"Let me go, I have never done anything to you." Ace yells out to no one trying to use force to break the long metal pipe she is chained to. "Graham, I know you will find me." She eventually breaks free taking the pipe with her and winds around the halls. She starts to hear someone walking the hallways after wandering around for a while. She gets ready to attack when the hand stops it mid air. "Graham?"
"Ace, thank god it's you." He crushes her in a hug and she drops her pipe. "I am so glad we found you." He takes her hand and she picks up the pipe. They turn the corner to see that the Doctor has a man pushed up against the wall.
"You are to never ever leave this place again or contact anyone unless you want me to contact my old friends, the Atraxi who are known to have a high security alien prison for the most dangerous out there. Or would you have the Oncoming Storm."
"The Oncoming Storm, what's that?"
"Ever heard about Demons Run?"
"Yes, someone with the help of a few friends destroyed a whole spaceship that held some headless monks."
"That was me when my friend Amy was kidnapped while pregnant with my future half Time Lord wife."
"That was y-you?"
"Yes, that was. You have a choice now, pick," the Doctor snarls, "you have already hurt someone I looked at as a daughter too many times. This is your last."
"I pick the Atraxi, they seem like the saver bet right now." Glitz shakes as he answers.
"Good choice." Ace and Graham are just standing there in shock at the Doctor as she reaches into her pockets and takes out handcuffs. After the Doctor puts the cuffs on she turns around. "Oh, Ace, I see Graham found you how brilliant." She takes hold of Glitz again who tried to sneak away. "Are you going to inform the others?"
"Yes, I knew I was forgetting something." He presses his ear, "Everyone I found her. The Doctor has who did it and he is in cuffs."
"What?!" Tegan and Nyssa say shocked that the Doctor has someone in cuffs.
"Come on Glitz, let's follow them on the ride to your new permanent cell."
"Everyone back to the TARDIS.'' Graham takes Ace's hand again and they get into step together.
"Ace when we get back, I want Martha to look you over." The Doctor talks behind her.
"Got it."
"Graham, as someone who had loved ones in this position before, it will be best if you don't watch."
"Ok, what about you Doc?"
"I won't either, I trust Martha. Keep on moving Glitz. Thanks to River we have the perfect place to make sure you can be safely delivered to the Atraxi." They arrive at the TARDIS.
"Whose that?"
"The newest member for the Atraxi to watch over, I think he would be prisoner one."
"I thought they would already have one.?"
"They do have a Prisoner Zero, who I helped recapture after he fell through a crack in space and time. Sexy pull up what your daughter made, we have who kidnapped Ace." The Doctor didn't have to say what else she already knew.
"Daughter?"
"Amy and Rory consummated their marriage on the TARDIS, so River or Mels, Melody depending on when you meet her, absorbed some of the energy of the time stream that is how she became part Time Lady." Tegan and Nyssa try to hug Ace, "we have to wait until Martha has looked her over."
"But Graham."
"I know he probably already hugged her, but we can limit contact with others. Martha?"
"I got it, come Ace.'' Martha shows her to the medbay.
"While she is looking over Ace, the TARDIS has saved every one of your bedrooms, I know Mickey you might want to go to Martha's. Kate, I am sorry if you don't have one yet. The TARDIS can show her archives. You will need more information on Glitz. It is everything I have ever known about him and saw him. It will probably be updating on the most recent encounter. As Ace is one of your agents, you will probably have to explain that he is in alien jail."
"Ok." Everyone but Graham leaves the room; he just stares at Glitz.
"He can't leave there, you should probably do something to keep you busy. I will be dropping him off first. The trip will take a while. Ace will probably need you and some sleep when she is done." Graham starts to walk off, "So you know the TARDIS will keep you away from the medbay she will either take you to your old room or Ace's, whichever she thinks is best."
"So where are you going to show me too, just wherever you take me, please bring Ace when she is done and where she will be most happy on here."
…
"Did he touch you?"
"I don't know when I woke up I tried fighting my way out of the room. I don't know how much time passed until Graham found me."
