There were too many bodies in the lift. As they headed down towards the hibernation control chamber, Danni could barely breathe with how closed in they were. Partock's army of rather large Sea Devils didn't make for room, and the Doctor had insisted that they headed down with them.

He had been rather apologetic about it, but Danni still didn't see the point. She knew exactly what was going to happen when the door pinged open and there was nothing they could do to stop it. The Sea Devils were heavily armed and probably trained more than the soldiers down there could even hope to be. They could have waited for the lift to come back up. Instead she was being crushed against Jack as the Doctor held her hand, trying to offer a bit of comfort.

The moment the doors opened the Sea Devils were out. The guard who had come to see who his guests were hadn't stood a chance and was gunned down where he stood. The rest of the guards were targeted with ruthless aim. The fight was over in moments and their bodies were left where they fell.

Danni followed her husband out of the lift, looking around sadly. They hadn't stood a chance, she'd known that. There had been no reasoning with Partock or the Sea Devils. The guards were the enemy and they were completely underprepared. Still, she hadn't wanted to see it. And she really didn't like the fact that they were left on the ground like trash.

She walked over to one of the bodies, crouching down. The blood that had already began to pool wasn't pleasant, neither was the surprised look on their face. She reached out and closed their eyes. She knew that there was no way she was going to be able to move them all. Would they even make it back home?

The Doctor crouched down next to her. Much like himself, Danni had never particularly liked being around dead bodies. He dipped his head forward, catching her eye and giving her a gentle smile.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

She nodded. "Fine," she replied. "Just a horrid way to go."

He completely agreed. She didn't seem like she was as affected as she had once been. When she was younger she would physically change at the sight of a dead body. As she grew and regenerated she'd become sad and respectful. Now she didn't seem too overly phased by the sight.

He knew better, though, and reached out. He pulled her close and pressed his forehead against hers, giving her a little bit of comfort. She didn't pull away, proving him right.

Oclar laid a hand on Jack's shoulder. "I'm sorry. These deaths were not my intention."

Jack tore his eyes from the couple and gave Oclar a reassuring smile. "I know," he replied sadly. "Daughters eh?"

"You have children?" Oclar asked. Jack glanced over at Danni, but his mind extended past her. To his daughter, and his grandson, and to the vow he'd made to be so much more careful after September 2009. Children were amazing, but the pain they left behind was too much for an undying man to live through.

"Just the one," he replied. "Perhaps we could keep the deaths down to a minimum now that you have the base?"

Oclar nodded in agreement. He hadn't wanted to hurt the humans, he'd wanted to work with them. Even now he had hope that Pelham was the exception and not the rule.

"What's the plan now then, chief?" Jack asked him. "Talk to Pelham?"

Oclar shook his head. "We will speak to the leaders," he explained. "Only this time, we will do it on our terms, not Pelham's."

The Sea Devil commander, Veldac, hissed in displeasure. It pulled Danni and the Doctor out of their moment and Danni was on her feet before the Doctor could help her up. "What's wrong, big guy?" Danni asked him as she walked over to the small group. "Not enough bloodshed already?"

"The apes have already proved that they cannot be trusted," Veldac told Oclar, ignoring Danni, who was not best pleased at that. Jack watched the anger flare in her eyes as she opened her mouth to berate the large creature and he realised that, no matter how many times she regenerated, some things never did change. Her lack of patience for rudeness was definitely one of them.

The Doctor seemed to notice that as well, rushing to her side and placing a hand on her arm. They had a silent conversation, the Doctor giving her a warning look as she tried to show him just how much she didn't tolerate being spoken over. Still, she seemed to back down and Jack felt his heart slow slightly as relief flooded him. He really didn't want to have to watch her try and battle a Sea Devil.

"My original plan is sound," Oclar replied calmly. "If we come to them offering the fuel as a gift then they must see that out intentions are peaceful."

"It is still a good plan," Partock stated, surprising everyone. She moved to stand alongside her father. "We shouldn't give up on peaceful solutions, Veldac, just because of one greedy human."

"Really?" Danni asked incredulously. "Didn't you just set a Myrka on the humans with the sole purpose of ripping them to shreds?"

"I had to get my father free," Partock replied stubbornly. "I couldn't have done it without the Myrka, or Veldac and his troops."

"And I am grateful," Oclar said, trying to stop another argument. "In the meantime, I need to check that Pelham's haste to extract the Fire Ice has not caused damage to the machinery."

"That sounds right up our street," Jack declared cheerfully, reaching over and grabbing Danni's hand. She started in surprise but he ignored it. "Just like old times, eh Danni-Girl?"

