"Zana Kline...my darling, can you hear me?"
Of course she could. That voice had taken over her very thoughts and no matter how hard she tried to fend it off, it only returned, ten times stronger. It was exhausting. It was petrifying. It was hell. But it was her life now. And it was a small price to pay for traveling in the TARDIS.
"I'm trying to sleep..." Zana answered. She knew it was pointless. They never listened. "I had the longest day. Rose and I spent hours searching for the Doctor in some sort of space version of The House of Mirrors after he had gotten himself lost. I told him carnivals were never a good idea. My parents took me to one when I was little, and it was the worst day of my life. I dropped my ice cream and my mother rediscovered her fear of clowns. I still think that Dad had the whole trip planned as a way to remind me that our family didn't do such stereotypical things. We spent the majority of our time after that at the library. Not that I minded, I suppose. I love the library. Especially the one Dad took me to. It had the most beautiful mural on its ceiling of the constellations."
"That sounds lovely, Zana," the voice sounded patronizing. Zana knew that if she were awake, she would have rolled her eyes. "It really, really does. Where was this...space carnival?"
"Oh, I don't remember. It was called Geosulas or something. I was too focused on getting out of that bloody maze. Really, who invented that? Well, obviously it's a universal thing. But it's still god awful."
"Zana, you're rambling, darling. Listen to me. Where are you?"
"Where I always am. In the TARDIS."
"Where's the TARDIS?"
"Floating through the vastness that is our reality."
"Don't get smart with me."
"I'm afraid my brain is all I've got. And even that turns on me."
"Do you really not understand, Zana? Do you not see what has been happening? Use that brain of yours. I know you can figure it out."
"Figure what out? You can't say something like that without providing context. Are you implying that I know what you are? I've spent months trying to figure it out."
"Zana...my little Zana...listen. Work it out. You spent your entire life reading and learning and staying up to date with the world...You spent hours in that little library."
"Yeah...well, it seems it was all for nothing. Next to all the things I've seen and done? I know nothing."
"Don't you dare say that, Zana Kline. You are the most brilliant person I know."
She frowned. Since when did she ever think that about herself?
"Flattery...that's never been something I've been good at," Zana murmured.
"Perhaps not, love. But I've been doting on you your entire life. Your mother and I both have."
Zana woke with a start. She had barely even registered what had happened before she was jumping out of bed and rushing towards the control room. How did she not know? How the hell had she not worked it out? All these months of enduring the never-ending dreams and she had failed to recognize the voice of one of the people that meant the most to her. Her father's.
"Zana!" The Doctor's voice rang out, but she didn't pay any mind to the warm welcome. She got straight to business.
"I have to go home," she spoke quickly as she pulled her jacket on over her pajamas. "Right now."
"W-what?" She missed the slight crack in his voice. "Zana, what are you talking about?"
"I have to go home, Doctor," she repeated. "I just...I have to go back. Right now."
"Let's talk about this first, Zan," he reached out and took her hand. His movements were quick and...desperate?
"Talk about what, Doctor?" She shot him a confused look, but she didn't pull her hand away. "There's nothing to talk about."
"Did I do something?" His tone had changed drastically. "If I did something to upset you, Zana, please tell me so I can fix it."
"Doctor, what are you-"
"You can't go, Zana! I have a whole Universe to show you! There are planets that I've been dying to take you to. There's this one planet, it's called The Library. You'd love it! Every book ever written...it's all there, all for you."
"Doc-"
He gulped and met her gaze. She was instantly taken back by the emotion in his eyes, and it finally donned on her just how he might have perceived her words. Butterflies filled her stomach, and she physically had to keep herself from melting with adoration. God, this man will be the death of her.
"Oh, Doctor..." she gave his hand a squeeze as a smile formed on her lips. "No, Doctor, I didn't mean I was leaving, love. I just have to see my parents."
"Oh..." His voice squeaked slightly with embarrassment, but he kept his hand firmly in hers as if he was still afraid she'd disappear once he let go.
"It does make me feel good knowing how worked up you got, though," she teased as his face turned a light shade of pink. "Really, Doctor, that was quite the show."
He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly as he turned to the console, "Yeah, well...shut up. Anyway, why now? Why not wait until morning to see them?"
"I can't explain it," she lied, folding her arms across her chest. "But I promise to do the best I can when I get back, alright? Because I am coming back. How could you think that I'd ever leave you?" Her eyes widened at her words. "And the TARDIS?" She added, but it was too late. A wide smile was already playing at the Doctor's lips. "Oh, don't you start."
"I didn't say a word," he held his hands up in mock surrender before getting to work on the console.
"Is there really a planet called The Library?"
He groaned and leaned his head back while Zana smile shot him a cheeky grin, "I'm never going to hear the end of it, am I?"
"Never."
"Oh well," he grumbled, and he was about to say more, but the TARDIS jolted violently. Both he and his companion landed on the grated floor rather harshly. "Oi!"
"What the hell was that?" Zana groaned as she laid her head back, her body stinging with pain. "Ow...bloody hell, Old Girl."
"You alright?" The Doctor grunted quietly as he pulled himself off the floor. He cracked his neck before bending down to help Zana up.
"No," she swatted his hand away, closing her eyes. "It's just gonna happen again."
"I can promise it won't," he smiled slightly with amusement. "We've landed. Planet Earth. London, England. 2006 AD."
"Really? Did we really land?" She cracked open her left eye was immediately greeted by the Time Lord hovering over her. "Why did she land like that, Doctor?"
"No idea, I'm afraid. Perhaps she's in a mood. She does that every once and a while," he reached down, and this time Zana accepted his hand. He pulled her to her feet and wiped the nonexistent dust off her shoulders. "How long will you be gone? Do you want me to wait for you here or...?"
"Or what? Leave me?" She joked. Well, half-joked. She hoped he wouldn't leave her.
"Well, no, of course not. I just thought that...maybe you'd want me to go with you?" He suggested with a nervous tug of the ear. "Or, I don't have to. You know what? I'll just wait here for you."
"I'm sure that Rose would be confused if both of us were gone," she reasoned weakly. "Alright. I don't know when I'll be back exactly. A few hours, maybe? I'm sure I'm in for an earful."
"We'll be here," he patted the console with a warm smile.
Zana offered him a small wave before turning and walking towards the wooden doors of the spaceship. With a deep breath, she stepped outside, into the gray, damp city that is London.
"Home sweet home," she murmured sarcastically as she zipped up her jacket and let the doors close behind her. Just as she moved to take her first step away from the TARDIS, someone knocked into her roughly. What was going on today? Blimey! "Bloody hell!"
"My bad!" The man just kept on running, not even bothering to turn around as he dashed down the empty sidewalk. Zana thought she recognized something familiar about the stranger, but she soon decided she didn't have the time to sit and dwell on something so mundane. She had to see her parents. She had to know how her father had managed to reach out to her through all of space and time just to speak to her in her dreams. Surely that had to be impossible, right?
