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"I gave her a chance, and I'm not inclined to give her a second one immediately after she tossed the first," the Doctor growled under his breath as he hurriedly altered the circuits in the metal box.
"Look, just because you've got a terrible case of 'Dad Shock,' that doesn't mean you go and take it out on her!"
"'Dad Shock'?" The Doctor repeated.
"Oh yeah, I've seen it loads of times back home, blokes with pushcarts and frowns. You've got it bad. Sudden and unexpected fatherhood. Takes a bit of getting used to, but avoiding it by attempting to disown 'er won't help you at all. That'll just make everything worse."
"No, Donna, it's not that," the Doctor sighed as he briefly paused in his work. The sound of weapons being fired made him scowl terribly and return to his chore with a vengeance.
"Well, what is it then? Having Jenny in the TARDIS with us? What's she goin' to do? Cramp your style by turning your sports car into a people-carrier? Bit late for that, Mate, since we picked up Penny, place is already a bit domestic."
"Donna, you don't understand, I've been a father before."
"What?" That was the last thing she ever expected him to say.
"Lost all of that a long time ago, along with everything else. When I look at her, I can see them, the hole they left, and all the pain that filled it. But when they all died, that part of me died with them. It'll never come back. Not now and not for her," he told Donna resolutely. "She's a soldier, one of them from a machine, and always will be."
In the distance, seeming to confirm his statement, General Cobb could be heard shouting, "You're a child of the machine! You're one of us, on our side! Ever since we…" He went on with his speech, but Donna's voice succeeded in drowning him out.
She was furious. Quaking with her famous temper, she let him have it. "You said that you were a father, once. Was that how you treated your children then? When they did something wrong, because they haven't been properly taught about doing things the right way yet? You must've been an absolutely rubbish father if-"
"Donna," the Doctor warned. "Not another word."
She changed tactics. "You know just as well as I do right now that she's nothing more than a child, born less than a few hours ago. You mentioned before a long time ago how Time Lords were loomed or something, yeah? Well, she's just like that, except the only thing she knows is how to fight. It's time you stepped up to be a proper parent, Doctor, and teach 'er how to do things the right way, like the Spaceman who I became best mates with would."
The Doctor said nothing, mutely finishing the job and deactivating the lasers. He came to a standing position and stuffed the sonic screwdriver in his inner coat pocket before he turned to look at his companion. They sized each other up as the Time Lord considered what Donna had told, albeit shouted at, him. Coming to a decision, he called out just as the General's long-winded speech drew to a close and the shooting started up again, "Jenny, come on!"
Donna beamed. "There's my Spaceman."
"I'll give it one more go, one!" The Doctor told her sternly as he grabbed her hand and the two of them went running down the hallway now empty of lasers.
"You won't be…disappointed!" She puffed. "Bet you twenty quid…that you'll be…thankin' me big time…when this's…this's all over."
"We'll see," was all the Doctor said before he shouted, "Jenny, leave it!" But had the gunfire moved closer? He shut his eyes, not knowing what to think. "Come on, Jenny," he muttered to himself, tense and ready to run at a moment's notice. "Come on, come on, come on…"
"That's it! Hurry up, Jenny! You can make it!" Donna's exclamation had him snapping his eyes open and watching the blonde run towards them, alive and uninjured.
"Come on," he urged quietly, having found himself relieved that she was in one piece. It almost seemed as if she was going to make it, but the lasers fizzled back into existence, nearly catching Jenny in the crossfire, leaving her stuck on the other side. "No, no, no!" The Doctor shouted, looking around hopelessly. "The circuits looped back!"
"Well, zap 'em back again!" Donna cried as the two of them jogged over to the barrier that the lasers created.
"The controls are back there!" He explained, running his hands through his hair.
"They're coming!" Jenny started to turn back in the direction of the fighting, but the Doctor moved forward in protest.
"Wait, just…" The Doctor cried, arms outstretched as if moving to stop her. She turned back to look at him and he stumbled over his words as he desperately looked around. There had to be another way…! "There isn't…" There was nothing he could do. "Jenny, I can't-"
She interrupted him tossing her gun to the wayside. "Guess I'll have to manage on my own. Watch and learn, father!" Eleven back springs and one cartwheel later, and she was standing right next to them. Her feat of gymnastics had left them stunned and joyous.
