A/N: new chappie! enjoy!

Chapter 26: Twenty-six Steps

Olivia, Jenny and Strax followed the Doctor through Altab Ali park as he led the way with his Sonic Screwdriver pulsing through the fog they trudged through. Strax brought up the rear of the small group with one of his weapons, in case Talik tried to make a surprise attack, Olivia and Jenny keeping a lookout for all of them.

"I don't even know what we should be looking for," Olivia admitted.

"Nor me," Jenny agreed. "Is it a cave of some sort?"

"More likely some kind of trap door leading directly to his ship," the Doctor reported, making Olivia frown in wonder.

"So you think he still has his ship?" she wondered.

"Of course," he shrugged. "It's his way out."

"Retreat is a coward's way out," Strax chimed in. "Not the tactic of a soldier."

"I'd say it was more like prudent planning," Jenny added.

"Hush! All of you!" the Doctor hissed, coming to a stop and causing the group to come to a halt as well. The Sonic's sound had changed, indicating it was reading something from somewhere ahead of them. "Jenny, Strax, keep Liv in the middle of you and all of you…follow close."

"What is it?" Olivia whispered as he started forward again, slowly this time.

"The Sonic is reading low levels of non-Earth radiation right over this hill we're heading toward and – now I'm only guessing – I believe it's coming from Talik's ship hidden somewhere close," the Doctor replied, not looking away from the direction he was heading.

"Doctor?" Olivia called.

"Not now, Liv," he replied.

"But…what kind of ship is it?"

"Prisoner ship, of course. Remember, he was exiled."

"Yeah, I remember, but wouldn't it have any defenses?"

"Of course it would. It's a—Oh…"

Just as realization dawned on him, a bright, red light shot at his feet, sending sparks and dirt flying into the air and leaving smoke behind and making him stumble back as Olivia grabbed onto his arm to steady him on his feet when he did. Strax began shooting at the place the shot had come from, and where more kept coming as the four backed away to safety behind the trees.

"Now what?!" Olivia demanded as the shots kept coming, making them duck behind their respective trees, except Strax, who kept firing with Jenny next to him, Olivia and the Doctor hiding behind a tree together.

"I'm thinking!" the Doctor shot back just as he was almost being hit by laser blast against the tree.

"We need to get out of here!" Jenny called.

"No! We need to get to that ship!" Olivia argued.

"An excellent strategy!" Strax commended. "I will assist you in this courageous endeavor! Follow me, boy!"

"Olivia! Don't you dare!" the Doctor snapped, but he was ignored.

Olivia waited for Strax to make his way to her, shooting intermittently in the direction of the attack upon them.

"It will be a privilege to fall at your side," Strax told her as she pulled her Sonic out from her bodice, ready to use it.

"Positive thoughts, Strax," she told him. "We won't be falling today."

"Olivia Felton—!" the Doctor roared, but she grabbed his jacket to plant a kiss to his lips, making him stare at her with wide eyes before she pulled back and grinned up at him.

"Kiss for luck," she whispered before turning to grab onto Strax's shoulders as he swooped out from behind the tree and shot back at the enemy, making his way forward as Olivia held tight to him.

The Doctor aimed his Sonic in the direction of the shots as well, trying to find them and deactivate them, but when they kept shooting, he realized they must have been deadlocked and warned, "Your Sonic won't work!"

"No, but Strax's blaster will!" Olivia shot back as she bobbed and weaved with the Sontaran as he dodged the blasts.

"If you can find them! Olivia! Get back here!" the Doctor demanded.

"We should get back!" Jenny advised as well, but both were ignored as Strax and Olivia continued their charge.

Olivia shouted in surprised when her foot caught the root of a tree sticking up from the ground and she went toppling to the ground, out of view in the cover of the fog, and Strax continued on his way, still shooting as he was now being shot at. The Doctor noticed the Olivia was now gone and raced to the last spot he had seen her, dodging shots the entire way.

"Doctor! What are you doing?!" Jenny called, ducking just as a laser blast clipped the tree she was hiding behind.

The Doctor ignored her and dodged one more blast before he heard Strax gave a battle cry and blasted something, making the attack stop just as the Doctor reached the spot he saw Olivia fall. He turned in his spot as Strax and Jenny caught up with him, watching him use his Sonic to scan for her, trying to find her nearby through the fog.

"Where is Ms. Felton?" Jenny frowned in wonder as Strax kept a lookout and the Doctor still scanned for Olivia.

"The boy was right behind me," Strax recalled.

