Previously:
"Tell me Bad Wolf, has being human made you richer? Wiser? Did you learn anything at all? Tell us who to kill, your companion or your lover?"
Marion kept looking at Martha and James, she was speechless. It was just dreams, just a story, it isn't true and now she has to decide between her best friend and the man she loved.
Timothy pulled out the watch which was furious, shouting to protect everyone, he opened it and golden light flew up. It distracted the family giving Martha enough time to grab hold of Jenny's arms and spin her round to hold her back, grabbing the blaster to hold at her head.
"One more move" Martha snarled "and I'll shoot"
"The maid is comfortable with a gun" Baines jeered "wait no, she is not. I can smell the fear"
Martha moved the blaster and aimed it in Marion's direction "shoot him and I'll shoot her" she said "and then what would you do?"
"You would not shoot your precious Rose, your magnificent Bad Wolf" Baines sneered though the flicker of fear in his eyes gave him away.
"No I wouldn't but that's not her, that's Marion Smith a human" Martha said she felt a stray tear roll down her cheek. "I'll do it! I swear I will" Baines dropped the blaster and let James go, James ran to Marion's side and she pulled him into a hug. "Right everyone get out of here!" Martha shouted.
No one moved.
"Get out now before they try and kill you too!" That got people moving, everyone began to run as fast as they could. Everyone but Marion and James. "Marion, go just go"
"I'm not leaving you Martha, you're my friend" Marion said.
"Dr McDonald get her out of here" Martha said to James.
He scooped Marion up and slung her over his shoulder and walked out. Martha could hear Marion's protests and shouts; she also suspected that Marion was kicking James repeatedly. She held the blaster tightly and kept it trained on the Family.
"What happened to them? Mr Clarke, Jenny, Baines and little Lucy? What have you done to them?" she whispered.
"They have been consumed" Jenny said smirking.
"Gone forever, dead as a doornail" Lucy giggled.
"Get the gun" Mr Clarke ordered.
Martha turned round and ran as fast as she could ducking and dodging the scarecrows, her breath coming out in short puffs and she ran and ran. The Family were far behind her but she wouldn't put it past them to chase after her.
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James didn't put Marion down till they were in the school; he then reached out and began to ring the bell wildly.
"ATTACK! WE'RE UNDER ATTACK, EVERYONE GET READY!"
"James what are you doing!" Marion hissed "those scarecrows are not of this world, you're sending the boys out to die!"
"If it means we can protect you and the rest of the village I don't care" James said furiously before going back to ringing the bell "SHAKE A LEG BOYS WE HAVE TO DEFEND OUR SCHOOL AND VILLAGE!"
Marion closed her eyes and took slow breaths, counting to ten. She could hear the thundering footsteps of the boys preparing for battle and she couldn't stand the idea of any of them getting hurt or worse dying.
"Let them have me if it means we can protect the boys" she pleaded with James.
"No, I'm not about to lose you" James said "you told me about you losing a fiancée in battle well I lost mine to a murderer, I'm not going to lose you to those murdering cowards"
Marion let out a frustrated groan and pulled her hair out of its bun, there was nothing she could do to prevent this from happening.
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Timothy cowered in an alcove near the library while he heard everyone prepare to fight those monsters; he clutched on the watch tightly "what am I supposed to do?"
Beware
"Beware of what?"
Of her
He looked up sharply to see Lucy Cartwright holding her red balloon staring at him coldly; he knew that she was no longer the friendly girl who lived in the village.
"What have you got there?" she asked.
"Nothing"
"Show me little boy" she demanded.
Little boy? Well he'll show her he silently huffed "you're one to talk, you may be a big scary alien on the inside but on the outside you're nothing but a little girl and does she really want to see this?" he opened the watch and golden light shot out and a wolf howl could be heard. The girl screamed before running away.
He leaned back and sighed.
Find Martha and free me, we must save these people.
He got up to follow Rose's orders.
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Martha found Marion sitting in the store room resting her head against the wall.
"We got to find the watch and open it. We need Rose" she said instantly.
