Shapeshifter
Chapter 1
March 21, 2011
The man ran down the street trying to get away from the thing that was chasing him. He ran into an abandoned alleyway. The animal was too fast for him. With a loud crash, the creature slammed into the man. Before he could look around, it was gone. He stood up and suddenly felt a searing pain in his shoulder. He screamed as he felt his body tearing. He couldn't move his arm that was on the same side. He used his other arm and felt nothing there. Whatever was there had bitten a chunk of shoulder off of him. He winced in pain. Then the creature struck again. This time the man's arm was torn off and the creature ate it. The man cried out and fell to the ground. The creature continued its attacks on the man. The sounds of the evening in New York drowned out the screams of the man as the creature started to eat him alive.
After all of the screams were gone, there was only a pile of bones and gore. The sound of cracking and groans replaced the screaming. Now there was someone standing over the remains. He had the appearance of the previous man, but it wasn't him. His eyes shined red and returned to normal. The man wiped the blood off around his mouth. He snarled and bared his teeth. They were over and inch long and skinny little cones.
A woman walked into the alley and the man opened his mouth wider and wider. The skin tore apart and the mouth stopped widening. The woman's eye shined red as well and she opened her mouth as wide as the man's. Her teeth opened up and small cords of flesh flew out and latched onto the man's teeth. After several minutes, the cords unlatched from the man's teeth and went back into the woman's. They both closed their mouths and the skin that was torn healed instantly. The two looked at each other and didn't say anything. There was an understanding between the two. The female nodded and walked off. The man sniffed the air and snarled again. He took off running down the alley as evening gave way to night.
Waverly Place
Alex was walked out into Waverly Place on the Monday night of spring break after the sub station closed for the day. The air outside seemed different and sweeter. The Doctor had told her air from another planet might have seeped in by the rift in small amounts. That could have changed the feel of the air. She didn't really care it was nice. She walked down Waverly Place, but this night seemed different. It was strange. Her hair stood up on the back of her neck. Something was sending chills down her spine. She kept looking over her shoulder to see if there was anyone there. She took her wand out and was prepared to use it. A trashcan fell from behind her and caused a loud crash. Alex turned around and a blur flew at her. Alex then felt a searing pain in her shoulder.
Inside the sub station, the Doctor was sitting in one of the benches working on one of his many projects. That's when he smelled it. His eyes widened and he jumped up and bolted for the door. He exploded out of the Waverly Sub Station and nearly knocked someone over. He didn't apologize and just kept running. He wasn't going to be stopped. He turned the corner and saw trashcans fly and a blur rush towards Alex. He saw it bite her and then run away from her. He ran and crashed into the object. He caused the thing to fall over. He looked up and saw he was staring at the face of a man. The Doctor realized that it looked like a man, but wasn't actually a man. It was something else.
The thing stood up and howled at the Doctor, but was blasted by a blast of blue light before it could attack. The 'man' fell over and he breathing shallowed and his eyes rolled back in his head. The Doctor sniffed the air and found the man to be the source of the smell and knew instantly the man was not human. The man melted away into a puddle of goo.
The Doctor looked over to Alex. She was on her knees and holding her right shoulder. Her wand was laying next to her and she was looking down. He could tell she was in a huge amount of pain by the way she held her body. He ran over to her and knelt next to her. "Alex," said the Doctor.
She looked up at him between her long black hair. She was crying and managed to get out, "My shoulder's on fire."
"Okay, let's get back inside," said the Doctor.
"I can't move my legs and my arms feel weak. That's why I fell to the ground," Alex groaned.
"Might be venom," said the Doctor. The Doctor picked up Alex's wand and put it in his pocket, "Come on. Try to get your healthy arm around me."
All Alex could do was lift her arm at the shoulder, but from her elbow down was limp. She winced and said, "I can't."
"That's okay," said the Doctor. He grabbed her good arm and put it behind him and he slowly stood up, lifting Alex with him. He put his other arm behind her legs and lifted her off the ground. The Doctor carried her back to the sub station The Doctor kicked open the door to the sub station and carried in Alex who was now completely paralyzed.
"Doctor, I can't move anything," said Alex.
"It'll be okay," said the Doctor.
Justin was behind the counter and saw the Doctor carrying Alex and wanted to why. He then saw the tears in Alex's shirt and blood staining it. He ran from behind the counter and asked, "What happened?"
"She was attacked by some kind of alien," said the Doctor, "I need somewhere to lay her down so I can check the wound out."
"Where?" asked Justin.
"I don't know. Find someplace," said the Doctor.
Justin looked around and said, "Oh, come in here." He opened the wizard lair and the Doctor went in with him. Justin told him to put Alex on the couch and then he went to get Jerry.
"Alex, I'm going to lay you on your stomach on the couch, okay," the Doctor said gently.
"Okay," said Alex weakly.
The Doctor put Alex down on the couch softly and knelt down next to her and told her, "I need to get some things out of the TARDIS and I'll be right back.
Alex shut her eyes and managed to nod.
The Doctor ran off and was gone a couple of minutes and came back with a couple boxes of medical supplies. He laid several different things out on the table. He picked up a pair of scissors. "Sorry about your shirt."
The Doctor wasn't going to risk taking the shirt off so he cut it to see the wound. The Doctor could then clearly see the bite and it wasn't good. He smelled it and didn't smell any kind of venom, but that didn't mean anything. Alex's body was paralyzed. He took some kind of alien liquid and poured it into a towel. "This may hurt. I don't know if you can feel the pain though," the Doctor said as he pressed the towel on Alex's shoulder.
Alex's face cringed, but nothing came out of her mouth. Her face relaxed and she fell asleep.
Jerry walked in and saw the Doctor tending to the bite. Jerry walked over and asked worried, "What happened?"
"She was attacked by some kind of creature," explained the Doctor.
"What kind of creature?"
"It looked like a man, but Alex killed it in self-defense. It melted away in a pile of black goo."
"I have no idea what kind of creature can melt into black goo after getting killed," said Jerry.
"I unfortunately do," said the Doctor, "Several to be exact. Shapeshifters. There are many different kinds in the universe from all kinds of planets. Some are nice and most others are downright vicious like the one that attacked her. In essence, I'm kind of a shapeshifter myself, but I only change my appearance whenever my body is on the brink of death. Whatever attacked her can definitely change a lot easier and more often than I do."
"Shapeshifters are incredibly rare in the wizard world," said Jerry, "Are you telling me they are aliens?"