"Here we go..." She took a deep breath as she stuffed her hands into her pockets and began her walk to her home. For the first time in a long time, she felt...normal. A part of her felt like she had never stopped walking to and fro from school and the library and the small cafe she had deemed the 'The Best Cafe in the World' merely because of their chocolate chip scones. The normalcy of her old life came rushing back, and for a second she contemplated returning to the TARDIS. The Doctor would make quick work of reminding her just how vast the Universe was and how much of life she had truly missed while living her first eighteen years on Earth.
But her parents needed to know she was okay. She wished she had a good explanation as to why she never attempted to reach out to them. She genuinely wished she could give them a long, in-depth reason for her failure to communicate with them, but she had no reason. She had no explanation. All she had was a head full of new memories of different plants and different adventures, and she knew that that wouldn't be enough for them. If her father truly knew of the Doctor and the TARDIS like he had made out in her dreams, then no matter what she told him or her mother, they would know the truth. They would know just how much her life was on the line while traveling with the Time Lord. But how did they even know of him? Her mother worked at H.C. Clements in Chiswick as some sort of general manager, and her father was apart of some military base. She didn't know much about it besides that but she knew it was true that he had connections that many would be envious of, but even then...he had some explaining to do as well, it seemed. There was no way she was going to let them off without a few answers for her own.
The moment Zana spotted the half dozen military vehicles sitting in front of her parent's house, she knew she was in deep trouble. A few soldiers stood guard at the front door, while two more stood their ground on both ends of the pavement leading to her home. The entirety of the road was completely blocked off to pedestrians, and by the small crowds of confused neighbors, it had only happened recently. Oh, great. What did she come home to?
"Identification, ma'am," the stoic tone of the soldier's voice made her bit her lip. She never did do too well with confrontation.
"I'm afraid I don't have it on me," she averted her gaze to her shoes. Just looking at him gave her an uneasy feeling. "But I live on this block. I'm just trying to get home."
"I'm afraid that'll have to wait, ma'am."
"Why? What's going on?" She frowned, looking over his shoulder. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary besides the makeshift military base being put up in her garden. "Bloody hell..."
"I'm not at liberty to discuss the current situation, ma'am."
"Why not? I do believe that these people are entitled to know why they are being pushed out of their homes."
"They will be allowed to return as soon as possible. Until then, you are to wait outside of the designated military zones."
Her eyes narrowed at the man. Whatever the hell was going on, it wasn't good. And she was the center of all of it, which made her uneasy. Surely her father didn't do all of this because of her absence. It was unnecessary, in her opinion, because now she had to find a way to get into her own house. Great. Time to play Doctor.
"What's your name, soldier?" She murmured in an attempt to calm him down. It was obvious he took his job seriously, and by the look of him, he couldn't have been much older than herself. "I'm guessing you're a new recruit."
His eyes fell from their stare and he took a good look at her face. She offered him a smile. "Yeah, I am. How'd you know that?"
"Your age, your lack of badges, et cetera," she shrugged simply, pushing her hair from her eyes. "But I'm afraid I can't guess your name."
He gave her a good long look, "Private Jones."
She gave him a look, "Do I really look that daft? I meant the name you were christened as a child. I can read the Jones across your chest just fine."
The annoyance was written across his face, which didn't bother Zana one bit. She got a kick out of things like this, despite the nervous feeling in her stomach. If she said one wrong thing, she was done for.
"If I tell ya my name, you have to tell me yours," he informed, and she noticed that the stoic tone had faded slightly. So it was working!
"Deal," she nodded.
He shifted slightly in his spot as he moved his gun from one hand to the other. She kinda felt bad for the man. She'd hate to lug that thing around for hours on end. "My name's Evan. Evan Jones."
"Nice to meet you, Evan Jones," she offered him her hand to shake. "I'm Zana Kline."
As soon as her name left her lips, it was like a switch had been flipped. His eyes grew wide and he instantly stood straighter. "Zana Kline? Daughter of General Kline?"
The teen let out a low whistle at that to hide her shock. "General? My father's a general? Really? Huh...That tells you how much I know, eh?"
He instantly put his hand up in a salute, "Ma'am."
"Oh, please don't do that," she waved him off awkwardly. "Please...I don't deserve it, Private Jones. I'm just his daughter. He's the one who's done all the hard work. Speaking of which, am I still not allowed to know what the hell is happening in my garden? I just popped by to see my parents. Are they home?"
"Yes, ma'am, they are."
"Zana."
"What?"
"My name's Zana."
"Oh. Right. Sorry, ma'am."
She shook her head and sighed. Why does she even try? "Brilliant. Can I see them? Surely if I can't go home, you can get them for me."
He brought his bottom lip between his teeth as he seemed to contemplate the brunette's words. She watched him patiently as he sent a quick glance in her house's direction, and just as she went to speak again, he lifted the tape that was blocking off the street. "There you are, ma'am."
"Thanks, Private Jones," she grinned as she stepped under the tape. "I owe you one, love."
A small smile formed on his lips, but it fell almost as soon as it started. "No problem."
Zana chuckled as she turned and began to trek towards her house. Once she had gotten past the maze of vehicles, she made her way up the small walkway to her front door. She tried to act like she belonged there, which she found extremely odd, because this was, after all, her home.
"ID, ma'am," one of the guards instantly said before she even stepped onto the first step.
"Zana Kline," she informed calmly, and just as Private Jones, they straightened and stepped out of the way of the front door. She smiled widely at the two of them before stepping onto the wooden floor on which she had learned to walk. On which she had accidentally dropped her mum's favorite vase. On which she grew up. The house was abuzz with chatter. People she didn't recognize were rushing about without so much as taking notice of the teen. "Mum! Dad!"
And like that, it all stopped. The woman who had been walking in front of her dropped the handful of papers she had been carrying, and the man behind her had his mouth hanging open in surprise. Zana watched them, waiting for them to speak, but they never did.
"Hello," she cleared her throat awkwardly. "Um...have you seen Carlisle and Cynthia? I need to talk to them."
"Uh...uh..." the woman blinked a few times before seeming to regain her thoughts. "Um, yes! I do believe they are in the dining room."
"Thank you," she nodded and walked past them. Just before she entered the room her parents were residing in, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. You can do this, Zana. It's just your parents.
And with that, she stepped inside. Her eyes instantly took to the differences of the room, and her heart squeezed in her chest slightly. It had been converted into some sort of...research center. Papers were strewn all over and the table was buried with books and photographs. And at the center of all of it was Carlisle Kline. He had yet to look up from the photograph he had taken in interest in, so Zana cleared her throat.
"Yes, what is it?" He sighed, but he still didn't look up. What the hell was he looking at?
"Father..." Zana spoke softly, her nerves getting the best of her. She watched as his head snapped up and a look of disbelief covered his features. "Hello, dad. I'm back."
"Zana..." His voice was breathy as he stood from his seat. She instantly took notice of his uniform. She wasn't used to seeing him in it, but there was an air of authority surrounding him that she felt he deserved. "It's really you..."