"Why? Why can't you go and find someone else to be your Rose?" Marion said "why can't you leave me in peace Martha? They're just stories"
"because whether you like it or not you are Rose Tyler, you are a Time Lady, you are my best friend and you do live in a time machine disguised as a blue box" Martha said grabbing hold of Marion's shoulders "now stop being ridiculous and lets find that bloody watch"
"NO!" Marion pulled away and walked to the other side of the room "those boys are going to die Martha all over some silly story. I just want to live a peaceful life. You're dismissed; I no longer want you in my sight after tonight"
Timothy suddenly burst in "there you are!" he exclaimed "Miss Smith you have to open this watch, you must be Rose Tyler" he held out a silver fob watch that caused Martha to gasp and sigh in relief.
"Oh not you too Timothy, can't you tell that this is all one big hoax? They're just messing with our minds, starting a war over nothing"
"Please you have to open it" Timothy said.
"I will not!" Marion stormed out of the room, head up high as she marched towards the front where the boys were fighting the scarecrows.
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"Wooooooooooooooolf oh wooooooooooooooolf, come here girl, over here, be a good wolf for once"
Marion inwardly shuddered at the sickening patronizing tone Mr Clarke was using; she could see James's jaw leap in fury and his knuckles gone white as he held his hands in tight fists.
"Come over here and claim your prize" Mr Clarke shouted. Marion peered round the door and she inhaled sharply, there stood the blue box of her dreams.
"That's the TARDIS" she could hear Martha say behind her.
"It's just a blue box!" James said in disbelieve.
"Bigger on the inside" Martha said. "We need to get out of here, quickly"
She felt James and Martha pull her away and she could hear Timothy jog beside them as they slipped out round the back and into the forest. She felt like a coward.
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They were huddled up in an abandoned cottage while James stoked a fire. Martha stared at Marion who wouldn't look at anyone while Timothy seemed to be whispering a caressing the fob watch.
"You make her sound like some sort of romantic lost princess" Marion said suddenly "as if she was Sleeping Beauty and Cleopatra put together"
"She's not like that" Martha said "not like that at all. You have to open the watch"
"Why are you doing this to me?" Marion asked tearfully "have I not been a good mistress? Was I not a friend? Why are you torturing me with this fairy tale?"
"You are the best of friends especially when you are Rose" Martha said "she is my best friend and I adore her, please give her back to me"
"She is as fantastic as she seems" Timothy spoke up "she is fierce and loyal, a true pack member, an alpha. She is like fire and ice, she is life and death, the sun and the moon…she is literally everything Rose Tyler shop girl and Bad Wolf"
"Stop it! Stop it, stop it STOP IT!" Marion shrieked tears falling down fast on her face.
Timothy held the watch out to her "just hold it" he said.
Her hand shook as she reached out and took the watch "she's asleep" she hissed "waiting to awaken"
"Why did she speak to me?" Timothy asked.
"Oh low telepathic field, you were born with it-" she gasped "is that how she speaks?"
"Half the time, the other half she's like any normal girl" Martha said half-laughing. "Now all you have to do is open it"
Marion glared at Martha, "you watched me fall in love with my work, with my boys and with James knowing full well that in three months time I had to open the watch! And you call yourself my friend!"
"I didn't know how to stop you! She gave me a list but love wasn't on it!" Martha protested.
"Falling in love? That never occurred to her?"
Martha shook her head "she's in love with this bloke, this man called the Doctor but he's gone and she never thought of anyone else that could take his place"
"So it is your job to execute me" Marion said. James walked over to her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. She held the watch up at Martha "I shall give them this and they can have her!"
"NO!" Martha and Timothy bellowed.
"Why not? If they want Rose Tyler then they can have her"
"It won't work Marion, if they consume a Time Lord, they'll live forever. They will take over the universe, breeding and killing everything else all across the stars."
Marion stood there in silence avoiding looking at everyone.
"Martha, Timothy why don't you wait outside while I have a little chat with Marion here" James said.
Martha nodded and herded Timothy out.