"Jerry, most of your magical creatures are aliens," said the Doctor, "But they have had the alien part bred out of them by you time wielding humans."
"What?" asked Jerry, "I don't anything about that."
"You wouldn't. The only ones that would would the higher ups in the government," said the Doctor, "Like on Gallifrey with my people. Most Time Lords never knew of the Guardians, namely the Black and White Guardians, but when a Time Lord becomes Lord President or Lady President, they are told about the Guardians and even have to go one missions for them. They sometimes hijack your TARDIS and send you on a mission to build the Key to Time and he gives you a condescending companion to help you. Then that companion mellows down, regenerates and you two fall in love."
Jerry looked lost and eventually asked, "Is that what happened to you?"
The Doctor continued to work on the wound and answered, "Yes, that is what happened to me. The White Guardians enlisted my help to assemble the Key to Time. He gave me an assistant with a very long name I can't pronounce so I just called her Romana."
"You cared for her, didn't you?" asked Jerry.
"More than any other companion. She was amazing. I even considered to stop my life of traveling the stars and time and settle down with her. Maybe even raise a family together, but that never happened. My life continued as a traveler and she became Lady President and after that the Time War came. I was never able to get my chance after that and now I will never get my chance. She's lost with all the other Time Lords. Forsaken in the whole wide universe," the Doctor wiped a tear from his eye.
Jerry sat down in the chair next to the couch and replied to the Doctor, "You still care for her. I'm sorry she's gone."
"Jerry, that's why I care so much for Alex. In some ways, she reminds me of Romana, especially in her third incarnation. I can see Romana in Alex's face, her smile and most of all her attitude and the way she approached life."
Jerry sat there listening to the Doctor as he opened up about stuff he would never open up to anyone else, not even his other traveling companions.
"She's not the only one I care for here," continued the Doctor, "It's all of you. You, your wife, Harper, Justin and maybe even Max. You all remind me of people I knew when I was younger. You are all like a family to me and I want to thank you for that. You remind me of my brother Braxatiel. Theresa reminds me of Rovalotcho, a classmate of mine. Justin reminds me of a friend of mine that went of the deep end. I think that's why sometimes I'm so abrasive and hateful to him. It's not his fault that he reminds me of the Master during his Academy days. Harper reminds me of the Rider. She was another one of my classmates. She almost made the 92nd Deca. She was overall ranked 11 in my class. Max is the tricky one. I don't know who he reminds me of, but he does."
Jerry was thinking about what the Doctor was saying and said, "I don't think you remind me of anyone, but you have changed my life since you got here. I thought I knew so much about my world, but I know so little. It brings a sense of adventure to my life and not to mention, you have a contagious personality. I've seen it in everyone here, mainly with Harper. She would never do the things she has done to help you before you met her, but Alex on the other hand is like a female version of you in some ways."
"I think that's why she likes me. She sees someone who can challenge her in her life and can actually giver her a run for her money in the rebellious and mischievous categories," replied the Doctor. He picked up a bandage and was about to bandage the wound when he noticed something. He lifted the towel that was on her shoulder. The wound was gone. It was like it was never there. "What in the world?"
"Doctor, where's the bite?"
"It was right there."
"Did you heal it?" asked Jerry.
"No, I just sanitized the wound and got it ready for bandaging. It healed on its own. I have no idea what just happened."
Alex moaned and rolled onto her side. She rubbed her face and asked, "What happened?"
"You don't remember?" asked the Doctor.
"Remember what?" asked Alex. She looked at the Doctor and then it all came back to her, "Oh my God. My shoulder." She rubbed her shoulder and felt nothing there, "Where did it go?"
"I have no idea," said the Doctor, "It vanished, and I should say before you sit up, I cut your shirt to get to the bite."
Alex didn't reply and snapped her fingers. The shirt was brand new once again. Alex sat up and said, "I don't hurt and I feel fine. Why did that thing attack me?"
"I don't know, but I wonder if the venom wore off. If it did, that was incredibly fast. Alex, I want you to go upstairs and get to bed," said the Doctor.
"But I feel fine," said Alex.
"You may feel fine now, but what about later. Sleep helps," said the Doctor, "Go to bed and get some sleep. Doctor's orders."
"Oh, very funny," Alex yawned, "But I guess your right. I feel exhausted." Alex stood up and walked out of the lair, still yawning.
"Keep an eye on her, Jerry," said the Doctor. He looked at the stain towel he first used. He added, "I need to find out what happened and what was on the bite."
"I'll keep an eye on her," said Jerry.
"Good," replied the Doctor and the two of them left the room.
March 22
Alex woke up at eleven the next morning. She groaned and put her hands on her face. Why was she up this early? It wasn't like her to get up early, well early for her. Everyone else was up and the Doctor may not have slept at all. She threw her covers off and sat on the edge of her bed. She felt different, but she didn't know why. She stood up and went to look in her closet mirror. She opened her closet door and lost her breath at what she saw. She looked down and looked back up. How did this happen? It was impossible. She was scared and confused and wanted answers to why she was nine months pregnant.
Chapter 2
"What?" panicked Alex, "What going on here? How? How am I pregnant? This can't be possible. I didn't do anything. I was normal last night."
Alex put on her robe and cracked open the door. She looked outside in the hall and no one was there. She quietly walked out towards the stairs and heard voices from downstairs. She didn't want anyone to see her like this until she found out what had happened over the course of the night. She heard Theresa's voice from downstairs talking to herself again. She tried not to be too loud and called out, "Mom!"
Theresa heard her and replied, "Alex, is that you? This is early for you."
"Mom, I need you to come up here," said Alex, "Right now."
"Why can't you come down?" asked Theresa.
"Because something is wrong with me and I don't want anyone to see it," she said.
Theresa put the stuff in her hands down and replied, "Okay, I'm coming." She shook her head and muttered something inaudible under her breath. She got upstairs and asked, "What is it Alex."
"This," Alex pointed to her stomach.
Theresa then realized that Alex was pregnant. "Alex, what did you do?"
"Why do you assume it was me? I didn't do anything," said Alex, "I went to bed last night and woke up like this!"
TARDIS
In the control room, the control console beeped and the Doctor said, "Finally, it's about time."
The Doctor read the results of the testing of the towel that the Doctor had used to help sterilize the wound. The continued to read and said, "That's interesting. Alex was allergic to shapeshifter's bite and that's why she was paralyzed. Now, what was in that bite to give Alex the allergy."