"Ok, I know this will be uncomfortable for you, but I will have to do this. I know you don't want to hear this part, I haven't done a full exam since my residency."
"Ok, can we just get it over with? I am ready to be done with this day."
"I understand," Martha starts the examination, "good news, well I think, there are no new scars."
"Thank everything."
"Now I am going to do an x-ray, the TARDIS gets the fastest results. Though I saw no new scars, I still want you to take everything I give you to be safe, and if possible I want you to follow up with your regular doctor."
"I will," Ace gets into the machine.
"You only have a sprained wrist, you may want to work remotely or take a vacation from work for a while."
"I will see if Graham will take some time with me."
"He will, he kind of blew up at the Doctor when she showed up."
"What?!"
"Yeah, he was worried about you." Martha finishes up the examination, "Before you see Graham who I have a feeling he won't let you out of his sight for a few days, you may want to see Tegan and Nyssa, they were also worried about you. Nyssa might have broken a few laws getting to Graham's."
"Nyssa?"
"Yes, Nyssa, Tegan was making the phone calls while Nyssa was driving."
"Wow, I better go see them now if I am free to go."
"You are, but first she offered me two different options, pills or a shot that has everything you need to take."
"Shot, I rather it be a one and done," Martha goes to her with a 6in needle and sticks it in her.
"Now go."
Ace walks to the control room, "Hey Professor where is everyone?"
"Ace," The Doctor runs over to her and gives her a second bone crushing hug.
"It isn't like it hasn't happened to me before."
"You don't always need to be strong."
"I am not ready to let go yet. Before I go to Graham I want to see Tegan and Nyssa."
"Turn around, they must've got a message that you were out." Before she realizes her two good friends have her locked in a hug the two of them are crying, Ace still trying to hold strong.
"Ace, we were worried sick of you, good thing Tegan also reacts fast, because we might have had a regenerated Doctor helping us."
"Graham was worried that much."
"He was afraid of losing you, he already lost one person he loves due to aliens."
"I will talk to you two later, I am going to find Graham." She walks away from them, "Okay please take me to Graham," she puts her good hand on the wall and starts to follow a familiar hallway to her old room. She walks in to see Graham looking at her old bottles of Nitro-9. "You may not want to mess with that, those are more sensitive then the current version."
Graham looks up and walks over to Ace who falls into his arms. "I can't remember the last time I was that rude to the Doc."
"I heard you read her the riot act."
"Oh Ace, from the time I figured out that you were gone until I saw you again I was running on fumes."
"I knew you were going to find a way to find me."
"Yaz may want an update, since we didn't know which Doctor would come, Nyssa made sure that she didn't show up."
"I'll send her a message."
"Ok," they don't move from the doorway, Kate comes around the corner.
"I don't want to interrupt, but I don't want to see the two of you except the meetings for a month, and I want you to see our specialist that we hired to deal with alien abductions."
"We will, hey Kate can you?"
"I already called Yaz when we found you."
"Thank you." An announcement on the TARDIS is made that Kate has a room for the night and that the Doctor is about to drop off Glitz, and that he is actually going to Stormcage and not the Atraxi."
"What's Stormcage?"
''A prison that is known for not treating their prisoners well and is only known for one escapee that was assisted by a blue box half the time."
"Ok, umm Kate I am really tired I am sure you are too."
"I am, I will leave the two of you to get some sleep." Kate turns around as Ace and Graham walk to her bed.
"Umm, I kind of want to change clothes, me too."
"We can burn them when we get home." Ace laughs a little bit at that. She gets into a drawer.
"She seems to have changed the clothes in here, some for you and some for me now." After they change and go to bed.
"Can I hold you?"
"Please, I don't know how much longer I can hold everything in from today." Graham wraps his arms around her as she starts shaking, he continues to hold her knowing that no words will help her. Eventually her crying stops as her breathing evens out and falls into an uneasy sleep. Graham kisses her head and he too also falls into an uneasy sleep. The TARDIS continues to sway everyone asleep but her thief who is blaming herself with what happened to Ace. Pacing around the console room she goes to check on Ace, but the TARDIS doesn't let her in.