"Last I checked," she joked softly. A wide smile broke out on her face as she rushed forward and threw her arms around him."Oh, dad, I've missed you so much!"
"Zana, oh, my darling..." He held her close as he rested his chin on top of her head. "It worked...it really worked! You're back!"
"Of course I'm back," she pulled back and got a good look at him. He had dark bags under his eyes and his eyes themselves were bloodshot. Other than that, her father looked just as he had the day she left. "You didn't expect me to stay gone, did you?"
"I expected you to be dead," he whispered, and she could have sworn she saw tears gather in his eyes. "I thought...Zana, I really thought your mother and I had lost you."
Zana had to look away. Guilt was eating at her consciousness just by looking at him. Why didn't she call them? "I'm so sorry...I didn't think...I..."
"Shh," he pulled her into another embrace. Zana's eyes fluttered close as she allowed herself to be held by her father, and before she even realized she was crying, he was already wiping away her tears.
Cynthia Kline was a patient woman. She spent her days researching and dealing with things that the average human would not believe, so she sort of had to be. All her life she was told she wouldn't achieve much, and when she had Zana at only eighteen years old, people were quick to tell her she had thrown her life away, even though she had been accepted into one of the most virtuous universities in the entire country. The only person to ever fully have her back was her husband, and the love of her life, Carlisle Kline. They married on the sixteenth of October, 1987, all the while she was pregnant with their first and only child. It was only about three weeks later that she gave birth to her beautiful daughter, and a few months after that, she dropped out of university to accept a job offer from the one place she was destined for: Torchwood.
She started as a mere intern, but interns at Torchwood were given responsibilities far beyond one's imagination. She remembered the first time she held a piece of alien technology in her hands...it changed her perspective on reality completely. But she wasn't the only one with ties to extraterrestrial life. Carlisle was already a member of UNIT when their paths had crossed. At first, he had tried to suggest that she join him at the Taskforce, but he could see the light in her eyes whenever she spoke about the secret special ops that was Torchwood. He worked nonstop to get her a job there, and when he finally succeeded, they were on top of the world. Carlisle absolutely adored hearing his wife's stories of her research, and Cynthia absolutely loved it when her husband came home bearing gifts from his trips across the world as a UNIT officer. By the time Zana was old enough to start understanding the world around her, they had climbed to the top of their respectable ranks. Their lives had turned into something even they had trouble believing. Everything was perfect.
Now, let's get back to Zana. Their little girl. She was the one thing in this world they would kill and die for. She was the reason they strove for such excellence. They worked to better the chances of humanity's survival in a Universe full of alien threats so that Zana could live and prosper in a world safe from harm, all the while keeping it a secret from her. Not that it was hard to do. Their daughter mostly stuck to herself and let life happen to her, something they took notice of very early on. She didn't really question how they spent their time so long as they returned at the end of the day. Cynthia still didn't fully understand how a person as intelligent as her Zana was oblivious to the world around her. One time she had accidentally left a whole file of her research on Huon Particles right on the dining room table, and on the front of it, in big, bold letters was 'TORCHWOOD: CLASSIFIED'. Her daughter walked past them all day without so much as spotting them. And that was last year. It was almost like Zana lived in her own head. She had friends, of course, but her parents felt that they were merely a social element. After all, they rarely come to their home, and Zana wasn't exactly one to spend her weekends out on the town. Not that they minded. They loved having her around.
But then, out of absolutely nowhere...
"Your school exploded," Carlisle spoke up, making Zana jump slightly. She wasn't expecting him to speak. After all, he and her mother had been just staring at her for what felt like an eternity. Every time she tried to speak, they'd silence her with a wave of their hand. She felt like a complete child, and she supposed that to them, she was.
"Um...yes," Zana cleared her throat as she played with her fingers nervously. She was always slightly intimidated by her parents. "Sorry about that. It was the only way to stop them."
Cynthia raised a questioning eyebrow, "Stop who, Zana? Are you saying you're responsible for the explosion?"
"Well, not directly, I suppose," she muttered. "Sarah Jane's dog was."
The name Sarah Jane seemed to resonate with her father. He ran a hand down his face and let out an almost knowing sigh. "Sarah Jane Smith? I should have known."
"You know her?" Zana instantly sat up in her chair. She knew she had heard the woman's name before the moment she met her! "She told me to tell you hi, but I got distracted, I suppose...Mickey was just invited on board."
"Sarah Jane Smith is a crucial intelligence officer at UNIT, whether she likes it or not."
"UNIT?" She frowned. What the hell was he going on about?
"All of this? The soldiers, the jeeps out front? It's part of UNIT, sweetheart. The UNifed Intelligence Taskforce."
"What does UNIT do?" She pondered. "My whole life you let me think you were just in the military. You never once mentioned you were part of special ops. Hell, you're one of the people in charge of this special ops!"
"You never asked," he replied simply. He took a seat in front of her and clasped his hands together, but her mum stayed standing.
"I'm asking now," Zana leaned forward. "What does UNIT do, father?"
"You really want to know?"
"If I didn't, I wouldn't have asked," she stood her ground.
"Alright, then." His daughter's bolder attitude didn't go unnoticed, not one bit. Part of him knew that it was the Doctor's doing, and he wasn't too sure how to feel about that. "UNIT deals with paranormal and extraterrestrial threats to planet Earth."
"You deal with aliens? Is that how you know the Doctor?" Zana frowned slightly. "If you know the Doctor, how could you ever tell me that being with him is no good? That man...the Doctor...he's changed my life, Dad. For the better."
"You had a marvelous life here, Zana," Cynthia spoke up weakly. It broke her heart knowing that her daughter found happiness away from her home. Away from her family.
Zana met her mother's gaze and felt her heart squeeze in her chest, "That's not what I meant, Mum...Being with him and Rose, it's opened doors I didn't know were there. They showed me that there's more to life than what meets the eye."
"Do you know what that man's track record is, Zana?" Her father's gaze had hardened. "His companions, as they're called...what happens to them once they leave the TARDIS?"
"Sarah Jane seems to be doing just fine," she retorted bluntly. She understood their concern. She understood that they wanted what was best for her. But they didn't understand that the Doctor is what's best for her.
"Zana-"
"No, I'm not going to hear it," she interrupted. "You don't get it, do you? I love you two, so, so much. You are wonderful parents and I am extremely grateful for the life you've given me, but now that I'm finally doing something with it besides having my head buried in a textbook, it's almost like you can't stand it! Do you know how many times I've witnessed the Doctor save a life? Do you realize that, since I've been with him, that I've saved lives? I saved the world, Dad!" She looked at her mother proudly. "I saved the entire world, Mum! All because of the Doctor..." Her eyes started to water as her voice started to quiver. "Losing him...it's something I don't like to think about."
Tears were forming in her eyes, but she was far too upset to care. She fully expected her parents to be cross with her for not telling them where she had been, but she never even considered that they wouldn't want her to travel with the Time Lord. He was everything to her now, although she had tried so hard to keep her feelings at bay...
