Author's Note: Yes, I know, I'm slow. It's just been a hectic few months. I promise that I'm getting back into the swing of things. The season finale of season 3 really inspired me! Hopefully I can wrap this up in a chapter or two, and then I do have a sequel planned.

Chapter Nineteen

"So what do we know?" The Doctor quizzed as he began to restlessly pace the Tardis' control room.

Rose was leaned back in the comfortable pilot seats next to the main console. Jack, arms folded over his broad chest, leaned casually against the railing, and Jen, knees tucked up to her chest, was seated on the floor next to Rose's seat. All three of them looked expectantly up at the Doctor and his hyperkinetic movements across the main deck.

"We know that Rooney was working for an off-world company known as the Dannar Corporation, a company that specializes in DNA research and replication," Jen began.

"And that Rooney was supposed to deliver a method of manufacturing an unlimited supply of energy," Rose continued.

"And because he failed to deliver," Jack finished up, "he was killed for it."

"Which does tell us that whoever we're up against at Dannar, they're not going to be a terribly friendly lot," Jen observed, leaning her head back to rest against the seat of Rose's chair.

"But none of that explains why they would want me if they're building an unlimited energy source," said The Doctor as he ran his hands through his thick, dark hair in an agitated fashion.

"Well, maybe—" Jen began.

Rose tuned out her surroundings, allowing her head to fall back against the seat and her eyes to close. Snatches of the conversation round her filtered through her mind as her thoughts began to wander in an attempt to piece all of the information that they'd gathered together.

"…doesn't make any sense…"

Energy. What did she know about energy? She shrugged off the few vague science lessons that she could hazily remember from her school days and focused on what she remembered from her days traveling with The Doctor.

"…Oh, come on, Jack…"

And suddenly, a memory assaulted her. A memory so sharp, so fresh, that she could smell the brisk, cold December air. Rose's hazel eyes snapped open and focused on The Doctor's profile. "Pilot Fish!" she cried, suddenly.

The room came to a sudden halt, and everyone turned to stare at her as if she'd lost her mind. "Pilot fish?" Jen asked, lifting a brow.

Rose jumped to her feet and peered earnestly up into The Doctor's eyes. "Do you remember our first Christmas?" she asked.

He half-smiled. "It was our only Christmas," he pointed out. "And it wasn't exactly the most joyous of holidays, what with the Cycorax invasion…"

She nodded, a small grin tugging at her lips. "And what else was significant about that holiday?"

He looked momentarily confused. "I had just regenerated…" he began.

"Exactly!" Rose shouted, pointing at him. "Do you remember what you said to Mickey, Mum, and me out on the balcony, right after you chased off the Santas with your screwdriver?"

Jen and Jack were now standing together against the railing, looking back and forth between the two as if they were watching a tennis match. "Did you ever have the feeling that you've missed something important?" Jack asked.

"Completely," Jen agreed, nodding slightly.

The Doctor was silent, staring at Rose in throughtful contemplation. So much of that day was a misty blur for him, his mind clouded by the regeneration process. Slowly, though, he fought through the haze and began to remember the conversation that Rose was speaking about…

He remembered the pain. Sharp, searing pain that had shot violently through every square inch of his body. And, crying out, he had fallen back against the wall of the apartment building, only to have Rose, Jackie, and Mickey all rush to his side.

"What happened? What's wrong?" Rose asked, concern in her voice.

He grunted in pain, and forced his gaze to meet hers. "You woke me up too soon," he replied through clenched teeth. "I'm still regenerating. I'm bursting with energy." He opened his mouth, and a soft, golden mist had rushed out as he exhaled. "You see?" he continued through labored breath. "The pilot fish could smell it a million miles away. So they eliminate the defense – that's you lot – and then carry me off. They can run their batteries off of me for a couple of yeAAAHH!" Again a pang of pain had overtaken him, sending him across the balcony against the other railing.

"Ohhh…" The Doctor began, slowly. His eyes suddenly widened. "Oh! OOH! Rose, you don't think?"

"I do think!" she replied. "It makes complete sense. The DNA replication, and the unlimited energy source…"

"It does make sense," The Doctor agreed, again running his hands through his hair. "But that's madness! Utter and complete—"

Jen cleared her throat loudly from across the room. When both Rose and The Doctor halted in their tracks, she smiled sweetly. "How about you share with the rest of the class?" she asked, teasingly.

"Jen," The Doctor replied, pointing at her. "What is the key ingredient to a Time Lord's regeneration cycle?"

"Time Vortex," she replied, eyeing him quizzically.

He closed his eyes briefly, and made a face. "Okay, okay," he replied, waving his hand encouragingly at her. "The second most important ingredient."

Jen looked at him as if he'd lost his mind, and had completely forgotten the most basic of his Academy lessons. "Energy," she replied, as if it were a no-brainer. Sudden realization hit her a moment later. "Energy," she repeated, her green eyes widening. "Oh, my God…"

"DNA replication," The Doctor said slowly. "Otherwise known as cloning…"

"Make several thousand Time Lord clones…" Jen continued.

"Kill them, force them to regenerate…" Rose added.

"And you've got your own, personal, Energizer bunny," Jack finished up grimly.