"Umm…" she started, confused as to why he was willing to leave the Sea Devil and Partock alone for even a moment.

"Nothing better than screwing over arsehole business owners," he continued. "Coming, Doc?"

The pointed look Jack was sending his way told the Doctor two things. The first was that he was worried about Danni's rather aggressive behaviour and was expecting answers. The second was that he knew that the Doctor felt the same way.

There was a third reason that the Doctor followed them over to the main control bank was that, no matter how rational his thinking could be, he was not happy that Jack was holding her hand. Never mind that Danni really wasn't comfortable with people touching her without warning, that was his hand.

"Why are we leaving them alone?" Danni asked Jack in a hiss of a voice.

"Because they won't go along with their plan while we're around, and you're going to get yourself killed," he retorted quietly and quickly as Oclar joined them.

"Oclar," one of the scientists at the controls greeted. "It is good to see you well."

"Thank you, Demiel," Oclar replied and the two shared a happy look. Even with the death around them, they could all appreciate being freed from Pelham's minions. "How is the extraction?"

Demiel eyed the three who had followed Oclar over warily, which was understandable considering the circumstances. "This is the Doctor and Danni, and their friend Jack," Oclar introduced. "They were as trapped by Pelham as we are. They will do us no harm."

While Demiel didn't seem reassured, he also seemed to take Oclar at his word. "We've been extracting at full power for far too long," he explained. "But she does seem to be holding steady. Ramka has been performing the diagnostics as often as she had been able."

"Ramka?" the Doctor asked and Oclar waved another scientist over.

The older Silurian walked over with an air of grandeur that immediately reminded them all of Vastra. "Oclar," she greeted with a no-nonsense voice that fitted their impression perfectly. She handed him a long sheet of paper. "We seem to be running at only 96% efficiency, but the machinery as a whole is working well."

Oclar skimmed the results before nodding. "That is good. Have we had any other problems?"

"Nothing we haven't been able to deal with. Our resources have been restricted but that has been easy to work around," she explained.

The Doctor held out his hand. "May I have a look?" he asked Oclar, who handed the paper over without hesitation. His eyes skimmed over the readouts quickly, looking for anything that stood out to him.

Danni, on the other hand, was looking over the main control bank with an almost hungry gaze. "What about the hibernation chambers?" she asked. "Are you having to divert power from them to power the extraction hardware?"

"Only a small amount," Ramka replied. "We have enough in place to not need to power down any more of the hibernation for now, however if we work at this strength for much longer we will have to divert more power."

"Is there anyone left in the chambers?" Danni asked. "You could raise the temperature they're being stored at, that would probably save some power." She grabbed the paper from the Doctor's hands. "You're holding them at optimum temperatures, correct? What about raising it up to the minimum? It doesn't leave much of a margin for error, but if you're wanting to keep the extraction speed up, you could definitely survive it."

Ramka turned to Oclar, who gave her a nod. "Start raising the temperature," he instructed. "Don't go to the minimum yet, but start the process."

With a soft bow of her head, Ramka headed off to do her job. Jack watched her walk away before turning to Danni, grinning. "Look at you! Since when did you talk shop?"

She shrugged. "Again, I had a lot of time on my hands," she said as if it was a question she'd been asked often. "I had a lot of books to read. Can't stay stupid forever, can I?"

Jack frowned. He'd never called her that, no one he knew would. She'd just never been very technical but she was far from stupid. "Danni, did Miss—"

"Shall we take a look at the hibernation chambers?" the Doctor interrupted loudly. "We should check them anyway, just to ensure they're fully functional."

Oclar agreed, leading the way. Danni was hot on his heels and her eagerness at seeing the machinery was almost tangible. The Doctor shot Jack a glare.

"Tact was never your strong suit, was it Captain?" he muttered.

"How long was she with Missy, exactly?" Jack asked in reply.

"I don't know," the Doctor replied. "She won't say. I'm not sure she even knows." His gaze hardened. "But bringing it up in the middle of a crisis is not exactly the best idea, is it? I won't have you upsetting her."

With that, he stormed over to her side, nodding as she pointed out one of the mechanisms that was keeping the hibernation chambers running. Jack shook his head before following. He was going to get to the bottom of what happened, but unfortunately the Doctor was right. There was a war about to break out and he really needed to focus.

Then he'd work out just how exactly to confront the Doctor about his attitude. He had always thought he had first call on her time and her wellbeing. Not a chance.

~0~0~0~

The Doctor, Danni, Jack and Oclar were deep in the bowels of one of the hibernation machines when General Veldac's aide entered the control room. Danni was rather enjoying being told about the intricacies of how the machines maintained the prolonged sleep, but the trios attention was pulled away the voice of the aide.