"Zana..." Her mum's comforting tone pulled her from her thoughts as she looked up to see her holding out a hand to the brunette. Zana gave her a questioning look but allowed her mother to pull her out of her seat, letting out a small, surprised yelp when she pulled her into a tight embrace.
"Mum..." Zana closed her eyes and let her head fall against her mum's shoulder when the realization hit her. Of course her mother knew. Why wouldn't she? Zana was very fortunate to grow up with two parents that were very much in love with one another, so why shouldn't her mother spot when she had gone and fallen in love herself? "I...I can't lose them...Please, please, you have to understand..."
"I know, I know..." Her mother soothed gently as she and Carlisle shared a heartrending look. "Zana...I'm so sorry..."
"Why don't you trust him?" She murmured, her voice cracking with emotion.
"It's not that we don't trust him, Zana," Carlisle's tone was soft with sympathy. "The Doctor has proven to be a valuable asset to UNIT and mankind. He's a great man, and one day I wish to meet him and thank him for all of his work, but you have to understand that all great things come at an even greater price. And we're not losing you, Zana."
The teen hung her head as her guilt overcame her. She was completely torn. She wanted nothing more in this life than to spend it with the Doctor and Rose, but she owed her parents the entire Universe. They did everything for her. They raised her better than anyone could ever imagine and they always pushed her to be the very best in all she did...She had a moral duty to stay on Earth for them.
"Look," Zana chewed on her bottom lip as she looked over both of her parents. "I don't have to go back to the TARDIS, but I don't have to stay here in London, either. And if I do stay here on Earth, I deserve to know just what my parents do when they aren't home, because frankly, the fact that my father is a bloody general for some secret military faction that deals with aliens and I didn't know about it is slightly outrageous." Zana turned to her mother and raised an eyebrow, "At least you were telling the truth, right, Mum?"
Carlisle and Cynthia shared a look, "Well-"
A ding filled the air. Zana didn't pay much mind to it, she just figured it was her father's mobile. It was always going off at the most random of moments.
"Well, what?" Zana raised a curious eyebrow. Please don't tell her that her mother had been hiding the truth too...
"I...do work at H.C. Clements," Zana let out a breath of relief at her mother's words. "Sometimes."
"Sometimes?" The teen repeated with a frown. "How can you work there sometimes?"
"If that's where I am needed, then that's where I go," Cynthia cleared her throat slightly.
"What do you mean, 'needed'? What are you going on about, Mum?"
"Zana-" Another ding. "Look, I'll explain it all later, alright?" Ding again. "Right now, I need you to do me a favor."
"And what will that be?"
"I need you to come with me." Ding. "Your father has got to return to UNIT HQ, and I need to return what's left of the Psychic Pollen to Canary Wharf."
"Hold on just a tic," Zana could not believe what she was hearing. "Psychic Pollen? Mind elaborating on what the hell that is?"
"How do you think your father contacted you, Zana?" Her mother raised an eyebrow.
"By somehow haunting me in my dreams. It was awful, just so you know," she shot a look in her father's direction. "I thought I had gone mad. I couldn't sleep...I hated it."
"I'm sorry, darling," he gave her an apologetic smile. "But it worked, didn't it? You're home."
She sighed before turning her attention back to her mother, "Alright, but why do you have to deal with the...Psychic Pollen? Isn't Dad the one with UNIT?"
"Zana-" Ding. "For Christ's sake, someone get that!"
"It's not mine," Carlisle replied simply.
"Well, it's not mine, either."
"Then who-" It finally donned on the teen. "Oh, that's my mobile, isn't it? Sorry..." She pulled it from her jacket pocket and read over the screen. Five texts from Rose Tyler. "Blimey, sorry, I need to answer these. Is that alright?"
"Oh, no, go right ahead."
Zana ignored the sarcasm in her father's voice as she opened up the texts. As soon as she read the first words, her heart fluttered in her chest. Blimey, she was in way too deep to leave now...
09:27
Hey, Zan, Doctor here. Rose has decided to pop by and see her mum. Same day, same time, just a different part of London.
09:28
Zana.
09:28
Zanaaaaaaa.
09:30
Zana Kline.
09:32
Sorry 'bout that, Zana. Never leave the Doctor alone with your mobile. Mum says she wants to see ya, so hurry and come by, will ya? :-)
"Who is it?" Her mother asked, making her look up. A wide smile was plastered on her face, but she didn't care. Her happiness was returning, something she desperately needed after that conversation with her parents.
"Huh? No one," Zana waved her off as she slid her phone back into her pocket. "Anyway, Mum, as you were saying?"
Cynthia sighed and ran a hand through her own brunette hair. "As I was saying, you're coming with me to Canary Wharf while your father gets these soldiers off my lawn."
"And I'm assuming you're going to give me a reason why you're in charge of this Psychic Pollen and not Dad on our way to Canary Wharf?"
"Of course."
"Great. Allons-y."
"Allons-y?" Her mum raised an eyebrow.
"It's French," the teen called over her shoulder as she walked out of the dining room, "for 'let's go'!"
"Zana!"
"What?"
"Before we go, go put some actual clothes on, love!"
Zana stopped abruptly and looked down at her pajamas. Her cheeks warmed with embarrassment as she quickly changed her path from the front door, to up the stairs towards her room. "Good idea..."
Once Zana was dressed in her usual attire, she pulled her hair up into a ponytail and made her way back down the stairs. She was greeted by her mother and none other than Private Jones. He held a rather heavy-looking box in his arms with his gun slung around his shoulders all the while attempting to stand at attention, but that was hard to do with his hands full.
"Well, hello, Evan," Zana smiled warmly at the soldier as she pushed her sleeves up to her elbows. "I see my mother is using you as her packing mule." Cynthia gave her a look, but she just grinned cheekily. "Will you be joining us on our trip?"
"I will indeed, ma'am," Evan returned her smile. Just barely.
"Zana," she reminded as she turned to her mum. "So how are we getting to Canary Wharf? Better question, why exactly are we going to Canary Wharf anyway?"
"That's where I work," Her mother informed before turning and walking out of the house, leaving Zana and Private Jones no choice to follow. Relief flooded the teen when she saw that most of the vehicles and soldiers had disappeared from her front lawn and most of her neighbors had returned to their homes.
"Alright..." Zana nodded as Private Jones walked ahead of them. "Hey, Mum?"
"Yes, sweetheart?"
"Why did Dad have these soldiers here in the first place?" She pondered, sticking her hands into her pockets. "Surely they all weren't for me. That's a bit excessive, don't you think?"
She sighed, "I did tell him it would be jarring for you, but he insisted. He said that if you were returning, he wanted you to be completely safe."
"Safe from what?" She frowned. "What could have possibly happened to me?"
"Ma'am," Private Jones nodded as they approached a black jeep with 'UNIT' in big white letters along with what Zana assumed was its logo on the side of it.