After a several seconds, the Doctor's face grew more intense and serious, "What? Amniotic fluid? How could that, oh, wait a minute. The shapeshifter bit her and was leaving before I stopped it. It wasn't trying to eat her. It impregnate with its child." The Doctor facepalmed himself and said, "Why didn't I think of that last night? That's how the shapeshifter's reproduce. How could I have been so stupid! And the shapeshifter's amniotic fluid is why it healed up so fast. It's designed to do that. That means when she wakes up today..."
The Doctor didn't finish and jumped out of his seat. He ran out of the TARDIS and then upstairs to the Russo home. He didn't see anyone upstairs, but saw Theresa coming down the stairs from the kids' bedroom. He ran to her and said, "Theresa! I was so stupid last night and I can't believe I didn't catch it then. Alex is..."
"Pregnant," said Theresa, "Yeah I know. What happened?"
"It's a long story and I will explain it later. Where is she? Is she awake?" asked the Doctor.
"Yes and she's in her room and doesn't want to see anyone. She confused and hates this whole thing. She was fine at first, but then she broke down a minute ago and wants to be left alone," said Theresa.
The Doctor ran his hand through his hair and said, "I might have been able to prevent this when I treated her wound last night."
"Wound? No one told me she was hurt," said Theresa.
"Theresa, I'm going to go talk to her and I want you to be there," said the Doctor, "She'll need the support, and since you are the only that knows aside from me, you should come with me."
"Why?" asked Theresa.
The Doctor grabbed Theresa shoulders and told her, "There is no easy way to say this, but if I can't get the baby out of her in time, Alex will die."
"What?" asked Theresa scared.
"The shapeshifter kills it surrogate mother when its born," said the Doctor.
Theresa swallowed, trying to suppress her tears. She asked, "How?"
The Doctor waited a minute and said, "The infant tears itself out of the host mother's uterus. Think of the movie Alien and the chestburster. Now think of something ten times worse, but in the stomach."
Theresa gasped and put her hand over her mouth. She back away and hit the kitchen island. She started to cry and said, "Oh my God. My daughter's going to torn apart from some kind of alien monster. Doctor, how long before the thing is ready."
"It depends on the species of the shapeshifter. Some last only a day and others can last up to a couple of weeks," answered the Doctor.
"What are the odds of it being around two weeks?" asked Theresa.
"Slim to none," answered the Doctor, "There is only two species of shapeshifters who take that long. The majority is between two to five days. Whenever you're ready, let's go up and tell her the news."
Theresa nodded and told him, "I'm ready."
"Okay," said the Doctor.
Theresa walked from the island to the stairs and walked up them with the Doctor right behind her. She walked to Alex's door and knocked on it. "Alex, Honey?" asked Theresa.
"Mom, I told you I wanted to be left alone," Alex yelled.
"Alex," Theresa said but couldn't finish. The sadness in her voice was unmistakable.
The door to Alex's room opened and Alex saw her mother and asked, "What's wrong?"
Theresa didn't answer, but the Doctor said, "Alex, I need to tell you something."
Alex saw the somber look in the Doctor's face and asked him, "What's wrong?"
"I think you need to sit down," said the Doctor.
Alex walked away from the door and said, "Come on." Alex sat down on her bed and Theresa sat down next to her. The Doctor walked in and shut the door. He pulled Alex's desk chair out and sat in that.
"Doctor, what is it?" asked Alex.
"I told your mother about this so that's why she's so sad," said the Doctor, "Alex, that baby inside you is a shapeshifter infant."
"How did I get pregnant by an alien?"
"The bite, Alex," said the Doctor, "That's how the shapeshifters reproduce. They bite females of other species and planet the embryo inside. It enters into the bloodstream and when the blood get into that female's reproduction system, it latches itself inside and grows rapidly. The creature was not trying to eat you last night. It was impregnating you."
"Why was I paralyzed?"
"You were allergic to the shapeshifter's amniotic fluid," explained the Doctor.
"Wait a minute," said Alex, "The shapeshifter was a man."
"That's because it was a male. The shapeshifters mate through their teeth. That sounds awkward, but that's normal for them. I don't know the whole process. I just know that it involves their teeth and a female of another species. It's quite complicated and no one really knows how they evolved to that point or even why they evolved to that," explained the Doctor.
"How do I get it out of me?" asked Alex.
"I need to work on that, but I don't have that long," said the Doctor.
"Why?"
"The shapeshifters when they are born, kill their surrogate mother during birthing."
"What?" asked Alex. Her eyes widened. Theresa put her arm around Alex's shoulders.
"The infant will tear itself out of your stomach while you are awake and it will kill you. It is a very vicious reproductive cycle," said the Doctor, "And whatever you want the baby to look like, that is how it will be when it first appears. That's what happened in New Jersey three hundred years ago. A woman had twelve kids and was pregnant with her thirteenth. The pregnancy showed up overnight and she said she wished the thirteenth was a devil and that's what happened. A little demon like creature tore itself out of her stomach and killed her. Before it went into the Pine Barrens, it killed everyone else in the room, except for one who hid. It flew out of the chimney and has been seen for ever since. That's one way a shapeshifter will tear itself out and what it might look like."
"What was that story?" asked Alex. She was trying to take her mind off of the fact she might die soon because of the thing the Doctor told her. Alex added, "That sounds familiar."
"That's the origin story of the Jersey Devil, but that is not important right now. What is important is that I have to get that out. I don't know how long I have, but I know it is not that long. You have at least one day up to two weeks, but for now I have to assume it is one of the shorter gestation periods, but that's not our only problem."
"What do you mean?" asked Alex.
"For shapeshifters, it takes two to make a baby. You killed the male one last night. That means the female is out there still, and in one species of shapeshifter, the baby doesn't rip itself out of the host mother. The biological mother is the one that rips open the surrogate mother. That is the most dangerous kind of shapeshifter because the female will stop at nothing to get her child safe and secure. It would even kill its own mate to ensure the child's safety, and that is saying something. Shapeshifters mate for life. It doesn't matter what species because they all mate for life."
"I thought my day couldn't get any worse," said Alex, "Why does it always have to happen to me? The Nightmare Weam, the Vampire, and now this? What did I do to deserve this?"
"I don't have answers to those questions, but I will do everything in my power to save your life and get that thing out of you. You will not die this year. You will die at a ripe old age due to natural causes and not because you will be ripped apart. I promise you. I will save your life."
The Doctor stood up and didn't say anything else. Alex stood up and hugged the Doctor. She told him, "Please don't let me die."
"I won't," replied the Doctor, "You have to show the others that your pregnant. You can't stay in your room the whole time. They will know something's wrong."