"I just want to check on her." The machines make a noise that only the Doctor can understand. "Ok I will wait until the morning." The Doctor walks off, "If only I did a time lock on Ace when I last saw her. Though who would think Glitz would come for her after so many years; especially after my last threat to him." The TARDIS growls at her. The Doctor ignores it, still blaming herself. "I put her through hell as a young woman. She is one of the strongest people I know and the most forgiving too. I want her to be happy. How can I make sure she remains happy?" The TARDIS makes a noise again, "I know I know there is nothing I can do. Only she can make herself happy." After dropping off Glitz,the Doctor stays up all night pacing back and forth.
"What are you up to Doctor," Kate asks as she enters the console room.
"Oh hello Kate, good morning."
"Definitely better than yesterday morning."
"I can agree with that, so it's morning now."
"It is, you never went to bed last night?"
"I don't sleep much."
"I know that, but yesterday was an emotional day; you should've gotten some sleep."
"I wanted to check on Ace, but the TARDIS wouldn't let me."
"She was probably finally asleep."
"Probably with Graham. You know just a few weeks ago I dropped him and Ryan off."
"Time travel right?"
"Yes, so according to Graham I recently saw a few of you and according to Tegan I am supposed to act a certain way."
"A little cold and in a rush and touch them on the shoulder."
"Good good. I don't want to screw them up even more than I have. Especially Ace, it seems like what I mostly do to her is hurt her. She is like a daughter to me."
"I know little about your time with Ace, but I can assure you she is still great and if you are blaming yourself for this, stop. It's not your fault."
"What's not the Doctor's fault," Nyssa asks as she and Tegan walk into the room.
"What just happened to Ace."
"This was the work of someone who is sick in the head, and not your fault."
"Don't you think I know that, but if it wasn't for saving him when I was in my 6th body this wouldn't have happened."
"How many years ago did that happen for you?"
"Over 500."
"Wow ok, so by all accounts he should've been dead by now. You just love earth too much to leave us earthlings alone," with a wink Tegan gets up, "now let's see if we can give those two a breakfast in bed." The Doctor gets up and starts to run to the kitchen.
"I take it the Doctor likes your idea Tegan."
"I think she does, come on Nyssa and Kate," all three of them follow the Doctor, Mickey and Martha stumble out of bed and follow them.
"What are you making, Doctor?"
"I am making Ace's favorite."
"You remember her favorite breakfast."
"I remember everyone that traveled with me, favorite foods. Aren't you guys wondering where that food came from on your doorstep after your weddings?"
"Yes."
"I borrowed River's Vortex Manipulator to get it to you. Now, who wants to get the tray? Tegan over in that pan is Graham's favorite please get that."
"Ok." The group walks to Ace's old room. The TARDIS lets them in this time, but are greeted by a Graham ready to throw something at them until he sees who they are and just gives them a look that screams go away. They leave the room slowly. "I guess Graham isn't ready to wake Ace up."
"No, which is understandable. Did any of you get a look at how Ace was wrapped in his other arm?"
"Yes, he is protecting her."
"I am not surprised with how he was yesterday." They walk away to the console room. Graham's arm goes back around her and just lays there happy to have Ace back in his arms and that it didn't take too long to save her.
Sometime later he feels her stirring, "Morning Graham," she mumbles.
"Morning beautiful."
"I am not beautiful right now with the scrapes and probably swollen eyes."
He wipes some hair from her face, "I disagree with that, you are always beautiful in my eyes."
"Thank you," Ace detangles herself from Graham's arms and sits up on the bed. "How worried do you think they are going to be?"
"Considering a while ago they were here to give us breakfast in bed, I think they're pretty worried."
"They wanted to bring us breakfast?"
"They did, but you were still sleeping and needed your sleep." Ace looks in the mirror.
"You can tell I did cry."