"No way," Donna breathed, astounded. "That was impossible."
The Doctor beamed. "Not impossible, just a bit unlikely." He swooped Jenny into a hug. "Brilliant, you were brilliant!"
The blonde looked so happy with the grin splitting her face, it almost appeared painful as she embraced the Doctor back just as tightly.
She didn't waste time in telling her father what she had done when he released her, in the hopes of making him taking more pride in her accomplishments. "I didn't kill him, General Cobb. I could've killed him, but I didn't! You were right, I have a choice!" The Doctor was stunned at this declaration. He had thought, had assumed that-
But then General Cobb, himself, with his platoon of soldiers appeared around the corner with shouts and weapons raised, giving credence to Jenny's words. Donna grabbed Jenny's hand and the two of them continued down the hallway while the Doctor glared coldly at the General. "I warned you, Cobb. If the Source is, in fact, a weapon, I'm going to make sure you'll be the last person to use it, that it'll be destroyed before you get your hands on it."
"If one of us is going to die today," the man hollered belligerently, completely misinterpreting the Doctor's statement, "Then it won't be me!" Immediately he started shooting at the Doctor but not one of his shots hit as the Time Lord ran after the two women.
It was slow going over the rugged landscape, the rocky ground beneath them making struggle to keep their balance. The harsh wind that was blowing straight in their faces had begun to affect the two humans in the trio, make even the more resilient of the two shiver. Martha was vaguely reminded of some of the more memorable (read: miserable) parts of her journey around the Earth during the 'Year That Never Was'. The only way this journey could possibly be more unpleasant would be if there was precipitation of some kind. With their luck, Martha mused, it would be acid rain.
Fortunately, the crags and the silo were much closer than they were previously, and the rag-tag group had just reached the peat-marshes. The hard, unstable, rocky terrain had replaced itself with soft, unstable, gravelly landscape. Which, arguably, was much worse, since more effort was expended in moving forward and maintaining an upright position. Penny was exhausted and wanted nothing more than a good night's rest, having been awake for well over a day in total, not to mention all the physical activity that she was most certainly not used to.
Martha noticed the ginger beginning to fall back from walking next to her. "C'mon," she encouraged, risking a glance to just behind her. "Not much farther now we're almost-" She cut herself off with a yelp as she tripped. A jolt of fear adrenaline from the sudden motion forced Penny to automatically lunge forward and barely snag the edge of Martha's jacket. However, her grip wasn't strong enough and the fabric was yanked from between her fingers. Her yelp had turned into a shriek of fear as she fell down the pit, rolling down the steep incline.
"Martha!" Penny wailed helplessly as Peck, the Hath, bubbled in alarm beside her. The could only watch as their friend landed into the peat bog below while they fruitlessly searched for section of the pit to slide down where they wouldn't slip and meet the same fate as Martha.
"Help," she cried. "I'm sinking!"
The young woman soon gave up finding the safe section and scooted down feet first towards the bog. She ignored her skinned hands when she reached the bottom and desperately reached forward, almost falling in herself if the Hath hadn't had as strong of a grip on the back of her overalls as he did. Forcefully, he nudged Penny aside and reached forward himself, having a much longer arm-span than her. If he had attempted his rescue first instead of the human girl beside him, he might have reached Martha, but as it was, by the time he tried, she had sunk much lower and their hands were too far apart to meet.
"Please, don't leave me," she sobbed when Peck stood up, but despite what she assumed, it wasn't to facilitate his exit. He jumped into the peat bog himself and Penny tugged at her overall bib anxiously, feeling as if she wasn't getting enough air. She detected a lump in her large chest pocket and brought out the gauze that she had stored there before. She stared at it blankly for a moment before realizing that it could be of some use. Taking the two longs strips of gauze, she rip them in half and made a four-strand braid. By this time, the Hath managed to push Martha onto shore and out of the bog. Martha turned and reached but the distance proved too vast for her.
Penny grabbed her arm and shouted, "Hold onto me!" Immediately, her older friend gripped the sides of her legs and Penny lunged herself forward, tossing one end of the braided gauze to the stuck Hath. He wrapped it securely around one hand and Penny yanked hard on the makeshift rope. Martha, still gripping Penny, stood up and grabbed a hold of the rope too while keeping her arms around the younger girl.