"I know," said Alex through tears.
"Alex, I need to go and find out what kind of shapeshifter it is. I will be able to fight it when I know what kind it is. Plus the female is still out there somewhere. I got to get rid of that one," explained the Doctor.
"I know," said Alex. She let go of the Doctor and stepped back.
The Doctor walked out of the room, but before he shut the door again and he said, "I will make this right. I will fix it." He shut the door after that and walked downstairs.
Alex sat down next to Theresa and broke down. Theresa put her arms out and held Alex in her arms. "It'll be okay. Everything will be okay. The Doctor will save you, but I'm here for you no matter what." Theresa kissed Alex on the head, and the two sat there for what seemed like an eternity.
Chapter 3
The Doctor walked outside to where the shapeshifter melted and the pile of goo was still there, but covered with newspaper. The Doctor moved the newspaper and scooped up the remains in a storage box which was bigger on the inside like everything else he owned. He closed the lid and brought it back into the sub station. The entire place was a mess. Wires and cords were everywhere. At the center of it all was a clear one hundred gallon drum filled with water. The Doctor took the lid off of the drum and dumped the remains inside it. He put the lid back on it. The Doctor hooked some wires around the drums. The Doctor walked behind a set up control center on the bar. He pulled a lever and the wires lit up. The container shot electricity into the water and the carcass.
The noise of the generators turning on caused Justin to come out from the Wizards Lair and Jerry came down from upstairs. The Doctor was monitoring several screens that he had placed on the bar. "What is all this stuff?" asked Jerry.
"This is going to tell me what kind of shapeshifter bit your daughter," explained the Doctor, "The wound may have healed, but the repercussions from the bite are still in effect."
"What repercussions?" asked Jerry.
The Doctor didn't answer him and looked grimly at him.
"Okay, but where did you get all this stuff and why is the sub station closed?" asked Jerry.
"I got all of this from the TARDIS. I closed the sub station and set this up because we have between one day and two weeks before something terrible will strike this family. Don't ask about those figures. Just deal with the fact I needed the room okay."
"Why couldn't you do this in your TARDIS?" asked Jerry.
"For one, I am trying to bring that hunk of mass back to life and the TARDIS will try to suppress it and the thing won't come back to life," continued the Doctor.
"You want to bring that thing back to life? Why?" Justin finally chimed in.
"Because then I can scan it and find out what shapeshifter it is. I can't scan a carcass that is just goo. It will only register as the type of alien, not the specific species. When I find out what it is, I can determine how long we have and the correct course of action to take. That is the only thing I can do right now. Also, I can find out how dangerous this species is because there is still one out there."
"What do you mean?" asked Justin.
"The one that attacked Alex was a male shapeshifter. There is still a female out there and they just mated," the Doctor answered.
"So the female's pregnant and you need to stop her before she gives birth. This is just like a plot line from a generic sci-fi monster movie. I thought was just bad storytelling, but it's true. That's crap man!" said Justin.
"It's not exactly like that," replied the Doctor, "It's a little more complicated. Shapeshifters mate through there teeth and the females don't have a reproduction system past the ovarian tubes. They plant eggs into the teeth of males shapeshifters and then eggs are fertilized. The new zygotes grow in the teeth of the males until they have to be released."
"How do they give birth then?" asked Justin.
"They don't give birth. The male plants the eggs into a female of another species. The teeth open up a little bit and the eggs and amniotic fluid are injected into that female and the mating cycle of the shapeshifters is completed. The zygotes then make there way via the bloodstream in the uterus of the female host and all merge into one child. The amniotic fluid replicates the host mother's cells and heals her before being absorbed into the body. That absorption then goes the child in the host mother and the child grows over the night. Then the gestation ranges from one day to two weeks," said the Doctor.
"Okay, what does that have to do with anything?" asked Justin with his confused face.
Jerry, however, knew why the Doctor had explained that to them. He replied, "Oh no, Doctor. Tell me she isn't."
"I can't tell you that, Jerry. She is," said the Doctor sadly.
Justin still was oblivious, but was worried when the Doctor and his dad exchanged those words, "What is it?"
"Alex is pregnant," Jerry said quietly.
"What? How? Who? You!" said Justin pointing towards the Doctor.
"No, Justin, the shapeshifter," said Jerry.
"How is that possible?" asked Justin.
"The shapeshifter bit her last night," said the Doctor.
That comment hit Justin like a ton of bricks. He said, "Oh my God, but why did you say something terrible would happen."
"That's the terrible part," said the Doctor, "The shapeshifters have the most violent birthing process of anything in the universe. They tear themselves out of their host mothers and kill them in the process. It is an incredibly violent and bloody process and always involves death for the host mother and others if they are anywhere near the new baby."
"How violent?" asked Jerry.
"Think alien on steroids," replied the Doctor.
Justin gasped and Jerry collapsed in chair that was next to him.
The Doctor continued and said, "I don't want to make this situation seem lighter than it really is. Whenever you see a shapeshifter, you have to realize now that someone had to die for that being to be alive. I'm not sure about your world's shapeshifters, but everyone that I know about is like that."
"Do you know of any shapeshifters giving birth on Earth before?" asked Justin.
"Earth is pretty far out range for all shapeshifters, but I'm guessing they seeped through the Rift, but it isn't unheard of. I only know of two stories of shapeshifter births. The first one is the story of the minotaur's birth and then the story of the Jersey Devil's birth."
"I know those stories and I get the picture now," said Justin quietly.
"Don't tell her that I told you about this. Alex wants to tell your herself," said the Doctor.
"I understand," replied Jerry.
Harper walked into the sub station and looked around at everything in awe and asked, "Hey guys, what's all this about?" Her happy face melted when she saw the looks on all three of their faces. "What's wrong?"
Before anyone answered her, Theresa came down from upstairs and said, "Alex, wants to talk to everyone."
"I'll be up there in a minute, but the rest can go up," said the Doctor.
"I'll tell her," said Theresa. She went back upstairs.
"Remember, I didn't tell you," said the Doctor.
"You didn't tell us," said Jerry, "We figured it out by ourselves."
"Good," said the Doctor, "Now go up. I need to talk to Harper for a minute."
The two went upstairs and the Doctor turned to talk to Harper.
"What is it? What's wrong with Alex?" asked Harper.
"Last night, Alex was attacked by a shapeshifter, an alien. Her should was bitten and something happened to her. I want to you to know that if I can't do anything in the next day to two weeks, I'll be there for you."