"She fell," the Doctor reported, lowering his Sonic, his hearts pounding in his chest with panic as recollection dawned on him and he stomped his foot onto the place he stood to hear the dull metal thrum under the camouflage of grass and leaves. He pointed his Sonic downward as Jenny watched him with a frown, but he growled when nothing happened. "She fell down a trap door, and it's deadlocked! He was waiting for us. He knew we were coming!"

He kicked up the leaves on the ground in rage, ruffling his hair violently, making them even more unruly.

"Bloody hell!" he roared, tearing at his hair before stomping on the door beneath his feet, trying to get it to open for him. "Open up, Talik! Too cowardly to look me in the face?!"

"Doctor, please!" Jenny tried, grabbing his arm to pull his attention to her, but he yanked his arm from her grasp. "We have to step away and come up with a plan!"

"No!" he snapped.

"I'm afraid I must agree with the boy," Strax added. "It would seem a tactical retreat would be wise."

"I am not leaving her!" the Doctor shot back. "I promised I would take care of her and she trusts me!"

"Yes, and she knows you'll get her out of there…with a plan," Jenny insisted, making him stare back at he with a set jaw, her logic steadily overwhelming his rage. He gave a reluctant nod and Jenny nodded in response before ordering, "Strax, get to Madame Vastra and tell her what's happened. We'll meet her, Mr. Holmes and Dr. Watson back at the inn. Doctor…you're coming with me."

Meanwhile...

Olivia groaned at the pain in her head as she awoke. The last thing she remembered was falling before her head bounced on something hard, knocking her unconscious. She kept her eyes closed, trying to sense her surroundings before opening them. She was lying on her back, on something soft.

A bed… she thought to herself with a small frown and took in a deep breath through her nose.

It felt stuffy, and there was a strong scent of wet stone and mold as well as the sound of dripping water into a puddle somewhere. Some shuffling caught her ear, but she resisted the urge to open her eyes, to gather more information.

"Jack, who is she?" a feminine, Cockney accented voice whispered not too far away, echoing through the room. "You know 'er?"

"Just keep her here and look after her," another, masculine voice murmured, and Olivia instantly recognized it.

Talik, she thought, desperate to open her eyes, but now knowing she shouldn't.

"But, Jack—"

"Just do as I say, Mary!" Talik snapped, and Olivia had to hold back her gasp.

So Mary is his accomplice!

"Sorry," Mary replied, meekly before more shuffling sounded and then the soft thunk of wood on wood signaling a door shutting. Olivia finally opened her eyes, slowly to be met with the soft light of candlelight flickering off stone walls of what looked like a prison cell. "Oh! You're awake, are ya?"

Olivia turned her head on the pillow to see Mary Kelly kneeling next to the bed, her auburn hair loose over her shoulders and blue eyes shining bright, even in the candle light.

"Where am I?" Olivia instantly questioned, softly.

"Where Jack and me live," Mary replied, reaching for the damp cloth in the basin of water on the stand near them. She wrung it out of excess water before leaning over to place it on Olivia's brow. "He said we should expect company, but I didn't have time to clean up."

Olivia frowned at the girl in confusion. She wasn't acting like a prisoner, or like she was under the influence of Talik's hypnotism. Rather, she was acting like an obedient servant…but freely. She tried sitting up, but pain shot through her left arm as she moved, making her give a small shout and flop back onto the bed.

"You hurt your arm when you fell," Mary explained, helping Olivia get comfortable again. "Jack says it'll heal fine, and then you'll be ready."

Olivia's eyes shot wide at Mary who only pulled the covers she was under up and over her a little more, even as she breathed, "Ready for what?"

"For the trip 'acourse," Mary smiled. "Jack's takin' us to his homeland. He just need a few extra parts, and then we'll be gone."

"Parts?" Olivia echoed, her heart racing in panic as her stomach turned. "W-What kind of parts?"

"Oh, I don't ask 'im questions about 'is work," Mary confessed, making Olivia nod as she tried gathering her thoughts before coming up with a plan. She had to speak with Talik.

"Maybe he'll let me know?" she tried, making Mary look up at her with a frown. "I don't mind asking questions."

"I dunno about that," Mary replied with a shake of her head. "He gets angry when I ask 'im anything."

"Can I just talk to him then?" Olivia wondered, trying everything to get to speak with him.

Mary looked thoughtful before she smiled and nodded, "A'right…I'll ask 'im. But I dunno if he'll see you right away. It depends on 'is work."

"That's alright," Olivia smiled back before Mary turned and made her way to the door on the other side of the room, opening it and stepping out before shutting it when she left.

Olivia took that moment to take in her surroundings. The room reminded her of the room Talik had held her in when he took her prisoner the first time, and a strong sense of déjà vu swept over her. She knew the Doctor would wonder if she was alright, and quickly ran her thumb over the band on her left ring finger to find their connection. She had reassure him. Just as she thought she'd grasped their bond, the door opened again and she turned to see a figure in a long, black cloak and a wide-brimmed black hat, his head bowed so that his face was covered.