They struggled and tugged but it did little to prevent Peck from sinking further. In fact, both of the human counterparts of the trio were beginning to be pulled in themselves, not to mention the ominous creaking sound coming from the braided gauze. It would only end in two ways, the girls would be pulled into the bog or the rope would snap. Either way, the Hath would not make it, and undoubtedly he sensed this. Peck let go of the rope while undoing the snaps to his glove that attached it to his hand. Martha noticed this and screamed in protest, "No! Don't do it! We can help you, just let us get you out, Peck!"
The sudden release of his weight sent Penny and Martha flying back against the wall of the pit, the gauze and glove landing next to them. "No!" They cried, sobbing wretchedly as their friend and savior disappeared under the surface of the peat bog. Penny buried her face in Martha's side, who held her close. The two of them were wracked by guilt, falling apart, blaming themselves for the disaster and likewise for Peck's death.
"So, you travel together, but the two of you aren't…together," Jenny summarized in confusion.
"What? Oh, no. No, no, no, we're just friends, that's all. What gave you that idea? What gives anyone that idea?" Donna wondered, appearing somewhere between amused and put out.
"Well, your daughter," Jenny answered as if it was obvious. "The one that was likely made the regular way since you don't have the markings on your hand. Penny, I think her name was. I mean, she had your hair and his eyes, not to mention that our names are similar-"
"Now, just wait a moment!" Donna sputtered. "She's not our daughter! We're not even distantly related! The Doctor and I aren't even the same species, I mean, there's probably laws against it or something! As for your names, that's just a coincidence, her full name is Penelope, Penny is just easier to say."
"A full name? Oh, that sounds nice," Jenny remarked thoughtfully.
Donna rolled her eyes. "Oh, you're his daughter alright."
"Can I have a full name?" She asked eagerly. "Is there a long form for 'Jenny' like there is 'Penny'? Or do I have to earn the eventual adding of syllables to the base name? Is this something that only applies to females? What's your full name? Donnabella? Donatello? Donald?"
Up ahead, the Doctor snorted with laughter, shoulders shaking.
"Oh, sure, laugh it up now, Spaceman," Donna snapped, flushing with embarrassment. "Just don't expect my help when she comes to you for 'medical assistance' when the painters come in." He choked, and a smug grin found its way on Donna's face, justice having been served. "Anyway," she continued, ignoring the Doctor's disturbed expression. "These are questions that she should be asking you, not me, since she's your daughter. And, no, my first name is just Donna, thank you very much."
"Well," he coughed. "Time Lords when first loomed are given names from their mother and father who donated their biodata into the loom. You were correct in the idea of there being a root or base name, everyone on Gallifrey received single names. When you were old enough to join the Academy, you received a new 'official' name while attending your particular chapter, a nickname using Greek letters that identifies you uniquely. The length of a Time Lord's name, given to them after they were loomed, grew as their social and political stature increased, and the longer the name, the more power it held. Eventually, when they graduate from the academy and receive their title, they choose their new name to go by…" He paused. "I choose the 'Doctor.'" Silence descended between the trio before the Doctor continued with an offhand statement and a small smile, "A longer form of Jenny is Jennifer."
There was a stunned pause before Jenny squealed, "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Excitedly, she hugged her father tightly before skipping ahead. "Come on! Let's get a move on!"
"Careful, there might be traps!" The Doctor called after her a worried frown developing on his face.
"Kids," Donna remarked. "They never listen!" Glancing at her friend, she noticed that he still looked troubled. "Hey," she murmured softly. "You really do care for her, don't you? Have you given any thought to her coming with us to see new worlds, to her staying on the TARDIS?"
His frown turned pensive as he considered her questions. "I…s'pose," he finally admitted. "I don't know if I could face her every day, seeing what I lost and could stand to lose, remembering what she…" He cut himself off, grief and guilt over Penelope's unfortunate and unnecessary death creating a lump in his throat.
"It won't stay like that," Donna soothed, setting her hand on his arm. "She'll help you. We both will."
He gave a strained smile, placing his hand on top of hers and gently squeezing it, acknowledging Donna's offer of comfort. After taking a steadying breath he said, "Yeah, and we can't exactly leave her here, can we?"
"That's the spirit," Donna encouraged.