"What are you talking about?" asked Harper.
"Alex is in mortal danger, Harper. I will do anything and everything in my power to save her. I want you to be a little prepared for what Alex is about to tell you and for how Alex looks," said the Doctor.
"Okay, how's she in danger?" asked Harper.
"She'll tell you that. I'll explain why I had this whole mess built that goo stuff in the water thing over there after this. Let's go," said the Doctor. He motioned for Harper to go first.
"What? Ladies first?" asked Harper trying to ease herself.
"No, humans first," said the Doctor smiling.
Harper smiled but went upstairs right after. The Doctor followed her up and gave the contraption and the mess of wires one last look. He turned around and followed the girl up the stairs.
Upstairs Alex was sitting on the couch and Theresa was sitting there next to her. All the others were sitting or standing around the couch. The Doctor didn't walk too far from the stairs. He stayed in the background of the room and just watched them as Alex told them what happened.
The Doctor saw the family gather around Alex. He smiled and went back down the stairs. He chose not to get involved in what was more a family issue. He didn't think that he needed to be part of that. When he got down, he saw that the goo had been reconstituted a little bit. It now had the shape of an spike eel with glowing red eyes and four limbs. The Doctor said, "Now you're alive. Let's see what species you are and even if that is your real appearance."
The Doctor walked to the counter and pressed a few button and the water turned red then yellow and started cycling through the two colors. The computer beeped and the Doctor noted, "Scan's finished and it looks like we have a winner."
He read the results from the scan and said, "So you are a Vastataform. That would mean gestation is six days. That's good and longer than the average gestation of shapeshifter and it's not the species where the mother has to assist in the birthing process."
The computer beeped again and again. The Doctor looked confused and wondered what was going on. He didn't tell the system to another scan. He looked at why the computer had beeped and saw that the screen was black and had green writing appearing whenever it beeped. He read the words, "It's coming. It's coming. Be ready. Be ready. It's coming. It's coming. Be ready. Be ready."
"What does that mean?" he asked. He looked up at the shapeshifter and saw it staring at him. He asked, "Are you communicating with me?"
The computer beeped again and the screen said yes.
The Doctor walked up to the container and looked the shapeshifter in the eyes and asked with intensity in his voice, "What coming? What should I be prepared for?"
The computer beeped. This time it sounded like a machine gun going off. He ran back to the computer and it said, "The end. The end. The end." There were dozens, hundreds, maybe thousands of the ends scrolling through on the computer.
"The end of what?" the Doctor asked.
The screen went black and the computer beeped again. The answer to this question made the Doctor freeze and he looked back up at the creature in the drum. The screen said, in huge green letters, "Life."
"What do you mean the end of life is coming?" asked the Doctor, "Whose life?"
One last beep gave the Doctor the answer he needed, "All life."
"All life will end. When will this happen?" asked the Doctor.
The Vastataform smiled and its red glowing eyes dim and shut. The body dissolved into the goo it once was. This time the thing was dead permanently. The Doctor stood there staring. He was nervous and wanted to know more about the end of all life and more importantly, how this shapeshifter knew about it. He turned everything off and that's when Harper came down. She told him, "Alex wants you."
The Doctor didn't answer. He was still out of it with that disturbing prophecy.
"Doctor!" yelled Harper.
The Doctor jumped and asked, "What?"
"Alex wants you," answered Harper. She noticed something different about the Doctor and asked, "Doctor, what's wrong? You seem nervous about something."
The Doctor straightened up and rubbed his hands together. He said, "I'm fine. I guess I'm just worried about this whole thing. I was about to go up there anyway. I found out what kind of shapeshifter it is. It has a relatively long gestation period so I'll have more time to think of a solution."
"That's good," replied Harper.
The Doctor didn't reply to her and went up the stairs to the Russo home. Harper saw that the Doctor had left one computer screen on and went to shut it off. There were two words on it and Harper said, "All life. I wonder what that means. I hope it's not something bad."
She got an uncomfortable feeling and went back upstairs with the rest of them. She got upstairs and was relieved to see the Russos and the Doctor. There was something about those two words, all life, that made Harper feel uneasy. It was sort of foreboding and ominous.
Chapter 4
The Doctor made it to the Russo home. Jerry and Justin went back down right after the Doctor came up the stairs. Max had already left and Theresa walked down the hallway on the first floor. Harper came up right after the Doctor did. The Doctor saw Alex sitting on the couch and said, "Alex, you wanted to see me."
Alex stood up and said, "I felt it move and jerk around. Why did it do that?"
"I brought its father back to life," said the Doctor. His voice was a little shaky like he had found something out that wasn't good.
"Doctor, what is it?" asked Alex.
"Nothing," answered the Doctor, "It's nothing. I was able to find out what kind of shapeshifter that's inside you. It's a Vastataform. That means the gestation period is only six days."
"The what?" asked Alex.
"The pregnancy is only six days. On Sunday, if that thing is not out of you, it will tear itself out of there," the Doctor pointed to Alex's abdomen.
"Yeah, let's not let that happen shall we," said Alex as she clapped her hands together, "I like living."
"I think everyone does," said the Doctor, "And I would advise you not to use any magic. I don't know how that would effect the little monster."
"Is that your opinion as a doctor?" joked Alex.
"No," the Doctor said slowly, "It's my opinion as your friend. When have I let you down?"
"You haven't yet," said Alex.
"And haven't I always been there when you needed me?" asked the Doctor.
"Yes," answered Alex.
"Then just do this for me and not do anything. I don't want the magic to stimulate the infant in any way and speed up the gestation period and the thing come out faster."
"Will it do that?" asked Alex.
"I have no idea," said the Doctor, "But it's better to not do magic and nothing happen than to do magic and the baby tears itself out of you and you die."
"Point taken," replied Alex.
The Doctor clapped his hands and got louder, "Okay, I need to find that baby's biological mother before she kills again, and with Vastataforms, they only can change into the form of something they just recently ate, and chances are I'll need some help."
"Who are you taking?" asked Alex.
"Not you for one," said the Doctor.
"Any why not?" asked Alex.
"You're pregnant," the Doctor stated, "I don't want you running around out there."
"I'm fine," said Alex.
"But if that thing does that around one of its parents, I don't want you to go through anything. I don't know anything about this infant," said the Doctor.
"If not me, then who?" asked Alex.
"Well, you're parents have too much to do here. Max is too oblivious and idiotic to take out there with me. I don't know how long I can do something with Justin before he pisses me off. I don't know what it is about him. He just irritates and annoys me. I can't put my finger on it. Since your pregnant, the only one left is Harper."