"Well?" Partock asked.

"The humans have called in troops," the aide told his commanders. The Doctor strode out first, watching over the little gathering who were doing nothing to hide their conversation.

"We suspected this would happen," Partock explained. "Does the General understand what he has to do?"

"Yes, Partock."

"Good."

That didn't sound right at all. The Doctor walked over, a frown on his face. "I do hope you're not planning to attack," he said. "There will be no more bloodshed, not on my watch."

"Attack them, Doctor?" Partock asked, looking slightly amused. It didn't help the situation. "Far from it."

He watched her for a moment, waiting for more information, but none came through. "I thought you were going to make this harder for me," he said bluntly. "I'm glad you're not." He turned to Oclar. "We need to stop them taking their first treatment of Fire Ice away from here," he explained. "If we have any chance of sorting this mess out and making a deal then—"

"We're not going to stop them, Doctor," Partock interrupted. "We're going to let them take it away."

"Let them?" Jack asked. "Why would we do that? There's no way they're going to believe that you're going to give it up and not have any comeback."

"The General will make it look very convincing, but the humans will escape with their precious fuel."

"I don't understand, daughter…" Oclar said slowly, looking confused.

"I do," Danni declared. She knew that look on Partock's face. The look of arrogance. The look of someone who had won. "What have you done to the fuel?" A small smirk appeared on the young Silurian's face and Danni's hands clenched. She knew it. "You attacked Bob by the barrels. You weren't looking to take the fuel back, you were looking to do something to it. What did you do?"

"Partock, is this true?" Oclar asked his daughter, who continued to look smug.

"You can't just harm innocent people!" Danni exclaimed. "The actions of one person never justify hurting the innocent! What the fuck have you done?!"

"I've added an artificial boosting agent to the barrels," Partock said smugly.

Oclar went pale. "Dear Maker…"

"What will it do?" the Doctor asked urgently. "Tell me!"

"I will change the rate at which the fuel is released from the ice. It will speed up the process a thousand times," Oclar explained, his voice shaking.

"And what will that mean?"

"Huge quantities of greenhouse gases will be released. It will speed up the warming of this planet. It will do precisely the reverse of what the humans hope this fuel will achieve!"

Jack turned to Partock, his face contorted in ager. "You'll destroy every piece of life on this planet!" he exclaimed. "Not just humans, but animals, plants, everything! Genocide on a scale this galaxy has never seen!"

"It will return this planet to a state where we can live properly," Partock roared. "When we extract the rest of the fuel and I add the boosting agent, it will return this planet to how it was in our own time! This is the gift that I give to the humans."

"That's not how things work!" Danni exclaimed. "You stupid girl!" The Doctor grabbed her arm, pulling her back before she could stride forward and grab Partock. "You can't just do a rolling reset! Time moves on, planets move on! Nothing can go back to how it was, especially with the mass changes the Earth has gone through! You've damned everyone!"

"We need to get in touch with Pelham," Jack stated. "Oclar, stay here and keep the calm. We're going to head to the surface and try and fix this."

The Doctor, normally, wouldn't have appreciated Jack telling him what to do. However time was short and he was sure he could get his own back later on, after the catastrophe had been avoided. The three headed towards the lift.

Partock stepped in their path. "Foolish apes!"

Before anyone could react, her tongue spat for her mouth, hitting Danni's neck first, then the Doctor's and then Jack's. The effect of the venom was instant. Jack dropped dead, and the Doctor and Danni crashed to the ground next to him.

~0~0~0~

"Oh, my head."

The Doctor forced his eyes open, his head pounding like he'd had a large rock dropped straight on it. And he could vouch for that feeling. The light of the room was dull, but still incredibly too bright.

Oclar appeared in his vision looking rather concerned. "Take it easy, Doctor. You're still very weak," the Silurian said.

"Very weak?" He sat up slowly. "You can say that again. I should be dead. Weak is a plus." He looked around the room. Danni was still unconscious next to him, but he could tell almost instantly that she was alive. Jack was with the rest of the scientists working on the machinery. It was good to know that he wasn't stupid enough to go after the Sea Devils on his own. The Doctor really did have his doubts.

"She is still young, it takes time for the venom sacks to reach full strength. Across the three of you the venom would have been very diluted. You were lucky."

"Tell that to my head," the Doctor grumbled, giving his limbs a stretch before rolling sideways. He crawled the incredibly short distance over to Danni, giving her a quick look over. She had a mark on the side of her neck but otherwise she seemed fine.