Gun fire became audible resounding back the way they came and Jenny ran towards them, exclaiming, "They've blasted through the beams, time to start running again!" Flouncing to a stop in front of the Doctor, she asked, "Love the running, yeah?"
"Love the running," the Doctor confirmed with a small smile. Jenny beamed and started off in a sprint, this time with the Doctor and Donna directly behind her.
There was nothing we could do, we had to leave the peat bog behind and, with it, the fishman. I didn't even know this one's name either, and, yet, he sacrificed his life for us. I thought that I'd be able to save him, that the rope would be strong enough, that Martha and I working together would be able to pull him out. I was wrong. I was coming to hate being wrong.
We were more careful this time around, taking special care circumventing any pits we came across, since we didn't have another guardian angel to protect us. And, somehow, we slogged our way over to the silo, which, in closer inspection, looked more like one of the futuristic buildings straight out of Star Trek or an oil freighter that was stuck into the sand like it was the Titanic and currently sinking. It appeared to resemble nothing like a silo. Actually, if you turned your head to the side and squinted, it looked like…
…Like a really long pier for docking.
I didn't know what I was trying to see in that not-silo, but the feeling that I knew what it was nagged at me.
Martha and I exchanged exhausted glances as we wiped away the last of our tears. We'd had more time to mourn after we were safely back on the TARDIS but at the moment we… what were we doing? That hadn't been explained to me either, since at the time I wasn't able hear to anything but a ringing sound. Now the ringing had faded almost completely into background noise and everything just sounded muffled, like I was underwater or had just gotten off an airplane.
Once we reached the not-silo, I leaned heavily against the structure, utterly beat. I felt like I could sleep for a week, which would probably give the Doctor no end of gratification as he had been trying to get me to sleep in longer durations prior to our trip. Suddenly, Martha grabbed my arm and pointed. A door opened slowly of its own accord. Looking at each other, we shared a nod and scampered inside, only for it to shut behind us, sealing off all escape.
Well, no going back now, I guess.
I shuddered gratefully at the warm temperature inside the not-silo, a vast change between this and the cold outside. Stumbling, I followed after Martha who had, once again, taken point, watchful and cautious. I tripped over my own feet at least twice before I was forced to sit down. It was so hard to concentrate and stay awake inside here with the comfortable temperature increase. At least outside, the cold bitter wind had a biting edge that forcibly kept me alert. But now, I was just so tired…
Martha must've noticed that I wasn't following her, because she came back and gently shook me awake. I wasn't even aware that I had fallen asleep. "Come on," she said, voice only slightly muffled now, but audible. "Just a bit further, you can do that for me, right?"
"…'Kay," I said. "Sorry, 'm just so tired."
"I know, I know, just a bit more. Come on, up we go." Despite her own weariness, she mustered enough strength to help me back to my feet. Then, with my hand clasped firmly in hers, we continued on down the winding corridor. We began to turn a corner, only for Martha to freeze. I bumped into her, since I wasn't really paying attention, just following along in a half-daze. "Doctor!" She exclaimed, jolting me into awareness with that one word. She let go of my hand and ran at him, arms wide open. He swept her up into a tight hug that lifted her off the ground.
"Martha! I should've known you wouldn't stay away from the excitement!" The Doctor grinned, finally settling her back on the ground, his back facing me.
I took a step forward and Donna noticed me first. "Penny!" She hurried over and drew me into a hug. "You're alright! Ooh, you had me worried and…" She trailed of and wrinkled her nose. "Ugh, you're filthy. What happened?"
"It-It's a m-marsh outside. H-Hard to not get d-dirty," I replied.
The Doctor, who had tensed when Donna had cried out my name, whirled around to look at me with an expression like he had seen a ghost. He hurriedly strode over and gripped my shoulders tightly. "I thought…" He stammered. "I thought you were…" Speechlessly, he drew me into a bone-crushing hug that made it difficult for me to breathe and I flailed slightly before awkwardly managing to weakly pat his back. When he released me, he turned his head to glare at Martha while he kept his hand on my shoulder. "Why on Earth would you tell me that she's dead?!" He accused.
Martha balked in confusion. "What? No! I said she was deaf! In the explosion, she lost her hearing. I was worried that it might be permanent, but it's gradually starting to come back."
