2011

"Do you know what you have to do?" my sister asked.

I nodded, and picked up both of the blue journals and my sonic screwdriver. I grabbed a small knapsack from Jenny's chest and tucked the journals inside. I then quickly shoved my sonic into my pocket and looped my necklace back over my neck.

Jenny placed a hand on my cheek. "I am sorry. I wish there was more I could do."

I shook my head, and smiled. "Guess you'll be the first to know if she finds me, right?"

She gave me a soft smile, and kissed my cheek. "I love you, sister."

I blinked back tears and gave her a tight hug. "I love you, too."

We were quiet as she pulled out the Vortex Manipulator and handed it to me.

"I'm glad I took Jack's advice and never took it off—even after the crack was closed." She let out a bitter laugh. "Wonder if he knew about this."

I swallowed and looked up at my sister. She had on a brave face, but I could feel her fear and anguish over saying goodbye to me with the possibility of never seeing me again.

I gave her a warm smile. "Do something for me? Before Mum and Dad come to get you...if I'm not with them…"

"Don't say that," she murmured.

I gave her a reassuring grin. "If I'm not—will you go to Nathan?"

"Mara, he thinks you're suffering from a bad brain injury," Jenny whispered.

"I know," I said. "But would you tell him…" My voice seemed to die in my throat, so I tried to send her my feelings instead.

She smiled, and squeezed my hand. "Yeah. Promise."

I kissed her cheek, and stepped back. "Well…this is it."

"Good luck." Jenny gave me a mock salute.

I grinned and winked. "Allons-y." I squeezed my eyes shut and pressed the button.

-TARDIS Child, Chapter 12: Breathe-


Date: January 3

Jenny swallowed down her fear as Mara pressed down on her Vortex Manipulator. She knew her sister was going to be alright. Or at least, she knew that there wasn't anything their mum wouldn't do to save her. She also knew that no matter how badly she might want to, she couldn't go with Mara. She had to allow her sister to go back to the 52nd century—back to Demons Run—to rescue them both on her own. If she didn't, she would cause a paradox. Again.

She closed her eyes. "Please," she whispered to whoever might have been listening. "Please bring them both back to us."

It was then that she felt her dad fully lift the dampening shield he had placed on his connection to her and Mara. She gasped when his mind finally reconnected to hers fully after 16 years of silence, and for a moment she was overwhelmed by the flood of emotions coming from him. He was a raging storm of fear and anger and worry, and for a moment Jenny lost herself in his whirlwind.

Dad, it's too much, she told him.

Sorry, love.

He took a moment to bring himself back under control, and she opened her eyes once their connection had settled. She could already hear the TARDIS landing in the other room.

What do we do now? she asked as she went back out into the main part of the house.

He stepped out of their beloved ship and shoved his hands into his pockets. We wait.

Jenny let out a slow breath. She wasn't very good at waiting.

He granted her an affectionate smile. "That you get from me," he said as he walked forwards to flop himself down on her couch. "You should hear the lectures your mum has given me on patience. Still gives me, actually."

She sighed, and sat down beside him. "Do you think they'll be alright?"

He was quiet for so long that she finally looked over at him. The darkness in his eyes did nothing to reassure her, but she felt his steely resolve. "If I believe in anything," he said, "it's your mum. If anyone can bring Mara home, it's her."

Jenny nodded, and leaned against him then. "Then we'll wait."

The two of them sat side-by-side on the couch for what felt like hours. They were silently monitoring Mara's emotions as the events of Demons Run unfolded once again. Jenny hated it. She hated reliving that day, and she hated the thought of her sister being there all the more.

Her dad squeezed her hand. "She's brave."

Jenny snorted. "She's reckless."

"She's a Tyler," he countered.

She chuckled, and they fell silent again. Jenny sucked in a sharp breath when she felt the Angels capture Mara. She could feel how frightened her sister was, and when Jenny felt the pain the Angels inflicted on her little sister to control her, she shot up to her feet. Pure rage fueled her to march across the room and slam her hands down on the dining table.

She was breathing heavily when she felt her dad walk up behind her. He placed a hand on her shoulder, and she flinched.

"I know," he said quietly.


Date: March 16

Jenny let out a slow breath as she shut her front door. It had been two months since she'd sent Mara off to the 52nd century, and her sister still hadn't returned. The worst part of it all was that she could feel everything Mara was feeling during her captivity. She could feel it when the Angels hurt her; she could feel Mara's terror that was always quickly followed by a pain so intense it left Jenny with migraines.

She wished there was a way she could at least contact their mum. If she could just ask if her mum was getting close to rescuing Mara, then at least she would know there was an end in sight. As it was now, this torture could go on forever.

She went to set down her groceries, and nearly dropped them when she felt it. Mara's elation, followed by her terror.