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There was an explosion not so far and Timothy flinched remembering his vision, Martha placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and he was bombarded of flashes; the geeky loner in school, the outgoing collage student, the peacemaker in the family, meeting Rose, Shakespeare, the future, moments of running from crazed aliens, a man who can hear the drums playing in his mind, a year that never will be, Tom Milligan –
They cut off when she takes her hand off of his shoulder and kneel beside him "are you all right?"
"Yes Martha, I am fine. I was just thinking of all the damage these creatures are causing to the village" he lied smoothly; he couldn't tell her that he saw her future.
"Don't worry she'll open the watch and stop them" Martha said trying to convince herself as well as Timothy.
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"Marion" James said "you should open the watch"
"No, I refuse to!"
James reached out and cupped her face "the world needs her, earlier I told Martha that I needed you more…but that was a lie"
Marion reached out and grabbed hold of James's lapels hauling him down to her level as she began to kiss him thoroughly; she broke away gasping "is this a lie?"
"No…what I meant was, the world needs her more than I do, I just didn't realise"
"I love you"
"And I love you too"
He wrapped a hand round the one that held the watch and they simultaneously gasp when flashes of their possible life came to them; a wedding, birth of their son his name Jack, the birth of their daughter Andrea, walking down the streets hand in hand, growing old and dying.
"that is our life" Marion said breathlessly "we can have that"
"No we can't, not really" James said sadly.
"I just want to be Marion Smith with her job and her life and her love" Marion sobbed "can't I be her? Isn't she a good woman?"
"She's the best, the very best" James said kissing every inch of her face "please, open the watch Mari"
She pulled away and glanced at the silver watch, her fingers tracing the clasp; she met his eyes and knew what she had to do.
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"Blast them into dust! Fuse the dust into glass and then shatter them all over again!" Baines shouted.
Clarke laughed beside him then he sniffed, the Family sniffed along with him when they caught the new scent, Marion Smith tripped over her dress and landed on the controls.
"Just stop the bombardment and I'll do anything you want. Just stop." She said tearfully "don't hurt anymore of my boys"
"Say please." Baines said.
"Please" Marion pleased.
Jenny took a deep sniff "wait Son of Mine she is still human"
"I can't protect them, I know that. Not for a moment," Marion pulled out the watch and held it out for them to see, "This is how he did it. Took all the alien and put it in here," she swallowed, "I'm innocent in all this! She made me Marion Smith."
Marion once again tripped over the hem of her dress and pushed down some more switches. Jenny rolled her eyes while the other three sniggered.
"She didn't just make herself human, she made herself an idiot." Jenny said.
"Same thing isn't it." Baines said.
"I don't care about this Rose Wolf person so here take the watch. It's what you need, take it and leave." Marion said stepping closer to the them holding out the watch.
Baines stepped forward and took the watch from her, turning it over in awe, "All that she is in this small device, hidden and locked away," he smiled and sighed, "At last." Grabbing Marion he shoved her back against the wall and hissed, "Don't think that saved your life."
Marion reached out and fumbled for one of the levers pushing it down.
"Family of Mine, now we shall have the lives of a Time Lord." Baines flipped the watch open and breathed deeply with his family, but nothing happened. The slow ticking of the watch, mocked him for a moment, "It's empty!"
"Where's she gone?" Marion asked trembling.
"You tell me." Baines snarled throwing the watch at her.
Rose caught the watch swiftly, a smirk growing on her face. She toyed with the watch for a while before looking up slyly beneath her fringe.
"Oh I think the explanation might be that you've been fooled by a minor olfactory misdirection, little bit ventriloquism of the nose. It's an elementary trick known across the galaxy, but it has got to be said, I don't like the hydro-cenometer."
The Family turned to look at her in confusion, but she ignored them and pointed to the power lines, "It seems to be indicated that you've got energy feedback all the way through the retro stabilizers and back," she tapped a large metal column, "into the primary heat converter."
She looked at the Family, noting their worried expressions with a dark satisfaction and found her smirk growing.
"If there is one thing you shouldn't have done, you shouldn't have let me push all those buttons. I will give you one word of advice. Run!"