The Doctor had the decency to look apologetic and sheepish. "Sorry, Martha. I just…I couldn't be sure that either of you had survived until you called and… Well, there's no excuse for that. I'm so sorry. Can't believe I could be so thick-!" Suddenly, everyone turned to look down the way that the Doctor, Donna, and Jenny had come from, apparently hearing something that I couldn't quite discern. "That would be the General," the Doctor hissed. "We haven't got much time…"
"But we don't even know what we're lookin' for!" Donna cried.
Martha let out a small sniff and asked, "Hey… do you smell that? Reminds me of flowers."
I paused to sniff too and faintly I caught the sweet scent. Something that I hadn't noticed earlier until Martha had brought my attention to it.
The Doctor frowned. "Yes, that's…Bougainvillea, I believe. 'If in doubt, always follow your nose.'" Then he grabbed my hand firmly and we were running with Martha, Jenny, and Donna close behind. Down the corridor, up the stairs bathed in green light, and into the…jungle? There were plants everywhere, palm trees, bamboo, exotic and alien flowers. We had stepped into what seemed like a ginormous green house. As I looked around in awe, trying to take in everything at once while walking alongside the Doctor, my vision…shifted slightly.
We were still in the greenhouse, but I saw the vague outlines of eight or so people. As clear as day, I could hear them speaking in my mind, while the Doctor next to me still sounded muffled as he exclaimed in amazement, "Oh, yes! Yes! Isn't this brilliant?"
"This is a galaxy class ship. Goes for years between planet falls. So, what do they need?" A man prompted. I vaguely recognized his voice, but I couldn't remember where it was from.
A woman answered, "They need to breathe."
There was a pause before another woman cried out in shock, "But that's a…that's a…"
"That is an oxygen factory," the first woman finished.
"It's a forest!" Woman two finally got out.
"Yeah, it's a forest," Woman one mock-agreed before empathizing in exasperation, "It's an oxygen factory."
"But trees…on a space ship!"
"Oh, more than trees, way better than just trees. You're going to love this, they're treeborgs! Trees plus technology. Branches become cables which become sensors on the hull. A forest sucking in starlight and breathing out air. It even rains! There's a whole mini-climate here. This vault is an ecopod running right through the heart of the ship. A forest in a bottle on a space ship in a maze. Have I impressed you yet?"
"An ecopod…?" I murmured out loud, causing the Doctor to glance back at me in surprise.
"Not exactly," he corrected, his voice wasn't muffled anymore and I looked up in surprise. "But a good guess…more than good." He frowned in thought as I looked around to where the shadowed forms of the people had been. They were gone. The vision must have faded when I looked away.
The Doctor let go of my hand to take off his coat when we came to a stop in front of what looked a tiny exploding star contained in a glass orb the size of the large globe of the world in my History class. It was settled on top of a metal stand with a blue center. The Doctor tossed his coat on a railing nearby what appeared to be a computer that was likely monitoring the tiny galaxy. Enthralled, I stepped closer, gazing inside at the ever shifting micro-star.
"It's beautiful!" Jenny exclaimed, coming to stand next to me. I wordlessly agreed with her as I watched it explode, shrink, expand, and waver. It was almost like watching the fire in a bonfire pit or a lava lamp: unpredictable, ever changing, and utterly hypnotizing to gaze at.
"It's…um…" The Doctor cocked his head slightly to consider it. "A third-generation terraforming device…"
"So, why are we suddenly in Hue Gardens?" Donna asked.
"Well, that's what it's meant to do. It's rather similar to the one in the garden on the TARDIS. Creates and sustains life. Except this one is capable of all this and much, much more. It's in a transit state, right now. Likely creating all of this must keep it stable until they-"
Doors opening and the sounds of marching feet interrupted the Doctor, as the fishmen carrying their guns and the humans carrying all of their weapons suddenly raced inside. The guns were cocked and aimed, but before anyone could start firing, the Doctor shouted, "Stop!" Holding out his arms as if to will both sides into not pulling the trigger. "Hold your fire!"
"What is this, some kind of Hath trap concocted by you sympathizers?!" The grizzly looking man demanded.
'Hath?' I wondered before I looked over at the fishmen. Does he mean them?
"I thought you wanted this war over-" The Doctor began only to be interrupted.
"I want this war won!" Grizzly man barked.