"Your military friend was up almost straight away," Oclar continued. "Your mate, though, would have received the most venom so she may be unconscious a little longer."

The Doctor nodded, having already figured that out. He placed the back of his hand against her forehead, running it down her cheek. She didn't have a fever or anything. "How long have I been out?"

"An hour, maybe more."

He nodded again. That sounded about right. As he stood up Jack noticed the movement, walking over with a last word to the scientists at the helm.

"I was wondering when you would get up," he said almost teasingly. "I thought you Time Lords were supposed to be early risers."

"Danielle very rarely gets up early," the Doctor replied. "Have the Sea Devils headed upwards?"

Jack nodded. "I did think of stopping them but, well, I don't exactly like to die that often."

The Doctor could agree with that, and he'd only had a fraction of the deaths he knew Jack would suffer through. "We have to contact Pelham."

"I've been trying just that, but the systems are pretty airtight," Jack explained. "I'll need a little longer but I should be able to hack…"

"No."

They both turned at the grumbled word and saw Danni coming back to consciousness. She looked incredibly groggy but she was very quickly coming back alert. "No," she repeated. "No, no, no."

Her hands went out to her sides as she tried to push herself up off the floor. She'd not gone to sleep, she would have remembered going to sleep. All she remembered was having an argument with a young Silurian and then… and then what?

Nothing could make her panic more than not knowing how she'd fallen asleep. It was a dirty trick that was always used to disorientate her and the worst part was that it always worked. Her brain always felt sluggish, her wits not quite as about her as she would have liked. She could see the Doctor and Jack looking at her in concern but that didn't reassure her. If anything it put her on edge.

The Doctor quickly stepped forward to help her stand steady but she pushed him out of the way. "No," she said forcefully before her hand went straight to her pocket. She could feel the gun and she needed to use it. Had she really been wrong? Had she always been sleeping?

"No, Danni, it's okay," the Doctor was quick to reassure her. He could see where her mind was heading, he could feel the panic coming from her and he knew the source. "Partock tried to poison us. You've been unconscious but you are fine."

Jack was stunned as she pulled the gun out, her hand clenched around the barrel. She wasn't going to shoot any of them, but she was going to use it to attack the Doctor with, like a blunt weapon. "Get away from me."

Her words hurt, but that was because he knew they came from a place of fear and not actually wanting him to get away from her. At least this time he knew how to reassure her. He reached out as she raised her gun to hit him, giving her the same blast of himself as he had done in the bedroom.

Her arm immediately fell to her side and she met his gaze, almost fearful of believing him. But his eyes were always kind and she knew that Missy couldn't replicate that. So she looked around, seeing the calm Silurians working away and Jack watching them both closely. Partock was heading towards them.

"Where are our Sea Devil friends?" she asked, trying to sound less like she was coming down from being absolutely terrified.

"General Veldac is leading his troops," Partock explained. "You humans must be stronger than you look," she continued. "I thought that I had killed you all."

"Well, me and my wife aren't human," the Doctor piped up with a rather large hint of exasperation in his tone.

"You don't look any stronger than any of us," Danni added with a snap. "And we never tried to kill you, so I can definitely say that we're ahead of you on all fronts."

Partock bristled. "Careful. I have told the General to leave most of the apes alive on the surface. It will make their escape look more convincing. But I can always change those orders."

"Yes, you probably can," the Doctor replied tiredly. "You don't need to do this, Partock. I can fix this mistake, you know."

The young Silurian ignored him and unclipped a communicator from her belt. "General, are you ready to start your attack?"

"Yes, Partock." As Partock turned away, the Doctor's eye dropped to the whistle-like device on her belt.

"The Myrka control," he muttered to himself.

"What are you planning?" Danni muttered in reply as he pulled her a little closer.

"Something inconspicuous," he replied. "Or, rather, you are." He reached into his pocket and pulled out her sonic screwdriver. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Where did you get that?" she asked. "I left it…"

"I've told you about putting it down, haven't I?" he replied. "See on her belt?" Danni looked over and saw the control on Partock's belt.

Danni nodded and shared a cheeky smile with him. He slipped her the sonic as Jack's mind quickly worked out what they could be doing. "I like how you think, Doc," he said quietly.

"What are you up to, Doctor?" Oclar whispered. "If my daughter suspects anything…"

The Doctor grinned. "I know how to stop her. You'd better cover your ears, Oclar, it's going to get noisy around her."

"Why couldn't you use your glasses? I thought they were just as good as the screwdriver," Danni asked him.

"They are," he defended lightly. "Trust me?"

She nodded. "Of course."

