Back again with a new, rewritten update. I've been a bit busy even with this darn cold taking its time on getting over with. So hopefully this some of this extra time on my hands, I just might get ahead on updating.
Disclaimer; Don't Own Doctor Who!
"Now. Delete them." The woman in red says to the Cybermen who are standing on either side of her.
The Doctor takes a step back, which causes Jenny, Rosita, and Rose to step back as well. As the Cybermen move their arms forwards, to prepare to fire, the Doctor twists himself so that his body is covering Rose's. Jenny seeing what her father is doing, does the same while trying to cover Rosita's body with her own. All four of them squeeze their eyes shut, waiting for the killing blow to be dealt.
Out of nowhere a blue shock wave rips through the air, sending the Cybermen to the ground as it causes electrical currents to flow through the helmet. These electrical currents kill the brains inside, and sends the now dead Cybermen to the ground.
Rosita, after hearing the screaming coming from the Cybermen, looks to where the blue shock wave came from. There, standing behind the woman in red, was Jackson Lake.
"At your service, Doctor." Jackson says to the doctor after closing the info-stamp.
"Shades!" the woman screams out in desperation. She is not ready to lose to these people, who she thought were not dangerous but turned out to be just that.
"Come on, time to go!" The Doctor shouts as he begins to hear the rapid pounding of feet echoing from somewhere in the tunnels. Taking hold of Rose's hand, he begins to pull her with him as he begins to run.
"Where is Jenny?" Rose yells to the Doctor, noting that the younger blonde was not running with them.
The Doctor and Rose both look back just in time to see Jenny punch the woman in the face. While Rose looks at Jenny with a smile, the Doctor can only show a small scowl.
"That is for my brother and all the other children!" Jenny growl out at the woman, who is now lying on the floor.
The Doctor, leaving Rose's side, runs over to Jenny and takes hold of her hand. "I completely disapprove, Jenny. Now come on."
The five of them run through the tunnels while trying to evade the Shades. They keep going till they find a little inlet on the right side of the tunnel.
"Down this way." whispers the Doctor to the others. He pulls out his sonic screwdriver and uses it to try and find a way out. "That stronghold down by the river. We need to find a way in."
"I may know of a way." Mr. Lake says to the Doctor.
Mr. Lake leads the group back out to the streets and towards a house on 15 Latimer Street. While they were walking to the location, Mr. Lake had explained to the Doctor how he knew of this hidden way in. Now, as they entered the cellar to the house, everyone is on edge and waiting to see if they meet any resistance. As Jackson turns the corner, he sees a Cyberman standing there as a protector. Yet before the Cyberman can attack, he uses one of the info-stamps to scramble the brain.
"Must've been guarding this." The Doctor exclaims as he runs over to look at the piece of tech in the middle of the cellar. "A dimension vault. Stolen from the Daleks again. That's how the Cybermen traveled through time. Jackson, is this it? The thing you couldn't remember."
"I don't think so." Jackson replies to the Doctor. "I just can't see. It's like it is hidden."
The Doctor, who is still checking out the tech, continues speaking without even paying attention to what Jackson had just said. "Yeah, not enough power. Come on!"
The Doctor runs off and away from the tech to head down the hidden entrance to the sewers. Rose, Jenny, and Rosita are quick to follow after him, yet again.
"What do the Cybermen want this time?" Rose asks the Doctor, staying close behind him.
"They want us. You remember, Rose; they are human beings with their brains put in metal shells."
"Of course." Rose whispers, remembering their run in with the Cybermen in the alternate universe the first time.
"What is that?" asks Mr. Lake as they came upon an opening that looks out onto the lair.
"It looks like an engine." answers Jenny .
"It's generating electricity. But what for?" The Doctor ponders, trying to figure out what the end game is for the Cybermen.
Rose is looking around to see if she can see where Jack might be, when she notices a cage hanging from a beam. "Doctor. What is that cage doing there?"
"What?" the Doctor looks up at the hanging cage. It looks out of place among the many chains that are hanging.
Suddenly a little boy's face comes into view, a very familiar face. One with brown wild, unruly hair; brown eyes; and a miserable look on his face.
"It's Jack!" Jenny exclaims quietly at seeing her younger brother.
"Doctor, what is our son doing in a cage?"