"You can't win. No one can. You don't even know why you're here. Your whole history, it's just Chinese whispers," the Doctor whirled around, looking at everyone, attempting to gain their attention, which seemed to be working as no one fired. "Getting more distorted the more it's passed on… This," the Doctor shouted before gesturing to the exploding micro-star with both hands, "Is the Source. This is what you're fighting over. A device to rejuvenate a planet's ecosystem. It's nothing mystical, it's from a laboratory, not some creator. It's a bubble of gases." He stood up straight, beginning to pace around confidently as he continued to monologue. "A cocktail of… stuff for accelerated evolution."
Taking a deep breathe, he spat out the names of the main ingredients so fast that it was hard to keep up, "Methane, hydrogen, ammonia, amino acids, proteins, nucleic acids; it's used to make barren planets habitable." The Doctor, once again, took stock of his captive audience. He spoke more calmly, no longer shouting now but, instead, imploring them, "Look around you… It's not for killing, it's for bringing life. If you allow it, it can lift you out of these dark tunnels and into the bright, bright sunlight… No more fighting. No more killing."
I was moved by his speech, starting to feel hopeful. No one had to die any more in this war. They could really have a chance start over and the violence could be at an end. The Doctor looked around him, breathing hard, before he picked up the Source, detaching it from the stand and making it hiss from released pressure. "I. Am. The Doctor," he shouted. "And I declare, that this war is over!"
He hurtled the glass containing holding the source at the ground where it shattered into a million pieces. A bright golden light flowed and ebbed around the container before slowly floating upwards, flashing mixtures of orange, yellow, green, and white, looking much like a rising phoenix. I watched in awe, feeling tingles spread throughout my body. It was so beautiful, and I wondered if this is was it first looked like when God had declared, 'Let there be Light.' For a moment, I could almost hear the Song; that Song of the Universe through the whispering hiss of the Source as it floated past me.
I hardly noticed when the soldiers began to lower their weapons and place them on the floor, just as moved by the scene as I was. Likely even more so, as they didn't have anything to compare it to, death being the only thing they ever really knew.
"What's happening?" Jenny asked, coming to stand next to the Doctor.
"The gases will escape," the Doctor began, gazing upwards at the glorious sight above us. "…and triggering the terraforming process."
Jenny frowned, confused. "What does that mean?" She queried.
And the Doctor looked at his daughter, his face transforming into the happiest expression I've ever seen on his face. "It means a new world," he told her, beaming.
And for a moment. For one, shining moment, I actually believed everything would be alright.
But I had forgotten what happened next. What had always happened next.
"No!" Jenny cried, stepping forward in front of the Doctor, her father, as the shot was fired. She gasped and clutched at her chest and the Doctor caught her. Everything seemed to freeze and hold its breath, like the calm before the storm… And then her legs gave out from underneath her and she fell to the ground, the Doctor slowing her descent as he went down with her.
"Jenny? Jennifer! Talk to me, say something," he pleaded as Martha and Donna lunged forward, kneeling on the ground beside the pair. Martha reached out and checked Jenny's pulse before gently moving the girl's hand that still rested on her chest. She saw something that made her lean back, Donna following her. They got up and came to stand next to me as they made room for the father and his daughter to have privacy.
"Is she…Is she going to be alright?" Donna asked tentatively.
Martha shook her head, unable to bear saying the words aloud.
I was frozen by my spot by the pedestal that the Source had once rested, unable to do anything but watch as the scene unfolded in front of me. The two of them were speaking too quietly for me to hear, but I didn't need to be right next to them to know what was said.
I didn't need to be right next to them to know when she died.
I didn't need to be right next to them to see the look on the Doctor's face.
He turned to face us, a wild look of desperation on his face, his voice so quiet as to be barely heard, "Two hearts. Two hearts, she's like me. If we wait... If we just wait..."
Martha began to shake her head, but I couldn't be silenced any longer, couldn't take the look on his face anymore. Words spewed out faster than I could control them, "She won't regenerate, but-but the Source… s-something happens. It-It takes a wh-while, hours, I think, but-but she doesn't stay dead. Sh-She comes back. I promise. She… She would've left b-by herself, come back alive after y-you had left. You…You wouldn't have known. You would've thought that she…that she was really dead."