Harper was making herself a sandwich and she froze. The knife she was holding clanged against the kitchen island as he dropped it. She looked up, her eyes wide it terror. "What?"
"Harper, I need your help in finding Mommy Monster before she kills anyone," the Doctor told her.
"But I'm not good with monster hunting and stuff like that," said Harper, "I can't monster hunt."
The Doctor nodded his head and lowered his eyes. He walked over and sat down on in one of the chairs. He looked at Harper and told her darkly, "I know you can't. I don't even now why I asked you."
"What?" asked Harper stunned.
Alex nodded in agreement. She went and sat back down, and started to watch the show.
"You are no good. You're not good at anything," the Doctor continued his voice getting more and more menacing.
"Doctor!" snapped Harper, "What's wrong with you?" Harper was getting angry and walked to where the Doctor was sitting.
"Don't even try to do anything. You couldn't go monster hunting or any other kind of hunting. You are useless and can't do anything."
"HEY!" Harper shouted, "I can do anything I want to and I'm not going to let someone tell me different. I can do anything!"
The Doctor's face melted and he smiled. His voice was back to normal, "There you go."
"And you know what else," Harper started but changed mid sentence, "Wait, what?"
"Nothing," said the Doctor, "Repeat what you just told me."
"I can do anything," said Harper. Then she realized it, "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"
"You got me," replied the Doctor.
"Why did you have to say those things though?" asked Harper.
"Since I've been here, I've noticed you have been negative and sometimes even put yourself down. You needed to say that you could do anything, and the only way I could get you to say that is the way I talked to you which was pretty mean of me to say, but I felt like I had to do it."
"Well next time, Doctor, don't be so hateful about it," replied Harper.
"Sorry about that," the Doctor said. He stood up and told Harper, "You coming with me."
"But," said Harper.
"But you can do anything. You said so yourself," said the Doctor.
Harper put her head down and conceded. She told him, "So I guess I'm going with you. Where are we going?"
"I don't know, but we're going somewhere," answered the Doctor.
"But shouldn't you know where you're going?" asked Alex from the couch.
"No, not knowing where I'm going makes all the more fun," said the Doctor. He rummaged through his massive pockets and pulled out his timey-wimey detector and said, "I have this. I don't know how effective it is, but I have it."
"And what else do we have?" asked Harper.
"I have brain and the incredible ability to talk my way out of situations. Also, I'm very, very good at these situations," smiled the Doctor. He walked to the stairs and said, "I have to get something then I'll be ready to go. Harper get ready."
"Doctor, I didn't agree to go with you," said Harper as the Doctor walked down the stairs.
"You know you're not going to win, right?" asked Alex.
"What do you mean?"
"He's more stubborn and hardheaded than me and I didn't think that was possible," answered Alex, "Plus he gets into trouble a lot and needs someone to help him out just enough so he can deliver the knockout blow."
"So what you are saying is go with him," Harper said slowly in realization.
"Yes! That's exactly what I'm saying," Alex snapped.
Downstairs the Doctor put some kind of device on the giant drums of water know mixed with the remains of the dead Vastataform. He pressed several button and a couple switches. He stepped back and counted down from ten. After the countdown, the device glowed and shot out tons of light. It was light a giant rainbow in the sub station and the colors gave way to a blinding light that engulfed everything. The Doctor put on extremely strong sunglasses and watched.
The light shined in on the Russo home upstairs and Harper and Alex saw that. Theresa came out and saw the rainbow of colors give way to a white light that got brighter and stronger. She shook her head and was ready to get on to one of her kids. Alex told her that it wasn't her who did that and Harper back her up. After several minutes, the light got weaker and weaker and that was when Theresa went down to the sub station.
The Doctor watched as the light was being taken back to its origin. Theresa came down the stairs and saw the light recede into a cube shaped object floating in air. Her entire sub station was empty, but it was shining and clean. Then there was another flash of light and all the tables and chairs returned with everything on them. The second wave of light flew back into the cube and the thing fell to the ground.
"What was that all about?" asked Theresa.
The Doctor turned to face her with his giant sunglasses still on. "That was a dimensional teleport. It brought my lab that I had constructed to another dimension that was created specifically for that. All the stuff that was originally in here was brought back when I activated the thing."
He took his glasses off and put them into one of his pockets. He walked to the cube and picked it up. He dropped that into his pocket as well before going into his TARDIS. He came out with several things that Theresa didn't have any idea what they were. Theresa shook her head and went back upstairs. The Doctor dropped the things into his pockets and sat down waiting for Harper to come downstairs.
He didn't have to wait long. Harper came down within a few minutes and said, "Why do I have to go?"
"Because I drafted you," said the Doctor, "Also you want to talk to me about something. I can see it. You don't want the rest of them to know about it and what better way for you to do that than to come with me."
"How did you know I had something to talk to you about?" asked Harper.
"I knew because I am amazing at reading people remember," said the Doctor, "Plus people see me as the answer man and all have questions for me. They think I know everything."
"Don't you?" asked Harper.
The Doctor stood up and said, "No, I don't know everything. I am incredibly thankful for that because if I knew everything, I might just stop and do nothing. I would just sit around all day watching from high above not interfering because I know it would be useless. God, I couldn't do that. My people did that and that's why I ran away, but back on topic. You have something you want to ask me. It came up only recently. Does it have anything to do with Alex and her sudden and potentially lethal pregnancy?"
"Actually, Doctor, it doesn't," answered Harper.
"Oh, that's weird," said the Doctor, "I misread you on that one. Sorry about that. What do you want to know?"
"I want to know why that computer that was hooked up to the mess that was in here and now completely gone. Where did it go?"
"Another dimension," said the Doctor, "You were saying?"
"Oh right, I saw that computer and there were two words on there and it is creeping me out. The computer screen had the words all life on it and that sent a chill down my spine. Why did it do that and what does all life have to do with anything?"
"Harper, I don't know why it is a such a creepy message, but it made me go cold when I read it," answered the Doctor. He lied about the second part of the question and said, "And I don't know what all life means or has to do with anything. I'm still trying to figure it out and when I do I'll make sure and tell you."
Harper nodded and said, "Okay, that's all I needed to know."
"Is that everything you need to know for now?" asked the Doctor.
"Yeah that's everything," answered Harper.