"Not very inconspicuous, is it?" Zana murmured as Evan loaded the metal box into the vehicle.
"I'm honestly surprised you noticed," her mother replied simply as she climbed into the passenger seat casually.
"Oh, haha, very funny," the teen grumbled as she opened the door to the back seats. Just as she moved to climb in, Evan appeared almost out of nowhere and held out a hand to her. "Oh, thanks, love," Zana accepted it and jumped inside. Evan closed the door behind her and got into the driver's seat. "Anyway, Mum, as you were saying, what did he need to keep me safe from?"
"From the ghosts," Cynthia turned to face her as Private Jones pulled out of their driveway. "He says that UNIT sees them as a threat, but I don't understand why he just won't listen to me."
Zana just stared at her mother, dumbfounded. Did she really just say ghosts? Did she really just say ghosts so casually? What the hell happened why she was away?
"Okay...okay, I need you to explain it to me. Ghosts. What ghosts? Where did they come from?"
"They're a side effect."
"Of?"
"Of temporal disturbances caused by the sphere."
"Come on, Mum!" Zana let out a frustrated huff. "What the hell does that even mean? You have to tell me everything! You can't just pull random things out of the air and expect me to understand, alright? At least start with your job. Please."
Cynthia bit her lip in thought before letting out a sigh. "You're going to find out anyway. Zana...I'm not the general manager at H.C. Clements."
"Really?" Zana couldn't help the sarcasm. It's been such a long day already, and it's not even noon. Her parents live a life she had no idea about. Apparently, ghosts are walking the streets. What the hell did she return to?
"Watch it," her mum chastised slightly. "I may not be the general manager, but I am in charge of the research center underneath it. I am a leading scientist, after all."
Zana scoffed, "No you're not."
"I am," Cynthia defended. "You just didn't care enough to figure out what I actually do with my time."
"Didn't think I needed to. I just figured my parents told the truth when they told me what they did for a living."
"Don't be so easily swayed, then," her mum turned back around so she was facing forward.
"Thanks, Mum."
"Mhmm," she nodded.
"But that still doesn't answer me. A leading scientist for what? A locksmith? I hate to break it to you, mother, but that is-"
"I'm a leading scientist for The Torchwood Institute," she interrupted calmly. "I have been for ten years now, but I've been with them for eighteen."
"Torchwood..." Zana repeated quietly. "Hold on...where have I heard that before? Torchwood..."
"It's another special op," Cynthia informed. "It was founded in 1879 after an unfortunate accident at the Torchwood Estate involving Queen Victoria."
"The Doctor and Rose were there!" Zana leaned forward as it hit her. "They told me all about that! Apparently, there was a werewolf, or Lupine Wavelength Haemovariform, according to the Doctor. They were knighted, they said, but then she banished them from Britain, which in all honesty I find hilarious. Leave it to them to save the bloody Queen and then be banished for it, right?" Cynthia looked like she had heard the story a million times, which only amused Zana. How was it that her parents knew of her Doctor all her life? How had she never heard of him? "Anyway, what does Torchwood do?"
"Protect the Earth from extraterrestrial threats and gain access to as much alien technology as possible."
"Right," she nodded. At least the Psychic Pollen was starting to make sense now. Now if she could understand literally everything else, that would be great. "Bit redundant. Do UNIT and Torchwood work together?"
"No. Your father and I are the only things connecting the two organizations."
"You're joking."
"Yeah, but that sounded cooler, didn't it?"
Zana chuckled along with her mother, which felt really nice. "Kinda. Now, back to the sphere. What is it? Where did it come from?"
"We don't know," she shook her head. "I wish I could tell you everything about it, Zana, but the simple truth is we have no idea what it is or where it came from. All we know is that when it broke into our world, it brought along the ghosts."
"And when you say ghosts..."
"Not actual ghosts. Albeit, they look humanoid, but they aren't anywhere close to human. They're harmless, though. Not one casualty, not even one instance of violence involving them. For the past two months, they've just...existed."
"Existed where?"
"All across the world."
"And there's been no public outcry? No accounts of hysteria connected to their existence? Nothing?" Zana frowned. "How is that possible?"
"When they first arrived, sure, people were a tad upset. They didn't understand them, and they still don't. The only difference is that they think they understand them. It was only a matter of time before their brains started creating things that weren't there. Many people think that the ghosts are their passed relatives coming back from the dead to see them."
"Really? What about you? What do you think?"
"I think...that it's only the beginning of something else entirely, Zana."
"Have you tried controlling them?"
"We do control them. My good friend Yvonne Hartman is the overseer of the ghost shifts."
"Ghost shifts?"
"The ghosts are only on Earth for a few minutes at a time, a few times a day. Yvonne is in charge of that. I spent most of my time with Rajesh trying to decipher the purpose of the Sphere, and when I'm not at the main base, I'm at H.C. Clements, dealing with Torchwood's other research."
"Blimey..." Zana leaned back in her seat as she took everything in. Or at least attempted to. "Alright...So, you work at one special op, and Dad works at another?"
"Yes."
"And he's more of a soldier, and you're more of a scientist?"
"Yes."
"And right now the Earth is being invaded by ghosts and an alien sphere?"
"Mhmm."
"And what am I expected to do?"
"Nothing. You just got home, Zana, you need to get used to things."
"You act like I've been isolated from life, Mum," Zana frowned softly. "I was just with the Doctor and Rose. I was literally among the stars."
"About that," Cynthia turned to face Zana once again. "Why him, Zana?"
"Why him, what? Why did I leave with him?"
"Sure. We can start there." Zana raised a questioning eyebrow. "I've caught you up with everything, now it's your turn. When did you meet him? How?"
"Well..." Zana could feel herself become giddy just thinking of her friend, much to her annoyance. "Remember when I forgot to get a Christmas gift for Emily?" Cynthia nodded. "Well, while I was out shopping for one, I overheard two people talking about a doctor and something called a TARDIS. You know me, Mum, I'm not one to get involved, so I still have no idea why I followed them. I just...I needed to know more. So, I followed them around the market for a little while, but then out of nowhere this weird band of Santa Clauses...Clauses? Clausi? Anyway, the band of Father Christmas's just started...shooting flames from their instruments. Luckily for me, the woman I had been following, Rose Tyler, pulled me out of the way just in time."
"Hold on," Cynthia frowned. "You were involved with the Sycorax? On Christmas day?"
"Mhmm," the teen nodded. "Well, after that whole fiasco, I went home to look into the Doctor. At the time, I found him to be a complete idiot. He...never mind," she shook her head. Mentioning Harriet Jones would not help her case. "I didn't find much about him on the internet, so I just...tried to forget about it. But he's the Doctor. He's stubborn. And Rose Tyler even more so. So when they found me and asked if I wanted to go on a trip with them, how could I resist?"
"You shouldn't have gone..." she spoke softly, but Zana wasn't hearing it.
"That was the best decision of my life, Mum. They took me to a planet called New Earth. The air smelt like applegrass and the skyline was absolutely...it was beautiful...Traveling with the Doctor is beautiful, Mum."