So many expressions crossed the Doctor's face: hope, doubt, relief, fear, and, most prominently, anger. Planting a kiss on Jenny's forehead, he gently settled her on the ground, as if she was only sleeping, before he stood up, his back facing all of us. I shivered, almost able to sense the righteous anger rolling off of him in waves. He turned around and the look on his face made me freeze in terror, even if it wasn't even remotely directed at me. He stormed over to the grizzly man, the one who had shot Jenny in the first place. He picked up that very same gun, cocked it, and aimed it at the shooters head, resting the barrel directly on his temple, like some sick form of poetic justice.
Unable to bare watching, horrified and scared by the grimness in his expression, I turned around and buried my face in Martha's shoulder. A long, tense silence had passed but no shots had been fired. I nearly faced him but quickly hid again once I heard his voice, a voice so cold and measured that it sent icy jolts of fear through my body. "I never would… Have you got that? I. Never. Would." There was a sound of the gun being forcibly thrown on the ground and I jumped, heart pounding in fear as the Doctor raised his voice, "When you start this new world, this world of Human and Hath... remember that! Make the foundation of this society: A man who never would!"
His voice echoed through the room, no one dared to breathe a word.
I heard him walk past us and over Martha's shoulder, I saw him slowly sink down to a cross-legged position beside Jenny as to watch her form intently for any signs of life. Waiting for my promise to hopefully come true.
After that, things were being settled and a new order emerged. Currently, the soldier boy from the beginning, Clive, and the fishman I perceived to be in charge of the Hath stepped up to be the leaders of the new society. Grizzly man, once known as General Cobb, was led to the brig and locked up there for murder, as not all were convinced that Jenny would come back alive.
Like in the show, Jenny was taken over to the theatre that once served at the Human encampment. She's was laid out on a cot on the stage instead of a table, but it was still in the same position, somewhere near the front and center of the stage. The Doctor had insisted on being the one to carry her and refused to leave her side as she was set down on the cot that he insisted be used. "No reason for her to be uncomfortable. It was painful enough as it was being shot. I should know, since it happened to me a quite a few times before."
Several long minutes past but then light was shed through the windows. The first bit of actual sunlight that this world had seen. The glow filtered through the room and a large ray of it rested on Jenny's face and torso. Illuminating her prettily and bathing her face in soft luminescence. "It's happening," Martha murmured. "The terraforming."
Donna looked up at the window, at the light coming in. "Build a city, nice and safe underground. Strip away the top soil. And there it is," she said before her eyes once again landed on the unresponsive blond in front of us. "And what about Jenny?"
I felt everyone's eyes on me, since it was my assertion of Jenny not staying dead, but despite my shyness and wanting to hide under a rock or become a wallflower again, I remained firm with my promise. The Doctor needed this, he really, truly needed this one thing. I wouldn't be the one to take it away from him. "We need to wait," I told them. "Just… Just wait."
And so we did.
Never have I ever had this much resting on my shoulders before, the happiness of a person completely dependent on my being right. I don't think I've ever been so relieved to be right before either. The utter relief of the burden disappearing when Jenny sighed and breathed out that same golden green light. Like before, I could faintly hear the Song through her sigh before the light dissipated and vanished, taking the Song along with it.
Everyone leaned forward in anticipation, and Jenny let out a gasp, her eyes snapping open. And just like when we first met her, she smiled and said, "Hello, Dad."
To Be Continued...
Explanations:
* I actually have no idea what the breaking point of gauze is, or how much it's increased by making it into a four strand braid. So I'm asking you to temporary suspend your disbelief, please.
* Yes, I just had Jenny renamed Jennifer while simultaneously answering the unspoken question of whether or not the people born from the machine know where babies come from.
* Everything the Doctor said about Gallifreyan names is true. You can find out more on the site 'Rassilon, Omega, and That Other Guy.'
* The vision Penny had seen was based off of this video on YouTube: /watch?v=tt2qF60KZJU
* You didn't really think that Penny would let the Doctor believe that his daughter was dead, did you? Unfortunately, though, there will be consequences and a massive butterfly effect from this one change. Suck it.
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TITLE: Taken With a pitch of Salt
AUTHOR: doctorchan80
ID: 10212678
SUMMARY: This story includes clichés such as: OC from alternate universe that has Doctor Who show arrives mysteriously and changes events, OC whose looks/species change by entering the Doctor's universe, OC TimeLady/OC who doesn't know she is a TimeLady, OC who somehow ends up 'with' the Doctor despite that not being her intention, clueless OC and OC with low self-esteem.