Jenny gasped when the light that represented Mara in her mind grew brighter until it was nearly brighter than the Earth's sun. Her sister was close by, she was free.

I've got her, her dad said before she could even move. She's hurt, but it's just scrapes and bruises. Let me take care of her, and then we'll come to you.

But—

Jen, please, he begged. I just want a moment alone with my daughter.

Jenny swallowed, but nodded. Alright.

Her head shot up when there was a knock at the door. She cautiously crept up to it, and glanced through the peephole.

She let out an exasperated sigh, and opened the door. "Nathan, you have the worst timing."

Nathan shifted his weight from foot to foot. "Is she better today?"

Jenny pulled in a slow breath through her nose, and let it out through her mouth. "She's doing well. You need to leave."

"But—"

She slammed the door in his face, and turned back to put away her groceries while she waited for Mara and their dad to show up. They would be there soon, she could tell that much. She could feel that her dad was excited about something, and sent him a silent question.

Mara has coordinates to your mother's location.

Jenny let out a breath of relief. That meant it wouldn't be long now before all four of them were finally reunited.

She put away the last of her groceries, and turned to look around her house. Her eyes roamed over the pictures of Mara and herself on the wall, the books and knick-knacks on the shelves and in the corners, and she was surprised to feel sadness well up from deep within her. She wasn't sure when it had happened, but somewhere along the way she had started to think of this place as home. It wasn't the TARDIS by any means, but it felt just as right to be here as it did in the ship.

She let out a half smile, and shook herself. This life was ending. She'd known that it would from the very start. She was a Time Lord—more than that, she was a Tyler—and she was never meant to stay still for long. It was like she had told her dad so long ago on a planet that was so far away from here, she loved the running. She knew that if she hadn't taken a job at Torchwood to appease that part of her, she would have gone mad long ago. And yet, the thought of leaving caused her chest to tighten uncomfortably and a lump to lodge itself in her throat.

She knew there were things about her life here she was going to miss. Like Jack and Gwen and the rest of the Torchwood team. She was even going to miss the more mundane things—like helping Mara with her studies and making breakfast for the two of them. She was going to miss jogging around the block at three a.m. and watching old movies on a beaten up couch she'd bought at a flea market.

She couldn't believe it, but she was going to miss domestic.

Jenny went to her room and pulled out the chest that she'd used to store the journal and her Vortex Manipulator in. She was going to have to ask Mara to give that back to her.

She pulled out her sonic screwdriver and gave it a test. She jumped when a light bulb exploded, and quickly took her finger off the controls.

"Guess I'm a little out of practice," she muttered.

She tucked her sonic into her pocket and turned back to the open chest. She rummaged around the books and papers until she found what she was looking for.

Jenny gingerly picked up the picture of her mum by one corner. She swallowed down the lump that had risen to her throat, and pulled in a slow breath.

"We're coming for you, Mum," she whispered. "I promise. No matter what's happened, no matter where you are, we'll find you. We'll save you."

She stood then, and started to make her way back out to the front room. That's when she heard it. A sound so awful it nailed her down to the floor and caused actual pain to fire across her synapses. It was a sound she instantly recognized—a sound that made her mind go blank with shock, and then erupt into a white hot fury that made her shake from head to toe.

Somewhere, far beyond this planet, her mum was screaming in agony.

She knew the only reason she could hear it was because it had pierced the very fabric of time and space, and that alone made her run for the door. Because if someone somewhere was causing that sound, then she had to stop it as soon as possible. She, Mara, and their dad needed to go now.

Jenny slammed her front door closed behind her, and rushed out to the street to meet Mara and their dad. "TARDIS," she said. "Let's go."

"Mara?" a voice shouted from somewhere down the street.

Mara turned to look at the source, and froze when she saw Nathan jogging towards them. Jenny groaned inwardly. This was not the time for this.

"Sorry, Nathan. Family emergency. I can't talk now," Mara said, and grabbed onto their dad's arm. She pulled him towards the direction of the TARDIS. "Let's get out of here."

"Wait, Mara, how do you remember? Jenny said you have a brain injury!" Nathan's face was so filled with hurt and confusion that Jenny almost felt bad for him.

Mara huffed and turned to face the boy again. "Well I got better. Goodbye, Nathan."

"But—"

Their dad stepped between Mara and the boy. "I believe my daughter said this was a family emergency. Goodbye." He grabbed both Jenny and Mara's hands, and they took off down the street.

Jenny let out a cry when another of her mum's screams pierced the air. Tears came to her eyes and she looked to her dad. "Dad, what's happening to her?"

He opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by another—louder—scream.

His eyes darkened, and Jenny saw it then. The oncoming storm was here. The Doctor was gone.

Fin.