"This could be painful," the Doctor told them. "And it might take her a moment to get the frequency right. Get ready."

In response, Oclar and Jack covered their ears. The Doctor gave Danni a nod and she raised the screwdriver, pointing it at the signalling device on Partock's belt. She quickly set it off. The noise that filled the undersea base was deafening. The Silurians reeled in pain, clutching at their heads.

Partock turned, hatred in her eyes. "You again!" she screamed. "This time I will kill you all!" She reached for her heat gun and scrambled to turn off the screaming device at her belt.

Danni still wasn't sure why he'd asked her to do it. Probably something to do with giving her control over the situation, but she didn't question it. She just did as he asked. She quickly adjusted the screwdriver, sending the whistling from the control higher and higher until she could barely hear it. Jack was gritting his teeth and she could feel it deep in her head, but the effect on the Silurians was pretty instantaneous. The moment the frequency was hit they dropped to the floor, unconscious.

Danni quickly turned the sound off. "That was awful," she declared. "Can we never do that again?"

"I think we can all agree to that," Jack replied. "Plan?"

"You are going to wake Oclar and move the bodies into the hibernation chamber," the Doctor instructed as he walked over to Partock, picking up the signalling device. "We're going to…"

"Captain?" A voice called, crackling slightly. "Are you there?"

Oclar groaned, coming to and Jack was quick to help him up to his feet. Danni grabbed the communicator from just next to Partock's outstretched hand.

"Hello, Lizzie?" Danni asked. "Jack's kinda busy. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I'm out on the ice sheet with lots of unconscious sea-lizard thingies—"

"Sea Devils," Danni corrected.

"Sea Devils," Lizzie repeated. "Is that your doing?"

"Well, it was a team effort," Danni replied. "Are they definitely all out cold?"

"Cold and getting colder by the minute."

"Any sign of Pelham?" the Doctor asked.

"Getting ready to leave with his precious barrels."

Just as the Doctor had suspected. Nothing was going to stop Pelham taking his fuel that wasn't worth his attention. They had to catch his attention. He took the communicator off Danni. "Lizzie, I have a job for you," he started. "Pelham can't leave with the Fire Ice, it's been tampered with. If even a drop is used then the effects won't be reversible. You need to get the bomb back into the power room."

"I thought you were against the bomb?" Lizzie reply.

"Not against, exactly, more… more… well, yes, alright, I'm always against any sort of weaponry. It only ever makes a situation worse."

"So why do I need to get the bomb?"

"Because we're making the situation worse," the Doctor retorted. "Do whatever you have to but we can only save everyone with your help. Can you do that, Lizzie?"

There was silence for a moment. "I'm on it, Doc."

"Don't call me that," he snapped before chucking the communicator to Jack. "She learnt that off you. All you are is a pain in my side, Harkness."

"You'd not have me any other way," Jack replied with a grin. The Doctor rolled his eyes – that was incredibly debatable – but he didn't have time to argue. He linked his finger through Danni's and began leading her into the hibernation chamber. She couldn't help but stare at the way he held her hand. She really liked it. She hadn't liked anyone holding her hand for such a long time.

"What are we doing?" she asked.

"Counter question," he replied. "We have a bunch of trigger happy humans topside and almost as many angry Sea Devils with them, all of which are unconscious but could come back to life at any minute. What do we do to keep them apart and from killing each other?"

"Distract them both," Danni replied as they approached the end of the chamber and out into a passage carved from the rock. "Give them both something to think about apart from each other."

"If we throw something at the Sea Devils they'll just tear them down without a thought," the Doctor pointed out.

"Then you need something bigger," she countered. "Something that they can't fight against. Or, rather, something they can all be evenly matched against."

The Doctor nodded. "Something that won't kill them, but will keep them too busy to kill each other, right?"

They came up to a stone wall. "Yeah, something like that," she agreed. "It'd have to be big to be able to withstand an attack from the Sea Devils." The Doctor pulled out his sunglasses, popping them on and her brows furrowed. "Something you can stop going too far," she continued, slower this time. "Something that we know works… What are you planning?"

He raised the sunglasses so she could see the glee in his eyes that went along with the grin on his face. "What do you think, Danni-Girl?" he asked before lowering them back down. A quick buzz caused green light to spread across the rock like a large crack running from top to bottom. The stone slowly split, revealing another long stone passage.

"It's the military part of the base," he told her before he hurried forward. They came up to a narrow walkway that overlooked a vast underground chamber. It was dark, but a quick press on a control on the metal rail that stopped them tumbling over the edge solved that.