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She wrapped my father in unbreakable chains forged in a dwarf star, tricked my mother into a collapse of a rising galaxy prisoned there…forever. She still visits my sister, once a year, every year, I wonder if one day she might forgive her. She trapped her inside a mirror, every mirror. Every time you look at your reflection and you see something move behind you, just for a second, that's her, that's all her. As for me I was suspended in time and she put me to work, standing in the fields of England over watching them.
We wanted to live forever.
And she, Rose Tyler made sure we did.
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She stood there at the doorway of the cottage in alien like clothes. A pair of black trousers and a pale blue jacket, he hated the sight of his Marion in men's clothing with her hair straightened and her eyes outlined with black ink. But then again she was no longer his Marion was she?
"Thank you" she said "for bringing me back, for looking after me and Martha"
"I didn't do it for you" James snarled.
"I know"
They stood there in silence staring at one another. She broke the silence "you could come with us…if you want"
"Why would I want to come with you?"
"Because it could be fun, because I want to say thank you"
"What about Marion Smith? What happened to her?" he asked changing the subject.
"She's still here" Rose said quietly "my middle name is Marion, she was always part of me"
"She was better than you" James said just as quietly. "you just changed but she died. She died to save the world and those little boys. And for me and Martha"
She had the decency to look ashamed, she then held up the journal that Marion kept and threw it on the table "it's yours if you want it…I guess this is goodbye"
He didn't say anything just glared at her as she left. He then grabbed hold of the Journal and hugged it to his chest, holding the last bit of Marion to himself.
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Rose walked up the hill silently, she felt her hearts shatter. She really did love James McDonald like Marion; he actually reminded her a lot of the Doctor in not only looks but attitude and personality. And now he doesn't want anything to do with her. She saw Martha standing there silently no longer in that maid's uniform looking more comfortable.
They stared at each other for a moment before they hugged each other tightly.
"Thank you so much for looking after me" Rose said into Martha's shoulder.
"Nah I did a rubbish job" Martha said pulling away "I helped him break your heart"
"No you didn't, you did everything you could. I should have realised that there was a good chance that I would. I always do fall in love with something or someone. Different levels though I'm not completely nuts"
Martha giggled and hugged her again "so glad I got you back" she murmured.
"Rose Tyler"
They turned to see Timothy standing there grinning.
"I wanted to thank you for your companionship and to say farewell" the boy said a bit stiffly, unsure how he'll do without his companion in the watch.
"No, thank you Timothy Latmir. Without you poor Martha would have never survived last night" Rose said pulling the boy it an embrace which he awkwardly returned. "you're welcome to come with us, you know"
"No thank you" Timothy said shaking his head "plenty of adventures to have down here…next year is a war, I saw it and I'm needed to fight it"
"Well then" Rose said pulling out the silver fob watch she resided in for the past two months and handing it to the boy "have this as a token of my gratitude"
The boy eagerly flicked it open and looked disappointed that it was empty. "thank you" he said pocketing it.
"Well then, best be off!" Rose said cheerfully herding Martha into the TARDIS.
"Rose!" Timothy shouted "be careful, because its coming you know. The darkness"
Rose froze; this is the second psychic she has met and the second psychic that had mentioned the darkness. Gwyneth had spoken of it before. The things you've seen, the darkness, the Big Bad Wolf.
"I'll be careful Timothy, I promise" she said before practically running into the TARDIS and slamming the door shut.
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It's been ninety years since then and yes he has seen her watching over him throughout his life, mostly in her future with various different companions. So he wasn't so surprised to see her and Martha standing away in the cemetery wearing the poppies, he smiled wearily out her and she beamed back. she was still his loyal friend even though she no longer lived in the fob watch.
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James McDonald fell in love again; he got married and had two children a son and a daughter. His son died in World War Two while his daughter married a man and had a son called Wilfred, Wilfred later on got married and had his own daughter who married and had a daughter called Donna…who was right now flipping through the Diary of an Impossible Girl, even more determined to find Rose Tyler.