back with a huge grin, making Olivia frown in wonder.
"Did we miss a first?!" Olivia questioned, referring to Amelia, which made Joyce frown but realization soon dawned on her.
"Oh, no!" she replied, making the couple sigh in relief. "It's something much better! Come inside!"
Joyce grabbed a hand on each of them and dragged them to the house, making them frown at each other in wonder before they were pulled into the kitchen and Joyce released their hands. Olivia frowned at the back of the stranger in their kitchen, facing the sink with his back to them, and she heard Amelia making her little baby noises, which put her on alert. Who was this man holding her baby?!
"Now, Doctor, you haven't met him yet, and Olivia may not recognize him," Joyce began, making them both frown at her as she stepped toward him, still beaming away. "So, for introduction's sake, Doctor, Olivia…this is Richard. My husband. Olivia's father and your father in-law, Doctor."
Olivia's eyes shot wide as the man turned, sea green eyes smiling under a mop of raven hair that was graying around the edges and she felt like her heart had stopped. Joyce had been wrong, Olivia did recognize him. She may have been little when he left, but she would know that face anywhere, all she had to do was look in a mirror. She had the shape of his eyes and the line of his nose and the color of his hair. He was holding a squirming Amelia in her arms, and neither the Doctor, nor Olivia had to speak baby to know she wasn't happy by the fussing noise she was making.
"Hey there, Bright Eyes," he smirked, handing Amelia over to Joyce, and the baby started to quiet down as Richard Felton, a man Olivia hadn't seen in too many years, approached her, his arms outstretched. "Give your old dad a hug, will ya?"
That was when Olivia's world went black.
A/N: all i have to say here is...reviews?