"That's pretty cool," Danni said appreciatively as they looked over the controls and machinery in place that was there to keep the Silurian race continuing long after the planet tried to break them down. "Trying to survive even as everything tells them they shouldn't."

"Sounds like someone I know," he replied suggestively.

"Oh, hush you," she scolded lightly. "Now is not the time for flirting. That's later." She looked back down over the side. "It's a shame this never seems to work. Even Vastra, who found a home in London, could never fully integrate. One day they'll get their act together, won't they?"

She looked at him expectantly because he knew a lot more about the universe than she had been able to learn. He didn't have an answer, though, because no matter how much he'd seen there was infinite more than he didn't even know.

"Have you worked it out, yet?" he asked instead. She nodded.

"They're just sitting there waiting to be released," she replied. "May as well put them to good use."

He raised the signalling device, pressing the button on the top. The chamber was suddenly filled with shattering roars as the machinery began to shut down. Far below them huge creatures stirred in the slowly swirling vapour that was being released from the chambers the cavern held. Huge creatures that the Earth had not seen for millions of years.

"Your own little army, eh?" Danni teased as the Myrkas slowly woke from their forced slumber. She looked up at him with a smirk and a knowing look. "Some things never change, do they?"

She turned back to watch the Myrkas break out of their holds, so missed the horror that flashed over his face. His blood ran cold, his brain stuttered to a halt.

"I don't want an army!" the Doctor shouted, grabbing at the bracelet around his wrist. Missy took hold of his wrist before he could take it off, though.

"Well, that's the trouble! Yes, you do!" she shouted back.

Danni then looked back at him. "That's definitely something Missy could never get right, you know?" she told him.

"Oh?" he replied softly, almost shakily.

She nodded. "She would make you the leader of the army, but you're always anything but that," she explained. "A general who would make sure that not one of his soldiers took a single life? Who would rather not fight than fight dirty?" She actually chuckled. "She always made you out to be a man commanding from afar, but you're always right in the middle of the trouble. An unconventional general with the universe's most unconventional army." She turned around, leaning against the railings as the Myrkas broke free, waiting for orders from the owner of the signalling device. "I wish everyone could be as good as you."

"I have to be," he said, chucking the device in the air and catching it with the same hand. "I've got to live up to your expectations, my Pet."

"You can use me as an excuse all you want, but you know it's in your blood," she replied. "What's next, Mr General? How are we going to save the world?"

"By causing a distraction," he replied. "Many large, loud, impossible to ignore distractions."

~0~0~0~

When the pair returned to the hibernation control room, Jack and Oclar had moved all of the Silurians there and had started placing them back into their individual cocoons. Jack looked up from the pod he was standing by and shot Danni a grin. She gave him one in return. They could have done without the destruction and the anger, but they always had fun on an adventure together. She'd have to keep him around for a bit.

Oclar gently laid his daughter into her own freezer pod, hesitating as he reached for the controls. "She isn't really evil, you know, just… misguided. Angry about the way that fate has treated our people. Eager to put things right."

"She's not alone in that," Danni said. "You'd be surprised what people will do when they think they're being threatened with being the last of their race. Some people turn to anger, others to kindness. She just needs to see there's another path. She'll get there. Everybody does."

"It's a very human trait," the Doctor said. "You'll have to be careful about that."

It was with a smile that Oclar pressed his hand down on the control panel. A glass screen slid down over Partock's cocoon, and wisps of icy gas started to flood the inside. There weren't many Silurians left and they all made quick work putting everyone back to sleep.

"You know, there's no telling when you'll wake up again," Jack pointed out as they closed the lid on the last pod. "You could be under the ice for a very long time."

"I had guessed as much." The Silurian gave a deep sigh. "The time is not yet right. Not all humans are as willing to access the gift I offered as you, Captain. We are not ready either. I hope that when I awake the world will be a different place. And if I don't awake…" He shrugged. "Then perhaps that is for the best."

"I'll tell you what," Jack started as he helped Oclar into his own cocoon. "When you do wake up I'll be the first one there."

"It's a pleasant thought, but I know the lifespan of your species. We may be asleep for some time."

Danni dipped her head into the conversation. "He's not your typical human," she told Oclar. "You'll be able to find him when you wake."

Oclar settled back into his cocoon. He seemed a little nervous and, to be honest no one could really blame him. "Thank you," he said to them all gratefully. "It is a shame that we could not come to an understanding."

"One day you will," the Doctor promised. "I'll make sure of it."

"How long will you keep trying to teach these humans that you regard so highly?" Oclar asked him.