"How should I know. Probably was too much for them to handle."
Jack had heard what he thought was a sonic devise, so he glances out of his cage only to see his mum, dad, and Jenny staring right up at him.
"Mum. Dad." he whispers to himself.
Jack watches as the Doctor's mind gently brushes against his, reassuringly. He mentally lets his father feel just how hungry he is. So much so that his little tummy rumbles, remembering that it hasn't gotten any food in almost twenty-four hours.
"Is Jack okay?" Rose worriedly asks the Doctor.
"He is okay, but hungry."
"How are we going to get him and the other children out of here?" Rosita asks the pair, wondering just how the Doctor would know that his child was hungry.
"Don't know, but I have an idea. Jenny, Mr. Lake come with me. Rose stay here with Rosita." The Doctor says before running back down one of the large sewer pipes with Jenny and Mr. Lake right behind him.
With the Doctor gone, Rose watches as Cybermen come from every doorway to the room below. Then the Cybermen says something that makes her blood turn cold as they point their hands at the children.
"Delete."
"No!" screams Rose.
At that same moment, the Doctor enters the room, running. "Right, now all of you, out. That's an order! Every single one of you, run!"
Children begin to run towards any door that is open. Older ones are helping the young ones, to make sure that they aren't left behind.
"Mummy! Daddy!" cries Jack from his prison.
Rose looks up towards the cage and decides to try and save him. Leaving the pipe, Rose runs out into the room.
"Jack! Hold on." Rose calls out to him as she runs over to a pillar where a chain is hanging. Holding the chain tightly in her hands, she uses it to help her scale the pillar.
"Rosita, Jenny. I need you to get the children out of here. Now!" shouts the Doctor before seeing Rose climbing up a pillar.
Mr. Lake is using the info-stamps to damage the Cybermen so that the children could escape. As the last of the children pass him, he experiences a moment of Deja vu. Very softly to himself he whispered a name. "Frederic."
Rose makes it to the beam where Jack's cage is hanging from. Slowly she uses her hands and knees to make her way to her son.
"Jack, sweetheart. Don't move. Alright?"
"Mummy, I'm scared." Jack says as he turns in his jail so that he can see her.
"It'll be alright. I'm just...I'm just going to come out there and get you alright."
Jack nods his head and watches as Rose moves across the beam on all fours. Knowing just how far up he is from the ground, Jack refuses to look down or think of what could happen if Rose or he were to fall.
"Mummy." he whispers in fear as a time line appears in his mind, showing him what he is afraid of.
"Jack. It'll be alright. Jack look at me. Jack!"
Jack looks at his mother with tears running down his face. He knows what is going to happen before his mother does.
Down below, Mr. Lake has spotted his son standing on a platform that looks as if it is about to fall.
"Doctor! My Son!"
The Doctor stops halfway up the pillar and looks over to where Mr. Lake is pointing.
"Oh this is not good." he says to himself quietly.
He doesn't want to leave Rose to rescue their son all by herself, but he also can't let Jackson's son die if that platform crumbles. Making his choice, the Doctor comes back down the pillar and runs towards the platform. He reaches the platform and pulls the boy into his arms before heading back down.
Mr. Lake runs over to the Doctor and takes his son out of the Doctor's arms. He holds his son close to him in a tight embrace. Then the ground begins to move and shake under their feet.
"Right." said the Doctor, " time for you lot..."
"MUMMY!"
The Doctor quickly looks towards where Jack's cage is swaying and fear invades his mind. Several feet away from the cage is Rose, hanging off of the beam with only her hands keeping her from falling.
"ROSE!" The Doctor screams out in terror at the thought of losing her.
The Doctor quickly looks around for anything he can use to get himself up there. The only way he will be able to reach her is to climb up the pillar that he had tried climbing earlier.
"Rose hang on!" shouts the Doctor as he runs over to the pillar and takes hold of the chain.
"Like I have anything better to do?" Rose yells back while trying to keep her grip on the beam as tight as she can.
In what feels like forever, Rose finally sees the Doctor moving very slowly along the beam to get to her. With the Doctor taking hold of one of her wrists, Rose tries to pull herself back up onto the beam. Once she is fully on the beam, Rose realizes that the Doctor is closer to Jack's cage than she is.
"Doctor. What about Jack?"