"Good! Let's get going," the Doctor was excited. He added, "This is a good old fashioned monster hunt. I haven't been on one of these for a long time." He ran to the door and Harper followed him but slowly. The Doctor called for her to hurry up and not lag behind.
Several Hours Later
New York City
Harper was sitting on a bench just outside Central Park. She was looking around and she was hurting. They had been searching for the shapeshifter for hours. At first he was nervous and then excited and now she was flat out in pain. Her feet hurt and were numbing. She did think that the Doctor was funny when he interviewed some people and met with old friends who didn't recognize him because he had changed his appearance. The best part was when the Doctor scared off an aggressive dog just by looking at it. She looked towards the Doctor and was jealous he wasn't hurting and that he could still probably feel his feet. He was at a street vendor getting a couple burgers for them. He came back and gave Harper her burger and a drink to go with it. She told him, "Thanks you."
"You're welcome," the Doctor, "It seems day one's turning out to be a complete dud. How the burger?"
Harper swallowed her bite and answered, "It's all good and besides it's not as bad as I thought it would be. I got to go see the city. I haven't been able to that in a long time. I just wish I could feel my feet."
"Oh, I think I can help you there," said the Doctor. He took out his sonic screwdriver and tuned it a little.
"What are you doing?" asked Harper.
The Doctor didn't answer and pointed the screwdriver at her legs and pressed on of its buttons. The yellow light went on and the noise went unnoticed by the pedestrians.
Harper started to feel her feet again and the pain started to go away. "Wow! What did you do?"
The Doctor smiled and said, "My secret."
"So I can add that to your ocean of secrets," said Harper finishing her burger.
"Yeah, try oceans of secrets," said the Doctor, "There is one that I have. It burdens me day and night, dawn and dust. Wherever I go, whenever I go, it's with me. Every incarnation since then is tormented by what I've done. Very few know what that secret is and I really hope that one day I can muster myself to tell you guys what I did."
Harper listened and told him, "Whatever you did couldn't possibly be that bad. Could it?"
"Harper, you have no idea how bad it was or how much it eats away at me some days. It used to torment me all the time, but the last nine months have helped me out a lot. You and the Russos helped me. You are a bunch of dysfunctional people but you remind me of the family I had when I was younger. I had a younger sister and a younger brother. My parents cared for us like there was no tomorrow, and then there was my best friend. He was my second brother. We were inseparable just like you and Alex.
"I still remember those Gallifrean nights before we went off to the Academy. We were so excited to go and we wanted to travel in the wonders and vastness of the universe. There were no limitations, but as the centuries wore on, we grew more and more apart. I tried to stay in contact with him, but he soon stopped talking. We never healed our relationship, and I had tons of times to save him from himself, but I was young and foolish. I let him wander and his hopes run wild. I should have been there when he needed someone to talk to. He was never my friend. He was brother."
Harper listened to the Doctor's story of his friend and she remembered back to April of the previous year when Alex told her something similar. Alex told her that she was not her friend, but her sister. She watched as the Doctor started to break down about his friend who was also his brother. "What happened to him?"
"He went insane. He was driven by a desire to rule and subjugate others. We rebelled and ran away about the same time, and during those travels he was always alone and his hatred grew and grew because I was never alone. I always had friends and companions with me and when we did meet again back in the early 1970s, we fought and fought and fought. He died in the end and I wish we would have turned out different. We should be kicking it back on some planet with our families having a good time, but no. I'm here on Earth talking to you and he is out there dying somewhere."
"What was his name?" asked Harper.
"The Master," said the Doctor, "His name was the Master. His birth name was Koschie, and we both remembered those Gallifrean nights. I remember them and fill with sorrow. He would remember them and fill with hate, and that's why."
"That's why what?" asked Harper.
"That's why Justin irritates me so much," said the Doctor, "He reminds me of the Master."
"Why?" asked Harper.
"Justin is smart and incredibly organized just like the Master. They both have or had condescending attitudes to people who they didn't think were good enough. Both of them were tormented by their peers and both of them studied their minds to death only to have someone close to them come along and do the exact same things without even trying. For Justin, it's Alex. For the Master, it was me. I need to realize that they are not the same person. They are different and the best way is to deal with Justin in a more caring way."
The sun had set and the night had come when the Doctor was finishing his story of the Master. Harper had listened. She knew how it was to bottled up things that she didn't want shared. She didn't know if anyone had heard the Doctor tell this story of his best friend who became his worst enemy. Harper decided to ask about his family, "Doctor, tell me about your brother and sister."
The Doctor nodded and took a drink of his coke. He said smiling, "My brother, well my real brother, Braxatiel always looked up to me. I protected him like there was no tomorrow. We always were together if I wasn't off with the Master. We were always close. All the way from child hood to adult hood. He was always there for me and I crushed him when I rebelled and ran away. Centuries later we talked about it and we mended everything. We stayed close until the Time War.
"Then there was June. My sister was the middle child. We had the complete opposite relationship. We hated each other. We were always at each others' throats. I don't know about my sister because we always wanted to be separated from each other. After I came back to Gallifrey in my fourth life, I went to see if we could ever have a relationship. I apologized for everything I did and forgave her for everything she did. She slapped me and said she never wanted to see me again and I never did. I regret our relationship to this day. That's one reason why I hate it when Alex and Justin get into it. Well that enough for now," said the Doctor rubbing his legs. He hadn't even touched his burger and he gave it to Harper.
"I'm sorry for that," she said as she started her second burger.
"That's okay," said the Doctor. He turned his head around and then he smelled it. It was the same smell that the male Vastataform had. He asked, "Harper, do you smell that stench?"
"No, why?" asked Harper.
"Because I can smell a shapeshifter. The one that bit Alex had the same smell," explained the Doctor.
"That's good isn't it? That means the things here," replied Harper.
"Of course it's here, but so are hundreds, thousands of people. How will I find her in this mess?" asked the Doctor. He stood up and threw away his coke cup and ran his hand through his hair.
"Doctor," said Harper, "I think I found her."
"What do you mean?" asked the Doctor.
"You said that the Vastataform can only shapeshift into something it ate," said Harper, "That women over there was killed and attacked by some kind of animal." Harper pointed towards a women within a hundred feet of them.
The Doctor asked, "How do you know that?"
"I read it in the newspaper. Unlike Alex, I actually like to read things that are on paper."
"So do I, that's good," replied the Doctor. After seeing her, he could tell the stench was coming from her, "We have to get her out of this throng of people."
They both looked around and saw alleyway close by. The Doctor said, "That's great. I have a plan."
"What does it involve?" asked Harper.