The Doctor glanced at Danni, whose face didn't hold much emotion at all. He knew her enough to know that the idea of a forced sleep wasn't going to be something she would be remotely happy about. He knew that she, despite how she acted around him, was still wary of the universe around her. Just waking up from an unexpected nap had completely thrown her perspective. He needed to show her that the universe was safe. He needed to make sure it was safe for her.

"For as long as it takes," he promised. Oclar nodded and Jack pressed the button on the console, and the glass screen slid down. As the icy mist flooded the chamber Jack turned to his daughter and her husband.

"There were quite loud roars coming from down the hall," he stated. "Do you have a plan?"

Danni nodded. "The Myrkas are going to keep the military busy until we can sort out Pelham. Then we get as many people off the base as possible. Then we're blowing it up."

"What about the Myrkas?" he asked.

"They're going to be instructed to bring the Sea Devils back down here," Danni explained. "The Sea Devils will know they're trapped and the only tactical move is to follow the rest into hibernation."

"So it's back to the surface, find Lizzie, save everyone and get home in time for tea," the Doctor rattled off as they headed towards the lift.

"Oh, just the same old, then?" Jack asked. "Maybe next time we can get together at a pub or something instead, Danni-Girl."

"Nah, trouble follows us around no matter what," Danni replied. "May as well embrace it."

~0~0~0~

Lizzie had managed to do exactly what had been asked of her. She'd stolen a gun off an unconscious sea-lizard-devil-thing and had retrieved the bomb from Pelham. She'd actually rather enjoyed having Pelham do her bidding, although if she never saw a gun again she wouldn't be terribly disappointed. The power that came from holding someone at gunpoint was rather nice, but at the same time the unsettled feeling in her stomach just said that it wasn't something she was cut out for.

She had made Pelham push the case of explosives back underneath the power cell just so he knew that this was really going to happen, then had led them back into the corridor. She raised the Sea Devil gun and aimed it at the lock. There was a buzz of power, and a ray of searing heat melted the lock into molten waste.

Lizzie nodded in satisfaction. That's just in case you had any ideas about getting back inside to disarm it," she told Pelham and his assistant. She fumbled in her pocket of her jacket for the communicator. She had the let the Doctor know that she was ready.

It was that brief lapse in Lizzie's focus that gave Pelham exactly what he needed. He lashed out, hitting the gun out of her grasp. It went flying to the floor, where Matt picked it up and pointed it back at her.

Pelham snatched the communicator from her hand. "You little idiot. Did you really think you'd get away with it?"

Seeing his boss about to rant and rave, Matt spoke up. "Mr Pelham, we should get away from here, sir. The bomb…"

"That captain and his friends won't set off the bomb until they know their little friend here is safe. So now I've got something to bargain with." He grabbed Lizzie by the arm. "You're coming with us. We'll fly back to the container ship and contact Harkness from there."

Lizzie protested the entire way, but she also knew that she wasn't really in a position to be making demands anymore. Without any way of countering the weapon it was best to let them continue to boast as they made their way to the waiting helicopter.

"I really have to thank you, my dear," Pelham taunted. "If what you say about the fuel is true, if it really is contaminated, then I might have come away from this with nothing. But that weapon could be a much more valuable source of income. PelCorp Thermal Weapons. It has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

Lizzie thought a lot of things about that idea, but didn't have time to voice a single one of them. A load, terrifying roar drowned out any chance of speaking. Out from the snowy landscape bounded a Myrka, lumbering towards them with its teeth bared in a savage snarl.

They turned to run, but another creature emerged from around the corner of the base, also ready to attack.

Pelham pushed his assistant forward. "Use the gun, man, use the gun!"

Matt, for all of his attitude, did not look remotely capable of actually using any gun. He raised it in the air but his hands trembled. Lizzie had to wonder if he would even be able to hit the gigantic target.

"No, no, don't!" a voice cried out from in the storm. "You won't do anything!"

Jack, Danni and the Doctor came barrelling towards them from the snow. "You won't do anything but make it angry," Danni continued. "Don't hurt…"

Matt ignored her. In fact, her instructions just seemed to give him a reason to shoot at the creature. The beam of heat seared into the Myrka's side, filling the air with the smell of charred flesh. It let out a roar of pain, rearing up. Matt seemed to think that this meant he was winning, so he continued to fire.

The Myrka turned, looking for the thing that was hurting it. With a swing of one of its huge claws, it went straight for the source of its pain. Matt froze on the spot as the claw was slammed down on him.

Danni grimaced at the sight of Matt's lifeless body. She had tried to warn him, and seeing a dead body was never pleasant, but what else could she have done? He had wanted to attack, he must have known the Myrka would have attacked back.

