Chapter 13

Nova woke to find herself, still dressed in smoke stained nightdress, curled next to Sara's slowly-wakening form. However, her heart began to race as she looked around and saw that wherever they were, they weren't in their former apartment, or anywhere else she recognized. She shook her friend's shoulder immediately. "Sara! Wake up!" She hissed sharply. "Wake up!"

"I'm 'wake," the brunette mumbled. Either sleep or exhaustion colored her voice. Hazel eyes slowly blinked open, saw Nova above her, then flicked around. Nova knew the exact moment that Sara registered the same facts that she did, for the other's eyes widened quickly and she scrambled to get into a seated position. "Where are we?" she struggled to come out of it. She felt so tired, but not as badly as right before they had collapsed.

"I don't know." Nova answered, whispering in her own turn as well. "I woke up here too only a minute or so ago."

"Do you think whoever set the fire kidnapped us or something?"

"I don't know. The fire was meant to kill. Not sure who was targeted, since we all live there. Maybe they were trying to kill the brothers or Michael." Nova suggested, hoping it wasn't yet another attempt on their lives. Who could possibly be targeting them? And why? It didn't make sense to her.

"Well, we need to get out of here." Sara nodded decisively and swung her legs over the bed and got to her feet.

"What if we're in Jack's apartment? Or Michael's? We need to be sure before we make any rash decisions." Nova stated gently. "Given that this may be a 3rd try to kill us - though I still don't believe that either - then we need to be sure before accidentally travelling away from safety."

"What do you suggest? Tip toe and easedrop?"

"Well, if we are somewhere safe," Nova said thoughtfully, "then one of our personal guards should be outside the door. Right?"

Sara understood what her friend was saying and crept to the door, easing it open with as little noise as possible. Turning the knob ever-so-slowly and inching the door toward her carefully. When it was cracked wide enough that she could peer through, she peeked with one eye and instantly relaxed. Opening the door fully, she smiled at the security agent standing there. "Hi A.J."

"Hello Ms. Thomas. Did you rest well?" the kind man asked. He was their favorite guard, as he was nice and had children of his own.

"Yeah. We were freaking out in there because we didn't recognize the room though."

"Ah. Sorry about that. We are currently guests of Mr. Murphy, in his London flat. He and Mr. Barrowman are in the kitchen at the moment, if you would like to join them."

Sara turned and called over her shoulder. "Hey Nova! Did you hear that? Your boyfriend is housing us!"

Nova blushed bright red as she hissed, "He's not my boyfriend! We haven't even had a date!"

"I'd call slow dancing for over a half hour a date." Sara grinned cheekily. "He probably does too."

Nova blinked at that. "Really?" Such social customs were news to her.

"Yes, really. Now, let's go get something to eat. I'm so hungry I could eat a… something big." Sara lost her train of thought in the middle as she focused on finding nourishment.

The two girls were able to make themselves a plate of food buffet-style from the Chinese takeout the men had ordered. Jack and Cillian had also gone to the trouble of tasting each dish to make sure that no poisons were in them. A simple chemical test they had called Michael for had proven no aspirin as well. So the girls could eat without fear of such things. Nearly twenty minutes later, and much more content, they all were startled out of their thoughts by a knock at the door.

Security immediately shot to look through the peephole. This was highly suspicious since the apartment guard had not called up to let them know someone was heading their direction.

Cillian moved to the door as well, since it was his apartment he would probably know anyone in the building. "Who is it?" he called out.

"Delivery." The voice returned. "You ordered a selection of clothes for rush handling. This is your order, isn't it, sir?"

A copy of his harried telephone order into Harrods was displayed in front of him and Cillian gave a brief nod, but beckoned to Jack and another security guard.

"Very well. I'll sign for it." He had no intention of letting the man inside his flat, legitimate delivery or otherwise. But as soon as he released the chain, his hand out for the order, a hand took his wrist.

"I have to insist." A voice seemed to echo outside his mind and Cillian seemed to just freeze in place.

"Cillian what's-" Jack cut off his inquiry with a slight curse at seeing the Doctor's presence. Luckily the two girls were still inside the kitchen. "A.J., stay with Nova and Sara. Try to keep them where they are."

"Yes, sir." The guard acknowledged before returning.

"John." The Doctor said. "It's been too long."

"A year, give or take." Barrowman raised his eyebrows. "They call me Jack now. The name has grown on me I think."