"It's ok, I think everyone was expecting you to after everything that happened."
"Only two on this ship know my full history with Glitz, though I am sure Kate now knows if she found the file on Glitz. The TARDIS probably has records of everything."
"Kate won't say anything to anyone."
"I know," she turns to Graham behind her, "after I fix myself up, you want to head out?"
"Sure, I know I will have to stand back."
"So everyone is going to give me hugs again?"
"Probably, you matter a lot to us."
"Last time this happened no one cared."
"Now you have people who love you," Graham wraps his arms around her and she leans her head against his shoulder.
"I have had Tegan and Nyssa for many years, and Kate for a few."
"You have me, including my heart for a few months"
"That I do, for someone who didn't have too many people that cared about her for most of her childhood, to having a lot of people when she is an adult is something that takes time getting used to." She detangles from his arms again, ''well, boyfriend let's go," she grabs his hand with her good one and they walk out together. When they arrive, "mmm what is that glorious smell.''
"It's your breakfast Ace." The Doctor looks up, "Ace," she runs to Ace and Graham barely gets time to step away before he is also crushed. "I am so sorry."
"Why are you sorry, it wasn't your fault. If any of you are blaming yourselves stop, it wasn't your fault." She looks at Graham who just nods sadly. "Graham, do you hear me, it was not your fault. Since I was with you when it happened it is probably why I was saved so quickly."
"You are right Ace," Nyssa says, knowing all along that Graham was blaming himself. Ace turns around.
"Graham, it would've happened no matter what, you know my history with Glitz."
"What is the whole history of Glitz and you?"
"Tegan, I don't really want to talk about it. How about I walk out of the room, and the TARDIS can tell you. It is not something I am not proud of, come on Graham." She takes Graham's hand and they walk away from the group and head to the library.
"No need to ask the TARDIS.''
''What do you mean Doctor?"
"You can probably figure out what happened."
"Was she?"
"Yes she was. I found out after Mel left with him. If I had known, I would've told Mel to let me take her home."
"My god, did he do it to Mel too?"
"No, he did something else, as soon as I knew she was away from him, I threatened him. He obviously didn't believe me. Now he will. He had heard of the Oncoming Storm, and I showed him a bit of it."
"You only ever showed your worst enemies that part though."
"He hurt Ace twice in ways I don't want to imagine. I sometimes still see that young woman that I traveled with years ago. I sometimes see all of you how you were when I first met you."
"Even me?"
"You are a rare one Mickey, at first I didn't like you, but after all you did for Jackie when I accidentally took Rose away for a year."
"You were never good at taking people home were you?"
"No, I wasn't."
"That is why I am making sure I double triple checked the date and made sure she knew to land the day I took you. I don't want August to age a single year without his parents." With that she walks off to go find Ace and Graham.
"She has been through a lot hasn't she?"
"From what I can gather, Graham and Ryan just left her, and before that she was in jail for 10 months. Shortly before she regenerated she had lost a few companions in near succession, one due to the Master and Missy."
"Wait a minute, the Master was also a woman?"
"Yes, Nyssa she was. She is the one that had Cyberman come from the dead." They hear the TARDIS land, Martha goes and checks the screen.
"We landed 2 hours after we left. Does someone want to go get the other three? I want to see my son."
"We're right here Martha," Ace turns to The Doctor, "it's time for our first proper goodbye Professor." Ace hugs The Doctor.
"Our first?"
"Woopse, forget I said that." Ace walks out of the TARDIS everyone says their goodbyes.
"Graham."
"Doc, I am sorry for yesterday."
"No need, I just have to remember how to act next time I see you guys."
"You won't see me that much, that is all I am going to say. Just so you know we all are your fam." Graham runs out, "Ace wait up," she stops and turns around. The Doctor watches how his arm goes around her and they walk off to meet with everyone.
"I wish I could find someone for you Kate; after all is all I should do after what your dad and grandfather have done for me. The Lethbridge- Stewart's one of the best families in London. With that the Doctor starts up the TARDIS to go pick up Yaz.