"What happened on New Earth?" She pondered without so much as batting an eye.
"The Doctor saved a whole species of people from being the subject of cruel experiments conducted by the hospital. A whole species. Can you imagine?" All she got was a sad smile. "Anyway, after that...he brought me home. He told me that traveling could be dangerous, and he didn't want to risk my life."
"He's not wrong."
"That's not the point," Zana narrowed her eyes. "After he left me on Earth, I was here for a whole month before I ran into them again. This time he was posing as my Physics teacher. Turns out aliens, called Krillitanes, had taken over my school. So glad you and Dad's special ops picked up on that, by the way. Anyway, that's where I met Sarah Jane. All of us saved the entire of the Universe that day. Me, Mickey, Rose, Sarah Jane, the Doctor...K9," Zana laughed softly. "Aw, K9 was brilliant. Mickey was brilliant...I miss Mickey."
"And what happened to Mickey, then?"
"He stayed behind in a parallel universe so that he can start his life anew. He moved on. He's happy..." she smiled sadly as she felt her heart ache. Oh, Mickey Smith.
"And when did you fall in love with the Doctor, Zana?"
That felt like a smack to the face. Hearing it out loud made it real, and she hated that. She's never had to deal with these types of feelings before, and it was all just a bit overwhelming.
"I...I don't know," she muttered, suddenly fascinated by the view outside her window. "It didn't happen all at once. It was the small things that drew me to him. The way he smiles whenever he finds something new...the way his eyes light up whenever he talks about something...the way he grabs my hand when we run...oh, Mum, why did I have to fall in love with him?" Zana closed her eyes and sighed. "Rose loves him! Rose deserves him! Rose is my best friend, too, you know. I shouldn't have even considered him as anything more than a friend."
"Love is unpredictable, Zana. You can't help who you love, I'm afraid..." Her mum reached back to take Zana's hand. "Look, I understand that the Doctor means an awful lot to you. I get that you'll do anything to stay by his side. I just want you to know-"
"We've arrived, ma'am," Private Jones spoke up as the vehicle came to a stop. Cynthia shared a look with her daughter before sighing and turning around. "Would you like me to escort you inside, ma'am?"
"No, Zana and I can handle it, love. Thank you," she smiled kindly at the soldier before opening her door and hopping out, inspiring Zana to do the same. "Tell my husband that we arrived safely, will you?"
"Of course, ma'am," Evan nodded as he grabbed the metal box from the back. Almost out of nowhere, a man dressed in a completely different uniform stepped up and took the box from his grip.
"Take that to inventory, Scotty," Cynthia nodded, and like that, the man was off, doing as he was told.
"Thanks, Evan," Zana smiled at him as he climbed back into the jeep.
"Just doing my job," he nodded his head professionally as he started the vehicle back up. The teen watched as he maneuvered his way through traffic and out of sight before turning back to her mother.
"So why Canary Wharf?" Zana asked as she followed her mother into the building.
"That's the public name for it," she informed as she flashed her ID to a guard. "This is officially called Torchwood One."
"Right. Of course it is," Zana nodded as they stepped into a lift. "So what are we going to do now? We've already got rid of the Pollen."
Cynthia smiled at her as she pressed a floor number, "Oh, I just thought you'd want to take a look around, is all. Do you?"
"I...I suppose," Zana smiled as well. "Where to first?"
"The very top, of course! We'll work our way down!"
Zana could help but laugh as the lift started to rise. She felt calm, and she adored that. She had been thinking something awful would happen today, but being here, in the lift with her mum, seemed to prove that she had been worrying for absolutely nothing. Traveling with the Doctor did that to people, she supposed. It made them wary of the world around them even when nothing was wrong. But as soon as the lift doors opened...
"I'm warning you, cancel it."
Zana could recognize the Doctor's voice anywhere. And that tone? Something was wrong. Really wrong.
"Oh, exactly as the legends would have it!" An unfamiliar voice belonging to a woman exclaimed. "The Doctor, lording it over us. Assuming alien authority over the Rights of Man!"
"The Doctor's here?" Cynthia whispered into her daughter's ear as they stepped out of the lift. It only took seconds for Zana to spot the Time Lord...and Jackie? What the hell was Jackie doing here? Hold on...where's Rose?
"It appears so..." Zana murmured, watching him interact with the woman curiously. Her mum went to step forward, but she was quick to pull her back. "What the hell are you doing?"
"I have to help Yvonne contain him," she responded quickly.
"What? No! Just watch," Zana instructed and turned her attention back to the argument just in time to see the Doctor pull out his sonic screwdriver and aim it at a glass wall with the word 'TORCHWOOD' printed across it.
"Let me show you. Sphere comes through," the screwdriver lit up as he turned it on. Everyone's eyes were on him as the glass began to splinter because no one dared to interrupt him. Not even Zana. "But when it made the hole, it cracked the world around it. The entire surface of this dimension splintered. And that's how the ghosts get through. That's how they get everywhere! They're bleeding through the fault lines. Walking from their world, across the Void, and into yours, with the human race hoping and wishing and helping them along! But too many ghosts, and-" he tapped the glass and like that, it shattered into a thousand pieces onto the floor.
"Well, in that case, we'll have to be more careful," Yvonne didn't seem one bit affected before turning around to face the huge, empty, white wall at the opposite side of the room. "Positions! Ghost Shift in one minute."
The Doctor growled with frustration as he stepped over the glass, "Miss Hartman, I am asking you, please don't do it."
"We have done this a thousand times."
"Then stop at a thousand!" He snapped.
"We're in control of the ghosts," Yvonne informed. "The levers can open the breach, but equally they can close it."
That's when Zana had to intervene. She had seen the Doctor angry before, and it never ended well for anyone. And judging by the look of complete hatred on his face, he was about to explode.
"Doctor," she walked out of hiding casually, hoping her mother would get the hint and follow her. If someone could override Yvonne's command, it was her mum. At least she hoped.
"Zana?" He frowned slightly at the sight of his companion. "How did you-"
"Meet Cynthia Kline. Leading Scientific Officer of the Torchwood Institute," Zana introduced as she moved to stand next to him. "I'm sure if you ask her nicely, she'll cancel the shift."
"Now, Zana-" her mum started, but Zana continued.
"Right, Mum? Would you do that for the Doctor and me?"
Her mother looked at her with what can only be described as annoyance. Not anger. Not hatred. Annoyance. "Yvonne, maybe we should at least-"
"There's no way I'm canceling this shift!" Yvonne exclaimed, and just as Cynthia went to reply, the Doctor stepped forward.
"Okay," he grabbed a couple of chairs from what Zana was assuming Yvonne's office and sat them in the middle of the room.
"Sorry?" Yvonne frowned, confused as he took a seat in on and motioned for Zana to sit in the other. So she did.
"Never mind," he smiled at Zana before facing Yvonne and her mother. "As you were."
"What is that it?"