"You wanted to see me…Miss Felton?"

"Talik, let me go," Olivia instantly replied. "You know that if I'm here—"

"Then the Doctor is as well," he nodded, raising his head to stare at her with red eyes and scaled green skin. "And I suppose Sherlock Holmes is with you as well? And of course, Madame Vastra and her brood. Yes, I know all about your little investigative group. In fact, the Doctor was just throwing a fit above trying to get to you."

"You were waiting for us," Olivia breathed, staring huge eyes at him as she shifted to sit up, wincing at the pain in her head, letting the cloth on her head fall away.

"Mary told me all about her late night encounter with Holmes and the Doctor," he explained. "I see you're all here to foil my plans once again."

"Well, it's not like we really needed Sherlock Holmes to know it was you, Talik," she shot back. "All of this wreaks of déjà vu. The notes, the secret identity…not to mention the knife left at one of the crime scenes. Really, how could you be so careless?"

"Oh, you think that was a mistake?" Talik smirked, making her frown in confusion, but she didn't say anything as he continued, "Mary planted that there for me. I knew Madame Vastra was in league with the Doctor, and I knew that it would lure you two out if she knew went to you for information. Although, calling a couple with knowledge of the future is just cheating."

"Well, nothing is as it seems, apparently," she shot back. "That's your MO…illusion. You make people think you're something else. You even give yourself a fake name."

"Was this what you wanted to talk to me about, Olivia?" Talik wondered, sitting on the chair next to the bed. "To tell me exactly what you think of me and what I'm doing?"

"Oh, I could tell you exactly what I think of you in a simple gesture, but you won't like it," she snapped back.

Talik scoffed and shook his head before nodding, "I missed that fire of yours, you know? We didn't have much time together, but I was fond of you. You understood me better than anyone else did."

"Is that why you're killing women that look like me?" she snarled, rubbing her thumb over her ring to try grasping her telepathic bond with the Doctor. If she couldn't speak to him privately just yet, she could at least give him the information he needed to find her and stop Talik. She had to get him talking about his plan.

"Well, I admit, I was rather angry with you for tricking me the way you did. These girls provide an outlet for my anger."

Doctor, I really hope you're listening, she thought to herself as her stomach turned in disgust at his words.

"I'm here, Liv," the Doctor's voice rang through her head, and she resisted reacting with elation when she heard it. "Keep him talking. You know what we need."

"And the dissections?" Olivia asked. "What's the purpose for that, huh? Just a sick fantasy of what you wanna do to me?"

"Oh, no, I actually need what I take from them," he explained.

"What in the big black universe could you need the insides of multiple women for?" she snapped.

"You never even bothered to ask about my ship's capabilities," he noticed, making her frown in wonder.

"Lord, not this again," she heard the Doctor mutter through her mind, making her frown deepen only slightly, but not enough to alert Talik.

"You see, my ship is a living, breathing thing," he continued. "Not only that, but she is pregnant. She's been pregnant since that night we met. That's how we survived when we both fell. It was a survival instinct. She was able to generate a shield to save us both until I found a good place for us again. This park was the perfect place."

"That doesn't explain why you need the organs you've been taking."

"Well…" he sighed with a slight shrug. "Mummy and baby have to eat."

"You sick freak!" Olivia hissed, gripping at the sheets of the bed until her knuckles turned white. "There have to be other things to feed it!"

"There are, but what I take are the only things rich in the nutrients they need. Now, don't look at me like that. Look, if you stay here with me, we can go traveling together, like we'd planned before. Wouldn't you like that? And after my ship's baby is born, you'll have your own ship! Mary can come with us, too so that you have a friend to talk to. We'll be leaving once the baby is born."

"You're even crazier than the last time we met. You really think I'm just gonna head off with you?!"

"Liv, keep your cool," the Doctor warned.

However, the damage was done. Talik's bright, hopeful expression changed to a glare, making Olivia swallow hard in panic.

"Fine," he ground out. "You're just like the rest of them. Just like Christine. Ungrateful! I spared your life and had Mary take care of you and this is the thanks I get?! Well, then, you can just stay here and wait for your fate. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some things to take care of."

Olivia's heart raced in panic as he stood and marched toward the door to leave.

"Wait!" she tried, but he kept his march up, nearly out the door. "How are you controlling Mary?!"

"I'm not," he retorted, stopping in the threshold of the door to glare at her. "For once, I found a woman to stay with me of her own free will."