OPINION: All of the above mentioned tropes were mastered wonderfully. I didn't feel like I was being hit in the face with that metaphorical brick, but it was apparent enough, that I felt that it was decently enough addressed. The OC gives a bit of a jaded and dreamy feel, vaguely reminiscent of Luna Lovegood from the Harry Potter series. She has a surprisingly sharp wit for her image that she seems to project, but it's a nice touch and not too out of there. Her fear and portrayal of Rose is a bit of a surprise to me, but not too over-bearing. I'm personally fine with Rose as a companion, but her view point isn't offensive to me since she only mentions it in passing and there has a few run ins where her view point is supported. The diction is above-par for the course with most fan fiction writers and is extremely refreshing. With the tone set and the speed of the story, it's easy to relax and flow along with the chapter.
TITLE: Saving Keith: Traveling with Death
AUTHOR: LePugly
ID: 9970729
SUMMARY: Katelyn just diagnosed with lymphoma(cancer) felt her whole world falling apart. But after a strange man visits her in the hospital giving her a strange locket, that causes her to jump through the past and future of a Time Lord that seems to know her all to well. ((Kate/Doctor slight Kate/Captain Jack))
OPINION: A completely new take on the dead-beat horse, we have the OC struggling through cancer as well as the usually confusion of jumping through the Doctor's time line. I fell in love with the OC within the first few chapters, how she didn't immediate accept the situation and how, even better, she hadn't been a Whovian from our universe previously. It's nice to see her life from home intersect with life with the Doctor and meet other OCs from her life and not have them dumped to the wayside or forgotten like in most fan fictions. (Also, bonus points for the countless references to other fandoms besides just Doctor Who.)
Thought Processes:
Ah, it's been a while and I have only a short chapter to offer as penance, I'm really very sorry. This was just the chapter that didn't want to be written. You can thank my lovely beta emptyvoices for being such a big help by going through, likely painful, corrections and edits!
Not to worry, the next chapter should be much easy since I have no restrictions of an episode of follow besides dropping Martha and the rest can be all original, thank the Lord. Most likely domestics and a bit of 'getting to know you' before we head over into the world of Agatha Christie. A small bit of angst should be expected, as we find out what has happened with Ross now that the polls closed, but for the most part it'll be fluffy goodness.
Also, in recent news, A FAVORITE AUTHOR OF MINE READ THIS STORY! *Hyperventilates* She only followed my story, but just that was enough to make do a fist-pump and loudly say, "YES! WIN!" ...In a public area. I just got so excited. Grinning like mad.
Anyway, I advertised and I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE that you go to her story: 'Saving Keith: Traveling With Death.'
So, you also may have notice I did another story and it has the name 'Penny Carter' in the description. WARNING: It isn't related to this story at all. 'Rules' was something I came up with long before this story was even a thought. I had gotten the idea after reading 'A Writer's Tale.' One of you reviewers have already astutely guessed that this Penelope was named after the almost companion in 'Partner's in Crime.' You were half right. 'Rules' is a story based off of all the information provided about the first Penny Carter, the Donna-esque character that Russell T. Davies created to be the new companion and the Doctor's new love interest before Catherine Tate signed on for another go as Donna Noble. Basically, it's Season 4 redone.
But that's one of the last things on my priority, just so you know. It's not abandoned, per se, just expect very few updates.
Also, also, wish me luck. I've been working at Target now for the past few months and there's news that they're letting people go. Cross you fingers and pray that I'll keep my job, please! I'll need all the help I can get...
Anyway, I can't wait for the episode 'Midnight,' that's when things finally start moving forward. Although, there's lots of lovely foreshadowing in all the Library episodes and you guys finally get to meet Ashley! :D
If you have been reading any of my author's notes, you'll have noticed that I've been mentioning her quite a lot! I wouldn't ever be surprised if some of you guys already have theories on who she could be... Do you guys have any idea who she could be? I'll take guesses, closest one to it gets a mention and a cameo!
Anyway, super long author's note, sorry.
Happy Valentine's Day!
Happy Friday,
FFA, the Fan Fictional Authoress.
Date Submitted: Friday, February 13, 2015.