The smell of blood seemed to attract a lot of attention from the nearby army. Myrkas appeared, going after the injured member of their pack, ripping into it as they turned on each other.

"Doctor," Jack started, his voice low. "They're going to…"

As the Myrkas turned their attention onto the tiny people around them, the Doctor quickly pulled out his sunglasses. He pressed the button on the side, sending a loud signal out. All at once the roaring and fighting stopped, then they lumbered off towards the soldiers once again.

"What did you do?" Lizzie asked, amazed that she wasn't about to be eaten alive.

"I threw a stick for them," the Doctor replied. "Well, I created a sonic signal that the Myrkas will follow, so they'll do pretty much what I tell them…" He trailed off, looking down at Pelham and where Matt's body now was lying. "They were ordered not to kill anyone."

"Yeah, but we didn't exactly expect someone to do any actual damage to them," Danni pointed out. "It was the heat gun that did it."

"You tried to warn him," Lizzie offered quietly. Danni shrugged.

"There's only so much help you can give people," she replied. "Sometimes it just will never be enough."

In the distance, Jack could hear the sound of the soldiers starting their attacks again on the Myrka and knew their time was up. "Time to move," he declared. "The Myrka will clear the area and we can finish this here and now."

Pelham looked to Jack sadly. "Matt never questioned me. Never," he said softly, sadly. "He really did think I was right."

"He was wrong," Danni replied shortly. "Don't make that mistake again."

He nodded, actually as if he was taking her words to heart. That was a first, one that Danni wasn't sure if she believed or not. "Head to the helicopter," she continued. You and Lizzie get as far away from here as possible. We're going to finish it, just make sure everyone is safely away."

"You're not coming?" Lizzie asked, confused.

"We have our own transport," the Doctor explained vaguely. "Get clear."

"Thank you," Pelham said quietly. "I know that…"

"Don't thank us. This is your mess," Danni snapped. "Don't do it again." She turned to Jack. "Coming?"

"Obviously," he replied, as if there was another option. Leaving the pair on the ice, they hurried back through the base to the other side where the TARDIS was parked.

"I'm surprised none of the grunts realised what this was," Jack pointed out as the Doctor opened the door.

"That's humans for you," Danni replied. "Can't see what's in front of their face. Get in."

From high above the base they watched the helicopter with Pelham and Lizzie inside fly away. The troops on the ground began to evacuate the area. One by one the helicopters flew to a safe distance until the Doctor, who had the trigger in his hand, pressed the button.

The explosion was huge. The centre of the base blew out into a vast ball of flame. Sections of roof and wall were sent spinning high into the cold, grey sky. Seconds later, small fireballs started to blow the base apart room by room as the chair reaction sped up.

Once again Danni was hit with the thought that it never sat right. Much like when she'd watched Skaro crumble with Clara, she knew it was necessary – it was always necessary – but it never seemed right. So much destruction. So much pain.

One particularly large explosion caused the ice to crack and, with not a lot of support left, the base fell under the water. The noise was almost deafening but it seemed to start to settle pretty quickly.

The Doctor watched Danni watch the scene. He saw how unsettled she was becoming, how the sight was slowly distressing her. The moment he was certain their plan had worked he shut the door.

"Come on," he said to her gently. He took hold of her hand, walking her away from the door. Just like always, he had to wonder what was just the new Danni and what was the traits Missy had instilled in her. He'd work it out.

Jack watched them. The Doctor gently coaxed her away and she was distinctly shy and nervous.

"You've got a lot to tell me," he stated, giving neither of them room for argument. She was his family, after all, and he wasn't going to left out.

Danni shot him a soft smile. "I know," she replied.

"But not now," he continued. "Food, first. It must be dinner time." He walked over to the console and to her side, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. She tensed slightly but didn't pull away.

"You're buying," she retorted cheekily.

~0~0~0~

And that's the end of the book! I hope you enjoyed it. It wasn't much of anything, just a little romp XD

As always, go read the original. It's called The Silurian Gift by Mike Tucker. It's a Doctor Who Quick Read.

Reviews!

Guest - It is a book! It's not very long, 99 pages, so it's definitely a quick read. It's an Eleven only adventure I adapted slightly XD I'll get to Wiped Out soon, I just don't have a lot of free time anymore so I have to focus on Recovery. I'm hoping to get it updated this week, though.

serenitysaiyan - He is! He'll get his answers. And yes! Lots of hints, obviously, because I'm just a massive troll :P

Jojo - Thanks sweetie!

BlueFlame27 - Hehe I'm glad someone picked up on that line XD

AGBreads - Thanks sweetie!

bored411 - Thanks sweetie! I hope you liked this one too :)