"You as live bait," said the Doctor.
"Why me?"
"Do you want to hid in there and jump her? I think you have the easy deal. All you do is just run. I have to fight something that could take my arm off with one bite."
"Yeah, that sounds fair," Harper agreed.
"Okay, here it is..." the Doctor told her his plan.
She nodded and followed through with it and within minutes the Doctor was hiding. Harper had gotten the woman's attention and soon the chase began. Harper screamed as she ran into the alley. The shapeshifter chased her about a hundred yards down the alley before the Doctor jumped out. He and the shapeshifter fought for what seemed like ages before the Doctor smashed the thing into a brick wall. He grabbed its hair and smashed its head into wall causing the bricks to cave in a little. Black blood flowed down the shapeshifter's face on her right side.
"Doctor! Was that necessary?" asked Harper.
The Doctor didn't answer, but the shapeshifter did, "He subdue me so yes that was necessary."
"I knew you were an intelligent shapeshifter because you are a Vastataform," said the Doctor.
"I'm not of this world just you aren't. She is though," said the Doctor.
"Where are you from?"
"That is not important," said the Doctor, "Now what is important. Why did you come here?"
"Refugee."
"Refugee from what?" asked the Doctor.
"The slaughter that is to come. It's sooner than you think. They are coming and will kill everything. I didn't know before we mated but now I do. This world is ground zero for them. They will make this their new home world. Kill me now so I don't have to endure what's coming, and your friend, I know she carries my child. She will die within the week, but it won't matter. Soon the end of all life will come."
"Who will end it all?" asked the Doctor.
"You know their name. They bring worlds trembling to their knees with one word, with one eleven letter word. They are coming," said the Vastataform her voice filled with terror.
"They died! They are all dead!" snapped the Doctor. His face was filled with fire.
Harper didn't say anything. She was too afraid to. She wasn't afraid of the Vastataform. It was the Doctor that she was nervous about. He knew what the creature was talking about and he didn't like that.
"Kill my child so it doesn't have to endure the things to come," said the Vastataform. The thing reached into the Doctor's pocket and pulled out a stun gun. She lifted it to her neck and said, "A certain moment can save her."
"What are you doing?"
She used the gun on herself and fell to the ground, "A moment." Those were weak words and she died on the ground. Her body turned to the same black goo. The Doctor shook his head and placed something on the remains. He pressed a button and they vanished. He took the device and the stun gun and put them back in his pocket.
"What happened to her?" asked Harper.
"Electricity. Vastataforms are very sensitive to it. It can kill them and bring them back to life in just small amounts," said the Doctor.
"Who is coming?" asked Harper.
"No one. No one is coming," said the Doctor. He stood up and walked to the street. Harper followed him. He looked at her and said, "You know if you weren't here, I would have never noticed her. See you needed to come."
"Yeah, I guess you're right," said Harper, "But what about Alex."
"I have to find a way to get that thing out of her, but what did she mean by a certain moment?" asked the Doctor, "I don't know. Let's go home and figure it out there."
"Agreed," said Harper.
They called a cab and were on their way back to Waverly Place. At least the female was stopped, but they still had the baby that was still in Alex to take care of, and the Doctor had no idea how to get it out of her, but he had the clue of the certain moment, but what did that mean?
Chapter 5
The Doctor and Harper came back about ten that night and told the whole family what happened and that there was something that was supposedly coming. The Doctor was still skeptical but he was still worried. After all of that, Alex wanted to talk to the Doctor alone.
"Doctor, are you saying you can't do anything?" asked Alex.
"I don't know yet, Alex. That thing gave me a hint, but it's going over my head at the moment, but I promise you you will not on Sunday," replied the Doctor.
"Well you better not," said Alex.
March 27
It was Sunday and the Doctor hadn't found out anything yet. Alex was on the couch. She had an incredible fever and continued to feel the child moving inside her. It was more and more often and even getting a little violent. It could happen anytime. Harper had helped the Doctor as much as she could, but they couldn't get anything.
"I don't know what do to, Harper," said the Doctor, "I can't save her just like I could save my people and all the others who died in my care."
"How did your people die?" asked Harper.
"It was because of some superweapon that I had in my possession. It was called the Moment," the Doctor said. Then it smacked him like tons of bricks, "That's it! A little dramatic, but that's it. TARDIS! I need it to save her."
A white light appeared on the control console and a necklace with a stone on it was left. He grabbed it and ran out of the TARDIS. "This is the moment that the thing was talking about."
Harper got excited and said, "Let's go!"
The two ran out to go upstairs. A blinding light awaited them as they went upstairs.
Before the two got up there, Alex stood up and the baby could be seen moving around inside her. Everyone was there watching in horror, except the Doctor and Harper. The Alex jerked and the movement stopped. She started to glow and erupted in a blinding white light. She didn't make a sound. That's when the other two came up. After several minutes, the light vanished and Alex was standing there in perfect health. The child was gone and she was no longer pregnant.
Everyone was relieved and Harper asked quietly, "Did you do that?"
"No," said the Doctor.
"Then what did?"
"I have no idea," he said. He dropped the moment off in his pocket and walked to Alex.
She embraced him and said, "Thank you, Doctor."
He hugged her back and said, "I didn't do that. You did that. Your body did something and saved your life."
"What was it then?" asked Jerry.
"I have no idea," said the Doctor, "I have no idea, but does it matter. You daughter is okay and will live."
"Jerry, he's right," said Theresa.
"Alex, did you use magic?" asked the Doctor.
"No, I didn't. You told me not to and I didn't. I just let the days go by and then I started to feel something mixed in with the pregnancy. It was a feeling of power. I know what magic feels like. It resembled that power, but it was so much stronger than it. It was a power I never felt before. It seemed all-powerful."
The Doctor nodded and then noticed her new necklace. It was key inside of a clock. "I like the necklace."
"Oh, thank you. I found it the day I was attacked and I thought of you so that's why I got it," explained Alex.
"Well, I like it," said the Doctor, "It's nice."
Alex thanked him again and everyone went on cheering, but the prophecies by both the male and female Vastataforms rang in his head. They both predicted that something was coming and all life would die. They said the end was coming. The Doctor celebrated with the others, but didn't stop thinking about that considering they both said it was soon. The thing that scared the Doctor the most was that the mother shapeshifter was willing to kill her child. Shapeshifters have some of the strongest maternal instincts in the universe. What was so terrible that she was willing to kill her own child to save it? The Doctor knew it was terrible and it was coming. It was coming so very soon.
The End