"Jack." The Doctor nodded. "It suits you." He swallowed, seeing his former companion. Oh, how he wished they could both venture off in their TARDIS now but the Doctor knew after a week, he would start to have the symptoms again. So, he was cursed to only be in his presence for a day or two at a time. How could his granddaughters handle it? They are part human. He thought. He had also seen the tests on Sara. In a particular sense, she was a TARDIS and she formed a link with Nova. The energy signature used to keep John….or Jack from dying wasn't the same. Her chromosomes and cells constantly evolved and while Nova was linked to Sara, to an extent, hers did too. It was fascinating. Nova's telepathic gifts and Sara's abilities, complementing each other. He couldn't wait to meet them.

"Doctor, I know what you came for but now isn't a good time." Jack said, a look of sorrow on his face. "I'm saying this as your friend. As one of your best friends. I'm trying to talk them around to the idea but you need to be patient. They begged me, begged John and Mark not to hand them over to you. It's not just the…" He made his voice very quiet. "The Valeyard they're scared of." He shook his head. "Do you realize that Nova is so terrified of that possible timeline she's afraid to even say the name? That he might come if she does? A bit like a Wendigo."

"But she doesn't know me. The Doctor." He protested. "Neither of them do." He took a deep breath. "I'm not here to drag them out of the flat and onto the TARDIS. I just want to talk. Just to say hello. That's all for now."

"And later?" Jack asked. "You ever heard of the Time Lord Victorious?"

The Doctor frowned, looking puzzled. The Valeyard he knew. The Time Lord Victorious he didn't.

"Sara knows about it. She says it's the one step that happens before you become the Valeyard. You say all the rules of time are yours…"

The Doctor hissed at the notion. Too many Time Lords had tried the same. Rassilon had dementia and declared such with the Final Sanction. He was willing to destroy the entire universe. "That isn't me."

"Not yet. How long has it been since you lost her?" Jack asked pointedly. The Doctor was silent. "They call her Rose. Appropriate isn't it? It was her favorite flower. The bedroom she slept in…."

"Months." The Doctor responded brokenly. "Seems like years." He sighed. "Humans. Their lives seem so short but when you lose someone, even a human, every hour, every day, seems like infinity no matter where I travel. Even with Martha…."

"Wait." Jack frowned. "Where is Martha?"

The Doctor froze. He wasn't sure. Suddenly he remembered. Had his head gotten too full already? "The estate." He remarked triumphantly.

"You left your brand new human companion at a burned down targeted estate with two men that you told me you don't fully trust; whom you have to keep in line with a contract?!" Jack closed his eyes. He may not have the years the Doctor had but sometimes his decisions lacked…..foresight.

"There's a condition in our agreement for my companions, to ensure their safety while travelling with me." The Doctor countered.

"Oh, I just bet they stuck her somewhere for 'safekeeping'." Jack muttered, dialing his phone only to glance up. The Doctor had left the room and Cillian was observing Jack, remaining silent all the while.

"I suppose he's a relative." Cillian gathered.

"A good observation." Jack said. "I have a call to make. Do you mind interceding before they start turning the kitchen upside down?"

Cillian nodded simply, turning in place and heading in the direction of the kitchen. He winced, already hearing the sound of a dish hitting a nearby wall as it shattered. This didn't sound like a pleasant family reunion.

Jack was on the phone with John. "Now, what have either of you two done with Martha?"

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The Doctor ducked as the thrown plate nearly collided with his head. "Sara, if you can just calm down…."

"No!" She shrieked. "Get out of here. I want nothing to do with you. We want nothing to do with you."

He had to dodge another plate, advancing towards the pair. Nova fled out of the kitchen in terror and he suddenly turned in effort to pursue her.

"You leave her alone!" Sara cried out. "Just leave her….!" Suddenly a bolt of sheer blue energy left her hand, sending him staggering against the table and onto the floor. The Doctor was wincing briefly from the fall as Sara stared at her hands in horror. "Oh my God." She muttered, shaking. She was a freak. And now she was a freak that could hurt people. "Oh my…." She ran out of the room following Nova's trail.

"Nova!" The Doctor called out. "Sara!"