"I doubt she knows what you're really doing," Olivia guessed, not choosing her words carefully. "If she did, she would want you to stop."

"I doubt that," Talik shot back. "Other than you, she is the only person here who understands me. Possibly even better than you do. And by the way, don't bother trying to get out. I took your little sonic device from you, and everything here is deadlocked. Even your precious Doctor won't be able to use his device on anything here."

With that, he shut the door on her, making her let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"Olivia," the Doctor called to her. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Did you get all of that?"

"I did. You were brilliant. I'm coming to get you. I'm coming up with a plan, but I need one more thing before I go. How far is your current position from the door to your cell?"

Olivia frowned and stood to step toward the door, counting carefully before answering, "Twenty-six steps."

"Alright, stay where you were in the room, and we'll come get you."

"Please, be careful."

"When am I not careful?"

"Never."

"Good point. Just gather more information if you can. I'll be back with you soon."

"Theta, I know how long I'll be here. Mary's body will be found a month from now. It's a long time to wait."

"Time is in flux, Liv. History could change in the next few days, let alone in a month. But don't worry. I have a thing to work on. Just talk to me when you need to."

"Wish I could kiss you for luck."

"I wish you could too."

221 B Baker St...

The Doctor sat on the floor of the flat Holmes and Watson shared, fiddling with the machinery he'd left with them from their last encounter. Vastra, Jenny and Watson were watching him as Holmes helped him, telling him what he'd fiddled with since he'd been gone, Strax helping the housekeeper, Mrs. Hudson, with serving tea.

"What should we expect from this point on, Doctor?" Vastra asked before thanking the tall, elderly Mrs. Hudson for the tea and taking a scone from Strax.

"Expect?" he echoed, not looking away from his work as Holmes watched him.

"From Jack the Ripper?" she elaborated, taking a sip of her tea.

"Jack the Ripper is Talik," Holmes corrected, not looking from the Doctor's work. "You should be asking what we should expect from him. Jack the Ripper is a fiction, quite like the Opera Ghost he was previously."

"He'll send a postcard tomorrow," the Doctor replied, knowing what Vastra was asking. "The 16th of October, there will be another letter, along with Catherine Eddowes' kidney, supposedly, and then another letter on the 29th. Mary Kelly's body will be found November 9th."

"How ghastly," Mrs. Hudson breathed, handing a two cups of tea to Watson and Jenny, Strax handing them scones each as well.

"A whole month?" Holmes frowned in wonder. "Why would he take so long to strike again?"

"He may not," the Doctor muttered, still working. "Time is in flux now. He may not take that long since he has Olivia and it may not even be Mary's body we find as his last victim. History could change as we know it."

"You shouldn't think that way, Doctor," Watson urged. "Your wife is quite resourceful. She may escape before you put your plan to rescue her into action."

"I will say, you won't take as long as a month to rescue her either," Vastra added. "We know Mary Kelly is in league with him now. All we need do is wait for her to reveal herself when she delivers the postcard, take her into custody and force her to tell us where he is."

"Talik's too clever for that," the Doctor replied. "If she doesn't arrive back at a certain time, he'll know we've taken her. One thing going for us is that he doesn't know that I know his ship is pregnant. Now if I can just get these panels up and running…we can get a read-out on the ship and its contents. Then we can rig up the teleporter attached to that panel over there and get Olivia out."

Just as he used the Sonic on a few wires he'd been fiddling with, the panels flickered to life, making him look up and grin as he jumped to his feet.

"Huzzah! Ooh…don't ever let me say that again," he blurted before working on the panel in front of him as everyone crowded around him. "Right…teleporter."

"Doctor," Vastra called, warily. "If this teleporter doesn't work, do you by any chance have a plan B?"

"Not yet," the Doctor admitted, not looking from his work. "Working on it. Why?"

"Because the platform is on fire," Vastra reported, making all eyes dart to the small platform attached to the panel he was working on just as it sparked and the flames already on it heightened.

"Well…that's not good, is it?" the Doctor blurted. Mrs. Hudson screamed and grabbed the teapot in a panic to douse the fire. "No! Don't—!"

The platform hissed as the fire was put out and the machinery around them sparked a few times before the whirring of power slowed into silence, the lights on the panels flickering before going dead. The Doctor slammed his hands down on the panel in anger before leaning his head into his hands, his elbows resting on the edge.

Mrs. Hudson looked around at the group and winced as she murmured, "Sorry."

"Now chance of getting this up and running again," Holmes sighed as Watson made his way to the old woman and urged her to take some time off and let them work.

"Now we come up with plan B," the Doctor sighed, before thinking to himself, Hold on a little longer, Liv. I'm trying my best.

A/N: reviews?