Callows Reach, 1500

Cold.

That was the first thing he noticed, stepping out of the Tardis with Rose and Jack following in his wake. They were in a large grey dining hall, in what he supposed must be a particularly large castle. He smacked his lips as he caught sight of the feast laid bare on the long table, the smell of roasted meat thick and rich upon the chilly air. It was snowing a real blizzard outside, fat flakes hitting the rattling windowpane, and a wicked icy breeze slithering along the flagstone floor.

"Hello, Doctor."

He stared. The oddest woman he'd ever seen was walking towards him, her crimson high heels clipping the flagstones and echoing around the chamber. The red of her shoes was matched by her repulsive frilly dress, with ludicrous great frills coating her neck, wrists and knees; her scarlett knickerbockers fell far short of her ankles.

If her clothes were bizarre, they paled into normality when compared with her face. Her skin was ashen white, on account of the copious amount of powder she'd applied, with blood-red lipstick decorating her mouth. Her hair was fair to the point of white, and her eyes were the most startling blue. She looked to be no older than thirty, and but for her bizarre attire, she could have been very pretty.

"Welcome! Welcome!" she beamed, and took his hand in both of her's, pumping it vigorously.

"'Allo." the Doctor replied, smiling. "I don't think I've 'ad the honour?"

"Indeed, you never have. My name is Znya Xul Mahnya Tuzk Dhara, and you are standing in High Keep, my castle."

The Doctor chuckled. "Nah, I don't think so, madam. That's a Gallifreyan name, and you aren't Gallifreyan. Of that, I assure you."

"We'll come to that presently." Znya said calmly, the forced smile not leaving her face. She turned to Rose and Jack. "And these are..."

"Rose Tyler, an' Cap'n Jack Harkness. Mates o' mine."

Znya shook each of them by the hand, ignoring Jack's flirtatious wink as she heaved his entire arm up and down violently.

"Well, come!" she beamed finally. "Come! Join me at dinner, if it please. We've got a lot to discuss. A lot."

The Doctor took his place beside Rose on the grand dining table, with Jack at the head, facing Znya.

"Nice place you got here," he drawled, helping himself to fruits of the forest, and roasted pork. "Any wine?"

Znya stiffened. "I don't drink." she replied. "Dulls the senses."

"That's basically the point." Jack winked at her again, and she blinked, a shy smile tugging at her red lips.

"Cartwright?" she called, and a timid lad appeared from the corner of the room. Well hidden, so he was, the perfect servant; the Doctor hadn't even known he was there.

"I'm sure there must be a little wine in the cellar, am I right?"

"Yes, my lady." he bowed low and scarpered from the room in haste.

The Doctor sighed and helped himself to a few blackberries. There were tasteless and pappy, a surefire sign of fruit that'd been frozen for weeks, perhaps months, before today.

Frozen food, in the year 1500.

"Now, what's going on here?" he demanded of Znya, popping a couple of red berries into his mouth. They were little better than their black counterparts. "How did you bring us here? I'll be blunt about this, Znya, you've got some serious tech hidden away here. You clearly ain't of this time, and you shouldn't be 'aving stuff like this here. What would 'appen if one of the locals got their hands on this stuff?"

"Oh, chaos." Znya said casually. "Unmitigated damage to the timeline, the end of reality as we know it, all out disaster...but worry not, Doctor, worry not - mother always told me to be careful. It was her from whom I inherited it. A Gallifreyan timescoop, and probably the last one in existence. You can see it later, if you wish."

The Doctor stiffened up. "No." he said simply. "No, you aren't Gallifreyan. You can't be!"

"I am." Znya said. "I promise you that I am."

"Doctor?" Rose said uncertainly, coiling her fingers reassuringly around his sleeve, "if she's...perhaps you aren't the last one!"

"He isn't." Znya said quietly. "Doctor, you were blunt with me earlier, and I appreciate straight talking, so now I'll return the favour and be blunt with you in turn. My mother was Romanadvoratrelundar, the Time Lady who you knew as Romana, and who travelled with you for some time, many years ago. Except...you were a little more than travelling companions, were you not?"

"Hold on..." Jack said slowly, "this ain't going where I think it's going..."

The Doctor felt himself trembling violently, and grabbed Rose's hand from his sleeve, clutching it tightly with a hand that wouldn't stop shaking.

"It's ok," Rose breathed, "hear her out."

"Back then, something happened between you." Znya continued. "And the simple reality is that you are, and always will be, my father."

Note: I started writing this literally a few hours before Fugitive of the Judoon aired...Jack's back! :o

All reviews welcome, by the way. Positive or otherwise.