"Is that what you call diplomacy?" Cillian asked icily, entering the kitchen. He was terribly unimpressed. He gave the Doctor a withering stare and with the full use of that crystalline gaze giving such a menacing glare, it was difficult not to feel intimidated. "I wonder how the infamous contract was negotiated with such politics at your disposal." His flat, mocking tone made the Doctor wince. Cillian shook his head and followed the girls, intent on getting to them before they did something dangerous. Like leave the apartment. "It is my understanding that you were called to help track down the one that is trying to kill them. The fire will be the third attempt on their lives." He heard a sharp inhalation behind him, but close enough that he knew the other male was not too far away. "Scaring the girls into leaving the safety of the apartment would not be wise."

"I didn't want to scare them. I just wanted to meet my granddaughters. Is that too much to ask?" A deep sigh.

Cillian turned around in the middle of his own hallway to stare down the slightly taller man. It was apparently his own turn to try to talk some sense into the individual. "Sara's worst nightmare is the individual she calls the Valeyard. At the very mention of the name, Nova went into such hysterics that she couldn't understand the fact she was safe, even expecting him to turn up in her own home. Both had to be sedated in order to calm down. Nova has seen the Valeyard at work with her own eyes, hence her utter terror. Sara has experience with a version called the Time Lord Victorious. Both of the people the girls are so frightened of are you; different versions of you. They are so scared that they cannot think rationally at the very idea of these other versions. The real version standing before them is not going to help.

"Supposedly, you are a very intelligent man." Cillian raised an eyebrow in challenge. "If you truly care for the girls as your family, then you should want what is best for them." Before the Doctor could protest that he wanted exactly that, Cillian held up a hand to forestall him. "What is best for them right now is for you to find the one that wants them dead, whom even the considerable resources of Altamont and Gatiss have had no luck in tracking, and to then show that you are neither of the versions of you in which they are afraid by handing the culprit over, for the girls themselves to deliver justice." Murphy finished, reasonably he thought.

The Doctor had narrowed his eyes thoughtfully at the man, pondering what he had heard. He suddenly had no doubt that this was the one that Nova was infatuated with, which made this situation all the more delicate. Finally he replied, "Only with experience will they realize I'm not the Valeyard or the Time Lord Victorious."

"Precisely. You can start with delivering their tormentor to them for justice." Cillian gave a very sharp, decisive nod, and went back to his original course of following the girls, considering the matter closed. However, when he went the room he had assigned the girls, he opened the door and had the profound urge to curse. He spun around and ran down the hall, pushing the Doctor out of his way as he passed him. "Jack!" he yelled.

Jack was just getting ready to get off the phone with John when he heard Cillian's shout. He pulled the mobile away and stared at him with concern. "What's wrong?"

"Nova used her new-found strength to force open the window in their bedroom. Sara too, along with A.J." Cillian reported grimly.

"Damn!" Jack hissed, bringing the phone back to his ear. "Did you hear that? Do a sweep. While A.J. is with them, if whoever is doing this really is a Time Lord, incapacitating a human won't take much effort. Especially if they stop trying to be subtle." He paused to listen and spoke again, "Because they are scared stiff of him, that's way! Considering Nova's reaction alone, I'm amazed the girl waited long enough for Sara to accompany her, if they went together and Sara isn't gone because she discovered Nova missing. Then instead of them running together we'd have one running aimlessly in terror and the other giving chase, heedless of whatever happened to be in her path. A.J. probably doing his best just to keep them in sight." He flipped the phone closed with a snap of his fingers and glared at the Doctor, who had the decency to school his features into regret. "Martha is on her way. When she gets here you are going to take her and find whoever is trying to kill the girls before they take advantage of the situation and try again when the girls are vulnerable." He hissed in the Doctor's face, his whole form almost shaking in his anger. "All you had to do was listen to me and we would have avoided all of this."

The Doctor winced, nodded his understanding, and left to go find his TARDIS.

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Nova ran and ran and ran and ran and ran until she had no more breath to run. She had no idea where she was, how far she had gone, or what time it was. She didn't really much care either. She collapsed into a side alley, shivering in reaction as she huddled on the ground, her arms around her knees. He had almost touched her! Had almost got her! She sobbed brokenly into her kneecaps, shoulders shaking as she tried to cry and catch her breath at the same time.

A thick male tenor Scottish accent came to her ears, "Och, ya poor wee lassie. What's all these tears, then?" She looked up but tears blurred her vision so all she could see were moving blobs of color. Whoever it was knelt to her side and pulled her unprotesting form into their skinny arms to hold her close. Giving her what comfort they were able. "What fashes ya so, lassie? You tell ol' Alec then, lassie. We'll see what aught can be done 'bout it." His brogue was so thick she had difficulty understanding him at times.