"No, fair enough. Said my bit. Don't mind me. Nice to see you, Zana," the Doctor nudged her before turning to one of the people typing away at their computers. "Any chance of a cup of tea?"
"Ghost Shift in twenty seconds," one of them replied monotonously.
"Mmm, can't wait to see it!" The Doctor folded his arms and grinned manically. Without even thinking about it, Zana reached beside her and grabbed his left hand in an attempt to comfort him.
"You can't stop us, Doctor," Yvonne muttered.
"No, absolutely not," he turned to Jackie but kept Zana's hand tightly in his. "Pull up a chair, Rose. Come and watch the fireworks."
Rose? What the hell did she miss out on?
"Ghost Shift in ten seconds. Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two..."
"Stop the shift!" Yvonne shouted last minutes, much to the relief of the Doctor. Zana could feel the tension leave his body as she squeezed his hand. "I said stop."
"Thank you," the Doctor smiled sincerely at the woman, who Zana could tell was extremely annoyed with the whole situation. No wonder her mum got along with her.
"I suppose it makes sense to get as much intelligence as possible," Yvonne glanced between the Doctor and Zana curiously before stepping past them, towards Cynthia. "But the program will recommence, as soon as you've explained everything."
"I'm glad to be of help," he nodded.
"And someone clear up this glass," the woman called. "They did warn me, Doctor. They said you like to make a mess."
As she walked off, Zana let out a sigh of relief and leaned her head back. She gave herself a few seconds to try to wrap her head around everything before looking over at the Doctor, who, much to her surprise, was watching her.
"Why didn't you tell me your mum worked for Torchwood?" He asked softly, but she could tell it irked him. More than he'd like to admit.
"Because I had no idea myself until half an hour ago," she informed, her tone matching his as she laced their fingers together. "Never mind that, what the hell is going on? How did you get here?"
"We stopped by to see Jackie, and there were these ghosts," he explained. "I triangulated their point of origin, and ended up here."
"Right. Mum says they're a side effect of some sphere. Do you know what they're talking about?"
He sighed and ran a hand down his face, "Unfortunately. They have a Void ship in their possession."
"A Void ship?" She frowned. "Isn't the Void...nothing? The space between Universes? Why would there be a ship for the Void?"
"I haven't the slightest idea, Zan," he inhaled, glancing at her. "But whatever's inside of that thing, it's not good."
"There's something inside of it? Great..." She caught sight of Jackie Tyler and leaned in a bit closer to the Time Lord. "Do you wanna tell me what the hell happened to Rose? What is Jackie doing here?"
"They confiscated the TARDIS. Rose is in there," he explained. "But they don't know that. They think that's Rose."
Zana couldn't help the smile spreading across her lips, "I bet you're having a field day!"
"Oi," he murmured. "Don't start."
"Doctor," Yvonne's voice made them turn in their seat to face her. "In my office, please."
The Doctor and Zana shared a look before standing up and carrying their chairs into the small room. The Doctor was quick to sit back down, and of course, prop his feet up on Yvonne's desk, but Zana vouched to remain standing. Mainly because her mum was practically telling her to be respectful with her eyes.
"So these ghosts, whatever they are, did they build the sphere?" Cynthia asked, her arms folded as she watched Yvonne type something into a laptop.
"Must have," the Doctor nodded. "Aimed it at this dimension like a cannonball. My name's the Doctor, by the way. Lovely to meet you, Cynthia Kline."
"And you. I've heard a lot about you."
"Apparently Torchwood knows me pretty well," he shrugged.
"Apparently my daughter does too."
Zana felt her cheeks warm instantly, but luckily a voice emitting from Yvonne's computer changed the subject rather quickly.
"Yvonne?" The man called. "I think you should see this. We've got a visitor. We don't know who she is, but funnily enough, she arrived at the same time as the Doctor."
Yvonne raised an eyebrow and turned to face the laptop towards the Doctor and his brunette companion. On the screen was Rose Tyler herself, clad in a white lab coat and a guilty smile on her lips. Zana smirked slightly.
"She one of yours?" Yvonne questioned
The Doctor shook his head, "Never seen her before in my life."
"Good," the woman smiled. "Then we can have her shot."
Zana's eyes widened, but before she could say anything, the Doctor huffed and sat his feet down on the ground. "Oh, all right then. It was worth a try. That's-that's Rose Tyler."
"Sorry," Rose waved meekly as the Doctor and Zana waved back. "Hello."
"Well, if that's Rose Tyler, who's she?" Yvonne nodded towards Jackie.
"I'm her mother," Jackie informed proudly.
"Oh, you travel with her mother?" She smirked.
"He kidnapped me!" Jackie defended.
"Please, when Torchwood comes to write my complete history, don't tell people I traveled through time and space with her mother," the Doctor pleaded. Actually, genuinely, pleaded.
"Oi," Zana flicked his shoulder just as a loud clanking noise filled the air, but neither of them took notice of it. "Be nice."
"I've got a reputation to uphold," he replied but smiled up at her cheekily.
"Excuse me?" Yvonne's voice suddenly sounded distant, making them look up to see her standing in the doorway of her office with Cynthia at her side. "Everyone? I thought I said stop the ghost shift. Who started the program? But I ordered you to stop! Who's doing that?" The Doctor and Zana quickly stepped out of the office and into the main room, where all of the employees were mindlessly working on their computers. Zana instantly took notice of the ear pods in their ears. Oh god, no... "Right, step away from the monitors, everyone. Gareth, Addy, stop what you're doing, right now! Matt, step away from your desk. That's an order! Stop the levers! Andrew!" A couple of scientists rushed towards the two leavers on either side of the room and tried to push them back into their original position. "Stop the levers!"
"What's she doing?" The Doctor murmured, his eyes focused on a woman who was busy at work, sporting the ear pods that sent Zana's mind into nothing but terror. The last time she saw someone wearing those earbuds...No, no, no it can't be!
"Addy, step away from the desk. Listen to me!" Yvonne, Cynthia, and the Doctor stepped up to the woman while Zana remained frozen in her spot. The Doctor began snapping his fingers in Addy's face, but she didn't even bat an eye. "Step away from the desk!"
"She can't hear you. They're overriding the system," the four of them looked at the wall at the end of the room as it grew almost unbearably bright. "We're going into Ghost Shift..."
"Doctor..." Zana stepped forward slightly. "Look at her ears...her earpieces."
"It's controlling them. We've seen this before," he murmured as he pulled out his screwdriver. He rested his hand on Addy's shoulder and gave her a sympathetic look. "Sorry. I'm so sorry."
Zana had to look away as he pressed the device against the poor woman's ear. Almost instantly, her screams, along with the screams of the other two employees donning earpieces, filled the air. It wasn't long before their bodies slumped against their desks.
"What happened?" Cynthia demanded. "What did you just do?"
"They're dead," the Doctor informed as he looked over Addy's computer.
Jackie's eyes widened as Zana covered her mouth with her hand in disbelief. How was possible? There's no way...They can't be here... "You killed them..."