"I'll get him. You get yourself out of here. Now! And don't even think about arguing with me!" The Doctor looks at her with anger in his eyes, though he really doesn't mean to.
Rose shrinks away for the Doctor and crawls back over to the pillar. Using the chains, Rose slowly climbs down the pillar. Making it to the bottom, Mr. Lake takes hold of Rose's hand and pulls her out of the room.
"He doesn't want to see you get hurt, Rose." he tells her on their way out.
The Doctor, knowing that Rose is safe, focuses on the task at hand. Getting his son out and to safety. He pulls out his sonic screwdriver before speaking to Jack.
"Jack. I'm going to hand you the screwdriver. I need you to point it at the locks okay?"
Looking down at his son, the Doctor tosses him the screwdriver. He lets out a sigh of relief to see that Jack has caught it. It only takes a few seconds before the Doctor hears something that makes his heart calm.
"Now Jack, very carefully move towards the side of the cage. Away from the door. Can you do that?"
Jack nods and moves to the back of the cage after pocketing the screwdriver. The Doctor wraps his legs around the beam, and very slowly rolled himself over the edge so that he was hanging upside down. He reaches an arm out towards his son.
"Now Jack. On the count of three, I want you to run and jump to me. Alright. One. Two. Three."
Jack runs and jumps out of the cage and towards the Doctor. The Doctor catches his son and holds tight to the boy.
"I got you. I won't let go." The Doctor says, pressing the side of his face into his son's hair.
Jack wraps his arms around his father's neck and holds on for dear life. As the Doctor begin to pull him and Jack back up onto the beam. The beam begins to shake and then it snaps away from the pillar on the other side.
"Hold on!" the Doctor says to Jack as he grabs hold of one of the many chains that hangs near the beam.
With a loud crack, the beam breaks free and drops out from under the Doctor. This leaves the Doctor, and Jack, hanging on the chain that the Doctor had just grabbed only minutes before. Using the chain like a rope, the Doctor begins to slide down it.
Jenny, while on her way out, had pulled a rod out of one of the transmitters the Cybermen were using within the tunnels.
"This could be useful. What is that?" Jenny runs as she hears the rushing sounds of water heading her way. Once outside, she sees a tall metal giant standing in the Thames. " Oh no."
Rose having exited the tunnels, sees Jenny standing in the middle of a dock by the river.
"Jenny, what are you..." Rose stops dead in her tracks when she sees it too.
"Mum, where is dad?" asked Jenny still looking up at the metal giant standing in the middle of the Thames.
"Getting Jack."
"Already got him." The Doctor's voice says from behind Rose.
Rose turns in surprise to see the Doctor with Jack in his arms. "Jack!"
"Mummy."
Jack wiggles out of his father's arms and jumps into his mother's waiting arms. Rose hugs him tightly to her and kisses his forehead. She is relieved to have Jack back in her arm again.
"Right. Rose, I need for you to take Jack and go take cover. Jenny? Want to see how it is done?" He winks at Jenny while twirling his his sonic screwdriver.
"Sure." Jenny says with a smile to make the Doctor's.
Rose and Jack run down the dock, go up the wooden stairs, and use several crates as cover on the stone docks.
Meanwhile the Doctor and Jenny run towards the T. A. R. D. I. S. that is tied down where Jackson left it. They work together to get it into the air and both are kind of surprised to see that it works.
"Seriously, dad. A hot air balloon?"
"Jenny don't start. Right, I need you to use the info-stamps power and transfer it into that rod. And stay out of sight while you're doing it."
"What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to distract that...that...that thing. Now stop talking and start working."
Jenny begins to work on the rod, but not before mumbling out. "I see Donna rubbed off on you."
"Oi!" said the Doctor. "Jenny you almost done?"
He sees that the metal giant has turned to face them.
"Almost. Why?"
"We have company."
The Doctor soon begins to talk to the woman inside the CyberKing. They through insults at each other and in the end the Doctor pleads with her, but it is of no use.
"Dad. It's ready." Jenny hands the rod to the Doctor.
The Doctor takes the rod and says two words, "I'm sorry." before using the rod to destroy the connection between the woman and the CyberKing.
Jenny stands up and watches, with the Doctor, as the metal giant begins to short circuit and fall apart.