But his voice and tone reminded her of her grandfather, so after a moments of hesitation, she told a highly-edited version of the story. "I saw something when I was younger that I shouldn't have. A man murdered people and I was made to watch."

"Och ya poor wee lassie," he whispered sympathetically. His hands - one on her back and one on her upper-arm - rubbed her soothingly.

"The spitting image of that same man just tried to grab my arm. I was so scared that I ran, jumped out the window of my bedroom, and just ran for as long as I could." She admitted. "I know it wasn't really him, but I still can't help but be afraid."

"Ya can't help what ya feel, lass. It's just the way t'ings are. However, what cha can do is try to see passed the man yur er afraid of and try to see who really approached ya. Mayhap they aren't the same man a'tal." Alec wisely stated. "Now, how bouts we go to my little cottage down the road a ways and have a nice spot of kippers and tatties. Help ya clean your eyes a wee. And me wife always has a bit of bangers hidden away. I bets we can find 'em if we look hard enough." He cajoled her, helping her get to her feet.

She let out a soft giggle at the image he conveyed. "There now," his voice held a nice smile. "What a nice smile you have there lassie. I bet yur beaux likes that smile of yorn."

She blushed and shook her head, looking down at her toes in embarrassment. "We're not official or anything. It's only been one date."

The male voice that intruded was thoughtful, but pleased. "Really? How fortunate. I was so hoping of such things, but considering how much he smelled like you I did wonder." The voice was so close that she startled, but the arms tightened around her securely. She looked up and 'ol Alec' had changed into a much younger blonde male with blue eyes. A glamour? A shimmer? Something that gave a false image. And the accent! "I'm almost wondering who could scare you more than little me, hmm? Running out of the apartment right after I set the townhouse on fire to get rid of your protectors. Didn't kill them, unfortunately, but as I still have you in my arms, I suppose that it will have to do. And don't worry about Sara. She should be along shortly." He gave her a boyish smile that did nothing to sooth her surging fears.

"Who are you?" she whispered, wondering who in the universe the man could be. Rassilon? Omega? The Great Intelligence? Moriarty? Who?

"Oh my dear. That human DNA has corrupted your mind if you haven't figured it out already. Don't worry, I'll take care of that soon enough." He was basically dragging her down the street by this time, toward a door she hadn't noticed when passing the first time. As it didn't look like an ordinary door she wondered if a perception filter was around it.

His words had also put a chill down her spine at the implications. "Why are you doing this?" she wanted to sob, but managed to get the words out relatively without emotion. He looked down at her with a boyish grin that froze her heart. She knew that smile. It was a very particular smile that one individual had carried throughout his regenerations.

"Oh, so many reasons my dear. We'll collect Sara and the Doctor and it will all be made clear."

She couldn't help it. A tear slipped down her cheek. Out of the fire and into the boiling water. Both would kill her. "Please, Koshei -" she cried out in pain as the hand on her arm tightened enough she feared her very bones would be crushed.

"Don't call me that." His hissing response in her ear made her nod frantically in acquiescence, trying to get him to ease up on her. As soon as she agreed, he was back to that boyish smile, dragging her through the metal framed door, halfway pushing her in front of him. "Don't worry my dear. Soon…" his voice paused as he allowed her to take in the room in which she found herself. She knew that her face had drained of color at the sight of the advanced medical bay. "Soon, you will have difficulty remembering anything that I didn't put in your mind myself."

She tried to scream, fight, and run, but it was no use. She didn't even get six inches before his age, speed, and strength caught her, dragged her to the metal slab and strapped her down even as she screamed. As the best telepath Gallifrey had, she had no doubt he could follow through with his threat. With his partial sanity, she also had no doubt that not only was he capable of such a thing but was also willing to commit such a vile act.

Killing her would have been kinder.

Though, in a way, he was planning on doing exactly that.

She continued to scream as his hands made contact with her temples and her world went dark.

The Master smiled. When he was finished with all four, oh, the fun they would have with this planet. A slave race once they were done with them. Yes once all four came to his way of thinking….he continued his work throughout Nova's mind. It had been fortunate the girls had run from the Doctor in time. Neither one had made the slightest physical contact. Very reassuring.

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