The Doctor didn't so much as glance at the woman."Oh, someone else did that long before I got here."
"But you killed them!"
"Jackie, I haven't got time for this!" He snapped.
"What are those earpieces?" Yvonne gulped, trying to remain professional.
"Don't..." Zana murmured. Talking about it would only make it more real.
"But they're standard comms. devices! How does it control them?"
"Trust us, leave them alone," the Doctor's voice was cold as he moved to one of the other employee's computer.
"But what are they?" She stepped forward and much to the dismay of Zana, she yanked the earpiece out of Addy's ear, along with what looked like brain matter. "Ugh! Oh, God! It goes inside their brain!"
The Doctor didn't have time for that. "What about the Ghost Shift?"
"Ninety percent there and still running," Yvonne wiped the brain matter off her hands as she moved to stand next to the Time Lord.
"Can't you stop it?" Cynthia frowned, glancing worriedly at her daughter. It was like she was too frightened to move.
"They're still controlling it," the Doctor shook his head. "They've hi-jacked the system."
"Who's they?"
He held his sonic screwdriver into the air, "It might be a remote transmitter but it's got to be close by..." A beeping filled the air. "I can trace it. Jackie, stay here!"
"Keep those levers down!" Cynthia ordered as she followed the Doctor, Yvonne, and her daughter out of the room. "Keep them offline!"
"Doctor..." Zana and the Time Lord stayed a few steps ahead of the Torchwood officers. The teen's hands were shaking and her voice was doing very much the same. If she was right, there was no way they'd all make it out alive. "Doctor, I don't..."
"Shh, shh," he murmured softly as he followed the signal. He glanced down at his frightened companion with soft eyes. "Zana, I need you to stay behind me, love. If anything, and I mean anything, happens, you need to run. Take your mum and get out of here, you got it?"
"I can't leave you," she replied, her eyes straight ahead. "I won't."
"Zana..."
She just shook her head. There was no point in arguing, and she hoped that he knew that by now. After all, hadn't she proven how much he meant to her? He was her best friend. She was never going to abandon him.
"What's down here?" The Doctor sighed as they arrived upon a floor filled with nothing but plastic sheets hanging from the ceiling. Remodeling, Zana guessed.
"I don't-I don't know," Yvonne gulped. "I think it's building work. It's just renovations."
"You should go back," he glanced back at the three of them.
"Think again," Yvonne scoffed as they pushed past the plastic curtains. Zana didn't even realize she had taken the Doctor's hand into hers until he gave it a comforting squeeze. "What is it? What's down here?"
"The ear pods...it's all so familiar," Zana spoke up quietly.
"This world's colliding with another," the Doctor agreed, "and I think I know which one."
At his words, the all too familiar silhouettes surrounded the small group.
"No, no, no..." Zana breathed.
Cynthia looked around worriedly, "What are they?"
"They came through first. The advance guard," the Doctor and Zana stepped back as the metal men ripped through the plastic covering, revealing themselves in their entirety. "Cybermen!"
Gunshots filled the air as two soldiers attempted to kill the Cybermen, but of course, to no prevail. Cynthia Kline reached out to take her daughter's unoccupied hand as they ducked out of the way of the bullets and into the relative safety of the corridor.
"You will be deleted!" The metallic voices of the Cybermen cried out, followed by the screams of the soldiers who had tried to protect them.
"It can't be..." Zana whispered. Of all of the things to come back...it had to be them...
The Doctor instantly held up his hands in surrender, and since his hand was still in Zana's, that automatically caused her to surrender too. Luckily Cynthia and Yvonne got the hint and put their arms up as well. "We surrender!"
The Cybermen looked on wordlessly at the group. Zana could feel the panic rising in her chest as her pulse sped up drastically. No, no, no, not now...please not now!
"You will follow."
Shivers went down Zana's spine as relief flooded her. If they weren't going to kill them now, maybe the Doctor could work out a plan to stop them...but as soon as she thought that, she felt guilty. Why should it all come down to him? He didn't deserve that kind of weight on his shoulders. He shouldn't be expected to always save the day...he was just a man, after all.
"Get away from the machines!" The Doctor called as soon as they entered the shift room. Do what they say. Don't fight them!"
The scientist holding the levers in place didn't budge at all, and for their loyalty, all they received were the Cybermen killing them. Zana took a step back and closed her eyes. Why is this happening to her? What the hell did she do to deserve this?
"What are they?" Jackie asked, her voice full of panic as the aliens surrounded them.
"We are the Cybermen," one of the creatures replied as it held its hand to its chest. "The Ghost Shift will be increased to one hundred percent."
And just like that, the levers began to shift into place. "Online."
"Here come the ghosts..." the Doctor murmured somberly. Everyone watched in horror as the ghosts walked right through the brightly lit wall at the other end of the room. Zana recognized the metallic footsteps almost instantly. Oh god...
"But these Cybermen, what've they got to do with the ghosts?"
"Do you never listen?" He snapped angrily. "A footprint doesn't look like a boot!"
"Achieving full transfer," the Cybermen closest to the teen announced, causing her to jump. She squinted her eyes to see better, but the sight that greeted her nearly knocked the air out of her lungs. The ghosts...they were all Cybermen...
"They're Cybermen. All of the ghosts are Cybermen," the Doctor breathed in disbelief. "Millions of them, right across the world..."
"They're invading the whole planet," Cynthia's voice was calm, despite being surrounded by nearly fifty Cybermen in the shift room alone.
"It's not an invasion," he said simply. "It's too late for that. It's a victory."
"Sphere activated," the alarm on one of the computers grabbed their attention immediately. "Sphere activated. Sphere activated. Sphere activated."
"Oh, great," Zana gulped. "Just what we need. More of them!"
The Doctor glanced at her before stepping towards who she was assuming was the Cyberleader. After all, he seemed to be barking all the orders. "But I don't understand. The Cybermen don't have the technology to build a Void Ship! That's way beyond you. How did you create that sphere?"
The alien simply looked at him, "The sphere is not ours."
"What?" Zana frowned, stepping forward as well, her fear being pushed to the side for the moment being. If they were going to get rid of the Cybermen, the last thing the Doctor needed was a companion who was too scared to move. "What do you mean?"
"The sphere broke down the barriers between worlds. We only followed. Its origin is unknown."
"Then what's inside it?" She looked at the Doctor, but he looked just as confused as she did.
"Rose is down there!" Jackie exclaimed worriedly.
"I know, I know..." Zana turned to face her and her own mother. "I'm so sorry..."
Everyone's hearts were beating out of their chests as they waiting to find out just what had been living inside that Void ship for so long. The Doctor and Zana stood side by side as the world around them seemed to fall apart, and for the time being, they were blissfully unaware of the cries of 'Exterminate!' that greeted their dear Rose Tyler only a few stories below them.
A/N: Ahhhh! Woo-hoo! I hope you enjoy it! It's a bit long, so for that, I apologize, but I truly hope it's good!