From the ground Mr. Lake, Rosita, Jack and Rose, watch as the Doctor and Jenny defeat the giant. The crowds watch in awe as the metal giant falls back into the Thames.
"He did it." said Mr. Lake. "Here take him."
He hands his son to Rosita before climbing up onto a lamp post. "Ladies and gentlemen. I know that man. He has done this deed a thousand times and never has he been thanked for it. So I say: BRAVO DOCTOR! BRAVO!"
The crowd soon joins in with Mr. Lake in shouting their thanks to the Doctor.
"Why are they shouting for dad?".
"Because your father has never had anyone tell him thank you for protecting them."
"But dad has never asked anyone to."
"I know, but maybe. Just maybe it is a start of things to come."
Rose kisses Jack's forehead, and whispers, "Thank you. Doctor."
"Thank you, daddy."
An hour later, Jenny and the Doctor meet up with Rose and Jack by the Tardis. Their Tardis.
"How is Jack?" Jenny asks Rose as she hurries over to her mum's side.
"Sleeping. Here, why don't you put him to bed, Jenny. I need to speak to the Doctor."
"Sure mum." Jenny takes Jack from Rose and goes inside the Tardis.
"Rose..."
"No! Don't you dare, Doctor. We are a team. You don't get to tell me what to do. So don't ever..."
The Doctor reaches out and pulls Rose into his arms.
"I'm sorry Rose. I'm sorry." He kisses her softly before continuing on. "I saw you hanging there, and I let my fear take hold of me. I told you before if anything were to happen to you or..."
"But nothing happened." Rose whispers before placing a kiss on the Doctor's lips.
"Excuse me."
Both of them pull apart to see Mr. Lake standing there.
"I would like to invite you and your family to join us for a Christmas feast. If it wouldn't be much trouble."
"Not this time." replies the Doctor. "Places to see, people to meet."
"Ah, perhaps another time then." Mr. Lake looks past the Doctor and Rose to see the Tardis. "Is that it? May I?"
The Doctor nods his head, and Rose starts to laugh when Mr. Lake comes out and walks around the Tardis. He goes back inside, and is followed by the Doctor and Rose.
"Wow, sir. It is beautiful."
"Would you like to go on one trip?" asks the Doctor.
"Sadly, sir, I must decline."
"Ahhh." The Doctor follows Mr. Lake out of the Tardis, leaving Rose inside of the Tardis.
"So I take it this is goodbye." Mr. Lake says as the Doctor closes the doors behind them both.
"Onwards and upwards." replies the Doctor.
"Tell me one thing. Of all the facts and figures I saw of the Doctor. You were never alone. All those bright and shiny companions. What happened to them?"
"They leave, because they should. Or they find somebody else. Some of them forget me. But in the end, they break my heart." The Doctor says with pain in his voice.
"What about your wife sir, or your son?"
"Well, I lost her once."
"But you got her back. Don't take it for granted. The time you have with her."
"Never."
"Well then, Doctor. I wish you and your family the best." Mr. Lake shakes the Doctor's hand and says farewell for the last time before walking back to where Rosita and his son were waiting.
The Doctor opens the door and walks back inside the Tardis. As he makes it to the top of the ramp he sees Rose standing there in front of the screen. She had been watching and listening to him and Mr. Lake.
She looks up at him with tears forming in her eyes.
"Doctor." she says softly before running up to him and pulling him into her arms. The Doctor returns the embrace and buries his face into her neck.
"I will never leave you."
Hearing those words, the Doctor kisses Rose. It is his way to promise her that he will never leave her behind.
Jenny and Jack, who are watching from the hallway as their parents kiss, try hard not to let them know that they are there.
"10 quid says we get another sibling." whispers Jack with a grin on his face. Already he is seeing his mother's time line begin to fluctuate, though in a good way.
"You're on, little man." Jenny replies as they shake hands to seal their bet.
So there is the rewrite of this chapter. I still left part of the special out of the rewrite. Mostly because I didn't want to drag it out, which seems to be happening a lot when I do the rewrites. So hopefully you all don't mind.
Also, I have posted two chapters to Twisting Times, Bigger Changes, the third part of the Infinity Possibility series. I did this as a way to keep myself from getting writing fatigue during this rewrite. Go check it out and let me know what you think.
Reviews are welcomed, cherished, and loved.
Selene